Mayor Rahm Emanuel responded with humor Wednesday to a Chicago Tribune article that labeled him as a "walking personality disorder."
A Wednesday commentary titled "The Trouble With Rahm," claimed the mayor's "audacity exceeds his accomplishments."
"My wife kinda agrees with the personality disorder part," Emanuel said at CTA news conference. "I'm gonna be up front about what we have to do for the city of Chicago and facing the challenges instead of running away from them."
Rahm pointed to his push for full-day kindergarten and fiscal reform that put money back into the city's rainy day fund as examples.
There's an old belief in politics that voters will support the candidate they'd most like to have a beer with, and while Emanuel may not necessarily fit that category, his $7 million war chest makes him almost unbeatable in the February 2015 mayoral election.
"Rahm's in great shape," political strategist Dick Simpson said. "If you were a betting person going to Las Vegas, I'd say bet the house on Rahm. If you want change, go out and find someone like a Harold Washington to galvanize voters to change the course of Chicago history again."
Experts believe Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is the only person who may be able to present a formidable challenge, but so far, she claims she is not interested in running.
More money is on the way for the Emanuel campaign. Former President Bill Clinton will be in Chicago next month to attend a fundraiser.
