Mayor Daley calls St. Patrick's Day queen "Dago" not long ago. Was Daley an Anti-Italian?
"Rahm Emanuel doesn't live it. He's nothing but a Wall Street Judas," Jim Sweeney said on Tuesday. Well here you go in Chicago Politics with a Union Leader talking a lot of crap to stir up all the City Workers that never figured the Local 150 Operators sold out the City Workers long before Rahm ever did. Local 150 was one of the first unions to cave in to help with Mayor Daley's budget mess. Local 150 made tons of overtime and loaded up private non-union trucks during the snow storm. Local 150 workers load up non-union scab trucking every day on city property. So I think Jim should look in the mirror before he takes the stance he did on Rahm. Am I supporting Rahm Emanuel? A solid NO. Was Daley a phony and a hypocrite again? Yes. Folks, this is not an anti-Semitic issue. It is one of the pot calling the kettle black!
Patrick McDonough
Comments
You stand by your story? Will you face questioning?"
They were calling about that morning's column about Jennifer Battistoni, the Italian-surnamed Queen of the St. Patrick's Day Parade. My sleep-deprived brain struggled to make sense of what they were saying.
Last week, I called Jennifer and interviewed her. Though she's got an Italian last name, she's mostly Irish-American, from the Beverly neighborhood.
In my interview with her, I asked her if it was true what I heard--that Mayor Richard Daley had jokingly said something about her being "a dago," and that she had teased him back.
Actually, she elaborated, the mayor said, "What's with the dago queen over there?" and then they bantered back and forth.
But she also had some kind things to say about Daley too. She said she liked him and that she wasn't upset. She said she was used to hearing the slur and noted that most of us are too sensitive about such stuff.
She said to make sure that even though I was quoting her on the "dago" wisecracks, that I should make sure to quote the other stuff too. I did.
Then I read her quotes back to her, saying that in the column I was acting as a judge and that the sentence I'd pronounce on Daley was simple. He should take her to a restaurant and speak Italian. I suggested a great place, Bruna's Ristorante on Oakley, and she agreed.
Posted by: Pat here is the story. | February 17, 2011 10:16 PM
Its not the 150 operators job to card every truck they load. Tell your precious teamsters to police their own work. Union teamsters crossed 150 picket lines in June because they have a no sympathy clause in their contract. As for Jim Sweeney calling Rahm what he did good the guy made millions on the backs of working folks. He also was one of the guys that helped work up support for NAFTA during the Clinton administration. So Rahm sold out America a long time ago. Judas was A traitor and so is Rahm
Posted by: hunt | February 18, 2011 4:49 AM