Emanuel: Public frustrated with 'pace of change'

by Mark Silva

A couple of leading congressmen – Democrat Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois and Republican Adam Putnam of Florida – knocked heads today on MSNBC’s Super Tuesday: Polls, Politics and People.

NBC’s Tim Russert asked Emanuel, as chairman of the House Democratic conference and architect of the party’s midterm House election victory, why the public has turned so sour on Congress.

“Well, first of all, the American people are unhappy with the pace of change, and so am I,’’ Emanuel said. “As you know, Tim, I'm a pretty impatient person. They want us to do what we're doing, which is get the minimum wage done, which we're commemorating after 10 years of waiting. But they don't want to wait that long for it, and I don't blame them.

“They want to see us get double the size or what I would say is expanding the college assistance, which we're about to do the largest increase since the GI Bill,’’ he said. “But they don't want to wait as long as it's taken Congress to do it.

“I share the public's impatience,’’ Emanuel said. “They're not upset with the type of change we're bringing. They're upset with the pace of it, and I don't blame them.’’

What’s Putnam’s take on this question of public approval for Congress?

“Well, it's buyer's remorse, pure and simple,’’ Putnam said. “Listen, Tim, the Democrats have managed something that I didn't think was possible, which is to take congressional approval ratings double digits below where Republicans had them when the American people sent us the strongest possible message last November.

“They talked about what they were going to do on energy. There is no energy bill,’’ Putnam said. “In fact, their energy bill produces no new energy. They pass a budget that's the largest tax increase in American history. We live in an economy that has a record home ownership, record low unemployment, and their answer to that is to raise taxes at every possible level.

“Americans are concerned about the future generations and the burden that they will inherit by a failure to address Social Security, Medicare and other entitlement reform efforts,’’ he said. “And the Democratic majority brings us a program that dramatically expands entitlements to the point where someone making $100,000 a year would be so poor as to qualify for free health care and so rich as to have to pay the alternative minimum tax, which was also a Democratic congressional creation.’’

What about Iraq, Russert asked the Republican.

“They're frustrated with partisan bickering over Iraq,’’ Putnam replied. “over congressional leadership like Harry Reid declaring in April that the war is lost, and yet continuing to send money and troops over there. If he truly believed that the war was lost, why on earth would they continue this policy?

“I personally believe that we have to win in Iraq,’’ the Republican said. “I believe that we will see the number of troops coming home at the end of this year and the first part of next year as the surge works its way through the process. I also believe that our commanders on the ground have the best view of what's happening over there. And I have the patience to wait to listen to what our commanders will say in September. ‘’

“Yeah,’’ replied Emanuel, “what's interesting is in 2005, my friend Adam said there will be less U.S. troops in Iraq in 2006. He was wrong by just about 40,000 troops. And the president announced right after the election he was going to escalate America's involvement in Iraq, but in 2005 Adam Putnam said June of 2006 we're going to have less troops in there.

“In fact, that's wrong, because what we're doing, we're policing a civil war between Sunni and Shi'ite,’’ the Democrat said. “We're not fighting al Qaeda. The president's strategy, as you saw, as we've escalated our involvement in Iraq, al Qaeda has been reconfigured in the Pakistan- Afghan border. So we've taken our eye off the ball from fighting terrorism to fighting a civil war.’’

“Tim,’’ said Putnam, “Rahm's pretty good at pulling out Adam Putnam's quotes. I wish that he would listen to our generals on the ground that are actually out there trying to command our troops, trying to fight al Qaeda and are succeeding.

“What's wrong with listening to the general on the ground that received a unanimous confirmation vote from the United States Senate and prepare for what he will recommend the redeployment should be, for what he will recommend the way forward should be?’’ Putnam asked.

“It's simple,’’ Emanuel replied. “First of all, the same report we just got two weeks ago, since the Iraqi Parliament is going to leave for their summer break, there will be no political reconciliation to come about, which is what this escalation is supposed to accomplish is give a space for political reconciliation. We know the results, which is that there's basically been no material -- in Anbar Province there's been progress, no doubt about it. Overall, our troops are bogged down in a civil war.’’

Finally, Putnam was asked if Republicans can continue to control the White House if the war in Iraq continues.

“The war in Iraq is going to change significantly this fall,’’ Putnam said. “We don't know how exactly. We don't know where exactly. But the commanders on the ground will give us that report.

“The congressional Democratic leaders are politically invested in failure in Iraq for the reason that you just asked that question,’’ he said. “I believe that we have an obligation to be successful, eradicating al Qaeda in that region, to keep Americans safe at home, to keep families safe in their businesses, in their cities and our small towns across this country.’’

Should Democrats have their way with withdrawal, Russert asked Emanuel, and that results in the “cataclysmic’’ violence which President Bush has warned about, might that affect Democrats’ chances in 2008?

“Tim, look, no decision you have, staying or redeploying, is cost-free,’’ Emanuel said. “As President Kennedy once said, to choose is to govern. And you have bad choices and you have worse choices.

“It is Democrats' view that if we continue to just do more of the same, you're going to get America bogged down. And as Adam just said, al Qaeda is going to be stronger than ever. We want to redeploy from Iraq, as other voices in the administration agree with us, and refigure America's commitment to fighting al Qaeda and its energy and resources.’’