Sources: Emanuel leaving White House on Friday

[TheSarge]

CHICAGO – Two people close to Rahm Emanuel said Thursday he will resign as White House chief of staff on Friday, and will begin his campaign for Chicago mayor by meeting with voters in the city on Monday.

The two people familiar with his plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not want to pre-empt Emanuel's announcement, said he will return to Chicago over the weekend and begin touring neighborhoods on Monday.

"He intends to run for mayor," one of the people told The Associated Press.

Both people said they did not know when Emanuel would make an official announcement about his mayoral bid but that he would launch a website with a message to Chicago voters in the near future.

Emanuel's plans have been the source of widespread speculation both in Chicago and Washington, D.C. ever since Mayor Richard Daley announced this month he would not seek re-election. In an April television interview, Emanuel had called it "no secret" he'd like to run for mayor.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100930/ap_on_re_us/us_chicago_mayor_2

[Tess Anderson]

Tomorrow? Where's the fire? Good riddance. but I thought he was going to step down at the end of the year, which makes me wonder why he's leaving so much earlier? More bad economic news to be released late tomorrow afternoon?

[thundley4]

Tomorrow? Where's the fire? Good riddance. but I thought he was going to step down at the end of the year, which makes me wonder why he's leaving so much earlier? More bad economic news to be released late tomorrow afternoon?

He has to get his campaign for mayor of Shitcago going.

[cavegal]

So is he a "quitter" like they called Sara Palin?

[debk]

Tomorrow? Where's the fire? Good riddance. but I thought he was going to step down at the end of the year, which makes me wonder why he's leaving so much earlier? More bad economic news to be released late tomorrow afternoon?

He wants to be separate from the White House association before the midterm elections.

If the elections go to the Right....the White House will be a 2 year failure, and he doesn't want people to tie him to the failure.

Good luck with that, Rahm...

[NHSparky]

Tomorrow? Where's the fire? Good riddance. but I thought he was going to step down at the end of the year, which makes me wonder why he's leaving so much earlier? More bad economic news to be released late tomorrow afternoon?

Ah, but doesn't it give him a convenient reason to leave? 

Mark my words, he's getting out while he's still drawing breath, which is more than I can say for a lot of Obumbler's staff post-midterms.

Man, it's gonna get CROWDED under that bus.

[BlueStateSaint]

Drudge is posting a link to some election official who says that Rahm doesn't satisfy the residency requirements.  Some corrupt Chicago judge will allow it, however.

[thundley4]

Drudge is posting a link to some election official who says that Rahm doesn't satisfy the residency requirements.  Some corrupt Chicago judge will allow it, however.

CHICAGO (WLS) - Attorney Burt Odelson, a noted elction-law expert, is predicting Rahm Emanuel will be ineligible for mayor because he is not a legal resident of Chicago.
Odelson told Roe and Roeper on WLS Radio that when Emanuel leased out his Chicago home he could no longer claim he is a resident.
“He rented his house out in Sept 09 and has not been back since and has no residency in Chicago,” Odelson said.
Odelson says he has been involved in several residency cases in Illinois that “the law is clear.”

WLS

If not a corrupt judge, then the residency requirement will be changed.

[debk]

Ah, but doesn't it give him a convenient reason to leave? 

Mark my words, he's getting out while he's still drawing breath, which is more than I can say for a lot of Obumbler's staff post-midterms.

Man, it's gonna get CROWDED under that bus.

One of the women contributors on Fox last night made the comment....

"and the wheels on the Obama bus...go thump, thump, thump...."

 

[Airwolf]

Sweet, when can we send the rest packing?

[true_blood]

The imposter already has his "boy" Deval Patrick in MA, now he'll have his other "boy", Rahm in Shitcago.

[Ralph Wiggum]

President Obama transferred the reins of his White House Friday from notoriously explosive Rahm Emanuel to Pete Rouse, a longtime Obama adviser who will bring a much lower-key approach as the new chief of staff.

Cracking jokes about Emanuel's legendary salty language and waxing emotional, Obama declared it a "bittersweet day" as he sent his former chief whip-cracker off to run for mayor of Chicago -- a departure that had been telegraphed for weeks.

"Good morning, everybody, and welcome to the least suspenseful announcement of all time," Obama quipped, with a smiling, winking Emanuel on one side, and a dour, bespectacled Rouse on the other.

"For nearly two years I have begun my workday with Rahm. I have ended my workday with Rahm," Obama said, hailing Emanuel for his "unmatched level of energy and enthusiasm and commitment to every single thing that he does."

"I will miss him dearly," Obama said, then noted the stark differences between the high-profile Emanuel and Rouse, a 62-year-old consumate insider.

LINK

[Ralph Wiggum]

What is Rahm Emanuel's biggest legacy as Obama's chief of staff?

He added much needed edge to the administration's battle with Republicans 9% 
He kept wayward Democrats in line 3% 
He helped get the public option killed in the health care bill 45% 
He was a nasty jerk 43%

From my above link. 

[Chris_]

I was curious about Dead Fish's replacement.  Here's the Wiki entry:

Overall, Rouse has worked on Capitol Hill for more than 30 years, since 1971. According to Amy Sullivan (Washington Monthly), Rouse came to be known as "the 101st Senator" thanks to his knowledge and skills.

He received a B.A. from Colby College in 1968, an M.A. from the London School of Economics in 1970, and an M.P.A. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1977.

Rouse helped prepare a memo, "The Strategic Plan," for Obama's first year in the Senate. Helping Obama navigate Senate politics, Rouse worked with Obama and Senator Russell Feingold on strengthening ethics reform legislation. Similarly, he suggested that Obama speak with Senators Ted Kennedy and Joe Lieberman in the early stages of exploring his presidential candidacy. Rouse also is credited with persuading Obama to vote against the nomination of John G. Roberts, who was nevertheless confirmed and is now Chief Justice of the United States.

Rouse had worked since 1985 for Tom Daschle, whom he met as a fellow legislative assistant for Senator James Abourezk (D-SD).

Rouse is one of three White House officials with the title Senior Adviser to the President, along with David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett. In an interview, Rouse said that he "basically does the inside, organizational stuff and strategic stuff internally," adding that he had no desire to be the "outside person" but preferred to leave external relations to Axelrod, Jarrett and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Rouse said the Deputy Chiefs of Staff, Jim Messina and Mona Sutphen, "who run the place from day to day," report to him. Asked about his overall portfolio, he said "I fix things." He described himself as one of several problem fixers in a collaborative environment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Rouse

[Wretched Excess]

said rahm:

“I want to thank you for being the toughest leader any country could have in the toughest time any president could face.”

Link

huh?  we can start with lincoln and the small matter of the civil war.  washington had no cake walk in founding the republic.  madison and the war of 1812.  what about the real great depression?  WWII?  cuban missile crisis?  vient nam?  I could go on and on.

presidential history is replete with challenges that were "tougher" than those faced by our current resident of the white house.

democrats.  they have been selling themselves as "the greatest [fill in the blank]" since The Clenis disgraced the oval office.  I guess the liberals feel secure in making these outrageous historic claims since, being in charge of the educational establishment for a full half-century, they feel like we are all idiots.

[Chris_]

huh?  we can start with lincoln and the small matter of the civil war.  washington had no cake walk in founding the republic.  madison and the war of 1812.  what about the real great depression?  WWII?  cuban missile crisis?  vient nam?  I could go on and on.

I doubt they whined as much as this one does.

[NHSparky]

So of course, what does he get as a parting gift from the WH?

A dead fish...specifically, a dead Asian carp.

LINK

[Prime Mover]

So is he a "quitter" like they called Sara Palin?

To be fair, at least Sarah was elected.

Rahm wasn't even chosen by the people.  If Obama had told America who he would be hiring as Chief of Staff BEFORE the election, he would've gotten a lot more scrutiny and a lot less votes.