Embattled Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a political ally and former chief of staff for President Barack Obama, has found himself in an unusual position. Emmanuel, known for keeping vise-like control over Chicago and his own political image, has had his base turn against him and is facing calls for his resignation over the city’s handling of a police shooting.
But Emanuel has said repeatedly that he will not step down — and he holds an ace up his sleeve. Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city, has no process for a mayor to be recalled.
In other words, Emanuel isn’t going anywhere, and there’s nothing the electorate can do to make him.
A state lawmaker from Chicago introduced a proposal Wednesday to allow for a recall, but it isn’t expected to be passed. Democrats hold a huge vote advantage in both the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives, and are unlikely to turn on their own.
And most of the cries for Emanuel to resign have come from grassroots activists and residents, not from the city’s political powerbrokers. The next election — should he seek another term — isn’t until 2019.
On Wednesday, the mayor used a special meeting of the Chicago City Council to try to calm the firestorm, apologizing for the fatal shooting of a black teen by a white officer and promising “complete and total” reform.
“I take responsibility for what happened because it happened on my watch. And if we’re going to fix it, I want you to understand it’s my responsibility with you,” Emanuel said during a sometimes-emotional speech that lasted nearly 45 minutes. “But if we’re also going to begin the healing process, the first step in that journey is my step.
“And I’m sorry.”
The remarks were Emanuel’s lengthiest and seemingly most heartfelt since the public got its first look last month at the squad car video that showed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald veering away from officer Jason Van Dyke before Van Dyke began shooting, hitting McDonald 16 times. Van Dyke is charged with first-degree murder.
Critics have repeatedly accused Emanuel of keeping the footage under wraps until after he won a tougher-than-expected spring election for a second term.
Emanuel’s contrition did little to ease the anger in the streets. Hours after the speech, protesters overflowed an intersection in front of City Hall, then marched through the financial district and blocked a major intersection for a short time as police directed traffic around them. Officers guarded the doors to the Chicago Board of Trade as demonstrators approached.
Outside City Hall, retired schoolteacher Audrey Davis carried a sign reading, “Mayor Emanuel is morally corrupt!”
Calling the speech “politically expedient,” Davis said, “I don’t want to hear anything from him except, ‘I tender my resignation.'”
Davis, who is black, said she fears for her 25-year-old grandson when he comes home from college.
“Each time he comes home, my heart is in my throat in case he meets up with a racist cop,” Davis said. “We shouldn’t have to live like this.”
Since the video emerged, Emanuel fired his police superintendent after days of insisting the chief had his support. He also reversed course on whether the U.S. Justice Department should launch a civil-rights investigation, saying he would welcome it only after pressure from other top Democrats.
In news conferences, he has appeared worn down, fumbling answers to reporters’ questions or avoiding them entirely by walking away, with cameras rolling.
The mayor won re-election in April by a healthy margin, but only after suffering the embarrassment of not getting a majority in a five-candidate February election, forcing the first mayoral runoff in decades.
At the time, he pledged to listen more and to “bridge the gaps between the things that divide us.”
In the months that followed, his public schools CEO, who oversaw closings of about 50 schools that angered many residents, was indicted on corruption charges. Emanuel also pushed through the largest tax increase in city history to deal with a budget crisis.
His administration has warned of massive mid-year layoffs in the public schools and is in the midst of rocky contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union. This week, union members are voting on whether to authorize a strike. They could hit the picket lines as early as March.
After the video was made public, other flashpoints kept coming. Footage was released of another police shooting — this one deemed justified by prosecutors — and of another man who died in police custody. A review by the city’s quasi-independent police watchdog agency showed that of 409 shootings involving police since 2007, the agency found only two with credible allegations against an officer.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
Chicago has gone down fast since Daley retired.
Chicago, as Baltimore and Detroit, has gone down the toilet because it has been run by Democrat-Liberal politicians, protected by corrupted Democrat-Liberal Judges, and ruled by a politically correct Socialist-Commie philosophy. The Democrats have been in political power almost forever in these cities and are responsible for the messes they created. The are the bulls in the China Shop breaking all the dishes. They break things…they own them!
Thats Right what Chuck SAID!!! Democrats could screw up a junk yard… Obama did… remember the “Cash for Clunkers Stimulus Plan” ? LOL That screwed all the junkyards up…. cuz you couldn’t legally buy parts off those cars. Junkyards full of cars but no parts. Really? The federal geniuses lmao. Democrats…. Greece is run by the same brand of people.
Right, I remember this stupid thing, cash for clunkers…..and most were not clunkers…..obama was the clunker…….and it messed up lots of things. MY daughter wanted to buy one of those cars that was not a clunker, and she could not buy it…..it was obama’s way of putting out the working body shops and small businesses. And, part of his very wasteful way of doing everything…..and even since then the used cars have increased in price……obama can mess up anything, even dung.
Strange winds blowing in ChiTown. Denizens bemoaning the shooting of an armed thug and nary a word about 9-y.o. Tyshawn Lee’s execution.
Chicago is a den of snakes! It was when Daley was in charge and is NOW. How ANY other county can out do Cook County in corruption and murder is beyond me, but A county in Oklahoma has that honor.
Things are really bad in Chicago, can’t argue that point. What I don’t understand is what the heck is with people who refuse to follow the directions of the police? It always seems to be they refuse to follow directions and escalate the situation as far as possible, so they can scream racism. When did their mothers decide not to teach their young men to have respect for authority? What prompted them to make that decision? IF the young man in the most recent incident had stopped, and kept his hands visible, he would be alive today, isn’t that what we all want? Yes, the cop was wrong to shoot, and the young man had previously been tazed with no effect, which can happen when guys are hopped up on drugs. What then, should the police do? Ask him to pretty please stop running from the 20 police cars and officers who have been telling him to stop?
The Obama Department of Justice continues to attack the nation’s police departments–I notice that they are sending a delegation to Chicago. Are there a few racist, bad cops? Sure–but the vast majority of cops are skilled professionals who do a VERY tough job with little thanks. I don’t know if the political big-shots have noticed, but we have a war going on in our streets and importing radical Muslim thugs will just add to the mix. In war, there are injustices, for sure, but attacking the army that is protecting you is insane.
That’s the trouble, Sometimes you step in something. You try to scrape it off, but the smell just won’t go away.
The smell has stuck to Chicago’s shoes steadily since the 1930s. The city has earned it.
Is that why it is known in the area as ‘Shitcago’ ?
Me thinks Chicago is ‘waking up’ a little to late in the game. Most of us could see and smell this coming a “mile down the road” … but we did NOT, apparently know what we were talking about.
I am still praying that COMMON SENSE will not be removed from the ENDANGERED LIST to the EXTINCT LIST.
Actually they are no worse than the rest of the ‘people’ that voted for BHO.
Rahm is just like the President. Rahm kept the video and details from the Public because of an election and Obama kept the Benghazi details and sent Rice out to lie about the ambassador’s killing because of a tight election. Both are “made from the same cloth.”
Hillary is also made from the “same cloth.”
but so is almost everybody else . We all usually try to keep our faults hidden .
SO TRUE
They are both communist and just like a cancer, it makes you wonder how many rocks had to be turned over to find them.
Rahm just might be a Muslim like Obama and Jarret. Spreading the Love.
when you have a democrat in power, things alway go down!!
Exactly!!!!
Yes. Chicago has dramatically changed since Daley’s retirement. And for the worse.
If the people being shot by cops had NOT shown their azz, & obeyed the cops orders, they would still be alive. It seems the blacks think that since there is a black president, that they are above the law & can do anything they want. I remember when I was young, the blacks were mistreated, but then I saw things turn around. In the 70s, 80s, 90s & early 2000s it was relatively peaceful & fair. Then the bummer came along & everything went to hell. I think this was his plan from the beginning, to destroy the US.
Agree!!!!
The color of a person’s skin does not define who they are!!!! It’s their actions. You can choose to do the right things or the bad things. If you choose to do bad things that is entirely on you alone, no one forced you, you chose that behavior. Unfortunately when you choose that behavior there are consequences. These deaths that are happening could have been prevented If the perpetrator would have done what they were told, they would still be alive.
It is called “divide & conquer” — Danny which was all part of obozo’s learning curve from professors at Columbia.
agree!!
Guess what ? This CROOK can NEVER be voted back in again either and he already ruin his life himself —— GOOD
For many years the people of Chicago have voted in only Democrats for their Major and now they have a Liberal who happens to be the farthest Left of any they’ve ever had as a Mayor in the Past!
So, I really have to ask the fine people of Chicago – How’s that working out for you so far? Especially, with one of Barrack Obama’s Pals running this great City? It think it’s become an abomination! Don’t you? The fine citizens of Chicago have been getting nothing but heartaches from their current leaders and considering what happened to the McDonald kid and the obvious attempt to cover it all up! The Chicago citizens are being played as complete Fools by their elected officials!
I’m an independent voter and have voted for representatives on both sides at one time or another. FYI – I liked John F. Kennedy and also Ronald Reagan because they were superb leaders. I also liked Richard Daly and his son Richie Daly as Mayors of Chicago! But I really think it’s now time for a Republican to be elected as Mayor of Chicago. The people have been lied to and deceived for too long a time now! It’s time for a change and maybe our Cubbies can get back to the World Series again too!!
Hey Jerry, it is the same way here in Detroit. We haven’t seen a Republican mayor since 1961 and you can see what’s happened with us. In 1950, we were the third largest city in the country and we were the “industrial might” of it as well. We had almost two million people and very low unemployment. Now, we are lucky we have a little over 700,000 in the city proper, 40% of the homes are vacant, abandoned or used as Crack Houses, and the unemployment rate is through the roof! Maybe we haven’t had the “high profile” mayors that you guys have had, but Coleman Young and Kwame Kilpatrick have done every bit as much damage; they’ve just flown under the radar a little bit better.
I really think it’s now time for a Republican to be elected as Mayor of Chicago. The people have been lied to and deceived for too long a time now! It’s time for a change. Same goes for DC. go TRUMP go clean this crap up.
Actually Chicago in the first part of the 20th century elected Republican Mayors. Big Bill Thompson was mayor and Chicago was the most corrupt place in the U.S.. Reformer Democrats like Anton Cermak brought reform under the Democratic party as mayor. I remember when the symbol of conservative politics was Mayor Richard Daley 40 or 50 years back. He was Mr. Democrat. Times change for the worse.
Emanuel has so much dirt on Obama ,that is why they protect one another ,both should testify under oath ,but what crooked judge or Politician will push for that to happen ???when H… freezes over ,
I think Mrs Davis ought to worry more about her grandson being shot by ” black ” gang members than by a white racist cop but who the hell dares to tell her that !!!!!!! The blacks are being duped and misled by people like sharpton, jackson, farankan blm radicals and lets not leave out obozo, holder, lynch and the rest of obozo’s team of racists. Why — with emanuel’s credentials, which are all bad, would anyone vote him into office ???? nevermind — I lost my head — Chicago is 90% or more demoRAT and they will vote for a demoRAT no matter what which has been proven by who is in our White House, a piece of cow flop !!!!!! People of Chicago — you got exactly what you voted for and now you want to blame law enforcement for everything that you don’t like.
President Obama and his pals are all corrupt. Hopefully Black Lives Matter will target Rahm and keep protesting until that guy is out of office.
Illinois seems to have a problem with corrupt politicians. Chicago voters need to clean house on election day.
Here’s some cold hard facts: Leftists are idiots. Emanuel is a left-wing Marxist idiot. Marxists, Communists and leftists never did help America and never will, but they help themselves and their agendas. The Daly family started the most corrupt voter fraud system in history and got JFK (whom I liked) elected vs. Nixon. That voter fraud system is now in the hands of George Soros and is a stealth version of voter fraud. Voter fraud on steroids! (Ref: See Whisleblower Magazine’s “Rob The Vote” issue, August 2012)
It will make you sick to your core that our voting system has fallen this low, unless, of course, you ARE one of those liberal democrats, who love to get away with lying and cheating and OPM (Other People’s Money). This is the America we are so proud of?
Chicago will continue to burn and blood (mostly black ) will continue to run in the streets.As the protests grow and turn more violent .The Mayor who remember only won originally after controversially ignore the residency rule that should have barred him. ,has the support of the President and will continue to blame everyone but himself. So rioting and shootings will continue to soar. Currently Chicago has the lowest crime detection rate in the entire nation ,the highest murder rate and massive unemployment.
I have zero sympathy for the people and the city. They voted for anarchy and got it. They are reaping what they sow. This is the fate of any city or town that’s votes for progressive Democrats.
African Americans of the United States, please WAKE UP!!! Democrats do NOT care about you. They only care about your support and most importantly, your vote. Ask yourselves an important question; Have you or your race progressed under Democrat control from the local level to the State level, and all the way to the National level? Democrats have you where they want you, and where they want you, is not in your best interest. This country has it’s first black president in the history of our nation, he is a democrat, he had a democratically controlled Congress in both the House of Representatives, and the Senate, throughout his first term, the Senate for half his second term, and he received approximately 95% of the African American vote in the past two presidential elections. Given these facts, are you as a race, better off today than you were before Obama took office? Another interesting take on the Democratic Party is that they have controlled Congress for all but about 6 years in the past 40+ years. So again I ask, are you as a race better off today than you were 40+ years ago, because of what the Democrats have done for you? It is my belief that the answers are NO, and NO. Stop falling for the Democrat’s lies and deceptions. They know they have your support because they have brainwashed you into believing they are your friend and ally against the big, bad Republicans. Along with a main stream press, the Democrats have managed to ingrain this philosophy in the minds of generation after generation of African Americans. Please stop the madness by not automatically giving your support to the Democratic Party. Make them earn your support and vote, by opening up your mind to all the candidates based on what they have actually done, and not on only, what they say they will do. The proof is staring you in the face, and that truth is, the Democrats have LIED to you, and have not lived up to their promises to you. The past cannot be changed however, the future, your future, is in your hands. I hope you choose to make the most of it.
I remember a song my parents played for me as a kid. The lyrics went “I heard my momma cry, I heard her pray the night Chicago died.” Different situation, same sentiment. When will we wake up and smell the coffee folks? The Democrats are not helping ANYONE but themselves. Let’s please get them out before it’s to late.
When obama or any of his cronies such as rahm emanuel lay their hands on any thing you can expect this type of desasterous results. What obama has done to this country in only seven years and what emanuel has destroyed in the windy city in less time than obama. Come on americans wake up quit drinking the cool aid.
Chicago has been corrupt since the 1930 when Capone took an abandoned building next to our house and made illegal booze.
How about term limits? Two terms and you are out forever. Any party, which is in power for a long period of time, will become increasingly corrupt. Too bad we do not have three viable parties. Then we could put limits on not only individual terms, but also on individual parties. When one party in termed out we would then still have two choices. Just some “what if” comments. We also need to get rid of Super Packs! Since the Citizens United case in the Supreme Court, big money interests, with very little real regulation, have increasingly become the major factor in many important elections..
Has it dawned on anyone yet that the two parties that we have are sleeping together. Face it most of the politicians are multimillionaires so why would they care about the unemployed or your free votes. They don’t need you the common man and woman all they need are the Big Corporations to donate tons of money to sway Congress to make rules in their favor. You may want to consider trying an independent candidate who isn’t loaded down with taxpayers money. Remember one thing most of them politicians are beholding to Corporate America who helps keep their lazy asses in office. As a retired union member we had a Business Agent in office for over twenty years because the General Foremans etc didn’t want a change because they knew how to control him so he never got voted out.