Before the Illinois Appellate Court ruled 2-1 today to boot Rahm Emanuel off the ballot, the former White House chief of staff has made some big strides in his bid for mayor. Here's a look at some of the highs and (bleeping) lows of Emanuel's campaign thus far.
Rahm already has raised more than $10 million in campaign cash, beating his opponents by a landslide. And he's been considered the frontrunner by many.
He's also got some friends in high places.
J-Hud hosted a Rahm fundraiser-concert a couple weeks ago, and Andy Samberg not only headlined a private event for Emanuel last week, the "Saturday Night Live" comedian shook hands on the candidate's behalf at an "L" stop. Bill Clinton also went to bat for his old chief of staff, showing up at a rally last week and calling him "one of the pivotal reasons I was elected."
Teamsters Local 700 like Rahm too, giving him the 55 percent edge in a recent poll.
But not everyone loves Rahm.
He's been blasted for his colorful use of language, which includes various uses of the f-bomb, perhaps justifying his equally creative nicknames. His tan caught the ire of opponents during a candidate forum, and the RNC created a fundraising campaign just to beat him.
And then there's the residency hearing, which took a turn for the worst this afternoon. After today's news, Emanuel's website crashed and candidates are scrambling to react.
What's next? Stay tuned.
