Rahm Emanuel

Current Position: Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama (since November 2008)
Boss: President Barack Obama
Credit: Melina Mara/TWP

 

Why He Matters

This is Emanuel’s return trip to the White House. But in between, the man known as “Rahmbo” has amassed a reputation as a shrewd party operative, millionaire investment banker and Congressional leader.

A skilled campaigner and fundraiser, Emanuel was one of the architects behind the Democrats’ 2006 House takeover. After being elected to represent Illinois’ 5th district in 2002, he quickly became a top player on Capitol Hill, joining the House Ways and Means Committee in his second term and rising to chair the Democratic Caucus in his third. He has been key to sharpening House Democrats’ message and political strategy.

Emanuel is known as a passionate, sometimes abrasive, politician. After the 2006 elections, Emanuel, who had amassed Rahm_Emanuel_walks_with_Barack_Obama_c_WH.jpgpolitical capital because of his work at the helm of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, contemplated running for House majority whip, but decided not to challenge Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.). Instead, he easily claimed the chairmanship of the House Democratic Caucus.

Democrats and Republicans both praised Obama’s choice of Emanuel as White House chief of staff as a shrewd move.  

Path to Power

The son of an Israeli immigrant, Emanuel grew up north of Chicago, and began his career at Illinois Public Action, a consumer rights group. He got an early start in politics when ex-Rep. Tony Coelho (D-Calif.) recruited him to join the DCCC in the 1980s, and he went on to work for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley (D). 

In 1991, after volunteering on an Israeli army supply base during the Persian Gulf War, he joined Bill Clinton’s campaign for president, and worked vigorously as a fundraiser.Loson, Laura M., “White House externs; Two turns of the revolving door,” The New York Times, Feb. 3, 1999 When Clinton won, Emanuel became a top aide in his White House, working on welfare reform, gun control and children’s’ health care, an issue he would embrace in Congress as well.Pierre, Robert E., “From Front Line to Front Stoop; Clinton Ex-Aide Pounds Pavement in Bid for House Seat,” The Washington Post, March 22, 2002 As White House political director, his aggressive tactics rubbed some people the wrong way and he was demoted to manager of special legislative efforts. He once sent a rotting fish to a pollster he didn’t like (Alan Secrest), and he was known for yelling at Democrats he thought were disloyal to the party.Loson, Laura M., “White House externs; Two turns of the revolving door,” The New York Times, Feb. 3, 1999

Despite his tactics, he worked his way back up the Clinton ladder to become a senior adviser again when George Stephanopoulos left the administration in 1996. Emanuel left in 1999 and worked as an investment banker for a couple years, making millions. Roll Call estimates his wealth at $5.02 million, making him the 50th richest member of Congress."Roll Call’s 50 Richest," Roll Call, Sept. 22, 2008 Among other skills, he is a classically trained ballet dancer.

Emanuel got back into politics in 2002, easily winning the Illinois 5th district seat vacated by future Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.). His opponent in the primary, state Rep. Nancy Kaszak (D), tried to paint Emanuel as a carpetbagger, but her campaign stumbled in the final weeks. Emanuel’s political clout gave him a huge advantage as well. Already a prolific fundraiser for other candidates with a large rolodex of wealthy Democrats, Emanuel threw a fundraiser at Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) house and drew praise from Democratic National Committee Chair Terry McAuliffe. He was one of the nation’s most prolific congressional fundraisers in his inaugural campaign, raising $1.98 million in the first quarter of 2002. "I wish I had 200 of him running for Congress," McAuliffe said. "He will get in, he will mix it up, he will stand tall for the Democratic Party."Zeleny, Jeff, “Emanuel get boost from ex-boss; Candidate raises funds at Clintons’” Chicago Tribune, June 19, 2002

Even before he was elected to the House, Emanuel made it known that he wanted a seat on the influential Ways and Means Committee, a statement that rubbed some the wrong way.Huse, Carl, “Clinton aide heads to House, with waves preceding him,” The New York Times, Aug. 23, 2002 He didn’t get the coveted spot in his first term, but he did manage to nab one in his second.

Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel.jpgIn January 2005, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) appointed Emanuel to chair the DCCC, the committee where he got his political start as a staffer. Emanuel thrived in the role, actively recruiting moderate Democrats to challenge Republicans who were struggling politically because of the unpopularity of President George W. Bush and the Iraq war. He also fought with party Chairman Howard Dean about Dean’s “50-state strategy” that required investing funds even in states where the GOP traditionally ran strong.Bendavid, Naftali, “The House that Rahm built,” Chicago Tribune, Nov. 12, 2006

Unlike Dean, Emanuel wanted more money dedicated to House candidates and less to the party’s state infrastructure. When he didn’t get as much as he hoped, he encouraged candidates to raise massive sums of money and run ruthless campaigns.Easton, Nina, “Rahm Emanuel, pitbull politician,” Fortune, Sept. 25, 2006 His strategy worked, and House  Democrats picked up 30 seats in the 2006 midterm elections. "You've got to have a thirst for winning," Emanuel said. "You know what our party thinks? `We're good people with good ideas. That's just enough, isn't it?' Being tough enough, mean enough and vicious enough is just not what they want. ... They just want to be patted on the back for the noble effort. No."Bendavid, Naftali, “The House that Rahm built,” Chicago Tribune, Nov. 12, 2006

The overwhelming election victory had Emanuel’s stock soaring in November 2006, and he briefly thought about running for House majority whip. But he decided Clyburn’s support was too strong, especially in the Congressional Black Caucus. Instead, Emanuel was unanimously elected chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, where he presided over the election of a stream of socially moderate Democrats that has broadened, and challenged, his party.Bresnahan, John, “What does Rahm want?,” Politico, July 16, 2008 Biographical and career data taken from Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition

Emanuel formally resigned from his House seat on Jan. 2, 2009, and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich set the date for a special election ti replace him.Talev, Margaret and Thomma, Steven, "Rahm Emanuel to be White House chief of staff," Knight Ridder Washington Bureau, Nov. 6, 2008
Vacant House seats in Illinois are filled through a special election, while the governor appoints someone to any empty Senate slot.

In the immediate aftermath of the 2008 elections, Emanuel's name surfaced during the investigation of Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) for attempting to sell the Senate seat vacated by then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Emanuel was allegedly instructed by Obama to approach the governor's aides to talk about candidates Obama supported for the seat. But Emanuel was not accused of discussing a quid pro quo for the seat.Weisman, Jonathan, Bendavid, Naftali and Simpson, Cam, "Emanuel, Blagojevich aides discussed Senate seat," The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 15, 2008 According to the indictment against Blagojevich that came down in April 2009, Emanuel, referred to as 'Congressman A,' was allegedly the target of extortion by Gov. Blagojevich in 2006. The indictment said Blagojevich tried to withhold money requested by Emanuel for a school unless Emanuel's brother held a fundraiser for the governor. The fundraiser never happened, and the indictment doesn't say whether Emanuel ever actually learned about the request.McCormich, John, "'Congressman A': Rahm Emanuel," Chicago Tribune, April 3, 2009

The Issues

Emanuel, who votes with the Democratic Party 98.4 percent of the time in the 110th Congress, is both a strong party loyalist and a centrist Democrat.Washington Post Votes Database He is a member of the moderate, pro-growth New Democrat Coalition, and in his 2006 book, ‘The Plan,’ he outlined his ideas for revising the tax code, including making it easier to understand and lowering rates for the middle class. He told The Washington Post that Americans prefer governing from the center, “and not polarization.”Haygood, Wil, “Democratic ‘Golden Boy’ rahm Emanuel, Basking in the glow of victory,” The Washington Post, Nov. 9, 2006  As the chairman of the DCCC, Emanuel recruited a large number of centrist Democrats to run for traditionally GOP districts. And even though he is pro-abortion rights and pro-gun control, he often recruited candidates who were not, saying he wanted candidates who would win.Bendavid, Naftali, “The House that Rahm built,” Chicago Tribune, Nov. 12, 2006

Rahm_Emanuel_in_Oval_Office_c_WH.jpgHe has also been a strong Democratic Party loyalist, supporting Pelosi in her “100 hours” agenda at the start of the 110th Congress. The new Democratic majority passed ethics reform, implemented the remaining 9/11 Commission recommendations, increased the minimum wage, expanded stem cell research and more. He initially supported the Iraq war, but he has been a consistent critic of the administration’s handling of it.Zahn, Paula, Interview with Rahm Emanuel and Mark Foley, CNN  

But in the White House, he may work more as a pragmatist by reaching out to moderates who have helped Hill Democrats win and increase their ranks. Because of his success as chair of the DCCC, Emanuel has a lot of young friends in Congress.

Economy

A former investment banker who spent time on the board at Freddie Mac, Emanuel was a key figure in negotiating the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street in October 2008. He warned of more turmoil when Bear Sterns went under in March 2008, and worked tirelessly with then-White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten to negotiate the bailout. He held six Caucus meetings in just a few days to help explain the deal to House Democrats, and helped rally support for the deal among both parties.Tankersley, Jim, “Dogged bailout backer; Rahm Emanuel takes lead role for Democrats,” Chicago Tribune, Oct. 3, 2008   “It was hard for a lot of members to get their arms around the depth and the dimension of this crisis," Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.) said. "He was able to put that in perspective for people."

Health Care

As a senior aide in the Clinton White House, Emanuel worked on expanding health insurance to those who didn’t have it, especially children. In the House, he has continued that fight. He sponsored a bill to extend the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, though Democrats couldn’t gain enough support to override a veto from President Bush.Babington, Charles, “House votes to expand insurance for kids,” Associated Press via USA Today, Sept. 26, 2007 As a freshman congressman, he teamed with Rep. Cal Dooley (D-Calif.) to introduce a drug benefit plan under Medicare, breaking with his party’s leadership early in his Congressional tenure.Pear, Robert, “Medicare drug benefit plan is proposed by 2 Democrats,” The New York Times, April 2, 2003 The bill was designed to extend Medicare drug benefits to elderly and low-income people.

The Network

The 2008 Democratic primary tore Emanuel between Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y), whose husband he served as a senior aide, and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) — and Obama’s chief strategist David Axelrod, one of Emanuel’s closest friends.

Rahm,_Messina,_Schiliro,_Gibbs,_Rouse.jpgEmanuel did not endorse in the contest until after Obama had claimed a majority of pledged delegates. After years in both the Clinton White House and Chicago politics, Emanuel is also close to the family of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Other friends include Clinton White House alumnus and Obama co-transition chair John Podesta. On the Hill, he’s close to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.); he lived in the basement of the home DeLauro shares with her husband Stan Greenberg, a prominent pollster who worked in the Clinton White House.

Emanuel also has some Republican friends, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close ally of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), with whom the Democrat negotiated the terms of the 2008 presidential debates. Graham praised Emanuel’s selection as White House chief of staff.

Meanwhile, one of Emanuel’s brothers, Ezekiel, is the chairman of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health, and another brother, Ari, is the model for the Hollywood agent Ari Gold on HBO’s Entourage.The National Institutes of Health and the Los Angeles Times