553. The Suddenly Diplomatic Rahm Emanuel

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4.6 • 32K Ratings

🗓️ 17 August 2023

⏱️ 56 minutes

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Summary

The famously profane politician and operative is now U.S. ambassador to Japan, where he’s trying to rewrite the rules of diplomacy. But don’t worry: When it comes to China, he’s every bit as combative as you’d expect.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm in the basement of the United States Embassy.
0:06.7	Who is that in the basement of the U.S. Embassy?
0:09.7	Rahmanu, I'm the United States Ambassador to the Nation of Japan.
0:16.4	If you have not been keeping up with Rahmanu's career, you may be surprised to learn that
0:21.2	he is serving in a major diplomatic role because he is famously undiplomatic.
0:26.7	He has been in politics for 40 years as a senior advisor in the Clinton White House,
0:32.7	as a congressman from Illinois, as chief of staff in the Obama White House, and as mayor
0:37.7	of Chicago.
0:39.4	Along the way, he earned a reputation for being shrewd and pragmatic, but occasionally ruthless,
0:46.5	and almost comically profane.
0:48.4	He once had to apologize for the name he called some fellow Democrats during a strategy meeting.
0:54.5	Here is Andy Sandberg on Saturday Night Live in a parody of that apology.
1:00.1	I should never have called you that.
1:02.8	What I should have called you are ** babies, stupid ** babies who can't keep their mouths shut.
1:09.8	You went to the Wall Street Journal with this, you **** turncoats?
1:13.7	I'm trying to get **** done here, and I know we're not moving as fast as you want on healthcare,
1:18.7	but maybe you noticed the Republicans are trying to paint us as Soviet crack dealers.
1:23.0	I've got so many legislators in my colon, I need 60 votes just to take a ** so ** you.
1:30.1	And now the United States has installed a manual as top diplomat, not to Estonia or to New
1:36.6	Zealand, but to Japan.
1:39.6	America's number one ally.
1:41.6	Is that the official slogan now?
	...

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