By Steve Rhodes
“Mayor Rahm Emanuel would not say Wednesday whether it was appropriate for his City Council leader to push through an ordinance that limited the power of a city watchdog who a week earlier had opened an investigation into the alderman,” the Tribune reported earlier this month.
Huh, that’s odd. Patrick O’Connor, the alderman in question, is Rahm’s floor leader. You might say they are thick as thieves. O’Connor doesn’t make a move that Rahm doesn’t approve or order. And yet . . .
“After last week’s City Council meeting, Emanuel distanced himself some from O’Connor’s ordinance, saying ‘This was the City Council, not what we did.'”
Excuse me for finding it hard to see the difference.
I also find it hard to believe that O’Connor was freelancing. After all, he’s the Butch Cassidy to Rahm’s Sundance Kid.
Note Rahm describing how he gives his orders to O’Connor.
“Do we have to do this?”
“Yes, Butch Cassidy.”
Even when O’Connor thinks the mayor is crazy.
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Source: “Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined Alderman Patrick J. O’Connor at his 29th annual fundraising event held on Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at Parretta’s Elegant Banquets located at 3719 N. Cantral Ave. in Chicago.
“The affair featured Cocktails and Hors D’oeuvers and was well attended. Guest included residents and business people from the 40th Ward, representatives of the Alderman’s office, many elected officials (judges, congressmen, aldermen etc.), representatives of… the Lincoln Bend Chamber of Commerce…the Polish American Chamber of Commerce etc. just to name a few. Everyone enjoyed the event and welcomed the positive comments made by our new Mayor about our Alderman and his intimate role in molding the future direction Chicago will take in improving the economy for its’ citizens.”
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Rahm repeated the theme at the 2013 version of the same event, only adding that he and O’Connor are also like Thelma and Louise.
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But Rahm didn’t know a thing.
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Of course, there is the concept of plausible deniability. O’Connor might have preserved that for his friend. But city council meetings are highly orchestrated affairs. I think not.
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See also: This edition of the [Thursday] Papers, to learn more about the man Rahm consulted when he was thinking about running for mayor.
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Comments welcome.
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1. From a faithful reader with reason enough to be granted anonymity:
2. From Anne Sullivan:
Like Thelma and Louise, Rahm and O’Connor should go off that cliff together in February!
Anne Sullivan is a former aide to Ald. Joe Moore.
3. From Chris Fogarty:
Are aldermen really above the law?
Posted on August 19, 2014