The Rise of Rahmbo

President-elect Obama has already made the most consequential appointment of his administration in choosing Rahm Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff. He's one tough S.O.B., and there's been a considerable amount of teeth-gnashing and sword sharpening among Republicans over the appointment. And for good reason: Emanuel likes his Republicans al dente and is THE toughest street fighter on the other side. Not withstanding that I wouldn't come within a mile of working for this guy, his appointment is cause for rejoicing if you care about the future of the country. We need to give Obama a big, wet kiss on this one.

Three years ago when New Orleans was drying out and President Bush was sinking into the polling cellar from which he never emerged, Emanuel saw and seized his opportunity as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He started looking into swing districts and asking not what sort of Democrat would we like to see elected here but what sort of Democrat could be elected here. If we need a pro-life, pro-gun Democrat in a Southern district, let's find one. And he did. And many of those moderates won.

The lesson here is that while Emanuel is a fighter, he's just as inclined (perhaps more inclined) to fight the worst instincts of his own party as he is to fight Republicans because, above all else, he cares about winning and he knows the Democrats' message on a lot of issues is a losing message. That's why Nancy Pelosi told him he had to get in line behind the always reliable Jim Clyburn in the House leadership. She knew he would be nothing but grief to the liberal agenda she and the rest of her caucus had in mind.

Don't get me wrong. The Emanuel pick is not a victory for Republicans. He's going to drive us into the ground every chance he gets. But, with his understanding of Congress, and his sense of what's possible and what's not, he will reinforce Obama's tempermental moderation with his own policy moderation. Triangulation could make a comeback.