Emanuel tells freshmen to avoid Stephen Colbert

[BigBearJohn]

“He said don’t do it … it’s a risk and it’s probably safer not to do it,” said Rep. Steve Cohen. But the freshman lawmaker from Tennessee taped a segment that last week was featured in the 32nd installment of the “Better Know a District” series. Colbert asked Cohen whether he was a black woman. He isn’t

Eyes (but thankfully, not heads) roll in Emanuel’s office when other freshmen stumble, such as the time Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) got into a debate about the merits of throwing kittens into a wood-chipper, or when Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio) explained that he is not his predecessor, convicted felon Bob Ney (R).

The freshmen respect Emanuel, but they don’t always follow his orders. On the other hand, avoiding the kind of publicity that only “The Colbert Report” can confer on a lawmaker may be the only advice from Emanuel that freshman Democrats are ignoring

Last year, as the House Democrats’ chief election strategist, Emanuel engineered the party’s takeover of the House by capitalizing on a nationalized midterm election. Now, as the House Democratic spokesman, Emanuel is working to keep freshman Democrats in office. His thoughts on how to manage casework, campaign for reelection, and win favorable press coverage are rooted in former Speaker Tip O’Neill’s (D-Mass.) maxim that “all politics is local.”

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/emanuel-tells-freshmen-to-avoid-stephen-colbert-2007-03-14.html

[fooj]

1. Huh?

Last year, as the House Democrats’ chief election strategist, Emanuel engineered the party’s takeover of the House by capitalizing on a nationalized midterm election.

:shrug:

[jannyk]

7. Yep, he thinks he's the Dems answer to Tom Delay

He's the self proclaimed 'hammer' of the Dem party - strictly DLC. Howard Dean is DNC they don't like each other much.

[sendero]

17. Yeah...

.... you noticed that too. Rahm didn't engineer shit. A gold brick fell out of the sky and he claimed he mined it.

I get so tired of these glory-mongers, for every success the Dems have had in the last 20 years there are 50 assholes trying to take credit for it.

Who takes credit for the huge number of failures?

[KittyWampus]

20. And it's tiresome to hear the reactionary screamers on DU trash Emanuel and his contributions

which were real.

But hey, if your mythic view of politics and politicians, including Howard Dean and Rahm Emanuel don't coincide with reality knock yourselves out.

Both men did a great job. Trashing one doesn't help the other.

[sendero]

35. The difference is..

.. Dean doesn't use every opportunity to claim credit. Emmanuel does. I don't like people who constantly toot their own horn in real life, or in politics.

[ellisonz]

41. "Reactionary screamers" - Wow, showing your colors aren't you.

Rahm helped, he didn't "engineer"

I'll resist the temptation...:evilgrin:

[gulfcoastliberal]

48. He couldn't get Duckworth elected in his own backyard.

It's been documented that he wasted millions in the wrong districts and shunned out candidates that would've won if they had some DCCC support.

[Missy Vixen]

2. Gosh, I thought Howard Dean spearheaded and financed

the "50 State Strategy".

Julie

[guruoo]

5. IMHO, credit for the 50-state strategy belongs to Dean, not Emanuel.

[me b zola]

43. AAMOF, Rahm fought AGAINST the 50 state stratagy

We won in spite of Rahm and the dlc.

[shance]

6. delete

I misinterpreted.

[MADem]

11. He did. Rahm, like others, to include Schumer, Hoyer, and a load of others with PACS and

staffs with expertise, had roles. Big roles, too.

But Dean developed the concept.

He was the big picture guy.

[ComerPerro]

30. yeah, the media just doesn't want to give Dean credit

lose an election, its his fault. Win one, the credit goes to someone else.

[Swamp Rat]

3. It's a FREAKING COMEDY show, Emanuel!

:eyes:

[poverlay]

4. Methnks the fools are tired of looking like fools... nt

[originalpckelly]

8. Mr. Emanuel, could you please write down in five sentences or less how and why you hate America?

Oh and add the terrorists as well, why do you love Osama so much, and why are you considering supporting him for President of the United States?

[LittleClarkie]

9. Emanuel engineered the House takeover... do tell.

Bah.

[MADem]

12. He did have a role. So did Hoyer. On the HOUSE side.

It took three or four dozen legislators with PACS working their asses off (or their staffs working their asses off) to help the challengers.

Dean developed the "we don't give up ONE lousy state" strategy.

But lots of folks helped, and Rahm was one of several that did do a lot of work. Not the only one. But he did help.

[LittleClarkie]

13. True. But engineer he didn't. And this article seems to want to give him all the credit

Which bugged me. I will concede his portion. But he can't have it all. And I know he thinks that he's the one who saved the day and Dean screwed up royally. So often enough, he won't give Dean his due, bogarting the credit. That's pretty much what I was reacting to.

[MADem]

26. Blame the writer. They do that. They shorthand everything, and they shouldn't do it.

Hoyer, too, got out on the ground and worked like hell for the Fighting Dems. He gave them money, advice, staff, you name it. It was a group effor. I think he and Steny and all the rest did a great job, and I don't think HE would claim that he did the lion's share.

[Nikki Stone1]

18. What role? To ignore Lamont and support the turncoat Lieberman?

And other non-progressives?

Please.

[MADem]

29. Well, Your Mileage Varies. What I think is that it is a HUGE waste of time

whining about the past. I will support the legislators with the (D) after their name, because they are our best hope of passing some decent legislation in the run up to 08.

I find it a total waste of time to divide the Democrats into categories like ultra progressive, progressive, not sufficently progressive to suit me, and non-progressive.

Shit like that is just non-productive. The focus should be on the White House now, not old, lost battles. Frankly, if all of the young loudmouths who insisted they'd GOTV for Lamont actually rolled out of bed and brought a friend to the polls, we'd be watching Senator Lamont's career with interest. The "youth vote" let that guy down. They kicked him in his left nutmeg, as it were.

After all, people seem to forget, or ignore the fact, that Jack Murtha is a NON-PROGRESSIVE. He is a CONSERVATIVE Democrat. He's right on one single issue, so everyone forgets his record. When the war ends, though, how much scorn is the guy in for from the people who will quickly forget his help?

Those labels are not very useful, really. We are going to have primaries, we are going to have debates, and we are going to have a general election candidate for the Presidency. I'll pick one and cast my vote, but if my choice doesn't win, I'm not going to do that childish footstomping and going home that we see way too often around these parts.

Frankly, if my candidate doesn't win, I could give a fuck if that winning candidate is Lefty McTwoShoes or Carlos D. ConservativeDem. So long as they have the (D) after their name, they get my vote in the General, because we aren't just voting for the top two office holders, we're voting for a cabinet, US attorneys, judges, and a host of other appointees.

Which party holds the Presidency MATTERS. And that should be our focus, not old rivalries and perceived slights. There's no percentage in rehashing.

[Nikki Stone1]

37. MADem. with all due respect....

I find that zebras rarely change their stripes. Rahm Emmanuel and the DLC worked actively to trounce the actual winner of the CT primary and return and INDEPENDENT to the Senate. It seems that though you (and I) vote for people with D's after their name, the DLC would rather vote for and financially support people with an Ind. (or whatever) after their names if it gets their fellow travelers back in office. They were disloyal first. As a loyal Democrat, I was stunned at their rejection of the will of Democratic voters.

[MADem]

38. Incumbency always has a pull. That said, Lamont's supporters didn't bring it. They just didn't.

And in the case of Lamont, money was not the issue--the guy had dough. What he didn't have is supporters who followed through, who were HUNGRY for victory. I think blaming the DLC for his defeat is disingenuous. And not true.

He ran out of gas on the home stretch. His supporters got a bit cocky, and they didn't campaign like they were fifteen points behind. I don't know if it was overconfidence, hubris, or naivte, but it was WITHIN THEIR GRASP, and they let it slip away.

IMO. VMMV.

[Nikki Stone1]

42. The national Dems sent Clinton to support Lieberman, a non-Democrat at that point

and gave only lukewarm support to Lamont, the actual Democratic candidate

You can't change that fact. And you can't blame Lamont's supporters or the Connecticut voters for the message sent by the national Dems by supporting Lieberman.

[MADem]

44. Flat out LIE . Shame on you, Clinton not only gave CASH to Lamont, she met with him and gave

him STAFF to help with his campaign.

Why do you shop these lies and try to call them facts? What kind of sick BULLSHIT is that? You have a lot of nerve, frankly--either that or you're stoned on some sick KoolAid:

NEW YORK (AP) - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton had Connecticut Senate candidate Ned Lamont over for coffee Friday, discussing campaign strategy and offering to host a fundraiser, a spokesman for the senator said.
"It was a great meeting. Senator Clinton thinks Ned Lamont did a fabulous job in Connecticut," spokesman Howard Wolfson said, referring to Lamont's upset victory over Sen. Joe Lieberman in the state's Democratic primary.

Lieberman is running as an independent in November, and Republicans have attempted to cast his primary loss as a sign that the Democratic Party has been taken over by its extreme left wing.

At Clinton's Westchester County home, she and Lamont "talked about what Mr. Lamont can expect from the George Bush-Karl Rove attack machine," Wolfson said. "She told him Republicans were invested in defeating him."

Clinton has contributed $5,000 from her political action committee to Lamont's campaign and will do "whatever works for the campaign," Wolfson said. Wolfson, one of Clinton's senior political strategists, also said he will join the Lamont campaign as an adviser.

Clinton had offered tepid support to Lieberman, but moved quickly after the Aug. 8 primary to endorse Lamont, a Greenwich businessman who heavily criticized Lieberman's support of the Iraq war.

....... http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8JNM09G0&show_article=1



You know, if you have problems with Clinton on an ideological level, that is one thing. But when you get out there and put made-up bullshit, no LIES, on this forum and try to self-righteously pass them off as facts, someone needs to yank you up HARD AND SHORT and put you in your place.

Lies have no place in the Democratic Party. We're better than that shit.

[Nikki Stone1]

45. Bill Clinton. Before you accuse people of lying check your facts. (See CBS link in post)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/24/politics/main1832047.shtml?source=RSS&attr=Politics_1832047

[MADem]

46. No, you check YOUR facts. What a bullshit effort!!!!

Clinton was there BEFORE the primary. BEFORE.

He did NOT support Lieberman AFTER Lamont WON and became the Democratic contender on the ballot.

What part of BEFORE The Primary don't you understand? What part of the tradition of supporting incumbency do you fail to grasp????

But hey, shift those goalposts. Because Clinton-hating is more important than the truth. Heckuvajob there.

Lieberman was the incumbent, and you'd think the SITTING Senator from a neighboring state could have spared a minute for him--instead, she kept her distance because she didn't want to be affiliated with the guy who was gonna LOSE the primary. And she knew it.

But go ahead, keep making shit up to suit your incorrect perceptions and curious ideas of how politics functions.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ConsAreLiars]

10. Emmanuel backed more losers than winners. The upstarts he refused to support

did better, although his refusal to support Dems who he opposed in the primaries cost progressives several seats. He did far more harm than good.

(edit because leaving out words sucks)

[KittyWampus]

21. Emanuel backed enough Democratic candidates with enough money to make the GOP vulnerable

and have to scramble with THEIR funds.

But so many DU'ers who think they're so fucking smart can't grasp that simple truth.

[AtomicKitten]

14. I think he is worried about Colbert extracting

... funny faux confessions from them that we find hilarious but I wouldn't put it past the GOP Wrecking Machine using clips of them in oppositional ads.

[etherealtruth]

33. If my recollection is correct ... (IF!)

I seem to recall Pelosi saying the same thing.

I think they are great sports for being on the show and laugh heartily at the segments ....however, if I were in charge of getting people re-elected I would probably give the same advice.

[Roland99]

15. Yarmuth did great! His comment on throwing kittens into a woodchipper was great!

Anyone who doesn't realize it's comedy/satire (and Yarmuth does...he ran the Louisville Eccentric Observer weekly paper) is just an idiot. And, yes, I'm calling DLC-Dandy Emanuel an idiot.

[Nickster]

36. That was pretty damn funny. He looked like he was really debating it too! n/t

[annabanana]

16. "Emanuel engineered the party’s takeover of the House "

Su-u-u-ure he did. That's why he's so smart, and why everyone should listen to him.
MY advice to freshmen? Dance with who brung ya!. Your constituents are your boss, guys.

Colbert has been GREAT for those who "get" him.

[mmonk]

19. Glad not everybody listens to Emanuel.

Colbert is a popular show. I hope they also don't listen to him regarding other issues of national importance in addition. Though he wants to claim credit for the dem takeover, I'm pretty sure it was the result of people having enough of the administration and republican lawmakers.

[KittyWampus]

22. Where does it quote Emanuel as saying "I engineered the takeover"? IT DOESN"T

it's the writers saying that not him.

[mmonk]

25. Ongoing theme with him since the election.

Figured I would be challenged. Whoever credits him with the success of the last campaign doesn't matter. I contend the democratic party won due to growing public disatisfaction of the republicans and their corruption. You can go with the take as him being the architect of the victory and his "centrist" theme as being the reason democrats won. I will continue to disagree. I'm willing to guarantee that the dropping of the opposition to give bush an open ended approach to Iran has his fingerprints on it.

[KharmaTrain]

23. The Problem Isn't Colbert...It's Those Who "Watch"

I thought John Hall helped his campaign with his appearances on Colbert's show and I really enjoy the "Better Know A District" segment, but I'm not working for opposition research that loves to find the "gotchas"...especially if its taken out of context. A case in point, I'm sure many who saw Rudy the Red-Nosed Guilliani when he dressed in drag on SNL...all in good fun, right? Now look at how those pics are being spread around...including here on DU. No one remembers the premise or the joke in that bit, but they sure remember Rudy in drag. And that's what I think Emannuel is playing mother hen here.

The concern is to hang on to the newly won seats next year...and not to give the Repugnicans something they can use against these people...the most vulnerable of the Democrats. It doesn't matter if it's "in good fun" or the person is "playing along", the Repugnicans will take anything they can get to slime Democrats...Emmanuel is thinking not to give them the ammunition.

[NashVegas]

24. For Goodness Sakes, Cohen Did Just Fine

He's well-known in the state, his voting record and causes are well-known, and we have enough of a sense of humor about ourselves and our congressman from Memphis to not be remotely bothered.

[mmonk]

27. Hello Stephen Colbert!

I see opportunity. Hope you take it.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

28. Cobert got my freshman Rep., Jason Altmire, to say "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq

But it was an obvious joke where Jason refused to say the two words together. Colbert got him to say "mission" at one point and "accomplished" at another point during their interview...then the Colbert staff made an obvious splice to put the two words together.

It was funny and I'm glad Jason did the show.

[ComerPerro]

31. Honestly, if a Dem can keep up with Colbert, they can handle any RWer

becasuse Colbert is so brilliant, he plays the RW lunatic better than the RW lunatics.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

32. My Congressman John Hall was on with Stephen before the election (and afterwards)

and they sang a mean duet together!

Stephen also got John to say that Sue Kelly (my thanks goodness former Bushbot Rep) smoked pot!

It was great!

[Dr Fate]

34. The DLC wont stop until we are as culturally boring and vapid as the other conservatives..

Wouldnt want to upset or confuse any of those conservative Mid-western Focus groups with satire and comedy, now would we?

Next thing you know Rahm will tell DEMS not to accept fundraisers from Bruce Springsteen.

[riverdeep]

39. Didn't all the dems who appeared on

Colbert win? I thought that was the case. As far as I can see, the only one that really looked like an idiot was the 20-something Republican challenger who supported the war but said he had better things to do than go to Iraq. If you can hang with Colbert, you will look brilliant.

As far as Emmanuel, he's got some good qualities and bad. One of his good qualities is that he's a fighter-he goes for the jugular-we need people like that to deal with the Roves of the world. Sometimes, though, that quality runs in combination with some other not so great qualities like self-aggrandizement. Oh well.

[ellisonz]

40. Rahm is a joke.