Showing posts with label Mayor Daley's Legacy.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mayor Daley's Legacy.. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Rahm is Mayor Daley's Guy? Well, Hush My Beak!

After a sobering weekend of Chico endorsements by real labor and a daffy TV ad, it appears that Rahm's Campaign of a Full Press Court nodded news-sleuth in the direction of the place where everyone else in Chicago arrived months ago.

"I have the advantage of knowing your habits, my dear Watson," said he. "When your round is a short one you walk, and when it is a long one you use a hansom. As I perceive that your boots, although used, are by no means dirty, I cannot doubt that you are at present busy enough to justify the hansom."
"Excellent!" I cried.
"Elementary," said he. "It is one of those instances where the reasoner can produce an effect which seems remarkable to his neighbour, because the latter has missed the one little point which is the basis of the deduction. The same may be said, my dear fellow, for the effect of some of these little sketches of yours, which is entirely meretricious, depending as it does upon your retaining in your own hands some factors in the problem which are never imparted to the reader.
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1893)


This morning I was treated to a singular news flash from Mark Brown, the guy who gave Scott Lee Cohen ( The Pawn Star Guv Guy) a long pass. This morning Mark Brown wrote that Rahm Emanuel is Mayor Daley's 'guy.' for mayor of Chicago.

While Daley has indeed publicly refrained from making an endorsement, it has been universally recognized in political circles that the mayor would prefer Rahm Emanuel to be the next mayor of Chicago. In the almost magical way these matters are communicated, Daley’s people got the message early and lined up accordingly, not to suggest they necessarily needed coaxing.


Astounding! How ever did he arrive at this conclusion? Why he asked someone with the full operation of his cranial think box - Gery Chico told him. Be astounded, dear reader!

Chico first acknowledged Daley’s support for Emanuel — albeit obliquely — over the weekend at a candidates forum sponsored by the 49th Ward political organization of Ald. Joe Moore. No reporters were there, but word got around.

“Gery said: You can’t change the status quo if you’re the guy who the status quo is lined up behind,” confirmed his press secretary, Brooke Anderson. “He said the status quo isn’t working, that he’s running for mayor to take Chicago in a new direction and that he has a record of challenging the status quo to get big results.”

Chico was asked about this Tuesday, leading to his further remarks about Daley backing Emanuel. I said that’s what’s been told to me to be the case. If it’s not, then the mayor can say it’s not,” Chico said.


Now, Mark Brown is even with the most notorious retired glue-sniffers and bust-outs in every Ward of Chicago - they picked up on the trail of the Napoleon of Chicago and his machinations as early as September, 2010 - and many long before. I was moved to write this sober assessment on September 25, 2010. for you here - on the hoary pages of With Both Hands, dear reader. Thus!

Michael Sneed got a scoop of WHUP Ass for her Friday Column - the word that Terry Peterson will be Rahm Emanuel's Campaign Manager. Terry Petersen ran Mayor Daley's recent wildly successful stomping of candidates. I imagine that it knocked Tom Dart back on his pins a bit, but Dart is a smart tough guy, from tough stock and training.

Tom Dart worked under the only person that I can think of who did not make any money in public service - former Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheahan. Michael Sheahan was one of the very first recipients of the Axelrod/Emanuel school of Policy assault. They barely ruffled his whiskers, but since Sheahan retired they have honed their craft on Republicans, recalcitrant Blue Dog Democrats, House Speaker Mike Madigan and Ohio Plumbers.

The signing of Terry Peterson is a coup. Mayor Daley is sitting this one out? I think not.

Tom Dart had a great mentor in Mike Sheahan. He'll stand the blows, but they will shower down like rains of this past summer. Michael Sheahan stuck his neck out and helped Mayor Daley get elected as Cook County States Attorney and as Mayor.

Mayor Daley has hosted the National Democratic Convention, made Chicago look like Paris and act like Somalia, placed his close aides in positions of national power ( David Wilhelm, Bill Daley, David Pouffe, Rahm Emanuel, Valerie Jarret, Desiree Rogers, Arne Duncan and most importantly David Axelrod), brokered the ascent of President Barack Obama, and has retired.

Retired but obviously not out of game. Mayor Daley represents the triumph of Policy over Politics. I believe that Richard M. Daley eschewed Ward level politics for Policy in order to distance himself and his works from the people of Chicago.

I can not remember the last time Mayor Richard M. Daley set foot in the 19th Ward - one of the last powerful Wards along with the 47th, 11th, 13th, and the decimated 10th. These were the Politics Wards that gave Richard M. Daley the 5th floor.

All other Wards are mere geographic delineations of racial and ethnic boundaries, or centers of tourism. They are Policy Wards.

Policy Wards require State and Federal tax-dollars. They operate by dint of media propaganda and rallies of angry folks. Policy uses anger. Politics uses obligation.

Obligation is much more difficult, rather inconvenient.

For all of the mythology about the power of these Politics Wards ( 11th, 19th, 13th, 47th and the decimated 10th), they are little more than minor baronies of public service, until an election requires foot soldiers.

These Wards made Rahm Emanuel a United States Congressman, Mike Quigley a Commissioner and managed to keep County Government moving despite the daffy meanderings of Todd Stroger.

Like Mayor Daley, Rahm Emanuel does not to set foot in a Ward. He will operate out of treasury and via NPR, WTTW,Columnists, Chicago Magazine, Oprah, the BGA already stocked with Andy Shaw,SEIU National and Illinois, UNITE, home and away and our transient Agenda voters.

Unlike Mayor Daley, Rahm Emanuel will need Post-Shakman door bell ringers, shoulder punchers and back slappers, palm card hustlers and therefore is no doubt worming into the ears of Committeemen and disaffected, frightened non-Shakman City Workers. Mayor Daley retained Politics and political operatives for elections.
Terry Petersen is the key and, to my way of thinking, Daley's endorsement of Rahm Emanuel for a continuation of Government via Policy. CAPS trumps Cops, Wrought Iron and planters over snowplows and garbage trucks, Pritzker Pavillions over safe streets.Tourists love the look of Chicago, until they leave a Bucktown bar at 2 A.M. and then it is the cops fault.


Mayor Daley's guy is Rahm. Circles are 360 Degrees. Ice is cold. Western Avenue runs North and South. Tapioca also means broke.

Elementary . . .school kids knew this, Sherlock Brown.

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Hot Livers and Cold Purses - Chicago's Daley Dynasty Wake


Lord Bardolph. My lord, do you see these meteors? do you behold
these exhalations? Henry V. I do.
Lord Bardolph. What think you they portend?
Henry V. Hot livers and cold purses.
History of Henry IV, Part I;Act II, Scene 4 ll. 1303-1308

In Shakespeare's History Play about dynastic succession, Henry IV, Part I, the young Prince Hal is a King in waiting - a young man who hides his genius and talent for governance among louts, losers and layabouts, until the time is ripe to do his country's service. God willing there is a Prince Hal to follow Chicago's Richard II.

Not having gone to De La Salle Institute( The Mighty Meteors) Home to Most of Chicago’s Mayors, Prince Hal offered -

“Hot Livers and Cold Purses.” That, Boys and Girls, signals what awaits the next – Chicago Mayor – Drunkenness ( with Power, Vanity, or Virtue?) and Poverty. Whoever emerges an invisible budget awaits.

The candidate who steps up must either be an Iron Man or a Victim – a willing one on both scores.

There is a parade of pretenders to the power. Let us hope that one emerges who has at least climbed the gradus (the steps) of public service. Experience and a record of service must be the touchstones.

The Sun Times offers this early poll of candidates -

If the election to replace Mayor Daley were held today, who would you vote for?
Ald. Tom Allen (38th)
17% 1981 votes
Ald. Edward Burke (14th)
19% 2244 votes
Ald. Walter Burnett (27th)
2% 252 votes
City Colleges Board Chairman Gery Chico
0% 36 votes
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart
3% 416 votes
City Clerk Miguel Del Valle
10% 1150 votes
Rep. Danny Davis (D-Chicago)
0% 36 votes
Presidential Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel
2% 302 votes
Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd)
4% 532 votes
U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.)
0% 45 votes
Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th)
0% 6 votes
Ex-City Inspector General David Hoffman
9% 1043 votes
Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan
5% 647 votes
City Schools Chief Ron Huberman
0% 27 votes
Ald. Sandi Jackson (7th)
0% 22 votes
U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.)
0% 48 votes
Attorney General Lisa Madigan
3% 340 votes
State Sen. Rev. James Meeks
0% 39 votes
Former Ald. Terry Peterson
0% 27 votes
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.)
0% 44 votes
Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd)
0% 29 votes
Ald. Tom Tunney (44th)
15% 1771 votes
Ald. Scott Waugespack (32nd)
2% 266 votes


Total Votes: 11303



It will be either an Iron Man or an Idiot.

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Chicago Reader on Daley Heir - "Seductive Rump Rhetoric?"

Princess Letizia of Spain;
Carla Bruni of France; FOTUS courtesy of Detective Shaved


It's all about the Fin d'Aley Chicago today.

I was biting down on my Leo High School cafeteria bologna sandwich today when nearly chewed off the tip of my tongue, while reading this Chicago Reader feature by Whet Moser -

"That's the kind of reductive stump rhetoric that suggests a mayoral run, at least to me."

Oh, reductive stump -not seductive rump rhetoric.

I gotta start buying #250s at Walgreens.



http://shavedlongcock.blogspot.com/

Daley Legacy - Dave Orr is Howling "Policy" - What Drove Daley Down


When Mayor Daley chose policy over politics, after he had secured his power, when he turned to academics outside of public service to call the shots - remember Frank Kruesi*? - Daley's fortunes turned south of north. CTA Policy? There's a head-scratcher. Ron Huberman is a protected species ( BTW, Who is Huberman's real Chinaman?)and generally follows in the wake of every Policy Disaster to a newer and more calamitous disaster - now with Public Schools.

Policy works for the candidate who has no record of service, much less of accomplishment.

Policy begins with an Agenda and the scary thing is who sets that agenda. It is promulgated by some written document - like the one Mike Quigley had drawn up by the University of Chicago when he thought that he might take over County Government - didn't happen.

The Small Schools Policy had less to do with getting fewer kids in the classroom than it did to allow Billy Ayers and Mike Klonsky the opportunity to play urban guerrilla in the classroom - kids are still learning next to nothing.

Policy is what ineffective political wannabees buzz - budget pie-charts, agenda advocacy groups, think tank wizards, political panjandrums ( people with only a tangible touch to political life-usually inherited).

Politics is the means by which government gets things done. Thus - Policy: No Smoking ban and the effect upon bar owners and the tax-base. Fewer or no cigarettes smoked and fewer dollars to the tax-base raised by Policy Wonks.

Moving out of Bridgport allowed Mayor Daley to embrace Policy and divorce himself from political accountability. He was no longer answerable to Gert, Tim, Stosh, Curtis and Jorge - Policy, Folks, Policy.

Politics requires accountability. Obligations to individuals does not allow for a universal answer of Policy in all things.

Policy pours lead paint over common sense.

Politics requires common sense and hard work. The people who can not get two people to to support their run for office depend upon Policy to change voting laws.

Mayor Daley depended upon Policy as political cover and as a sop to the howlers.

The Howlers are unleashed and that, I believe, will be Mayor Daley's Legacy.

We will have policy aplenty, God Help Us!

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcchicago.com/video.



Policy, Dave, was once a euphemism for gambling . . .Oh, it still is . . .and a very bad gamble at that.

*Frank Kruesi is the former President of the Chicago Transit Authority. He resigned in April 2007 after serving 9½ years[1]. He is now an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy[2]. Prior to his time at CTA, he was the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy for the U.S. Department of Transportation[3].