Interesting guests at Gutierrez event
Tuesday, Dec 13, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller
Do you really think he’ll run?
Congressman Luis Gutierrez has big political plans that may include a run for mayor of Chicago.
On Monday night, Gutierrez appeared at a rally in Humboldt Park. He did not make any formal announcement, but CBS 2’s Rafael Romo reports the congressman sounded a lot like a candidate.
“I’m ready! Are you ready?†Gutierrez called out at the rally. He says he’s not running for mayor yet, but he looked like a candidate.
“Imagine just for a moment what we could do with all of those if they were spent on the mayor’s office on the fifth floor,†Gutierrez said.
According to the story, Ald. Ed Burke and First Lady Patti Blagojevich were both in attendance.
“Congressman Gutierrez is intelligent, he’s thoughtful, he’s caring, he’s also quite funny,†Mrs. Blagojevich was quoted as saying.
No word on whether the Congressman went all Joe Pesci on the First Lady for that “funny” remark.
- nosweat - Tuesday, Dec 13, 05 @ 2:29 am:
I heard on a news report that some anti-HDO candidates were in attendance. Some of them had anti-HDO buttons proudly displayed.
- dumpdaley - Tuesday, Dec 13, 05 @ 3:47 am:
I think it would be awesome to see Chicago have a serious political battle for its future. Daley has micromanaged the city but mysteriously doesn’t know anything about all the corruption. Guiterrez is a serious candidate. Toss in Jesse Jr and if you get a big-name Republican, you could see the Daley dynasty come to an end.
- Cassandra - Tuesday, Dec 13, 05 @ 8:15 am:
Mayor Daley has done a lot of great stuff but he persists in supporting a patronage-based hiring and contracting system that is simply too corrupt to ignore.
Unfortunately, there is no reason to believe that Gutierrez or Jesse Jr would take a different approach.
So it would be same trough, different pigs, no doubt, should one of the challengers win.
The answer is structural reform, and I doubt that any of these candidates would serious support it. Look at how Daley is continuing to
fight Shakman. In his heart, he almost certainly believes in a governing system based on political patronage for both hiring and contracting.
- Randall Sherman - Tuesday, Dec 13, 05 @ 9:01 am:
I guess Patti Blagojevich didn’t care much for the Monday Night Football game between Atlanta and the New Orleans/Baton Rouge/San Antonio/Los Angeles??? Saints!
- Mike's Used Sport's Section - Tuesday, Dec 13, 05 @ 10:31 am:
That game sucked Randall. That is very strange about her being there. Perhaps the Governor doesn’t think he needs any votes from the City to win next fall or perhaps she was there because she wants to be Luis’ realtor next time he buys a $2 million dollar home with no property taxes to pay.
Rich - one of your news feeds yesterday linked to an Indiana newspaper that had an editorial ripping Emil Jones for going to the Gaming Board. I thought they made some great points that haven’t been raised elswhere. Perhaps a thread about that?
- Mike's Used Sport's Section - Tuesday, Dec 13, 05 @ 10:33 am:
sorry Rich, I see you did cover that on Friday - my bad
- Punley Deter Finn - Tuesday, Dec 13, 05 @ 11:21 am:
Maybe Patti thought Luis was running for Governor.
- Pat Collins - Tuesday, Dec 13, 05 @ 12:16 pm:
When would the mayoral race be? It is non-partisan, or would he run in the primary?
Luis G will have a hard time convincing people he can run a big city. Da Mare has had a rough time lately, but overall the city is in rather good shape.
There might also be the same dynamic that was in the previous LA mayor’s race. That could also work in reverse, too…..
- Howie - Tuesday, Dec 13, 05 @ 1:30 pm:
Pat, all Chicago Mayor elections are now non partisian, and has been for the last 2 or 3 cycles. I think the last time there was a primary was in 1995.
- Liquid Tartar Remover - Tuesday, Dec 13, 05 @ 4:06 pm:
Congressman Guitereez has done a great job of representing the interests of his Hispanic constituency in the Congress of the United States. Primarily a niche Congressman, Guiterrez would never be able to generate the all around support necessary to take the Mayor’s office. And if the Congressman believes thousands of Hispanics will join an organization and hit the streets ringing doorbells in the freezing cold February primary weather without the jobs and such the HDO promised and delivered his chances rank right up there with Ozzie Guillen.