At least they're listening to you, Rahm

The Chicago public school teachers aren't about to let a good crisis (Barack Obama's re-election prospects) go to waste.  Especially when they've got hostages at the ready;

The strike on Emanuel's watch could cut against the narrative the mayor is trying to craft as a leader who's a problem solver moving the city forward. It also could set the tone for his somewhat fractured relationship with labor, with his first major union contract negotiation ending in a strike.

Emanuel’s aggressive posture in pushing for a longer school day and year, while also cutting the pay raise teachers were supposed to get last year, galvanized the union. With negotiations being watched carefully on a national basis, the soured relationship may have led union leadership to strike as a way to take a stand against Emanuel's tactics.

The Democrats need the NEA's money to fight off Mitt Romney...and they know it.