Charles Ellison
+ FollowRahm Emanuel’s Departure from White House Now Official
In a move anticipated for weeks since Chicago Mayor Richard Daley (D) announced his sudden retirement from politics, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel officially tendered his resignation to focus full-time on his bid for the Windy City’s top spot. Sources within and outside the White House had known for some time that Emanuel was mulling a departure. However, as with any speculation surrounding the future of a senior ranking Administration official, prognosticators on both sides of the partisan aisle struggled to determine just when that would occur.
His boss, President Barack Obama made the announcement in the White House East Room. Longtime Obama advisor Pete Rouse, is expected to serve as interim Chief of Staff. Rouse has been a staffing fixture since Obama’s days in the Senate, before his ambitious 2008 Presidential bid and he is considered much more low key than his hard charging predecessor.
Many analysts expect that Rouse will stay on as Chief of Staff, gradually squashing any further speculation about who is filling the 2nd most powerful position in the federal government. For weeks, pundits had sparred over who would replace Emanuel – with Emanuel himself known to have openly expressed a preference for Obama friend and White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, who could have become the first African American in that position. However, observers familiar with the inner-workings of the Administration pointed to worries within its political team over the “racial” optics of two African Americans running the government. As a result, other names were floated, including serious consideration given to former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), a close Obama surrogate and friend.
Democratic leaders also expressed worry that Emanuel was running a potential Mayoral bid from his White House office, which would have seriously complicated matters as Democrats attempt to fend off an aggressive offensive from Republicans during this year’s Congressional mid-terms. Congressional Democrats needed to know immediately what Emanuel’s plans would be so they could determine the best course of action heading into the elections, and what the Administration landscape would look like post-election – with either a slim Democratic majority or a re-installed GOP majority.
The abrupt exit reflects another fascinating twist in the illustrious career of the former Illinois 5th District Congressman, who is both affectionately (and sometimes derisively) nicknamed “Rahm.” Emanuel’s rapid rise through Democratic Party ranks is political legend on Capitol Hill, from his start working on the campaign of former Sen. Paul Simon’s (D-IL) in 1984, to directing the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 1988. Coincidentally, he also served as Daley’s chief fundraiser for the Mayor’s successful run in 1989. From 2003 to 2009, Emanuel filled former disgraced Governor Rod Blagojevich’s (D) Congressional seat and rose quickly to Democratic Caucus Chairman.
Born to a Jewish pediatrician and civil rights worker, Emanuel’s rapid and shrewdly planned rise into the political stratosphere has not been without controversy. The former Congressman is legendary for his abrasive, brass knuckles, take-no-prisoners style, and many in Washington corridors feared the wrath of the fast-rising pol. Even as the President’s top lieutenant, Emanuel was famously known for irritating the President, sometimes clashing with the Commander-in-Chief over legislative priorities and defying him on major decisions such as the effort to pass healthcare reform.
Considering Emanuel’s deep Chicago political roots, most observers expect him to quickly solidify both support and funding, as he is favored to win the Mayoral primary in February.
Still, the candidate field in Chicago is massive, with nearly a dozen politicos in the nation’s second largest city openly mulling bids or gathering petitions. In what many Chicago political observers worry will be a very caustic battle based along the city’s fragile racial fault lines, the Democratic Mayoral primary has already attracted high profile Black politicians in the city, including former one-term U.S. Senator Carol Moseley-Braun, popular State Sen. James Meeks, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. and, his wife, Alderman Sandi Jackson. While Moseley-Braun is already gathering signatures, the political future of the Jacksons is unknown at this time in the wake of scathing allegations against Congressman Jackson tied to Blagojevich’s corruption trial. Some analysts note that his wife, Alderman Jackson, could enter the field, but any campaign plans depend on the extent of her husband’s public relations and legal troubles. Ultimately, multiple Black candidates in the primary would be a good sign for non-Black candidates who would take advantage of split voting within the African American community.
Internal polls taken by Emanuel consultants suggest the Illinois politician will make a strong showing in February. Recent public polls had him running 2nd and 3rd place, on the heels of Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. With Emanuel putting all his energy into the Mayoral campaign, analysts expect the current potential candidate field to dwindle over the next month or two.
More on Politic365
Leave a Reply
Featured
Connect
Washington Informer
Advertisement
