Wow, and I thought everyone saying "can't we all just get along?" on this week was moving. FotS and WBEZ correspondent Justin Kaufmann sends along this video from the Illinois delegation's breakfast in Denver this morning. Hugs for everyone! more ›

Mayor Daley, among other prominent Illinois politicos, is scheduled to give a speech at the Democratic convention next week. Daley will deliver his address on Wednesday on the theme "Securing America's Future." I saw Daley give a speech a few months ago, and for being such a powerful politician, he's a surprisingly uninspiring public speaker. [Crain's]
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Is it possible to be the inevitable presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in America and not have the funds to carry on? That's a question that Hillary Clinton's campaign is facing after she loaned her campaign $5 million. Clinton's staffers are also working without pay, and she loaned her campaign $5 million last month. Shortly after the announcement yesterday, an email went out to her supporters asking for additional funds: more ›

In a political season that has been marked by the theme of change, Illinois's 3rd Congressional District has become one of the battle grounds over what the Democratic Party might look like going forward in 2008. Critics of the incumbent, Dan Lipinski, are unhappy with his opposition to abortion rights and stem cell research, and his siding with moderate Republicans on the war in Iraq and domestic spying. Besides his voting record, they also don't like how he came to congress: If you don't remember the 2004 general election, the elder Lipinski won renomination in the primary, withdrew during the campaign year, and then led the process to pick his replacement on the November ballot - his son Dan, a political science professor from Tennessee. Although Dan won handily in 2004, angry challenges in 2006 held him at only 54% in the primary, with the opposition split between two opponents. more ›

With this year's presidential primaries perhaps the most exciting in recent memory, the media, and the nation, have paid very little attention to today's Democratic primary in Florida. Unlike the Republicans, who will let half of the state's delegates vote at the convention, the Democrats stripped Florida of its delegates to the August convention for holding a primary earlier than party rules allowed. As part of the party's castigation of the state, Democrats have agreed not to campaign in Florida, an agreement that has been honored until now. more ›

Joseph Pannell was 19 years old when he shot a Chicago police officer in 1969. And then he skipped bail. And skipped bail again in 1974, this time fleeing to Canada, where he changed his name to Douglas Gary Freeman and lived under that identity for almost 40 years. But in 2004, Chicago's cold case squad tracked him down and started extradition proceedings, which Parnell fought....until this week. more ›

We know, you're a little disappointed that your short-lived run for the presidency never included any debates. If you've been waiting for the right time to speak up in public on your views, tonight Glenn Hurowitz discusses his new book, Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party. more ›

After running around the state for months (and in some cases, years) the big day for presidential wannabes has finally come: The Iowa Caucuses. This presidential ritual comes around every four years, and while most of the nation watches, a Midwestern state makes the first pick for the presidential nomination. more ›

Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the death of Harold Washington. The Chicago of 1983 was very different from the Chicago of 2007: factories were shutting down, and white middle-class homeowners were leaving the city in droves, taking their property taxes and urban stability with them. An alarming upswing in crime and drugs, coupled with escalating racial tensions left many Chicagoans nervous about the future. Richard J. Daley had been dead for seven years, and... more ›

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin more ›

Yesterday, we focused on the presidential candidates that made their way to the YearlyKos Convention at McCormick Place. But the event wasn't just Democratic hopefuls trying to connect with bloggers and grassroots activists from around the nation. The annual event was also an opportunity for progressives around the country to get out from behind their laptops for a few days and talk to each other, sharing tactics, experiences, pitfalls, strategies and ideas, networking with other... more ›

It's only July, one year out, and already it feels like there is a presidential race going on, doesn't it? Maybe it's too soon to declare Bush a lame duck, but we're inclined to think he is. In this most early of seasons, much has been made of fund raising, often at the expense of real discussions of the issues. Obama is setting records, regularly pulling in millions of dollars in small sums, Hillary is... more ›

Yes, that’s Mayor Daley in this blurry photo. Some microphone guy from WGN bumped into us as we were trying to snap a photograph. The Mayor was speaking in circles before the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community at the annual reception he hosts for said community at the Chicago Cultural Center. It’s official now, through a proclamation signed by the Mayor himself, June is now Pride Month. Proclamations are sort of trendy nowadays, with... more ›

What happens when an already unpopular governor tries to raise taxes to pay for a universal healthcare plan that wasn't at the forefront of most voters minds? Rod Blagojevich found out after his sloppily composed and poorly executed budget collapsed under a vote of 107 - 0 in the legislature. As the budget deadline loomed, he found himself trying to play footsie with Senate President Emil Jones, getting down with expanded gambling in the state,... more ›

It isn't just the folks living in the 12 Wards that are holding Aldermanic runoff elections that are thinking about outcomes today. The aftermath of the vote that is going on as you read this will impact the city for years to come. By the time the polls close tonight, there will be some new aldermen, and others will have held onto their seats. Some will coast to victory, and others will squeak in by... more ›

Were you aware that our state is the 2nd largest corn producer in the United States? According to Chicago Public Radio, the price of corn has doubled since this time last year and Illinois farmers are taking full advantage of it. Chris Gould, an Illinois farmer profiled in the story, said that normally during harvest season the price starts to drop and farmers are paid to hang on to the corn until the buyers need... more ›

"Old St. Mary's" via mattsabo17. more ›

Is Dick Durbin untouchable this season? It's starting to look that way. The intrepid senator from downstate is preparing to run for his third term in the Senate in '08, and the Illinois GOP is having a hard time fielding anyone to take him on. Even that perennial standard-bearer for the wacky-right in the Land of Lincoln, Jim Oberweis, is dodging this bullet, eyeing instead Denny Hastert's seat. Besides being the new Senate whip, and... more ›

Chicagoist watched with great interest as the Iraq Study Group released its report this week. A report featured in this weekend's International Herald Tribune points out how much the report has fractured what is already a coalition on shaky ground, and it goes on to talk about the different approaches that GOP candidates might take in the 2008 elections. This got us thinking about our favorite distraction: the skinny kid from the South Side with the funny name. more ›

En route to Milwaukee to visit relatives, a 42-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl on a Mexicana Airlines flight from Guadalajara, Mexico. The plane landed at O'Hare, and officials say the 7-pound, 8-ounce baby was delivered on the aircraft by an obstetrician. Obstetricians on a Plane is currently in the works. more ›

The Chicagoist offices were abuzz yesterday with the petition that Illinois' senior senator, Dick Durbin e-mailed to his supporters, urging Barack Obama to run for President in 2008. Although Durbin's press secretary was unavailable for comment when we contacted his office, CBS 2 scored an interview with Durbin, and he pretty much denied any coordination with Obama & Co. on this, claiming "I didn't tell him in advance I was gonna do it." Obama's press... more ›

Senator Obama and former Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards will be on WakeUpWalMart.com conference calls this evening at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. respectively. Sign up here if you want to hear what your esteemed Senator thinks about unions and Wal-Mart. Chicagoist already signed up; they told us to call -888-801-1510 using pass-code 849485. According to WakeUpWalMart.com “Wal-Mart’s recent policy changes are the most anti-family, anti-worker changes in this company’s history.” The evening’s calls will... more ›

Chicagoist got a late night phone call from one of our anonymous sources. They tell us that Jesse Jackson Jr. will announce later today that he is not, in fact, running for mayor of Chicago. more ›

Rich Whitney, Green Party Candidate for Illinois Governor more ›

In our February review on local politics we casually mentioned that the Legislative Black Caucus, led by State Senator James Meeks, was considering backing a third-party candidate if Governor Blagojevich couldn’t find a better way to fund schools in light of his pledge to not increase sales and income taxes. We thought it was an empty threat to try to get Blago to reconsider his positions and remind him not to take the black vote... more ›

Yesterday Chicagoist wondered how organizations like the Hispanic Democratic Organization might play into Mayor Richard M. Daley's new campaign contribution restrictions. The Chicago Tribune learned the answer: HDO and other political committees will face no limitations. The upshot is that while city contractors will now be limited from making direct contributions to the mayor's campaign committee, contractors now have a green light to make contributions to Daley sponsored political committees like HDO, the Coalition for... more ›

There's just something so exciting about the mayor hating the newspaper. That's like, ripped from a comic book or something. Today, the Trib is in full force, laying a bitchslap down oh-so-hard on Mayor Daley. more ›

That's all everyone seems to be talking about in Chicago news today (here too). He's the shining young star of the Democratic Party this election cycle with the looks of Denzel, the speaking style of Martin, and the cutest and most supportive family this side of the Cleavers. And man, he�s getting news coverage � but mostly from Chicago media. more ›