Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley announced today that he won't seek another term for the office he's held since 1989. How modest! So: Will Rahm Emanuel leave the White House to run for this vacant office in 2011? Probably.

Few people with an actual shot at becoming Chicago's mayor would want to try during Daley's reign, which will soon become the longest in Chicago's history, surpassing that of Daley's father, Richard J. Daley. But now it's an open field! Will Emanuel, who's ready for a change following two years in Washington's most hectic job — White House chief of staff — follow up on these comments he made to Charlie Rose this April?

"Right now I'm a chief of staff - I'm in the cabinet, president put the chief of staff in the cabinet, but one day I want to run again for office and if I get a - but again I want to repeat because the mayor's a dear friend of mine, and I support him, I hope he seeks re-election as you know, Charlie, you've been out to Chicago, he's done a fabulous job, and one day I would like to - but if he doesn't at some point that will be something I'll do."

Well, he'd better do it in next year's election, because there's probably some punk named "Richard X. Daley" looking to start his 20+ years of Chicago rule a few years down the road.

Would Emanuel win, if he ran? Ask someone who knows about Chicago politics! But since Emanuel would literally murder all of his opponents before the election — in the light of day, downtown, shouting "What? What the fuck are you looking at?" at bystanders — we predict he'd have a 100% chance of winning.

Besides, he has some wealthy, honorable donor friends out there.