CHICAGO — When Rahm Emanuel quit Friday as President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, he said it was for “new challenges” in Chicago, talked up the unbeaten Bears and lauded the citynever once mentioning he was coming home to run for mayor.
Emanuel joins a growing list of hopefuls doing the same political dance, testing the water before formally jumping into the free-for-all to replace Mayor Richard Daley, who announced last month that he will not seek a seventh term.
In the East Room of the White House, Emanuel waved to colleagues, whispered to his children in the first row and stood familiarly with his hands on hips, as if ready to get going.
“It’s fair to say that we could not have accomplished what we’ve accomplished without Rahm’s leadership,” Obama said. The president singled out Emanuel’s work on signature health care and financial-reform legislation, hugged him more than once and told his audience, “I will miss him dearly.”
Emanuel choked up when his turn came. He spoke of his family’s immigrant background, the opportunities he has been afforded and his pride in Obama.
“I want to thank you for being the toughest leader any country could ask for,” Emanuel told his boss.
In a nod to the political sensitivities of Emanuel’s move, he never directly mentioned that he was running for mayor.
Emanuel, sure to be cast as an outsider by his competitors in the upcoming mayoral campaign, did not want to announce his run from Washington.
Instead, referring to the Chicago that both he and Obama call home, he said: “I’m energized by the prospect of new challenges, and eager to see what I can do to make our hometown even greater.”
He is expected to formally announce his bid in the coming days. The Associated Press
