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July 08, 2008

A Chicago Operation from Top to Bottom

Rick Moran
It's not making news because after all, reporting on the messiah's mixed race upbringing and sterling oratory makes for so much better copy.

But someone, someday in the major media is going to wake up and take a good long look at Barack Obama's campaign and notice something very strange; it is staffed from top to bottom with Chicagoans who have mostly made their bones working for Mayor Richard Daley and the Chicago Machine.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Barack Obama's campaign is being run out of Chicago. He recently moved most of the Democratic National Committee functions to the Windy City and his campaign headquarters is there as well.

The question the press might want to ask would be is there anything being "run" in Chicago that doesn't have Mayor Daley's fingerprints all over it?

Is Barack Obama Daley's man?

Seth Gittel in the New York Sun:

While the convention will be held in Denver it will give off the greatest Chicago cast since 1996, when Mayor Daley hosted the convention that nominated President Clinton for his second term. The June decision to place operations of the Democratic National Committee in Chicago together with Mr. Obama's headquarters reinforces the Windy City's dominance of Democratic politics. The big question is whether American voters will notice.

Mr. Obama has run successfully as a candidate of reform. A former community organizer, he fills his rhetoric with references to "a new and better day" and the omnipresent imperative of "change." In South Carolina last January Mr. Obama said, "we're looking to fundamentally change the status quo in Washington."

For the junior Illinois senator, change in Washington is a requirement. But that does not seem to be the case for Chicago, as it seems from Mr. Obama's support for Chicago's mayor who has been in power since 1989. Mr. Obama announced his support of the mayor's reelection effort in January 2007 after Mr. Daley, endorsed him for president in 2006.

[snip]

The reality is that without Mr. Daley's backing, Mr. Obama would be running a very different kind of campaign. Part of the tactical genius for Mr. Obama's campaign has been provided by his campaign consultant, David Axelrod, who also is a longtime operative in Mr. Daley's operation.

A columnist with the Chicago Tribune, John Kass, explained the arrangement in an interview with CNN: "Richard M. Daley is the boss of [the] Chicago Machine. His spokesman was David Axelrod. Their candidate is Barack Obama. Who speaks for Barack Obama? David Axelrod. There's no such thing as coincidences. Chicago politics doesn't have coincidences."

As far as coincidences go, there's also the woman Newsweek described as the campaign's "insider-outsider, a trusted friend who can give them a view from beyond the confines of the campaign bubble," Valerie Jarrett. Ms. Jarrett served as the planning and development commissioner for Mayor Daley during the 1990s. Today, in addition to being a confidante of Mr. Obama and his wife, she's also the chief executive of Habitat Co., which has drawn scrutiny for managing uninhabitable affordable housing, such as the Grove Parc Plaza complex.

It is amazing to those of us who have followed Chicago politics for any length of time that Axelrod's close connections to Daley are not a part of the story of this campaign. It's not that this fact is rarely mentioned. It is that it is NEVER mentioned! Axelrod knows full well the stink that emanates from City Hall could tarnish Obama's Mr. Clean reputation - a rep that has been created out of whole cloth given Obama's own connections and pandering to the Machine when it would benefit his career. His endorsement last year of Daley (along with most of the corrupt Cook County slate of candidates) shows just how serious Mr. Obama is about "change." In short, he's perfectly willing to change you but when it comes to changing Chicago, the candidate is a weak sister.

The inclusion of Ms. Jarrett in Gittel's analysis is surprising. She is the invisible woman of the campaign and, as her resume indicates, is a bridge between Obama and some of the Machine's moving parts. Her stint on the Planning Commission - one of the most powerful jobs in the city - coincides with Michelle Obama's service on the same board. They also served together on another powerful board, the Landmarks Commission (try to build almost anything or anywhere in the city without the approval of the Landmarks Commission and you run into big problems).

Anyone asking the question how a little known state senator who has served less than half a term as a US Senator could be the Democratic nominee for president only need look at Obama's friends in very high places in Chicago. This is the story of the campaign. It's a shame everyone is missing it.

Hat Tip: Ed Lasky

Posted at 10:05 AM | Email |

Comments

Astounding! That is if you're intent on looking the other way.

Posted by: Flabergusted | July 8, 2008 11:00 AM

Chicago is know for corrupt Democrats. The Democrat Party is corrupt as the day is long. So now we have new type of politician from the most corrupt city in the US leading the most corrupt party in history.
Yup, change is a comin!

Posted by: DaveT | July 8, 2008 11:02 AM

I recommend that you all read Mark Brown's column in the Chicago Sun-Times http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/1038068,CST-NWS-brown03.article on the death of the Hispanic Democratic Organization. This organization was formed in the Clinton era and became a conduit for building patronage for the Clintons. Given the self-serving tendencies of Billary, they became a rival for control of the Machine, trying to exploit it to build Hillary's campaign (Patti Solis Doyle connection?). This challenge to Daley's authority has been a major force in his establishment of a controllable counterforce to Hillary, Barack Obama.

More details on the HDO can be found by searching the archives http://www.suntimes.com/stng_article.search?page_size=20&query=hispanic+democratic+organization&pub=cst

Posted by: Bruce Thompson | July 8, 2008 11:25 AM

Absolutely on point. The Chicago Tribune ran an article in this Sunday's paper highlighting the failure of Daley's city government to deliver on his ghetto renovations (already in year 10). The article points out that the money for developing the new "mixed-income" housing is funneled to Daley's nephew's company and that company has leased the land for under $100 for 99 years.

Who is managing this bait and switch? Velerie Jarret. Obama's certain HUD Director if he gets elected.

Also, nobody in the media has jumped on Obama's support of Todd Stroger, Cook County's President, who has gone on to raise taxes to the highest in the nation and has coined a new motto which is so relevant to Obama - "Revenue is reform"

All the RNC needs to do is take a good look at how Chicago is run (corruption, high taxes, unproductive masses...) and explain to the public that with Obama as president, this will be extrapolated on a national scale.

Posted by: Pedro | July 8, 2008 11:37 AM

Good article!

He is using a crowd of "local" calibre professionals to achieve national prominence. Not necessarily impossible, but it goes a long way to explaining Obama's "not-ready-for-prime-time" errors of late.

Posted by: Dark Skies | July 8, 2008 11:46 AM

Being born and raised in Chicago, I couldn't agree more. Remember in Chicago there's always the "what's in it for me" patronage to be paid back. (either now or latter.) His honor de mayor (Daley) wants the 2016 summer Olympics - It is written, it shall be done - by "whatever" means possible. Obama gets elected, his honor de mayor better be made happy. Chicago was nicknamed the "windy city" thanks to our blowhard politicians not the weather. Obama's fast rise to the top, owes plenty back to the machine - you can take that to the bank.

Posted by: Ciscokid | July 8, 2008 11:50 AM

I'll bet Hillary Clinton is sorry she didn't reclaim her real hometown when she ran for Senator in 2000. All of this would have been hers for the asking. Wasn't Mayor Daley's brother Bill a Clinton Cabinet appointee at one point? NY state represents too much work! The state of Illinois outside of Cook County might as well be North Dakota for all the influence it has. Most of the large states -- Ohio, Pennsylvania, California etc -- have competing centers of interest which serve to vary the political landscape a bit. I suppose if the farmers of IL, mostly Republican I suspect, are bought off by crop support payments, which leaves Chi-town in the hands of the real hogs! Heaven help us.

Posted by: Yankeegirl | July 8, 2008 11:52 AM

Yup,
The machine is going nation wide on the hope/change train, imagine the looting that is going to go on once they get their hands on the federal hog trough.

Posted by: Oldcrow | July 8, 2008 02:23 PM

YOU know Obama and his "developers" friends should be ashamed..while they sit in their pretty mansions the "poor" people are crying for heat and decent housing..Ms.Jarrett who was VP of HABITAT 2001-2007 and was in charge of GROV PARC till 2006 when the fed.gov. took it over for code violastions yet she can co-host $28,ooo (2800) fund raising dinners for Obama while a maint.worker stated grov parc didn't have enough $$$$ to buy steel-wool to plug up the rat holes....the $175,000 DAVIS REZKO AND JARRETT gave Obama over the last 10 yrs. could have paid for a lot of heat for those apts..I can see DAVI AND JARRETT wringing their hands waiting for Obama's AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND that would give developers $500 mill a year..how could Jareett be HUD material when the feds seized GROV PARC in 2006 and did Obama represent WOODLAWN PRESERVES AND INVESTMENTS WHEN THE PEOPLE WERE COMPLAINING OF CONDITIONS???

Posted by: MEE | July 8, 2008 07:52 PM

Mee - "ashamed" is not an emotion of the narcissistic political elite. You see ashamed, they see opportunity for power.
Obama learned one skill coming up as a State Senator - get a suitcase full of money and pass it around for favors. And his US Senator proposals mirror this exact behavior - the Global Poverty Bill ($850B), the Faith Based Programs, and the Housing Development Program.
Vote McCain 2008.

Posted by: EyesOpen | July 9, 2008 08:03 AM

Rick M. wrote:
"Anyone asking the question how a little known state senator who has served less than half a term as a US Senator could be the Democratic nominee for president only need look at Obama's friends in very high places in Chicago."

Are you suggesting that Obama has a smart, experienced, and competent staff from Chicago? Yes, he does.

From the same New York Sun column:
"For Mr. Daley, Mr. Obama's path to the presidency has many positives. Better to have the talented Chicagoan training his rhetorical thunder against such foes as Hillary Clinton and John McCain than against the top office holder in Clark [sic] County."

Daley (and the Cook County Democratic Machine) didn't back Obama until after the 2004 Illinois primary for the U.S. Senate. Axelrod, Jarrett, and Obama have University of Chicago connections. The idea that Obama is a creation of the Daleys or the Machine is wrong.

Posted by: Dave | July 17, 2008 08:58 PM

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