Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel turned to the media to send a very clear message to New York City boss Bill De Blasio in the bidding war over the Obama Library.
Speaking with the Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet on Wednesday, when he attended the American cities-themed Politico panel "What Works," a snarky Emanuel had this advice for De Blasio: "Work on the DNC convention. Your time will be better spent."
The subtext: Back the [insert unprintable F-bomb] off.
While the prized presidential library and museum is Chicago's to win, New York continues to put up a fight. Columbia University, President Obama's alma mater, is among the top bidders for the future tourist trap, as is the University of Hawaii (his home state) as well as the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago (his adopted city).
The four groups have until next Thursday to submit their detailed grand visions for the site. The Barack Obama Foundation, chaired by Chicago businessman Marty Nesbitt, will make recommendations early next year to the president and first lady Michelle Obama and they will make the final decision.
Meanwhile, De Blasio is angling to win the 2016 Democration National Convention for Brooklyn, his resident borough, and months of campaigning seem to have planted the seeds of inevitability. He's up against Philly and Columbus, Ohio, but Brooklyn appears a lock.
As for library showdown, Emanuel (who prefers U of C's proposal) told Sweet that De Blasio is "doing what he is supposed to ... do as mayor. I'm doing what I am supposed to do for the city of Chicago."
