That Didn’t Take Long

On Tuesday, November 4th 2008, Sen. Barack Obama was elected to be the 44th President of the United States of America. He orated a wonderful acceptance speech. Here is an important excerpt that every Conservative should read:

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House — a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends ?though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn — I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

This was a wonderful passage from a well written and well delivered speech. The promised – or at least inferred – bipartisanship of the passage was a much needed balm after a campaign filled with bitterness and acrimony.

That was Tuesday. On Wednesday, November 5th, 2008, President-Elect Barack Obama asked the Democratic Party’s “party attack dog,” Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) Chief of Staff for the Obama White House.

Rahm Emanuel aka “Rahmbo” is just about as partisan as it is possible to find, being the campaign “hitman” for the Democrats.  Emanuel is as a politician trained in dirty in-fighting by the Chicago politic machine under Daley and vetted under the Clintons.  He is hyper-partisan, vicious believes that “wining isn’t every. It’s the only thing.”

Rahmbo is the Democratic operative who once sent a dead fish – mafiesque style – to a pollster who displeased him. Rahmbo is the Democratic operative who gathered with Clinton supporter after the 1992 campaign to plot revenge upon various Politicians And Members Of The Press.

Suddenly Emanuel grabbed his steak knife and, as those who were there remeber [sic] it, shouted out the name of another enemy, lifted the knife, then brought it down with full force into the table. ‘Dead!’ he screamed. The group immediately joined in the cathartic release: ‘Nat Landow! Dead! Cliff Jackson! Dead! Bill Schaefer! Dead!

— Elisabeth Bumiller
The Brothers Emanuel, The New York Times, 6/15/97

President-Elect Obama’s choice of Rahm “rahmbo” Emanuel doesn’t bode well for Republicans and Conservatives. Choosing a hyper-partisan political assassin as his Chief of Staff has the appearance of putting the lie to Obama’s overtures of bipartisanship and outreach to Americans who didn’t support his bid for the Presidency.

I would suggest that every American keep this firmly in mind. When Pres. Obama or his supporters reach a hand across the aisle check it for a knife.

Remember always that We are Bowed, but Unbroken

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13 Responses to “That Didn’t Take Long”

  1. Jamie Holts Says:

    Hi there,

    I looked over your blog and it looks really good. Do you ever do link exchanges on your blog roll? If you do, I’d like to exchange links with you.

    Let me know if you’re interested.

    Thanks..

  2. Jamie Holts Says:

    Can you tell me who did your layout? I’ve been looking for one kind of like yours. Thank you.

  3. Vigilante Says:

    This is a very murky pond, indeed. Don’t think I want to swim in it if I can’t see my own feet in the water…..

  4. jonolan Says:

    Well, it’s a free country, Vigilante. Stay or go at your leisure and preference.

    Thanks for stopping by though. 😉

  5. Kelly Mahan Jaramillo Says:

    I am not sure if this link will come through, but you might want to read this about Rahm:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-schmeltzer/why-rahm-is-right_b_141364.html?page=2

    The author is saying he does not like Rahm, but feels he is the right choice, NOT because he will hammer the Republicans, but because he will keep the Extreme Left leaning Dem’s from going too far.

    He is saying that Obama has avoided one the first mistakes Clinton made, by appointing a longtime friend as Chief-of Staff, Thomas “Mac” McClarty, who was such a nice guy he quickly earned the nickname “Mac the Nice” – resulting in way too much leeway given to the extreme left, which was rather disastrous that first year, and seems to be what you are so worried about.

    So, maybe you can look at this pick from a different perspective and not see it as an immediate “smash the Republicans” move, because it is not.

    NOTE: Kelly’s link didn’t work, so I edited the post to correct it. No other changes were made.

  6. jonolan Says:

    Kelly,

    I don’t put much too stock into things written by unpaid bloggers on HuffPo – especially a staunch Dean supporter, but Mr. Schmeltzer does bring up a valid purpose for Mr. Emanuel’s appointment.

    Whatever President-Elect Obama’s purpose in asking Rahm “Rahmbo” Emanuel to be Chief of Staff is, it is still an action – very close on the heels of a bipartisan promise – that smacks of a partisan agenda. Emanuel is a vicious and partisan political operative and I doubt that he can be kept on a short leash – no matter how much as you suggest Obama may want to do so.

    Remember please that I said that Emanuel’s appointment didn’t bode well and suggested caution instead of trusting to good intentions. I didn’t and won’t “come out screaming” until such time as the possibility of bad intent is materialized. It just that in the current climate the appearance of bipartisanship on Obama’s part is as important as the actual deeds.

  7. jonolan Says:

    To be fair:

    There is a possible non-partisan reason that I just discovered for Obama choosing Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff. Emanuel is an Israeli and a hardline Zionist – I mean that in the original sense of the word, not the newer and nastier connotative meaning.

    Obama may be trying to shore up his relations with Israel in the wake of both Rev. Jackson’s commentary and Obama’s known association with various anti-Semites.

    Still – as I commented above, given Emanuel’s previous track record Emanuel’s appointment does not bode for future bipartisanship.

  8. Kelly Mahan Jaramillo Says:

    Jonolan –
    Thanks for fixing the link – it worked when I tested it during your editing time – weird. Ah, well, I am still working on an old keyboard until I can buy a new one after the spilled tea debacle.

    And honestly, I am not putting too much stock in any bloggers, paid or unpaid. One’s opinion can be bought just as easily as it can be given away, so at this point, blind trust in anything written would be naive, to say the least.

    That said, the reason I sound so declarative when I quote from the article and say that Rahm is not out to smash and bully the Republicans is because so far, that has not happened. Although, let’s be realistic – it has only been two days since the election.

    Personally, I have to take a mental break from all of it. I have animals to take care of, friends to call, volunteer work to do, and a (very) small business to run.

    Now it is just wait and watch, and hold accountable those whom we have elected to do what they said they were going to do. It is not going to happen in 48 hours, so…….

  9. Kelly Mahan Jaramillo Says:

    one more quick thing – if you would like to bypass all of the bloggers and opinions out there, Obama has just put up a new website which will keep people posted everyday on what is going on.

    If you are interested, go to:

    http://www.change.gov

  10. jonolan Says:

    Thanks, Kelly. I planned on stopping by there a fair bit over the coming weeks.

  11. zhann Says:

    Let us not forget, Bush’s speech of being a “Uniter, not a Divider” was equally dishonest. Partisanship is to be expected. Lieberman is good at crossing party lines, but if he was president I can guarantee that he would pick a side. If you want that fat paycheck, do as you’re told.

    I, for one, supported Obama through the campaign. I personally think that he can’t possibly do a worse job than Bush, and will do a great deal better than McCain (especially with that genius for a running mate). Conservative or Liberal, you must admit that the Republicans have done a great job of running America into the ground, and have done wonders to its reputation abroad. It is time for a regime change. Since this country is founded on a mediocre 2 party system, we only have one place to turn.

    In the end, I believe that these two parties are working together far more than they are bickering, and this partisanship is more a facade to keep the people in check, but what do I know? I’m just a cynic!

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