Aug 26, 2005 5:38 pm US/Central
Politicians Respond To Daley's Questioning
Reaction From Allies And Enemies Was Measured
by Jay Levine
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Federal investigators questioned Mayor Daley Friday about the ongoing corruption scandals plaguing City Hall. Daley says he voluntarily answered two hours of questions.
At a news conference afterwards, an emotional mayor vowed that he and his administration will overcome this challenge.
"Things like this, you get embarrassed. Things like this, when it happens, you get mad. Things like this, you get disappointed, but then you do something about it," Daley said.
CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports on what political heavyweights in and out of City Hall are saying.
We can sum it up with the words of one Daley confidante, "We had a bad day," adding "we have problems, we have to address them."
But the image of the mayor being grilled by prosecutors probing the City Hall scandal is not a good one. Reaction from allies and enemies alike was measured.
"None of us know what went on in there, so why comment until we find out?" said former Mayor Jane Byrne who defeated Daley in a bitter race.
Potential mayoral challenger Jesse Jackson Jr. suggests we "take a deep breath and take a step back. Clearly the corruption investigation is moving forward and broadening and widening. But there's a lot that we don't know, and we should all wait for more information and the facts before jumping to conclusions."
But there are some including Democratic political consultant Don Rose, who says people are going to have to chose between two Richard Daleys.
"There's the Daley who runs a very beautiful city and helped make it more beautiful, innovations and a lot of things, and at the same time, and then there's the Richard Daley who has not overcome the culture of corruption, in which he was raised and in which he thrives and is a beneficiary of this corruption."
At some point, Rose adds, even if you accept that his claim that he knew nothing about it, the argument smacks of criminal mismanagement.
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