Rahm could actually lose

[n2doc]

A runoff that was expected to be a slam dunk for Rahm Emanuel is turning out to be uncomfortably — even dangerously — close, leading the Chicago mayor to ready a scorched-earth offensive to save his job.

Recent polling shows the race between Emanuel and his unknown and underfunded rival, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, has closed to within single digits. With local and national progressive groups lining up behind Garcia and promising to pour cash into the effort to deny Emanuel a second term, the mayor is suddenly scratching and clawing for his political existence.

“In Chicago, politics is a contact sport, and it looks like we’re going to have one of those full-contact battles,” said Bill Daley, a former White House chief of staff whose father and brother each served as Chicago mayor for more than 20 years.

Emanuel — once thought to be a shoo-in in the April 7 runoff — plans to launch an ad campaign in the coming days intended to discredit Garcia and cast him as a do-nothing pol who’s accomplished little during his two decades in public service, according to sources close to the mayor. The commercials will also present the mayor, who’s come under fire for closing underperforming schools in hardscrabble neighborhoods and for hiking taxes to close the city’s budget deficit, as someone who is willing to make tough decisions even if they aren’t popular.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/could-rahm-actually-lose-115739.html#ixzz3TQyX9IPR

[riderinthestorm]

1. Here's a link to donate to Chuy Garcias campaign

http://www.chicagoforchuy.com/index.html

[ND-Dem]

2. +100

[BlueCaliDem]

3. Come on, Chicagoans! Boot that DINO - OUT! What has he done for lately? Nada, if you're not a

millionaire.

Give Chuy Garcia a chance to right the horrible wrongs by this pompous p.o.s.

[mopinko]

12. just to be perverse here, i am a farmer, and he has done a lot

for me, for the environment, and for the food system here.

i dont know how it has come to pass that his actual accomplishments rarely seems to get out there, his side of the story, but that is how it looks to me.
i mean, he faced down the koch bros, and told them to either build a building for their pet coke or get it the hell out of his city.
and the schools thing, dont get me started. that is soooo widely misperceived as to be crazy, imho.

that said, he put out some really disgusting mail pieces, and i hate to see the avalanche of crap that is soon to hit my mailbox.
he has a done much that he should be touting. sliming chuy is not gonna help him. at.all.

[jeff47]

14. Thanks for chiming in Rham!

Just expecting you'll get that response shortly, so I thought I'd preempt them.

[groundloop]

16. I appreciate the insight from the other side of this

In general I'm not a fan of Rahm.... but like most things in life nothing is always all good or all bad.

[mopinko]

31. i'm too much like him to hate on him.

i am glad he is not my next door neighbor. but we are very much alike, and i know how often my good intentions get the same sort of reactions.

he is a lot of ungood things, but not as many as he is said to be, imho.
i like to see people get the credit they deserve as much as i like to see people get the shit they deserve.

i am honestly undecided.

[riderinthestorm]

23. So you don't think Garcia will continue being a good advocate for the environment?

Rahm Emanuel's privatization is running amok and goes far beyond the school fiasco.

Here's a pretty good overview:

http://inthesetimes.com/article/17533/how_to_sell_off_a_city

The public fury over the parking meters is finally coming home to roost I believe, and Emanuels drive to privatize is coming round to bite him in the ass.

[mopinko]

30. except that the parking meter deal, which has also

been seriously mischaracterized, was not his deal.
he got adjustments to the process, and several million back, but there was not a lot he could do about it. we spent the money.
and that money is one of the reasons that chicago got through the '08 crash as well as we did.

yes, i have seen that article everywhere. like i said, the parking meters were not his deal. without that, the list is considerably shorter.

[riderinthestorm]

34. I know the parking deal isn't his but the backlash from it is spilling over

Because of the other 4 areas that Rahm has moved towards privatization, it makes people suspicious that these other areas will turn out as disastrously as the parking contract.

And how many other parts of Chicago will he sell off next?

He's tainted.

Chicago could overcome all of its financial woes by legalizing recreational marijuana (like Colorado's success). Garcia is open to that. I like that too.

[mopinko]

36. rahm has decriminalized it.

chicago does not have the legal authority to override the state laws.

[riderinthestorm]

38. Oh I understand they can't override state law but I want someone in

who supports legalizing it when that time comes.

Isn't this great though? Here we are arguing over two Democratic nominees. I love it. No matter who wins, it's great to be discussing two Dems as candidates.

[mopinko]

39. it is. i really think they are both pretty good candidates.

i dont dislike chuy AT.ALL. he is a fine man, and will always at least try to do what is "right" whatever that means in this day and age.

i just remember the harold years, and weak mayors of that era. that kind of gridlock, on top of what the state and the feds are gonna dish out, would be a disaster.
i think that for most people the appeal of rahm is that he knows how to kick ass and take names. funny we all ask for that, but then find it distasteful when we get it.

it just seems like a good time to stick w the horse we got. ugly horse, but still a strong one.

[mopinko]

32. and as far as chuy and the environment

i am sure he will be fine on that count, but it sort of bothers me that that is not a part of his campaign message at all.
i asked someone i know from the campaign if there was someone who was the point for green issues and the answer was no.
i have a hard time picturing chuy standing up to the kock brothers. and to the ricketts family. both of which rahm has done.

[roguevalley]

24. I hear you, mopinko. Its a tough thing but overall

I think you will be well served by someone less vile. I wish you well. Farmers are my heroes.

RV, the descendent of farmers since the 5th century. (I kid you not. My mom's family.)

[mopinko]

33. well i am sure they would laugh at my little farm.

only about 1/4 of an acre. but that is urban farming.

i am impressed w his grasp of food issues. he kicked all the big purveyors out of the farmers markets to make room for actual farmers.
he set aside a huge tract of land for farming, which will include a full time market. and he has sold off a lot of vacant lots for $1 to people who would raise food on them.
he enticed a whole foods to open in englewood, one of the poorest hoods in the city.
and most of those things either cost nothing or even added revenue, like getting those lots off the cost side and onto the tax rolls.

he gets it.

[Katashi_itto]

47. The Results are In

1/4 of an acre? That's not a farm, that's a small garden. Exaggerate much?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6315627

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

exaggerate much?
since i explicitly stated that it was an urban farm, and a joke to those with real farms, this was unnecessary attack.

JURY RESULTS

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Thu Mar 5, 2015, 08:36 AM, and the Jury voted 4-3 to HIDE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Then ANSWER IT. Don't tattle. This does NOT rise to the level of an alert.
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: "little farm".. tongue in cheek. No need to be unnecessarily rude.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Mildly rude, but come on, is it worth alerting over?
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Its to early to be an asshole. Fuck em. Hide it and tombstone his ass.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Serioulsy? An alert about something this minor? Develop a thicker skin alerter

[mopinko]

48. it wouldnt have bothered me except

that i said a real farmer would laugh. i am well aware of the issue. but that is what an urban farm is. i usually call it a microfarm. his sense of scale is off in the other direction if he thinks 1/4 acre is a small garden.

but this person had to go off, insult something that is my life, i assume because i was sticking up for an unpopular democrat. unpopular, yes. democrat, also yes.
fine to attack rahm here, i guess. but attacking someone who lives in rahm's city for respectfully bringing facts to the table is what makes du suck.

thanks to the jurors for trying to uphold some level of civility around here. frankly, i didnt think they would hide it. i am very glad they did.

[TheKentuckian]

4. Was happy to donate a little to Garcia.

[Enthusiast]

6. I would like to see Rahm get crushed.

[stillwaiting]

29. I want his ass kicked.

Then it's party time!!

[CrispyQ]

7. I sent him a few bucks.

Rahm is everything that is bad about the dem party.

[SoapBox]

18. Exactly.

[Enthusiast]

37. Me too.

[Scuba]

8. A "do-nothing pol" would be way, way better than Rahm. C'mon Chicago!!!

[global1]

9. One Can Almost Feel The Tide Turning Here Against Rahm....

You just get a sense in Chicago that Chuy is going to beat Rahm. The people are tired of Mayor 1%. They got his number. My two nephews 38 & 40y/o were both pro-Rahm the first time around. I talked with them about two weeks ago just before the election and both were down on Rahm and were going to vote for Chuy. One lives near Wrigleyville the other off Sheridan Road near the lake. They tell me that their family, friends and neighbors all feel the same way. Both areas are affluent and youthful and they are lining up against Rahm. Couple that with the school closings primarily in the Black neighborhoods and the fact that Chuy will get the Latino vote - what do you think will happen.

The election where Rahm didn't win the majority and sail into the Mayorship was a shot in the arm of a lot of People in Chicago that were feeling disenfranchised. They saw first hand the power of the People and now know that their votes can make a difference and Rahm can be deposed - even though he has a big war-chest of money.

My assessment is that Rahm is in real trouble and unless Chuy really screws up - Chuy will be the next Mayor of Chicago.

To further complicate Rahm's chances - on Tuesday, he pissed off Cubs fans. He drew the line and rejected two requests from the Cubs organization working to complete construction on Wrigley Field before the season starts. First they requested non-stop construction seven days a week to speed up a bleacher reconstruction project delayed by frigid temperatures, and then they made a revised request to build from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The mayor said there would be no exceptions to the ordinance confining construction work to the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

He said, "If that means the right-field bleachers won’t be ready until early June and the bleachers in left and center field don’t open until May 11, so be it."

You don't mess with Cub fans in Chicago - especially the Bleacher Bums. Rahm is toast.

[mopinko]

10. one rich guy he has no love for is ricketts.

and being a sox fan, i love it.

[hrmjustin]

11. I hope rahm gets booted out of office.

[AllyCat]

13. A real Democrat should win. And that real Democrat is Chuy Garcia.

[lark]

15. Go, Rahm, GO!

HOME, that is.

[Autumn]

17. Time to make another donation to Chuy

[alcibiades_mystery]

19. Why I Did Not Vote for Rahm

"someone who is willing to make tough decisions even if they aren’t popular"

If that's Rahm's strategy, he's probably going to lose. Rahm started the campaign with good ads about things he did. He ended the campaign with the assholistic neoliberal commercials about how "tough" he is. They are the number one reason I voted against him.

People are sick to death of neoliberal assholes telling us that we have to cut this and cut that while we give massive incentives to this business and that business because "job creation," or something. FUCK YOU, Rahm. FUCK that neoliberal bullshit. Donb't present your supply side ideology as a science of the necessary. It's not. It's your CHOICE to cut subsidy for childcare. It's your CHOICE to cut food and elder assistance. It's your CHOICE not to raise taxes on the 1%. Those are not necessities that you're "tough enough" to implement.

besides, taking services away from the poor is not "tough" or "courageous." FUCK YOU, Rahm. Raise taxes on the rich if you want to show me how tough you are. Take on the powerful if you want me to see how courageous you are.

[n2doc]

20. And who could forget this 'tough' decision?

http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/mayor-spends-tax-dollars-on-sports-arena/Content?oid=9769374

Rahm's latest plan: Close the schools, build an arena

[mopinko]

35. very slanted.

tiff dont take money so much as they hold the money that the investments make. without that investment, that money would not be there. so to say it is taken from schools is a bit of a misstatement. (besides the fact that it is not fungible. he couldnt just take it and give it to the schools if he wanted to.) and at some point the tiffs end and a much LARGER amount of money goes to the schools.
i am aware of the shenanigans that are played with the tiff funds, and would like to see them much better managed and used as they were intended. but the fact remains that they are a good leveraging tool for development.

as far as the money for the stadium, etc, again, this story is slanted. that $55m gets paid back to the city when the hotel it done. it is not a gift, it is a loan.
and though depaul gets to use the stadium 60 some days a year, mccormick place gets to rent it out the rest of the time. depaul kicked in some large money.
the university system here has been a big driver of growth and good jobs here. the city has made other investments in it, and they are good investments for the city.

[Lifelong Protester]

21. Marking for later read/donation

Not a fan of Rahm.

[Jack Rabbit]

22. I'm a little sensitive to being called a "retard"

It's payback time, Rahm.

[sabrina 1]

26. To be fair, he just called your ideas 'retarded'. He applogized for the use of the word 'retarded'

after the blowback he got, but not for the sentiment. So yes, I am a bit sensitive to the personal attacks from Rahm and his ilk, on the Left.

[Jack Rabbit]

28. In any case, Chuy got a small donation

Living on disability, that's something I wont do for every candidate running against a particularly vile Republican, even one who is a registered Democrat in an attempt to infect the party leadership with that dreaded disease, Reaganitius.

[sabrina 1]

42. Good for you. I just wanted to avoid one of his supporters pointing out that 'he didn't call US

'retarded'. Which usually happens. Imo, I think it's worse that he showed his hand by calling Liberal ideas 'retarded'. And I'm not sure if I am remembering correctly, but I think that was when Moveon had an ad calling Petraeus 'Betrayus'. Someone should ask him if he still thinks that was a 'retarded' idea!

[Jim Lane]

40. Yes, he apologized -- to the advocates for the developmentally disabled.

I'm not aware that he apologized to us.

Ah, well, if there's one politician in the country who should understand the concept of payback, it's Rahm.

Here's how I score it:
Supporting a genuine progressive Democrat........$50
Sticking it to Rahm......... priceless.

[sabrina 1]

41. Lol, I like your scorecard. And no, he didn't apologize to us.

[mountain grammy]

25. Happy to chip in a few dollars for Garcia.

[guillaumeb]

27. poor Rahm. Maybe his friends Bill Clinton and Bruce Rauner can help him out

Emanuel — once thought to be a shoo-in in the April 7 runoff — plans to launch an ad campaign in the coming days intended to discredit Garcia and cast him as a do-nothing pol who’s accomplished little during his two decades in public service, according to sources close to the mayor. The commercials will also present the mayor, who’s come under fire for closing underperforming schools in hardscrabble neighborhoods and for hiking taxes to close the city’s budget deficit, as someone who is willing to make tough decisions even if they aren’t popular.


When Rahm describes Garcia as a do-nothing pol, he describes himself. He was a congressman for a short time. A typical DLC business friendly taker. He left Congress, made millions in a short time as a bankster, when he met his buddy and mentor Bruce Rauner. He talks about making tough decisions. An interesting way to describe closing many schools that just happened to be in minority neighborhoods.

Rahm is a classic DINO who only runs as a Democrat because Illinois is a very blue state.

[dreamnightwind]

43. Go Chuy!

[Tom Ripley]

45. Great news!

[HappyMe]

46. I hope Rahm gets his ass handed to him.