Rahm Emanuel Set For New Role Raising Money For Super PAC

Rahm Emanuel announced on Wednesday that he has stepped down from his honorary position as the co-chairman of President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in order to raise money for the super PAC Priorities USA Action, which was founded by two former Obama aides.

The announcement of Emanuel’s new position gives Democratic groups a dedicated rainmaker that is the Democratic equivalent of Karl Rove, a strategist advising a network of Republican outside groups who are expected to spend almost $500 million in the 2012 elections, reports The New York Times.

The mayor of Chicago will also be raising money for two super PACs who support Democrats in Congress. Emanuel said that:

“I just find all the special-interest money lined up on the other side, tilting the scales in a way that I don’t want to see. So if I can help, I’m going to help.”

Rahm Emanuel added that his campaign energies will be best spent helping the President and his re-election campaign where they need it the most. He added that:

“The president’s got a great field operation, they’ve got a great campaign. But in the last 61 days, where can I be most helpful? Co-chair of the campaign? Or Priorities?”

USA Today notes that Bill Burton, a top official with Priorities USA Action, stated that:

“Rahm is one of the most important voices in the Democratic Party and having his help for phone calls and events is very good for us.”

Burton added that the super PAC is raising money to help President Obama’s re-election campaign but so far their funding has trailed that of Republican groups. Burton added that the PAC collected $10 million in August with an unnamed donor pledging $500,000 just this week.

Despite the fact that Mitt Romney and the Republican Party have been able to out-raise President Obama and Democratic groups, the addition of Rahm Emanuel, a formidable fundraiser, will help the Democrats in the coming weeks.