What did Rahm Emanuel intend to communicate with this bold declaration of "Never let a crisis go to waste"?

One would naturally surmise, based on the steps taken by the present government, that it was about the intent to grow the size and reach of government under the guise of responding to the economic crisis. What do you think?

I am also curious what people think about the grassroots response to what this present government has been doing. I see the growing government and growing grassroots tension being the big story on the political scene today. What do you think about that? Let me explain what I mean about this idea of "The Tension". One of the obvious things one sees in the grassroots is that there is growing anger and fear among the small-federal-government grassroots right now. I think the fear side of the tension comes from a sense of powerlessness to stop the runaway spending. And the anger side of the tension has a lot to do with the money being spent and the debt load being passed on to the next generation as a result. But, as we have seen in the nature of the tea parties, townhalls on healthcare reform, and various marches on Washington, the grassroots is not unhinged. I think there is a resolve based on a recognition that America’s founding values are on the side of the people, not the growing State. So that means in this tension there is a sort of great awakening taking place--a sense in the political grassroots of having the moral high ground, and having an imperative to act.

This action is not only a response to the growing State, but also a sense that we must be the ones to right the ship and change the game, if it is to ever be changed at all. Skeptics abound in Washington. They have data on their side. Plenty of candidates say they want to change the culture in Washington, but the culture seems to never really change. So is this different? Is true revolution in the air, or is this just a brief surge of enthusiasm, followed by a return to politics as usual?

This is a multifaceted discussion. But we are in a economic crisis and much worse economic times loom, so we should not shrink back from complex questions. It may take time to sort through it, but at least people are asking these fundamental questions about the relationship between the individual and the government. I'd say the grassroots is not letting this crisis go to waste, either. What say you?