The End of Rahm Emanuel's Rule Means That the Center May No Longer Hold in Chicago

The Chicago Reader ^ | September 5, 2018 | Ryan Smith

[PBRCat]

Rahm Emanuel ducked out of City Hall alone on Tuesday, his usual security detail walking slightly ahead of him.

Across the street at Daley Plaza, 150 activists had gathered to celebrate his vanquishing at an event called "Celebrate the End of Rahm Emanuel’s Reign of Terror". . .

The calm, matter-of-fact way that Rahm's rule is coming to an ending is shocking—particularly so if you compare it to the mood of eight years ago. In 2010, Obama's former chief of staff returned to Chicago from the White House poised as a conquering hero ready to assume his rightful place on the throne.

But those paying close attention have noticed how the cracks in the foundation of Emanuel's personal kingdom have grown into chasms. And more broadly, we're seeing symptoms of the creeping national decline of a kind of technocratic centrism practiced by the Clinton and Obama machine over the last 25 years. Rahm has served as neoliberalism's Machiavelli over that time, perfecting a cynical "Just win, baby" philosophy that meant making the Democratic Party rain with Wall Street cash, whipping up fear about your opponent, and then campaigning (and governing) slightly to the left.

Emanuel's many high-powered capitalist friends claimed that the mayor had more than a puncher's chance of reelection. [M]ultiple polls conducted earlier in the year for mayoral hopefuls. . . weren't so rosy for Rahm. McCarthy's numbers had Emanuel's job performance rating at just 32 percent, and Lightfoot's showed that just 31 percent of 800 Chicago voters said they would vote to reelect him. Sixty-two percent of those voters said they wanted anybody but Rahm in 2019. Those are numbers that don't bode well for someone whom David Axelrod—one of the mayor's closest friends—once described as a "heat-seeking missile" for his ability to win elections.

[PBRCat]

The real canary in the coal mine could be heard squawking last week in the form of 40th Ward alderman Pat O'Connor, Emanuel's City Council floor leader. In an interview with the Sun-Times, O'Connor said he was considering retiring from politics—especially if Rahm declined to saddle up for another term. O'Connor cited myriad reasons for retirement but the one that stuck out was what he sees as the lack of moderation in Chicago.

[goldstategop]

Chicago dominates the state.

Its the only reason Hillary won there in 2016.

Downstate IL is heavily GOP.

[KavMan]

If Rudy decided he wanted to be Mayor of Chicago & to finally clean up the Streets, I bet he can win

[Pearls Before Swine]

Chicago had a center? Who knew?

[rstrahan]

Chicago has been a Democrat bastion, driven by corruption and wars politics, with pay-to-vote being the accepted norm. Chicago is no longer working, with rising taxes, an outflow of population and violence rising.

[so_real]

I am wondering if Rahm is :

1) going to retire,
2) going to be incarcerated,
3) going to expatriate,
4) going to aspire to higher office

I doubt #1 and #4 are likely ...

[goldstategop]

Chicago has barely been livable. It has violent crime up the wazoo.

A feature of Democrat-run cities.

[Gay State Conservative]

New York City,the last major city on earth to need one,has a Commie Mayor.London does as well.

Is Chicago about to follow suit????

[SERKIT]

The calm, matter-of-fact way that Rahm's rule...

Translation:
Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
Rahm performed "management by news conference" while Chicago bled itself into a coma.

[Sooth2222]

Compared to the rest, Emanuel is conservative!

Expect Chicago to go Full Screaming Moonbat when Rahm leaves. Is there any way to sell short an entire city?

[goldstategop]

How long before its turned into in IN West?

[Gay State Conservative]

Are you speaking as one who's familiar with Chicago’s demographics and politics?

[PBRCat]

Quite true! Trump won 90 of 102 counties in Illinois to Clinton’s 12. HRC cleaned up in the heavily populated urban areas while DJT carried almost all of the rural counties.

As for Rahm Emanuel’s winning electoral campaigns, he never won a competitive race against a credible opponent and he is bowing out rather than facing his first risky campaign. All of his election victories were effectively “fixed” where he ran against minor opponents with little or no finances. In 2015, Emanuel spent almost $75.00 per vote in terms of campaign advertising. His customary methods were to buy his elected positions.

[Gay State Conservative]

3) going to expatriate...

He could a commander down at the Gaza border.

[Liz]

.....the cracks in the foundation of Mayor Emanuel's personal kingdom have grown into chasms....symptoms of the creeping
national decline of the technocratic centrism practiced by the Clinton and Obama machine over the last 25 years.....

"Don't worry, Mr President, the Dept of the Treasury is under your control."

=============================================

OBAMA GAVE RHAM EMANUEL TWO KEY JOBS Soon as they occupied the WH, Obama placed his COS Rahm Emanuel in control of the US Dept of the Treasury (oversees the IRS).

PAUSE TO REFLECT First-term Obama had tight control of Treasury; Obama calculatedly placed his then-COS Rahm Emanuel in a dual role.......in the WH and at Treasury. Obama had a stranglehold on Treasury via COS Rahm Emanuel's dual role

==========================================

THE SMOKING GUN---WSJ REPORT--On Jan 20, 2009 Timothy Geithner was appointed Obama's Secy of the Treasury. But within three weeks, the Obama White House tightened its grip on Treasury. Obama put his COS, Rahm Emanuel, in charge of Treasury---Rahm Emanuel's dual role was an unusual move.

When he got to Treasury, WH COS Rahm Emanuel was so involved in the inner workings that the phrase "Rahm wants it" had become an unofficial mantra among subservient govt staffers, prostrate in obeisance, scurrying to accede to Rahm's wishes, according to Treasury government officials. Reported by WSJ / 05/31/09

More here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124113406528875137.html

==========================================

Pres Trump needs to suggest AG Sessions make an inquiry to the US Dept of the Treasury and be sure to ask what RAHM AND Obama were doing in the US Treasury after Obama got elected.

Treasury prolly HAS a huge Rahm/Obama paper trail. One can get awfully rich awfully fast knowing the Fed's Treasury moves in advance.

But the Iran connection could prove to be even more interesting considering the hundreds of millions Obama secretly gave to Iran.

[Roccus]

And more broadly, we're seeing symptoms of the creeping national decline of a kind of technocratic centrism practiced by the Clinton and Obama machine over the last 25 years.

"CENTRISM ??"

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Liz]

.....the cracks in the foundation of Mayor Emanuel's personal kingdom have grown into chasms....symptoms of the creeping
national decline of the technocratic centrism practiced by the Clinton and Obama machine over the last 25 years.....

"Rahm was my top aide AND a lobbyist for Goldman Sachs, at the same time."

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton (R) addresses a crowd gathered for a mayoral campaign rally for Rahm Emanuel (L), former White House Chief of Staff for U.S. President Barack Obama, on January 18, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. Emanuel is considered the front-runner in the race to replace Richard Daley as mayor of Chicago.

(January 17, 2011 - Source: Scott Olson/Getty Images North America)

[originalbuckeye]

‘And then campaigning (and governing) slightly to the Left’

WWWHHHAAATTT???

[Liz]

SEPT 2016-— officials from the State, Justice and Treasury departments said Obama’s $1.3 billion to Iran was paid in cash on Jan. 22 and Feb. 5. The money came from a little-known fund administered by the Treasury Department for settling litigation claims. The so-called Judgment Fund is taxpayer money Congress has permanently approved in the event it’s needed, allowing the president to bypass direct congressional approval to make a settlement. The U.S. previously paid out $278 million in Iran-related claims by using the fund in 1991.

Republicans have decried the payments as ransom, a charge that Obama administration has rejected.....a group of Republican senators announced their support for legislation that would bar payments from the Judgment Fund to Iran until Tehran pays the nearly $55.6 billion that U.S. courts have judged that it owes to American victims of Iranian terrorism.

UPDATE H.J.Ansari Zarif, the deputy for parliamentary and Iranian affairs within Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said he would expose “everyone who allegedly accepted bribes” to facilitate Obama’s nuke deal with Iran. “... we will reveal which western politicians received monies during nuclear negotiations to make #IranDeal happen,” Mr. Zarif reportedly said.

---

Aha....the plot thickens. This also explains why Obama blithely handed over billions of tax dollars to Iran. Looks like Obama and his crowd got filthy rich on this deal.

In case you wondered how the Halfrican intended to pay for his billion dollar final resting place dedicated to the Sun God….”Obama’s “presidential center.” NOTE: Obama said no federal funds will be used......just tax dollars with an Iranian postmark.

[Liz]

THE NUMBER OF city, state and US GOVT CHECKS VALERIE JARRETT IS CASHING ARE ADDING UP

EVEN IN THE DC SWAMP Valerie Jarrett STILL Received
A $36K Annual Pension For a Part-Time Chicago Transit job
dailycaller.com ^ | 2/17/2016 | Chuck Ross / FR Posted by rktman

Chicago is known for its L-train. But it's the gravy train that White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett prefers to ride.

In addition to the $173,922 Jarrett earns per annum as President Obama's senior adviser, she is also paid an annual pension of $35,660 for the eight years she served as chairman of the Chicago Transit Authority, according to a Chicago Sun Times investigation.

Jarrett was appointed to chairman of the agency - a part-time position - in 1995 by then-mayor Richard Daley, whose brother, William Daley, served as Obama's chief of staff. Jarrett served as the former mayor's deputy chief of staff and was appointed to numerous other positions during his term. (Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...

======================================

That one Chicago pension check is what she'll admit to. Wonder how many transportation bonds were issued while Jarrett was at Chicago Transit? Her pension payout would pale against her hidden income from lucrative insider Chicago bond deals.

==================================================

In his final days in office:

<><> Obama appointed Valerie Jarrett and National Security Adviser Susan Rice to the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees

<><> Deputy Ntl Security Adviser Ben Rhodes was appointed to the tax-funded US Holocaust Memorial Council.

=================================================

The Obamaminions can't live by do-goodism alone (smirk). We demand to know how many US govt checks this motley crew of incompetents hangers-on is cashing. (including US govt payroll and pension checks.)

Its an old political trick to pad pensions, and, hand-pick people and put them on govt payrolls long after you think they're gone.

The trio's vouchers for reimbursement would also prove enlightening.

==================================================

Remember, Obama gave his MIL a 200,000 US govt pension for baby-sitting his kids. She must be on several payrolls, too.