For Shame, Rahm. Earmuffs On Election Day? Really?

As we all know, real men don't wear earmuffs, Mr. Mayor.

What were Rahm Emanuel's handlers thinking?  Sending him out to greet voters sportin' a sweet pair of 'muffs?  That's bad.

But, then boasting about it on Twitter?  Come on.  Haven't seen State Treasurer Mike Frerichs sporting them since last winter.  He learned his lesson.

 

Happy Halloween From Rahm Emanuel And Mike Frerichs

We weren't expecting this!  We wouldn't have thought that a guy who is in a race for Illinois Treasurer (Mike Frerichs) and Da Mare (Rahm Emanuel) would have time for a costume party.

But...we guess we were wrong.  Good to see Rahm have a sense of humor....

And...it appears that Frerichs is really taking this whole Halloween thing to a new level as he posted what looks like him in a tv interview with a whole new set of spooky makeup?!?

Halloween At Rahm Emanuel's House

Nobody is going to be happy if they trick-or-treat at Da Mare's house this year...

H/T Dan Proft.

Candidate Facebook Weekend: Schock, Bost, Emauel, Schimpf, Rutherford, Kim

Down to the last three Mondays of this election cycle.  And that means this will be our third-to-last Candidate Facebook Weekend recap posts of this political season.

So, let's go around the social network and see what candidates were up to on this important weekend:

Congressman Aaron Schock was getting some sun down in Miami and hanging on South Beach.  On...and he was there to support Carlos Curbelo - a candidate for Congress, too!

Mike Bost tore into the chili at the Mascoutah Chili cook off.  He was all over the place this weekend and he's pushing ahead in the race.  Keep it up, Mike!

With the 'threat level' reduced to almost zero, Da Mare had time to fix up his Facebook profile over the weekend.  

Illinois Attorney General Candidate Paul Schimpf was doing some retail politic'ing at the Bears tailgate at Soldier Field where he met voters and spread his message.

Current Treasurer and former Governor's candidate Dan Rutherford was out raising money and rallied with is running mate Steve Kim at his annual fundraiser.

Candidate Facebook Weekend: Anthony, Bost, Proctor, Emanuel, Tunney, Rauner, Schimpf, Senger

Including this one, there's just four more Monday's before Election Day on Tuesday, November 4th here in Illinois.  That means just four more "Candidate Facebook Weekend" posts!

As we usually do every Monday, let's see what candidates for office were up to this weekend around Illinois:

State Representative John Anthony was out - with his wife - meeting voters door-to-door- in his district.

Congressional candidate Mike Bost hosted a fish fry in Anna where he had a great turnout and what looks like a pretty tasty sheet cake!

Andrew Proctor - who is running for Springfield City Alderman was out rounding up signatures to get him on the ballot for the Spring election.  Good to see Andrew out there working!

Mayor Rahm Emanuel brought together the Cubs and Alderman Tom Tunney (who was fighting every step of the way in this process) and the official ground-breaking of the Wrigley renovations.  Kerry Wood was too cool to take off his shades!

Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner was out early at Bennison's Bakery in Evanston to pick up some sweet treats and meet voters.

Illinois Republican Attorney General nominee Paul Schimpf was up in Lake County to speak to the Republican organization and get them fired up to beat "The Madigan Machine."

Congressional candidate Darlene Senger was out with her crew knocking on doors in Plainfield to round up the vote in her race against do-nothing Congressman Bill Foster.

That Mike Frerichs TV Commercial Sure Ends Weird

Like you, we're a bit surprised by how Mike Frerichs - in his introduction ad to voters during the Illinois Treasurer's campaign - decided to close his first 30 second tv spot.

The close to the ad features his pal Mayor Rahm Emanuel and we can only think that Mike Frerichs needed one more 'device' to show off how 'tall' he really is??

The Tribune Gets Cute With The Timestamp On Their Rahm Grass Story

Someone over at Tribune Tower working on the social team got cute yesterday and we're sure shared some giggles around the newsroom.

Posting their Mayor Rahm Emanuel decriminalize marijuana statewide piece on their Facebook Wall right at 4:20 pm was a nice touch.

Rahm Emanuel Didn't Wear A Sash At Yesterday's Parade

That's a screen shot of what Mayor Rahm Emanuel was wearing during yesterday's Mexican Independence Day Parade.  Notice....both shoulders are bare.

No sash.

Compare with this one of Mike Frerichs who is DESPERATE for attention.  "Look at me!  Pay attention to me!  Love meeeee!"

Why No Photos From The Big Event, Mike?

We were out of commission late last week taking our middle daughter away to college, so we didn't get to catch up with all the details coming out of the Mike Frerichs' campaign, but a reader sent us two memes that had us wondering the same thing?

After a few weeks of beating the drum about his fundraiser with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the campaign went silent.  No photos of the big day.  No photos of Da Mare?

So...we have to wonder:

One Of Da Mare's Patronage Kings: Rahm's A Suburbanite

From NBC Chicago's Ward Room:

Is Rahm Emanuel "Chicago" enough? 

Still spry at 90 years old, Ed Kelly -- the former Chicago Park District Superintendent -- answers in the negative, not holding back when asked about the embattled mayor during a free-wheeling interview with the Sun-Times. 

"I feel sorry for Rahm, I really do," Kelly tells the paper. "Rahm had no idea what he was getting into. Rahm’s not a Chicago guy. He’ll never be a Chicago guy. He’s not a street guy. He’s trying to be, but he’s not. He’s a suburbanite. He’s not a Chicagoan, he really isn’t. He’s smart, very smart. I think what he inherited is going to continue on, he’s going to find out more problems, money problems and things."

Emphasis, ours.  

He also talks a bit about patronage.  To be a fly on the wall back in the day...

Flashback: The Last Time Mike Frerichs Had A Fundraiser With Rahm Emanuel In Chicago

Remember the last time Democrat Candidate for Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs had an event with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel?

What's that?  You don't?

Well...we do.  And we documented it.

First, it started poorly when the Frerichs campaign insulted their host and failed to spell his name right.  Imagine that....a guy decides to host a fundraiser at his house for you and you fail to even give him the proper respect by spelling his name right on the invitation.  Notice that Mr. Florsheim isn't involved this time around for ole' Tax Hike Mike. We're not suprised.

Then, the story got richer when Mayor Rahm Emanuel "challenged" Mike and his team via Meme on their spelling.

Since the fundraiser tonight is at a restaurant, it has been MUCH, MUCH easier for the Truth Team to get one of our moles in there.  Mike Frerichs might call them "Young Professionals", we just call them moles.

Early, Exclusive Photo From Mike Frerichs and Rahm Emanuel Fundraiser

Rahm does NOT look pleased with how this turned out.  Hopefully the photos that Frerichs will lavish upon his Facebook Wall and Twitter handle will portray the Mayor in a better light.  

Rahm Emanuel's Ashland Avenue Bus Boondoggle

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his administration has put forth a 'Bus Rapid Transit' proposal together for a 16 mile stretch of Ashland Avenue that would turn it from a useuful street for business owners and residents into a bus superhighway.    Their plan removes most left turns and the center turn lane.  

You'd think that the community who lives and works and shops along Ashland Avenue would know better than some beaurocrat down at City Hall about how to improve the transportation options while maintaining their community?  Well, Rahm doesn't think so.  

Fortunately, there is a group of folks from the local community who have put together a program to "Save Ashland Avenue" from Rahm's $200M boondoggle.  They're putting together an alternative proposal that improves mass transit while maintaining the ability to turn left!

From SaveAshland.com:

Say no to "Bus Rapid Transit" and yes to "Modern Ashland Bus".  

Seems that the group's effort is working.  From the Sun-Times:

Rebekah Scheinfeld says she’s “not up to speed on speed cameras,” but she knows plenty about the furor surrounding the CTA’s $160 million plan to install bus rapid transit lanes along a 16-mile stretch of Ashland Avenue. 

On Monday, the veteran CTA planner chosen by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to become Chicago’s $169,500-a-year transportation commissioner made it clear that she’s listening to those concerns.

“We’re specifically contemplating the possibility of adding more left-turns back into the concept design for the corridor,” Scheinfeld said after the City Council’s Transportation Committee confirmed her appointment.

If you want to get involved, you can go sign their petition or download flyers.  

Rahm Emanuel: Can You Guys Do Me A Solid?

Capitol Fax has pulled a pretty significant development out of a Sun-Times piece that says Rahm Emanuel had a meeting with his Chicago Democrat cronies and wants them to bail him out.

Last Friday, the mayor held a 2.5-hour meeting with the Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, both Chicago Democrats, to outline the magnitude of the problem and propose solutions. 

Emanuel wants the General Assembly to impose annual property tax increases on Chicago homeowners and businesses, but put off the balloon payment to shore up police and fire pensions until 2023 to make the bitter pill easier to swallow. 

He wants a General Assembly that has already solved the Chicago Park District’s pension problems to use that plan as a road map for other city unions. 

And he wants lawmakers to impose the same pension reforms on Chicago teachers that they did on teachers in the suburbs and Downstate.

Really?  When the going gets tough, the tough ask others to do their hard work?  

More Rahm Emanuel "Wisecrack" Memes

Our readers here at the Truth Team have come through with some memes around Rahm Emanuel's comment about Abe Lincoln not being 'around for his library site selection' process.

Have one of your own?  Send it over to us at tipthetruthteam@gmail.com.

Rahm Emanuel: Abe Lincoln Sleeps With the Fishes?

In discussing how he is trying to unify the Chicago bid for the Obama Presidential Library, Mayor Rahm Emanuel 'wisecracks' about how Abraham Lincoln wasn't  involved in the 'site selection' process.

Why was that, Rahmbo?  Fran Spielman of the Chicago Sun-Times writes:

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is notorious for making wisecracks, almost always at somebody else’s expense. But, targets of the mayor’s one-liners are normally there to either defend themselves or laugh with him. 

That’s not what happened Tuesday when Emanuel was asked about his efforts to make one unified Chicago bid for President Barack Obama’s Presidential Library and Museum.
“You know the modern presidential libraries. President Clinton has his in Arkansas. Both Bushes [have theirs] in Texas. President Lincoln has his in Springfield, Il. I don’t think he was part of the selection process,” the mayor said laughing. 

It was an awkward moment. The never mentioned the reason why Lincoln was not around to choose the site for his presidential library. He was assassinated on April 14, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at the Ford Theater in Washington D.C.

Now we don't totally want to defend Da Mare and maybe point out something that Fran Spielman glossed over herself?  Even if President Abraham Lincoln survived his assassination attempt and retired from the White House, were Presidential Libraries even a thing back then?

Our quick look says they were started after Herbert Hoover's administration back in 1933?  So...no, he wouldn't have participated in the process anyway.  But...that doesn't let a juicy headline get in our way here at the Truth Team!

Still...we all know what Rahm was thinking.  The meme says it perfectly.