Chuy Garcia Picks Up Endorsement From Emil Jones

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Another day, another major endorsement for mayoral candidate Chuy Garcia and once again it comes from the critical African American community.

CBS 2's Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports the mayor has got to be concerned that Garcia's come out of the gate fast. But, mindful of the story about the tortoise and the hare, no one's claiming victory or admitting defeat.

Even as the challenger rolled out another impressive endorsement, the mayor countered by simply doing what he was elected to do.

"The sun is out, the snow is melting and pothole crews from Chicago are hitting the streets all over town," Emanuel said.

The mayor promised they'd be out there seven days a week filling potholes and paving more than 300 miles of city streets.

Emil Jones meanwhile was paving the way for Chuy Garcia, just as the Reverend Ira Acree did on the West Side Tuesday morning, Rev. Jesse Jackson on the South Side Monday, and Congressman Danny Davis over the weekend.

"It's a myth when folks say Blacks and Latinos cannot work together," Jones said.

Jones said the rift which developed over a successor to Harold Washington was healed when Latinos helped elect him president of the State Senate.

"The most important thing to do is to go out, do the basic work of being a mayor, making sure our streets get paved and potholes get filled," Emanuel said. "While I'm proud to have the president's endorsement and other elected leaders or other type of leaders, you as an individual have to go out and earn people's confidence in your leadership, your plans to build a strong city and that's what I'll be doing."

Emanuel's leaving the heavy lifting for supporters airing commercials on Black radio stations attacking Garcia's early opposition to the Obama Library in a city park and criticism of the president himself.

Both sides are raising money, for airtime as well as their ground games.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel took in $1.4 million dollars Tuesday alone. But don't make too much of Commissioner Garcia's reporting just 63,700 Tuesday; he's the one who appears to have the momentum.