Sneed exclusive: Rahm gets personal about city’s children

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Former President Bill Clinton with Mayor Rahm Emanuel at the mayor’s inauguration Monday. | Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

Rahm gets personal . . .

A ring from Rahm . . .

It isn’t every day Sneed gets a call from Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

But hizzoner phoned Monday to talk about his very personal inaugural speech.

“It hit me while I was swimming one morning that I wanted to talk about something so different it would be personal and memorable,” Rahm told Sneed shortly after his address.

OPINION

He told me he had a speech on education and finances ready to go, but he scrapped it a week ago.

“I thought, well . . . spring is a season for renewal and what could be more personal than our kids,” said Emanuel, who has three children: Zach, Ilana, and Leah.

“But I wasn’t just thinking about my kids,” he said.

“I was thinking about the human spirit and about kids who have an absence in their eyes that you don’t see in your own children; looks that you would never expect or accept to see in your own children.”

“I just kept thinking about those children,” said Emanuel, referring to youngsters threatened by fear, guns and daily expectations of violence.

“We don’t need another lost generation . . . so I thought I would just tackle a singular topic — one topic — on marshaling forces to make sure that doesn’t happen, and leave the rest for another time,” he said.

“So I took a chance and I hope it worked.”

Sneed is told Rahm’s mother cried during her son’s speech and his father thanked him in Hebrew.

“My father said something that meant he liked the speech very much,” said Rahm.

And former President Bill Clinton, “who took time to come to the inaugural, told me that this was the best speech,” said Rahm, who then told Clinton: “I learned it all from you.”

“You know, we [Bill and Hillary Clinton] go way back,” said Rahm. “Zach, Ilana and Leah were born during my time working for them. He has seen them all grow up.”

Dem presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton is due in Chicago on Tuesday, “but they won’t be here at the same time,” added the mayor.

“I just reminded him that whatever she needs to get elected, I’ll be there to help make it happen.”

Then he paused . . . and added: “She’ll be great.”

Click! Click!

The photo-op shop: Check out the similar hairstyles in these side-by-side shots of Chicago’s first lady Amy Rule at her husband’s inaugural Monday and actress Robin Wright, who co-stars with Kevin Spacey as his character Frank Underwood’s wife in the hit TV series “House of Cards.”

Mad Men . . .

Sneed admits to watching the “Mad Men” marathon on AMC over the weekend.

Sneed admits to being happy Peggy Olson finally found happiness and Don Draper learned how to chant “om.”

Sneed admits to saying “om” once in 1969 and repeating it for at least a minute after the series ended Sunday night — and saluting with a dirty martini toast.

Clooney tunes . . .

Here’s how one rich and famous and handsome and beautiful couple seal the deal.

• To wit: Actor George Clooney and his wife, Amal, who have a home in London, told the Brit tabloid press they have made a promise to each other to put each other first.

• Translation:“Our deal is neither of us can be more than a week away and so far in general that has worked out pretty well,” Clooney told the Daily Mirror.

Isn’t that a relief.

Twitter twaddle . . .

President Obama has a brand-new Twitter account: @POTUS.

Need I explain what POTUS means? Or maybe you have a private definition?

I spy . . .

Comedian Richard Lewis stopped by lingerie company peach’s launch party at the Public Chicago Hotel Saturday . . . Newlywed power couple Zoraida Sambolin and Kenny Williams were spotted at C Chicago Friday night . . . Blackhawk Teuvo Teravainen stopped by Chicago Cut on Thursday . . . as did a big group of Chicago Cubs, including Anthony Rizzo, Jason Hammel, Jason Motte, Kris Bryant, Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and their families.

Sneedlings . . .

Tuesday’s birthdays: Sam Smith, 23; Grace Jones, 67, and Pete Townshend, 70.

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