Donald Trump: Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Should Thank Me
By John Dodge
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Donald Trump has done a great service to the great City Of Chicago.
And perhaps, someday, the mayor of this great city will thank him for the 140-foot long, two-story T-R-U-M-P stamp over the Chicago River on his beautiful tower.
All of this according to Mr. Trump himself.
It is now well-known that Mr. Emanuel believes the sign lacks taste and is a blemish on an otherwise architectural gem.
The Chicago Tribune's architecture critic Blair Kamin called it a "wart." It is Kamin's criticism that launched the public feud.
"Nevertheless, the worldwide publicity this criticism has caused has not only been good for the building but it has been great for bringing Chicago into the news-- and for something other than the negative news of late. Perhaps the Mayor will thank me someday!" Trump wrote today in a commentary published online by the Chicago Tribune.
Trump also seems to believe that Chicago's citizens owe him, too.
"I personally know that the citizens of Chicago realize that they've got a total prize also. I understand that I may be associated with New York, but my name is known and respected worldwide. It is a brand that brings a prominence to Chicago by mere fact of recognition -- but also for the inherent quality as shown by the beauty of this building."
Trump also continued his personal attack against Kamin, this time saying he is OK with the criticism because Kamin is a "lightweight" whom Trump doesn't respect.
Trump previously called him "dopey" and "third-rate."
He also incorrectly asserted that Kamin had been fired. In fact, the Pulitzer Prize winner was at Harvard on the fellowship. In the opinion piece, Trump asked why Kamin didn't single out other large signs.
In fact, he has.
Mr. Kamin doesn't like the video screen outside the CBS 2 Broadcast Center, either. While many here were unhappy, nobody publicly took issue with that.
As Trump notes, the sign on his building went through the approval process with the city.
He built it.
It's over.
As a the great Mike Ditka, who is bigger in the eyes of many Chicagoans than Trump or his tower, said on the day he was dismissed at the Chicago Bears coach:
"This, too, shall pass."