Dissension Among The Hope And Change Gang Over NY Terror Trials?

Rahm Emanuel reportedly opposed sending KSM and the rest of the gang to civilian trials in NY but Attorney General Eric "Nation Of Cowards" Holder won out? Seems Rahm isn't a complete, dare I say, fucking retard.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel vehemently opposed Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to put alleged September 11 plotters on trial in a civilian court, according to a new account from the New Yorker’s Jane Mayer.

“Rahm felt very, very strongly that it was a mistake to prosecute the 9/11 people in the federal courts, and that it was picking an unnecessary fight with the military-commission people,” Mayer quoted an “informed source” as saying.

The New Yorker story says Emanuel’s opposition was driven in part by concerns that the decision would alienate Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Graham wants the 9/11 suspects tried by military commissions, but he favors the closure of Guantanamo and has indicated he is willing to break with many in his party to work with the administration on plans to move Guantanamo prisoners to the U.S.

“There was a lot of drama,” the source said, according to the article. “Rahm had a good relationship with Graham, and believed Graham when he said that if you don’t prosecute these people in military commissions I won’t support the closing of Guantánamo. . . . Rahm said, ‘If we don’t have Graham, we can’t close Guantánamo, and it’s on Eric!’ ”

The particulars of the story don't interest me that much. The bottom line is Emanuel is a better political strategist than either Obama or Holder and Lindsay Graham is still annoying. None of this is actually news.

The interesting part to me is this seems to be the first hint of a crack in the veneer of Team No Drama Obama. There are always tensions within a campaign or an administrations but when things are going well the public doesn't see or hear about them. When they aren't, we'll you all remember the McCain campaign, right?

The public and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are increasingly uncomfortable and angry about the administration's plans to deal with terrorists like KSM and the handling of the Christmas Bomber. Now someone leaks the Chief of Staff is feuding with the AG, who has been on point on those issues?

You start to get the sense the wheels are coming off here, but not before someone gets run over by the bus.

And then there's unemployment, the deficit and a whole host of other issues these guys are behind the curve on. I bet the Illinois Senate and the option to vote "Present" is looking pretty good about now.

posted by DrewM. at 10:29 AM

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