Matthew Yglesias on the recent Rahm drama:
Barack Obama‘s presidential campaign had few leaks and little infighting, earning it the reputation of “no drama.” The same spirit has mostly carried through into Obama’s governing phase — we’ve heard very little about whatever fights have occurred inside the White House. But that’s changed lately, most notably with two salvos in The Washington Post — one nominally an opinion column from Dana Milbank and the other nominally a news piece from Jason Horowitz — both arguing that Obama wouldn’t have so many political problems if he had only listened to Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s advice.
The pieces are doubly stunning. First, because they appear to have been planted by Emanuel or his close allies — it’s rare to see a Washington figure trying to portray himself as lacking vast power and influence. But second, and more important, because both dwell at length on the alleged roots of a problem that’s not a problem at all — the public’s view of Obama’s handling of national security.
