Maybe it’s the spring weather or the fact that my daughter asked me her The Robot and the Bluebird twice this morning but Roger Ebert’s death hit me harder this afternoon than I would have expected. According to Twitter and Facebook, this sadness is shared by many other Chicagoans of my generation. Perhaps our sadness … Continue reading »
Filed under Chicago …
Bipartisanship and the Couch Caucus
Last week the NY Times ran a piece on the House’s “Couch Caucus,” the 4 dozen or so members of Congress who choose to bunk in their Hill offices rather than pay DC rents. It’s not a new meme: Politico and ABC reported similar stories in 2008, the Wall Street Journal talked about it last … Continue reading »
On David Remnick’s Obama and Chicago
In The Bridge, David Remnick’s central concern is the Obama story as part of the African American experience. Though a fan of his stewardship of the New Yorker, I’ve never cared much for his writing. Happily, The Bridge is not only the best book I’ve read on Obama et al, but also the most detailed … Continue reading »
My Illinois Primary Ballot
Joe Germuska and his Tribune Interactive colleagues built Election Center as a catch-all for election stories and info. The most interesting part is the Ballot Builder, which allows you to sketch out your vote and share it over Twitter or Facebook, if you dare. Not many have: I count 6 mentions on Twitter. (Kind of … Continue reading »
Obama eyes Lisa Madigan
Item: Obama meets with Lisa Madigan re the Senate seat. Response: So much for the notion that Obama (and Jarrett and Emanuel, who were also reported to be in on the meeting) would stay above the fray of Prairie State politics. Apparently Barack isn’t as down with his basketball buddy as he was back in ’06 … Continue reading »
The Clarovista’s soggy mattress
The Clarovista is the (re-branded) culmination of the largest construction project in my Chicago neighborhood of Edgewater in a couple of decades. I didn’t oppose the development, enjoyed watching the construction unfold over the last few years, and have looked forward to the business my new neighbors could might bring to some of my favorite … Continue reading »
The Race to Replace Rahm’s Final Lap
A consequence of the most interesting election cycle of my lifetime, the build-up for Tuesday’s vote in Illinois’ Fifth District has been a disappointment. As I’ve lamented previously, this rare occurrence of an open election with several appealing candidates, at a time of crisis, has been largely devoid of substantive debate. In part, this reflects … Continue reading »
Donatelli and Wheelan Impress at Depaul Congressional Candidates’ Forum
Anyone deeply engaged with the The Race to Replace Rahm in Illinois’ 5th District, the first Congressional election of the Obama era, was either among Sunday’s pre-Super Bowl SRO crowd at the candidates forum in Depaul University’s Student Center, or has already picked through more-timely summations of the event. (Check out Mike Fourcher’s summary, WBEZ’s … Continue reading »
Will the Candidates in the Race to Replace Rahm Take the Pledge?
Last week, Larry Lessig and Change Congress called for a Donor Strike: “We pledge NOT to give to any candidate who doesn’t support Citizens’ Funded Elections.” How about it, Sara Feigenholtz, Mike Quigley, John Fritchey, Tom Geoghegan and the rest: do you pledge to support the Fair Elections Now Act? And for the rest of … Continue reading »
Breaking Down the 5th
Political consultant Mike Fourcher (the man behind Chicago Cloutwiki) shares the slides he presented this week to the Northside of Democracy for America chapter; key takeaways from his preview of the Febrary 3 primary election The majority of votes in the District can be found in the city. Shrinking middle class: between the 2000 Census and … Continue reading »
