Wall Street Journal Turns Spotlight on Chicago Mob Linked Alderman Burke

The Wall Street Journal reports:

For 28 years, city Alderman Edward Burke has been protected by a squad of four bodyguards, a perquisite almost unheard of among municipal legislators.

Now pressure is building for Mr. Burke's security detail to be eliminated, creating a dilemma for Rahm Emanuel, the new Chicago mayor who campaigned on the mantra of reform.


Mr. Burke so far has refused to relinquish his security protection, in which two bodyguards are assigned to him at any one time. Mr. Emanuel could push to revoke it, but he needs a healthy relationship with the alderman, who has the clout to block the mayor's agenda. At the same time, critics are howling that a city with a $700 million budget deficit can no longer afford such things.

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