Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

* UPDATED x1 * Worst. Story. Ever.

Posted in:

Illinois
Obama

* I think I’ve found the single worst Rahm Emanuel story in the history of Planet Earth…

Rahm Emanuel reached out to Chicago voters in his White House resignation speech even though he hasn’t formally announced he’s running for mayor.

He connected to Jewish voters by mentioning his bar mitzvah. He got to sports fans by mentioning the Chicago Bears’ 3-0 record. He talked about how his mother marched with Martin Luther King Jr., in a nod to black voters and others. He choked up talking about his family, showing his sensitive side.

Wow. Just, wow. I’ve seen campaign-generated tip sheets which were far more subtle than that idiotic tripe.

* Robert Gibbs had this to say at today’s White House press briefing when asked if the president would campaign for Rahm Emanuel…

“I don’t — I don’t believe any — I don’t have anything on that. I don’t — I don’t know the answer to that, to be honest with you. I think — I mean, obviously the president was — you’ve heard what the president said over the past several weeks and what the president said today about Rahm and his next endeavors.”

Smooth talker, that Gibbs. And just in case anyone at the White House sees this, have Gibbs return my call, please. I want to ask him about a topic I’ve never seen the president address: State Sen. Bill Brady. The two often played poker together back when Obama was a colleague. Brady’s been in the race for months, but Obama has been curiously silent.

* Let’s move on to far more interesting mayoral news…

Sneed is told [Rev. Sen. James Meeks], a state senator who is very unpopular in the gay community for his track record on gay issues, requested a hush-hush meeting with Rick Garcia, a top Illinois gay rights activist, days after Mayor Daley decided not to run again.

“Rev. Meeks, who would never return Rick’s calls in the past, is now treating Rick like his best friend,” said a source familiar with the meeting.

• The upshot: “It’s true we met, and Rev. Meeks has a completely anti-gay voting record and said horrible things about the gay community,” Garcia, a founder of Equality Illinois, told Sneed. “But my job is to build bridges, so we met at his Salem Baptist Church.”

• The final shot: “He [Meeks] told me he knows its going to be a hard sell and a hard stretch to endorse him, but he wanted to make sure he didn’t say things wrong. It was mainly an educational meeting,” said Garcia, “but it lasted two hours.”

Glenn Poshard snubbed the gay community in 1998 and it cost him dearly. Meeks won’t change his stripes, but at least he can change his rhetoric. Whoever wins will be mayor of the entire city, so it’s good to see he realizes that he needs to work on his mouth, as well as his heart.

* Greg Hinz has an interesting take on where the big money is going. Mostly, right now, to THE MAN WHO MUST NOT BE MENTIONED, but Sheriff Dart is picking up some bucksters…

Insiders say a second candidate, Sheriff Tom Dart, is likely to have one big business name in his camp, Mesirow Financial’s James Tyree — who’s also an owner of the Sun-Times. Mr. Tyree wouldn’t commit when my colleague Steve Strahler briefly chatted with him early in the week, but he has deep roots in Mr. Dart’s home 19th Ward on the Southwest Side.

Mr. Dart also may be best positioned to get money and troops from the Service Employees International Union, with whom he’s had a decent relationship at Cook County Jail.

SEIU absolutely despises THE MAN WHO MUST NOT BE MENTIONED. That’ll be a lot of fun to watch.

Hinz claims that Gery Chico is saying he can raise $5 million and reports that the Illinois Restaurant Association is gearing up to spend $150,000. More…

Preacher-politician James Meeks has deep respect in portions of the business community for his willingness to back school vouchers. Others, in the gambling business, like him because he’s against any further expansion of legal gambling here.

But many African-American business types are said to really like former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun. And it will be fascinating to see where President Obama’s circle of black business folk ends up — with Mr. Meeks, Ms. Braun or Mr. Emanuel.

*** UPDATE *** Your weekly exclusive preview of WBEZ’s “Best Game in Town” has just arrived. Click here to listen. From the producer…

This week on Best Game in Town – we head to Chicago’s Daley Plaza to talk about the resignation of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and the rest of the week’s political news with NPR’s David Schaper and Crain’s Chicago Business Columnist Greg Hinz.

Also, we sit down with Nancy Kaszak to talk about her experience running against Rahm almost a decade ago.

* Rahmup…

* Emanuel mayoral team would need to explain $17 million bank pay: Emanuel, 50, earned at least $17 million in three years as an investment banker after leaving the Clinton White House, public records show. While that part of his resume didn’t hurt him when he first ran for Congress in 2002, any new bid for public office would come amid criticism of Wall Street’s excesses and a U.S. unemployment rate of 9.6 percent. “It didn’t have traction because it was before the markets went down,” said Nancy Kaszak, who lost to Emanuel in the 2002 Democratic primary to represent part of Chicago’s north side and northwest suburbs. “There are a lot of people who are very angry now because of the finances they are facing. I think it is a potentially more harmful issue now.”

* Davis: No “Coronation of Prince Rahm Emanuel”

* Emanuel leaves White House: Alderman Ed Burke says he cannot remember when Emanuel ever visited his Southwest Side 14th Ward and wonders if just under five months is enough time for any candidate to make a citywide impression.

* Former Emanuel Foe: ‘Take Him Very Very Very Seriously’: I mean, he brought Bill Clinton in to campaign for him here. He had Paul Simon endorse him.

* It’s the Big Leagues Now, Rahm: “He’s a big political bully,” said Ricardo Munoz, an alderman who admits that he is “not a fan” of Mr. Emanuel. “There’s talk at City Hall, people out loud saying, ‘Do we want to go from a Daley dictatorship to another bully dictatorship?’ ”

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:04 pm

Comments

Gibbs doesn’t return calls.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:14 pm
An e-mail would be fine. He e-mailed Sneed yesterday, for crying out loud.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:15 pm
Maybe Twitter…

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:17 pm
I have his private cell number, but I always get that “I’m sorry, but the person you called has a voicemail box that has not been set up yet. Goodbye,” message. I guess I have to call him in the middle of the night. Maybe that’ll work. Have a few cocktails first, just to get warmed up. lol

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:20 pm
Meeks and Emmanuel are both no-go for this gay voter.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:20 pm
Note to Ald. Burke, the fact that Rahm hasn’t been to visit you is a big plus to alot of voters!

Comment by justbabs Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:21 pm
Gibbs is speechless about Rahm…? Amazing….Why wouldn’t he have an official line to peddle, instead of the fubblebum response given? Downstate Democrats will suffer longer than Moses did in the desert if Emanuel gets elected Mayor of Chicago.

Comment by Louis Howe Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:25 pm
Did anyone listening to Chico today praising his management skills recall how he managed his lawfirm into bankruptcy?

Comment by Sue Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:26 pm
Perhaps rev Meeks could have Bishop Eddie Long help with his recruitment of gay voters. This is stupid by meeks, a ploy. You should always watch your rhetoric, regardless of how you feel. You don’t have to agree with the gheys or even like them, but you should not hate them.

Comment by Wumpus Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:28 pm
That “Investment Bank” was called Freddie Mac, during the meltdown.

Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:29 pm
Apparently Rahm was trying to pretend to be a Chicago sports fan at his farewell ceremony and said the Bears were 3 and “zero.” He’s made other sports gaffes in the past, but given the context and the nature of the gaffe (i.e. the fact that that the difference between saying “zero” and saying “oh” is so subtle to a non-sports fan but so obvious to a sports fan that it’s like wearing a neon sign flashing “poser”), this has to be the funniest.

Comment by centrist Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:30 pm
Any word if they are going use a 3 second delay during Rahm’s stump speech?

Comment by OneMan Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:40 pm
I caught the “three and zero” remark as well and immediately thought his professed Bears fandom sounded fake.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:44 pm
OneMan, you win the award for my biggest laugh of the day. I think the FEC is probably discussing that with the news stations right now.

Comment by Bakersfield Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:45 pm
I look forward to Rahm our infamously foul mouthed inside player and White House survivor facing off against the Reverend known for his public concerns over education.

Dart and Emanuel are splitting too many of the same bases to survive a unified AA or Hispanic candidate.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:45 pm
I bet Rahm wins - just what the dems in Chicago deserve.

Comment by dupage dan Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:51 pm
Chico’s ego could fill the United Center. He was embarrassed in the US Senate Race, he is knee deep in Blago-world, his lobbying practice is a oppo researchers paradise, he has served Mayor Daley well but his appointments will make him have to own all of the tax and fee increases from the Board of Ed, The Park District and the City colleges. I guess I have to hand it to him and admire him on some sick level. Most people, even politicians, would not stick heir necks out with that stuff hanging over them. Good luck Gery.

Comment by Cosmic Charlie Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:51 pm
Rich,

This is far from the worst story we’re going to read about Rahm. It will only get worse. Besides, what I suspect is that the actual writer was trying to mock the overly-pompous nature of Emanuel’s pandering. But some nitwit copy editor who takes everything literally managed to bleach out the tone that could have made this an interesting piece of writing.

-30-

Comment by Gregory Tejeda Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:52 pm
Can anyone explain why the media is using retreads for consulting? Nancy Kaszak - Don Rose this morning - you would think no one new has run a campaign in 40 years. There must be some quotable people who have recognizable names to voters in the last 10-15 years. No?

Comment by justbabs Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 1:54 pm
Greg, I think you’re giving them too much credit. Just sayin.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 2:02 pm
Ok, Rich, no wacky deli stuff.

How bout some posters brought to you by Chicagoist?

http://chicagoist.com/2010/10/01/lending_rahmbo_a_hand_with_campaign.php?gallery0Pic=6#gallery

Comment by IrishPirate Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 2:11 pm
Any thought on whether Dear Gov. Blago will actually call Rahm during his retrial (which would be right in the heart of the mayoral campaign)? What Blago might actually need those witnesses because I would think Fitz et al. will certainly be changing some of their tactics.

Comment by WUSTL Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 2:16 pm
By the way, just a reminder. None of this will in any way shape or form negatively impact the prospects for Democratic candidates in four+ weeks.

Rahmapalooza is good for Democrats.

Really.

No, I’m serious.

Comment by Adam Smith Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 2:20 pm
2012 is going to be one fun political year.

Comment by Boscobud Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 2:27 pm
All that I’ll say is that as bad as Rahm Emanuel might be as Mayor, he would definately be an improvement over Mayor Daley and the “Daley Lite” candidate, Sheriff Tom Dart. Under Dart, Sheriff’s deputies routinely treat county employees at the courthouses like they were peons.

Comment by fedup dem Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 2:28 pm
ugh. that story is just more of the same old song….
Rahm-a-lama-ding-dong.

sick of it already.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 2:28 pm
===like they were peons.===

Yeah. Rahm treats underlings so well. I hear that all the time. lol

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 2:35 pm
The first positive I’ve heard about Rahm If Seiu doesn’t like him he must of done something right. Seiu might not be able to spend as much as previous elections with all the legal problems they are having.

Comment by Fed up Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 2:40 pm
Don’t count on that, Fed up.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 2:41 pm
It will be nice when the media stops their fawning over Rahm and realize he isnt the heir to the crown.

Comment by Jake L Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 2:42 pm
when Hillary clinton went to new york to run for senate and then to actually be a senator in dc-an equally big controversial star, she ate humble pie 3 meals a day and basically left her crown, jewels and ego back in dc. it worked very very well for her in winning new york, particularly upstate which is very very conservative-think jack kemp and then as a senator in dc until the campaign for president, that sounds like the best formula for someone like him.

Comment by shore Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 2:45 pm
Methinks the Rahmster is incapable of anything like running a subtle campaign.

I expect massive commercial buys, massive fundraising, massive ground game, massive visits from out of state bigwigs endorsing him and ultimately a massive Rahm loss if he even makes the runoff.

The more Rahm acts like himself, the ultimate insider, the easier it will be too defeat him. All he needs to do now is jump up on a table and yell “bring it on” while swinging a dead fish with his arms.

Campaign Commercial filmed in front of Tom Dart’s modest house with his wife and brood in the background preferably with a big wheel and swing set somewhere in the picture:

“Hi, I’m Tom Dart. I’ve lived in Chicago my whole life. I’m not a Beltway Millionaire. I can’t call up Hollywood actors and expect massive campaign donations. I never became rich while going in and out of public service. For years I was one of the few state legislators without outside employment. I understand your problems because they’re my problems too. I’m asking for your support and that you let me stand with you in City Hall”.

Paid for by the Committee to Stop Rahm Emmanuel.

Comment by IrishPirate Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 3:02 pm
Gibbs would be a poor spokesperson for the local Rotary Club. To think this guy is THE spokeperson for the White House is beyond mindboggling.

Comment by Fred Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 3:10 pm
He never visited Ed Burke?

Look forward to some mean Sneedlings! Thou must be kind to the Burkes, get it, forget it, natch.

If they chat that would be Yum, Yum

Perhaps Rich Miller could be there and they could dine at Gibsons. Miller is ageless and priceless but not beardless.

Comment by OneMan Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 3:17 pm
–That “Investment Bank” was called Freddie Mac, during the meltdown.–

Cincy, you are absolutely wrong and really missing the point. Why? The facts are easy to find.

He was on Freddie Mac, but he made 95% of his money with Wassertein Perela, which wasn’t a player before he joined, and does not even exist today.

Your Fox News/Rush Limbaugh fever dreams about Freddie Mac (was ACORN involved?) are silly, and miss the big story.

Here’s a hint: The bulk of his earnings came out of his 24 months of “work” on big-time mergers involving ComEd and SBC.

To paraphrase Don Corleone, “what did he do to deserve such generosity?”

Did he have any acquaintances who were tight with ComEd and SBC? You think they might have discussed his future employment, among other things, while he was at the White House?

Just read the press from the time of the deals. There’s no mystery.

You think these Dems are anti-business Commies. You are so wrong and they laugh all the way to the bank.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 3:17 pm
the gay community is no fan of rahm either, as he got in the way of a more progressive White House. not sure what they think of Dart or who they’ll support.

@Vanilla Man 1:45PM - but it is a runoff, so if Meeks finished 1st and Rahm 2nd and Dart 3rd, Rahm would likely get Dart supporters - I think African American voters may be outnumbered in a runoff scenario

Comment by Jeanine Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 3:32 pm
Others have said it but Rahm’s Bear reference to 3 and “zero” definitely just blew the “I’m a regular Chicago guy and sports fan too” angle. It rang so false. I smiled when I heard it.

Rahm hopes the Bears make homeruns too.

Rahm don’t try to be what you are not. You are a jerk. Stick with that. It’s your bag.

Comment by jaded voter Friday, Oct 1, 10 @ 5:21 pm