Sunshine Week 2011 Update!!
DC was a lot less exciting after “Frodo Rahm Emanuel of the nine fingers” leaves us today. I mean, come on, Rahm -President Obama’s Chief of Staff- was a character! He sliced off his finger while cutting meat at Arby’s (and infected it by swimming in Lake Michigan); his brother, Ari Emanuel, was the basis for Ari Gold in Entourage; Rahm once sent a dead fish to pollster he didn’t like; he even (allegedly) angrily confronted disgraced Rep. Eric Massa (of tickle-fighting with men infamy) in a shower in the House of Representatives –while they both were naked. Oh yeah, he also (allegedly) screamed “Don’t f*** this up!” into Tony Blair’s face… and he was a great ballet dancer.
Buy my personal favorite Rahm moment is his 2010 Sunshine Week Memo (WH Counsel Bob Bauer signed it too.) Sunshine Week is the week when open government advocates celebrate and push for more openness in government. In 2010 the Obama Administration was hoping to tout its transparency reforms throughout the week. It had promised to be, after all, the “most open and transparent in history.” Attorney General Holder gave a much-publicized speech celebrating the Administration’s new FOIA policy. (more…)
