Thunder joins lightning: Emanuel to be Obama staff chief

In Hebrew, Rahm means thunder and Barack means lightning. No doubt that linguistic synergy will be the lead-in to many a joke in the Obama Administration. But with Israel likely to be an issue, it might also produce some storms.

President-elect Obama made his first key staff appointment and, as was rumored, chose Congressman Rahm Emanuel to be his staff chief.

Emanuel, an Orthodox Jew and son of ex-Israelis, was a key insider in the Clinton White House, has reportedly accepted.

Emanuel, 48, is from Chicago and grew up speaking Hebrew with his father, a pediatrician who was a member of the Jewish resistance in Palestine before the Israeli War of Independence in 1948.

During the Gulf War in 1991, Emanuel came to Israel to serve as a civilian volunteer.

Emanuel was first elected to Congress in 2002, and was named the Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2005.

Emanuel was active in the Oslo negotiations and choreographed the Rabin-Arafat handshake at the White House. "It was an emotional moment for him," according to public relations consultant Richard Mintz, who worked with him. "He would like nothing more than to participate in another peace agreement signing."

Tags: Chief of Staff, Obama Administration, Obama appointment, Obama transition, Rahm Emanuel, politics

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Comment by JMKC on November 12, 2008 at 9:52am: "Comment by anne in texas on November 7, 2008 at 2:02am
You people are CRAZY!!!
PEACE NOT WAR!!!"

Oh, I see, you're one of those Peaceniks who voted for Obama without reading his own words, on his own website, the DNC, etc;
http://www.barackobama.com/2007/08/01/the_war_we_need_to_win.php

Comment by anne in texas on November 10, 2008 at 8:59am: This comment is to Margaret (Peggy) Williams: If your god didn't mandate that you love Israel, what would you do then? What in the world does god have anything to do with Obama supporting Israel? Believe or not, it is possible to consciously choose to do the right thing on one's own personal conviction. Only mindless people have to be told what to do. My hope for the US and for Israel is that our leaders work in the best interests of its citizens. I just can't believe people can be so closed minded after what we have had to deal with in the last eight years with George W. Bush.

Comment by Jim Talbot on November 8, 2008 at 3:13pm: Rahm Emmanuel may be the lesser of two evils if he controls Pelosi - I keep an open mind at present. It depends on the other appointments Obama makes.

Comment by Margaret (Peggy) Williams on November 7, 2008 at 11:21pm: Even though I am an American, I am also a Christian (there are a lot of usthat are). And as so, we are mandated by God to love Israel and her people, also to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. I do that daily and have a fervent desire to visit someday, God willing and money providing. And as Christian Americans, we stand fully behind Israel & support in every way we can, including financially. If Pres-elect Obama is a Christian (as he says he is) then he will stand by Israel & not let Jerusalem be divided. It belongs to the Jews and God say they will never be displaced again. If Mr Obama does not protect & support Israel then I say God help America - as the Torah says God will bless them that bless Israel & curse them that curse her. So I say, GOD BLESS ISRAEL AND GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Comment by anne in texas on November 7, 2008 at 3:02am: You people are CRAZY!!!
PEACE NOT WAR!!!

Comment by Claudia on November 6, 2008 at 8:58pm: As I recall this guy is the least bipartisan selection Obama could have made. He seems to believe in all things liberal and an advocate of Olso. Despite his Israeli relatives I do not see him as good for Israel, for I see Oslo as the worst thing that has happened to the country. This election is a huge set back for those of us of conservative beliefs, both politically and spiritually. We have no one to blame but ourselves, the GOP wasted all our power on terrorism when we should have been minding the store and Wall Street greed. Our leadership also ran the worst presidential campaign I have ever been a part of, but then considering McCain's irrational constraints perhaps it was not entirely their fault.

Comment by jack lester on November 6, 2008 at 8:53pm: I am told that the name Rahm is actually RAM in Hebrew, and means "elevated".
it's not RA'AM which means thunder.
I wonder if the H added to the name Ram, was to give it an Indian flavor. Emanuel is after
all not necessarily Israeli.

Comment by Cathy Walton on November 6, 2008 at 8:42pm: I want Israel to know one thing, that there a still a people in the United States of America, that FULLY SUPPORT them!!!!! No matter what the politians say or do, there are still people here that want to back Israel 100%!!!!
There is so much I want to say but I believe all we can do right now is pray, and we are!!!! Don't believe that the entire world has turned against Israel, because there are still those of us, praying for your blessings!!!

Comment by wharold on November 6, 2008 at 8:03pm: Thanks Ellen. Obama continues to show extremely poor judgement; his hallmark.

Comment by ellen on November 6, 2008 at 6:38pm: I think we all need to think back to 1993 and the infamous act which took place on the White House lawn.
It was Rahm Emanuel who choreographed the Rabin-Arafat handshake. President-elect Obama has Middle East peace high on his agenda. If he can't get America out of its economic low and stave off depression, then he will orchestrate a peace deal to create an artificial "high". Heads up Israel. Remember that Rahm Emanuel may have family in Israel and even speak Hebrew, but ultimately he cast his lot with the U.S. government
That's where his loyalty lies.