What’s Next In The Emmanuel Case?

[Geee]

Human Events:


On Monday afternoon, political afficionados of all stripes were flabbergasted by the ruling of a three-judge panel of the Illinois Appellate Court that Rahm Emmanuel was out of the race for mayor of Chicago because he did not meet the city’s residency requirements. In overturning previous rulings by the Chicago Board of Elections and the Circuit Court that Emmanuel was a legal resident of Chicago while serving as congressman and President Obama’s chief of staff, the 2-to-1 decision of the Appellate Court panel has thrown the race to succeed retiring Mayor Richard M. Daley into turmoil.

If Emmanuel cannot recover his position on the ballot February 22nd, the non-partisan race is likely to boil down to two fellow liberal Democrats who lack his clout and connections—former Sen. Carol Mosely-Braun and lawyer Gary Chico, formerly Daley’s chief of staff and chairman of the City Board of Elections.

To get back in the race, Emmanuel needs a fresh ruling in his favor from the nine-justice Illinois Supreme Court—and soon. It is here that things get interesting.

The Supreme Court has five Democratic justices and four Republican justices. But court-watchers and Emmanuel watchers are not making angy wagers on the outcome. This is largely because of the Democratic jurist who is increasingly viewed as the “swing” or “unpredictable” vote in the upcoming Emmanuel case, Justice Anne Burke.

“Ann is the wife of Eddie Burke, the Democratic chairman of the [Chicago] City Council’s Finance Committee,” noted veteran Chicago political pundit Tom Roeser, whose WLS-Radio Talk Show and blog (tomroeser.com) are considered must-reading for those who want to understand the byzantine world of Illinois politics, “Now Eddie hates Rahm Emmanuel and I wouldn’t doubt for a minute that he and the other Council members I call the ‘grey wolves’ love the ruling this week. They don’t want Rahm as mayor. They want someone who will let them call the shots from the Council and do their bidding.”