Burke leaves Vrdolyak's shadow, thrives politically

He's no longer the Other Eddie.

In his two-month mayoral campaign, Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th)stepped out of Eddie Vrdolyak's shadow and firmly established himselfas a major political force in his own right.

Burke proved to be a much stronger mayoral contender thanVrdolyak, running even with Ald. Timothy C. Evans (4th) in anOctober Chicago Sun-Times/Channel 7 poll and far ahead of MayorSawyer. His citywide favorable ratings showed significantimprovement as a result of Burke's positive, issues-orientedcampaign.

Vrdolyak, in fact, was so impressed by Burke's success inrehabilitating his image as an outspoken and polarizing politicalfigure that Vrdolyak began copying Burke in admitting past mistakesin their feud with former Mayor Harold Washington.

The silver-haired Burke, 44, who dropped out of the mayoral racelast week and endorsed State's Attorney Richard M. Daley, is likelyto regain the chairmanship of the City Council's influential FinanceCommittee and has emerged as a leading contender for the presidencyof the Cook County Board in 1990.

A former Chicago police officer and the scion of a prominentSouthwest Side Irish political family, Burke has a more loyal andintense personal following than any other white-ethnic politician inthe city with the exception of Daley. No Chicago politician hasgrown more in stature in the 1980s than Burke.

The Burke of the last two months was a much more seasoned andappealing political figure than the Burke who got trounced by Daleyin the 1980 Democratic primary for state's attorney. Just as Sen.Bob Dole of Kansas erased his hatchet-man image through his deftperformance as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Burke cameinto his own as chairman of the City Council's Finance Committee inthe Washington administration.

And just as Dole has been aided by his politically savvy wife,Elizabeth, Burke is likely to be helped in his future politicalcampaigns by his wife, the former Anne McGlone.

When Burke formally quit the mayoral race, he made no excusesabout deferring to Daley. "I have no regrets, only the benefit ofspeaking out on behalf of a great city and its future," Burke said.

If Daley is smart enough to take advantage of Burke'sconsiderable political skills and popularity in the mayoral campaign,Burke should prove to be a major asset.

Noting the packed room of reporters and television cameras,Burke quipped that he had attracted a larger crowd making his exitfrom the mayoral race than he had in his entrance two months earlier.

Jerry Austin, the Ohio political consultant who served as JesseJackson's national campaign manager in the 1988 Democratic primariesand who worked for Burke in the mayoral campaign, is already toutingBurke for the County Board presidency in 1990. Austin also thinksthat Burke has long-term potential to be a governor or a U.S.senator.

In confiding at his news conference that he would like to seekhigher political office again, Burke listed the mayor's office, thegovernorship and County Board presidency as the three jobs that wouldbe challenging to him. Burke said that he would defer to George W.Dunne's candidacy for a sixth term as County Board president if Dunneseeks re-election. But if Daley becomes mayor, it's more than likelythat Richie will attempt to replace Dunne with Burke.

Steve Neal is the Chicago Sun-Times political editor.