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'''Rahm Emanuel''' (b. 1959) is a powerful Democrat who is Chief of Staff to President [[Obama]]. He represented [[Illinois]]' 5th Congressional District in the House of Representatives 2003-2008.  As chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, he took credit for a sharp increase in Democratic membership in the House in 2006, as the Democrats took control.  He is a staunch supporter of [[Israel]]. [[File:Rahm-emanuel.jpg|thumb|200px|Rahm Emanuel (left) with president Obama, 2009]]

'''Rahm Emanuel''' (b. 1959) is a powerful Democrat who is Chief of Staff to President [[Obama]]. He represented [[Illinois]]' 5th Congressional District in the House of Representatives 2003-2008.  As chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, he took credit gaining a majority for the first time since 1994. He became a top leader as Chairman of the Democratic Caucus in the House.  A member of a prominent Jewish family, Emanuel is a staunch supporter of [[Israel]]. [[File:Rahm-emanuel.jpg|thumb|200px|Rahm Emanuel (left) with president Obama, 2009]] Shortly after Obama's election in 2008, Emanuel became Chief of Staff and took charge of planning and operations for the incoming administration.

Illustrating Emanuel's penchant for exploiting crises for political gain, he remarked, "A crisis is a terrible thing to waste." <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yeA_kHHLow Rahm Emanuel]YouTube- you never want a serious crisis video</ref><ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122721278056345271.html?mod=googlenews_wsj]</ref>

Illustrating Emanuel's penchant for exploiting crises for political gain, he remarked, "A crisis is a terrible thing to waste." <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yeA_kHHLow Rahm Emanuel]YouTube- you never want a serious crisis video</ref><ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122721278056345271.html?mod=googlenews_wsj]</ref>

Prior to his election to Congress, he had worked in the [[Bill Clinton]] White House from 1993-1998, first serving as Assistant to the President for Political Affairs, and then Senior Adviser to the President for Policy and Strategy.  He also worked as a banker in Chicago, and is known for his highly aggressive style.  

 

 

But if events turn sour--and as of mid summer Obama’s poll's are falling, the health care legislation is under popular attack, the budget deficit is gigantic, and Afghanistan remains unstable-- it is Emanuel whose job will be on the line as failures in moving left will force Obama to move to the right.<ref>Peter Baker and Jeff Zeleny, [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/us/politics/16emanuel.html?_r=1&hp ''Emanuel Wields Power Freely, and Faces the Risks," ''New York Times'' Aug. 15, 2009]</ref>

 

 

 

Emanuel is the son of a prominent physician, Dr. Benjamin M. Emanuel; the father was born in Jerusalem.  Emanuel and his wife Ann have three children:, Zacharias, Ilana, and Leah.  Emanuel has a bachelor's degree from [[Sarah Lawrence College]] (1981), and a master's degree in speech and communication from [[Northwestern University]] (1985). 

 

He worked in the [[Bill Clinton]] White House from 1993-1998, first serving as Assistant to the President for Political Affairs, and then Senior Adviser to the President for Policy and Strategy.  He was demoted at the behest of Hillary Clinton, who disliked his abrasive style. Leaving the White House staff, he became wealthy as an investment banker in Chicago, 1999-2002.  

Emanuel was appointed to the board of scandal-plagued quasi-governmental mortgage giant Freddie Mac by President Clinton. <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122610420534009957.html</ref><ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6201900&page=1 Emanuel Was Director Of Freddie Mac During Scandal], ABC News,

Emanuel was appointed to the board of scandal-plagued quasi-governmental mortgage giant Freddie Mac by President Clinton. <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122610420534009957.html</ref><ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6201900&page=1 Emanuel Was Director Of Freddie Mac During Scandal], ABC News,

November 7, 2008.</ref>  While Emanuel was on the board, Freddie Mac misreported its net income in 2000 by 30.5 percent, in 2001 by 23.9 percent and 2002 by 42.9 percent according to the SEC.  Freddie Mac's failure is regarded as one of the precipitating events of the [[Financial_Crisis_of_2008#2008_crises| Financial Crisis of 2008]].  

November 7, 2008.</ref>  While Emanuel was on the board, Freddie Mac misreported its net income in 2000 by 30.5 percent, in 2001 by 23.9 percent and 2002 by 42.9 percent according to the SEC.  Freddie Mac's failure is regarded as one of the precipitating events of the [[Financial_Crisis_of_2008#2008_crises| Financial Crisis of 2008]].  

In the White House Emanuel's aggressive demands for a stimulus package won passage of the liberals' [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|$789 billion bill]] in February, but alienated Republicans (only three of whom voted for it). His seizure of control of the Census Bureau from the Commerce department led Senator [[Judd Gregg]], a leading Republican, to reverse himself and reject the job of Secretary of Commerce. Emanuel released control of the census to head off complaiints of political interference.

Emanuel served in Congress 2002-2008 from the North Side of Chicago. Among Democrats in the House, he was squarely in the middle in his votes on social, economic and foreign policy issues. His aggressive in-your-face style alienated his opponents, but Emanuel took charge of the 2006 election for House Democrats, and secured major gains, giving the Democrats a majority for the first time since 1994, and propelling Emanuel to a top leadership role.

 

He is the son of a prominent physician, Dr. Benjamin M. Emanuel, who was born in Jerusalem.  Emanuel and his wife Ann have three children:, Zacharias, Ilana, and Leah.  Emanual has a bachelor's degree from [[Sarah Lawrence College]] (1981), and a master's degree in speech and communication from [[Northwestern University]] (1985).

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