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Dem Convention Notebook 3

By Steve Rhodes

“Is Mayor Rahm Emanuel a presidential wannabe or the second coming of legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne? Maybe both,” reports an awestruck Fran Spielman of the Sun-Times.
Really. She wrote that.


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“On Wednesday, the mayor’s political schedule was so hectic during the abbreviated 36 hours he chose to spend in Charlotte, he didn’t have or make time to eat. He scarfed down some fresh fruit while standing as reporters who may or may not someday be asked to cover an Emanuel presidential campaign were warned not to photograph him.”
Did they obey? Spielman doesn’t say.
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“Emanuel, who did interviews Wednesday with practically every national media outlet known to man, said there’s a reason he’s a rock star on the national stage.
“‘From working for two great presidents and doing my congressional work, I know a number of activists and party loyalists who know me, know my background and what I’ve done for Democrats in Congress, and they are appreciative,’ Emanuel said.”
Why are you a rock star, Rahm? Tell me!
Spielman couldn’t think of anything else to ask him.
Then again, Rahm and Fran work for the same paper.
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Here’s the New York Times asking Rahm the tough questions:

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SuperPac Man
“So much for keeping up the pretense that super PACs are independent from campaigns,” Andrew Rosenthal writes for the New York Times.
“Rahm Emanuel announced today that he was stepping down as co-chair of the Obama campaign in order to help raise money for Priorities USA Action, a super PAC that supports President Obama, but of course never, ever coordinates with the campaign, because that would be illegal.
“Priorities USA was started by two other former Obama aides, Bill Burton, who was White House spokesman, and Sean Sweeney, who was a political aide for the administration. The White House has allowed administration officials to attend Priorities USA events and donate money to the group, which has spent heavily in support of the president.
“Mr. Obama, you may recall, opposed the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United, which – along with subsequent federal court decisions – all but eliminated constraints on spending by corporations and unions in campaigns. You may also recall that Mr. Obama was the first presidential candidate not to accept public funds, so that he could raise unlimited amounts of money on his own.”
Chicago-Style Politics

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Clinton Fact-Checking

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Beachwood Tweets

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Presidential Preview

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See also:
* Dem Convention Notebook 1: Bullshit and Bedbugs.
* Dem Convention Notebook 2: Stagecraft vs. Chicago.
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Comments welcome.

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Posted on September 6, 2012