Daley had enough — and uproots the Chicago political world
Posted by Greg H. at 9/7/2010 2:10 PM CDT on Chicago Business
“It’s time.”
With that quiet statement — simple and, as best I can tell, pretty honest — Mayor Richard M. Daley has turned the local political world upside down.
“I’ve given it my all. I’ve done my best,” a slightly dour but composed Mr. Daley told a stunned audience of reporters in announcing his decision not to seek a seventh term as Chicago’s chief executive.
“I have always believed that every person, especially public officials, must understand when it is time to move on,” he said. “For me, that time is now.”
Both the mayor and those close too him insisted there is no other big news being withheld, no shoe to drop about illness or legal woes.
“He looked at the next four years and asked if this was what he wanted to do until age 73,” said Mr. Daley’s younger brother and confidant Bill, a Chase banker. “There is a Rich Daley under Mayor Daley, believe it or not.”
Bill Daley said the decision, finalized over the Labor Day weekend, stemmed from a variety of factors: economic woes besetting the city, his wife Maggie Daley’s long battle with cancer, the looming — and growing — chorus of political critics.
“It would have been more difficult than past races,” Bill Daley said, referring not only to the local situation but a national climate that has endangered incumbent officials from around America. “But he would have won.”
That is true — the increased difficulty and slow loss of clout. Literally as Mr. Daley was announcing his decision, a City Council committee was threatening to balk at issuing $1 billion in new bonds for Mr. Daley’s prized O’Hare Modernization Program.
The committee relented after hearing the news.
The announcement — which followed several months in which the mayor’s allies had signalled that he would run again — not only creates a political vacancy but set off an instant succession battle unlike any since the death of his father, Mayor Richard M. Daley.
“I have 50 colleagues who want to be mayor,” quipped Ald. Joseph Moore (49th).
“I am thinking about it,” said one of them, Ald. Scott Waugespeck (32nd).
Among names already hitting my email basket: White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, a former congressman here; Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart; former Daley chief of staff and attorney Gery Chico; state Sen. James Meeks, an emerging leader of the city’s African-American and school-funding community; County Commissioner Bridget Gainer.
I’d also look to see if some wealthy business type kicks tires on this, a Ron Gidwitz or Bruce Rauner.
That list will grow. It will take awhile to sort it out.
But the story for today is the surprise Richard M. Daley let loose.
“I’m happy for him,” said brother Bill. “This is a tough job, and he’s been doing it for 21 years.”
Apparently so.
And, one other thing: wow!!!!
Buckle your seat belts, Chicago. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
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* 2:33 pm - Gov. Pat Quinn’s react…
“He’s a great guy and a great mayor,” Quinn said, adding praise for Maggie Daley’s involvement in After School Matters. “Rich Daley and Maggie Daley are the heart of Chicago and they’re special people. I think like everybody else I’m shocked to hear this but I wish both Mayor Daley and Maggie Daley nothing but the best. They love Chicago.”
“They are two special people, they care about other people. They’ve got servants’ hearts, each of them have served us over and over again in many different ways. So we have a permanent debt of gratitude to Mayor Richard M. Daley and his dad, Richard J. Daley, we have a permanent debt of gratitude to Maggie Daley and the whole Daley family. They understand that being on Earth is not here to just serve yourself but to really serve others, and they have done that over and over again.”
* 2:37 pm - Houli ain’t being shy…
“Assessor Houlihan is very interested in being mayor,” spokesman Eric Herman said today in an e-mail.
Sheriff Dart is not exactly coy…
“Mayor is an office he’s always been interested in,” said Steve Patterson, Dart’s spokesman. “He’s been upfront about that. He does have a re-election campaign for sheriff I November that he’s focused on. . . . He always said he would make a move only if he could have a greater impact than sheriff, and mayor certainly fits that.”
* 2:38 pm - Forrest Claypool is staying mum. I asked his campaign for a react and here’s what I got…
We don’t have any reaction
* 2:42 pm - Video… (Mayor Daley)
http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Daley__It_s_Time_for_Me__Chicago_to_Move_On_Chicago.html
Bill Daley said the decision, finalized over the Labor Day weekend, stemmed from a variety of factors: economic woes besetting the city, his wife Maggie Daley’s long battle with cancer, the looming — and growing — chorus of political critics.
“It would have been more difficult than past races,” Bill Daley said, referring not only to the local situation but a national climate that has endangered incumbent officials from around America. “But he would have won.”
* Emanuel is probably the only person who could really limit the field - white and black. The Obama White House owns enough problems without owning Chicago politics as well, however. It’ll be a trickier move in DC than it will in the city, but that would still be fraught with danger. What if he loses?
- posted by Rich Miller 82 Comments
http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/2010/09/07/this-just-in-daley-wont-run-again/
http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Daley-Quits-on-His-Own-Terms-102375969.html
An entire generation of Chicago politicians has suffered from a 22-year-long case of blue balls waiting for Daley to retire. Now they’re all free to indulge their ambition by running for the biggest office in Illinois. Mayor of Chicago is bigger than governor, bigger than senator. When Barack Obama was beginning his political career, he wanted to be mayor, like his idol, Harold Washington. Now he’s stuck in the White House.
Toni Preckwinkle wants to be mayor, but she’s stuck in the county board presidency. Forrest Claypool wants to be mayor, but he’s running for assessor. Roland Burris wants to be mayor, but he took a tainted Senate appointment from Rod Blagojevich, who also wants to be mayor. Every public official with a Chicago address, from the Local School Council to the United States Congress, wants to be mayor.
Chicago has a more colorful political history than American city, but we’re about to witness the greatest scramble for power in all our 173 years — the deal-makinest, back-stabbinest, eye-gouginest, money-grubbinest seven months we’ve ever seen. It’s going to be a spectacle as wild and entertaining as the Haymarket Square Riot, the 1968 Democratic National Convention and Super Bowl XX all rolled into one.
