Chicago - Emmanuel Begins Mayoral Run – From Dead Fish Send-Off to Web Video Announcement the Race To Replace Daley is On.

Emmanuel Announces Mayoral Bid - image Washington Post


Ah - Chicago Politics! Rahm Emmanuel left the White House with a gift from the President that, from the Washington Post’s perspective, was reminiscent of Emmanuel’s management style – he received a “dead Asian Carp”. Apparently, if someone were to cross Emmanuel, they might find themselves in possession of a dead fish – the meaning of which is clear to anyone with any familiarity with American mobsters.


From Union Mobsters in Chicago - a threat to "sleep with the fishes - 1908

The receipt of a dead fish is an old mob style threat, basically meaning “you’ll be sleeping with the fishes”. Emmanuel must be well versed in Chicago History – the term shows up circa 1908, when the city was threatened by union anarchists known as the “Red Menace”(Worth the Fee from Chicago Tribune archives.) a sheriff going over police reports found this gem: “I am with the mob. I would like to go out right now with the mob behind me and kill every policeman on the street and then throw their bodies in the lake, like so many dead fish”. (The union mobster was referring to the uproar in Chicago over the assassinations of European Monarchy in Spain and Portugal.)

So much for the God Father reference.

The next step for Emmanuel was an internet announcement (shown below) of his intent to run for Mayor of Chicago. It opens with platitudes for the departing Mayor Daley, and goes on with a threat to those “Gang bangers” who run Chicago streets. Emmanuel intends to begin a city wide tour to listen to the concerns of the people. He appears comfortable and confident in his quest for the Windy City’s top job, and obviously the man is tough enough to take the reins from Daley. That said; there is a question of legality brought to bear of Emmanuel’s’ residency.

Over at the Chicago Sun Times, the question is raised about the legality of Emmanuel’s run due to a lack of residency. The City has a residency requirement that an individual must not only have an address but actually reside in the City. Rahm Emmanuel, does have an address, has voted absentee from Chicago, however, had rented out his home and the tenant refuses to break the lease. That said, one has to wonder who would have the chutzpah to refuse to leave the house of a man who would send one a “dead fish”? In all seriousness, the fact that the Emmanuel has a residence, rented or no, and votes in the City of Chicago (absentee or no), may weigh in his favor with the powers that be in Chicago. In addition, one would have to question why a man, who is savvy in the way of said City politics, would leave the White House to run for Mayor of Chicago if he were not confident that he would be on the ballot. Smart money in this case, would be on Rahm Emmanuel, regardless of the residency, or the fact that he is not an “Irish Catholic” or has competition from “political hot property – Tommy Dart” – he has the persona to run the City in the “old-fashioned Chicago style”.

Rahm Emanuel Heads To Chicago – Progressives Flip As Rouse Named Staff Replacement

Progressives find more of the same, Rouse and Rahm, with Axelrod seated (Progressive hero)

Rahm Emanuelis due to leave the White House Today as Obama’s Chief of Staff, Pete Rouse has been named interim replacement. Emanuel will seek the office of Mayor of Chicago, a position left open with the current Mayor Daley’s retirement. Apparently, Emanuel’s style of management, which most observers would consider nothing short of brilliant, (considering he masterminded the Democrat resurgence in 2006, pandering to the press, while pushing what came to be known as “Blue Dog” (conservative) Democrats through to victory in normally Republican strongholds to take the majority back from Republicans in both chambers of the Congress.

Pete Rouse, a long-time mentor of President Obama, will be named interim Chief of Staff. Rouse, who served as Tom Daschle’s aid (Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader who lost his seat to Republican Jon Thune in in 2004) prior to moving onto Illinois to work for then Senator Obama. Rouse has a long history with the Democrats, when he began his political career in 1973 in the Congress as an aid, where he was known behind the scenes as the 101st Senator.

Meanwhile, over at the Daily Kos (Progressive hotbed blog), the rank and file are no happier with Rouse than they were with Rahm Emanuel. First, Emanuel has done nothing but irritate the Progressives intent on placing their personal brand of Socialism on the Democrat Party, going so far as to called Progressives about to take out attack ads on Democrats trying to save their jobs over Health Care Reform, “f-ing retarded”. Now, the problem with Rouse is that being excoriated by comments over at the Kos, complete with photos of Sergeant Shultz of the old Television Show, Hogan’s Heroes.

Some commenters are so concerned that they are hoping for the return of Emanuel should he not be successful in his run for Mayor of Chicago. However, as Rahm Emmanuel heads towards a position for which is most aptly suited, and it appears the mid-term elections, despite the best efforts of the Democrats and the blame game, will be less than stellar for the Democrats, there has to be someone at the White House to help and, at least appear to regroup.

To get the media take and profile on Pete Rouse, check out the piece on the Washington Post Blog, by Ezra Klein. who opines that there will be little change to the administration with the Rouse in the house.