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Lewis considers ‘tale of two cities’ theme vs. Emanuel

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis at a news conference in April.
Michael Tercha, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis at a news conference in April.
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Apparently refreshed from her Hawaiian vacation, Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, used the French Revolution as metaphor today in talking about Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

On my WLS-AM radio show, Lewis said she envisions a “tale of two cities” mayoral campaign should she challenge Emanuel. She didn’t talk about Madame Guillotine, but her comment tells me that she probably read some column that made references to a certain Mayor Antoinette.

“What I’m looking at is, how do we bring this tale of two cities — how do we rewrite that story?” Lewis told me and Lauren Cohn.

Lewis said she had not yet decided whether to run against the Rahmfather, and she noted that others were moving forward, including Ald. Robert Fioretti, 2nd.

“There are just so many things that need to be in place. Like you said, Bob Fioretti is hiring people. … You need an office, you need computers, you need phones. You need all kinds of things. I’m not going to duck into the race willy-nilly without having my ducks in a row.”

She criticized Emanuel’s approach to crime, saying the police department was stretched thin, leading to exhausted officers working too much overtime. And she said that the Rahmfather’s approach asking residents in violence-plagued areas to take back their neighborhoods wasn’t necessarily the best policy.

“Crime does not exist in a vacuum. And I think the problem is that the notion of going and telling people that they need to take personal responsibility is vacuous at best. What is required is a real plan. You’ve got to have a policing plan.”

I’ll have more on this in a complete column later today.