Aldermen Eyeing An Alexi Mayoral Run?

By Chuck Sudo in News on Nov 11, 2010 10:20PM

It may just be us, but it seems as though the Sun-Times is being used to float trial balloons for prospective challengers to Rahm Emanuel's mayoral campaign. Both Michael Sneed and Carol Marin have suggested Attorney General Lisa Madigan may consider a race against "The Rahmformer," despite Madigan's consistent denials.

Now comes this from Lynn Sweet that Alexi Giannoulias is meeting tomorrow with a group of six aldermen who want anyone but Rahm and think Alexi may have the goods.

Sweet, however, hedges her bets:

"I don't think Giannoulias is that interested in jumping in the mayor's race, but his approach, I gather is this: it doesn't hurt to listen to the aldermen to see what they have to say."

We have some questions:

• Why do these aldermen think Giannoulias could give Rahm a race when he was beaten fairly soundly in his Senate race by Mark Kirk?


• If Kirk could successfully make Giannoulias's problems at Broadway Bank a campaign issue, do these aldermen think Emanuel won't?


• If Emanuel is elected and these aldermen meeting with Giannoulias are so concerned that an Emanuel Administration would be a continuation of the iron-fisted rule of City Council typified by Richard Daley, why don't they put actions to words and stand up to the mayor if they have differences in policy?

This rush to replace Daley hasn't even kicked into full gear and already it seems anticlimactic. The Countdown to Rahmageddon, which we were hoping would be a blitzkrieg, instead is a methodical operation that moves slower than a three-toed sloth. James Meeks is going to be in this race long enough to assure himself a seat at the table for whomever is elected mayor. The rest, unfortunately, stand an even less chance of making Rahm sweat. And City Council is saying they don't want a return to the old ways that haven't yet gone away.

At the rate this is going, you can wake us at the coronation.