[Peace-discuss] Emanuel's and Obama's base

Wed Nov 22 14:31:02 CST 2006

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "C. G. Estabrook" <galliher at uiuc.edu>
To: "Peace Discuss" <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2006 2:10 PM
Subject: [Peace-discuss] Emanuel's and Obama's base

  "Base", lol

  Poor Carl just can't stop lying.

> [All politics are local, claimed late Democratic Majority Leader O'Neill, so 
> it's at least interesting to look at the local politics of some of the 
> Democrats striving to neutralize the Nov. 7 antiwar vote. (For the 
> particularly noxious behavior in this regard of Rahm Emanuel, see Cockburn & 
> St. Clair, "NeoCons and NeoLibs Take a Big Hit, as Voters Say No to Bush, War 
> and Free Trade" <counterpunch.org/cockburn11082006.html>.) The person who 
> sent me this column comments, "No politician comes from Chicago to the big 
> time without the approval -- even aggressive approval -- of criminal elements 
> in Chicago. The political careers of Adlai Stevenson and Paul Douglas were 
> launched by Jake Arvey, who was a close associate of the Chicago mafia and 
> instrumental in mob control of Las Vegas."  --CGE
>
> http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0611220202nov22,1,7207743.column?coll=chi-news-col
>
> Emanuel makes a point of airing peeve
> John Kass
> November 22, 2006
>
> Powerful U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Tomczak) just hates it when I use the 
> D-Tomczak reference in my column.
>
> He made that clear the other day, after another round of post-election 
> interviews, in which no one offended him by invoking D-Tomczak. Other 
> subjects were discussed, including the congressional Democrats pushing a 
> much-needed ethics policy through Congress, and naturally, Emanuel's vast 
> political cunning and acumen.
>
> But no D-Tomczak.
>
> "And you're the one who's going to bring it up, right?" Emanuel told me on 
> Tuesday, bringing it up before I could.
>
> Then he whipped out his index finger, pointing it at my chest as we stood in 
> the middle of the Tribune newsroom. Emanuel wasn't yelling and his finger 
> wasn't jabbing me--much. It was a theatrical gesture to let colleagues who 
> were watching know just how much he hates it when I identify him as U.S. Rep. 
> Rahm Emanuel (D-Tomczak).
>
> "So, you're going to bring it up?" he said, feisty.
>
> Rahm, you really can't stand the D-Tomczak thing, eh?
>
> "You're right," Emanuel said, with a sort of grin. "You keep mentioning him 
> [Tomczak] in connection with me in your column. That bothers me, because I'm 
> more than that."
>
> Perhaps.
>
> Emanuel is the political operative being credited these days with the 
> Democratic takeover of Congress. He's ruthless and hardworking and, in 
> victory, deserving of post-election applause.
>
> But if City Hall had not sent Don Tomczak, the corrupt city water department 
> boss, to Emanuel's congressional campaign in 2002--and Tomczak's political 
> army of hundreds of city workers who stumped the precincts with the promise 
> of overtime--then Emanuel wouldn't have narrowly defeated a local grass-roots 
> Democrat.
>
> And Emanuel wouldn't have been in a position to bask in all the national 
> media love.
>
> The national media narratives involving Emanuel and another Chicago Democrat, 
> U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Rezko), have already been approved and written.
>
> They're scripts to congeal the national mind, not to be deviated from in 
> polite society. So you're not supposed to mention the soon-to-be imprisoned 
> Tomczak around Emanuel. And never, ever mention the indicted Chicago 
> political Real Estate Fairy, Tony Rezko, to Obama, or ask if Rezko sprinkled 
> magic fairy dust just as Obama purchased his fine home for hundreds of 
> thousands of dollars less than the asking price.
>
> So, the national story lines have been completed, and uttering "Tomczak" or 
> "Real Estate Fairy" is considered almost rude.
>
> But in federal court the day before, I watched four of Mayor Richard Daley's 
> underlings sentenced to federal prison for their roles in amassing giant and 
> illegal patronage armies of city workers who pounded the precincts for the 
> mayor's candidates, including Emanuel.
>
> The four underlings were sentenced for their roles in circumventing federal 
> anti-patronage court orders and rigging thousands of tests and job 
> applications to build those armies of city workers, the salaries and overtime 
> paid for by Chicago taxpayers. That investigation continues reaching up the 
> political ladder.
>
> Two are said to be cooperating with the FBI. Two others are playing the tough 
> guy for now, including Robert Sorich, the mayor's behind-the-scenes No. 2 at 
> Daley's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
>
> "I stand before the court and my friends and family to let them know I am not 
> a broken man," said Sorich, defiant, though he was given a 46-month prison 
> sentence. "As I stand before them, I am a lucky man because I have their 
> support. I have tried to do my best and I have tried to be fair."
>
> If the FBI has time on its hands, it might want to look at the Chicago 
> Transit Authority. The CTA has a huge payroll, with political hacks retiring 
> from City Hall with full city pensions, only to get second jobs at the CTA, 
> also with full CTA pensions.
>
> Weepy mayoral apologists argue that Daley underlings shouldn't be sent away 
> to the Club Fed in Oxford, Wis. But patronage armies are political guns, 
> projecting power and control. They provide leverage for the friends of City 
> Hall, men who've made fortunes hauling in taxpayer money in deals involving 
> trucking, insurance, real estate, waste, wrought iron fencing, development 
> and on and on.
>
> And all I wanted to know from political operative Emanuel was this: Who sent 
> Tomczak's army?
>
> "Who?"
>
> Yes, was it Mayor Daley? Or Billy Daley, or [mayoral brain] Tim Degnan? Who?
>
> "I don't know."
>
> Of course you do.
>
> "That's your question?"
>
> Yes, that's the question, I said.
>
> "No, that's your question," Emanuel said, repeatedly declining to answer. 
> "That isn't `the' question. That's `a' question, it's your question, not my 
> question."
>
> If he's more than (D-Tomczak), it's quite possible that he's (D-Philosopher).
>
> ----------
>
> jskass at tribune.com
>
> Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune
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