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Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label People Emanuel-Rahm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label People Emanuel-Rahm. Show all posts

Monday, April 13, 2009

The Washington Post advances Emanuel’s agenda


The Washington Post is carrying a story about President Barack Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emanuel that is written in a manner that certainly plays right into the hands of critics who remain concerned about the objectivity of the traditional print media.

“Emanuel is overhauling his image,” and whoever pitched this story to the Washington Post is high-fiving their friends this evening.

Put on your hip boots and wade in…

/ Kevin Dayhoff

Give-and-Take With Emanuel Advances President's Agenda

Lawmakers Respond to Improved Access to White House

By Shailagh Murray Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, April 13, 2009; A01

As the House and Senate debated the budget earlier this month, Rahm Emanuel's spacious West Wing office took on the feel of a legislative bazaar.

Wavering Democrats filed in individually and in groups seeking audiences with President Obama's pugnacious chief of staff, all bearing concerns about the 2010 fiscal blueprint. For some, the issue was farm payments. For others, veterans benefits. Fiscal conservatives balked at the $1.2 trillion deficit. One House member wanted to discuss a new federal building in his district. Another sought an appointment with the commerce secretary.

Forty-six lawmakers beat a path to the White House, and, on April 2, Emanuel's hospitality paid off. All but three of his visitors voted in the House or Senate for a $3.5 trillion blueprint that preserved Obama's ambitious domestic policy goals. The 233 to 196 House margin represented the largest budget victory for either party in a decade.

Emanuel's theatrical style, ballet training and "Rahmbo" nickname, along with the well-worn story about a dead fish he sent to a rival, are duly noted on his Wikipedia page. But in his new job, Emanuel is overhauling his image, becoming more valet than hit man, and his formula for moving Obama's agenda through Congress is beginning to resonate. Even Republicans concede that given Obama's early victories, thornier tasks such as landmark health-care, energy and education bills may not be out of reach.


Read more: Give-and-Take With Emanuel Advances President's Agenda




Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Monday, March 30, 2009

Rahm Emanuel's profitable stint at mortgage giant


It seems that Tribune reporters Bob Secter and Andrew Zajac, have written a lengthy and comprehensive article that certainly does not portray President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel in a very positive light in reference to part of the heart of our current economic malaise…

Not only did he enrich himself from the bad loaning practices of Freddie Mas but, “What is less known, however, is how little he apparently did for his money and how he benefited from the kind of cozy ties between Washington and Wall Street that have fueled the nation's current economic mess.

Even for those of us who have become jaded and disillusioned with the byzantine machinations of Washington, will find much of the following information unbelievable… / Kevin Dayhoff

chicagotribune.com: Rahm Emanuel's profitable stint at mortgage giant

Short Freddie Mac stay made him at least $320,000

By Bob Secter and Andrew Zajac, Tribune reporters, 3:18 PM CDT, March 26, 2009 (1682 words)

Before its portfolio of bad loans helped trigger the current housing crisis, mortgage giant Freddie Mac was the focus of a major accounting scandal that led to a management shake-up, huge fines and scalding condemnation of passive directors by a top federal regulator.

One of those allegedly asleep-at-the-switch board members was Chicago's Rahm Emanuel—now chief of staff to President
Barack Obama—who made at least $320,000 for a 14-month stint at Freddie Mac that required little effort.

As gatekeeper to Obama, Emanuel now plays a critical role in addressing the nation's mortgage woes and fulfilling the administration's pledge to impose responsibility on the financial world.

Emanuel's Freddie Mac involvement has been a prominent point on his political résumé, and his healthy payday from the firm has been no secret either. What is less known, however, is how little he apparently did for his money and how he benefited from the kind of cozy ties between Washington and Wall Street that have fueled the nation's current economic mess.

Though just 49, Emanuel is a veteran Democratic strategist and fundraiser who served three terms in the U.S. House after helping elect Mayor Richard Daley and former President Bill Clinton. The Freddie Mac money was a small piece of the $16 million he made in a three-year interlude as an investment banker a decade ago.

In business as in politics, Emanuel has cultivated an aggressive, take-charge reputation that made him rich and propelled his rise to the front of the national stage. But buried deep in corporate and government documents on the Freddie Mac scandal is a little-known and very different story involving Emanuel.

He was named to the Freddie Mac board in February 2000 by Clinton, whom Emanuel had served as White House political director and vocal defender during the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky scandals.

The board met no more than six times a year. Unlike most fellow directors, Emanuel was not assigned to any of the board's working committees, according to company proxy statements. Immediately upon joining the board, Emanuel and other new directors qualified for $380,000 in stock and options plus a $20,000 annual fee, records indicate.

[…]

The board was throttled for its acquiescence to the accounting manipulation in a 2003 report by Armando Falcon Jr., head of a federal oversight agency for Freddie Mac. The scandal forced Freddie Mac to restate $5 billion in earnings and pay $585 million in fines and legal settlements. It also foreshadowed even harder times at the firm.

[…]

Former President George W. Bush voluntarily stopped making such appointments following Falcon's assessment of their uselessness.

[…]

The Obama administration rejected a Tribune request under the Freedom of Information Act to review Freddie Mac board minutes and correspondence during Emanuel's time as a director. The documents, obtained by Falcon for his investigation, were "commercial information" exempt from disclosure, according to a lawyer for the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

[…]

By the time Emanuel joined Freddie Mac, the company had begun to loosen lending standards and buy riskier sub-prime loans. It was a practice that later blew up and contributed to the current foreclosure crisis.

[...]


Read the entire lengthy article here: Rahm Emanuel's profitable stint at mortgage giant. But don’t do it on a full stomach…

20090326 ChicagoTrib Rahm Emanuel profitable stint at mortgage giant

www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-rahm-emanuel-profit-26-mar26,0,5682373.story

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Washington Times Editorial: Never waste a good crisis

Never waste a good crisis March 16, 2009 Washington Times Editorial

(I just re-read this – and it is really worth sharing… Kevin Dayhoff)

"Never waste a good crisis" has become the semi-official motto of the Obama administration.

We first heard it from the Machiavellian Rahm Emmanuel last November, when he said "you never want a serious crisis to go to waste. … It's an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before." The gaffe-prone Hillary Clinton echoed this sentiment in Europe earlier this month. Then
President Obama, in his Saturday radio address, urged America to "discover great opportunity in the midst of great crisis."

Emergencies call for urgent responses that allow little time for substantive debate. That is why ambitious pols treat them like winning lottery tickets. In one sense, we can't blame them. Some lawmakers have been quietly feeding their pet ideas since the Watergate crisis or the recession of 1982. They missed out back then and won't see another chance in their lifetimes. So every aged idea got crated onto the stimulus bill. One thing we can say about this Congress: It has learned nothing and forgotten nothing.


Read the rest here: Never waste a good crisis

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/16/obamanomics/

20090316 Washington Times Editorial: Never waste a good crisis
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Reuters: Obama McCain to meet Monday to talk cooperation

Reuters: Obama McCain to meet Monday to talk cooperation

This is a good thing; however, if the past is prologue, Arizona Sen. John McCain should be extra careful.

See:

20081109 First Bush Obama Meeting Hard Feelings and Hand Sanitizer

20081111 Drudge Bush Anger Obama Aides Leak Chat Details

*****

Obama, McCain to meet Monday to talk cooperation

Fri Nov 14, 2008

CHICAGO (Reuters) - President-elect
Barack Obama will meet with his former rival, Republican Sen. John McCain, on Monday to talk about ways they can work together, an Obama spokeswoman said on Friday.

The meeting between the former competitors will take place in Chicago at Obama's transition headquarters two weeks after the Democratic senator won a decisive victory over McCain in the November 4 election.

It will be the first time the two have spoken since McCain called Obama to concede the election. McCain gave an emotional speech after the concession in which he promised to help his former rival address the country's many challenges.

[…]

She said the two men would be accompanied by McCain's close friend, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.

[…]


Read the rest here: Obama, McCain to meet Monday to talk cooperation

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4AD4IX20081114

2008114 Reuters Obama McCain to meet Monday to talk cooperation

Friday, November 14, 2008

Today in the DC Examiner: Sarah Palin and the Future of the GOP

Today in the DC Examiner: Sarah Palin and the Future of the GOP

November 14, 2008

Examiner Editorial: Sarah Palin emerges from the 2008 campaign in a position somewhat like that of Ronald Reagan after 1964, but nothing is guaranteed without lots of work.

Timothy P. Carney: Rahm Emanuel used his political connections to make himself wealthy.

Irwin Stelzer: The financial system needs reform, not a straitjacket.

2008114 Today in the DC Examiner Sarah Palin and the Future of the GOP

Monday, November 10, 2008

Emanuel to be Obama’s White House Chief of Staff

Emanuel to be Obama’s White House Chief of Staff

http://change.gov/

Friday, November 7, 2008 04:19pm EST /

President-Elect Barack Obama announced yesterday that Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) has accepted his offer to join the White House as Chief of Staff.

"I announce this appointment first because the Chief of Staff is central to the ability of a President and Administration to accomplish an agenda. And no one I know is better at getting things done than Rahm Emanuel,” President-Elect Obama said in a statement.

"During his seven years in the Clinton White House, Rahm was the point man on some of the most difficult issues, from the passage of landmark anti-crime legislation to the expansion of health care coverage for children. In just six years in Congress, he has risen to leadership, helping to craft myriad important pieces of legislation and guide them to passage.”

Emanuel, 48, served as a senior adviser to President Bill Clinton, and has represented the fifth congressional district of Illinois since 2002.

"I'm leaving a job I love to join your White House for one simple reason -- like the record amount of voters who cast their ballot over the last month, I want to do everything I can to help deliver the change America needs,” Emanuel said in a statement. “We have work to do, and Tuesday Americans sent Washington a clear message -- get the job done.

"Today, once again, our country is piled high with difficulty, and Americans have put their trust in President-elect Barack Obama and Vice-President-elect Joe Biden to think and act anew. And Mr. President-elect, I promise that your White House will do everything in our power to rise to the occasion," he said.
Read the full statements below.

Statement from President-elect Barack Obama

"I am pleased to announce that my good friend, Congressman Rahm Emanuel, has agreed to serve as my White House chief of staff. I announce this appointment first because the Chief of Staff is central to the ability of a President and Administration to accomplish an agenda. And no one I know is better at getting things done than Rahm Emanuel.

"During his seven years in the Clinton White House, Rahm was the point man on some of the most difficult issues, from the passage of landmark anti-crime legislation to the expansion of health care coverage for children. In just six years in Congress, he has risen to leadership, helping to craft myriad important pieces of legislation and guide them to passage. In between, Rahm spent several years in the private sector, where he worked on large and complicated financial transactions. That experience, combined with his service on the committees on Ways and Means and Banking, have given Rahm deep insights into the challenging economic issues that will be front and center for our Administration. Though Rahm understands how to get things done in Washington, he still looks at the world from the perspective of his neighbors and constituents on the Northwest Side of Chicago, who work long and hard, and ask only that their government stand on their side and honor their values. The son of an Israeli immigrant, Rahm shares a passionate love for this country, and has devoted much of his life to its cause.

"His decision to accept this position is a wonderful reflection of that commitment, for it is not easy to give up the significant position he holds today as chair of the House Democratic conference. The post he has accepted also will require more time away from Amy, and their children, Zach, Ilana and Leah, which I know is painful and difficult.

"I appreciate his friendship. And I, and all Americans, should be grateful that Rahm is once again answering his country's call," said President-elect Barack Obama.

Statement from Congressman Rahm Emanuel

"I know what a privilege it is to serve in the White House, and am humbled by the responsibility we owe the American people. I'm leaving a job I love to join your White House for one simple reason - like the record amount of voters who cast their ballot over the last month, I want to do everything I can to help deliver the change America needs. We have work to do, and Tuesday Americans sent Washington a clear message – get the job done.

"I have loved the time I spent in the House, both the successes and the setbacks, and I am grateful to the people of the Fifth Congressional district who sent me to work on their behalf. I was proud to serve on a leadership team with Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn. They have taught me invaluable lessons—even a few lessons in humility, believe it or not.

"I want to say a special word about my Republican colleagues, who serve with dignity, decency and a deep sense of patriotism. We often disagree, but I respect their motives. Now is a time for unity, and Mr. President-elect, I will do everything in my power to help you stitch together the frayed fabric of our politics, and help summon Americans of both parties to unite in common purpose.

"It has been almost 150 years since Americans turned to a proud son of Illinois as their President. Early in his first term, Abraham Lincoln said, "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew."

"Today, once again, our country is piled high with difficulty, and Americans have put their trust in President-elect Barack Obama and Vice-President-elect Joe Biden to think and act anew. And Mr. President-elect, I promise that your White House will do everything in our power to rise to the occasion," said Congressman Rahm Emanuel.


http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/emanuel_to_be_obamas_white_house_chief_of_staff/

20081107
Emanuel to be Obama White House Chief of Staff