Is Rahm Emanuel giving up on Obama?

Quoting "Washington insiders," the London Telegraph says White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will quit late this year, probably after November's mid-term elections. The Telegraph says the "pragmatic" Emanuel, "a veteran in Congress where he was known for driving through compromises," has grown tired of clashing with Obama's "idealistic inner circle" of advisers who, for example, pushed through far-reaching health reform over his calls for a "scaled down package." The White House called the report "ludicrous." Is this just thinly sourced gossip, or is the Obama administration heading for a shake-up? (Watch Emanuel's 2008 Democratic convention speech)

Emanuel won't be the only Democrat fleeing: Rahm Emanuel may be the one the far left blames for "Obama's policy failures," says blogger Clifton B at Another Black Conservative. But after the "massive Democratic losses" coming in November, he won't be the only member of Obama's team heading for the door. (If "America is really lucky," major "failures" like Eric Holder and Janet Napolitano will be exiting too.) "The oil spill has washed away any of the Hopey Changey hype of 2008" — now it's time to face the music.

"Rahm Emanuel to quit White House?"

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Take this report with a grain of salt: It's "common knowledge" that Emanuel won't stay in this high-pressure job for Obama's entire presidency — few chiefs of staff last that long, says Sahil Kapur in True/Slant. But don't believe everything you read in the Telegraph, "a right-wing paper that has published allegedly unsubstantiated stories" about Obama before. This suspicious story is based entirely on "speculation" by two anonymous sources, neither of whom appears to work in the White House or even know Rahm Emanuel.

"The Telegraph’s suspicious story about Rahm quitting WH"

It's not so hard to believe: "I’ve been expecting staff changes at the White House for some time now," says Doug Mataconis at Outside the Beltway. If Rahm Emanuel really is leaving, that's a win for liberal "idealists" and a loss for "those like Emanuel more concerned with actual governing." Though some are taking this as a sign that Emanuel will be mounting a "pragmatist" challenge to Obama for the 2012 Democratic nomination, rumors that Emanuel is eyeing a run for Chicago's mayor make "a lot more sense."

"Report: Rahm Emanuel to leave White House after November elections"

Ditching Emanuel won't save Obama: Apparently President Obama is making Rahm Emanuel "the fall guy when the Democrats are destroyed in November," says Kim Priestap at Wizbang. It's logical — this administration has "violated the trust of the American people over and over again, most egregiously when they ignored voters' outrage and forced through Obamacare." But "if Obama and his inner circle think Emanuel's departure will solve their problems, they are in for a rude awakening."

"Rahm Emanuel out at the White House?"