The Chicago Machine Changes Gears

In the Mother of All Political Machines, there will be a changing of the guard. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, scion of the most ruthless and relentless political machine in American political history, has announced that he will not seek a whopping SEVENTH term. Wants to retire, he says. Interesting. Daleys don’t retire. They just stay in office, abusing power, forever.

But this Daley has decided to bow out, for some real reason we’ll find out later. That means Chicago will be getting a new mayor soon. And that new mayor just may be…Rahm Emanuel?

Obama’s Chief of Staff is a Chicago boy. He was a Clinton White House senior adviser, a Chicago-area Congressman, and head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee before his current gig. By the way, he’s just not that into his current gig. He was into it when they were riding high, but now that Obama’s sucking salt, he’s dying to get outta there.

So, he’s going to run for mayor of Chicagoland. And he’ll win, because Chicago is Chicago. Beautiful city, ridiculously stupid politics. In Chicago, if you’re not indicted, you’re not invited.

One thing’s for sure: if Rahm runs for mayor, he will be leaving a gaping hole in the Obama White House. Yes, he’s profane and brutal and a huge jerk. But he’s also the only guy in this White House who is a true political animal and not a pure ideologue. Obama, David Axelrod, and Valerie Jarrett—the three remaining in the Bama Inner Circle—are complete, true-believing Saul Alinsky devotees. For them, the top-to-bottom remaking of America as a wealth-redistributing, socialist state trumps everything, including politics, polls, and even re-election. Rahm is a dedicated Democrat, but he’s not stupid. He tried to throw the brakes on Obamacare and Obama’s misguided Ground Zero mosque comments, as well as other off-the-wall Obama policies. He’s the only character in this White House that could possibly save it from itself.

But he wants out big time. The rats are bailing on the sinking ship: first key economic advisers Christina Romer and Peter Orszag said sayonara. Now Rahm is about to wave goodbye. There will be others after the November election.

This White House will miss Rahm. For all his faults—and they are legion—he was, God help us, the only voice of reason in there.

Soon, he’ll be Mayor Rahm. Hey Chicago: you’ve got that to look forward to.