Carol Moseley Braun Wants To Rule Chicago Too
Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 10:00AM 
Everyone wants to be mayor of the Second City. Of the Not New York. Of the town where half my Arkansas-born uncles live. Of the city Daley built. Everyone. And with Jesse Jackson Jr. looking all kinds of wet after that insta-sex scandal that opened up on him, former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun is thinking the mayor's seat could use a woman's touch. What amazing tragedy will befall her with former White House Chief Of Staff Rahm Emanuel vying for the chance to rule my kind of town (Chicago is)?
Not that I'm implying that tragedy grows where my Rahmbo goes. (But yes I am ... I am implying this.)
You know who likes Carol Moseley Braun? My mother. Being from Missouri where the chances of a black person becoming a senator is still a tough row to hoe, watching black people from Illinois, mostly out of Chicago, make it to the Senate has been the closest thing we could get to seeing one of St. Louis' finest make it to the big leagues. Plus, she called political columnist George Will a Klansman that one time. Hilarious.
Moseley Braun and Rahm were both at the same restaurant on Chicago's South side Monday, courting voters. Rahm got a slightly more chilly reception according to The Chicago Tribune.
But as he wolfed down scrambled eggs and sipped coffee at Izola's Restaurant on 79th Street with three patrons, some residents tried to interrupt, blaming the former White House strategist for a lack of jobs on the South Side. As the cameras rolled, Emanuel stood up and tried to quell the simmering scene, explaining how he felt the Obama administration had helped create jobs.
"You are going to be asked some hardball questions and get your bat out," Paul Johnson, 49, eventually told Emanuel. "Welcome to Chicago."
Wow. That didn't sound ominous at all. Couldn't have been said with more foreboding if it come out of the mouth of the ghost of Salvatore "Sam" Giancana.
Rahm had to know that because he's spent the past two years in the White House he's going to have to run both making a case for himself and defending the President's record.
Also, this is Chicago, homes. LET THE SMACK TALK BEGIN!
Supporters of U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez and former Chicago Public School Board President Gery Chico rallied around the restaurant catcalling as Emanuel made his way down the block. Some local activists also handed out fliers ripping Emanuel for being part of a White House that some feel hasn't been active enough on immigrant rights.
"Gutierrez si! Rahm no!" several people chanted outside, while Chico's supporters gathered signatures to get their candidate on the ballot.
"We'll be ceding no ground to Rahm Emanuel or anybody else," said Robert Reyes, a Chico spokesman.
Even potential rivals who weren't there tried to pile on Emanuel, who has garnered national media attention for jumping into the local race.
"It's a great restaurant visited by tourists," said City Clerk Miguel del Valle, who has said he's running to be mayor. "It's a must stop for tourists, and I can understand why Rahm went there on his first day back."
Burn!
This is the tricky part about wanting to be mayor of Chicago -- the people of Chicago have to actually want you as mayor. It really doesn't matter if you have the Daleys blessing. Unless your last name is Daley, no one cares. It's open season and Rahm is what's for dinner.
Hence, why he's going to need to have all kinds of news "accidentally" surface about his catcalling opponents and potential interlopers.
I'm sure he'll think of something ...
Reader Comments (7)
"If you want to bumble with The E, he'll put a pox on your whole family."
I love Rahm.... he takes no ish and forgets nada.... and I live in the Chi.....
CMB- I'll pass. After all that dayum foolishness when she was a Senator.... i sent her $ and didn't even live in Illinois at the time......
"Heeeeey-eeh-eeh-eeh-eeh-eeeeeh! Who gon' run Chi-Town To-niight!" (Rihanna voice)
Agree about Rahmbo --
but Carol Mosley Braun?
Sorry, No!
Her record reeks of corruption.
No convictions, but at the very least she is guilty of letting her fiance lead her "astray!"
(BTW, he fled the country & left her holding the bag.)
Rahm and every other opponent would rip her to shreds.
Whatever it is she is doing now, she is better off than re-entering politics!
Why is it that everytime Jesse Jackson, Jr gets his feet ready to walk into the opened door he trips over some obstacle in his path? I swear he just can't pull it together. He fumbled the senate seat with accusations of bribery. Now, there is this alleged affair blocking his route to becoming mayor. SMDH! Jesse, you need to have a little talk with Jesus, dawg! Something ain't right!
Hmmm, this race is going to be so fi-yah, I cant wait. I'm from Chicago, but I moved a year ago for grad school so Im missing the juiciness. Wish I couldve been there when Daley announced, big events like that always cause a good stir. I cant with CMB or any Jacksons. Too much dirt. Gutierrez, Rahm and Dart have the best chances and I like them all...so far. I do like Rahm for his take no prisoners method, its a must have in Chicago.
I'm from the Chi too! Definitely, No Rahm, No Braun!
@ RealTalk, good question! Why is that every time JR. makes a move to higher political ground, a piece of kyrptonite is thrown in the ring? Let's not forget, the senate seat debacle was just innuendo and hearsay, NEVER proven and claims from the camp of a convicted and corrupt Blago! If you go back and review the media coverage and the political climate BEFORE the election, you will see that support was high in the Chicago community and all the media reported Jr. as the favorite for Obama's seat. THEN, he was slimed with the allegations. Again, JR. expresses interest in running for Mayor, and the old news of a magic twinkie hostess pops up to paralyze his efforts? Hmmm, sounds like someone thinks he can thwart their political efforts or just win. He's not at all his father and his political record as representative proves it! I say RUN, JESSE JR, RUN! for Mayor!