Rahm Emmanuel (D-Illinois, and sadly Chicago) has a lot of issues. As a kid, he was a real bully. An associate of his shared that in yesteryears, he loved to beat up kids and take their money. His desire to take people's money has not gone away with time. As a state legislator then a Congressman, Rahm loved to go "Bam Bam!" among his colleagues. A tax and spend liberal-progressive, he became chief of staff for President Barack "The One, The Change We've Been Waiting for" Obama in 2008.
Quite a hot-head to begin with, Rahm got really heated up in the White House. Still very much a bully, “Bully Rahm Emmanuel” (who acts as if he's God, not just as if God is with him) started the bully ball rolling with "Never let a good crisis go to waste." From the 2009 stimulus which did not stimulate, to costly health care now more costly because of (Un)Affordable Care Act (or Obama-WaxmanCare to South Bay conservatives such as myself), Rahm has become anything but a savior for the United States. He once confronted a disgraced Democratic Congressman (Ed Massa of New York, the one with whom Glenn Beck wasted a lot of time post-resignation) in the men's showers in the capitol building to force a vote on a key issue (nothing more, hopefully). The Congressman resigned in disgrace (because he harassed male staffers, not because of Rah, of course). As for Rahm -- well, he remains a disgrace. He does not do "people" too well, not just according to Congressional reports, but according to any sense or sensibility of human dignity. When he's in charge, people don't do to well, either. Ironically, the boy-man bully from Chicago created more chaos and crises as chief of staff under President Obama.
Thankfully for the country, although perhaps not for the Windy City, the Daley cult of Chicago signaled its desire to diminish, and Rahm rammed his name to the front for consideration for the office. He won, and Chicago lost. Now a heated executive, a Type-A type who can't take "No" for an answer, he’s gotten to know the word “No” a lot more. For a city with a “tough” reputation (Al Capone, organized crime, and Roxy Hart), Chicago gave "Bully Mayor" Rahm very little time to settle into his new role in his old stomping ground.
Instead, the bully got bullied big time.
When Rahm stood up to the teachers unions, they proved to be bigger bullies then he ever was. Still, Rahm had to be the adult in the room, so he started closing down schools with declining enrollment (declining because of boredom or death, since pupils tend to draw blood more than pictures or conclusions from what they “read” in school). Then the Newtown, Connecticut massacre shot gun control back into the national consciousness, yet with no consensus from state or federal leaders. “Liberal bully” (a telling tautology!) Rahm is as much a gun-control advocate as a control freak, and so bullied Chicago-based Bank of America to give up investments in gun companies. Chicago has been headquarters for B of A for years, so it seemed that the bank was backed up against the wall. Then stepped in US Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) with a warm letter of welcome: “We have a modest view of Government” down in Texas, Cruz assured the CEO of B of A. “Come down and bank here in the Lone Star State”, he invited. “Contact me if you have any questions”, he assured them warmly. Rahm got beat that time.
Then came the end of Year 2012 (four more years of Obama, ugh!), and “gun-control capital of the United States” Chicago witnessed five hundred murders (plus a few more), the highest number of homicides in a major city. Los Angeles crime rates are going down, and New York is looking good, too. Chicago: not so good.
Taking advice from NRA President Wayne LaPierre, (a good guy with a gun beats bad bully with gun every time), the Illinois state legislature, in conservative Springfield (don’tcha know!), passed a conceal-carry gun law. Residents are breathing a sigh of relief because they can pack some heat instead of waiting for “The Heat” to temper down heated crime rate of the Windy City.
A Moment of optimism, perhaps? Big Government Rahm must let the individual protect himself, like letting the picked-on kids now fight back (Ha! Ha!) This anti-bully libertarian beat taking its time, breaking forth throughout the land. Not just in Washington State, with its mean, green, libertarian streak with marijuana legalization, but also the advancement of concerned-carry laws throughout the country. The former liberal governor of Michigan refused to repeal the Wolverine State’s concealed-carry laws. Now Illinois, with “losing bully” Rahm will have to allow the citizens in his “unfair” city to protect themselves, too. To his credit, “Bully Rahm” evinced a willingness to curb Chicago’s marijuana laws. He might want take a toke or two and mellow, leave his bullying ways, and his fellow let Chicagoans live and let live.
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