You got that right. The mayoral thingy is to help make egotistical Rahm think he's still a player.
Rahm was anointed as the architect of the Dem WH and Congressional takeover. But the victories were short lived.
Cued in by angry constituents, at-risk Democrats began to see Ohaha as a tarnished leader out of touch with the damage done to his own party, and their reelection chances........and Rahm was fingered the culprit.
Rahm became personna non grata. There's an old country song: "Thank God and Greyhound he's gone"
Rahm's campaign theme song should be:
'Turn out the lights, the party's over'Though I hate to do that to Willie Nelson.
“Something smells. ....I get the feeling Hussein fired Rahm. So Rahm manufactures a bogus reason to leave, like running for mayor......... “
FLASHBACK:
Sources: Emanuel wanted Claypool to be placeholder
Plan to keep House seat warm may have included Cabinet consideration
September 25, 2009
BY NATASHA KORECKI Staff Reporter
It has long been claimed that Rahm Emanuel wanted to find someone to keep his congressional seat warm while he served as President Obama’s chief of staff.
Now, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned that Emanuel wanted then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich to appoint Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool to his 5th Congressional District seat.
Claypool would serve one or two terms and then be considered for a place in Obama’s Cabinet, according to sources familiar with Emanuel’s proposal. That would give Emanuel the option of returning to Congress, where he could vie to become House speaker.
(snip)
Claypool’s announcement that he would not seek Emanuel’s seat came Nov. 12, just days after the discussion between Emanuel and Blagojevich.
On the same day as Claypool’s announcement, Jarrett publicly pulled herself out of contention for the Senate seat. She is now a top adviser to the president.
Emanuel had hoped Blagojevich had the authority to appoint a candidate to fill out the remaining weeks of Emanuel’s term before a new Congress was sworn in the following January, sources said. The temporary appointment would give Claypool a leg up before any special election took place.
But, unlike the Senate seat, which is filled by an appointment by the governor, a vacant congressional seat must be filled through a special election.
(snip)
Claypool’s ties to Emanuel, as well as top Obama strategist David Axelrod, go back years. In 2006, Emanuel broke ranks with city Democrats and endorsed Claypool for County Board president instead of Stroger. At the time, Emanuel explained he and Claypool have been friends since the 1980s when they worked on former Sen. Paul Simon’s campaign.