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Emanuel Dubs Obama 'Presumptive Nominee'

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May 09, 2008 12:35 PM

ABC News' Teddy Davis Reports: House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel referred to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., as the Democratic Party's "presumptive nominee" for president while speaking Friday in New York City at a conference sponsored by The New Yorker magazine.

"At this point, Barack is the presumptive nominee," said Emanuel. "Hillary can't win but something could happen that Barack could lose the nomination."

Emanuel wouldn't go so far as to say that Clinton should drop out. "Next question!" he said when asked.
Friday's comments by Emanuel, who served as a top aide in the Clinton White House, are sure to receive lots of attention.

Appearing on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" back in April of 2006, Emanuel voiced his support for Clinton's presidential bid.

"I'm supporting Hillary Clinton," said Emanuel. "I'm public about it."

But once fellow Chicago Democrat Obama, who is close to Emanuel, expressed his interest in running for president, the House Democratic Caucus Chairman struck a neutral pose and has remained neutral since then.

"I'm hiding under the desk," Emanuel famously told the Chicago Sun-Times in November of 2006. "I'm very far under the desk, and I'm bringing my paper and my phone."

Emanuel's comments first appeared on the HuffingtonPost and were later confirmed with Emanuel's staff by ABC News.  

May 9, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (15)

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HRC is the kind of fighter the country needs, and she should stay in the race and fight for the working class to the convention.

The dems party should not be hijacked by a bunch of far leftists and election losers.

Posted by: lazy to think | May 9, 2008 12:41:05 PM

For all you clinton supporters, if just one of you can explain to me (I did support HRC initially in this primary) how you can continue to support a person who blatantly LIED for no apparent reason other than to enhance her public image, I will change my support back to her. But I find it very difficult to promote a LIAR IN CHIEF when after 8 years of a LIAR IN CHIEF, I think we need someone who will tell us the truth about important issues and once a person lies, it is then impossible to know when the next lie will come. So, "how can the HRC supporters help me overcome a blatant lie told to the public over a non-issue"? If someone can explain this, I will change my support!

Posted by: Disparaged | May 9, 2008 12:55:57 PM

BO cannot unite the party. He and his minions have basically told women, older people, working class people, and hispanics that they are not needed to win. BO has college students, elites, and AAs.

So the groups that are not needed will go elsewhere. It's as simple as that.

Posted by: al | May 9, 2008 1:02:02 PM

The Clintons need to look at this and other forums to see what their coalition has become.

I see insinuations about Rahm Emmanuel, who has been truly neutral, now that he has done the fifth grade math necessary to declare only that Obama is the presumptive nominee.

I see more second order slander and guilt by association, because in twenty years of sermons, Reverend Wright said five truly stupid and obnoxious things. Obama, of course, never appears in the audience in any of the videos, which are for sale, yet still the slander persists.

I see people ignoring Obama's victories in the Northwest, the Mountain states, the Great Plains the Midwest and the Northeast and the narrow margins of his defeats elsewhere to falsely claim that whites won't support him.

This has been a hard campaign, but I don't see this bitterness from Christopher Dodd or Bill Richardson, who have endorsed Obama, or John Edwards and Joe Biden, who remain neutral.

Posted by: drew | May 9, 2008 1:28:39 PM

If obamais the Presumptive nominee that would make McCain the Presumptive President.

Posted by: geevill | May 9, 2008 1:36:02 PM

Perhaps Rahm Emmanuel knows like so many others that all the truths about Obama/Rezko connection have not come out. Just what did Obama do for Rezko that was worth $625,000, money that they had to borrow so Obama could get his mansion. The dirty laundry is still hidden. The Rezko trial is almost over; will he talk to get a lighter sentence?

Posted by: Mary | May 9, 2008 1:39:51 PM

To Tony: Yeah, but Rahm is from Chicago, and was connected to a guy convicted of the same type of charges that Rezko is facing. Who knows what his stand is on Israel? Anyone connected to Brezinski and Carter, it can't be good for Israel. Rahm is just another of the Chicago bunch. He'll do what he's told to do. Enough said.

Posted by: calli | May 9, 2008 1:56:41 PM

Dump the DNC loses! Sen. Hillary Clinton should consider running independently! The polls indicate that she can win--she can beat both Obama and McCain in a three way match-up!

Posted by: charleychaplin | May 9, 2008 3:02:05 PM

If Hillary had a different last name would she still be in the race? If she were running against a White Male would she still be in the race? The Facts are, She is behind in # of states, pledged delagates, popular votes and now supper delagates! If she has so much Washington experience, why has she run such a dysfunctional campaign, in debt with constant defectors. If she can't run a campaign how is she going to run this country?

Posted by: Kay | May 9, 2008 3:23:09 PM

Wow, you Hillary suppoters are truly "Bitter" un educated individuals...You would think that "Hatred" in this country has subsided a little bit, but when you put a Black man in the mix, your true colors really come floating to the top...None of you know this man called Obama. You only listed to what the media has exploited...By the way, the same media that sold you the fact that Sadam had WMD's, the same media that sold you GBush, and you voted for it all...Damn fools, voted against your own self interests...Now you slander a man you know nothing about, but what the media has told you...Damn fools!!!

Posted by: Bbrown | May 9, 2008 5:06:33 PM

Hillary is the kind of fighter this country needs, she should stay in? She can't even run a campaign. There was no plan after Feb. 5th, no organization, no money, Penn thought California was a take-all delegate state, in-fighting, race baiting, huge campaign debts. And Rahm, it is now time to endorse Obama and stop hiding under your desk from the Clintons.

Posted by: Carolyn Grace | May 9, 2008 8:57:32 PM

I am a Clinton supporter, but the comments about Congressman Emanuel are uncalled for. Yes, I am disappointed that he appears to have endorsed Obama. I would have preferred that he not say anything.

As someone else posted, the congressman is Jewish and I'm sure his support for Israel is unwavering.

Sen. Obama may turn out to be the nominee, but I will remain devoted to Sen. Clinton (and to Pres. Clinton) until the day I die.

Suburban Chicagoan


Posted by: Jan | May 10, 2008 12:12:29 AM

I guess they're not kidding when they say that Sen. Clinton's supporters are less educated - Rahm Emanuel, of Arab descent? What a laugh! I know that was as elitist as it gets, but...I'm still laughing.
I can't really understand how followers of either Senators Clinton or Obama could get so rabid. Their policies are so close, and so very far from McCain's. I would feel some disappointment if my chosen nominee didn't win, but that's it. Then I'd go door to door prior to the election and talk to people about how close McCain's policies are to Bush's. I wanted Russ Feingold to run, then I wanted Edwards to win, and so it goes.

Posted by: Shelly Gold | May 10, 2008 12:43:27 AM

I do not think, this country needs The Fighter for Clintions. That is what she is - there is ONBE and ONLY thing she is fighting for - For clintons.
People, she named you "screw 'em".
So you are still in that circled been fooled by clintons for clintons only needs.
Political slaves.

Posted by: LINDA,FL | May 10, 2008 9:21:57 AM

Quote: "The dems party should not be hijacked by a bunch of far leftists and election losers."

Far leftists? Kucinich dropped out months ago. As for being hijacked by election losers, that's what happened in 2000 and 2004. The rest of us are just trying to take our country back.

Posted by: Doowackadoo | May 10, 2008 2:08:37 PM

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