She describes herself as a protege of Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, and she learned his ruthless style well enough to qualify as probably the toughest woman in American politics "Attila the Hen," enemies call her. But Jane Byrne is a different sort of mayor. Daley gave Chicago two decades of predictability. Byrne has given Chicago two years of ceaseless, sometimes wacky, surprise. Daley believed in saying little, honoring promises, maintaining grudges. Byrne snaps out her feelings and shifts alliances without warning. Byrne has a whim of iron: in just two years she ran through four police chiefs, three planning directors...
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