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Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel (born November 29, 1959) is an American politician who has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 2003, representing Illinois's 5th congressional district, which covers much of the north side of Chicago and parts of suburban Cook County.
Emanuel was chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for the 2006 elections.
After the Democratic Party regained control of the House, he was elected as the next chairman of the Democratic Caucus. He is the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House, behind Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Leader Steny Hoyer and Whip Jim Clyburn.
On November 6, 2008, Emanuel accepted an offer from President-elect Barack Obama to become the White House Chief of Staff in Obama's administration, which begins on January 20, 2009.
Emanuel is noted for his strong style and his political fundraising abilities. He is co-author with current Democratic Leadership Council President Bruce Reed of the 2006 book The Plan: Big Ideas for America. He is a member of the New Democrat Coalition.
During his original 2002 campaign, Emanuel "indicated his support of President Bush's position on Iraq, but said he believed the president needed to better articulate his position to the American people".Inspired by his pediatrician father, one of the major goals he spoke of during the race was "to help make health care affordable and available for all Americans".
Emanuel has maintained a 100 percent pro-choice voting record and is generally liberal on social issues. He has aligned himself with the center-right of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Leadership Council.
Emanuel, whose father was in Irgun, is a strong supporter of AIPAC, and personally introduced fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama to the organization's directors during the 2008 presidential campaign.A November 2008 article claimed that while expressing empathy for Palestinians, Emanuel has explicitly condemned their leaders.
In June 2007, Emanuel condemned an outbreak of Palestinian violence in the Gaza Strip and criticized Arab countries for not applying the same kind of pressure on the Palestinians as they have on Israel. "Fatah and Hamas are tearing the Palestinian area of the Gaza strip apart in what they call a political rivalry, and the Palestinian people are paying a price for Palestinian violence," he said at the time. "Governments from around the world and the Arab world have said nothing.
... I just want you to think for a second, if this were the result of Israeli-Palestinian hostilities, would the international silence and the silence of the Arab world be this deafening?" At a 2003 pro-Israel rally in Chicago, Emanuel told the marchers Israel was ready for peace but would not get there until Palestinians "turn away from the path of terror", according to the Chicago Tribune.[
Emanuel was chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for the 2006 elections.
After the Democratic Party regained control of the House, he was elected as the next chairman of the Democratic Caucus. He is the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House, behind Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Leader Steny Hoyer and Whip Jim Clyburn.
On November 6, 2008, Emanuel accepted an offer from President-elect Barack Obama to become the White House Chief of Staff in Obama's administration, which begins on January 20, 2009.
Emanuel is noted for his strong style and his political fundraising abilities. He is co-author with current Democratic Leadership Council President Bruce Reed of the 2006 book The Plan: Big Ideas for America. He is a member of the New Democrat Coalition.
During his original 2002 campaign, Emanuel "indicated his support of President Bush's position on Iraq, but said he believed the president needed to better articulate his position to the American people".Inspired by his pediatrician father, one of the major goals he spoke of during the race was "to help make health care affordable and available for all Americans".
Emanuel has maintained a 100 percent pro-choice voting record and is generally liberal on social issues. He has aligned himself with the center-right of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Leadership Council.
Emanuel, whose father was in Irgun, is a strong supporter of AIPAC, and personally introduced fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama to the organization's directors during the 2008 presidential campaign.A November 2008 article claimed that while expressing empathy for Palestinians, Emanuel has explicitly condemned their leaders.
In June 2007, Emanuel condemned an outbreak of Palestinian violence in the Gaza Strip and criticized Arab countries for not applying the same kind of pressure on the Palestinians as they have on Israel. "Fatah and Hamas are tearing the Palestinian area of the Gaza strip apart in what they call a political rivalry, and the Palestinian people are paying a price for Palestinian violence," he said at the time. "Governments from around the world and the Arab world have said nothing.
... I just want you to think for a second, if this were the result of Israeli-Palestinian hostilities, would the international silence and the silence of the Arab world be this deafening?" At a 2003 pro-Israel rally in Chicago, Emanuel told the marchers Israel was ready for peace but would not get there until Palestinians "turn away from the path of terror", according to the Chicago Tribune.[
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