Chicago to run the US: Obama taps Rahm Emanuel for Chief of Staff

In Chicago Congressman Emanuel speaks at a press conference (7-20-07) attended by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), community leaders and environmental activists. (photo Emanuel Congress pages)Various media are reporting President-elect Barack Obama has asked Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) to be White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel became a member of Congress in 2003. Previously he worked as a senior advisor for President Bill Clinton. In 1989 Emanuel served as a senior advisor and chief fundraiser for Richard M. Daley. Aside from the Daley circle, Emanuel is also part of the Paul Simon circle--he worked on Simon’s 1984 election to the U.S. Senate. And here’s where the Chicago tale gets just more interesting. I doubt other media will explore lovely political triangles like this for you.

The late Senator Simon is well-subsidized by American taxpayers. Obama’s chief campaign strategist David Axelrod worked on Paul Simon's (D-Ill.) first election to the U.S. Senate in 1984. Total federal earmark requested by Obama for the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute: $1,025,000. Axelrod, Emanuel and Obama make a good team that goes way back.

During his 75th birthday party in November, 2003, in Chicago one month before he died, Simon praised Obama.

Emanuel recently came under fire over (now) departing Rep. Tim Mahoney’s (D-Fla.) complicated love life. After a string of affairs came to light, including Mahoney’s former mistress having been given a federal job, ABC News said Emanuel had warned Mahoney about his behavior. Some might ask why Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) didn’t call for both congressmens' resignations as she did when former Rep. Mark Foley’s (D-Fla.) career went up in flames because he sent questionable emails to male pages. She called for then Speaker Denny Hastert’s resignation because she said he knew what was going on with Foley. Shea-Porter said during a debate, “I am so willing to say, no matter who my leader is, that he or she has to leave if they cover up something like that, or, if it happens and everybody around that person knows about it and he doesn’t, then that shows he’s really not a leader anyway.” Somehow, I don’t think Shea-Porter’s going to rock Emanuel’s boat and accuse him of being a lousy leader any time soon.

You can check out donors to Emanuel's campaigns at Open Secrets.

Welcome to politics Democrat style. You think we’ll be as well managed a nation as the city of Chicago?