66 Comments

1. Gringo:

Here is Time Magazine October 8.

As a mother — who plans to transition to a new job later this year in order to spend more time with her 13-year-old son — Dunn is a rarity in the almost all-boys club that is Obama’s inner circle. But her impact on the White House has been unmistakable. Since her arrival, the communications operation has been tightly refocused, with greater emphasis on planning ahead to shape the news cycle and controlling staff contacts with the press. In daily internal meetings, she points out where to strike back or admit errors.

The Chairman Mao video aired on October 15. So yes, Anita Dunn was planning to leave even before the Chairman Mao dust-up occurred.

Nov 10, 2009 - 2:56 pm 2. Pajamas Media » Are the Long Knives Coming Out for Obama Staffers?:

[...] Read the rest of the story here. [...]

Nov 10, 2009 - 3:01 pm 3. Roger L Simon:

#1 Gringo, could be, but I wonder if it’s quite that simple. Rarely is.

Nov 10, 2009 - 3:06 pm 4. ic:

Someone should not miss the opportunities offered by a good crisis of confidence in Rahm’s White House.

The only question is: who the hell is that “someone”.

Nov 10, 2009 - 3:24 pm 5. Flighterdoc:

Rahm going for Burris’ seat?

Nov 10, 2009 - 3:46 pm 6. ConservativeWanderer:

Getting awfully crowded under that thar Obamabus.

And it looks like her going under the Obamabus was premeditated this time. From the article Roger links above:

A source inside the White House, who was not authorized to speak about strategy meetings, said at the time that Dunn went out front against Fox first and foremost because it was her job, but also because it potentially gave the administration the opportunity to distance itself from the flap with the Roger Ailes-led news channel once she leaves the communications job.

In other words, let’s bring in someone to demonize Fox, then when the political winds shift (either against Fox or against us for trying to demonize them), we can cut her loose claiming that we had already planned to do so.

Machiavelli would be so proud.

Nov 10, 2009 - 3:54 pm 7. glenn:

When your President is a rock star and his fan base runs on emotion rather than logic and some of his fans publicly idolize historic mass murderers you have to expect some casualities.

Nov 10, 2009 - 4:08 pm 8. johnt:

Rahm under the bus? It won’t need a grease job for years.
But it may need decontamination.

Nov 10, 2009 - 4:15 pm 9. JKB:

Rats+ship+water?

Nov 10, 2009 - 4:18 pm 10. ricpic:

The long knives come out to do what? As far as I can determine Dunn is being jettisoned because with the Mao comment she gave the game away — I am a proud commie. So, with the exception of Biden, the long knives will be used to remove big mouths; making for an even more effective enemy within operation.

Nov 10, 2009 - 4:21 pm 11. Delia:

This whole administration is one big ass embarrassment to our country.

G’bye, lizard lady!

Nov 10, 2009 - 4:30 pm 12. Thomas_L.....:

Well, Roger, would it be safe to say that no one in the administration is begging her to stay and keep that communications operation in tight focus?

Nov 10, 2009 - 4:39 pm 13. ic:

6. ConservativeWanderer: Machiavelli would be so proud.

I think Machi would be shaking his head: “How clumsy and amateurish!”

Machi would have demolished Fox, and Ailes would be looking for a job.

Nov 10, 2009 - 4:43 pm 14. ConservativeWanderer:

IC @ 13:

I had my tongue firmly lodged in my cheek when I wrote that.

Nov 10, 2009 - 4:45 pm 15. Amherst:

You can trust this one: When/If Rahm Emanuel leaves, his pockets will be full of our money. Being the Robber Baron he is; get as much as you can and leave when the going is still good. Rahm will sit in the billion/trillion paradise while we Americans of the United States foot the bill. This is no stupid administration. Money Talks!!

Nov 10, 2009 - 4:50 pm 16. Libertyship46:

The door should hit them on the way out of the White House. This has been the meanest bunch of misfits ever assembled and I’m stunned Obama hasn’t already gotten rid of them (especially since our “fearless” leader never seems to have any trouble throwing anyone, even Reverand Wright, under the bus). Hopefully, the next group of misfits will at least be nicer. If not, they’ll get the boot too. Problem is, no amout of spinning from White House staff is going to make this administration look good. Right now, Obama is making Jimmy Carter look like George Washington. Now that takes some doing.

Nov 10, 2009 - 5:04 pm 17. mttopforge:

I imagine cold hard realty of the world is a natural selector. You can only live in a dream world of socialistic paradise for so long, before the empetis of 230 plus years of liberty starts to bite back.
How a total wack job like dunn recieved a job in the peoples house words can not describe.
I contend this administration is a house of cards in any instance.
We would be so lucky if some true blue americanism is rubbing off on the chosen one.
Now that would be something.
You got to be a total loser or nut job not to understand what a positive force our great nation is in the world.
Thanks for the tips!

Nov 10, 2009 - 5:06 pm 18. David Thomson:

Over five months ago I declared that Barack Obama is a marginalized president and it is unlikely that he will ever again be able to sign into law any serious domestic bills. The odds were 75-80% that I was right. And so far—my prediction has been very accurate! Nothing significant has been accomplished. The health bill will probably fail if for no other reason than the divisive issue of abortion. Think about it for a moment. Logically speaking, why would anyone wish to remain on a sinking ship? This is one reason why the Obama administration is behaving so desperately in trying to save its health agenda. He either gets this bill through both houses of Congress, or he is a failed president.

Nov 10, 2009 - 5:06 pm 19. Tex Expatriate:

Wow! I surely pity that thirteen-year old son of Anita Dunn. What an indoctrination he must be getting at home! Another remark, a question, is why is it that Commies, Socialits, and Fascists (like Dunn, Emannuel, and Obama) always hide their ideology? If I was a Socialist, I would at least admit to it, like Alinsky did. Unless it meant I couldn’t get power. Oh, now I get it.

Nov 10, 2009 - 5:07 pm 20. Victor Erimita:

I used to say during the Clinton administration, if you want to know what Clinton looks and sounds like under the mask, look at people like James Carville. Because that is who Clinton really is. If you want to know who Obama really is, I would nominate Rahm Emanuel as a leading contender for Obama’s Dorian Gray counterpart. Utterly ruthless, which is precisely why Obama picked him.

I find the notion that Rahm will be thrown off the bus wishful thinking, and I think naive. That guy is a more savvy power player than Obama. I think someone’s speculation above that he may go for Burris’s seat more credible. If not, he will be elsewhere behind the scenes, breaking arms and making deals people can’t refuse. But since they are saying he wants to “return to elective office,” I think the Burris seat is likely. Or maybe governor of Illinois. I don’t think he’ll be running for dog catcher any time soon.

These people are just getting started. If anyone thinks they are cowed or worried by the recent election or the polls, you don’t know who they are.

Nov 10, 2009 - 5:25 pm 21. Saltherring:

Well, Zero won’t have to look to far for kooky leftists to replace the ones with tire marks on their backs. After all, there are more nuts in WA DC than a Planters packing house.

Nov 10, 2009 - 5:29 pm 22. David W. Lincoln:

A fish stinks from the head down. Changing the supporting cast does not change the fact that those with the highest profile have the greatest clout.

No amount of re-arranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic will stop the collision between the iceberg, and the “unsinkable” Titanic. Which just goes to show that history tends to repeat itself, even though there are variations on a theme in the mutation.

Nov 10, 2009 - 5:36 pm 23. Mao Tse Dunn Out as White House Communications Director » Blogs For Victory:

[...] Interesting: Word has been leaked by the Washington Post’s insidery The Fix that White House communications director Anita Dunn will be the first Obama senior staffer to “resign” at the end of this month. I guess they don’t count czars as senior staff, but no matter. What’s interesting in The Fix’s rather lengthy report is that there is no mention of the red elephant in the room – ‘Papa Mao Tse-Tung,” as we used to say in the sixties. No, The Fix’s Chris Cillizza dances around, seemingly linking Dunn’s downfall, if that’s what it is, to her leading the administration’s charge against Fox News (taking one for the team, I suppose). He doesn’t mention Dunn’s notorious remarks at a high school graduation, when she cited Mao and Mother Teresa as her mentors. [...]

Nov 10, 2009 - 5:49 pm 24. Goodnight, Mr. Frankenstein:

In 1975, Paul Bartell directed “Death Race 2000,” a movie about race car drivers who earn points by running over pedestrians.

Most of the victims are involuntary, but some drivers attract obsessive fans who “sacrifice” themselves to raise their scores.

In a brilliant scene, celebrity racer (David Carradine) meets one such fan, (Wendy Bartel, who has a resemblance to Anita Dunn). The fan offers, “I wanted you to know who I am… So it will have meaning!”

The next day, he dutifully runs her over. When asked why she did such a thing, Carradine responds, “To prove she loved me.”

Nov 10, 2009 - 6:01 pm 25. dr strangelove:

Good riddance. Perhaps Rahm will take ‘Zeke with him too.

Nov 10, 2009 - 6:41 pm 26. LeighB:

Rahm on the way out? Be still my beating heart. No way, Obama could not do the job without Rahm. Oh wait…he’s not doing the job with Rahm. Hmm.

Nov 10, 2009 - 7:07 pm 27. chuck:

IIRC it was reported a while back that Rahm wanted someone weak in his old job so he could get it back. I suppose timing is what matters here. We all die, so the difference between murder and passing on at 96 is timing.

Nov 10, 2009 - 7:34 pm 28. Steve:

Perhaps the staffers know that Obama’s agenda is going nowhere. Time to get out before the show crashes.

Nov 10, 2009 - 7:51 pm 29. Bilgeman:

#9 JKB:
“Rats+ship+water?”
and

#26 Steve:
“Perhaps the staffers know that Obama’s agenda is going nowhere. Time to get out before the show crashes.”

My take exactly. Everyone with an IQ above a houseplant knows that this party’s OVER and DONE in November of ‘10, and smart people aren’t in the habit of sticking around to clean up the mess and explain to the parents why their house is trashed.

Now is the time to jump ship and burrow in somewhere safe and secure.

Nov 10, 2009 - 8:04 pm 30. Roger L Simon:

Editor’s note: Hitler comparisons to current US officials will be edited out where noticed. They are both unimaginative and offensive.

Nov 10, 2009 - 8:17 pm 31. Dred Scott:

Re: #30 — Why not institute a register and log-in policy as with most other sites? Would cut down on the trolls and promote discussion.

Nov 10, 2009 - 8:30 pm 32. Roger L Simon:

WE are currently looking into it.

Nov 10, 2009 - 8:33 pm 33. Data-Q:

I feel very sorry for that 13-year old son, I hope he’ll be able to survive psychologically intact his mentally ill mother

Nov 10, 2009 - 9:20 pm 34. Walt Anshaw:

Goodbye Anita Mao Tse-Dunn. We will not miss you.

Nov 10, 2009 - 9:20 pm 35. David Thomson:

“Oh wait…he’s not doing the job with Rahm. Hmm.”

That’s exactly my point. Who in hell is Rahm Emanuel? He was nothing more than a hatchet man for Bill Clinton. Emanuel can be a nasty piece of work when he wants to be. Still, Dick Morris is perhaps ten times smarter and arguably saved Clinton’s political bacon. Where is Obama’s Morris? The current president seems to surround himself with second rate mediocrities. So far Obama has not accomplished anything significant for well over five months—if not a lot longer than that. The odds remain very high that my earlier assertion will remain accurate: he is already a marginalized leader. Obama’s presidency may not have survived after its first six months. It could very well be on life support.

Nov 10, 2009 - 9:34 pm 36. Odysseus:

@Roger #30 and #32:

You might have less need for looking at registration model for comments if you would simply enforce your own guidelines for participation in these threads; specifically

2. Stay on topic.
3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks.

Tolerating flagrant violations of these two simple requirements simply invites more. I could name names but just as one example: Go review the thread associated with Clayton Cramer’s post on “Armed and Female”.

It’s all very well to say, “Don’t feed the trolls”, but a little adult supervision would go along way toward reducing the rewards for these folks. It’s worked on other sites.

Nov 10, 2009 - 10:00 pm 37. Ding:

#32

Please don’t go the register and log-in route. I like PM because it’s open. It has an old west feel that most other sites don’t.

Nov 10, 2009 - 10:09 pm 38. arhooley:

I’m glad I read the comments here, because it hadn’t occurred to me that Obama may be the stupidest man in the room while the rest of them know perfectly well he’s a lazy faker whose association can be toxic in prolonged doses.

It reminds me of Addison DeWitt’s description of the theatre. The screenwriter, director, producer, and crew erect a complex edifice so the star can sit atop it and shine. Rahm et. al. are probably secretly sniggering at the thought of what Bambi will do around Fall 2010 when they pack up their sawhorses and tools and move on to their next gig.

Nov 10, 2009 - 10:33 pm 39. David W. Lincoln:

David, I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (I still live there), and one of the books that captured the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL was “The game of their lives” by Peter Gzowski which captured a slice of Edmonton in the early 1980s.

Part of the book dealt with Bobby Hull, whose son Brett, was just inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame. When Bobby was invited into the best homes of Winnipeg, where he played hockey in the early 1970s in the World Hockey Association, which lasted from 1972 – 1979, he
was never invited back. The reason, he felt inferior to the successful people who lived in
Winnipeg’s best homes, and he, in his way demonstrated that resentment.

I bet you, dollars to donuts, that is the main
reason why Barry O surrounds himself with such
mediocrities: He cannot stand being in the same work place as someone more developed than
him. So, it is better to be the equivalent of the tallest building in a small town, rather than be of the same stature, but have
other buildings dwarf you.

It explains a lot. Doesn’t it!

Nov 10, 2009 - 11:25 pm 40. ReNae:

The long knives come out in every administration. I worry that the replacements will be just as bad or worse and better at covering up their tracks. Maybe in this case better the enemy you know. Machiavelli, if I read him right, wrote the playbook for the current administration and is probably required bedtime reading. No values, morals, virtues or pretense at having them leaves all options open. Scary for those who fight such a slippery foe.

Nov 10, 2009 - 11:36 pm 41. pelaut:

David Thomson: Fervently hope you ARE right. But consider this:

The USA’s bureau-plut-ocracy response to:

1) Tailgate: several admirals and 300 Naval Aviators FIRED!

2) Fort Hood savage slaughter of fathers, mother, brothers, and sons serving honorably and well: same PC as punished Tailgaters so severely is used to sponge-bath the bloody terrorists.

No, don’t expect squat from the brainwashed masses, even the military.

Nov 11, 2009 - 5:56 am 42. David Thomson:

“David Thomson: Fervently hope you ARE right. But consider this:”

Leftists wish to wear you down. This is why Barack Obama and his allies constantly try to overwhelm the citizenry with new proposals of one sort or another. They desire to exhaust you intellectually and emotionally. You will then be tempted to throw in the towel and seek a “bi-partisan” solution. One compromise leads to another—until eventually they completely conquer our cultural and political institutions.

Nov 11, 2009 - 6:16 am 43. Bob:

But O (through Rahm) has accomplished a lot:

1) Following his pastor, he is intent on “damning” America by bankrupting us, removing our defenses and losing our wars after his predecessor won the.

2) He has united the conservative right in a way I have not seen in my lifetime.

3) He has exposed the raw pull for power initially espoused by Machavelli and modernized by Alinski. It is open for all to see.

4) The law professor has given us all a lesson in constitutional law – an how to flaunt it.

5) He has exposed the corrupt Daily and Acorn operations for all to see, and hopefully to excise from the body politic.

6) He has made Fox the #1 cable channel and pushed Rush’s ratings through the roof, while killing off MSNBC and Rodger’s NYT.

7) He has restored clarity to the meaning of socialist and communist. We were forgetting, after the cold war, the precious heritage of free market (rather than command) economies.

He has exposed the moral degradation of the far left,and the vicious infighting against their own (even his own grandmother).

9) He has aleinated our allies and embraced every petty tyrant and malefactor he could unearth.

This is quite a legacy. If we wake up in time, we can hope for decades of constitutional governance. If we fail to wake up, we will be dominated by tyranny, unemployment, entitlement and poverty, much like the “back of the yards” neighborhoods where Rahm and O come from.

Nov 11, 2009 - 6:57 am 44. johnt:

David Thomson #35, a good post, on the money.
These bumblers get credit just for being leftists, you don’t have to be good, just push for power in Washington and keep your foot on the throat of the citizenry.

Nov 11, 2009 - 7:02 am 45. RickGreenville,SC:

Lots of good stuff here-and no trolls.Refreshing , isn’t it? I am all for a log-in.

Nov 11, 2009 - 7:06 am 46. Nancy:

Thought provoking story. Also, I’m impressed with the comments posted on this blog. It seems like many are aware of the of the white house’s M.O. I wonder what we as citizens can do to make a difference (i.e. damage control of our constitution)?

Nov 11, 2009 - 7:16 am 47. james:

Let’s not get carried away, folks. These people never go away: they just substitute for each other. Radicals play whack-a-mole with the public. Van Jones is not gone; he’s living with John Podesta. Acorn is certainly not gone. Emanuel may go but we’re not going to get Ed Meese to replace him. And no matter comes or goes, Health Care lives on.

Nov 11, 2009 - 8:09 am 48. Jim Baker:

Rahm would leave this position only for a position that gives him more power. If he thinks that could happen by taking Burris’ senate seat, he would leave in a heartbeat, but who in this administration is going to force him out? He is doing the pulling a lot of Boobily’s dancing strings.

Nov 11, 2009 - 9:20 am 49. Happy Humpday! « Nebraska Redneck:

[...] Roger Simon, at Pajamas Media, who quotes from a Washington Post tidbit: Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s chief of staff [...]

Nov 11, 2009 - 9:46 am 50. wilmo:

Kudos to Glenn Beck for exposing extremely radical Dunn and about a dozen other nuts occupying important positions in this anti-capitalist and often anti-American White House. But this is just a hand-off, since her husband is coming into the administration at about the same time she exits. Obama will be forced clean up the mess he has created by his reckless choice of appointees, but only if Beck and others like him continue to expose their true colors, which clearly are not Red, White and Blue.

Nov 11, 2009 - 10:05 am 51. eburchelli:

They change positions within the whole. They never just go away. They are still consulted from within the administration. Shifting locations doesn’t change their influence and might even enhance it. If they can be hidden from the public’s view with sleight of hand, the better for them and the worse for us. Those knives are those being used on us.

Nov 11, 2009 - 11:37 am 52. Banned by Huffpo:

Nah, Dear Leader’s getting rid of Anita becasue she smacks her lips all the time.

Looks bad, you know?

Nov 11, 2009 - 2:36 pm 53. Now and Then:

29. Bilgeman:

“Now is the time to jump ship and burrow in somewhere safe and secure.”

How about Blackwater? I hear they’re looking. Or maybe Halliburton. Or maybe just some whites-only neighborhood in Dallas. Just hunker down – That’s the kind of bold conservative thinking this country needs to pull itself out of the morass created by the most recent generation of greedy and repressed chickenhawks.

By all means, sit tight, complain, accuse – whine that relentless conservative whine – repeat the clarion call that defines conservative insight and principle . . . “Keep your government hands off my Medicare!” That’s what our founding fathers would have done.

Glory be, what a pathetic excuse for a man.

Nov 11, 2009 - 4:55 pm 54. Brother J:

@50 wilmo: “…..but only if Beck and others like him continue to expose their true colors, which clearly are not Red, White and Blue.”

Well, not White and Blue, anyway.

Nov 11, 2009 - 5:08 pm 55. Bilgeman:

#53 Now and Then:
“How about Blackwater? I hear they’re looking. Or maybe Halliburton. Or maybe just some whites-only neighborhood in Dallas. Just hunker down – That’s the kind of bold conservative thinking this country needs to pull itself out of the morass created by the most recent generation of greedy and repressed chickenhawks”

What the HECK are you babbling about?
Were you high when you wrote this?

It’s Anita Dunn who is moving along to better opportunities, and Rahm Emmanuel who reportedly wants to chase after campaign money forever.

What would you wager that if they were offered enough that they would happily go work for those companies?

And BTW, I work with a lot of Halliburton people, and believe me, the oilfield services side of it is about the most stultifyingly boring gig imaginable…unless you reckon that the formulation and mixing of batches of drilling mud is some heretofore unknown method of achieving world politico/economic domination.

“By all means, sit tight, complain, accuse – whine that relentless conservative whine – repeat the clarion call that defines conservative insight and principle . . .”

Oh, please!

After listening to the yammering of the moonbat sweat-lodge hive-mind during eight years of Bush, “Keep your government hands off my Medicare!”, sounds positively Jeffersonian.

Nov 11, 2009 - 5:55 pm 56. ConservativeWanderer:

Now and Then, I used to try to refute your flimsy theories and absurd statements, but I’m not going to anymore.

Just keep your head in the sand. In fact, push it even deeper into the sand if you want.

The less you understand of conservatism and the real world that conservatives live in (as opposed to the fantasy world of leftist-liberals), the easier it will be for us to take back Congress and the Oval Office.

Please, keep the lefty blinders on.

Nov 11, 2009 - 6:12 pm 57. Victor Erimita:

Now and Then is an apt handle for someone whose hallucinatory narrative has not changed in at least 8 years. Quite a few sophomoric cliches to pack into one post. Here are a few:

Chickenhawks: “neocons” who are personally cowardly but who ruthlessly send innocents to their deaths. There can be no other motive for supporting military action. See “Paths to Glory” and other anti-war movies from the 60s.

“Greedy and repressed.” All conservatives are moral conservatives. All moral conservatives are really repressed libertines who have no core vlaues, but who merely project their own self-loathing onto scapegoats. See various “phobias” that afflict those who pretend to have opinions, values and views.

“Whites-only neighborhoods” Because all conservatives are racists. Jeanine Garafaolo says so.

But the worst thing about conservatives (right, Now and Then?) is that they are intolerant of contrary views, label their adversaries with pejorative stereotypes and “rush to judgment” of everyone who disagrees with them. Oh, and they have no capacity for self awareness.

Nov 11, 2009 - 6:33 pm 58. Bilgeman:

#30. Roger L Simon

Sorry, Mr. Simon, those lines usually get a snicker, but since you find them offensive, I’ll try to remember that and refrain from using ‘em on your threads.
If I forget, it’s unintentional and feel free to whack ‘em out…your house, your rules.

(She DOES appear to have the soul of a jackal, though.)

Nov 11, 2009 - 6:42 pm 59. Now and Then:

55. Bilgeman:
“the oilfield services side of it is about the most stultifyingly boring gig imaginable”

That’s pretty harsh to say about good Americans trying to earn an honest living. Besides, it’s not that boring.

Nov 11, 2009 - 8:01 pm 60. Aisling:

Gringo started this thread with an excerpt from a Time Magazine article from October 8. “As a mother — who plans to transition to a new job later this year in order to spend more time with her 13-year-old son. . . ” That makes it pretty clear that the “disclosure” of her Mao remarks is not the reason for her departure nor is Obama “throwing her under the bus”. Mercy, I’m tired of that expression, especially when it’s used erroneously. But most of you continue to claim some sort of victory with her exodus. Silly. It’s good to read a few voices from intelligent progressives in these threads. Too bad they’re ignored unless they can be (in your view) reprimanded.

Nov 12, 2009 - 4:19 am 61. Aisling:

“30. Roger L Simon:

Editor’s note: Hitler comparisons to current US officials will be edited out where noticed. They are both unimaginative and offensive.

Nov 10, 2009 – 8:17 pm”
Well done. You might add that such remarks are also untrue and refect poorly on the level of discouse here.

Nov 12, 2009 - 4:22 am 62. macko:

While the war was going on didn’t a healthcare bill get passed in the house. Funny how that works.

Nov 12, 2009 - 12:14 pm 63. southernsue:

i am not convinced any of these people are under the bus. i am sure that obama has frequent contact with all that have been perceived to be thrown under the bus. obama and his ilk have a plan to overthrow the USA. none of this is of any consequence. be afraid, be very afraid.

Nov 13, 2009 - 5:46 am 64. wrg:

35. David Thomson:
So far Obama has not accomplished anything significant for well over five months

Well he has collected alot of frequent flier miles. Does that count?

Nov 13, 2009 - 10:49 am 65. Now and Then:

Long knives indeed:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/13/stewart-responds-to-hanni_n_356702.html

Nov 13, 2009 - 4:52 pm 66. test:

This is a test of strike.

Nov 24, 2009 - 7:15 pm

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