When asked by a local reporter, mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel would not commit to sending his children to Chicago Public Schools if elected mayor.
"I'm going to make that decision with Amy as a parent," Emanuel said. "And I know very well, having met people throughout the city -- I'm not saying what I'm going to do. But it's a decision I'm going to make with my wife and my family. And that's how I'll make that decision. I think the people of the City of Chicago will appreciate that."
He rambled in that manner for almost a full minute. His inability to answer -- or even gracefully dodge -- the question was nothing short of embarrassing. And even more troubling was that it raised concerns about whether he could handle similar questions if elected mayor.
The Emanuels have 3 children, Zach, Ilana, and Leah, who are all school-age.
Opponent Gery Chico, who served as President of the Chicago School Board, attempted to take advantage of Emanuel's gaffe by pointing out that he personally attended CPS and that his kids did as well.
"There is something to be said for leading by example and having a personal stake in the system you seek to reform," Chico said. "I would never tell a parent what decision to make for their own child, but personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable asking parents of more than 400,000 public school students to do something I wouldn't do myself."
I first heard this story on Chicago public radio, and later saw that it was picked up by the local papers and TV stations.
What a terrible blunder by Emanuel. By answering the question the way he did, he opened the door for Chico make a self righteous comment and look good to undecided voters.
After reading this story, I contacted Rahm Emanuel's campaign manager Scott Fairchild and told him that I can do a better job of prepping Rahm for difficult questions. After taking a look at my resume, Fairchild immediately called me into his office for an interview.
After a long interview with Fairchild, I met with Emanuel, and when our conversation ended, Emanuel stood up and extended his hand. As we shook, he said, "Cyrus, I'd like you to be my deputy political advisor."
I gladly accepted the offer.
My first order of business was for Rahm to make up for his public schools gaffe. I immediately arranged a press conference and paid a reporter $5 to ask Rahm whether he planned on sending his kids to a Chicago public school.
After Rahm had fielded a few questions, my reporter stood up and asked, "Mr. Emanuel, if you are elected Mayor, do you plan on sending your kids to Chicago public schools?"
Rahm smiled and looked down at him and said, "That's a good question, and I think it's a question that needs to be addressed because Gery Chico is insinuating that I am unfit to be Mayor because I send my children to private school."
Then Rahm looked up into the cameras and said, "Gery, one of the reasons I'm taking this job is because I want to fix Chicago's public schools. Right now, Chicago public schools are in terrible shape, and they've been this way for a long time -- I know it, you know it, and everyone in this great city knows it. One of my primary goals as Mayor will be to improve the quality of Chicago public schools -- improve them to a point where a man of my financial stature would consider sending his children to a Chicago public school. Because frankly, as things stand today, guys like me aren't sending their kids to Chicago public schools."
"And here's a question for you Gery: since when has the Mayor of a city been required to live like its poorest citizens? What's next? Do you want me to move into public housing projects? Should I fire my driver and start taking buses to work with the heathens? Should I start shopping at Aldi? Should I make my wife get a job cleaning houses?"
"Gery, I don't see why a leader needs to have a personal stake in the system he seeks to reform. I'd like to improve Chicago's homeless shelters; does that mean I have to live in one? President Obama supports the war in Afghanistan, but do you think he's going to make Malia join an Army infantry platoon after she graduates from high school?"
"And let me tell you something Gery, the irony is that I shouldn't expect a guy like you to understand any of this -- or any of the other complex issues facing our city -- because after all, you're a product of these shitty public schools. They haven't prepared you for the rigors of an intellectual life. And you haven't had enough success in your 25 years in the private sector to afford to send your children to private schools. Whereas I went to a good public school on the North Shore, and earned enough money in two years of private sector work to send my children to private school."
"You know what? I've had enough of politicians constantly pandering to the middle class and saying that they want to 'preserve' our middle class. I'm sick and tired of hearing about 'middle class this' and 'middle class that.' What about the upper class? What about our forgotten upper class? Our founding father's weren't middle class, and neither am I. And that's why I plan on lifting the citizens of this great city into America's upper class!"
The room full of reporters broke into a wild applause and standing ovation.
"Thank you, thank you." Emanuel said with his arms extended in the air and flashing peace signs.
...
This morning I received a call from Gery Chico's campaign manager, the conversation went like this:
Me -- Hello?
Caller -- Name your price.
Me -- What?
Caller -- You heard me.
Me -- Who is this?
Caller -- You know who this is.
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