Rahm’s trying to buy Republican votes with flu vaccines? Really? So says Shailagh Murray:
To relieve pressure on antiwar Democrats, the Obama administration hopes to win at least a few House Republican converts on an emergency war spending bill this week, by emphasizing the flu prevention funds that the package includes.
Okay. Number one, if you made a phone call to an antiwar Democrat, pat yourself on the back. Big time. You whipped the Democratic votes that Rahm couldn’t, and drove him to the Republicans. We started with 6 last Monday and are now at 36 of the 39 we need, and a whole bunch of uncommitteds who do not want the phone calls they will inevitably get if they vote for this bill.
Number two, since when did Republicans give a shit about flu preparedness?
The $105.9 billion war supplemental includes funding for Iraq and Afghanistan, along with new money for the International Monetary Fund that Obama had pledged to world leaders. Republicans strongly oppose the IMF language, but the White House hopes the lure of flu money will relax at least some doubts.
Translation: Rahm did make the deal with Thaddeus McCotter to go easy on him in 2010 (even though he’s one of the DCCC’s top targets and best opportunities to take a Republican seat). The White House was going to pass flu preparedness anyway, so they were only going to "give up" what they already intended to as some kind of weird cover.
But it looks like they floated the story too soon — word has it Cantor flipped his shit, the deal fell apart and Rahm is back to square one.
h/t Bob Fertik
Update: Well, that would’ve been a difficult 180 for McCotter to pull off. He was blogging against the supplemental with the IMF bailout last week.
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Who here will vote for more and better Dems? Or fund them?
I know, Rahm thinks I don’t count. He is so powerful.
You want to count? Do not support him. Do not fund him.
Anything that makes Rahm unhappy makes me happy. Am I wrong for feeling this way?
What ever happened to competition of ideas? This sounds like a duopoly sharing spoils of corruption.
I’ve watched McCotter in a bunch of hearings this year. What an arrogant, condescending ass.
I doubt anyone here gives money to the Democrat Party anymore. I can’t remember the last time I did. Whenever they call me I give them a big lecture about what a pathetic bunch of spineless jellyfish they are.
Right on.
Why do I get the feeling that it wasn’t all that far a drive? He’s not still upset over that whole “Al Wynn” thing, is he?
No.
Rahm is an excellent contra-indicator. If Rahm’s for it (more war, more bailouts, more secrecy, fewer primaries) I’m against it.
Hope so, cuz he’s gonna get another dose next year.
I am not surprised that Rahm Emanuel is still trying to win. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t. That’s what he does, right? If this were an issue I supported, I’d be happy he was working both sides of the aisle.
The problem Republican’s face if they flip on the IMF bailout is that while Rahm Emanuel can get some Democrats to go easy on them, the same can’t be said of most Republicans. How will they respond when other Republicans mischaracterize Rahm Emanuel’s bipartisan efforts?
Maybe Republican challengers will falsely say something outrageous like ”Rahm Emmanuel said ’nice campaign you got there, it would be a shame if something happened to it’, the next thing you know your Republican representative was kissing Obama’s ring and handing your tax dollars to European bankers”.