Big Mistake: Don't Fire Rahm Emanuel

I grew up in Chicago and I know Chicago politics. The original Mayor Richard J. Daley couldn’t control the police. Blaming a strong mayor and demanding his resignation, just when the police union is vulnerable is a fundamental political strategy error. Mayor Emanuel’s resignation would be followed by a weakened political structure until there could be elections and Emanuel would necessarily be replaced by a weaker Mayor. The time needed to accomplish this deficient political shift would create dead time and an opportunity for the police union to regroup, including assertion of the rank and file as an election force able to manipulate a successful mayoral candidate. And there is the real problem: the power of the police union and their rank and file officers wagging the dog.

I can think of no political action dumber than forcing Rahm Emanuel to resign, just when he has the forces behind him for meaningful reform of the police command structure and a measure of control over the police union and their rank and file.