The Fate of the Fifth

Fortune's Nina Easton interviews Rahm Emanuel, the "pit bull" head of the DCCC. Lots of chest-beating stories mixed in with his love for ballet dancing, ending with this:

Mostly out of power for the past six years, the Democrats could use Emanuel's comeback instincts. So the match is a timely one. But what's driving Emanuel crazy right now is how little control he has over the party's future-or his own. "Can we get the right candidates?" he asks. "Yes, and we busted our balls recruiting and expanding the field. Can we raise the resources? Yes. Can we help on issues? Yes." But at the end of the day, he asks, "which way will the wind blow on Iraq? On energy prices? On the Middle East?"

"For a type-A personality like me, I hate that. I hate that," he says, his voice trailing off as he spins through a Capitol building hallway. "Your fate is out of your hands.

Sounds like Rahm is in the wrong business. Maybe he should go back to the private sector. And how well does he really represent his district? He has been jetting around a lot on behalf of other candidates, has taken his district for granted, and his positions on the issues are consistently to the left of his constituents.

Take a look at the alternative, Republican Kevin White--for a strong defense, lower taxes, an enterpreneurial economy, and raising the bar in education.