Chances are, no matter who you are, if you write a book and dedicate it to the man who assassinated a Kennedy, you won't be very popular. And if you're the controversial Bill Ayers, it'll cost you your emeritus honor. Ayers co-wrote the 1973 manifesto Prairie Fire which was in part dedicated to Sirhan Sirhan, the man who shot and killed Robert Kennedy in 1968. But RFK's son, Chris Kennedy, chairs the board at the University of Illinois-Chicago where Ayers was up for emeritus status. Not surprisingly, Kennedy took umbrage with the honor and moved to block it. Said Kennedy at a meeting yesterday: more ›

• The threat of the city closing multiple mental health clinics is once again rearing its ugly head.
• Chris Kennedy may not be running for public office next year, but he has been to the University of Illinois board of trustees by Gov. Quinn.
• There's been a shuffle in the plans to build a museum in Gary in honor of Michael Jackson.

Chris Kennedy, President of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc, emailed a letter to the press late Tuesday announcing that he won't seek the Democratic nomination for either the U.S. Senate or Illinois Governor. “The decision wasn’t easy to arrive at,” he said, adding that classic line of politicians that have other reasons not to run: "I realize that I would rather be a good husband and a good father than a good Washington politician.”mSun-Times "reporter" Michael Sneed cited a source that puts it more bluntly: “He honestly didn’t have the stomach and the heart to run." Let's hope her sources are right that the Toddler wants to spend more time with his family, too. more ›

2010 is shaping up to be a free-for-all for the U.S. Senate seat that Roland Burris is currently keeping warm in Washington. But, finally, a politician has come out and said she will not run for the U.S. Senate: U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (who had way better seats at the Inauguration than we did). Instead, Schakowsky plans to run to keep her current U.S. House seat. She released a statement that said, in part, "I think the next two years present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make progressive change. I want to devote my energy to help make these things a reality, and decided that I simply couldn't do it if I mounted a campaign for Senate." more ›

A Kennedy - yes, one of those Kennedys - is probably going to run for the U.S. Senate seat next year, as we discussed this morning. But what does the head of the other dynasty in town have to say about it? When asked about Kennedy's name helping his cause, Mayor Daley responded, "Sure it does. Yes it does. You better believe it. Yes, it does. And same thing Barack Obama's name. Yes. Those two names, you better believe it. Yes, they do." That's four yeses. He feels very strongly about it then. more ›

Michael Sneed is getting a lot of business as a messenger these days. First Mike Madigan's daughter (and Illinois Attorney General) Lisa Madigan called her up to tell her that she was considering a run for Roland Burris's senate seat (although not sending any messages whatsoever. Nope. None at all.). Then Chris Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy and President of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc tipped her off that he's going to run for the senate seat as well. He even told Sneed that he's hired David Axlerod's consultancy, AKPD, to handle his media, and recently shot his first campaign ad. Lynn Sweet, a Sun-Times counterpart of Sneed's, spoke to Kennedy yesterday, who told Sweet, "I'm keeping my options alive and working through a whole series of issues still." more ›