Rep. Rush Not Relocating Chicago Office

Chicago Democrat says he's always vigilant about safety, security

Rep. Bobby Rush said Thursday that reports he's relocating his South Side Chicago legislative office are incorrect.

Rush said the Chicago Tribune incorrectly reported that he and staffers had agreed to move out of the area in the wake of the mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., which critically wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

"I think it was misunderstood.  It was a slow news day.  I don't know what it was, but I just want to be absolutely crystal clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I'm like a tree planted by the water.  I shall not be moved," he said Thursday.

He said the events from last weekend in Arizona have not altered his level of security or the measures he's taking. 

"I'm always concerned about being vigilant and I take appropriate measures," he said. 

And while his office is in a high-crime neighborhood, he said he lives in the neighborhood near a public housing complex and is "kind of used to this environment."

"I've been here 20 years.  I'm not moving this office.  I'm going to be here when there's nothing but one building, and that's this building right here.  When everything else is gone, I'll be here."

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