SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel visits WSJ at Large with Gerry Baker at Fox Business Network studios on August 1, 2019 in New York City. (Photo: Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)
'Shameful and Concerning He Is Even Being Considered,' Says AOC as Rahm Emanuel Floated for Role in Biden Cabinet
"The thing about covering up the murder of Laquan McDonald is that it disqualifies you from holding any type of public office. Forever," said Rep.-elect Cori Bush.
Nov 23, 2020
Progressives are vocally making clear that any cabinet post for Rahm Emanuel--no matter how low-profile or obscure the position--is unacceptable amid reports that President-elect Joe Biden is considering a spot in his administration for the left-punching former mayor of Chicago, who is notorious for his role in covering up the 2014 police murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was among the progressive lawmakers who responded with alarm and outrage to fresh reporting from the local newspaper Crain's Chicago Business, which said Emanuel has been floated as a potential candidate for U.S. trade representative, a "less visible" position than the top spot at the Transportation Department that he has reportedly been lobbying for behind the scenes.
"What is so hard to understand about this? Rahm Emanuel helped cover up the murder of Laquan McDonald. Covering up a murder is disqualifying for public leadership."
--Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez"What is so hard to understand about this? Rahm Emanuel helped cover up the murder of Laquan McDonald. Covering up a murder is disqualifying for public leadership," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Monday. "This is not about the 'visibility' of a post. It is shameful and concerning that he is even being considered."
The New York Democrat's unequivocal rejection of any cabinet spot for Emanuel--a fervent opponent of progressive policy objectives--was echoed by other members of the so-called "Squad," including one of the informal group's newest members.
"The thing about covering up the murder of Laquan McDonald is that it disqualifies you from holding any type of public office. Forever," tweeted Rep.-elect Cori Bush (D-Mo.), whose involvement in campaigns against police violence fueled her decision to run for Congress.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Rep.-elect Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) also spoke out on Twitter:
Given his reputation as an "egomaniac," some raised the possibility that the swirling rumors about a potential cabinet role for Emanuel are coming from the former Chicago mayor himself, who did not hesitate to viciously attack denigrate progressives during his tenure as Obama's chief of staff.
"I strongly suspect that Rahm is generating most of this copy himself, and team Biden is happy to have Rahm hanging out there so his other picks get less scrutiny," tweeted The American Prospect's David Dayen.
But no matter the source of the rumors and media reports, progressives are using their growing numbers in Congress to attempt to exert influence over Biden's cabinet picks and establish that they will not quietly fall in line for nominees who are hostile to their popular policy agenda.
"Imagine thinking it's 'divisive' to want someone other than the guy who covered up a murder to lead a department or agency," said Rep.-elect Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.).
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Progressives are vocally making clear that any cabinet post for Rahm Emanuel--no matter how low-profile or obscure the position--is unacceptable amid reports that President-elect Joe Biden is considering a spot in his administration for the left-punching former mayor of Chicago, who is notorious for his role in covering up the 2014 police murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was among the progressive lawmakers who responded with alarm and outrage to fresh reporting from the local newspaper Crain's Chicago Business, which said Emanuel has been floated as a potential candidate for U.S. trade representative, a "less visible" position than the top spot at the Transportation Department that he has reportedly been lobbying for behind the scenes.
"What is so hard to understand about this? Rahm Emanuel helped cover up the murder of Laquan McDonald. Covering up a murder is disqualifying for public leadership."
--Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez"What is so hard to understand about this? Rahm Emanuel helped cover up the murder of Laquan McDonald. Covering up a murder is disqualifying for public leadership," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Monday. "This is not about the 'visibility' of a post. It is shameful and concerning that he is even being considered."
The New York Democrat's unequivocal rejection of any cabinet spot for Emanuel--a fervent opponent of progressive policy objectives--was echoed by other members of the so-called "Squad," including one of the informal group's newest members.
"The thing about covering up the murder of Laquan McDonald is that it disqualifies you from holding any type of public office. Forever," tweeted Rep.-elect Cori Bush (D-Mo.), whose involvement in campaigns against police violence fueled her decision to run for Congress.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Rep.-elect Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) also spoke out on Twitter:
Given his reputation as an "egomaniac," some raised the possibility that the swirling rumors about a potential cabinet role for Emanuel are coming from the former Chicago mayor himself, who did not hesitate to viciously attack denigrate progressives during his tenure as Obama's chief of staff.
"I strongly suspect that Rahm is generating most of this copy himself, and team Biden is happy to have Rahm hanging out there so his other picks get less scrutiny," tweeted The American Prospect's David Dayen.
But no matter the source of the rumors and media reports, progressives are using their growing numbers in Congress to attempt to exert influence over Biden's cabinet picks and establish that they will not quietly fall in line for nominees who are hostile to their popular policy agenda.
"Imagine thinking it's 'divisive' to want someone other than the guy who covered up a murder to lead a department or agency," said Rep.-elect Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.).
Progressives are vocally making clear that any cabinet post for Rahm Emanuel--no matter how low-profile or obscure the position--is unacceptable amid reports that President-elect Joe Biden is considering a spot in his administration for the left-punching former mayor of Chicago, who is notorious for his role in covering up the 2014 police murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was among the progressive lawmakers who responded with alarm and outrage to fresh reporting from the local newspaper Crain's Chicago Business, which said Emanuel has been floated as a potential candidate for U.S. trade representative, a "less visible" position than the top spot at the Transportation Department that he has reportedly been lobbying for behind the scenes.
"What is so hard to understand about this? Rahm Emanuel helped cover up the murder of Laquan McDonald. Covering up a murder is disqualifying for public leadership."
--Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez"What is so hard to understand about this? Rahm Emanuel helped cover up the murder of Laquan McDonald. Covering up a murder is disqualifying for public leadership," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Monday. "This is not about the 'visibility' of a post. It is shameful and concerning that he is even being considered."
The New York Democrat's unequivocal rejection of any cabinet spot for Emanuel--a fervent opponent of progressive policy objectives--was echoed by other members of the so-called "Squad," including one of the informal group's newest members.
"The thing about covering up the murder of Laquan McDonald is that it disqualifies you from holding any type of public office. Forever," tweeted Rep.-elect Cori Bush (D-Mo.), whose involvement in campaigns against police violence fueled her decision to run for Congress.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Rep.-elect Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) also spoke out on Twitter:
Given his reputation as an "egomaniac," some raised the possibility that the swirling rumors about a potential cabinet role for Emanuel are coming from the former Chicago mayor himself, who did not hesitate to viciously attack denigrate progressives during his tenure as Obama's chief of staff.
"I strongly suspect that Rahm is generating most of this copy himself, and team Biden is happy to have Rahm hanging out there so his other picks get less scrutiny," tweeted The American Prospect's David Dayen.
But no matter the source of the rumors and media reports, progressives are using their growing numbers in Congress to attempt to exert influence over Biden's cabinet picks and establish that they will not quietly fall in line for nominees who are hostile to their popular policy agenda.
"Imagine thinking it's 'divisive' to want someone other than the guy who covered up a murder to lead a department or agency," said Rep.-elect Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.).
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.