The Chicago Machine Changes Gears
by Monica CrowleyIn the Mother of All Political Machines, there will be a changing of the guard. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, scion of the most ruthless and relentless political machine in American political history, has announced that he will not seek a whopping SEVENTH term. Wants to retire, he says. Interesting. Daleys don’t retire. They just stay in office, abusing power, forever.
But this Daley has decided to bow out, for some real reason we’ll find out later. That means Chicago will be getting a new mayor soon. And that new mayor just may be…Rahm Emanuel?
Obama’s Chief of Staff is a Chicago boy. He was a Clinton White House senior adviser, a Chicago-area Congressman, and head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee before his current gig. By the way, he’s just not that into his current gig. He was into it when they were riding high, but now that Obama’s sucking salt, he’s dying to get outta there.
So, he’s going to run for mayor of Chicagoland. And he’ll win, because Chicago is Chicago. Beautiful city, ridiculously stupid politics. In Chicago, if you’re not indicted, you’re not invited.
One thing’s for sure: if Rahm runs for mayor, he will be leaving a gaping hole in the Obama White House. Yes, he’s profane and brutal and a huge jerk. But he’s also the only guy in this White House who is a true political animal and not a pure ideologue. Obama, David Axelrod, and Valerie Jarrett—the three remaining in the Bama Inner Circle—are complete, true-believing Saul Alinsky devotees. For them, the top-to-bottom remaking of America as a wealth-redistributing, socialist state trumps everything, including politics, polls, and even re-election. Rahm is a dedicated Democrat, but he’s not stupid. He tried to throw the brakes on Obamacare and Obama’s misguided Ground Zero mosque comments, as well as other off-the-wall Obama policies. He’s the only character in this White House that could possibly save it from itself.
But he wants out big time. The rats are bailing on the sinking ship: first key economic advisers Christina Romer and Peter Orszag said sayonara. Now Rahm is about to wave goodbye. There will be others after the November election.
This White House will miss Rahm. For all his faults—and they are legion—he was, God help us, the only voice of reason in there.
Soon, he’ll be Mayor Rahm. Hey Chicago: you’ve got that to look forward to.
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103 Comments
This will certainly be interesting!
" He’s the only character in this White House that could possibly save it from itself.
But he wants out big time. The rats are bailing on the sinking ship: first key economic advisers Christina Romer and Peter Orszag said sayonara. Now Rahm is about to wave goodbye. There will be others after the November election."
The handwriting is on the wall.
Obama's party is over!
Color me surprised.
The fix is in for Rahm, just another honest politician.
I say good. Let Rahm deal with the implosion of the Illinois financial default and the street crime so bad Chicago was calling for the national guard to hit the streets.
.
Yep….high gear change. The "dead fish" will bring corruption to new unprecedented levels And that's hard to beat even for Chicago ! Used to be such a grand city…..spent a lot of time there years ago.
Rahm is homesick.
There's not enough corruption in Washington for him.
So…. Chicago will change hands from one crime family head to another, La Cosa Nostra is alive and well…
"But this Daley has decided to bow out, for some real reason we’ll find out later."
His wife has cancer. Keep it classy Crowley.
With any luck, Rham could still spend a lot of time there. Or close by, in Joliet………..
But it's okay for you Progressives to be classless……
How interesting…….
…………………I think they call it a double standard
Most likely a heads up from his buds at the the DOJ.
Don't you think there may be some folks in Chicago that have been waiting for their turn at Major? Somebody that has been doing Daley's daily "good deeds" that is better connected than Rahm that thinks that they deserve it. Don't know who that is, but Rahm better not make any assumptions.
Great "Howard Beale" talking points last night Monica! http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/oreilly/index.html#...
What, is the Chicago mayor's position just "gifted" to a sleazebag like this, or do the people actually get to vote? Why would they knowingly vote themselves more of the same crap-?
Musical Chairs
Rahm shouldnt get the shot for the job, the Voters in the city should get to pick.
The voters may want Rev. Wright
It'll be interesting to see how they spin this…
Excuse me? She was diagnosed in 2002 with breast cancer. If Richie was so concerned with her well being – why has he run for re-election twice since then?
He is a douchebag – please don't try and represent him as anything else.
Now THAT, would have some entertainment value!
Maybe even Jessie Jackson Jr……………..
If Rahm wants out how about he takes BO with him
I have a dream. Rahm Emanuel leaves DC, runs for mayor of Chicago, and he loses. How fitting. Otherwise he will do the same thing to Chicago that he did when visiting Israel as a private citizen – stick 'em with the bill. And neither Chicago nor Illinois need more bills. Both the city and state are broke. Let's hope the folks of Chicago are tired of failed politics.
Maybe after being mayor he can run for governor–the last few have gone to prison. He should think about that.
Many folks will claim Daley is leaving because of his wife's cancer,…………
But when dealing with Chicago politics,……….
there has always been an underlying reason to political decisions.
This one is no exception.
This man has sold this city's financial future for today's (his) legacy.
Just one example if you please:
the money that was garnered by the sale of the "Chicago Skyway",…………
was to provide the city with revenue for at least 10 years.
It has all been spent.
Here is one more:
The money generated from every parking meter in the city now goes to a private concern,……….
and the kicker is,…….we have to guarantee a profit margin.
The cancer,…..I'm afraid, has spread beyond Daley's wife.
Hopefully she will be cured,… but as for ours,………
I fear it is terminal.
You know what they say, once you go Black and all.
Blacks have new found political power, and Blacks are allowed to do that thing called Racial Pride…… whats called racism in the real world
If we stay engaged as we are now and can convince others to begin doing the same, we can once and for all begin to take this country back from the entitled ruling class that have been running the show for way too long. That includes Rahm.
The Chicago machine picks the winner, voters merely confirm it.
The light has been turned on and the rats are scurrying. How obvious.
My money is on Daleys brother, ya know keep it in the family; I have lived in Illinois for the past 14 years, nothing that these scumbags do suprises me. I wonder why no one has highlighted the railroading of Jack Ryan which led to Obama being in the white house; The real blockbuster is how our wonderful exgovernor was able to spend BILLIONS of taxpayers money to build a new tollroad system to electronically tax us more efficiently, meanwhile the companies that profited from those contracts, contribute the politicians that supply the contract and round and round we go, who gets screwed? The ones that pay the taxes! Oh and we are billions of dollars in deficit, oh happy day, what a great job these morons are doing! BTW Monica is HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Beauty and brains, Monica Crowley for Mayor of Chicago!
Speaking of corrupt political machines, today is the 75th anniversary of Sen. Huey Long-La. being shot down in the marbled hallway of the state capitol.
A fabulous paperback on Long is, Huey Long Invades New Orleans: Siege of a City, 1934-36
Heavily foot-noted, it tells of Long's threat to FDR's reelection with his Share the Wealth–Every Man a King campaign. Long had built a network of 7million, as I recall, with his newsletter.
My money's on FDR as the ultimate culprit
Great post Ralph!!….You are right-on, the Machine has ruined
a great city!!
Wasn't it in Chicago that the phrase was coined "Vote early, and vote often"? If he does become mayor expect to read stories of opponents waking up and finding horses heads, a la the Godfather, in their beds with them.
Poor Chicago. NOT.
Sorry ChicagoRalph, but when is the last time a politician in Chicago got ousted because they spent too much money?
If Rahm really wants to be mayor, how do you get the most powerful political family in Chicago to step down? It is a heck of a question. The answer would be hugely illuminating.
And I'm sorry, but a wife's cancer (God bless her) does not qualify giving up a generational throne.
I prefer to call it ideologue wrapped insanity.
In Chicago it doesn't matter who you actually vote for, the voter rolls have enough names from dead people to keep the corruption going forever.
Meet the new boss
Same as the….
Dr. Crowley, great job on O'Reilly last night BTW. Could Rhammy just be looking to get a little closer to the mechanics? After all, he could be brought before the court for his part in the Blago scandal and he would be in a position to grease the cogs. He is a political carnivore but I believe he has a specific tune in all of his steps.
Off Topice:
I saw Jan Brewer on Hannity last night. She made a couple of statements that stuck in my head.
1. She has not been able to get an appointment with the White House over the border issues and the DoJ suing,,,,he has not been able to find time in his schedule. He has spent more time washing his golf balls than he has with our border security.
2. DoJ has spent more time and resources suing different entities in AZ than they have any other issues: Guantanamo, Black Panthers, ACORN,,,,
3. This one was the best zinger: The unions and their representatives have spent more time in the White House than Obama.
Exactly! By the time the dead vote, people vote multiple times, the drunk and drugged are dragged to the polls, and the threats and bribes are meted out, the Democrat will win. It could be Satan himself and he would win with a comfortable lead. If the people of Chicago allow this to continue, they deserve the high taxes and high crime rate!
Agreed, take a look at the paragon of compassion and morality: John Edwards
Sad but true. I left the Chicago area after college and have never regretted my move to Texas. I was upset when my son had to move to Chicago for his job for several years. He loved the city, but hated the high taxes and crime. It is really sad that the machine bribes, threatens, drags the drunk and drugged to the polls, and has the dead vote and some vote multiple times to insure its candidates win. The people of Chicago could do something about this if they united, but each year they let it continue it gets more difficult. Until they at least try to get this stopped, I am sorry to say I think they deserve the high taxes and crime rate. It is a beautiful city that has been ruined like liberals. I look to it to be another Detroit in 10 years.
it ain't gonna be Rahm.
i'm willing to bet the house on that right now.. he is not liked by the city council. the Aldermen do not want a heavy handed outsider.
my guess is that Rahm will run, but will be beat in the primary…will it be by a Madigan? one of the Jackson clan? the Cook County Sheriff? and as someone else mentioned, Roland Burris still has room on his crypt!!
This guy sold his cities assets in order to fund his spending habits. To private firms he sold the Skyway and that money is gone the company that runs the Skyway has since made millions,sold the parking meters that money is 75% gone, while the company who purchased the meters raised prices and will make billions from the meters . Destroyed Meigs Field an FAA controlled airport in the middle of the night (A felony) so his wife could build a park, changed Soldier Field so much it is no longer a historic place (a felony), has a hole in the ground thats someday will be an airport (if they get funding) Basically he sold the whole city off . He says good bye to Chicago and the 500 million in debt he has made. Cut and run Democrat Mayor.
What a PIECE OF LIB !
Rahm is not liked by the powers that be in Chicago.
he may run, but he won't have machine support.
yes it does. and you say 'generational throne', but there were several mayors between Richie and his dad.
i'm not crazy about Richie Daley, but have no doubt that he LOVES Maggie more than anything.. he is not Al Gore or John Edwards.
right… we created this mess. the citizens are complicit.
"Color me surprised." you racist! bwahahahaaaaaa!!!!!!!
Will he actually run for office or will he be deemed the Mayor by executive order…?
nope. it's not gonna be Bill. bet on it. he doesn't have the support of the machine, and the city doesn't have the stomach right now to elect another Daley… similar to Jeb Bush's situation…unelectable. for now.
Chicago, and increasingly everywhere else, get the government they deserve- good & hard.
And they will be fooled again.
I hope everyone spends the time to read #11 , "Why Are Media Ignoring Trumka's Background?" It is really an eye opener.
wow. great catch… Daley doesn't want to be shot. and he doesn't want to keel over in office like his old man.
I thought he was an insider. Ms. Jarrett was one of his glowing admirers and she is a major cog.
Bingo!
Yep…He has run out of things to "privatize". My only fear is that he will be replaced with someone far worse. (if that is possible…and in Chicago…it is.)
No argument here!
Thank you, Flyover. Maggie's illness, indictments all around him, even suicide in the ranks didn't give Daley pause. There is some other motive here.
Yep. You read my mind…
You are correct, but it's we the taxpayer who are going to be stuck bailing them out of debt. BO's not going to let CA, NY, or Illinois go bankrupt. He and the dims need their votes this fall and again in 2012. Just watch which states receive the largest slices of the pie of his new 50 billion "stimulus"(vote buyer) bill.
This Chicago mayor thing is F-ing golden… Blago for mayor! Ha!
Excuse me? John Edwards used his wifes cancer as a political prop. The Daley Machine is well oiled and runs on enertia. Something up, and the current Mayor wants no part of it.
If Rahm doesn't win, Obama better make plans to relocate to Brazil or some other country that doesn't extradite criminals to the U.S because he'll write the definitive (it's probably already written) tell-all book.
My favorite Daley-ism:
"It's the silliest thing I've ever heard in my life. It really is silly. It's silly, silly, silly. It is just silly. Silliness. It is silly. Completely silly.You've been on [the Skyway]. Come on. It's silly.You know me. That is the silliest thing I've ever heard."
The topic was an allegation that Daley had a lane cleared of traffic on the Chicago Skyway whenever he left town for his Michigan home.
I s'pect ol' deadfish will call in a few favors, a few kneecaps will get hurt, and *presto* it'll be Mayor Deadfish.
"In Chicago, if you’re not indicted, you’re not invited."
Thanks, Monica, for this funny phrase. You made me smile this morning.
A sobering thought. I think you just ruined my day.
Rahm and Chicago, a perfect fit! With his union thug buddies' help, he's a shoo-in to rape and pillage the citizens of Chicago for many, many years to come! I bet you folks are really looking forward to that, huh?
Rahm "The Tutu" Emmanuel the SEIU and the Teachers Union, a match made in hell for all of Chicago!
And DRY!
Prog/Libs have no sense of irony.
Personally, I think that the financial situation in Chicago and Illinois is worse than they are letting on. Mr. "Corrupt as they get" Daley can see the writing on the wall and knows that he has NO chance to stop the bleeding and is trying to leave before the blame falls to him. I also think that it is tooooo late for that too. The blame is coming Daley.
Bringing back Jane Byrne?
Mom!
I have missed your input. How are you doing? You have been missed here.
Yes, I saw that Howard Beale segment. Monica did an Excellent job with the talking points memo. She read it clearly, slowly, and succinctly. it was a home run!
Mine (from his father, Hizzoner, during the '68 Dem Convention): Der are dose who say da police are out der creating disorder. Da police are not here to create disorder. Da police are here to preserve disorder."
When you pull the lever on a Chicago voting machine is it the water efficient 1.28 gallon per flush ?
Hi Cowboy, thanks! Yes, she did a great job didn't she?! And the main reason I have not been to this site as of late, is that I was picking up viruses, and it would happen nearly every time after being on this site. And it ends up costing me money to have my computer guy come over and fix the darn computer – yet AGAIN.
aaaahhhh….Lady Jane.
that reminds me…going through a box of stuff last night and found a Harold Washington campaign pin. "it has to be Harold" was the slogan.
maybe rezko can get out in time to run for big dicks seat.
I know what you mean.
I have not talked about it, but over the course of the past year, I have had my computer totally trashed three time. Sometimes, I wonder, "is it worth it?"
The answer still is a resounding "YES!"
Yup. That's where my money is.
I hear you. Makes it difficult for me because I work from home as a technical recruiter and my computer is my life blood, and if it's down, I can lose out on a lot of money. And in this crappy economy, I can't afford to be down. My son is doing well, he's now in Southern Afghanistan kicking asses, getting into gun battles – he said the Taliban have guns but the fools can't shoot!
Monica Crowley is hot.
Rahm needs to get to Thieving in Chicago while the Thieving is still good. Should he wait until Obama is booted in 2012 there might be nothing left to steal.
Chicago deserves better, but history suggests they're likely to let this crook/thug steal the office and continue to win the award as America's most corrupt mega-city.
why bother? NY, CA and IL all vote Demoncrat anyway! he'll use that money to buy borderline states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, most likely.
Could it be that Blago had dealings that will lead to the Mayor's office?
wasn't the 'silly' rant directed at Tribune writer John Kass?? pretty funny…he has a little bit of Yogi Berra in him.. 80% perspiration, 25% frustaculation.
They can all run, but when we get our Grand Jury Investigation going for Abuse of Power, we'll know where to find them ALL!
I suggest we give Tom Dart a good look there ChiTown.
certainly not any of the usual suspects or anyone in the Daley administration.
Monica is hot Hot!
Love seeing her on The McLaughlin Group even if the penance is having to endure that odious, bigoted Obama-loving democrat mouth Eleanor Clift for half the program.
BO can't afford to let his base be eroded in those states. He will support them.
I say let Chicago have Rahm! They deserve whatever he has to dole out! Personally, can't imagine anyone voting for him, for anything!!!
My thoughts exactly!!!
If people wanted "change" in 2008 then they should have voted for the ticket with a self-made governor from AK who single-handedly dismantled the corrupt REPUBLICAN machine plaguing the state. Who else can claim such a victory as Palin can? She fired dirty republicans and some even went to jail as a result of intolerance for "the good ol boy network".
Contrast Palin with Obama, a man who crawled out of the most politically in America without ever speaking out against its filthy ways, and people actually thought ol' barry obama was a good guy.
Haven't been to Chi town in many years until this summer. Twice as a matter of fact. I have to admit that I was shocked at how "nice" the city actually appears. I guess it just goes to show "you can't judge a book by its cover" as I'm aware of all the political corruption and crime that exists. I forgot to look into visiting the CCX. Wonder if I would have seen any of BO's buddies there!
I don't know why Rahm would want to be mayor. Daley has already looted the town clean. There's nothing left for Rahm to steal.
We could do worse. I would love to see a split caucus with the Dems and a stong fiscal conservative emerge.
Today people in Chicago have been running around like the fish of bikini bottom in a sponge bob episode. Why with Oprah quitting in 2011 and with Daley not giving it the ol' machine try. . it's an anythings possible game. Think of the hubris of Oprah the night before the olympic decision tawking "partay" and then the shock and awe in the daley center when the actual announcement came down. That's how it feels in Chicago tonight. It's kinda creepy and awkward.
Council Wars,…….????
Exactly.I almost remember them like they were yesterday… Who did the GOP run? Was it Bernie Epton? Good times…
Is Rahm Corrupt Enough??
I wonder if when Little Dick Daley is no longer mayor, will he have armed body guards with licenses to carry concealed weapons, or will he will live like the rest of "the little people" in Chicago and rely on calling 911 when the shit hits the fan? Sort of like Diane Feinstein in San Francisco when she was mayor. Very tight controls for everyone not on the inside of City Hall, but DiFi had snubbies in each of her hightop boots. Very much "do as I say, not as I do."
Maybe. My first thought is that if we looked into the stimulus package, we'd find a great deal of money in Chicago if you know what I mean.
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