To the extent that the Chicago Tribune is a right-wing rag, it is in their interest to overcredit Rahm. Whose strategy would they rather face, that of Dean or of Rahm?

It's like crossing over in the 1992 Republican primary to vote for Pat Buchanan because you want to dilute support for GHW Bush.

Had the Chicago Sun Times made such a claim, that would be something to be more worried about. Ergo, this is a joke.