Emanuel Is Leading The Left To See The Writing On The Wall For Public Unions

[g5000]

Rahm Emanuel. Most people never heard of him until he was appointed as Obama's chief of staff.

He first caught my attention in 2006. [ame=http://www.amazon.com/The-Thumpin-Democrats-Republican-Revolution/dp/0385523289/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340299640&sr=8-1&keywords=the+thumpin]He was responsible[/ame] for the House of Representatives swinging from a GOP majority to a Democratic majority in 2006. This man is a real power in the Democratic party.

Emanuel is a man who should be very closely watched, and right now he is doing something that I think is going to gobsmack some folks.

As most of you know, Rahm left Obama's Administration to run for mayor of Chicago. A feat he accomplished.

And right now, Emanuel is doing something which could be contrary to Obama's labor gameplan.

For any other politician, taking action which could undermine the party leadership would be enough to stop that politician, to cause them to compromise or capitulate. But Rahm Emanuel is not that kind of weakling. Say what you will about him, he is his own man. He demonstrated that in 2006 when enormous pressure was brought to bear on him to change his national campaign strategy. But he stuck to his guns, and he won the party the House. He was right, they were wrong.

And now, he is doing to public employee unions what Governor Walker of Wisconsin did.

Yes. And I am going to give you something to read in a minute, and you really, really should read it, because this is a seismic shift going on right under your feet.

When Walker was elected to change the contributions public employees make to their pensions and benefits plans, there were mass protests, as we all remember. But during that period, I tried to point out to people there were Democratic governors having to make the same changes and no one was screaming at them for it. Notably in New York, Connecticut, and Washington state.

But now Rahm Emanuel is doing it, and he is a Name.

So read this. It is a transcript of Emanual on CNN's Global Public Square with Fareed Zakaria. And it is quite informative.

Listen to Rahm. He starts out talking about Walker's recall election and segues into his own plan:

EMANUEL: I think, well -- I don't go where the interpretation's going that somehow this is an affirmation for doing that type of politics. I think people know that when you recall, there's got to be something severe. You've committed corruption or something of that level.

And I think that that's where the judgment was. This was not the tool for disagreeing with his policies on collective bargaining or other issues. So I'm not where the conventional wisdom is about oh, this means it's war on public employees.

I think public employees should be partners in solving problems. Labor should be a partner. If you're view when you sit at the table is, I want to get to a yes and I want to work a way that's a win-win, I'll not only pull up a chair, I'll get you a cup of coffee.

But if you're attitude is we did it this way for 30 years, we're going to keep doing it this way for 30 years, that's not feasible. The taxpayers can't support that anymore.

ZAKARIA: Is there a danger that the Democratic Party is going to end up on the wrong side of this issue because the public sector unions are such a large funder of the party.

EMANUEL: Well, it requires everybody being straightforward and honest with each other. I think the truth is you could say, on my side -- meaning, obviously, you're talking about from a partisan or a party affiliate, you cannot put your head in the sand and say this will go away, it will take care of itself.

As I always joke around, denial is not a long-term strategy. It doesn't work. We have to take on these issues -- I don't want to say, "man up to them," but deal with them, confront them, but from a position of being honest with people as long as painful it is.

No city today can function as if the past and the past responsibilities are going to hold true. And that means saying to people and I say this when I go to firehouses, "You did nothing wrong. This is not your fault, but I can't be your mayor and tell you if we don't change it, everything's going to be OK and that's just not true."

"And you and your spouse have made plans all along the way. I want you to have a pension not a defined contribution, a defined benefit. I want you to have it, but to have it, if you want it, we're going to have to make changes."

And remember, I'm making changes to expectations. That's the hardest thing to do in life, but it starts with, "It's not your fault things weren't done right, but we're going to get them right so when you contribute, you know it will be there."

This is very encouraging.

 

[Conservative]

Where are the 'Recall Rahm' people? Have they started a petition drive for a recall election yet? Do they have an opponent for him?

 

[g5000]

Where are the 'Recall Rahm' people? Have they started a petition drive for a recall election yet? Do they have an opponent for him?

 

[Conservative]

the flood of liberal posters trying to bash Rahm for this travesty is staggering, is it not?

 

[Avorysuds]

No different than Obama passing the Bush era tax cuts, expanding homeland security, the patriot act, not closing Guantanamo, starting new wars, expanding old wars, spending out of control and not following the constitution.

Obama is quite literally a liberals worst enemy, this can be proven by just looking at how incredibly similar Obama’s policy is to Bush’s.

If Mitt had been picked up as Obama's VP over Biden this time around liberals on these boards would be swooning.

 

[typicalusguy]

I heard Rahm is missing a finger. How did that happen?

 

[swizzlee]

THANK YOU!

A few months ago I read something about Rahm's intent to "rewrite" his union contracts and I forgot to bookmark it. I could never find it again but at the time all I could think was.............

Rahm, you ROCK!

 

[blastoff]

I heard Rahm is missing a finger. How did that happen?

A terrible ballet accident.

 

[typicalusguy]

I heard Rahm is missing a finger. How did that happen?

A terrible ballet accident.

Yes, the IDF Ballet Company.

Now I remember.

 

[g5000]

No different than Obama passing the Bush era tax cuts,

If Obama had his way, the tax cuts for the rich would not have been extended. And I think you know that. If you don't, then your ignorance is extensive. If you do, then you are being purposely mendacious.

 

[g5000]

I heard Rahm is missing a finger. How did that happen?

A terrible ballet accident.

Yes, the IDF Ballet Company.

Now I remember.

I knew someone was going to bring that up and was going to pre-empt it, but decided not to. I expect someone else will be along to bring up Rahm's bit about mandatory national service.

Which of course means the significance of the OP is sailing well above the heads of some people.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Rahm Emanuel. Most people never heard of him until he was appointed as Obama's chief of staff.

He first caught my attention in 2006. He was responsible for the House of Representatives swinging from a GOP majority to a Democratic majority in 2006. This man is a real power in the Democratic party.

Emanuel is a man who should be very closely watched, and right now he is doing something that I think is going to gobsmack some folks.

As most of you know, Rahm left Obama's Administration to run for mayor of Chicago. A feat he accomplished.

And right now, Emanuel is doing something which could be contrary to Obama's labor gameplan.

For any other politician, taking action which could undermine the party leadership would be enough to stop that politician, to cause them to compromise or capitulate. But Rahm Emanuel is not that kind of weakling. Say what you will about him, he is his own man. He demonstrated that in 2006 when enormous pressure was brought to bear on him to change his national campaign strategy. But he stuck to his guns, and he won the party the House. He was right, they were wrong.

And now, he is doing to public employee unions what Governor Walker of Wisconsin did.

Yes. And I am going to give you something to read in a minute, and you really, really should read it, because this is a seismic shift going on right under your feet.

When Walker was elected to change the contributions public employees make to their pensions and benefits plans, there were mass protests, as we all remember. But during that period, I tried to point out to people there were Democratic governors having to make the same changes and no one was screaming at them for it. Notably in New York, Connecticut, and Washington state.

But now Rahm Emanuel is doing it, and he is a Name.

So read this. It is a transcript of Emanual on CNN's Global Public Square with Fareed Zakaria. And it is quite informative.

Listen to Rahm. He starts out talking about Walker's recall election and segues into his own plan:

EMANUEL: I think, well -- I don't go where the interpretation's going that somehow this is an affirmation for doing that type of politics. I think people know that when you recall, there's got to be something severe. You've committed corruption or something of that level.

And I think that that's where the judgment was. This was not the tool for disagreeing with his policies on collective bargaining or other issues. So I'm not where the conventional wisdom is about oh, this means it's war on public employees.

I think public employees should be partners in solving problems. Labor should be a partner. If you're view when you sit at the table is, I want to get to a yes and I want to work a way that's a win-win, I'll not only pull up a chair, I'll get you a cup of coffee.

But if you're attitude is we did it this way for 30 years, we're going to keep doing it this way for 30 years, that's not feasible. The taxpayers can't support that anymore.

ZAKARIA: Is there a danger that the Democratic Party is going to end up on the wrong side of this issue because the public sector unions are such a large funder of the party.

EMANUEL: Well, it requires everybody being straightforward and honest with each other. I think the truth is you could say, on my side -- meaning, obviously, you're talking about from a partisan or a party affiliate, you cannot put your head in the sand and say this will go away, it will take care of itself.

As I always joke around, denial is not a long-term strategy. It doesn't work. We have to take on these issues -- I don't want to say, "man up to them," but deal with them, confront them, but from a position of being honest with people as long as painful it is.

No city today can function as if the past and the past responsibilities are going to hold true. And that means saying to people and I say this when I go to firehouses, "You did nothing wrong. This is not your fault, but I can't be your mayor and tell you if we don't change it, everything's going to be OK and that's just not true."

"And you and your spouse have made plans all along the way. I want you to have a pension not a defined contribution, a defined benefit. I want you to have it, but to have it, if you want it, we're going to have to make changes."

And remember, I'm making changes to expectations. That's the hardest thing to do in life, but it starts with, "It's not your fault things weren't done right, but we're going to get them right so when you contribute, you know it will be there."

This is very encouraging.

Timely bump

 

[ScreamingEagle]

Rahm Emanuel. Most people never heard of him until he was appointed as Obama's chief of staff.

He first caught my attention in 2006. He was responsible for the House of Representatives swinging from a GOP majority to a Democratic majority in 2006. This man is a real power in the Democratic party.

Emanuel is a man who should be very closely watched, and right now he is doing something that I think is going to gobsmack some folks.

As most of you know, Rahm left Obama's Administration to run for mayor of Chicago. A feat he accomplished.

And right now, Emanuel is doing something which could be contrary to Obama's labor gameplan.

For any other politician, taking action which could undermine the party leadership would be enough to stop that politician, to cause them to compromise or capitulate. But Rahm Emanuel is not that kind of weakling. Say what you will about him, he is his own man. He demonstrated that in 2006 when enormous pressure was brought to bear on him to change his national campaign strategy. But he stuck to his guns, and he won the party the House. He was right, they were wrong.

And now, he is doing to public employee unions what Governor Walker of Wisconsin did.

Yes. And I am going to give you something to read in a minute, and you really, really should read it, because this is a seismic shift going on right under your feet.

When Walker was elected to change the contributions public employees make to their pensions and benefits plans, there were mass protests, as we all remember. But during that period, I tried to point out to people there were Democratic governors having to make the same changes and no one was screaming at them for it. Notably in New York, Connecticut, and Washington state.

But now Rahm Emanuel is doing it, and he is a Name.

So read this. It is a transcript of Emanual on CNN's Global Public Square with Fareed Zakaria. And it is quite informative.

Listen to Rahm. He starts out talking about Walker's recall election and segues into his own plan:

EMANUEL: I think, well -- I don't go where the interpretation's going that somehow this is an affirmation for doing that type of politics. I think people know that when you recall, there's got to be something severe. You've committed corruption or something of that level.

And I think that that's where the judgment was. This was not the tool for disagreeing with his policies on collective bargaining or other issues. So I'm not where the conventional wisdom is about oh, this means it's war on public employees.

I think public employees should be partners in solving problems. Labor should be a partner. If you're view when you sit at the table is, I want to get to a yes and I want to work a way that's a win-win, I'll not only pull up a chair, I'll get you a cup of coffee.

But if you're attitude is we did it this way for 30 years, we're going to keep doing it this way for 30 years, that's not feasible. The taxpayers can't support that anymore.

ZAKARIA: Is there a danger that the Democratic Party is going to end up on the wrong side of this issue because the public sector unions are such a large funder of the party.

EMANUEL: Well, it requires everybody being straightforward and honest with each other. I think the truth is you could say, on my side -- meaning, obviously, you're talking about from a partisan or a party affiliate, you cannot put your head in the sand and say this will go away, it will take care of itself.

As I always joke around, denial is not a long-term strategy. It doesn't work. We have to take on these issues -- I don't want to say, "man up to them," but deal with them, confront them, but from a position of being honest with people as long as painful it is.

No city today can function as if the past and the past responsibilities are going to hold true. And that means saying to people and I say this when I go to firehouses, "You did nothing wrong. This is not your fault, but I can't be your mayor and tell you if we don't change it, everything's going to be OK and that's just not true."

"And you and your spouse have made plans all along the way. I want you to have a pension not a defined contribution, a defined benefit. I want you to have it, but to have it, if you want it, we're going to have to make changes."

And remember, I'm making changes to expectations. That's the hardest thing to do in life, but it starts with, "It's not your fault things weren't done right, but we're going to get them right so when you contribute, you know it will be there."

This is very encouraging.

Rahm is a smart enough Democrat to see the writing on the wall.....and after working for Slick Willie he's pretty cunning as well....

he's probably got his eye on the White House for himself...