Raum Hangs It Up

The second most powerful man in Illinois is leaving office.

I rank them this way---House Speaker Mike Madigan is number one, the mayor of Chicago is number two…then trailing in third place—way behind the pack--- is the state’s Governor.

Mayor Raum Emanuel is not going to seek re-election next spring because---quite honestly---he can’t win.

He has presided over a blood bath in the Windy City with murders exceeding the combined number of killings annually in New York and LA. He has been a miserable supporter of his police department, which is about 75% of the problem.

But, in a moment of rare candor, Emanuel, actually put his finger on a major contributing factor in the bloodshed. And for his opinion, he got lambasted.

Recently, the mayor said---and I quote----“I know the power of what faith and family can do. Our kids need that structure…I am asking…that we also don’t shy away from a full discussion about the importance of family and faith helping to develop and nurture character, self-respect, a value system and a moral compass that allows kids to know good from bad and right from wrong.”

He almost sounded like Reagan for a moment.

And he got immediately lambasted by Democrats all over the city who blame guns for the violence…the current president…and anything that doesn’t point out there has been a one party system in Chicago since Capone.

Raum Emanuel wanted the raw power of the office of mayor of Chicago but he came to understand that he was destined to lose next spring. Another Democrat will take over…

..and do the same things that have ruined Chicago.