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Obama said in a statement "No one I know is better at
getting things done than Rahm Emanuel."
Known as an attack dog and for his political
fundraising abilities Emanuel operates in a vastly
different style than that of Obama. With his penchant
for profanity, Emanuel represents a tough no hold
approach in a contrast to the calm and cool Obama.
Emanuel is an Illinois congressman with strong ties to
the Jewish community and the Jewish state. Emanuel
was born in Chicago with dual American-Israeli
nationality and served for a short time as a civilian
volunteer in the Israeli Defense Forces during the first
Gulf War in 1991.
getting things done than Rahm Emanuel."
Known as an attack dog and for his political
fundraising abilities Emanuel operates in a vastly
different style than that of Obama. With his penchant
for profanity, Emanuel represents a tough no hold
approach in a contrast to the calm and cool Obama.
Emanuel is an Illinois congressman with strong ties to
the Jewish community and the Jewish state. Emanuel
was born in Chicago with dual American-Israeli
nationality and served for a short time as a civilian
volunteer in the Israeli Defense Forces during the first
Gulf War in 1991.
In the first major appointment of his administration,
President-elect Barak Obama raised eyebrows with his
appointment of pro-Israeli Congressman Rahm Emanuel as his
new chief of staff, Obama's promise to bring "change" to the
White House has some wondering exactly what kind of "change"
the Emanuel will bring.
President-elect Barak Obama raised eyebrows with his
appointment of pro-Israeli Congressman Rahm Emanuel as his
new chief of staff, Obama's promise to bring "change" to the
White House has some wondering exactly what kind of "change"
the Emanuel will bring.
What lies behind Obama's charismatic smile?
Rahm-bo and other monsters
Rahm-bo and other monsters
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As a political and policy aide, Emanuel served seven years in the White House during the Clinton
administration and was an aide to Clinton, helping to promote the newly launched Oslo process. His
combative style under the Clinton administration earned him the nickname "Rahm-bo". Then first lady Hillary
Clinton tried to get him fired as a White House aide in 1993 because of his abrasive style. He was instead
demoted to the press office.
House Republicans are said to dislike Emanuel for his partisanship. House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio
called Emanuel "an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington. Make politics
more civil, and govern from the centre."
Emanuel is a close friend of Obama and David Axelrod, the chief Democratic strategist who helped catapult
Obama from the Senate to the White House. Obama chose Emanuel to escort him to his meeting with the pro-
Israel lobby AIPAC back in june, when Obama declared his full support to Israel and went further by adopting
Israeli policy that views Jerusalem as the "undivided capital" of the Jewish state. Emanuel is known on Capital
Hill as one of the strongest advocates for Israel.
Most troubling about Obama's appointment is that Emanuel's father, Benjamin, who was born in Jerusalem
and now an Illinois resident, told Haaretz that his son was named after "rahamim", who was fallen member of
the Lohamei Herut Israel, also known as the Stern Gang. The stern Gang is notorious for its murderous
rampage against indigenous Palestinians, and carried out political assassinations of the Swedish UN mediator
Count Folke Bernadotte and British diplomat Lord Moyne.
Ira Forman, executive director of the national Jewish Democratic Council, told Fox News that Obama's
appointment of Emanuel is "just another indication that despite the attempts to imply that Obama would
somehow appoint the wrong person or listen to the wrong people when it comes to the US-Israel relationship –
that was never true."
More disappointments in Obama's line-up include veepee Joe Biden, a champion for the attack on Iraq, likely
secretary of defence Richard Holbrooke, architect of the war against Yugoslavia, economic advisers
neoliberal champion Paul Volcker and his Clinton-era pal Robert Rubin, who was responsible for the
deregulation of the banking sector. In short, a recycling of the characters who are behind the present political
and economic nightmare which Obama so eloquently claims to change.
Emanuel's father Benjamin was quoted in an article about Rahm headlined "Our man in the White House" in
the Israeli daily Maariv last week, saying, "obviously he will influence the president to be pro-Israel. Why
wouldn't he, an Arab? He's not going to clean the floors of the White House." The subtext of Benjamin's
remark is that under a black president, only an Arab, certainly not a Jew, is fit to take on one of the traditional
roles of blacks. The Jew, in this case Emanuel, will be one of his closest advisers.
Rahm's brother, Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel, spearheaded the campaign to blacklist Mel Gibson after
comments the actor made when he was arrested under suspicion of drunken driving in 2006. Ari was the
inspiration for the Hollywood agent character Ari Gold on the popular HBO series Entourage. For his part,
Rahm inspired the television character Josh Lyman on The West Wing. SO, with Rahm-bo in the White House,
the Emanuels have come full circle, with reality imitating art imitating reality. In the words of Hollywood legend
Bette Davis," It's going to be a wild and bumpy ride."
administration and was an aide to Clinton, helping to promote the newly launched Oslo process. His
combative style under the Clinton administration earned him the nickname "Rahm-bo". Then first lady Hillary
Clinton tried to get him fired as a White House aide in 1993 because of his abrasive style. He was instead
demoted to the press office.
House Republicans are said to dislike Emanuel for his partisanship. House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio
called Emanuel "an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington. Make politics
more civil, and govern from the centre."
Emanuel is a close friend of Obama and David Axelrod, the chief Democratic strategist who helped catapult
Obama from the Senate to the White House. Obama chose Emanuel to escort him to his meeting with the pro-
Israel lobby AIPAC back in june, when Obama declared his full support to Israel and went further by adopting
Israeli policy that views Jerusalem as the "undivided capital" of the Jewish state. Emanuel is known on Capital
Hill as one of the strongest advocates for Israel.
Most troubling about Obama's appointment is that Emanuel's father, Benjamin, who was born in Jerusalem
and now an Illinois resident, told Haaretz that his son was named after "rahamim", who was fallen member of
the Lohamei Herut Israel, also known as the Stern Gang. The stern Gang is notorious for its murderous
rampage against indigenous Palestinians, and carried out political assassinations of the Swedish UN mediator
Count Folke Bernadotte and British diplomat Lord Moyne.
Ira Forman, executive director of the national Jewish Democratic Council, told Fox News that Obama's
appointment of Emanuel is "just another indication that despite the attempts to imply that Obama would
somehow appoint the wrong person or listen to the wrong people when it comes to the US-Israel relationship –
that was never true."
More disappointments in Obama's line-up include veepee Joe Biden, a champion for the attack on Iraq, likely
secretary of defence Richard Holbrooke, architect of the war against Yugoslavia, economic advisers
neoliberal champion Paul Volcker and his Clinton-era pal Robert Rubin, who was responsible for the
deregulation of the banking sector. In short, a recycling of the characters who are behind the present political
and economic nightmare which Obama so eloquently claims to change.
Emanuel's father Benjamin was quoted in an article about Rahm headlined "Our man in the White House" in
the Israeli daily Maariv last week, saying, "obviously he will influence the president to be pro-Israel. Why
wouldn't he, an Arab? He's not going to clean the floors of the White House." The subtext of Benjamin's
remark is that under a black president, only an Arab, certainly not a Jew, is fit to take on one of the traditional
roles of blacks. The Jew, in this case Emanuel, will be one of his closest advisers.
Rahm's brother, Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel, spearheaded the campaign to blacklist Mel Gibson after
comments the actor made when he was arrested under suspicion of drunken driving in 2006. Ari was the
inspiration for the Hollywood agent character Ari Gold on the popular HBO series Entourage. For his part,
Rahm inspired the television character Josh Lyman on The West Wing. SO, with Rahm-bo in the White House,
the Emanuels have come full circle, with reality imitating art imitating reality. In the words of Hollywood legend
Bette Davis," It's going to be a wild and bumpy ride."
