News : Resolute's Goldner Included in Sun-Times Article
Daley mum on Emanuel's rumored run for mayor
Chicago Sun-Times
Mayor Daley said Wednesday he doesn’t respond to gossip columns and, therefore, has nothing to say about a Washington gossip columnist’s claim that White House Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel is mulling a run for mayor in 2011.
Washington Post columnist Sally Quinn caused a bit of a stir this week when she wrote that Emanuel was “said to have told people” that the job of White House chief-of-staff is an “18-month job” and that he’s considering running for mayor in 2011.
On Wednesday, Daley was asked about the political ambitions of Emanuel, who gave up his seat in Congress — and a career track that could have led to the coveted job of U.S. House speaker — to run the Obama White House.
“I don’t talk to gossip columns,” the mayor said after a joint news conference with U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios at Hitch Elementary School, 5626 N. McVicker.
“You’re not in the gossip column business. You have asked me a lot about gossip columns all the time and I don’t respond to ‘em.”
Daley’s approval rating has fallen to an all-time low of 35 percent after a year marred by the parking meter fiasco and Chicago’s stunning first-round knock-out in the Olympic sweepstakes. In December, he will surpass his father as Chicago’s longest-serving mayor.
Daley has not yet decided whether to seek re-election to a seventh term. But after the Olympic debacle, he chided reporters for writing his political “obituary” and insisted that he’s every bit as “passionate” about the job he has called the “best in America” as he was on the day he took office 20 years ago.
Given the deep ties between Emanuel and Daley, it’s almost inconceivable that the former North Side Congressman would challenge his political mentor.
In 1989, Emanuel used his Type-A personality and relentless fund-raising tactics to rake in $7 million in just 13 weeks for Daley’s mayoral campaign.
Emanuel was the mayor’s financial muscle man and did the same for President Bill Clinton with Daley’s help before joining the White House staff.
In 1999, he was Daley’s choice to serve as vice chairman of the Chicago Housing Authority. Three years later, Daley endorsed Emanuel for Congress, something the mayor rarely does in Democratic primaries, and went all-out to get him elected.
Emanuel’s congressional campaign was managed by former Daley aide Greg Goldner, a sidekick of Hispanic Democratic Organization chieftain Victor Reyes. Emanuel was also among those to benefit from the political army commanded by convicted First Deputy Water Commissioner Donald Tomczak. Like HDO, Tomczak’s army was rewarded with city jobs, promotions and overtime.
In 2005, Emanuel was the only prominent Democrat to stand up and publicly defend Daley during the height of the Hired Truck and city hiring scandals. But even he gave himself some cover.
In a keynote speech to the City Club of Chicago, the North Side congressman who owes his political soul to Daley said the mayor deserves blame for "out-sourcing his politics."
