Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel’s phone lit up with calls from some of the country’s most powerful politicians congratulating him on re-election, and Emanuel continues to criticize Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget cuts while leaning on the governor for support.
Emanuel says he heard from two presidents Tuesday. One was Bill Clinton, his former boss.
When Emanuel was asked if that call from a Clinton means he has his mind on returning to Washington D.C. should Hillary Clinton win her unofficial campaign for president next year, Emanuel gave a partly light-hearted answer.
“This is the best job I ever had. I have no interest in another job. Zero. Zilch. None. Nothing. Okay? Wait a second. I’m getting rolling. I got six other languages, Mary Ann, that I can say ‘zero’ in.”
The other call was from Barack Obama, who is also Emanuel’s former boss.
Emanuel says he doesn’t let a conversation with Obama go by without pitching Chicago as the location for his presidential library. The mayor says when he knows the location - we’ll all know the location.
Meanwhile, Gov. Rauner’s proposed budget calls for less money for local governments, and Emanuel says that would affect Chicago’s public safety. But he says the city has a bargaining chip.
“There is no Illinois economy without the Chicago economy.”
Emanuel calls Rauner’s proposed budget a negotiating tactic. The mayor has said he wants the governor to support a new Chicago casino and possible pension benefit reductions for city employees.
In response, a spokesperson with Rauner’s office says he’s working with local leaders to balance the state budget and not overburden taxpayers.
- WBEZ's Tony Arnold contributed to this report.
