Rahm Emanuel Resigns

Tom Geoghegan

I doubt Emanuel made a deal with Obama guaranteeing him a pardon for whatever crimes he commits before he took the chief of staff job. I have a feeling, though, that it was understood. Emanuel resigns from Congress today, and that body will be infinitely better off without him. As I never tire of pointing out, he is the Democratic doppelganger of one of the most reviled creatures in contemporary American politics, corrupt GOP party boss Tom DeLay. Like DeLay, Emanuel has been the bridge between Big Business with its K Street and systemic culture of bribery, and his political party. And like DeLay, Emanuel is a puffed-up little twerp and foul-mouthed bully with a good PR machine behind him and an overarching sense of entitlement.

While it's a joy to see him out of the House, of course, his appointment to Obama's innermost circle is probably the sowing of seeds of destruction for the new administration. And many think that this "out of the House" thing isn't all it's cracked up to be, and that he's angling for a seat-holder who will make it easy for him to reclaim his old seat when Obama is done with him.

Emanuel's embarrassingly close political ally, indicted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, is now obligated to call a special election within 115 days. But it's really another corrupt Chicago politician who will determine who replaces Emanuel-- the same guy who first guaranteed Emanuel the seat: Mayor Daley. Oddly, the media has been treating this as a normal election and shying away from explaining any of the behind-the-scenes goings-on. There are over a dozen candidates, closer to two dozen, in fact, and it is widely expected that Daley's machine-- in conjunction with Emanuel-- will determine who the "favored" candidate will be.

According to conventional wisdom expressed in yesterday's Hill article linked above, three candidates more progressive than Emanuel have emerged as front runners: state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley and former Transportation Security Administration official Justin Oberman. Other candidates include Alexander Victor Forys, whose main qualification seems to be that he's Polish and would dilute support for old Emanuel foe Nancy Kaszak, who isn't saying whether or not she's jumping into the race (and I asked several times), progressive fave Tom Geoghegan (author of Which Side Are You On?), Professor Charles Wheelan, Reichel Matthew, Joey Vartanian, Israel Vasquez, Cary Capparelli, Debra Mell, Jan Donatelli.

The Chicago political establishment and their pet media puppets from across the ideological spectrum seem to be playing down all the intrigue and trying to make the process very matter of fact.

Not long after Emanuel announced that he was taking the job, there were reports that he would want the seat back after serving in the White House for two years. Emanuel firmly denies that, but it shaped the early field.

Since then, the maneuvering has been notable for the lack of endorsements and shows of force from outside influences. No one has emerged as a labor candidate in one of the most labor-friendly districts in Illinois. Emanuel and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley have not endorsed and observers do not expect them to.

We'll see. (Meanwhile, Geoghegan contributions are being accepted through ActBlue.)