Jesse to Richie: Nuh-Uh!

By Kevin Robinson in News on Nov 10, 2006 2:10PM

In separate press conferences that surprised nobody, both Jesse Jackson Jr. and Luis Gutierrez announced that they were really excited about going back to Congress and working on the new Democratic agenda. Jackson thinks it's an exciting time to be next in line to be chair of the sub-committee on House Foreign Operations Appropriations. And he doesn't want to run for mayor. Gutierrez was a bit more sanguine, citing his desire to be at his wife Sondra's side as she battles thyroid cancer, as a reason not to run for the Mayor's office.

Saying that he is "excited, eager, and downright giddy" about his prospects in Washington is a far cry from a mayoral run that was "more likely than not," and a statement like that is frankly unbelievable. We suspect that Jackson seemed to have thought long and hard about the political price to be paid for taking on Daley, and concluded that the odds of beating a political machine that has consistently delivered victories for the most incompetent of candidates weren't good. We suspect that Gutierrez had seen the writing on the wall as well, and decided that this isn't the year to take on Daley. But where Jackson had taken some swings at Daley earlier in the year, and moved like he was ready to take him on, if not out and out running, Gutierrez played his hand closer to his chest; you never really knew what he was going to do.

All in all Chicagoist is a little disapointed to see these two drop off. We were hoping for a run from Gutierrez in particular, as we always liked what he stood for, and believed that, in his heart, he loved the city for real, and had the vision to represent people that didn't have a strong voice. We're hoping he gets his fill in Congress these next three years, and comes back in '10 for a run.

Either way, it doesn't seem that there will be a debate of any caliber about the direction of the city this winter, unless the GOP comes up with a candidate. It seems we will have to settle for watching Daley mop the floor with Dock Walls and Dorothy "the victim" Brown.