Vallas and His Politic Future

"I really felt I would have to leave my job prematurely in order to run for the county board."

Paul Vallas, explaining why he decided not to leave his job heading the New Orleans schools to make a run at County Board President Todd Stroger.

Vallas, who once ran for Illinois governor as a Democrat and lost to Rod Blagojevich, says he's now a Republican.

He says: "Illinois has become a one-party state. And Cook County and the city for years have been one party nominated. And I think when you have one party dominate for so long, you lack the political accountability needed to hold people accountable for ever-increasing taxes, for government inefficiency, for corruption."

Further proof, Vallas says, the ongoing budget meltdown in Springfield.

"Everybody said we'll get rid of Rod Blagojevich and everything will be fine, he said. " Well Rod Blagojevich is gone. Good riddance. But he was part of the problem, he wasn't the problem."

Though he took a pass on the County President's race, Vallas appears to still have a political future, and plans to return to Chicago in a year when his contract in New Orleans expires.

"You never say never, but...I'm not planning on running for mayor of Chicago."

But that could change if his former boss decides he's had enough.