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Tag(s): Congress; Funding; Pentagon; Talking Truth
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October 26, 2007 at 11:40:59

What Is Rahm Emanuel Talking About?

by David Swanson Page 1 of 5 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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Here's a recent transcript

Congressman Rahm Emanuel is chairman of the Democratic Caucus. Congressman, people out there are wondering why did they elect the Democrats to end the war in if the war is still going?

REP. RAHM EMANUEL, (D) DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS CHAIR: First of all, they elected - first of all, let’s go to the presumption of the question, Chris. They elected the democrats for a host of reasons, including the war but also to change things that were happening in Washington as it related to their economics.

The exit polls overwhelmingly showed the primary issues to be the war and opposition to Bush and Cheney. This was the clearest single-issue national mandate an election and exit polls and pre-election polls have ever shown.

So there were a host of things that led into this election. And I’m more than willing, and I don’t think you want to spend the time going through that analysis. The war was a key piece of it. So was people’s economic frustration, so was their anger at the way that Washington had gotten corrupt. So there was a lot that fed into this election.

Second is, you know, the knowledge that you have today about what’s happening. Yes, the president asked for another $200 billion. The largest increase, the largest increase ever in his request is the largest request ever. And yet, we have always said, how can you say that children’s healthcare is excessive spending for 10 million children who don’t have healthcare, whose parents work full time, yet, you’ve asked for $200 billion of more debt for this war, bringing it right now to the total of $800 billion of requests and as you said, well on his way to a trillion dollars.

Exactly how many children have you obtained health care for? That was NEVER your intention. You told the Washington Post at the start of this year that you wanted to keep the occupation of Iraq going until November 2008. Do you have any idea how many times over we could provide every child with health care for the cost of what you're spending on war? You have known since November that any decent bill would be vetoed. Yet you push them, get them vetoed, and then brag about it. This is insane.

And we have said just two weeks ago he has another six weeks and he has to produce a report on a plan for how America would leave Iraq.

No, wait. THIS is insane. You want ANOTHER report? From BUSH?? Cut off the fucking money, Rahm. It doesn't take a bill to do so. You just announce that there will be no more bills to fund it. Got it? You act as if you've cut off a portion of your anatomy instead.

MATTHEWS: Well, let me ask you this. Do you really believe that the number one issue in this country is not the war in Iraq? Do you really believe that?

EMANUEL: That’s not what I said. You said that was the reason we won the Congress. I said there were a lot of reasons we won Congress, but number one is Iraq, and number two is healthcare. Beyond that is also energy independence. There are a lot of issues that relate to the challenges that aren’t being answered by this administration. I said that a lot of things led into what happened in November because people were tired of what was happening in Washington and they wanted a new direction and a change. Iraq was prima facie number one, but it was not exclusive of other things.

MATTHEWS: How are you changing the direction in Iraq?

EMANUEL: Well, I just told you, one of the things we did two weeks ago was pass a bill that said specifically if you’ve not going to set a date, you must produce a plan to present to Congress on the beginning of the reduction of the troops in Iraq that—it was a bipartisan, the first bipartisan vote to do that.

After 10 months, you address the number one demand of the electorate by asking the criminal for a report on how his crime is going? Sorry, Congress was doing THAT before the elections.

Second, all this waste and fraud had gone unreported, undocumented and unenforced. And as you know, Henry Waxman has done a miraculous job on that committee going through contract after contract on the embassy, you saw today what happened with Dyncorp and other things, basically bringing in and somehow controlling how they basically are spending money.

Are you out of your mind? Waxman has sent subpoenas and had them ignored, and refused to back them up with impeachment, meaning that he has not saved a single Iraqi life. In fact, they're dying faster now than when Republicans ran the Congress.

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http://www.davidswanson.org

DAVID SWANSON is a co-founder of After Downing Street, a writer and activist, and the Washington Director of Democrats.com. He is a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, and serves on the Executive Council of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, TNG-CWA. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including Press Secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, Media Coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as Communications Coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Swanson obtained a Master's degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia in 1997.

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9 comments

Student of history, religion, exoteric and esoteric, the Humanities in general and advocate for peace, justice and the unity of humankind, not through force, but through self-realization and mutual respect. I have also just come out with my first book, a combination of poetry, photography and essays entitled "Post Katrina Blues", my reflections on the Gulf Coast and New Orleans two years after Katrina struck, published by San Francisco Bay Press.
Mac McKinneyStudent of history, religion, exoteric and esoteric, the Humanities in general and advocate for peace, justice and the unity of humankind, not through force, but through self-realization and mutual respect. I have also just come out with my first book, a combination of poetry, photography and essays entitled "Post Katrina Blues", my reflections on the Gulf Coast and New Orleans two years after Katrina struck, published by San Francisco Bay Press.

Rahm Emmanuel, Not so Stealth De Facto Mossad Agent

If Israel decided tomorrow that America should get out of Iraq immediately, Rahm Emmanuel would be drafting a withdrawal bill for Congress in short order. But don't hold your breath about that happening.

Psychologically and emotionally, Emmanuel's allegiance to Israel is paramount. He has even played soldier in the Israeli Army, rear echelon style. His father, by the way, was a member of the Irgun in the 40s, one of the truly hardcore Zionist paramilitary groups that terrorized the Palestinian population.

Is Emmanuel a literal Mossad mole, as the French press is now wondering about French President Sarkozy after very damning charges came out in Le Figaro the other day, or is he just an in sync sympathizer? Either way, the man should not be trusted to work for peace in Iraq. In fact, he can be expected to work for war against anybody on Israel's hit list.

Indeed he has been obstructing the peace movement. In the last Congressional elections, he undermined a number of peace candidates, either in the primaries or in the national elections. He has got to go if we want peace and justice in the Middle East.

by Mac McKinney (47 articles, 75 quicklinks, 176 diaries, 1128 comments) on Friday, October 26, 2007 at 2:46:36 PM

Currently I'm a cartoonist and contributing writer for The New Orleans Levee. For those wishing to view my work you can see my latest at: nolevee.com
Mr MCurrently I'm a cartoonist and contributing writer for The New Orleans Levee. For those wishing to view my work you can see my latest at: nolevee.com

As of today 3,383 DEAD

Of course this figure doesn't count the non-American forces or private personal or the over 1,000,000 innocent Iraqi citizens that have been slaughtered by this folly.

But, it's blah. blah, this and blah, blah that and tomorrow the toll will be 3,387 and as we wait for another bogus report the toll will soon be over 4,000.

In the mean time those that have blatantly committed high crimes, treason and genocide still sit smugly in positions of power with no threat of ever being held accountable.

If I were a younger man or had the means I'd leave this now disaster of a country and never look back. And if the day would come when the rest of the world took action against what is now viewed by a majority of the nations as the biggest threat to world peace ... well, let's just say I'd cheer them on.

I see no saving this nation from itself in the current corrupt state it's in. And this might be one of the saddest statements I've ever made.

by Mr M (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 15 diaries, 1674 comments) on Friday, October 26, 2007 at 3:56:19 PM

Jim Freeman's op-ed pieces and commentaries have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, International Herald-Tribune, CNN, The New York Review, The Jon Stewart Daily Show and a number of magazines.
Jim FreemanJim Freeman's op-ed pieces and commentaries have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, International Herald-Tribune, CNN, The New York Review, The Jon Stewart Daily Show and a number of magazines.

3,876 american soldiers dead as of today, pard

somehow or another, you dropped 500

by Jim Freeman (108 articles, 53 quicklinks, 224 diaries, 386 comments) on Friday, October 26, 2007 at 5:27:26 PM

Mother of 7, grandmother of 21, great grandmother of 41 and great-great grandmother of 2 and loving every minute of it. I want a better world for us all than the mess we have now.
RaeMother of 7, grandmother of 21, great grandmother of 41 and great-great grandmother of 2 and loving every minute of it. I want a better world for us all than the mess we have now.

It's even more than that

They don't count the ones that die on the way to medical help or the ones that die after they get medical help ..just the ones that die immediately. So the numbers are far higher... then add in the suicides for they also are casualties of this mess.

They don't allow pictures of the returning flag covered coffins because the actual count of those wouldn't tally with their lies.

There should be a website where the names of ALL the lost could be added by their family or friends to honor them. The number would doubtless exceed the ones acknowledged.

Our government has always been full of lying S.O.B.'s but this one is the worst by far. Few presidents haven't been the corporate elites puppets and those paid with their lives.

by Rae (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 218 comments) on Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 6:15:07 PM

Josh Mitteldorf was educated to be an astrophysicist, and has branched out from there to mathematical modeling in a variety of areas. He has taught mathematics, statistics, and physics at several universities. He is an avid amateur pianist, and father of two adopted Chinese girls. This year, his affiliation is with the University of Arizona, where he studies the evolution of aging.
Josh MitteldorfJosh Mitteldorf was educated to be an astrophysicist, and has branched out from there to mathematical modeling in a variety of areas. He has taught mathematics, statistics, and physics at several universities. He is an avid amateur pianist, and father of two adopted Chinese girls. This year, his affiliation is with the University of Arizona, where he studies the evolution of aging.

Rahm Emanuel's history

This piece becomes even more powerful when we remember Emanuel's role in keeping anti-war Democrats out of Congress, and making sure that more conservative candidates - many of them former Republicans - got the primary support of the DNC.

Story is here: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/090607J.shtml

by Josh Mitteldorf (17 articles, 59 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 41 comments) on Friday, October 26, 2007 at 5:39:17 PM

Midwesterner, veteran of VietNam era naval service, I still feel an obligation to defend the Constitution against "all enemies, foreign and domestic."
John Sanchez Jr.Midwesterner, veteran of VietNam era naval service, I still feel an obligation to defend the Constitution against "all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Democratic Leader?

Let's not forget Rahm's history with Bill Clinton's (the best Republican president since Dwight Eisenhower) administration when he sparked the effort to shove NAFTA down our throats, and his service in the corporate financial world after leaving Clinton's administration. Is there a great deal of difference between Republican corporatists and Democratic corporatists?

by John Sanchez Jr. (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 1266 comments) on Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 9:14:33 AM

NO!

NO! All the Same Paradigm.

by Mac McKinney (47 articles, 75 quicklinks, 176 diaries, 1128 comments) on Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 11:01:33 AM

from Chicago, very left of center ... favorite quote "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross" -- Sinclair Lewis
chris ferryfrom Chicago, very left of center ... favorite quote "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross" -- Sinclair Lewis

he needs some kind of medication

I'm in his voting district and I have emailed and also called when something I don't like is being voted on and I don't ever remember him voting the way I urged him to. In fact most of the time he uses rahm sense (instead of common sense) which in no way looks like a sane thought process.

Great article though … I realized that is exactly how it sounds when I’m watching the political type programming. Except there is a lot more of WTF and SOB etc. etc. while the interview is in progress, it actually hurts my brain to read those rahm answers, not as bad when I was listening to them because a few time he never finished before I started ranting.

by chris ferry (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 13 comments) on Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 11:07:58 AM

R. Queisser has been an unabashed progressive activist since the '60s. After 28 years in non-profit health care management he left that field, disgusted at the mess commercial health insurance companies have created. He now resides near the Canadian border where he does ontological work repairing gashes in the fabric of truth created by "conservative" politicians & pundits.
R. QueisserR. Queisser has been an unabashed progressive activist since the '60s. After 28 years in non-profit health care management he left that field, disgusted at the mess commercial health insurance companies have created. He now resides near the Canadian border where he does ontological work repairing gashes in the fabric of truth created by "conservative" politicians & pundits.

Rahm -- You're Part of the Problem, Not Part of the Solution

Note how evasive Rahm remains. Parse what he said and everything will cancel out to ZERO. That's what Rahm & the other D"L"C Dems are worth. (That means YOU, too, Nancy Pelosi!)

Vote GREEN PARTY and get over this futile hope that the Dems will somehow get it right someday.

by R. Queisser (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 63 comments) on Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 9:26:58 PM