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Nov
6
Chris Cillizza writes that, “Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel has, as expected, accepted the job as chief of staff to President-elect Barack Obama, according to informed Democratic sources.” I’ve yet to find confirmation on that anywhere else.
Earlier today, Joe Scarborough labeled of Emanuel’s publicized statements about thinking it over as being demonstrative of a lack of discipline in the Obama camp.
See here, but here’s a bit of a self-done transcript:
Scarborough: “If he [Emanual] doesn’t know if he wants it…it shows a less than disciplined transition operation.” Chris Matthews disagrees with Scarborough.
Scarborough again: “He’s sitting there in front of cameras trying to decide if he wants to be chief of staff or not – don’t you think this would have already been decided months ago by he and his family”?
Matthews: “Well – I have no idea I don’t question motive Joe…”
I haven’t seen a transcript of it but I’m told that Scarborough also was “trashing [Emanuel] for ‘agonizing in public’” and called the lack of an immediate acceptance by Emanuel as “‘stumbling’ because it makes them look uncertain.”
You know, the last time in this election cycle when we heard someone say that they gave an immediate acceptance to the offer of a high-level political job was this:
GIBSON: When McCain asked you to take the spot on the ticket, for a moment, did you think no?
PALIN: I did not. I thought yes, right off the bat. When he offered me the position, as his running mate, the first thing I said to him was, if you really think that I can help the ticket, if you really think that I can help this country, absolutely, I want to do this with you.
GIBSON: And you didn’t say to yourself, am I experienced enough? Am I ready?
PALIN: I didn’t hesitate, no.
GIBSON: Doesn’t that take some hubris?
PALIN: I answered him yes because I have the confidence in that readiness. And knowing that you can’t blink. You have to be wired in a way of being so committed to the mission, the mission that we’re on, reform of this country, and victory in the war. You can’t blink. So, I didn’t blink then, when asked to run as his running mate.
How’d that work out, Joe?
Emanuel’s statements about needing to think about the offer and consider his role in his family as he considers the role in an Obama administration is incredibly 21st Century to me. And it’s what I would hope any parent with young children would do: consider the offer.
To critically evaluate such a serious job as it relates to the work-life balance is something that should be emulated from the top down, not trivialized and picked at. The last thing I believe we should be supporting is hiding such decision-making processes or labeling it as “stumbling” or a sign of an “undisciplined operation.”
By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:18 pm November 6th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Government, Parenting, Politics, PostWH2008, WH2008
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One Response to “Rahm Emanuel reportedly accepts Obama Chief of Staff offer”
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I’m thrilled to finally see some transparency in these decisions. Rahm was asked, he considered, he accepted. There was no need to hide it just to spring the decision on us in some artificial media frenzy.