Shock: Rahmbo Booted Off Ballot

The Chicago Sun Times reports:

Rahm Emanuel was thrown off the ballot for mayor of Chicago today by an appellate court panel, a stunning blow to the fund-raising leader in the race.

An appellate panel ruled 2-1 that Emanuel did not meet the residency standard to run for mayor.

Appellate judges Thomas Hoffman and Shelvin Louise Marie Hall ruled against Emanuel. Justice Bertina Lampkin voted in favor of keeping President Obama’s former chief of staff on the Feb. 22 ballot.

“It’s a surprise,” said Kevin Forde, the attorney who argued on Emanuel’s behalf.

The Chicago Trib reported just a few days ago on Emanuel’s huge fundraising advantage over his opponents:

A new Tribune poll released Thursday night showed Emanuel, a former White House chief of staff, with 44 percent support from Chicago voters compared to 21 percent for former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, 16 percent for former Chicago Board of Education president Gery Chico and 7 percent for City Clerk Miguel del Valle. Another 9 percent were undecided.

Moreover, campaign finance documents filed with the State Board of Elections show Emanuel with a significant multi-million dollar fundraising advantage over his rivals. He downplayed sizable donations that came from outside the Chicago area as contributions from long-time donors or friends familiar with his career.

You can bet this decision will be appealed.

Emanuel’s attorneys are expected to use Lampkin’s dissenting opinion to appeal the case to the Illinois Supreme Court.

A predictable snarkfest is ensuing on Twitter:

@jimgeraghty: I suspect today Rahm is summoning new creative energies and inspired innovation to his alchemy of profanity.

@daveweigel: Can’t Obama just take over the city and make Rahm the Chicago Czar?

@dmataconis Well, he #Rahm never could produce the long-form residency form.

2:35pm Eastern. Rahm gave a short statement to the press (no profanity delay buttons were necessary today). An appeal is on the way. He brushed off suggestion that politics played a role in court decision and said: “I have no doubt in the end we will prevail.”