February 11, 2009 5:17 PM
- Text
Daley Dynasty Keeps Chicago In The Family
(CBS)
Even though he is running for his sixth term as Chicago's mayor, the fact that he is still sometimes referred to as "Richard II" suggests Richard M. Daley still lives in the shadow of his beloved father. CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers reports.
"My father was very dedicated; he only wanted to be mayor. He was elected when I was in the 7th grade and he was just passionate about it," Mayor Daley says.
Richard J. Daley controlled Chicago and its Democratic machine for more than two decades. His tough, hard-nosed style made him one of the country's most powerful politicians — with a reputation that withstood even the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
Amazingly, the city of Chicago has had a "Mayor Daley" for 39 of the last 52 years. The father-and-son combo are the only Chicago mayors to serve more than five terms and the only ones to serve their long stretches consecutively.
But Mayor Daley protests that it would not be fair to describe the Daley mayoralty as a dynasty.
"It's not a dynasty because you have weaknesses, frailties, disappointments and then you have to subject yourself, like anything else, you subject yourself to criticism," says Daley.
Criticism that's coming more often these days. Daley's administration has been battered over the last few years by charges of bid-rigging and corruption. Charges that may not be enough to unseat him, but do threaten to taint his legacy.
"Unfortunately corruption does exist. You get disappointed in people, you get disappointed in what took place, but you don't get caught in a tangent. You have to move the city forward," says Daley. "It's amazing to me how the media is worried about our legacy and I am just worried about improving the quality of life."
Most say Daley has improved the quality of life by planting thousands of trees, building world-renowned parks and eliminating high-rise public housing, including the notorious Cabrini Green.
Daley is trying to win the 2016 Olympics for Chicago. But his most audacious, and, he says, most important project, is reforming the city's troubled public school system.
"Education is the answer to all our problems in the world," says Daley. "There is a line in this city, country and the world, and on one side of the line we're educated, you're doing well, and on the other is poverty."
Paul green, director of the Institute of Politics at Roosevelt University says it is those types of political risks that separate Daley from his father.
"He may look like his dad. He may talk like his dad. But the city is different, and his political aspirations, his political enjoyment is much different than his father."
"I like to get up in the morning and walk around the city, early in the morning — you'll find out, sometimes, what a city is really like," says Daley.
A city that will undoubtedly call him mayor for at least another four years.
"My father was very dedicated; he only wanted to be mayor. He was elected when I was in the 7th grade and he was just passionate about it," Mayor Daley says.
Richard J. Daley controlled Chicago and its Democratic machine for more than two decades. His tough, hard-nosed style made him one of the country's most powerful politicians — with a reputation that withstood even the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
Amazingly, the city of Chicago has had a "Mayor Daley" for 39 of the last 52 years. The father-and-son combo are the only Chicago mayors to serve more than five terms and the only ones to serve their long stretches consecutively.
But Mayor Daley protests that it would not be fair to describe the Daley mayoralty as a dynasty.
"It's not a dynasty because you have weaknesses, frailties, disappointments and then you have to subject yourself, like anything else, you subject yourself to criticism," says Daley.
Criticism that's coming more often these days. Daley's administration has been battered over the last few years by charges of bid-rigging and corruption. Charges that may not be enough to unseat him, but do threaten to taint his legacy.
"Unfortunately corruption does exist. You get disappointed in people, you get disappointed in what took place, but you don't get caught in a tangent. You have to move the city forward," says Daley. "It's amazing to me how the media is worried about our legacy and I am just worried about improving the quality of life."
Most say Daley has improved the quality of life by planting thousands of trees, building world-renowned parks and eliminating high-rise public housing, including the notorious Cabrini Green.
Daley is trying to win the 2016 Olympics for Chicago. But his most audacious, and, he says, most important project, is reforming the city's troubled public school system.
"Education is the answer to all our problems in the world," says Daley. "There is a line in this city, country and the world, and on one side of the line we're educated, you're doing well, and on the other is poverty."
Paul green, director of the Institute of Politics at Roosevelt University says it is those types of political risks that separate Daley from his father.
"He may look like his dad. He may talk like his dad. But the city is different, and his political aspirations, his political enjoyment is much different than his father."
"I like to get up in the morning and walk around the city, early in the morning — you'll find out, sometimes, what a city is really like," says Daley.
A city that will undoubtedly call him mayor for at least another four years.
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