Coincidentally, I sat down for breakfast with former governor Pat Quinn to talk about mayoral term limits last week on the very day that a certain mayor named Rahm laid off 1,000 employees, including 500 teachers, from Chicago Public Schools.
Quinn calls it his “Take Charge Chicago” referendum, though I think we might call it the “Protect us from Rahm” initiative.” Since we, the voters, seem unable or unwilling to protect ourselves from him on our own.
“I’ve been to every part of Chicago,” he said. “I enjoy this—it’s democracy.”
It never came before voters because the state supreme court bounced it from the ballot after the Chicago Bar Association challenged its constitutionality—a 4-3 ruling that irks Quinn to this day.
But by and large, Quinn and Emanuel are vastly different political creatures.
Not that Quinn will ever admit it. Even under my relentless breakfast-time cross-examination, he steadfastly refused to concede that he holds a grudge against Emanuel.
