Rahm Emmanuel, like Barak Obama, John Edwards, and indeed, Wes Clark, represent the best hope for the future of the Democratic Party, and today, one of them, Mr. Emmanuel, showed how and why the future will be Democratic, and thus a benefit to health and humanity.
On today's "Meet the Press" with Tim Russert, Emmanuel was paired with a boring old man named Reynolds, who will doubtless have any impact on the history of our great nation. And yet he had to sit there beside a gentleman whose equals rank among the pantheon of truly great presidents.
Without raising his voice, without losing repose or composure, Mister Emmanuel layed out the future, while all the boring old man could do was ululate and hyperventilate apothegms so barren of meaning as to render its bearer foolish and obsolescent.
He was handed his arse on a plarte, to be polite, passive and neologistic about it.
The five-point plan layed out by Mr. Emmanuel deserve serious consideration. These are bold ideas. They will get us out of the hole which the other guys would have you keep digging.
Here is where Rahm lays out the future:
REP. EMANUEL: Let me address, though, the future of this country. I'll give you five quick ideas. One, we make college education as universal for the 21st century that a high school education was in the 20th.
MR. RUSSERT: And who pays for that?
REP. EMANUEL: The American people, because it offers--Let me get to it. Second, we get a summit on the budget to deal with the $3 trillion of debt that's been added up in five years and structural deficits of $400 billion a year. Third, an energy policy that says in 10 years, we cut our dependence on foreign oil in half and make this a hybrid economy. Four, we create an institute on science and technology that builds for America like, the National Institutes has done for health care, we maintain our edge. And five, we have a universal health-care system over the next 10 years where if you work, you have health care. That says fiscal discipline and investing in the American people by reputting people first. The policies that the Republicans have offered have gotten us in the ditch we have today.
Article comments
1 - Aaman
To make this post meaningful, perhaps you could share the actual talking points and why they make sense
2 - anonymoses
Thanks Aaman, advice heeded.
-Anonymoses
3 - 1Potato
"He was handed his arse on a plarte."
I didn't know they still taught Middle English.
"And we've already hit Hell."
Hell? Are there bread lines where you live? Do people "dissapear" in your neighborhood? Famine? Breakdown of rule of law? Hyperinflation? Race riots?
Maybe the Hell is the hateful ideology you embrace. You are mean spirited. Really. Rahm is a very sharp, competitive intellectual and skilled debater (his cut throat style as a political adviser game him the nickname "Rahmbo"). You take so much glee in seeing an old timer get humiliated in an obvious mismatch.
No class.
4 - Realist
Should I be shocked by Republican “corruption”?
REP. EMANUEL: "Web sites don't admonish a member not once, not twice, three times, which is what happened to Tom DeLay. The highest ranking official in the history of the House of Representatives to be indicted. All that Web site does is reflect a culture, in my view, of corruption and cronyism that pervades the political system."
Well, I am not shocked…
In 1989, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Democrat Jim Wright (a pay grade higher than Delay), became the target of an inquiry by the House Ethics Committee. Their report implied that he had used bulk purchases of his vanity book 'Reflections of a Public Man' to earn speaking fees in excess of the allowed maximum, and that his wife, Betty, was given a job and perks to avoid the limit on gifts. Faced with an increasing loss of effectiveness, he resigned as Speaker on May 31, 1989, and on June 30th he resigned from Congress.
5 - Bob A. Booey
Good ideas, especially the universal college education and National Science/Tech Institute ones.
Rahm-bo's not known as an idea person so much as a political person, but he's clearly been reading some of the right things.
I don't think he's going to be a big electoral superstar if you're talking the Presidency someday, but he's definitely going to rise in the ranks in the House. He's DEFINITELY someone whose political instincts and toughness would make him a great minority whip or possibly House party leader or speaker (assuming the Dems ever win the House back) someday.
I doubt Wes Clark has much future in electoral politics. Maybe he'll find some other role that suits him well in some future Democrat administration, however. Hillary might appoint him to some Cabinet position or ambassadorship.
That is all.
6 - 1Potato
Some good ideas, some bad. The energy policy makes sense. We should declare a "war" on oil dependency. I don't know why Bush or Clinton didn't do this? Big mistake, no vision.
Making college universal is absurd. College is already dumbed down to the degree that it is practically meaningless. Universal college education is just going to dumb it down more. School is not for everyone. Why shove square pegs into round holes? Some people do better in trades, small business, service sector, etc.
Of course, the libs would love to cram everyone in college so the liberal brainwashing on universitity campuses would be "universal" as well.
7 - sysadmyn
While college is not for everyone, most people would benefit from at least a little bit of higher ed, if and when they're ready for it. If this is "brainwashing", then what is the alternative? Eternal ignorance? A gas station education?
On another note, Wes Clark has vision. Don't discount him yet.
8 - Bob A. Booey
What's his vision?
If Clark had any grand vision or ability to articulate it, he would have won the Dem nomination in 2004 with all that money, the Clintons, much of the media before Howard Dean took off, and celebrities all backing him. Plus, it was only 3 years after 9/11 when Dems were looking for a military man.
He had the perfect situation and came across as an odd, unpersuasive campaigner with no ability to communicate his ideas. He was a stumbling, akward walking resume.
That is all.
9 - scout
hey, is this the pess from TLC? I hope so. Let me know.