Rahm Throws A Bean Ball

The billionaire wingnut that provided financing for the ill-fated Super PAC ad using Rev. Jeremiah Wright against the President is in full retreat mode. Joe "Sticky" Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade and owner of the Chicago Cubs, clearly didn't want his fingerprints on the racist ad, and is claiming he never approved it. More ominously for Sticky, he's angered former Obama Chief of Staff and Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel at a critical time when a bond measure for Wrigley Field renovations is up for consideration. Sticky Ricketts needs the Mayor's support to get millions in tax exempt bonds approved. Mayor Emanuel is reportedly "livid" over Sticky's association with the ad, and his "blatant hypocrisy" in supposedly standing for limited government while asking for a huge government tax exemption. According to an aide of the Mayor,

"The Ricketts[es] have tried to contact the mayor but he’s said that he does not want to talk with them today, tomorrow or anytime soon."

Payback's a beotch.

Early Postmortem

Granted, we won't know the extent of Democratic losses until after next Tuesday, but whether it's along the lines of historical midterm losses (25-35 seats) or a Rethuglican tsunami (50+), or something in between, Eric Alterman has what we think is a reasonable analysis of a main reason why it's come to this point (spoiler: his name might be Rahmbo).

As far as what to expect from a Rethug-majority House, Paul Krugman (linked by Steve Benen) has the dire forecast.

VOTE!

Buh-Bye Rahmbo

As expected, "Rahmbo" Emanuel is leaving his post as White House Chief of Staff and all-around asshole to run for Mayor of Chicago (in the great Chicago tradition, we wish we could vote early and often against him). The powerful corporate Dem is being replaced by Pete Rouse (whose mother is Japanese American, making him the first Asian American WH Chief of Staff-- banzai!). Some are predicting the departure of the anti-progressive Rahmbo will enable Obama to move to the left in the remaining 2 years of his (first?) term. Let's hope so.

(Photo: Right back atcha, Rahmbo!)

What Ails the Democrats

Today's Kaplan Daily should be put into a vacuum-sealed container and saved for future generations in order for them to better understand the "old politics" playing out among Democrats these days.

Exhibit A is Jason Horowitz' wet kiss to Rahmbo (Obama's "voice of reason"!). In it, Horowitz quotes numerous anonymous Democratic "leaders" in Congress who throw Obama under the bus, saying essentially "He shoulda listened to Rahm!" Well, Rahmbo isn't a big picture guy; he comes from the Clinton school of triangulation, where you get elected to pass dinky, boutique pieces of legislation that don't rock the boat. To coin a phrase, that's not change we can believe in! (UPDATE: Dan Froomkin has a good rogering of the Rahmbo effect.) One specific whine from a senior Democratic congressman caught our attention:

"There is this growing sense in the House that this White House is tone-deaf and doesn't care about 2010, that it is sacrificing members for 2012 and that the president thinks he doesn't need to get engaged, or that he thinks politics don't matter and that he could care less about what is happening on the streets of our districts. That's not Rahm."

Translation: Saving my precious career is more important that the Nation's welfare!

Juxtaposed in the same edition is Exhibit B, a letter to the editor from a person in Monterey, California, who cites a Democratic congressman, quoted in Ruth Marcus' Feb. 24 op/ed, as saying (regarding his health care vote last year), "This is a career-ending vote." The letter writer then marvels:

"'Career-ending vote?'" Perhaps thinking of their elected office as a 'career' is a significant problem with far too many senators and House members."

Indeed. Those Democrats (or Rethugs for that matter) who think in those terms deserve to be "retired," since they appear to have long ago forgotten what public service is supposed to be about, not to mention what every Democratic platform since 1948 has supported.