Tough guy will out

Congressman Rahm Emanuel hosts constituents at...
Isn't he sweet?

Crain’s Chicago Business likes Rahm, arguing persuasively. For openers:

What Chicago needs most from its first new mayor in 22 years is a clean break with the past.

While all the top contenders to succeed Richard M. Daley are political insiders of one sort or another, Rahm Emanuel is the most independent. He’s a product of Democratic politics but not of the City Hall machine.

Etc., including his being a mean s.o.b. (not quoting Crain’s) who will have to deal with others of his ilk. The public employees’ unions, for instance.

Meanwhile, Gery Chico unfortunately continues to pile up endorsements from those very unions, which is not a good sign.

By Jim Bowman

Jim Bowman covered religion 1968-78 for the Chicago Daily News, since then has written books, articles, etc., mostly on corporate history but also on religion (Company Man: My Jesuit Life, 1950-1968), and more recently on politics (Illinois Blues: How the Ruling Party Talks to Voters -- Lulu.com, Kindle). Longtime Oak Park, Illinois, resident, he lives now on Chicago's North Side, where four of his and Winnie's six children live close by.

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