Rahm Emanuel-a profile in positive campaining:)

Any doubts on the veracity and meanness of Democratic campaigning should be quelled by this recent profile of Rahm Emanuel by the Democratic journalist Ryan Lizza, who would presumably show Emanuel in the best light possible.
After all, this is the same journalist who wrote the damning piece on George Allen and most of his writing (while quite good) is written from the viewpoint of a partisan Democrat.

For example he continually refers to Emanuel as a centrist and New Democrat despite all evidence to the contrary. Emanuel votes overwhelmingly with the Democratic caucus and almost never seems to defy caucus interests. He states, “I think,” he finally says, with none of his usual swagger, “we have to go back to Social Security and Medicare, to turn out older voters.” This is hardly a new Democratic idea and pretty much the repetitive Democratic strategy in every election is to scare seniors on issues like social security. His “brain trust” consists of James Carville and Paul Begala, both of whom would be classified as liberal populists.

Here are some of the choice quotes from the piece and my analysis:

(1) “Rahm flashes the impatient stare that is a cross between contempt and pity, followed by a sigh and a long, uncomfortable silence. I brace myself for the tirade—or the freeze-out. He’s been known to meet reporters for lunch or dinner and, if they fail to impress, spend the meal ignoring them. And within the first forty-five seconds or so of our first interview, he called me a fucking idiot—though I soon learned I wasn’t special in that regard. James Carville, Rahm’s pal since their days together on the 1992 Clinton campaign, later told me not to sweat it: “Everybody is a fucking idiot to Rahm.”

Amazingly, he gets pretty good press coverage for someone who treats the press in such a hostile manner. Could you imagine the press coverage someone like Tom Delay would have gotten if he called an interviewer an idiot? This is the first time a political junkie like myself has even heard of the nastiness emanating from Emanuel’s mouth. I am sure if a Republican had said the same thing, a lot of people would have heard.

(2) Do you still think the Democrats are nicer?

“Instead of a national referendum on Bush and on Washington corruption, it looks like Rahm and his lieutenants will be forced into a race-by-race dogfight, which means they’re going to have to get dirty. Or dirtier.
It so happens that earlier this very day, a story began to break about a Republican representative of a sprawling district in central Florida, and as we near the end of our meal, Rahm is anxious for an update. He asks his communications director, Bill Burton, who has joined us for dinner, to retrieve the story, and Burton pulls the article off the Web site of the St. Petersburg Times. “A Democratic congressional candidate is calling for an investigation of Rep. Mark Foley,” Burton reads, “over an e-mail exchange he had with a teenage boy who had been a congressional page.” For the first time all night, Rahm cracks a smile.”

After a possible criminal action has taken place, Emanuel seems to exhibit no concern for the teenagers involved or the consequences that this will have on the American’s public overall opinion of Congress but mainly seems to be content that this will have political benefits.

I wouldn't be surprised if he leaked the information himself. As this story points out, he knew about the scandal far in advance but basically lied about any knowledge prior to the election in a Clintonian fashion.

(3) This choice quote from his deputy and protege, John Lapp- (“Whalen,” he screams at one point, referring to Republican candidate Mike Whalen of Iowa, “that fat piece of shit. I want to mount that bastard!”).

(4) “His phone manners are hilariously bad (“Hey, dickhead, call me back” is how he leaves messages for Lapp), but in his defense he speaks to everyone—reporters, candidates, Nancy Pelosi, even his own mother—the same way.”

What a really nice way to speak to his subordinates. For a party which claims to represent the little guy and unions, it is great that he sets such a nice example of how to treat employees. Also a great way to establish collegiality and civility in the Congress.

(5) “He asks Quinlan about New York, where Tom Reynolds has become vulnerable in the wake of the Foley scandal. This race is about more than just picking up a seat, though. Reynolds is the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, the equivalent of the DCCC, so just pinning him down in a tough race has strategic value. In previous cycles, there was an understanding that the heads of the two campaigns wouldn’t go after each other, but Rahm doesn’t play by those rules”

Which begs the question, what rules does he play by?

(6) “When Adam Nagourney, the chief political correspondent for The New York Times, calls Rahm in late October to interview him for a story about how Democrats are giddy about their prospects, Rahm delivers a tongue-lashing unlike anything I’ve ever heard from a United States congressman. “That’s not something I care about!” he screams into his Razr. “That’s Washington gobbledygook. That’s Washington talking to Washington. Do you know one voter in America who votes because Washington has a conversation with itself? Do you know one?” There is a pause. “Your mother! That’s fucking it, Adam! Nobody gives a fuck what Washington has to say, including me. Okay?””

Of course, “the paper of record” failed to report this outburst. I guess that didn’t fit under “all the news fit to print”. Do you think if a Republican right before the election demeaned the chief political correspondent for the New York Times, it would have been reported? I do.