White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel says he’d like to be Chicago mayor one day

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White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said during a TV interview that “it’s no secret” he’d like to run for mayor of Chicago someday. Emanuel made the remark during an hourlong interview on Charlie Rose’s PBS talk show, which aired Monday. Emanuel said he’d serve as chief of staff as long as President Obama wants him.

Rose asked if there were any other government jobs that Emanuel would like to have. Emanuel’s response began: “Well, I mean, it’s no secret …”

Emanuel called Mayor Richard M. Daley “a dear friend” and said he’s done “a fabulous job” as mayor. He said he hopes Daley will seek reelection and that he’d work for Daley if he runs again.

“But if Mayor Daley doesn’t, one day I would like to run for mayor of the city of Chicago,” Emanuel said. “That’s always been an aspiration of mine even when I was in the House of Representatives.”

The 50-year-old Emanuel is a onetime Daley advisor and a Chicago native. He was an Illinois congressman until he resigned to take his current White House post.

Daley’s office did not return a phone message seeking comment Tuesday.

The mayor was first elected in 1989 to finish the term of the late Harold Washington and has been reelected five times. He hasn’t said whether he plans to run again in 2011.

-- Associated Press