It’s Official: Rahm Emanuel Running for Chicago Mayor

In a short speech showing a far less aggressive side to his infamous at-any-cost demeanor, beltway terror Rahm Emanuel officially declared his intent to be Chicago’s next mayor.  And while the small group of supporters gathered at the event showed strong enthusiasm for the Emanuel campaign, there still lingers confusion among media figures and politicos as to why President Obama has been near silent in issuing any support for his former White House Chief of Staff.  This past Sunday saw senior adviser David Axelrod looking visibly uncomfortable when pressed by Meet the Press host David Gregory on whether or not Emanual would get an endorsement from President Obama.

Axelrod initially brushed off the question, then eventually declared that President Obama had already made his feelings toward Rahm Emanuel known when Emanuel departed the White House.  Obama has said very little regarding Emanuel since that time – only mentioning Emanuel’s name as a one-off joke while making a campaign stop for long time Chicago friend Alexi Giannoulias’ failed U.S. Senate bid.  Recent Chicago media reports are now stating Giannoulias may enter the mayoral race against Emanuel later this spring.  Area organized labor union leaders – all ardent supporters of President Obama, are now courting Giannoulias to do so.

White House Insider reports indicated growing tensions between Emanuel, Jarret, and First Lady Michelle Obama for several months preceding Emanuel’s eventual departure from the White House.  These reports indicated that both Jarret and the First Lady grew increasingly suspicious of Emanuel’s motivations – namely his former ties to the Clintons.  Emanuel was a senior adviser at the Clinton White House from 1992 to 1998.