Congressional Democrats Point Finger of BLAME at RAHM EMANUEL

Democrats in Congress are holding White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel accountable for his part in the collapse of healthcare reform.


The emerging consensus among critics in both chambers is that Emanuel’s lack of Senate experience slowed President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority.


The share of the blame comes as cracks are beginning to show in Emanuel’s once-impregnable political armor. Last week he had to apologize after a report surfaced that he called liberal groups “retarded” in a private meeting.


While Emanuel has quelled that controversy by meeting with advocates for people with disabilities, on Capitol Hill he’s under fire for poor execution of the president’s healthcare agenda in the Senate.


"I think Rahm ran the play his boss called; once Obama called the play, Rahm did everything he could to pass it, scorched-earth and all that,” said a senior lawmaker, who added that Emanuel didn’t seek a broader base of Senate Republicans. “I think he did miscalculate the Senate. He did what he thought he had to do to win."


Senate Democrats grilled White House advisers last week during a special Senate Democratic retreat, expressing frustration over the lack of a clear plan.

While Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) ripped chief political strategist David Axelrod, Senate Democrats say Emanuel, who was more closely involved in managing negotiations in Congress, also deserves scrutiny.


No Democrat is calling for Emanuel’s resignation, even privately, and they acknowledge his hard work and straightforward approach in a very tough job.


They also say there’s plenty of blame on healthcare to go around.


But centrists and liberal Democrats both take issue — albeit in different ways — with how he approached the Senate.


“I like Rahm; he's always been a straight shooter with me," said a Democratic centrist senator who was closely involved in the healthcare debate.


The lawmaker said Emanuel misjudged the Senate by focusing on only a few Republicans, citing Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins as too narrow a pool.



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<http://thehill.com/homenews/house/80315-congressional-dems-point-finger-at-rahm>

WHAT THE FUCK TOOK YOU SO LONG TO FIGURE THIS OUT?????

And how long is Obama going to allow Rahm to learn on the job? There's too much to lose. I would have loved to see Howard Dean in this position, or someone of his calibre. I'd really like to see Dean take his old position back from Tim Kaine, who is doing a lousy job IMO.

The fact that it's now been over a year, and Dems are just now figuring out that Rahm isn't as effective as his position demands, I really do wonder what the hell they've been doing... :eyes:

Who the hell is in charge there?

I think Emmanuel and the prez got exactly the health care bill they wanted: an insurance industry welfare bill.

"health care" adviser.

Zeke's concept is the mandate and phasing out medicare as those under the mandate age into medicare age.

This is the incrementalism inherent in the Senate HCR Bill.

The Senate HCR Bill is insurance industry welfare and would be an obstacle against future universal health care as well as a transfer of wealth to the health insurance industry.

This article is clearly "Party of NO" manufactured bullshit.

He's not the President, never has been and never will be. Obama is the President.

The party of NO is blocking EVERYTHING the President wants done. Period.

You can blame it on DU members, but members of congress are trying to tell you something too. Rahm is the quarterback, Obama is the coach, and Rahm just threw an interception. And he ain't getting along with the offensive line too well either.

From FireDogLake:


One sure sign that the Senate health care bill is dead as a doornail is the inevitable appearance of the anonymously-sourced, finger-pointing articles. And in a novel twist, we have one blaming Rahm for the failure to pass health care reform that appears to be written by Rahm:


The emerging consensus among critics in both chambers is that Emanuel’s lack of Senate experience slowed President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority.


Lack of experience — rather than being a corporatist hack who negotiated the PhRMA deal right out of the gate, which compromised not only the ability to control health care costs, but poisoned public trust once word got out.


n Capitol Hill he’s under fire for poor execution of the president’s healthcare agenda in the Senate.


“I think Rahm ran the play his boss called; once Obama called the play, Rahm did everything he could to pass it, scorched-earth and all that,” said a senior lawmaker, who added that Emanuel didn’t seek a broader base of Senate Republicans. “I think he did miscalculate the Senate. He did what he thought he had to do to win.”


One stenographer journalist after another told us that the White House was letting Congress take the lead on health care, and the administration was sitting by with its thumb in its mouth until a bill arrived on the President’s desk. Well, I guess that particular fiction is finally dead now that the blame game is in full swing.


No Democrat is calling for Emanuel’s resignation, even privately, and they acknowledge his hard work and straightforward approach in a very tough job.


Rahm’s a hard working guy. Nothing he needs to resign over. . .


The lawmaker said Emanuel misjudged the Senate by focusing on only a few Republicans, citing Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins as too narrow a pool.


Yes, because over and over again, Mitch McConnell and George Bush jammed through their legislation by courting Democrats and tailoring their legislation to their fine sensibilities. So now, the answer is to be nicer to Republicans, just like they’ve been saying all along.


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<http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/02/09/rahm-and-the-health-care-blame-game-its-on/>

.... bring back Howard Dean's 50's state strategy - not only is it a way to win elections, apparently it would be an effective way to govern, too.

Are you listening Prez O? The 'experts' you've surrounded yourself with aren't quite so expert. :eyes:

I just wish they all would grow the f*ck up, stop pointing fingers, start taking responsibility for themselves & do the jobs they were hired to.

I'm talking about BOTH sides of the aisle now.

And we, those Americans who want HCR and maybe single payer or Medicare for all but certainly those of use wanting some sort of voice against the corporate behemoths are the dopes.

the Democratic congress has to be marching in unison. It's no point in having representatives who step out of line. A Whip should be a whip and get them all voting together for at least a public option. Ignore the GOP. This is a democratic party supposedly? Perhaps the Democratic Party should change its name? Congress is responsible for lawmaking not the Chief of Staff?

Some of us knew this in 2006, when Rahm's "fucking r*tarded" strategy for the DCCC almost cost us the House. If it wasn't for the candidates that Howard Dean backed, we would not have won enough seats to take the House back.

did that little sob apologize to liberals and progressives for all the other name calling he has done to us?

Fuck him! and the horse he rode in on..he can kiss my liberal ass!

oh and PS ..this liberal retard will be sitting my liberal ass home next Nov...and nothing will change my mind now! And Obama and the Dems will have no one to blame but themselves for letting that dick head anywhere close to the White House..and near any power!

Rahm is abrasive, but you guys are pork-loving fat-cat jerks who are going to lose your damn JOBS if you don't start doing the people's business.

Democrats have no one to blame but themselves and they should get the fucking job done so there is no blame period.. Pass the Senate Bill and then make changes. But pass the fucking Bill...Let Obama sign the thing into Law and then use reconciliation to make it a good bill, instead of the piece of shit it currently is..

"No Democrat is calling for Emanuel’s resignation, even privately, and they acknowledge his hard work and straightforward approach in a very tough job."

We're not done...

One (in the excerpt given in the OP) says he should have talked to more Republicans - which ones?

Several people have replied in this thread, agreeing with the unnamed Congressional Democrats. Which Republican senators should Emanuel have tried to get onside instead? How should he have gone about it - threats, promises, pork?

Or are people agreeing with Roger Hickey - that he allowed Baucus too much time trying to get a deal with Grassley? The criticisms seems to contradict each other - you can't believe both.

This RAWKS.

:hurts: