The Hill News

Former White House Chief of Staff went on the offensive Monday attacking a rival in the Chicago mayor's race for being endorsed by the Chicago Tea Party.

At a speech, Emanuel said that the Tea Party's mission was to stop President Obama and his agenda. Former Chicago Public Schools president Gery Chico was endorsed by the Tea Party earlier this month.

"And the notion that one would accept it with enthusiasm means that they see the Tea Party as a legitimate entity in what they’re pushing in trying to stop President Obama," Emanuel said.

Emanuel said he was honored to have worked for Obama and pushed his agenda.

"That was the efforts of the Tea Party and the notion that somebody would accept the support of an entity built around one premise to stop President Obama, I do not accept," Emanuel said.

Soon after, the Chico campaign struck back. In a press release sent out a few hours after, Chico denied accepting the Tea P! arty's endorsement.

"Unlike Mr. Emanuel falsely suggests, I did not seek the endorsement of this group and in reality, have nothing in common with them," Chico said according to the press release. "However, like President Obama so eloquently said on Election Night 2008, I believe we should "resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship, pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long."

With only eight days to go until the election, the remaining candidates in the race have gotten increasingly aggressive in attacking their opponents. Last night former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.), another candidate in the race, said Emanuel reminded her of a character in the movie "The Producers" who, according to Braun, was "still in love with the Fuhrer, which was Adolf Hitler."

Braun said, though, she was not comparing Emanuel to Hitler, but rather trying to point out that the "kind, gentle concern for the public that! is being portrayed in these [Emanuel campaign] ads does not s! quare wi th the record.”

“OK. We get the kind man, the gentle man on television and not the person who voted against $5 million for food aid to Africa," Braun said Sunday.

Emanuel said he believed Braun when she said that her reference was misconstrued.

"I accept her at her word," Emanuel said.

A poll last week found Emanuel had clinched the support of more than 50 percent of Chicago voters, enough for Emanuel to avoid a runoff. Emanuel has polled well ahead of his rivals in the race. His biggest obstacles have been a challenge to his claim that he was a Chicago resident while serving as President Obama's chief of staff. He has also dramatically outraised his opponents.

The election is Tuesday, February 22nd.