WASHINGTON — Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the hyperactive Democrat from Illinois charged with winning control of the House for his party in the 2006 elections, was trying to goad a colleague to move into attack mode.
And so he phoned. And phoned. And phoned again.
For days, Rep. John M. Spratt Jr. (D-S.C.) received about three calls daily from Emanuel, urging him to run a political advertisement criticizing the Bush administration's decision to let an Arab company manage U.S. ports, an issue sparking nationwide outrage at the time. With Vice President Dick Cheney heading south to campaign for Spratt's GOP opponent, Emanuel thought the best response was to run an attack ad in the local newspaper -- quickly.
"Rahm smelled blood," said Chuck Fant, Spratt's press secretary. "He latched on like a pit bull and never let go."
Spratt finally agreed to put out a news release, one that was less in-your-face than Emanuel wanted. But the fact that the lawmaker was prompted to act at all was a tribute to the intensity, persistence and abrasiveness that Emanuel has brought to his job as field marshal of the Democrats' battle for the House.
Those edgy traits are shared by Emanuel's counterpart in the party's fight to gain Senate seats -- Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York. It is a convergence that has gladdened the hearts of many Democrats; both men are credited with having boosted the party's chances for a strong showing in November. But, in the bottom-line world of politics, both will share the blame if those expectations are not met.
Emanuel, 46, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Schumer, 55, head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, have deployed tactics reminiscent of the smoke-filled rooms of yore.
They have hand-picked candidates, crafted campaign themes, set fundraising goals and micromanaged staff hiring decisions for candidates around the country. In the process, these two big-city pols -- Emanuel from Chicago, Schumer from Brooklyn -- are injecting a dose of discipline and drive among traditionally unruly Democrats, who often suffer from the image that they are too soft. "Both in terms of raising money and recruiting candidates, no one is more focused and disciplined," said Steve Elmendorf, former top aide to ex-House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.). "They do this 24/7 at 100% velocity every day. This is the focus we need."
