What with the intense showdowns only just beginning between himself and city employee unions generally and the city's teacher union particularly, not to mention the forthcoming budget shortfall estimated to be at least $600 million and the summer's uptick in highly publicized crimes, Chicago's new mayor Rahm Emanuel is facing a full plate and, likely, a lot of stress these days.
But in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer Wednesday evening, it appears Mayor Emanuel is taking it all in stride, much thanks to his rigorous exercise schedule.
(Scroll down to watch Emanuel outlining his fitness regimen.)
"Are you exercising, sleeping well? How are you doing as Mayor of Chicago?" Blitzer asked.
"It is so good to know that there is a Jewish mother quality to your questions, first of all," Emanuel responded. "I swim on Monday, Wednesday and Friday a mile, and then I run two miles home. Tuesdays and Thursdays, I bike on the stationary for 25 minutes at a high level and then do 15 minutes elliptical and then I do a weight routine. On Saturday I bike 25 miles outside and then I do a Sunday, a private yoga class. And I take a multi-vitamin every day. Is that OK?"
But how about some omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish oil for the mayor?
"You got to be kidding me, Wolf … you have too much time on your hands," Emanuel continued, before inviting his interviewer to join him for a yoga class -- an invitation Wolf declined.
Earlier in the same interview, Emanuel, when asked about New York's recently approved same-sex marriage law, said he would support a similar law in Illinois. Earlier this month, Illinois' civil union law went into effect, allowing same- and different-sex couples alike to enter into marriage-like unions, though many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists remain focused on marriage equality in the state.
"I would hope that the state would move in that direction" Emanuel told Blitzer. "Tremendous progress has been made across the country on a value statement and I think that's very important."