Howard Dean endorses Garcia over Rahm for Chicago mayor

[Starry Messenger]

Last edited Thu Mar 12, 2015, 11:51 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

WASHINGTON – Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor, Democratic National Committee chairman and presidential candidate endorsed Jesus “Chuy” Garcia over Rahm Emanuel for Chicago mayor on Thursday.

Important back story: When Emanuel was the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, he stuck it to Dean in 2006 – when Dean was the DNC chair. Emanuel wanted Dean to funnel millions of dollars to help House candidates. Emanuel taunted Dean’s “50 State Strategy” and a leaked story about how little Emanuel thought of Dean found its way into print.

Now, back to the present: Enough with the payback. What could this mean?

Dean throwing himself in the mix adds a high-profile progressive voice to Garcia’s team and hits at Emanuel’s vulnerability that was so apparent in the February primary – Emanuel’s lack of a strong ground game to spur turnout in wards where he had supporters.

<snip>

Read more: http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/7/71/435595/howard-dean-endorses-garcia-rahm-chicago-mayor

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Adding link for donations: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/chicagorunoff/?refcode=CCG031315HD

[MannyGoldstein]

1. After backing (shudder!) Our Next President™,

Dean must have put his finger up in the air and realized that the winds have shifted hard.

[Starry Messenger]

2. Or, more charitably, it's a signal from the Clinton camp that it is distancing from the Rahm wing?

Or it could be revenge, like the article suggests? Whatever the reason, I'll take a large name behind Garcia for this election. Rahm is outfundraising 13-1, last I read.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. I did my little part

I sent a contribution to Garcia.

Let's hope!

[Starry Messenger]

8. Thank you!

Fingers crossed!

[madfloridian]

14. Me, too.

[MannyGoldstein]

16. !!!

[cui bono]

18. Oh Manny...

I thought your were just internet huff-n-puff???

[MannyGoldstein]

49. Manny's lying about the contribution.

I just know it.

[cui bono]

56. He never disappoints.

[Joe_michigan]

48. I just sent a donation to Garcia as well..

..the hell with Rahm.

[Starry Messenger]

62. Thank you everyone who donated!

DUers rock.

[Lifelong Protester]

52. Me three!

I hope every little bit helps!!

[JackRiddler]

83. Good luck with that.

At most they've come to see (about 20 years too late) that Rahm himself has become radioactive (gee why would the vengeful baby-eating routine finally backfire?). Rhetoric may be played with but the camp's politics ain't going to change, can't after all these years and service to corporations and MIC.

[HereSince1628]

3. This does not seem PRAGMATIC

[DFW]

50. Rather harsh

Howard is the last Democrat about whom one could say he puts his finger up to test the wind. He never got to be president, or even our nominee, precisely because he too often spoke his mind for the tastes of TPTB. He says what is on his mind. He couldn't care less which way the wind is blowing, never did. Otherwise, he would have gone with brother Jim if he had felt it "expedient."

[MannyGoldstein]

63. A little harsh, but not totally nuts

I'd argue that the only people who don't test the wind are true idealogues, and not too many exist in politics. The difference is in what they do once they know the wind speed and direction.

Dr. Dean seems to be a pragmatist. I think he has an idea of where he wants things to go, and will walk into a breeze but not a hurricane. I'm guessing this is why he's going with Hillary, who's probably precisely not who Dean was referring to when he used to speak of the Democratic Wing of our party. But perhaps he's beginning to see that Hurricane Hillary and the rest of that crowd, e.g. Rahm, are less a hurricane, and more an electric fan.

[AngryAmish]

67. To be fair, Comcast pays Dr. Dean

So he dances to their tune.

[dolphinsandtuna]

87. rubbish

Howard is one of the few people in politics with integrity.

[calimary]

90. Welcome to DU, dolphinsandtuna!

Glad you're here! AGREED! I'm STILL a dyed-in-the-wool Howard Dean fan. I STILL think that was the best decision for 2004.

And who the hell cares if Comcast is paying him? To do what? Be a recurring character on MSNBC's shows? And this is a bad thing? How is this a bad thing? I watch a lot of MSNBC and I never see him spouting the corporate message. I've never seen him doing anything of the kind. On the other hand, he's getting FACE TIME. This is giving him FACE TIME, and keeping him in the public eye and the spotlight, keeping him and what he says - RELEVANT. He's no wholly-owned subsidiary, like tim russert turned out to be, and how david gregory turned out to be, and we all know chuck todd is. I've never seen any evidence whatsoever to back an assumption that because Howard Dean is getting paid by Comcast or anywhere - he's now pushing the Gospel According to Comcast. It simply isn't happening.

Hey, if we can use their money to help get OUR guys back on the air frequently, and get OUR message out, then I'm all for it.

[DFW]

89. Howard does try to balance his idealism and his pragmatism. He now also has nothing to lose.

He doesn't need money unless he mounts another campaign, or retakes the DNC chair. Warren isn't running and Bernie is not a member of the party. Hillary hasn't yet said she ISN'T running, and although Howard would never tell me what they discuss in private, I believe him when he says she is absolutely not yet decided. One caveat here--this is from having breakfast with him Jan. 7, just us two. Two months have passed, and I haven't discussed the subject with him since. She may be singing a different tune now, and it could go either way.

I suspect (based on nothing, please note) that Hillary knows full well what would be expected of her if nominated and elected, beyond walking on water and turning lead into gold. She may not be interested in being elected just to get crapped on because of it. Whether or not this is the case, I would definitely expect her to have this kind of discussion with Howard, and she is probably less than thrilled with Howard's answers, since he'll give it to her straight. If Howard had told her "you're brilliant, you're wonderful, you have nothing to worry about," I suspect her candidacy would have been announced long before now. As things stand now, I'm still not totally convinced it ever will be.

[madfloridian]

4. Ha. Remember when Rahm yelled and cursed at Dean? I do. Never forgotten.

Rahm in The Thumpin: "We have no base." Said only thing matters is who can win.

Certainly Emanuel holds no such romantic notions that there even exists such a base of voters loyal to core Democratic values. He is adamant that "we have no base!," a view that clearly guided his strategy for selecting candidates. As Bendavid writes, "he would not support the most loyal Democrats, or those whose populism was purist. His only criterion, he said, was who could win." This kind of single-minded, values-be-damned vision is anathema to some on the party's left. Writing for The Nation after the election, John Nichols complained that "many of the Democrats who prevailed on November 7 did so despite Emanuel's efforts, not because of them" and argues that liberal candidates could have won had Emanuel made the decision to support them. Yet as Bendavid points out, "of the 30 candidates who took seats from the Republicans, about 20 had been nurtured, funded, advised, and yelled at by Emanuel for months. Perhaps a half dozen had been supported by grassroots activists with little help from the DCCC."

Howard Dean was chair during that time. Rahm simply appeared to despise him. He screamed at him, treated him rudely. Once that we know of for sure Rahm cussed Dean out.

"The relationship that epitomizes the rift between Emanuel and the party base is the congressman's tenuous partnership with Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean. As the book relates, Emanuel spent most of the campaign furious with Dean, whose Fifty State Strategy to build up party infrastructure nationwide he saw as little more than a way to throw money to the wind. In May 2006, Emanuel and Senator Charles Schumer, his counterpart in the Senate, met with Dean to ask for more money for their respective campaigns. Banging his hand on the table, Emanuel chided Dean's grassroots plan, "No disrespect, but some of us are arrogant enough, we come from Chicago, we think we know what it means to knock on a door. You're nowhere Howard. Your field plan is not a field plan. That's fucking bullshit." The two wouldn't speak again until election time.

We won all 3 wings for a while at least when Dean was chair.

I just donated through Act Blue to Rahm's opponent. Haven't donated for ages, but when I got the email just couldn't resist.

[Starry Messenger]

6. *thumbsup*

I gave $100 last month, and my husband threw in $250. Rahm was wrong to stomp on progressives and teachers. He was wrong to treat Dean with such disrespect.

[cui bono]

19. Gotta love the quote that begins with "no disrespect" and ends with "That's fucking bullshit".

What a tool. "We have no base!" ??? Um, yes, we have a base Rahm, you told them to STFU, remember?

[whathehell]

36. Rahm's an arrogant prick and I could not be happier to see him

getting a run for his money on the mayoral. I live in the Chicago 'burbs and am on a

GOTV call List for Chuy Garcia.

I can't wait to see Garcia win -- Rahm is overdue for a humbling experience.

[Starry Messenger]

37. +1

[Adrahil]

41. Yeah, Rahm is an idiot....

And we need Dean back at the DNC. Wasserman-Schultz has been a disaster.

[merrily]

92. I appreciate your posts! So much knowledge. Such good recollection. Thanks.

[elleng]

7. He sure did stick it to Dean then,

and when I asked rahm about Dean's 50 state strategy, when rahm was discussing his (rahm's) book about election strategy, he made a face and ignored the question.

[DonCoquixote]

9. OK, you know that they are fitting the cement shoes for Dean

No way Hillary will be happy that Rahm, one of her partners in the Obama admin. will be going down, especially as it will ruin her centrist narrative.

[Starry Messenger]

10. I have a hard time imagining that Clinton didn't know that DFA has been supporting Garcia.

Perhaps Rahm is being cut loose as a liability, given the mood among unions to withhold $ from candidates who are working to hurt labor?

http://www.wsj.com/articles/unions-to-fight-trade-pact-by-freezing-donations-1426029735

I'm just speculating. I'm feeling optimistic about this endorsement though.

[Divernan]

45. Don't hold your breath waiting for HRC to endorse Garcia!

Although it would be a very good strategic move on her part. As per her 2008 campaign, she's not good at effective strategy.

I'm waiting for her to address an Hispanic gathering and fake a Hispanic accent! She got a lot of bad press for faking a southern accent w/black dialect in her 2008 campaign, but apparently remains clueless on how offensive it was. In 2013, she did it again. Yup, Hillary Clinton was ‘no ways tired’ of offensive fake accents. Word on twitter was that she used it again when she spoke in front of an African-American sorority about George Zimmerman and Treyvon Martin.

Also don't hold your breath waiting for her to "cut loose" Rahm. The two of them are soul mates. If he is not re-elected mayor, he'll be on her campaign team ASAP.

[AngryAmish]

68. She sounded like Steppin Fetchit.

[merrily]

93. How about comparing being a Senator when Republicans were in the majority to

being on "the plantation?" And then, there was the "racially charged" primary campaign.

[Divernan]

94. Yup! Foot, meet mouth! Plus another interesting development.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review endorsed Hilary in 2008 when uber-conservative Richard Scaiffe was the publisher and she asked for his endorsement. But today, it ran a long and extremely flattering article about Jim Webb's chances of being elected president. Hah! Kiss that one good-bye, HRC!

Former Senator Webb explores presidential bid, tests populist message


http://triblive.com/politics/politicalheadlines/7948450-74/webb-former-populist#axzz3UQzRkuTp

[merrily]

113. When Webb wrote his book on the Scots Irish, he did a book tour. I happened to catch his visit

to one TV show where he spoke of "white culture." And then, there is his Reaganite background and his attitude toward women.

I don't think his candidacy will go anywhere. I am not even sure it is intended to go anywhere. But, a primary challenger like Webb sure is about perfect from the standpoint of the Hillary camp. If I were on her team, I'd even donate to him.

[Divernan]

115. You make good points about Webb.

But consider this aspect of his candidacy. If there is a Democratic primary with Webb, HRC & a relatively progressive candidate (like O'Malley), Webb & Clinton will divide up the third way vote, increasing the odds for any more progressive candidate. At least that's what I've seen in other primaries (not just presidential ones) with 3 or more candidates. Candidates with the same political philosophy hurt each other's chances. Their egos and personal ambitions outweigh any desire they have to further the political goals they share. This can also happen if you have 2 progressive dems and one third way, well-financed corporate puppet running.

My hope is that Webb's willingness to challenge HRC will destroy her PR campaign (She's inevitable! She's invincible! And gosh darn it, it's her turn!) & encourage progressive Dem politicians to enter the primary, and encourage progressive Dem voters to offer their campaign support to new candidates.

[TheKentuckian]

47. Maybe not really relevant. I got a donation request just yesterday from DFA to

encourage Warren to run just yesterday so it isn't always a same voice thing.

Anyway, it is a good endorsement for all, I don't know if Dean would ever find his way out of the doghouse if he endorsed Rahm of course but actually going against him has to be a rep plus for those outside the circle of "very serious people".

[freshwest]

11. Dean is a populist that many respect, that's what it means, and he wants a win in Chicago.

Populist mayors are on the rise. His other big endorsement is well known but not much remarked upon. This is an important trend for all progressives:

The Revolt of the Cities



During the past 20 years, immigrants and young people have transformed the demographics of urban America. Now, they’re transforming its politics and mapping the future of liberalism.

~ Harold Meyerson

Pittsburgh is the perfect urban laboratory,” says Bill Peduto, the city’s new mayor. “We’re small enough to be able to do things and large enough for people to take notice.” More than its size, however, it’s Pittsburgh’s new government—Peduto and the five like-minded progressives who now constitute a majority on its city council—that is turning the city into a laboratory of democracy. In his first hundred days as mayor, Peduto has sought funding to establish universal pre-K education and partnered with a Swedish sustainable-technology fund to build four major developments with low carbon footprints and abundant affordable housing. Even before he became mayor, while still a council member, he steered to passage ordinances that mandated prevailing wages for employees on any project that received city funding and required local hiring for the jobs in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ new arena. He authored the city’s responsible-banking law, which directed government funds to those banks that lent in poor neighborhoods and away from those that didn’t...

Peduto, who is 49 years old, sees improving the lot of Pittsburgh’s new working class as his primary charge. In his city hall office, surrounded by such artifacts as a radio cabinet from the years when the city became home to the world’s first radio station, the new mayor outlined the task before him. “My grandfather, Sam Zarroli, came over in 1921 from Abruzzo,” he said. “He only had a second-grade education, but he was active in the Steel Workers Organizing Committee in its early years, and he made a good life for himself and his family. My challenge in today’s economy is how to get good jobs for people with no PhDs but with a good work ethic and GEDs. How do I get them the same kind of opportunities my grandfather had? All the mayors elected last year are asking this question.”

They are indeed. The mayoral and council class of 2013 is one of the most progressive cohorts of elected officials in recent American history. In one major city after another, newly elected officials are planning to raise the minimum wage or enact ordinances boosting wages in developments that have received city assistance. They are drafting legislation to require inner-city hiring on major projects and foster unionization in hotels, stores, and trucking. They are seeking the funds to establish universal pre-K and other programs for infants and toddlers. They are sketching the layout of new transit lines that will bring jobs and denser development to neighborhoods both poor and middle-class and reduce traffic and pollution in the bargain. They are—if they haven’t done so already—forbidding their police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities in the deportation of undocumented immigrants not convicted of felonies and requiring their police to have video or audio records of their encounters with the public. They are, in short, enacting at the municipal level many of the major policy changes that progressives have found themselves unable to enact at the federal and state levels. They also may be charting a new course for American liberalism.

New York’s Mayor Bill de Blasio has dominated the national press corps’ coverage of the new urban liberalism. His battles to establish citywide pre-K (successful but not funded, as he wished, by a dedicated tax on the wealthy), expand paid sick days (also successful), raise the minimum wage (blocked by the governor and legislature), and reform the police department’s stop-and-frisk policy (by dropping an appeal of a court order) have been extensively chronicled. But de Blasio is just one of a host of mayors elected last year who campaigned and now govern with similar populist agendas. The list also includes Pittsburgh’s Peduto, Minneapolis’s Betsy Hodges, Seattle’s Ed Murray, Boston’s Martin Walsh, Santa Fe’s Javier Gonzales...“We all ran on similar platforms,” Peduto says. “There wasn’t communication among us. It just emerged organically that way. We all faced the reality of growing disparities. The population beneath the poverty line is increasing everywhere. A lot of us were underdogs, populists, reformers, and the public was ready for us.”

Much more at the link:

http://prospect.org/article/revolt-cities

The thread recieved no attention, but the link details a lot of what is going and not covered by national media

to ProSense.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024859982#op

This is real grassroots, and something Dean excells at doing. He's honest and direct, saying truths many don't want to hear. His goal is to get majorities, my dream is to see a new Democratic majority such as we had in the 1970s. Garcia is a very good Democrat and will be better than Rahm who has closed schools and not listened to public workers like he should.

BTW, Willie Nelson has also endorsed Garcia.

And the article is wrong about it being payback. That's not the way that Dean operates. Most articles, shows, etc. are biased, so it's hard to find sources that don't play that game for the right.

I really hope that Garcia wins to restore public education in Chicago. What has been done to them under Rahm was disgusting to me.

JMHO.

[Starry Messenger]

12. It's a powerful endorsement.

It would be great to overturn the machine in Chicago the same way New York did with deBlasio.

[ieoeja]

57. Rahm is not Machine.

Your OP even references that fact by pointing out that he has no ground game. That is the pretty much the definition of not having a machine.

Most Chicagoans never understood the Machine. Old Man Daley pretty much let his underlings do whatever they want as long as they got out the vote for him. Many of them went to jail for doing what they wanted. Daley never lifted a finger to help them. And Daley remained untouched. Because he wasn't involved.

His son used this but did try to get things more under his control. Where his dad let the ward bosses do what the ward bosses wanted, he made some efforts to replace ward bosses. And suffered several embarassments for those efforts.

Hint: don't send southside Irish muscle to intimidate voters for a northside ward boss who spent decades involved in boxing's Golden Gloves tournament. Northside ERs ended up treating a lot of southside Irishmen that election day!

They always called it "Daley's Machine" so people always figured it was under Daley's control. But it was a Machine with many bosses who agreed to get along.

I don't know if young Daley's tampering is what damaged the Machine so much, or what. But neither of the two latest stars in Chicago politics, Obama and Rahm, were part of the Machine. Rahm's first foray into politics was with Bill Clinton. That provided him with enough Star Power to overcome the Machine. While Obama came out of a district Daley gerrymandered to keep liberal reformers segregated from the rest of the city.

I believe Chuy is actually a Machine guy. Been in city politics for a long, long time. Rahm's very first job in that regard is the one he has now: mayor. Rahm is most definitely somebody nobody sent. Chuy may never get the support of the southside Irish who seem to believe that the Machine must always have one of theirs as the front man. But I imagine the rest of the Machine will be very happy with Chuy.

You should like that, actually. Unions have always been the heart and soul of the Machine.

[Starry Messenger]

59. Great history, thanks!

I appreciate your taking the time to provide a sketch. Civic politics in CA are hairy too, but Chicago seems to be unique in some regards.

The Irish aren't a discrete voting block here, for one. I'm Irish American and I don't think we form anything like a power grouping in CA. I'm not even sure what that would look like!

[ieoeja]

60. Only on the southside.

Northside Irish don't care much for the southside Irish. And the feeling is mutual. The Irish don't form much of a voting bloc on Chicago's north side, and aren't part of the southside bloc.

[HereSince1628]

82. Rahm says his first foray in politics was with Paul Simon

How he moved from Simon to Clinton's director of fund raising isn't really clear to me. I suspect there is a story.

[bravenak]

26. Great read!

Thank you.

[freshwest]

32. ProSense posted the best stuff! Hey, better watch out for TEOTWAWKI on another thread.

[bravenak]

33. Oh, no. When are we all going to die?

I hope there's food and beverages.

[freshwest]

34. Just so long as we *all go together* I always say!

[AllyCat]

13. Yes! We want a real Democrat!!! Go, go Garcia!!

[Cha]

15. I would think so!

[marym625]

17. Cool

I almost feel sorry for Rahm.

[cui bono]

20. Don't.

Ever.

[marym625]

22. ok.

He just seems so sad in the little commercial.

Don't worry, I am voting for Chuy.

[cui bono]

24. I would vote for Chuy if I lived there as well.

[marym625]

25. I miss the palm trees om lake Michigan

I know that it could not be less important but I found them fun.

Hopefully, Chuy will bring them back

[cui bono]

31. When I read the title of your reply it made me think of when Faux Noise was reporting on

protests "in" Wisconsin but there were palm trees in the background. That time it was because they weren't really in Wisconsin. (I think it was Wisconsin...)

I guess it could happen if there were palm trees in Chicago!

[marym625]

40. I think the fake Wisconsin

Was also during the winter.

Every summer there were a couple palm trees at Oak Street Beech. Until Daley left office. I miss them. Was really cool driving south on Lake Shore Drive, heading into town. Just snaking on by on LSD, Friday night trouble bound. Watching the lake come into view, and then you get to about LaSalle St and there they were, palm trees!

[steve2470]

72. palm trees on Lake Michigan ?!

I tried to go swimming in Lake Michigan, in Chicago, on Labor Day and about froze my ass off LOL

I imagine those trees froze solid.

eta: My bad

A good example of this is Chicago, Illinois. Several zip codes for the city of Chicago bring up zones 5-6. Microclimates occur in most large cities due to the urbanization effect that buildings bring about.

http://www.sunpalmtrees.com/Cold-Hardy-Palm-Trees.htm

[marym625]

76. They also removed the big ones in the winter

Just took them out and brought in new ones, assume new ones, in the summer.

Where were you on the lake? Most of the areas where there are beaches, are pretty warm by labor day. Or was it just so hot out that the water felt colder than it was?

I know it's a stupid, unimportant thing to care about in an election. I surely would never vote for someone based on this. But I miss the palm trees!

[steve2470]

77. it was next to the Loop. I forget exactly which one, long time ago

Thanks to you, I learned palm trees can survive in Chicago! Amazing!

[marym625]

78. Cool! I imparted wisdom!

My day is now a good one!

Maybe it was a cool summer. Strange it was still that cold. Yeah, the lake is pretty cool no matter what or when. Usually swimable by labor day though.

Let me know if you ever come back here.

[steve2470]

80. I'll come back one day, Chicago's a fun place

We'll do lunch.

[marym625]

81. sounds great! summer in Chicago is THE BEST! n/t

[mopinko]

97. my daughter used to work there. oak street beachstro.

they were potted, and removed and replaced each year. the restaurant is there every summer, but since you cannot build a permanent structure there, it comes down every winter.

pretty sure they were still there last year. maybe fewer than before, but. ..

[marym625]

99. It's a great little place.

There every summer. But there were always a couple big palm trees. I was always told those were the city's doing.

I don't go to Oak Street Beach anymore. I'm sure the little ones were there. It's the big ones you could see from far away, great view on LSD, that just made it so cool.

I think that place has been there forever. I think it goes up April 15ish.

[mopinko]

101. not forever.

20 years maybe.
the palms were part of the deal. they rented them. the city makes anyone w seating on public properties adhere to certain rules about greenery and flowers.
daley.
rahm probably let them use shorter trees. those big babies are very very spendy.

[marym625]

102. Daley was great about beautification

That was actually Maggie. The plants in the dividers on South Michigan Ave, all them. The upgrade of the river walk around Wacker.

I still thought that the park district paid for the big ones, no?

Excited for Maggie Daley park to open. Hope it's done by Blues Fest.

[mopinko]

103. they give you zip but a spot on the beach.

iow, a license to print money. they rolled in it as long as the weather was good.

[marym625]

104. I'm sorry. You lost me.

[mopinko]

105. it was part of what the restaurant had to provide in order

to get such a lucrative lease.
the city is in the drivers seat on such things, and exact lots of regs. providing greenery and flowers are part of the lease terms. on the restaurant.

[marym625]

106. AH!

Thanks.

My family used to own that land. Entire Chicago lake front to Michigan Ave. Even the Indiana dunes. City stole it

[marym625]

38. I hope he makes a difference

I think he will win.

I used to work in the building his office was in a few years ago. Really nice people. Trustworthy, honest. So I do have some hope. But I really wish Karen Lewis had been able to run. Whoever wins this one will have to do well or she will be a shoe in the next time

[Unknown Beatle]

29. I don't feel anything but

disgust and revulsion for that fucking prick and he feels we as liberals are "fucking retarded". Fuck that piece of shit!

[marym625]

39. When did he say that?

And how did I miss it!?

Can you please link to something about it? I appreciate the information. I honestly didn't hear that.

[Bradical79]

43. Here you go

http://www.salon.com/2010/09/03/more_taunts_to_the_democratic_base/

Rahm is awful.

[marym625]

79. Thank you for the link and info. n/t

[SoapBox]

21. Bravo Dr. Dean!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

23. I like the feeling

of Howard Dean still having skin in the game.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

27. Starry Messenger - thanks for the donation link

I lived in Chicago for 10 years, so it was a pleasure to donate to Mr. Chuy. Fingers crossed.

[Starry Messenger]

28. Awesome!

I am an AFT member, the first union to commit to Garcia. I am very excited about this election. I have only been a visitor to Chicago, but I know several people who live there and are in the ground game.

[ieoeja]

55. Someone told me shortly after the first vote that almost all unions endorsed Rahm.

I had read that Rahm gets very passionate on the subject of unions: to wit, he hates unions with a passion. So I have been trying to find a list of union endorsements for Rahm. I have so far been unable to find even one.

Do you know if there is a list of union endorsements for this race? I know Teamsters Local #1 has endorsed Chuy.

The only endorsements I know for Rahm are:

- His former boss Obama
- Our Republican Governor
- Our Republican Senator
- Three Republican Newspapers
- Two Liberal Newspapers



The guy who told me about the union endorsements for Rahm, with no specifics, was a pretty liberal guy. Then he retired last year. And started listening to "both sides". I keep asking him that if the two sides are "lies" versus "truth", why would you listen to both sides? But he is starting to echo, and believe, all the bullshit. I really hate watching him devolve.

[Starry Messenger]

58. He's been endorsed by building trades unions, which are notoriously business-minded.

I'm not surprised by that. Even in CA those guys run to pols who love to build charter schools, etc.

UNITE HERE endorsed him, which is kind of wtf, because they are usually a social justice union.

Otherwise some biggies elected to stay neutral, rather than actually endorse.

Here's a list of endorsers as of late Jan:

http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/7/71/327577/sneed-exclusive-rahm-endorsed-25-labor-unions

"Among the endorsers:

• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (representing two locals)
• Laborers District Council (represents eight locals)
• International Union of Operating Engineers (represents two locals)
• Ironworkers District Council (representing three locals)
• Painters District Council 14 (representing 13 locals)

• The pinch: It is also intended as a thwack at mayoral opponent Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, who has been endorsed by the nearly 30,000-member Chicago Teachers Union, led by Karen Lewis — who once coveted Emanuel’s job.

• The poke: Missing from the group is SEIU Local 1, which represented the 290 Aramark janitors who were laid off after the Chicago Public Schools signed a contract with the company to clean schools last year."

An SEIU division went against the neutral stance of the other locals and donated big to Chuy.

http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/7/71/414268/despite-internal-seiu-dispute-cash-way-chuy-garcia

"Jesus “Chuy” Garcia received another influx of cash from SEIU Health Care, despite calls from a leading Service International Employees Union local for its sister organization to “cease and desist” supporting the mayoral candidate.

SEIU Health Care, one of the largest contributors to Garcia’s campaign, made another $250,000 donation late Wednesday to aid Garcia’s runoff against Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

That comes amid an internal dispute within SEIU, chiefly from Local 73, which represents 14,000 city workers and has complained that campaign contributions from SEIU Health Care — a union that represents no city workers — runs contrary to the SEIU State Council’s decision last year to remain neutral in the mayoral race."

This is a fun race to watch if you are a labor nerd.

[DeSwiss]

30. K&R

- ''An opposing endorsement is a meal best served cold......''

[center]
[/center]

[yurbud]

35. we should all contribute a dead fish to Rahm

[tartan2]

42. Oh please Chicago

kick the little dirt bag Emanuel home for good. The dirt bag is a self serving prick. OMG I just cant stand this so called man~!!!

[IDemo]

44. Rahm's true color (Green) is coming through

Emanuel collects $1.4 million, mostly from wealthy donors

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday reported taking in nearly $1.4 million in donations to his political fund as he continues to stockpile unprecedented amounts of campaign cash for Chicago mayor's race.
lRelated Chicago plans to eliminate 50 more red light cameras

Most of Emanuel's latest contributions came from eight wealthy donors, each of whom previously had contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Emanuel.

Topping the list was billionaire hedge fund founder Ken Griffin, who gave $250,000. Griffin, who is Illinois' wealthiest man, also was a top donor to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's record-setting campaign last year.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-rahm-emanuel-campaign-cash-met-0310-20150309-story.html

[Starry Messenger]

46. SEIU has been mulling changing its decision to stay neutral

Wish they'd endorse Garcia.

[DFW]

51. Rahm has hated Howard's guts since the famous shouting match of 2006.

I was in DC then, saw Rahm shortly after it. His face was so red, it looked like he had rubbed beet juice on his face.

Rahm was almost surely the reason Howard was frozen out of the Obama Administration (their and our loss). There was NO more obvious choice for HHS Secretary than Howard, and no more brilliant voice for health care reform, either. Howard took it like a man, never once dissed Obama or Rahm publicly or even privately (except maybe to Judy, I wouldn't know, and never asked him).

However, like the saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold.

[madfloridian]

61. DFW That was awful of Rahm. He was horrible. I posted more details.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026358107

[android fan]

85. Rahm should have been thrown out from the beginning, in 2006.

I despised Rahm, and I still do.

And I'm Jewish. I didn't like his philosophy of how to operate government.

Interestingly enough, I will be in Chicago for Pesach and it's right on the runoff date.

Not sure if I care enough to help Garcia, but it would be interesting to see the result.

I will have to ask my sister who she is planning to vote for...

[DFW]

88. 2006 was too early to be able to get rid of him

He was, apart from being the head of the DCCC, a member of the House.

Obama should have looked beyond his Chicago friends and realized what a polarizing figure he was bringing into the White House as his chief of staff. I understand that he was looking for someone he knew, and who was a proven "get-it-done" guy, and he wanted the choice of WH Chief of Staff out of the way as early as possible. However, Rahm brought a LOT of baggage with him, and he DOES rub people the wrong way. Casting Howard off like a used candy bar wrapper was one of the biggest mistakes Obama made in his early days. Of course, it was Rahm's doing. He had Obama's ear. Howard didn't. Howard knew it and accepted it.

Still, the ACA probably would have had a smoother, earlier and more comprehensive launch if Howard had been behind it from day one, and in on the planning. Instead, he was out in talk show wilderness while Rahm was busy pissing off the world. The outcome was as predictable as it was unfortunate.

[lark]

53. Howard Dean, making us proud of Democrats once again.

I love that he's one Dem with a spine, who's not afraid to throw punches and who "gets it". Rahm is nothing but a DINO and a Repug at heart. He's hurt the city of Chicago and needs to be sent home.

[TBF]

64. Good. K&R nt

[blkmusclmachine]

65. ,

,

[marlakay]

66. No surprise I still think Rahm is why Obama

Didn't give Dean a place in his cabinet. Big mistake.

[Babel_17]

69. News like this makes up for a lot of frustrating developments (nt)

[Starry Messenger]

73. I'm glued to this election to keep me sane through some other stuff dominating the news cycle!

[nikto]

70. Shakespeare line of the day...

[nikto]

71. Hopefully, Rahm will WIPE-OUT in the election...

[Drunken Irishman]

74. Good. But Rahm is going to win and it might not be close.

[Starry Messenger]

75. Being forced into a history making run-off is already a loss

The third-place rival has endorsed Garcia, which will swing some more votes away from Rahm.

Anyone with a brain would not view this situation as a mandate, even if Rahm squeaks it.

[alcibiades_mystery]

96. The only people who worry about whether there is a mandate are the losers

If Rahm wins, even by one vote, he has a majority pro-Rahm City Council and pretty much nobody to stop him from executing whatever plan he has. Indeed, with Rauner in Springfield he has an even clearer field than he had under Quinn to completely deploy his neoliberal policies. Whether political chatterers think he has a mandate is a very losery discourse indeed. He will be the winner, and will do what he wants. He may even be emboldened.

[mopinko]

98. historic how?

we have only had the runoff system since after harold washington. not long enough to be "history", except in the loosest possible terms.

and nobody with two working brain sells cares what willie wilson thinks.

[alcibiades_mystery]

95. I tend to agree

Chuy's financial plan revealed this week was a bit of a joke. Now, there's not much Chuy can do about that. The actual solutions to the major financial woes of the city have to wait for IL Supreme Court rulings and numerous other factors to click into place. Rahm has been effective in hiding this: that to make any definite proclamations about strategy now is actually foolish. But Chuy, being wise to reserve definite judgment on a changing situation, stepped into the trap, and now has a rather laughable announcement of "I'll let you know...my plan will reflect my principles."

That may be the death knell of the Chuy campaign, since the concern in the wards has always been whether Chuy is up to the job. This is, of course, unfair, since Rahm's financial stewardship and plan is also a fucking joke, and we have four years of semi-competent management, but also four years of letting this shit go on and on. Had he vit the bullet and raised taxes dedicated to pension-funding on Day 1 of his first term, we wouldn't be staring down the barrel of hundred-million dollar due dates, with little to show for it. Of course, this is an ideological problem: BOTH RAHM AND CHUY WILL HAVE TO RAISE TAXES, INCLUDING PROPERTY TAXES AND MIDDLE CLASS TAXES. That's going to happen regardless of whom you vote for. The only trick left politically is whether one candidate can convince the people that the OTHER candidate is going to raise YOUR TAXES rather than somebody else's. It's all a scam either way. They will both have to do the same thing, financially. We're in the realm of the inevitable.

But who can play chicken longest?

[ancianita]

84. I think Chuy gets more votes since Cook County President,Toni Preckwinkle, finally endorsed him, too

She's boss to many South Side workers and, as the only City Council independent vote for years, will probably sway both Mexican and black voters who didn't care for The Machine.

I'm hoping.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

91. I can't find her endorsement anywhere. nt

[ancianita]

100. You are so right. I saw a Facebook OP and assumed she did, but she hasn't. Thanks.

https://www.change.org/p/toni-preckwinkle-endorse-chuy-garcia-for-mayor-of-chicago?recruiter=16996475&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=mob-xs-no_src-no_msg

[dolphinsandtuna]

86. Rahm puke

When Rahm spewed that stuff about Liberals being "retards," the bloom was off the Obama rose for me. And I think the Democrats would be in a much much stronger position if Howard had been able to continue to run the election strategy.

[Stellar]

107. That damned Rahm!

I really feel that he may try to steal the election. I heard that they really need the Black vote to win. And, there are more black churches throwing their weight behind Chuy. I haven't seen any Ads by Chuy, but Rahm is running negative ads into the ground, seem like every 15 minutes. Anytime you got a Republic0n governor (Rauner) pulling for Rahm, something is wrong with this picture. Rauner may try to help Rahm steal the election the way that I feel that he did.

[Badass Liberal]

108. Howard who?

When was he last relevant?

[polynomial]

109. "Chuy" what is that

My first curiosity is that of having the first name of a powerful Judeo Christian Deity. That alone makes me wonder about our social game in Democracy.

Being named after the God, or profit I pray to is one thing but making an open effort to exploit a nickname like Chuy, is beginning to make me feel uncomfortable. Or is Mr. Garcia the new political relations marketing icon totally intentionally placed into the arena by the one percent. Yep.

The nickname, Chuy, is interesting too, something not linked to that omnipotent being that is worshiped every Sunday by millions of Chicagoan’s, or most in this hemisphere. Certainly is a Chubacca the new image of man, I think not.

I wonder what the Pope thinks; is America in a Canonical collision course ?

Nicknames wreaks of Bushism…

The word Chuy immediately reminds of the Star Wars character, the furry animal person that growls, that is part of a rebellion force not far far away but right here in Chicago. A really sweet Republican back door game.

More likely it is the real Ronald Reagan game plan to turn Chicago into a Republican town.

As Ja Ja Bix might say, me’s a thinks this is a weird one… 

[Starry Messenger]

112. Um no, exactly none of that.

[Badass Liberal]

110. Do we know who Dukakis endorsed?

How about Walter Mondale, John Edwards and Chris Dodd? Way to stick your nose in a race that has zero to do with you, Howard. Stay classy.

[Starry Messenger]

111. And you are?

Who exactly?