Newspaper: Emanuel Trash-Talks France's President-Elect
CHICAGO (CBS) –Did Mayor Rahm Emanuel criticize the newly elected president of France?
It's a question of diplomacy on the eve of the diplomatic event of the decade in Chicago later this month: the NATO summit at McCormick Place.
At issue are some comments made by the mayor over the weekend at the French Embassy in Washington, CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports.
There are disagreements about what Emanuel said, with left-wing French newspaper Liberation saying one thing, the mayor's press office saying another.
The election of Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande sent shock waves across the Atlantic, as President Obama clearly preferred incumbent Nicholas Sarkozy.
Chicago's mayor, speaking with French diplomats at Sunday reception, was reported to have said Hollande "thought more like a Prime Minister than a President."
When reportedly asked if the president-elect could "grow into the job," the newspaper quoted Emanuel – Obama's former chief of staff -- as saying he "couldn't imagine Hollande growing in office."
But the mayor's spokesman says Emanuel actually said this: "Everybody grows in office. I wish him the best of luck."
Meanwhile, Chicagoans now know why the laundry list of street closings released last week includes those surrounding the Art Institute of Chicago during the summit on May 20.
The White House announced Monday that First Lady Michelle Obama will host spouses of NATO leaders at a dinner at the Art Institute that night.
Still unknown is why the streets around Willis Tower are being similarly shut down on the afternoon and evening of the day before.
It's clear there will be some event at America's tallest occupied office building on Saturday.
