Rahm Emanuel Quotes & Sayings

At some point, deliberation begins to look more like indecisiveness which then becomes a way of emboldening our enemies and allies and causing our allies to question our resolve. So we shouldn't let one component of this determine our national security here which depends on providing an Afghanistan which denies a safe haven to terrorists as well as stabilizing Pakistan. Those are our two national security interests at stake in Afghanistan. — Rahm Emanuel

I still believe the Lewinsky investigation was way off from the focus of what Whitewater was, which turned out to be nothing at the end of the process. And I think that there were people who were determined as political opponents to not allow his presidency to succeed. — Rahm Emanuel

As individuals, we will be judged in our lives by the totality of our actions. Not one thing will stand out. And I think that's how we get judged by our colleagues and that's how we get judged by the good lord. — Rahm Emanuel

I think that every country presents its own particular challenges, different cultures, different histories, different religions, different people. And different ethnic make-ups in those countries present different challenges. — Rahm Emanuel

Rather than doing the kind of fact-checking that normally goes with a story, you ran with certain stories for not wanting to get beat. There's a pressure that exists in your profession. I would be surprised in any honest exchange that you say that doesn't exist. — Rahm Emanuel

I mean,you will have an Afghan government. There are two roads here. One is obviously a run-off election or a negotiated settlement. But what's most important about that process is that there's a credibility and a legitimacy to the government at the end of that process. So which road they choose, that's up to them. It must have - be legitimate and credible in the eyes of the Afghan people. — Rahm Emanuel

There was no blueprint or how-to manual for fixing a global financial meltdown, an auto crisis, two wars and a great recession, all at the same time. — Rahm Emanuel

What is more comforting to the terrorists around the world: the failure to pass the 9/11 legislation because we lacked a majority of the majority,' or putting aside partisan politics to enact tough new legislation with America's security foremost in mind? — Rahm Emanuel

I've never been in a place where winning has hurt the ability to do anything. — Rahm Emanuel

We have work to do, and Tuesday Americans sent Washington a clear message - get the job done. — Rahm Emanuel

Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values — Rahm Emanuel

Nearly losing my life made me want to live my life. — Rahm Emanuel

There has to be a reform within the government that is tangible, that we can actually measure and that we have confidence is going to provide some of the differences that I think are essential to our troops to be able to carry out their mission and to the longer- term interests of our country. — Rahm Emanuel

You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before. — Rahm Emanuel

Whose leadership, whose judgment, whose values do you want in the White House when that crisis lands like a thud on the Oval Office desk? — Rahm Emanuel

Republicans are 'bad people who deserve a two-by-four upside their heads.' — Rahm Emanuel

When President Obama entered the White House, the economy was in a free-fall. The auto industry: on its back. The banks: frozen up. More than three million Americans had already lost their jobs. And America's bravest, our men and women in uniform, were fighting what would soon be the longest wars in our history. — Rahm Emanuel

We need to deal with the problem of al Qaeda, make sure that they can't have a sanctuary in Afghanistan and guarantee that we have regional stabilization and particularly focused on Pakistan. — Rahm Emanuel

The fact is, Bush's war policy has failed. It's failed! Who better to say so than Jack Murtha? — Rahm Emanuel

The American people ... want change. They want big ideas, big reform. — Rahm Emanuel

We invoke the sacrifices of our fallen heroes in the abstract, but we seldom take time to thank them individually. — Rahm Emanuel

I would like to run for the mayor of the city of Chicago. That has always been an aspiration of mine even when I was in the House of Representatives. — Rahm Emanuel

Things happened there that I don't think are the finest hours for anybody, whether it was a journalist, the legal system or, in that case of the political system, who would say that was an example of when Washington worked best. — Rahm Emanuel

The Afghan - obviously the parties will decide which course of action. The most important there, get a government that is seen as legitimate to the people and has the credibility to be a partner in the effort to secure Afghanistan so it's not a haven for al Qaeda or other type of terrorists or international terrorist organizations. — Rahm Emanuel

The person who takes the oath of office in the next four months will shape not just the next four years, but the next forty years of our nation. In these next four years, we need proven leadership, proven judgment and proven values. America needs four more years of President Barack Obama. — Rahm Emanuel

I saw the president make the tough calls in the Situation Room - and today, our troops in Iraq have finally come home so America can do some nation building here at home. That was the change that we believed in. That was the change we fought for. That was the change President Obama delivered. — Rahm Emanuel

We're proud of the work we're doing to make Chicago a great city for people of all ages. Nothing's more important than keeping in mind the needs of older adults - and how valuable a role they play in improving the city, based on their amazing collective talent and wisdom. — Rahm Emanuel

I wake up some mornings hating me too. — Rahm Emanuel

I hope President [Hamid] Karzai understands that our national security interests don't depend entirely on his decision there whether to allow a recount. Obviously the legitimacy of that government is an important component of it. My point is it shouldn't be the lynch pin for us deciding whether we're going to protect our national security interests in that region. — Rahm Emanuel

President Obama made the right choice, over one million Americans are still working today. The American auto industry is not just surviving. It is thriving. Where Mitt Romney was willing to turn his back on Akron, Dayton and Toledo, Ohio, the president said, 'I've got your back.' — Rahm Emanuel

You may say I may be unfit to be mayor. But you can never say I'm an unfit mayor, — Rahm Emanuel

Because of the president's leadership, every American will have access to affordable, quality health care. — Rahm Emanuel

I believe the record I was allowed to help establish by the side of the president was important. — Rahm Emanuel

Counting the numbers of troops is not going to define our success here.There is no military success, ultimately, to Afghanistan. The Afghans themselves are going to define what happens here. And we have to convince ourselves that we have a strategy in place that empowers them to do that and that is realistic in what our expectations are from them and on what schedule. — Rahm Emanuel

I think indeed our response on counterinsurgency needs to be finely tuned to the needs of Afghanistan. This is not Iraq. We don't have a Sons of Iraq here. We don't have the same divisions here that we had between Sunni and Shia. — Rahm Emanuel

And the last thing that I want to see us do is ask more and more of our troops [in Afghanistan ] without guaranteeing that we're providing more and more of what's necessary to make the mission successful. — Rahm Emanuel

Our troops are the best in the world. I have absolute confidence in the ability of the troops who are here, or additional troops, to do their part. — Rahm Emanuel

I've not been to Afghanistan or - but what people are clearly pointing to is that it becomes more difficult to have it. You could do it. I think weather is a factor. The most important factor though is credibility and legitimacy. What I wanted earlier to say is what I think Senator [John] Kerry is pointing to, which is important, is the strategic review on whether to send more troops is only one piece of the puzzle, important piece. — Rahm Emanuel

The moment somebody's a president and you call him "Mr. President," (the person represents) our culture, our history, our sense as our nation. — Rahm Emanuel

And it's time as a country that we have an assault weapon ban. — Rahm Emanuel

When it comes to federal elections law, Tom DeLay and his special-interest friends live by one set of rules, and everyone else lives by a very different set. — Rahm Emanuel

Obviously what I think Senator [John] Kerry was pointing to, which is absolutely correct, which is the essential part of the strategy or a key component or a leg on the stool, is an Afghan partner that is ready to take control of both the security situation in Afghanistan, and the civilian side of that. — Rahm Emanuel

Deliberation is a good thing when it comes to fighting wars. — Rahm Emanuel

We're bending the law as far as we can to ban an entirely new class of guns. — Rahm Emanuel

I do not believe that a counterterrorism strategy all by itself, without a sufficient level of counterinsurgency, will work. — Rahm Emanuel

They ended up spending a total, their campaign plus the independent, about 1.3 million. I only ended up spending about - not only, but I spent about 2 million. But I had no intention of doing that until I was attacked with a negative ad by an independent group. — Rahm Emanuel

In the White House, you can be on the pitcher's mound or you can be in the catcher's position. Put points on the board. Show people you can govern. Deliver on what you said you were going to deliver on. — Rahm Emanuel

[Obama White House] rescued the economy from the worst recession. — Rahm Emanuel

We have come a long way and we have a little further to go. — Rahm Emanuel

While Mayor Daley surprised me today with his decision to not run for reelection, I have never been surprised by his leadership, dedication and tireless work on behalf of the city and the people of Chicago. — Rahm Emanuel

I sometimes joke, Paula, even paranoid people have enemies. — Rahm Emanuel

Take your f***ing tampon out and tell me what you have to say. — Rahm Emanuel

When people told me 'It's great to be here', they meant at the house, not with me. — Rahm Emanuel

Today, because of President Obama's courage, kids can stay on their parent's plan until they are 26. Insurers cannot kick you off your policy because you have hit your limit. They will not be able to deny you because you have a pre-existing condition. — Rahm Emanuel

We've been at war for many years in Afghanistan following 9/11. We know that we've got young men and women on the ground now. We've got our blood and treasure at stake there already. — Rahm Emanuel

I should say the leadership's proposal in the Senate and the House are very unpopular. And when people realize it will raise taxes, raise their insurance premiums cost and explode the deficit, they think twice about it. — Rahm Emanuel

There's no safe Republican district. You can run, but you cannot hide. — Rahm Emanuel

Everybody knows they're on the Obama team: There isn't vice presidential vs. presidential division, there's not a generational pull. People have internalized that this is a real moment in history. — Rahm Emanuel

The problem is, you have to look at Afghanistan also in a global context where we've canceled basically our missile defense system undercutting the Czech Republic in Poland. We've I think not dealt with Iran with the kind of resolve that would show that we understand the nature of that threat. — Rahm Emanuel

A strong economy depends on a strong middle class, but George Bush has put the middle class in a hole, and John McCain has a plan to keep digging that hole with George Bush's shovel. — Rahm Emanuel

I don't want to go negative on Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but he didn't pass an economic deal in the first 100 days. We have passed the largest Recovery Act in the history of the country. — Rahm Emanuel