Rahm Emanuel's Vulgar $2,500 Twitter Mystery

The Daily Beast, Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 4:15pm (PST)

Chicago mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel is willing to pay to find out the identity of the mystery writer behind @mayoremanuel, a satirical expletive-filled Twitter handle with nearly three times as many followers as his own. He's so determined, in fact that he's offering to give $2,500 to charity if the author reveals himself.

“After the election, if that guy — or gal — comes forward I'll donate $2,500 to the charity of his choice," Emanuel said on Chicago radio station WLS Tuesday, exactly a week before the election.

As Obama's former chief of staff @RahmEmanuel tweets sweetly about the lunch crowd, the potty-mouthed @mayoremanuel is busy having obscene adventures, like stomping on a miniature Tokyo in a Godzilla suit and driving around in "Axelrod's busted Civic.”

Though his Twitter impersonator may mock him wholeheartedly, the real Emanuel won't flat-out say he doesn't like the fake “mayor.”

“Are you kidding? This guy — or gal, whoever writes — has done a huge following and a lot of people say I just read your tweet and I say huh?" Emanuel offered.

Given how seriously the mystery writer takes his craft, we'd be surprised if he or she emerges just for some charity money. @mayoremanuel not only has the real Rahm beat with followers (25,019 followers to his 7,261 at the time of this article), but has published nearly three times as many Tweets.