With the Illinois primary looming, video evidence 17-year-old Laquan McDonald being shot and killed by police takes on renewed significance, especially given the reactions of the Democratic candidates to democratic mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, and his role in allegedly suppressing the video to win reelection.
The reactions of both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton regarding calls for Rahm to resign in the wake news of Emmanuel’s administration’s involvement are telling.
Less than one week after the release of the video, Bernie Sanders was clear:
“Any elected official with knowledge that the tape was being suppressed or improperly withheld should resign. No one should be shielded by power or position.”
Almost two weeks after the release of the video, amid growing calls for Rahm’s resignation, Hillary’s first response was to voice support for Emanuel:
As activists across Chicago call for Mayor Rahm Emanuel's resignation, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton voiced her support for the mayor, who has known the Clintons for years.
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"He loves Chicago, and I'm confident that he's going to do everything he can to get to the bottom of these issues and take whatever measures are necessary to remedy them," Clinton said, according to McCormick.
But Bernie was clear about not wanting Rahm’s support:
“If the question is do I want or need Rahm Emanuel’s support for president,” Sanders said when asked, “with all due respect to the mayor, no, I don’t.”
Nearly two months after the release of the video, as calls continued to grow for Emanuel to resign, Hillary “evolved” on the issue and walked back her support:
When pressed specifically on Emanuel, she said, "Mayor Emanuel has said that he is committed to complete and total reform and I think he should be held to that standard," adding that it's "going to be up to him and up to the people of Chicago" to prove his credibility.
Hillary was originally confident in Rahm, then when pushed she gave the same type of answer about him that she gave about fracking — one full of wiggle room that dodged the question.
This matters in Illinois. Rahm’s approval is at record lows:
A vast majority of Chicagoans don't consider Mayor Rahm Emanuel to be honest and trustworthy, don't think he was justified in withholding the Laquan McDonald video and don't believe his statements about the controversial police shooting, all fueling a record-low job approval, a new Chicago Tribune poll has found.
Four in Ten Chicagoans now believe Rahm should resign. Yet Hillary has yet to call for Rahm’s resignation, as many activist groups continue to do so, most notably the Chicago Teachers’ Union.
Bernie stood with Chuy Garcia in his run against Emanuel, pushing Rahm to a historic runoff election. But many in Chicago are wishing they had a “do over” in light of Rahm’s alleged role in hiding video evidence that speaks to the urgent need for criminal justice reform.
Given Hillary’s continued, albeit muted, support of Rahm, could the Illinois primary be that do-over?
Thursday, Mar 10, 2016 · 1:42:47 AM +00:00 · michael in chicago
Some in the comments questioned whether the Laquan McDonald video suppression would come up in this primary, what with Rahm in hiding. Progressives and groups like the CTU are calling for Rahm AND State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to resign. Alvarez' opponent Kim Foxx is running an ad right now that leads with the Laquan McDonald video coverup.