There was an interesting article in the Washington Post last Sunday that has largely been ignored in the LSM and is just starting to gain traction in the blogosphere.
Dana Milbank presents a pre-emptive defense of Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, proclaiming Rahm as the single voice of reason in the inner circle of the West Wing:
“Obama’s first year fell apart in large part because he didn’t follow his chief of staff’s advice on crucial matters. Arguably, Emanuel is the only person keeping Obama from becoming Jimmy Carter… Obama’s problem is that his other confidants — particularly Valerie Jarrett and Robert Gibbs, and, to a lesser extent, David Axelrod — are part of the Cult of Obama. In love with the president, they believe he is a transformational figure who needn’t dirty his hands in politics.” He goes on to claim that Rahm opposed the plan to close Guantanamo, argued against transferring terrorist trials to NYC, and most importantly cautioned against the current health care proposals being forced through Congress against the will of the American people.
By the end of this puff piece, Rahm has become a cross between Dick Morris, Newt Gingrich, Mother Theresa, and George Carlin. How blessed this administration is to have such a mensch in their midst!
PUHL-EEZE!!!
Apparently even some of the left-wingers can’t swallow this unmitigated glob of self-serving aggrandizement. This from The Smirking Chimp:
As I was reading the article lavishing praise on Rahm Emanuel and throwing dirt on everyone else inside the White House, I kept thinking two things. First, how many leaks has Rahm given Milbank over the years? …Milbank gets a cherished inside source so he can seem like he’s got the scoop on what’s happening in DC and Rahm gets a hatchet man that’ll write whatever he tells him to, I mean whatever he leaks to him as “important inside information.” My second thought was, “Wow, what a hatchet job on Jarrett, Gibbs and Axelrod!” Since Rahm is obviously feeding this to Milbank, that is very revealing. You don’t throw these kinds of bombs unless you’ve already lost. This is an act of desperation. It’s bound to make mortal enemies of these people inside Obama’s inner circle. You can’t really work with these people anymore. That means you’re already finished there.
Okay, I sure don’t have any kind of inside information about the inner workings of this group of Chicago pols, but it sure does sound like all is not sunshine and roses amongst the mucky-mucks. With the President’s approval ratings sinking like a lead balloon, the odds are that somebody’s going to have to fall on the sword pretty soon. Could it be the foul-mouthed, obnoxious Chief of Staff? Seems like he’s not making very nice with the other kiddies in the sandbox.
Anybody want the popcorn concession for this circus?