Rahm Emanuel is making waves again. The former Obama White House chief of staff and Chicago mayor is seriously eyeing a 2028 presidential bid, Politico reported Wednesday. Since returning from his stint as U.S. ambassador to Japan in January, he’s been everywhere—podcasts, TV, and liberal gigs like Democracy Forward.

He’s not coy about it. “I’ve only been back two months, and I have no idea what I’m doing,” Emanuel told Politico with a shrug. Then came the kicker. “I’m not done with public service and I’m hoping public service is not done with me.” Conservatives smirk—here comes the comeback kid.

Emanuel’s been busy testing the waters. He’s hit major political shows, penned Washington Post columns, and delivered speeches nationwide. His pitch? Education over woke distractions, a jab at Dems lost in social fluff. “You better start focusing on the classroom,” he told Bill Maher on Feb. 28—blunt as ever.

Some party vets see gold. David Axelrod, another Obama alum, gushed to Politico, “Who has more relevant experience?” He praised Emanuel’s grit and plain talk, a style that cuts through the noise. Conservatives scoff, sure, he’s seasoned—but it’s a scandal-soaked resume.

The baggage is heavy. Chicago’s mayor years? A mess of mob-tied fundraising whispers and city contracts that stunk of corruption, critics say. Private emails for public biz? Transparency took a hit. Republicans grin, this guy’s a walking liability—2028’s dream could be a nightmare.

His Japan gig didn’t clean the slate. Emanuel mocked Chinese leaders on social media, stirring diplomatic pots. Progressives might cringe too—he’s a centrist who’s dodged their pet issues. “I don’t want to hear another word about the bathroom,” he told Maher, dismissing woke debates.

Democrats are split already. Some see a fighter who can slug it out with Trump’s legacy—pragmatic, not preachy. Others, like Doug Sosnik, quip to Politico, “20 years ago it would have been an article in The Onion.” Conservatives bet the left’s desperate for a savior, even a flawed one.

Emanuel’s style’s no secret. “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste,” he said in 2008, Wall Street Journal nodding. It’s cutthroat, and Axelrod loves it—“an idiom most folks understand.” Republicans counter, it’s slick, sure, but scandals trail him like shadows.

He’s got the chops—Clinton aide, congressman, Obama’s enforcer, mayor, ambassador. Yet the rap sheet’s long: mob whispers, email dodges, and now snubbing USAID’s closure at a February event, per Politico. Conservatives ask, is this the best Dems can dig up?

The base might balk. Progressives want firebrands, not Emanuel’s “let’s fix schools” centrism. Still, he’s not fazed. “Nobody looks at a presidential campaign and does it to say, ‘Well, we’ll see what this feels like,’” he told Politico. Republicans say, bring it—he’s Trump bait.

America’s watching a phoenix or a flop. Emanuel’s back, stirring Dem hopes with a battered playbook. Conservatives stand ready—his 2028 dream’s a gift, scandals and all. Time to see if this old dog’s got new tricks or just old baggage.