OPINION:
There are some in Chicago who still entertain the notion that Mayor Rahm Emanuel will somehow end up in the 2016 presidential race, either in the lead role himself, or as a vice presidential running mate of Hillary Rodham Clinton. She was in the town to visit him only last week.
This week, however, Mr. Emanuel’s thoughts are with Bill Clinton. The Windy City is about to get windier. The former president will journey to Chicago on Friday to headline a fundraiser for his former senior adviser. The details: “An Evening with President Clinton and Mayor Emanuel” will be staged at a rather swank nightclub called Studio Paris, with ticket prices that can loom large.
“For $250, you’ll get in the door; for $1,000, you’ll get a seat; for $5,300, you’ll get sponsor status and access to a VIP reception; for $10,600, you’ll get host credentials plus the chance to rub shoulders with two Democratic big dogs; for $25,000, you’ll get a ’chair’ title and greater odds of receiving a friendly F-bomb from Emanuel, or a wink courtesy of Clinton,” notes Erin Carlson, a reporter for Chicago’s NBC TV affiliate.
“Think of all the name-dropping and humble-bragging you’ll do later. If you want to keep your friends, however, it is best not to open any sentence with ’Bill told me’ ” Ms. Carlson adds.
Wait, but there’s more. Former Clinton advisor Dick Morris will also be in Chicago on Friday with his own agenda. He’ll headline a fundraiser for the conservative broadcaster, provocateur and noisy columnist William J. Kelly, who also plans to run for mayor.
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