Rahm Emanuel resigns from the Obama administration

  What had been rumored for months is now finally official–Rahm Emanuel is resigning as Barack Obama’s chief of staff. The reason given by Rahm Emanuel is that he covets the open position of mayor of Chicago and intends to run.

  However, the rumors of Rahm Emanuel’s departure started long before it was learned that Mayor Daley had decided to call it quits, so unless Rahm Emanuel knew something that not even Mayor Daley did, or he forced Mayor Daley out, this seems to be a convenient excuse for Rahm Emanuel to jump ship which would allow Barack Obama to save face.

  I just find it hard to believe that there is not more than is being reported here–it certainly seems to me as if there is a major shakeup happening within the Obama regime whether he is willing to admit it or not. I just can’t believe that Rahm Emanuel would rather be the mayor of a city–albeit a large city–than have a high level position in a presidential cabinet.

  When the rumors first surfaced in July it was reported–and I wrote about it here–that Rahm Emanuel was dissatisfied with Barack Obama for his unwillingness to forcefully push through his leftist agenda. It sounds to me as if there is a real struggle for power within the Obama regime and we are beginning to see the fallout.

  But whatever the reason for Rahm Emanuel’s departure it is now time to look forward in an attempt to understand what effect this will have on Barack Obama and his agenda in the future.

  With Rahm Emanuel gone,  Pete Rouse is going to take over as Barack Obama’s chief of staff. In Rahm Emanuel Barack Obama had a no nonsense, relentless far left wing bulldog who would do whatever it took to get Barack Obama’s agenda pushed through.

  I am not going to pretend that I know anything about Pete Rouse other than to guess that he is ideologically close to Barack Obama, but here is what the article I linked to above states about him:

Rouse, 64, shuns the spotlight but has quietly built up an enormous wealth of trust and relationships in Washington. Those close to him say that he provides what Obama needs—a sharp and strategic mind, a sense of continuity, a knack for troubleshooting and an ability to keep people focused on their tasks. Rouse served for years as chief of staff to then-Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle and is known on Capitol Hill, but he won’t be found schmoozing at political dinners.

  He has experience as a chief of staff, doesn’t like the spotlight, and while he is well connected he is not the typical Washington socialite. He seems to have a different mindset than did Rahm Emanuel so it will be interesting to see how this affects Barack Obama’s agenda. Will he be as  effective as Rahm Emanuel at pushing for a hard leftist agenda or does this move signal a willingness by Barack Obama to soften the edges in an attempt to be a little less polarizing? Does this signal a little slide to the center just before a critical election?

  Nobody can answer these questions just yet, it remains to be seen how the Obama regime handles the next two years, but I have to believe that Rahm Emanuel’s departure is a huge loss for the Obama regime.