The big buzz today in Chicago politics, at least in the national progressive press, wasn’t Sen.-designate Roland Burris’ failure to pass the Senate threshold. Rather, elite chatter has focused on the entry of labor attorney Tom Geoghegan into the race for Illinois’ Fifth Congressional District. Unfortunately for Geoghegan, the endorsements of James Fallows, Rick Hertzberg, … Continue reading »
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Illinois Senate Update: Gutierrez Out
Luis Gutierrez, stating the obvious, says he is no longer a candiate for the open Senate seat. If you’re keeping track of Chicago’s Congressional delegation, Schakowsky and Davis are still the game, while Luis and Jackson are out. (Robert Herguth also reports that Gutierrez and Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Omar Duque were among … Continue reading »
The Sleeping Alderman
Berny Stone has represented Chicago’s 50th ward since Ron Santo was still playing for the Cubs. Last year, Stone held off a challenge from Naisy Dolar. This photo, via WBEZ, of Stone sleeping during today’s City Council hearing, is liable to be plastered all over Dolar’s 2011 campaign material, in the unlikely event that the … Continue reading »
Prairie State Politics Snapshot
After a holiday respite, local politics are heating up. More than two weeks after Obama’s resignation, Illinois still has only one Senator. Proving that “post-racial” does not apply in Chicago, a coalition of Black ministers and political and civic leaders called demanded that Gov. Blagojevich replace Obama with an African American. Rep. Bobby Rush (the … Continue reading »
The Jewish Roots of Obama’s Chicago White House
Charles B. Bernstein and Stuart L. Cohen take a look at the The Jewish History of Barack Obama’s House for the Chicago Jewish News. One of the owners of the tract was Moses Greenbaum, whose father Elias co-founded Sinai Temple; years later the Hebrew Theological College made the house the site of the South Side … Continue reading »
Where to put the Obama Presidential Library?
Lee Bey suggests putting the Obama Library in Pullman: I’m sure the lobbying machine is already being built in Hyde Park and the University of Chicago. But Obama’s early days as a little-known community organizer were spent on the far South Side. Back then, his strategy meetings took place at a McDonald’s just three blocks … Continue reading »
What has Obama Campaign/Transition Meant for Chicago Economy?
I have yet to see any examinations of what Team Obama, and co-joined media and security hangers on, have meant to the local economy. Greg Hinz gives us a small taste, pointing out that the transition team has taken root at the Hilton’s Contiental Ballroom for all those press conferences we’re seeing this week.
The Race to Replace Rahmbo “Dissolving” into an Election
An update on the jockeying in Illinois’ 5th Congressional District: Mike Quigley, despite chatter that he might sit out, is in, as is Sara Feigenholtz. Names added to the lists develolped earlier include Frank Avila and Jay Paul Deranty; Tom Tunney and Deb Mell are likely out. Ald. Patrick O’Connor (via Steve Rhodes) thinks there … Continue reading »
18 Potential Candidates, and Counting, in Illinois’ 5th District
We don’t often witness an open Congressional seat in Chicago (was the last one the 4th District in 1992, won by Luis Gutierrez?), so it’s not surprising that nearly 20 names are being bandied about as potential candidates. (I mentioned the first 8 on Sunday.) Channel 2′s Mike Flannery threw out some additional names last … Continue reading »
Will Obama’s Windy City Vacuum be Filled by Nepotism?
As if this week hasn’t been exciting enough, political junkies here in Chicago have the added bonus of watching the domino effect of Obama’s victory. I took a first scan of potential Obama replacements in February, and still like Luis Gutierrez. Political secession in Illinois is usually kept in the family, and given the fact … Continue reading »
