Morris recommends Emanuel to be on 2011 Chicago mayoral ballot

While former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel released a statement this morning saying he's pleased with Chicago Board of Election hearing officer Joe Morris' decision that Emanuel qualifies to run for mayor next year, not everyone is so enthralled with Morris' decision.

Preparing to argue up to the Illinois Supreme Court that Emanuel should not be allowed on the 2011 Chicago mayoral ballot, election attorney extraordinaire Burt Odelson says hearing officer Joe Morris' recommendation to put Emanuel on the ballot is "shallow" and a "poor product," the Trib reports.

"This (69-page) recommendation, I'm trying to guard my words, is shallow. It's shallow in reciting the facts," Odelson said.

"I was extremely disappointed we had to wait that long for such a poor product. This wasn't a difficult case. It only became difficult because of all of the objectors."

Ouch.  However, Morris' 69- page decision released in the middle of the night is just another step in the expected appeal process to argue Emanuel doesn't meet the Chicago requirement that a mayoral candidate has to be a resident of the city for a year before running for mayor.

Emanuel served as President Obama's chief of staff from January 2009 to October 2010, when he resigned and returned to Chicago to succeed the retiring Mayor Richard Daley.  Chicago Board of Election hearing officer Morris, a Republican called upon to hear objections to Emanuel's qualifications, declared Emanuel's name should be on the 2011 ballot:

"It has not been established that the candidate, a resident of Chicago, abandoned his status as such a resident... In any event, his absence from Illinois during that time in question is excused, for purposes of the safeguarding and retention of his status as a resident and elector, by express operation of Illinois law."

The Board of Election is meeting this morning to vote on Morris' recommendation.