ABC's Tapper quoted Boehner's criticism of Emanuel, ignored Graham's praise
SUMMARY: On World News, Jake Tapper quoted House Minority Leader John Boehner's statement that Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who has agreed to be President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff, "is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center." However, Tapper did not note that Sen. Lindsey Graham praised Emanuel as "a wise choice," saying Emanuel "understands the need to work together."
During the November 6 broadcast of ABC's World News, senior White House correspondent Jake Tapper reported that the appointment of Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) as President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff "prompted criticism from some Republicans." Tapper then quoted House Minority Leader John Boehner's (R-OH) statement that Emanuel "is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center." However, Tapper did not note that former McCain campaign co-chair Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) praised Emanuel as "a wise choice," saying Emanuel "understands the need to work together."
In a November 6 statement, Graham said of Emanuel's appointment:
"This is a wise choice by President-elect Obama.
"Rahm knows Capitol Hill and has great political skills. He can be a tough partisan but also understands the need to work together. He is well-suited for the position of White House Chief of Staff.
"I worked closely with him during the presidential debate negotiations which were completed in record time. When we hit a rough spot, he always looked for a path forward. I consider Rahm to be a friend and colleague. He's tough but fair. Honest, direct, and candid. These qualities will serve President-elect Obama well.
"Rahm understands the challenges facing our nation and will, consistent with the agenda set by President-elect Obama, work to find common ground where it exists. I look forward to working with him in his new position and will continue to do everything I can to help find a pathway forward on the difficult problems facing our nation."
In contrast to Tapper, during the November 6 broadcast of the CBS Evening News, chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod reported both Boehner's and Graham's reactions.
From the November 6 broadcast of ABC's World News with Charles Gibson:
CHARLES GIBSON (anchor): Jake Tapper is again in Chicago tonight. Jake, good evening.
TAPPER: Good evening, Charlie. Well, President-elect Obama and Michelle Obama will head to the White House on Monday to visit with President and first lady Bush. But until then, President-elect Obama is focused on building his White House. And today, he made his first official hire: White House chief of staff.
[begin video clip]
TAPPER: This morning, Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel told President-elect Obama he would leave his successful career in the House to be in Obama's White House.
EMANUEL: My parents are alive to see their middle son have a choice in his career between being a congressman and being the chief of staff to a historic presidency at a historic time.
TAPPER: But the appointment of the sharp-tongued veteran of the Clinton White House has already prompted criticism from some Republicans. House Republican Leader John Boehner today charged Emanuel, quote, "is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center."
Also likely coming on board: senior campaign adviser Robert Gibbs as White House press secretary and political guru David Axelrod as a senior adviser.
From the November 6 broadcast of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric:
AXELROD: Having once sent a dead fish to a political consultant he was angry with, Emanuel is comfortable as an enforcer. He'll also be counted on to reach out to Republicans.
While his appointment drew quick criticism from the top Republican in the House, John Boehner -- "This is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington" -- the reaction of Republican senator and top McCain supporter Lindsey Graham -- "a wise choice. ... Emanuel understands the need to work together" -- is a hopeful sign for Obama.
And Emanuel sent his own message to Republicans today, saying, "We often disagree, but I respect their motives. Now is a time for unity. I will do everything in my power to help you stitch together the frayed fabric of our politics."
I still don't get why he chose Emanuel. I thought with all the "change" talk, he'd bring in people who weren't tired re-treads of previous administrations. I thought who-dats would have been more of an indicator of "change" than this.
Now, to be fair, McCain wouldn't have been much different. Heck, some people may have wound up keeping their cabinet jobs for another 4 years!
And BTW, hasn't the "center" moved a bit left? The right is divided and dying, and nearly at the point of insignificant.
Obama is in charge. He sets the agenda, not the cabinet. Obama knew he needed people who knew what they are doing, not cronies like Bush.
We all know that, if he picked a bunch of unknowns, the critics would hyperventilate over their "lack of experience?"
Graham said it. Emanuel knows how to get things done in Washington.
i heard the exact same thing on nbc. who needs the opinion of someone as partisan as boehner.
Remember, Boehner was the guy who bribed fellow members of congress for their votes.
A vacuum of experience from previous Democratic administrations was one of the things that slowed Bill Clinton way down (of course he didn't have much to choose from at the time). Rahm Emanuel is tough and focused, and who stood up better for his boss during the darkest days? Send your diplomats to the embassies and your visionaries to the think tanks. You want to get things done, this is who you want for chief of staff.
My understanding is that Emanuel has a lot of clout with the Democrats in the House. If that's true, he can be very helpful in forwarding Obama's agenda.
We'll see.
"You will choke on those words, Lieberman."
SAVE DEMOCRACY, VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT!
Thank you America! Now hold the Democrat's feet to the fire!
It's so simple, the wise choices usually are!
Happy Thoughts Indeed;
Dan Grady
I think anyone that has had little experience with the WA governmental process needs a few "good old boys" on his team, but that needs to be balanced by bringing new blood/ideas to the table also, otherwise "change" becomes a campaign slogan only, not a driving factor in governing.
This change seems like a new idea to me.
I love the way the wingnuts misinterpret things, then accuse others of hypocrisy for not conforming to their confused expectations. Were they expecting Obama to fill his cabinet with the docile "democratic strategists" (wink wink() from Fox news?
Somebody confrontational like Emanuel is not at odds with the idea of civil government, nor governing from the center. In fact, with the Republicans-Gone-Wild atmosphere that's been in play for most of the past few years, the drunken high school kegger is going to need a few no-BS faces in there to make the message clear-- the grown-ups are home, the wingnut party's over.
Docile Democrats are just what Republicans have expected, ever since the Mondale campaign in 1984. When they ran into a pit bull in 1992 they threw an eight year tantrum. Now that Obama has outgunned them, oursmarted them and out-toughed them, we can expect a full-blown padded-cell seizure. Here's a nice example: Obama had the temerity to legally challenge a couple of egregiously lying campaign ads, and it prompted wingnut Boston Globe columnist to suggest that Obama is an incipient dictator. Read all about it. http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/10/29/the_dictator_label/
I don't think their tantrum ended after 8 years.
This is the same exact bullchit that followed the 2006 national elections.
Then, with Republicans finding themselves suddenly (and historically) shut out of the leadership of Congress, and in the minority, everything became all about "bipartisanship".
That's what Republicans cry about, when they find themselves in the minority, in a system where THE MAJORITY RULES:
"You must include us, the second place horse in a two horse race!"
"We're the minority of course, but we have all the influence and all the say and all the political power of the majority too... don't we?"
"It's all (suddenly) about bipartisanship, and reaching across the aisle, and being 'centrists' (which is political code for COMPROMISERS)"
"We the Republican minority, we rule too, don't we? It is MINORITY RULES, isn't it?"
No, it isn't.
It's just the crying and whining of losers, looking for whatever handouts they can get, like bums, who instead of asking for spare change, are asking for POLITICAL POWER, COMPROMISE ("CENTRISM"), and BIPARTISANSHIP...
We heard it all before, in 2006.
It was weak and pathetic then, to see such crying and whining political losing bums with their hands out, asking for bipartisanship.
If John Boehner were a man, then he'd take losing like a man.
But he's a Republican, and that's apparently what they do when they are defeated and in the minority: they cry like babies, and panhandle (for political power) like the political bums they are.
The Democrats had control of government 1993-1994, and yet in the election of 1994 lost that for whatever reason. The country may be center-left at the moment, however in looking at some of the issues on state ballots, it doesn't appear that the electoriate as a whole has moved too far left. The Democrats won the majority, it is now up to them to prove themselves different than the Republicans when they had the majorities or change could come quicker than they want. We vote generally vote "our personal standing" and probably will continue to do so. Personal standing meaning how we feel thinngs are going for us personally, economically, socially, politically, etc. As an example, I voted for Carter in 1976 because things were not going well for me or those around me under the Ford/Nixon administrationns, and yet in 1980, I voted for Reagan because things had deteriorated even further. Personal standing drives my idealogy and I feel it does the same for most in the country.
The Democrats have their chance in the next couple of years to prove they are what the majority in the country wants in a government. Govern wisely.
Boner and Simple Sarah..... the future face of the Republican Party?
Add in Hannity and you'll have the Republican Triumvirate.