While Mayor Daley surprised me today with his decision to not run for reelection, I have never been surprised by his leadership, dedication and tireless work on behalf of the city and the people of Chicago.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I've very proud to be mayor of our great city. It's a city with a heart and a soul. Chicago has a unique spirit. Our business community wants to give back.
Contrary to what most people think, there is a Rich Daley under Mayor Daley.
The credit for much of this rightly belongs to the late Mayor Daley who forged a coalition of business and labor that kept Chicago always moving ahead.
Be assured that I did not become the Mayor of Chicago to preside over its decline.
Since becoming mayor in 2009, Julian has worked tirelessly to pursue policies that honor the aspirations of the people he represents. I'm proud that my brother has achieved his dreams, but I'm even more proud of the work he's done to help others achieve theirs.
I'm confident that, were I mayor, I would do some things differently than he has. But I think there's a world of difference between him and his immediate predecessor.
Right away when I got to college, I realized that being a politician sucks. It's really hard! It wasn't for me. B.J. Novak is convinced that I will run for mayor of Chicago at some point. He begs me to do it. It'd be a tough gig, but I was always very attracted to the idea of helping people and trying to make the city a better place.
I was pretty successful before Sept. 11 and fully expected that when I left being mayor I would be very successful.
The most important thing a mayor does is hire talented people to run the city.
If you run for mayor, people say you're being egotistical. If you decide you won't run for mayor, people say you're being self-centered and egotistical.