Daley To Obama: Duncan Stays In Chicago

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is wishing Illinois Sen. Barack Obama all the luck in the world in the presidential race. However, if Obama wins, Daley doesn't want him to take Arne Duncan to Washington with him.

Daley says if Obama wants to take the Chicago Public School CEO with him to Washington , he could do so. But Daley said Wednesday he wouldn't recommend Duncan because he wants to keep him in Chicago because of excellent job he is doing.

Duncan is a Hyde Park neighbor of Obama, who has helped the Illinois senator formulate his campaign positions on education issues.

When Duncan was asked Wednesday if he would accept a cabinet appointment, he said it was the furthest thing from his mind, adding Chicago schools have come a long way, but the work remains unfinished.

Comments

[TheMediaRanger]

OBAMA TO DALEY: How bad do you want the Olympics in Chicago?

Now, shush your mouth until I call you!

[NEnglish]

I should add that Duncan never complains about the fact that millions of dollars of school funding via property taxes is being siphoned off by Mayor Daley's TIF (tax increment financing) districts. This alone makes him invaluable to Daley.

[NEnglish]

Arne Duncan is a terrible choice for any position. He runs CPS without any concern or input from parents or communities. Google last year's CPS school closings and moves. You'll find out how Duncan treats the people he is supposed to be serving. Duncan only cares about his own political career and keeping his friends happy. We have no reason to believe he would run anything at the national level any differently. Last years's CPS policy debacle that Duncan railroaded through on the unsuspecting Chicago residents is well documented. I love Obama and I hope he steers clear of this brand of opportunistic, say and do anything despite the best interests of the people politician. End rant.

[SheriChardonnay]

y would obama want him anyway...HE SUCKS! mayor daley acts like chicago is so successful­..PLEASE..­.the education in this city SUCKS! and arnie donut duncan has done nothing to fix it...u can keep arnie...DALEY U BETTER HOPE OBAMA DOES NOT INDICT YOUR ARSE!

[desertjim]

Geranium, Not talking about private schools here. 5 Chicago Public High schools are ranked in the top 100 high schools in the nation (Northside College Prep, Walter Payton, Whitney Young, Lincoln Park and Jones College Prep). I'm not sure whether Arne Duncan should get all the credit for this, but he is improving the system. Chicago has over 500 schools, something like 400K students and over 20K teachers. It is not easily fixed. Nonetheless, Duncan (like Paul Vallas before him) is a force for good in public education.

[SENATORCALLENBOWE]

THE CLASS OF THE NEW GENERATION WILL TAKE HIS PLACE :)

[Concern2008]

For those you who don't know, Chicago has some of the best schools in nation. Still is still lots of work to do to get the entire system up to par, but Chicago has come a long long way. Its several of the top 100 High School College Prep schools in the nation.

[Geranium]

Are you talking about PRIVATE schools? I keep hearing that the public schools are one of the WORST in the nation.

[SheriChardonnay]

an thats true.....I ALREADY VOTED FOR OBAMA but this city is full of corruption...

think about obama could have been mayor of chi but mayor daley is so corrupt...look into how harold washington died and who succeeded him!!!!.....POWER is a mofo!

[PerryWhite]

Just released test results show that 13% of CPS eigth graders are proficient in math. Thank you Arne Duncan, Richard Daley and Bill Ayers.

[SheriChardonnay]

man Fu....there u rethugs go with the ayers again...go wipe wipe W arse!

[SheriChardonnay]

THATS A FING LIE...I GREW UP AND HERE AND ALL MY LIFE DALEY HAS BEEN MAYOR...MY PARENTS REFUSED TO SEND ME TO CRAPPY PUB*C SCHOOL...stop fronting you know the school system here sucks...give me a dang on brake...

Obama knows this and I KNOW HE WONT be picking daleys left overs!

[billofgoods]

This is scary,,Obama is using the Chicago public school system to formulate his campaign positions

[SportGirlie1]

No. He's not using the school "system" to formulate his positions. He's using someone who has vast experience and is knowledgeable to formulate his positions. He just happens to be the CEO of the Chicago Public School system. I don't know this guy's background but let us not think there may be good people trying to do good work who have a solid knowledge base who are working to change a system that needs work.
This is much more than we've seen with Bush in his selection of people for critical positions based on their loyalty. "You're doin a heckuva job Brownie".

[joewalters]

Why would he want Duncan anyway?

[SheriChardonnay]

thank you dunkin dounts arnie SUCKS!