Fact check this?

PolitiFact, the fact-checking operation created by the St. Petersburg Times, distant relative of FactCheck.org and supposedly objective cousin to Media Matters for America, announced two fact checks of Rahm Emanuel following his appearance on "This Week" with Jake Tapper.

The key claim from Emanuel apparently will not receive a fact check.  Perhaps that will occur eventually, since it figures to turn into a prime campaign message for the Democrats as election season looms:

TAPPER: Now Barton later apologized for his comments after some pressure from House Republican leaders. But the Svengali of the president's political arm, David Plouffe, has called for him to step down as ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Do you agree?

EMANUEL: That's for the Republicans to decide. What I think is more important, you can say it's a political gift for us, and it is. But it's dangerous for the American people, because while the ranking Republican would have oversight into the energy industry, and if the Republicans were the majority, would have actually the gavel and the chairmanship.

That's not a political gaffe, those were prepared remarks. That is a philosophy. That is an approach to what they see. They see the aggrieved party here is BP, not the fishermen. And remember, this is not just one person. Rand Paul, running for Senate in Kentucky, what did he say? He said the way BP was being treated was un-American.

Other members of the Republican leadership have come to the defense of BP and attacked the administration for forcing them to set up an escrow account and fund it to the level of $20 billion. These aren't political gaffes. You know, I've been in hearings. Joe Barton was speaking from prepared remarks. Rand Paul, who is running Kentucky, a leading Senate candidate for the Republicans said BP, the way they were being treated was un-American.  (bold emphasis added)

Emanuel has offered, as President Obama might say, a "false choice."

Rep. Barton's statement suggests nothing at all about his (or the GOP's) attitude toward fishermen.  Nor does it cast BP as "the" aggrieved party in the gulf oil spew (my recommended name for the phenomenon) situation.

BP is very probably rightly liable for extensive damages because of its actions in the Gulf of Mexico.  BP has affirmed that and has taken steps to shoulder its responsibility.  But in addition to being a party to blame, BP is also a victim of strong-arm tactics from the Obama administration.

BP is both a villain and a victim.  The two states are not mutually exclusive, contrary to what Emanuel suggests with his argument.

Fact check a key Democratic talking point?   Why would PolitiFact want to do that?

Wasn't that really just Emanuel's opinion?
They don't fact check opinion. Or something like that.