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| Tip beneficiaries? |
No
matter how many times the Cook County Board president has said she’s seeking
re-election this year, rather than running for mayor next year, there are those
who want to believe there will be an Emanuel/Preckwinkle matchup in the 2015
election cycle.
IT
WOULD SEEM there are those within Emanuel’s camp who are taking such
speculation seriously. For the Tribune reported about how one of Emanuel’s
people sent them an e-mail message filled with story suggestions.
All
of which – if written in the same tone suggested by the aide – would have made
Preckwinkle look ridiculous or inept in the way she has managed the Cook County
Board president’s post.
Which
would go against the conventional wisdom of Preckwinkle being one of the few
competent people within our local government – a view held by many county
government people themselves, who find her absolutely wonderful by comparison
to her predecessor; Todd Stroger.
It’s
humorous to me that the Tribune would feel the need to so quickly reveal this
e-mail – which caused the aide in question to have to issue a public apology
(and privately to add a pair of Tribune reporters to his “enemies” list).
ALTHOUGH
I’M SURE those reporters will be able to sleep at night. This might be one of
those instances where revealing the tactic was newsworthy in itself – it shows
the degree to which Emanuel takes Preckwinkle seriously. I’d have thought less
of them if they had just eagerly lapped it up – the way some people want to
believe CNN did with their recent “Chicagoland” documentary series.
Even
though publicly, the two say they “work together” (with many people still
getting their chuckles from a recent Preckwinkle appearance on the WTTW-TV
program “My Chicago” in which Preckwinkle abruptly said she and Emanuel “work
together,” then refused to elaborate).
In
my own time, I have received my share of tips and tidbits and suggestions about
the way I should cover things. Usually from people who want to ensure that I
don’t think much of their political foes.
For
that matter, the campaign of Bruce Rauner for governor sends me nearly daily
e-messages informing me of their latest spin about how despicable we should
think Pat Quinn is. Although that effort differs from the Emanuel attempt – in that
they send their messages to everybody they can think of, and don’t try to be
secretive about it.
THERE
ARE TIMES when they do get secretive, and they usually go through such covert
efforts to cover up their tracks. Which is what makes this direct e-mail
message so unique.
Not
like the telephone call I got just the other day telling me about a suburban
police chief who supposedly is trying to get other village officials to turn
against the local mayor. Not sure yet how truthful the tip is – hence the lack
of details.
I
recall one person who tried to feed me a nasty tip once about a would-be
political candidate. He wouldn’t say anything over the telephone. He insisted
on meeting me face-to-face in a neighboring town.
Then,
when we were standing at an obscure intersection in a residential neighborhood
and he was convinced no one was watching, he fed me the dirt – which as I
recall offended my editor (it involved an act of oral sex performed on the
candidate while on government time) so much we didn’t rush to write it up.
WHEN
IT TURNED out that the candidate in question ran into troubles and couldn’t
even get on the ballot for the upcoming election, the tip died with the
candidate.
Although
I suppose if this candidate ever tries a political comeback, the tip could be
resurrected – and written up if it actually checks out.
Because
one thing about such tips. They’re usually somebody’s wishful thinking about
what they’d like the story to be. Reality doesn’t always turn out that way.
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