Rahm Emanuel made it, despite residency issues and some tough resistance from political opponents, to the mayoralty of Chicago. He'll have a tough act to follow; Richard M. Daley was probably one of the best mayors the city has ever had, even better than his father. I was in Chicago in 1994, when the younger Daley had been mayor for five years, and much of the downtown was very active, the neighborhoods were quite vibrant, and the transit system was first rate. From school reform to sustainable energy policies, Daley knows how to make a city work for these times.
He also knows when it's time to leave, as he seems to be losing his touch - what with the rise in gun violence on the South Side, among other issues. Anyway, he never wanted to be mayor of Chicago for life, like his dad was. Emanuel, who will be the city's first Jewish mayor, will take over in May. Too bad he has to wait so long, because he's probably itching to get down to business now. Emanuel is almost something of a metrosexual for his reported predilection for yoga, his ballet studies with the Joffrey company as a young man, his liberal arts degree from Sarah Lawrence, and his slim, trim frame - an anti-Daley, if you will.
Just remember, though - Now you're messin' with a sonabitch! Emanuel's contemporary exterior fools no one. He can be tough, profane, and combative - and he is, on a regular basis. Although former "West Wing" producer Lawrence O'Donnell has denied it, Emanuel is widely believed to be the inspiration for the character of Josh Lyman. In times like these, this is the sort of politician Chicago needs to run the place.
He also knows when it's time to leave, as he seems to be losing his touch - what with the rise in gun violence on the South Side, among other issues. Anyway, he never wanted to be mayor of Chicago for life, like his dad was. Emanuel, who will be the city's first Jewish mayor, will take over in May. Too bad he has to wait so long, because he's probably itching to get down to business now. Emanuel is almost something of a metrosexual for his reported predilection for yoga, his ballet studies with the Joffrey company as a young man, his liberal arts degree from Sarah Lawrence, and his slim, trim frame - an anti-Daley, if you will.
Just remember, though - Now you're messin' with a sonabitch! Emanuel's contemporary exterior fools no one. He can be tough, profane, and combative - and he is, on a regular basis. Although former "West Wing" producer Lawrence O'Donnell has denied it, Emanuel is widely believed to be the inspiration for the character of Josh Lyman. In times like these, this is the sort of politician Chicago needs to run the place.
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