Black Leaders Narrow Down "Consensus" Pick to Two; Meeks Shut Out
By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 29, 2010 2:00PM
Even with Tom Dart taking his name out of consideration, the list of candidates and prospective candidates vying to replace Richard Daley as mayor still resembles the mysterious tumbleweeds that plague Bridgeport during Christmas. The group of politicians, clergy and community leaders that make up the "Chicago Coalition for Mayor" have narrowed their candidates for the "consensus" Black candidate for the February election to former Senator Carol Moseley Braun and Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers, Jr.
State Senator James Meeks, who had previously said he could serve both the city as Mayor and his Salem Baptist Church congregation as Mayor, was passed over in part due to the separation of church and state conflicts that could arise if he is elected. Again, we wish to note that, to our knowledge, none of these folks had an issue with Meeks serving his congregation while in Springfield. We also want to note the irony (or hypocrisy, if you prefer) of a coalition that includes ministers looking for a mayoral candidate.
Both Moseley Braun and Rogers have baggage. Moseley Braun will certainly be asked questions about her political past, as well as peppered about her lack of executive government experience. Rogers, who sits on the three-person board that hears property tax appeals, could suffer from spillover related to fellow Board of Review commission Joe Berrios and be asked to show if he ever gave preference to property tax attorneys who've donated to his campaign.
Meeks, meanwhile, supposedly told the coalition that he woudl step down from his church if it meant that much to thee coalition, showing that the Lust of Man can affect even the strongest Man of God. Meeks downplayed his passing over to Tribune columnist and anti-blogger John Kass.
"I want to be mayor of all the city, not just for a segment of the city. So, I don't think I'll be their consensus black choice. That's OK with me," Meeks told Kass