Jarrett Refuses to Back Emanuel for Chicago Mayor

Jarrett: "Mark I hear you are in Chicago, my hometown."

Halperin: "Valerie I am and I'm delighted to be here. And the coverage of Rahm has been wall-to-wall and brutal. Part of his problem, as you know, is this is a pretty diverse city with a lot of different constituencies. I understand why the president has to be kind of laid back but Nancy Pelosi endorsed Rahm for mayor. I'm wondering if this morning you'll endorse Rahm and say he's your choice for mayor of Chicago?"

Jarrett: "I don't think anybody is interested in my choice for mayor of Chicago. My focus is right here and he hasn't even announced yet. I think this weekend he announced he's doing his listening tour; allowing people in Chicago all around the neighborhoods to tell him what they think. So, we'll be watching closely from afar."

Halperin: "So unlike Nancy Pelosi, you're not willing to endorse him?"

Jarrett: "I think the president said it best, 'He'll be a terrific terrific mayor if he's elected.'"