Rahm Emanuel To Announce Bid For Mayor Of Chicago On Friday: Chicago Sun-Times

After months of speculation, Rahm Emanuel is expected to leave his position as White House Chief of Staff on Friday.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed, citing a "top Washington source" reports that Emanuel will move to Chicago as soon as this weekend and "begin campaigning like a galloping horse next week."

While Emanuel's desire to be Chicago's mayor has been public knowledge for some time now, POLITICO reports that his anticipated speedy departure from the White House was "at [President] Obama's request."

On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that Emanuel was attempting to move into his former Chicago home on the North Side, but a tenant he leased the home to refused to leave. This will not stand in his way. Sources told Sneed he had at least four other housing options in the city.

President Obama's senior adviser Pete Rouse is currently favored to take Emanuel's place in Washington.

From POLITICO:

The chief of staff switch is coming sooner than originally expected. Obama recently suggested he'd prefer Emanuel to stay through the midterms but this week said his aide needed to make a decision soon about whether to run in the Feb. 22 mayoral election.

While there will surely be a media frenzy, Chicagoans should not expect a big show when Emanuel comes to town.

"Don't expect a bigtime formal announcement he is running," the Washington source told Sneed. "Rahm is just going to hit the bricks running. Everyone will get the message pretty quickly."

The list of candidates to replace longtime Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley continues to grow. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is expected to make an announcement soon, and has support in the city based on some very premature polling. The City Council's Black Caucus is currently working to choose a "consensus candidate" for the city's African American community. Those being considered include U.S. Rep. Danny Davis; State Senators James Meeks and Rickey Hendon; former state Senate President Emil Jones; Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers Jr. and former U.S. Sen. Carole Moseley Braun. Representing the Hispanic community, City Clerk Miguel del Valle and chairman of the City Colleges Board Gery Chico have already announced their candidacies. Rep. Luis Gutierrez has also been considering a bid.

Comments

[maidenofdforest]

09:28 AM on 10/01/2010

Emmanuel fits the rogue political scene of Chicago. He is tough and he scales challenges as if it is daily breakfast. Of course not everyone likes his brutal frankness and sometimes crude and shrewd ways-- from St. Sarah Palin et al anyway; he'll devour her whole like a chicken with no wings. But Rahm delivers. Just don't believe all the sordid stories about him, he's a tough nut to crack.

I know, ppl will be reacting different ways to this post. But, this is just a personal perception. No violent reaction, please. :-)

[Factmuenster]

01:07 AM on 10/01/2010

Privatize police, fire fighters, teachers, city workers, transportation, hospital workers. This is what you will get Chicago if you elect Rahm as your mayor.

[Factmuenster]

01:01 AM on 10/01/2010

Sorry darn iPhone and I am getting tired :)

[Factmuenster]

12:59 AM on 10/01/2010

I hope the people elect someone sho represents them like Tom Dart or Carol Mosley Brau instead of Rahm who is bought and paid for by guys like Sam Zell.

[Dembabe40]

10:00 AM on 09/30/2010

While I can't remember the exact words that were used, a conservative radio host on a station I listen to regularly (no, it isn't one of THOSE shows; it's a regular morning show on a music station and the DJ's politics are conservative, but he's hilarious!) made reference to this just this morning, stating that he doesn't particularly care for the President's politics, but he thinks Obama went to Washington to accomplish certain changes and thank GOD Rahm is leaving because now Obama might actually get some of those things done.

[Lakesideboy]

09:11 AM on 09/30/2010

Didn't Rahm go to Washington to invoke change in this country, help the poor and middle class and turn things around in a position direction for the U.S.????

Then why is he turning his back on a job certainly not yet done for a bigger, more glorious opportunity in Chicago?

I don't think this is the kind of new mayor that Chicago needs. What happens when an ever better offer comes along for Rahm? I think he has a lot of integrity to prove.

[Factmuenster]

01:23 AM on 09/30/2010

Funded by Sam Zell who is a total scumbag

[chgotchr]

06:48 PM on 09/29/2010

If he is making an announcement, a lot of people must have found horse heads in their beds recently.

[naschkatze]

12:39 AM on 09/30/2010

LOL. JJJr in effect did.

[Chicagofan1]

09:00 AM on 09/30/2010

LMAO!!!

[LeeCalif]

06:24 PM on 09/29/2010

BP is STILL POISONING THE GULF with DISPERSANT.

http://www.ringoffireradio.com/2010/09/29/dangers-lurk-beneath-the-surface-of-gulf-of-mexico/

Some President.

[dk60647]

05:47 PM on 09/29/2010

What is the evidence that Rahm is the source of all evil in the Obama White House? I'm honestly curious how these judgements are made. Do people think Rahm is the reason Obama attempted to play nice with Republicans? Health care, for example, passed - I know not in the form that many people wanted, but is Rahm the correct villain for this story?

I think the fact that Obama is actually much more moderate than many of his supporters believed (hoped), and the disappointment that comes from this gets hoisted onto Rahm. Despite what the Right would have us believe, we elected a moderate, albeit one with a reformist instinct.

[LeeCalif]

06:27 PM on 09/29/2010

Rahm, who holds dual-citizenship I srael and the U.S. shapes foreign policy by his job advising Obama to make nice with I srael, regardless of it's lawlessness and continued bruta lity, which is detrimental to OUR country.

[Chicagofan1]

09:01 AM on 09/30/2010

Lee, put down the pipe.

[verycold]

11:39 PM on 09/29/2010

It really depends on your perspective.  As a progressive, I can see where you might think he is moderate, but as a conservative he is very left of center and is a radical reformer.  He is radical, because if push came to shove, he would completely rebuild the house. 

The problem is is finding impossible to hurdle is the fact that nation isn't left of center.  The idea that collectivism trumps individual rights is his mantra.  Most people shun this notion for this reason. 

If every individual took care of themselves, meaning they would cease being a burden to others, the whole would then be sound.  We allow people to find their own path even though they often error and the human race suffers for those mistakes.  However the idea of having everybody do the same amount of lifting by imposing strict rules and barriers to prevent excellence forces the collective to keep reducing the effort and depend more and more on others to do the heavy lifting. 

Neither world is perfect because humans are involved, but I prefer to make my own destiny just like Obama got a chance to do when his mother chose life. 

[edgarcaycedoc]

05:36 PM on 09/29/2010

I don't want to wish anything bad on Chicago, but I hope Emanuel runs and is subsequently defeated. It would improve both the Dems standing in D.C., and would help the city of Chicago.

[LeeCalif]

06:28 PM on 09/29/2010

Agree ! Agree ! Agree !

[breakingpoint]

05:15 PM on 09/29/2010

guys looks like death warmed over

don't do it Chicago!

[sincerelyty]

05:14 PM on 09/29/2010

Considering he's renting his house out to someone here in Chicago (who has made it known in the news that he plans to see his lease through), I wonder where Rahm and his family plan to set up shop? Then again, I'm sure that's being taken care of as we speak ...

[breakingpoint]

05:16 PM on 09/29/2010

he's from the north shores burbs - don't let it happen

[JimMichie]

05:14 PM on 09/29/2010

Oh Pleeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzeeeeeeeeeee, Chicago, take him back! Take him back as quickly as you can! Good riddance to poisoness rubbish. The toxicity is deadly!

[meko]

10:38 AM on 09/30/2010

Nope. We got rid of him and we won't take him back. Let him go tank some investment bank.

The parking meter fiasco was bad enough. We don't need him selling off our parks, lakefront, city services, and landmarks to the highest bidder.

[sublimmenel]

05:11 PM on 09/29/2010

Awesome, I'll vote for him when elections open here!

[breakingpoint]

05:17 PM on 09/29/2010

why?

[Chicagofan1]

09:07 AM on 09/30/2010

To make sure JJJ is not our Mayor.

[meko]

10:39 AM on 09/30/2010

Tom Dart is in the lead and is a genuine public servant. What's Rahm got going for him. Do we need another guy coming in and letting our city fall apart while enriching himself with insider deals?

Look at the corruption that he brought to Freddie Mac. He would be all the bad parts of the Daley administration without the Daniel Burnham civic mindedness.