Is this goodbye, then, Rahm?

 "Mr. President, don't worry about the base.  They're f*cking retarded."

Rumors abound in all the papers that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is set to leave the Obama administration to make a run for Mayor Richard Daley's job as the head honcho of the City of Chicago. 

I've got my fingers crossed for two reasons.

Reason Number 1:  To quote Tony Montana, the cocaine kingpin from the 1983 remake, Scarface, as he watched his business partner dance on the end of a noose, "I never liked that prick."

Thanks to Rahm Emanuel, this administration has given the Democratic base, the Left, whom Rahm said was "f*cking retarded," the back of the hand.  I'll give him this:  he's not a glad-hander.  If he has no use for you, he'll let you know by demeaning you and insulting you.  A real class act, that Rahm. 

But, whether it was the public option surrender in the recently-passed (and supposedly historic) health care legislation, or the one-sided, unjust, and unquestioning support of Israel in the Palestinian conflict, or the failure of the Obama administration to investigate and prosecute the many obvious criminals in the previous administration, it is easy to discern the hand of Rahm Emanuel.

Reason Number 2:  From what I've read, an Emanuel victory in Chicago is anything but assured.  He could easily lose the race.  And you may call it petty, if you like, but I relish the thought of Rahm Emanuel being handed a humiliating defeat at the hands of Chicago voters.

I remember the day, back in November, 2006, when Junior Bush was humiliated at the polls, ceding control of both houses of Congress to the opposition party.  The look on his simian face, bewildered and vaguely frightened, was pure bliss to behold.  Well, an Emanuel loss might not be quite as sublime as all that, but it would be sweet nonetheless.

Of course, if Rahm does leave the White House, that is no guarantee that the Obama administration will set a new course that is more palatable to liberals and progressives.  And I'd caution anyone from expecting that it will.  But it is doubtful that President Obama could pick anyone more antagonistic to the Democratic base than he did the first time.  (Well, I suppose he could pick a Republican.  Heh.)