David Seaton's News LinksWith the appointment of Emanuel, Obama shows that he wants to run a very tight ship with a very clear chain of command: Emanuel is a pit bull (hold the lipstick).
There are many people who are very together, focused, tough and efficient that don't have a reputation for being mean. Obama has chosen someone who has the reputation for being mean.
The message that Obama sends with Emanuel's appointment is intimidation: be afraid, and if you are not afraid of me, be afraid of my creature.
When ruminating on this appointment a very strange name popped up on my screen: H.R. Haldeman, who formed with John Ehrlichman, what was known as Richard Nixon's "Berlin Wall". Wikipedia describes their role thusly:He and Ehrlichman were called "The Berlin Wall" by other White House staffers in a play on their German-American backgrounds and shared penchant for keeping others away from Nixon and serving as his "gatekeepers". They became Nixon's most loyal and trusted aides during his presidency. Both were ruthless in protecting what they regarded as Nixon's best interests. Haldeman once said he was proud to be "Richard Nixon's son of a bitch", as he never shied away from firing staffers in person.I guess Haldeman's name popped up in my mind because it seems obvious that Rahm Emanuel is taking on the role of "Obama's son of a bitch".
Of course, Obama needs someone tough, knowledgeable and efficient to run his White House. Emanuel is probably all of those things, but what he is most known for is for being is a prick.
Why does Obama feel he needs a prick for chief of staff?
A world class son of a bitch like Nixon's needing people like Haldeman and Ehrlichman around was seen as a portent of much of what brought him down.
But, before we get too deep into psychobabble, perhaps this is just Chicago's mayor Daley calling in an I.O.U. DS
