Daley decisive on all but biggest decision of all

Daley decisive on all but biggest decision of all
BY MARK BROWN SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times
August 31, 2006



It started the way it always does. The door opened, and somebody shouted, "Here he comes," calling the cameramen to attention. Reporters scurried to put their tape recorders on the podium.

"Lock and load," Mayor Daley said with a chuckle, as he charged into the fifth-floor room where he holds his formal news conferences. I took it as friendly alert to his inquisitors, though I realized afterward I hadn't kept a close eye on his security detail.

It was definitely a contrast to the last time I'd seen the mayor enter this room, the day not two months ago that Robert Sorich and three other mayoral aides were convicted of engaging in fraudulent hiring practices to evade court-ordered patronage restrictions.

That day we saw a performance of Daley on a hot tin roof, as a red-faced mayor wearing a frozen smile read a statement and ducked out without answering questions. Wednesday was Daley in the catbird seat, taking inquiries from all comers until he lost interest.

We've seen plenty of Daley on the hot tin roof since the Hired Truck scandal started two years ago, but at the end of the day, even with potential challengers beginning to circle, the truth is that he's still sitting comfortably in that catbird seat.

One more time?

This news conference had been called to announce that Chicago Housing Authority CEO Terry Peterson would step down after six years to be replaced by CHA chairwoman Sharon Gist Gilliam, a longtime City Hall troubleshooter. Daley used the occasion to praise Peterson's role in carrying out his goal of overhauling public housing.

But there was an expectation that Daley would say something to confirm a report in the Sun-Times that Peterson's next assignment would be to manage the mayor's re-election campaign -- in effect, a confirmation that there would be a re-election campaign.

Daley, though, wouldn't bite, responding to all questions with the same talking points he has used for months, stringing them together into the usual jumble of non sequiturs that somehow make sense.

With Peterson going to run his campaign, did that mean for sure Daley would run for re-election?

"Well, first of all, I've not announced for, I've never, ever announced at all in regards to, uh, seeking a term for the mayor's office before the state election. That's never been, you've known that, you've watched me all through the period. I've never done that. There's a process you go through. I'll be talking to my family and talking to the others about looking forward to the next term."

So what will he have Peterson doing in preparation for a possible run?

"Well, I've talked to people already about, uh, uh, uh, just talked to them, their conversation with regards to what I stand for, what we've accomplished, what the city's accomplished together. Sure, I've been, I mean, every day I do that. Every day I have to talk to the media. Every day I'm out there talking to people. So that's a process you go through. You don't all of a sudden worry about an election when it comes up. You have to fulfill what you have to do in four years, and it isn't something you start going for re-election. You have to start making decisions, and one thing this administration has made decisions. That's one thing we have done."

That would have been a good opportunity to ask who made the decision for his administration to systematically end-run the Shakman decree and its restrictions on patronage, but I'm not that quick. Instead, somebody asked again what Peterson would be doing?

"It all depends. When I make a decision, I will look for Terry. I will look for others in regards to helping me out."

Is there any chance Daley won't run?

"Well, I don't know. You know, something could occur. Let's be realistic. Something could occur in your personal life or something, something happens personally, I mean, you can never, I mean no one can see the future, I mean no one can say nothing's ever going to happen to me. There's only one person. And that person's upstairs, and not on this floor, I mean way upstairs. And that's the only, if something ever happens, you know, it could happen. You don't know."

But barring that?

Best job in America

"Oh, no. I think I've got the best job in America. I think I have the best job in America. I don't think, I think, when you look at making decisions, you have to make decisions. When I decided to take public schools over, every political consultant said, you've lost your mind. When I decided to take CHA over, they thought, I've lost my mind. They thought there's no way. I've lost it. Why would you ever tackle this? That's the federal government's problem. That's the State Board of Education. That's somebody else's problem. But I knew in making this city better, that's what you have to do. You have to concentrate on issues that no one expects a mayor to go into."

There you have it. Best job in America. Hasn't lost his mind. Not afraid to make decisions. Just not ready to tell us.