Thursday, March 17, 2011

EXTRA: China trip another Daley “last”

DALEY: His final mayoral sojourn
Richard M. Daley has managed to work in potentially his last foreign trip as Chicago mayor. He’s headed for China.

Daley will be leading a delegation to Beijing to try to promote stronger business ties between the two cities, which actually strengthens business ties between the two countries as well.

THIS TRIP WILL be Daley’s fifth to China during his 21-plus years as Chicago mayor. It also brings a sense of payback, since China President Hu Jintao included our city in his own visit earlier this year to the United States.

Which keeps alive the idea that we’re going to be giving much attention in coming weeks to all the “lasts” that will take place during the Daley administration – which runs through early May, at which time Rahm Emanuel officially becomes our city’s mayor.

Daley did his last St. Patrick’s Day parade as mayor last Saturday (five days before the actual holiday), then announced his last foreign trip on Thursday.

Now I’m really wondering what Daley’s last baseball Opening Day will be like, and trying to figure whether he will stick with the Sox on April 7, or take advantage of the Cubs’ season opener on April Fool’s Day.

  -30-

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