Hail to the Chief (of Staff)
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
NEWS ITEM: President-elect Obama named Rahm Emanuel, a Jewish congressman, White House chief of staff.
A hard-nosed guy who takes no gaff
As presidential chief-of-staff!
In Jewish circles, people kvell
About him: Rahm Emanuel.
They see in him a rising buoy,
This congressman from Illinois.
They think he’s on the up-and-up —
Moreover, with a Yiddish kup.
With confidence he’ll take command,
As Moses did, with staff in hand.
From GOP come sobs and wails,
He’s known to be as tough-as-nails.
It’s obvious he has few fans
Among hard-core Republicans.
The nickname “Rahmbo” he has won
Among the pols in Washington,
For every one of them concurs
He strikes and takes no prisoners.
He’ll work, we know, around the clock,
And do his darndest for Barack.
Let’s hope you serve him well, oh Rahm!
We hail you in this dithyramb!
A khevre-man vos iz a “gvar”,
In Vaysn Hoyz a rising star!
Mir Yidn fun im kveln shnel,
Zayn nomen: Rahm Emanuel!
Fun gantsn shtab der balabos,
Er gleybt in Barack’s noble cause.
A Yidish kop er take hot,
Dos iz gants klor, s’iz nit kayn sod.
Republikaner shrayen “oy”:
“Far vos hot B’rack geton azoy?”
Nor Demokratn (goyim, Yidn)
Aplodirn, zeyer tsufridn.
Faroyszog iz: der GOP
Un Rahm avade disagree.
M’ruft im “Rahmbo,” krigerish,
Zayn moto: “tokhes oyfn tish.”
Zayn aynshtel iz: “folg mikh a gang,”
Dos meynt er geyt durkh shturem, drang.
Loybverdik iz dayn trayshaft, Rahm,
Du take host a Yidishn tam!
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