VIA SwampPolitics

rahmsnl

We have no idea if this sketch aired elsewhere in the country, but here in Chicago we did not see it on the SNL broadcast last night, 11/22/08 (Tim McGraw hosting, with Ridiculous musical guest).

Instead, it looks like we got a boring skit about Big-Three automakers appearing before Barney Frank on C-SPAN. The article above isn’t clear on whether or not different time zones got different sketches, but we didn’t see this sketch until we saw this article this morning.

Why was the Rahm Emanuel skit censored?

It NAILS Emanuel — who is truly one of the most foul-mouthed politicians in Illinois. Like the sketch says, “Ari Gold” from HBO’s Entourage is based on Rahm’s brother; Rahm shares a lot of those “Ari” traits, but add in a personal vindictiveness and pettiness the super-agent doesn’t possess on HBO. Emanuel holds grudges, and starts personal fiefdom wars over things most rational people would forgive almost instantaneously. Cough in his general direction and, if he’s in one of his moods, you’ll be on his F-U list for the indefinite future.

We’ve always thought that was strange of Emanuel, too, because he sits on a fairly large personal secret that’s widely known and understood here in Chicago (Boystown, at least), but no one talks about it. As Chief of Staff, if he carries on the way he’s always behaved, and treats people the way he’s always treated them, there’s certainly a nuclear option for those in the know who’d ever want to retaliate against him.

He is a nasty, petty, vile little man. We in Chicago are absolutely thrilled he’s headed to Washington for the next 4 years.

In all honesty, we hope he never comes back.

Most Americans have no idea who Emanuel is or what he’s capable of, so maybe that’s why NBC yanked the sketch (because Barney Frank and nameless Big-Three auto execs are naturally more hilarious and have higher name recognition, apparently).

Or maybe NBC’s afraid of Emanuel carrying a grudge. Because, in all honesty, they probably should be.