The Hill reports that Rep. Rahm Emanuel, Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, will give up that position after the midterm elections. He is widely thought to have done a great job for the Democrats, and the obvious question will be what he does next. Will he make a bid for a leadership position among House Democrats, or will he look to a statewide race in Illinois?
Not to beat a dead horse, but I've highlighted a mention of Emanuel 'storming out of a meeting' with Howard Dean, due to frustration that the DNC has so much less cash on hand than does the DNC:
Rahm nixes second term
By Josephine Hearn
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) will step down from the House Democrats’ campaign operation after the November elections to spend more time with his family, he told The Hill yesterday.
Emanuel has been a leading strategist, fundraiser, cheerleader and recruiter for House Democrats as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) since the beginning of last year. His uncommon pairing of cunning efficiency and profanity-laced outbursts has won him both plaudits and opprobrium, but nearly all Democrats concede that he deserves substantial credit for their rosy election prospects this year.
“I served one term, and my kids are all at a certain point. They’ve had it,” Emanuel told The Hill. “I’ll do whatever the caucus wants in the sense of helping the next chairperson in any capacity, but I will not serve as chairman another cycle.” He and his wife, Amy, have three children under 10.
Although most DCCC chairmen serve only a single term, many Democrats welcomed Emanuel’s presence and held out hope he would serve a second term.
Emanuel’s comments came just as the DCCC was releasing its latest fundraising total. The DCCC raised $5.5 million in May, slightly behind its rival, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which raised $5.6 million. The Democrats finished the month with $24.5 million on hand, compared with $21.9 million for the Republicans.
Across the Capitol, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also beat its counterpart (see related story, Page 6).
Several of Emanuel’s colleagues were hopeful that he could be convinced to stay, noting that he had been reluctant to take the position when first offered it by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
...Emanuel has spent much time on the road in the past year, raising money and recruiting candidates. Pelosi joked in a recent interview that she sees more of his children than he does. He typically carries a leather portfolio filled with his children’s letters, photos and drawings, an aide said.
While traversing the country, he has been concerned about fundraising decisions in Washington at the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Emanuel reportedly stormed out of a meeting with DNC Chairman Howard Dean several weeks ago, exasperated that the Republican National Committee (RNC) had banked far greater reserves than its Democratic counterpart.
Asked whether Dean is doing a good job, Emanuel did not directly answer the question.
“We have the resources to do what we need to do to help our candidates,” he said. “The DCCC will stay competitive. ... This will be first cycle since 1994 that DCCC will be at dollar parity with the NRCC.”
At the end of May, the RNC had $43.1 million on hand while the DNC had $10.3 million.
Dean sent an e-mail to supporters yesterday defending his strategy of spending money on party operations in all 50 states rather than hoarding it for congressional races.
“We’re in the middle of our campaign to explain the 50-state strategy and answer questions about its purpose,” Dean told backers. He referred to a letter from Utah Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Holland Jr. calling the approach the “future of our party here in Utah.”
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