Mayors say big cities are driving US resurgence : One Party Rule Mayors Claim Life Is Great Without Checks and Balances

The AP reports:

Mayors of some of America's biggest cities said Thursday that cities, not Washington, D.C., are driving the country's economic growth.

Bill de Blasio of New York, Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, Rahm Emanuel of Chicago and Kasim Reed of Atlanta spoke at a forum at the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics.

The four - all Democrats - said being a big-city mayor is the best position in politics because they are able to implement new ideas quickly, without the gridlock that has paralyzed Washington and some state legislatures. As a result, they said, America's large cities are in the midst of a renaissance.

"Cities are where the action is," Reed said.

The relationship with the nation's capital is dramatically different than it was in the 1960s, when cities appealed for help and federal money flowed freely, they said. Emanuel called Washington "totally AWOL" and "a bit of Disneyland on the Potomac." Garcetti said it is now cities that are saving America, not the other way around.

This is funny stuff: since many of these big cities are near bankrupt you'd think Rahm Emanuel would keep his head down. No comment yet on this story from the good people over at Moody's. Also, no word yet from Rahm Emanuel on when he's going to start sending his kids to public schools in Chicago since Chicago is saving America according him.