Cleaning House, or Jumping Ship?

I have been happy as a clam to see Rahm Emanuel tear up as he said he said his goodbyes to Obama and the White House staff. Good riddance, and don't let the door knob hit ya. Larry Summers leaving? Oh, joy of joys, although I would have liked to see him physically thrown out of government over a year ago, Obama dusting his hands as Summers sprawled unceremoniously on the White House lawn.

Hints that Geithner is also leaving? Sweet. David Axelrod? Gooooood bye you summa' bitch!

It's like a rouge's gallery of conservative, corporatist dirtbags who have pushed this president and the Democratic party to the brink of utter failure and collapse. That is, to the right.

The question is: is Obama recognizing the disaster these fools have been to his administration, and throwing them overboard? Or, are these rats, having punched so many holes in the good ship Obama, jumping ship before the 2010 midterms? These elections could be a giant shipwreck for the Democratic party.

The key, of course, will be what Obama does. Does he appoint more conservative, establishment, pro-corporate shills who continue the destruction of the middle-class? Or does he actually go for "change" (TM - Obamacorp).

Also, watch these ship-jumping rats for what they say in the press. My guess is, that within a week or two of the elections (and, assuming that Republicans pick up significant seats, and maybe the House), they say something like: "Obama went too far to the left, tried to do too much." Rahm has already leaked stuff like this through his media sycophants.

Although I'm not sure. And Rahm is the key to my uncertainty.

Axelrod will cash in as a talking head on cable, Summers will get rewarded for a job well done by his Wall Street handlers, and Rahm will...huh...maybe win the election as mayor of America's third largest city. And this is what gives me some hope.

Rahm is now, arguably, one of the most powerful people in the world. Even if he thought that the fall elections were going to be a disaster, mayor of Chicago is still a HUGE step down on the power ladder. Axelrod, Summers and even Geithner have incentives to leave now - lots of cash, and to escape the possible (even likely) taint of failure. But Rahm gives rather than gets from this transition.

My read is that Rahm is being fired. He was allowed to stay on for a few months to save face. He probably knew that Mayor Daily was quitting, and was just waiting for the announcement. And, Rahm has a shot at becoming Chicago's next mayor, not a guarantee. There are other big names running too, like Carol Mosely-Brown. If it was his choice to quit, he is giving up more power than he will likely ever get again, for a maybe chance at a mayor's job. No, no, no...his ass was shown the door.

Now, we'll see if Obama can "change" (TM - Obamacorp). Will he find other corporatist shills to continue the corrupt path that has disenfranchised so many of us that were energized during the campaign of 2008? Or will he find a cadre of Elizabeth Warrens to fill his White House, and start beating back the forces of corporate largesse. Social Security will be one policy to watch. What he does with Elizabeth Warren and financial regulation is another. These will tell us if he cleaned house to right the ship, or if the rats jumped because they saw the wreck coming.