EXTRA: A 'bye, bye' to Rahm-bo

While Lori Lightfoot was in Springfield to meet with the Statehouse-types she’ll be doing business with for the next four years, soon-to-be-former Mayor Rahm Emanuel was the focus of activity at City Hall.

Even Rahm has a 'bubblegum' card

Where aldermen used Wednesday’s City Council session to praise the memory of the man whom many of them lambasted often during his eight years as mayor.

BUT IT SEEMS now that Emanuel is on his way out, aldermen are more than willing to venerate his memory.

Wednesday was a celebratory occasion because it was Emanuel’s last City Council meeting. By the time the council meets again, Lightfoot will have been inaugurated and will have to endure the constant headaches of dealing with her aldermanic colleagues.

For what it’s worth, Emanuel went along with the celebratory mode – taking in character the Hall of Fame baseball player Lou Gehrig, who when he was pushed into baseball retirement in 1939 said he was the “luckiest man on the face of this Earth.”

A moment that later was turned into pure Hollywood by actor Gary Cooper in the 1942 film about Gehrig, “Pride of the Yankees.” Which makes one wonder which actor will someday portray Emanuel, should anyone ever decide to give the cinematic treatment to his life.

EMANUEL PLAYED ALONG with the celebratory mode in moments such as when Alderman Carrie Austin said of Rahm, “You always stood tall even though you’re short.”

Gary Cooper played Gehrig -- who'd be Rahm?

To which the 5-foot, 7-inch Emanuel said, “I’ve got a big mouth.”

But then there was Alderman Edward Burke, who likes to view himself as the City Council’s oracle. Some were wondering prior to the council session whether he’d be willing to play along with the celebratory mode for Emanuel. Or could he use the chance to lambast Hizzoner?

He wound up informing us all that the word “Emanuel” (actually Immanuel) appears in the biblical Book of Isaiah as the protector of the House of David. Which Burke said meant that Rahm essentially was “protector of the House of Chicago.”

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