He's just misunderstood. If only they'd paid attention to him, America wouldn't be in the mess it's in.
A contrarian narrative is emerging: Emanuel is a force of political reason within the White House and could have helped the administration avoid its current bind if the president had heeded his advice on some of the most sensitive subjects of the year: health-care reform, jobs and trying alleged terrorists in civilian courts. It is a view propounded by lawmakers and early supporters of President Obama who are frustrated because they think the administration has gone for the perfect at the expense of the plausible.
Tell you one thing: in no recent administration has there been so much pressure to be instantly perfect in a situation threatening America in a way that makes 9/11 look like a molehill. 9/11 didn't bring America down. The loss of constitutional democracy surely will.
Wait! Not just instantly perfect, but perfect from everyone's point of view. Tea Party, Coffee Party, Nader voter, Afghan soldier, whoever you are, youbelieve have an absolute right to a perfect White House -- a rationally functioning federal government, for that matter. It's hard not to add that most Americans, who not only have the vote but even consumer power over corporations influencing legislation, just can't understand that they get the government they made, Rahm included.
Rahm, the Washington Post reports, has his uses. And, in a wonderful account of how the system works, Post reporter Jason Horowitz lays out the complications inherent in getting even the most straightforward policy implemented. Lest we forget:
In December 2008, Obama, Emanuel and Republican Sens. John McCain (Ariz.) and Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) met in Obama's transition headquarters in Chicago to discuss detainee policy. According to Graham, Obama turned to him at one point and said, " 'I'm going to need your help closing Guantanamo Bay. . . . I want you and Rahm to start talking.' " They did, and as the discussions progressed, Emanuel grew wary that closing the U.S. military prison in Cuba was possible without opening a slew of other politically sensitive national security problems " 'This stuff is like flypaper,' " Graham recalled Emanuel saying. " 'It will stick to you.' "
Graham said Emanuel was well aware that his and any other Republican support for closing Guantanamo Bay hinged on keeping alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed out of civilian court.
According to a person familiar with the conversations, who discussed the confidential deliberation on the condition of anonymity, Emanuel made his case to Obama, articulating the political dangers of a civilian trial to congressional Democrats. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. presented a counterargument rooted in principle, for civilian trials.
David Axelrod, senior adviser to Obama, supported Holder, the source said. The president agreed that letting the Justice Department take the lead was the right thing to do."Axelrod has a strong view of the historic character Obama is supposed to be," said an early Obama supporter who is close to the president and spoke on the condition of anonymity to give a frank assessment of frustration with the White House.
That's the key. Who Obama is supposed to be. Who he needs to be. Who he is.
Working entirely within the framework of present-day politics is what Emanuel does brilliantly. The president was elected to change present-day politics, wasn't he?
