“He left the president holding the bag,” Braun asserted in a statement that also claimed Emanuel “cut and ran” on Obama when he left his chief of staff job to return to Chicago for a mayoral run.

“If Rahm abandoned the president of the United States, what makes anybody think he’ll stick by regular Chicagoans?” Braun asked.

leaving aside 1) the obvious political theatre of this in the context of a mayoral campaign, and 2) whatever you think about rahmbo, the basic point remains: emanuel took off to serve his own ambitions when it suited him. 

chief of staff to the president of the united states!

a position like that is in the highest circle of public service to the nation.  unless leaving for the mayoral bid was cover for being axed, emanuel’s decision was shameful and unbecoming.

it is absolutely appropriate for his political rivals to hit him on that.