Wow, and I thought everyone saying "can't we all just get along?" on The Hills 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! [WBEZ]......

As the Democratic National Convention got underway last night, much of focus has been on the ongoing Clinton-Obama struggle and an appearance by stricken Senator Ted Kennedy. But Monday night, with the theme of "One Nation" focusing on Barack's background, featured a plethora of Chicago and Illinois politicians stumping for Candidate Obama, including the ladies of the Obama family. Amongst the Chicago politicians who spoke yesterday (though you wouldn't know it given the way Wolf......

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. filed FOIA requests following reports that high-ranking Secret Service agents circulated racist e-mails, one of which joked about the elder Jackson's assassination. The ten e-mails, some of which contain slurs and porn, were uncovered as part of a discrimination case ten black Secret Service agents are bringing against the organization. According to the New York Times, A March 3, 2003, message describing Mr. Jackson as the......

21st Ward Alderman Howard Brookins accepted Jesse Jackson's endorsement for Cook County State's attorney Sunday at Jackson's South Side Rainbow/PUSH headquarters. A Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll published today shows that there is no clear front-runner in the race for State's Attorney, and most of the county's Democratic power brokers have stayed out of the race. Jesse Jackson Jr endorsed Larry Suffredin earlier this year, ostensibly as part of the on-going feud between the Jacksons and Bill......

The race for Cook County state's attorney has been hot and heavy in the past few weeks, with candidates taking plenty of shots at each other in a debate last week. (You can watch the debate here.) The race has also split up local democrats, as endorsements abound. Lt Governor Pat Quinn is supporting Anita Alvarez, saying "she happens to be a woman. She happens to be Hispanic. And she also happens to be the......

Hillary Clinton's "Emotional Moment" in the Portsmouth, NH café on Monday has already become the stuff of myth, with many pundits directly and indirectly attributing Clinton's surprise victory in Tuesday's primary to the tears that almost fell (but never actually did). Leave it to Chicago's own Jesse Jackson Jr., co-chairman of Barack Obama's national campaign, to siphon the tears out of the excretory ducts of Clinton's eyes and leverage them for political gain: There......

Congressman and mayoral wannabe Jesse Jackson Jr made some strange bedfellows this weekend when he announced that he's endorsing Larry Suffredin for Cook County state's attorney. But the endorsement should come as no surprise to 21st Ward Alderman Howard Brookins, who is also running for the post. Brookins drew the ire of organized labor when he backed Wal-Mart's attempts to open a store in his ward, and now that Bill Beavers and Todd Stroger are......

Jesse Jackson Jr wants the FEC to tell him whether he can use his campaign funds to help his wife, 7th Ward Alderman Sandi, to unseat Bill "Hog With the Big Nuts" Beavers as ward committeeman. In the advisory opinion request he submitted to the federal commission on October 15, he specifically asked for clarification on several issues, including how much money, if any, his re-election campaign can give his wife, as well as the......

Loyola University Medical Center started testing all incoming patients for that drug-resistant staph germ that's been going around. Our version of a spa is where George Ryan's going to prison. Jesse Jackson Jr. throws a "tea party" style photo op, dumping bottled water in the Chicago River. Big talk for a man who opted not to run against His Elective Majesty for Mayor. Does El Cubanito make the best Cuban sandwich in town? You'll......

Nearly two weeks after Congressman Luis Gutierrez announced that he will, indeed, seek a ninth term in Congress (after announcing that he wouldn't run again), First Ward Alderman Manny Flores has announced that he won't seek the congressional seat. "I did this of my own accord. He's my friend," Flores told the Sun-Times, adding that Gutierrez didn't try to persuade him. Of course, Gutierrez's decision shouldn't be too shocking. The conventional wisdom is that if......

We've been having some fun here with this series of photos featuring Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. practicing martial arts. After Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown wrote about the photos in today's paper, they're now officially more than an Internet phenomenon. The photos make a nice sidebar to an argument last week between Jackson and Nebraska's Congressman Lee Terry after a debate on an agriculture appropriations bill was tabled for the day. Name calling ensued, prompting Terry......

Calling the sentence imposed on Lewis "Scooter" Libby "harsh" and "excessive," George W. Bush commuted the 30-month sentence on Monday. Not quite the full pardon that some conservatives wanted — he still has to pay a quarter million dollar fine and serve 2 years probation for lying under oath — it certainly left Bush open to criticism, from both sides of the congressional aisle. “He was indicted by a grand jury and convicted beyond the......

While we've been busy enjoying the nice weather over the weekend, and trying to get back in the groove this week, lots of other newsworthy stuff has happened here in the City by the Lake. Let's take a look back at everything that's happened so far this week: Daley Picks a New Chief of Staff; Local Press Makes Bad Sports Jokes. As Daley promoted Ron Huberman to try and save the CTA's ass, he's tapped......

This election has been one of the most significant in recent memory. With seven new aldermen set to take office in May, including the wife of Jesse Jackson Jr. in the 7th Ward, the stage is set for a new power struggle in Chicago. This year, more than any other, saw the city's labor movement — especially the service-sector unions — flex their political muscle. The result? A record-low turnout in the mayoral vote, and......

Well, another municipal election has come in Chicago, and in many wards (but not all) it's gone. As expected, Richard M. Daley sailed to re-election, set to eclipse his father as the Chicago's longest-serving mayor, in spite of Ben Joravsky's best efforts. At the time of this writing, a few things are clear: there will be a few runoffs this year, including Madeline Haithcock - Bob Fioretti (2nd), Dorothy Tillman - Pat Dowell (3rd), Shirley......

Much has been made about this being the year of change here in Chicago. In November Democrats took control of Congress, harnessing voter dissatisfaction and promising change. And while the main attractions on the reform ticket, Tony Peraica and Jesse Jackson Jr either lost or decided not to run, many pundits are predicting that as much as 30% of the City Council could change in late February. It seems that some candidates believe in miracles,......

Although she hasn't officially announced to the press yet, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that Jesse Jackson Jr's wife Sandi will be running against William Beaver's daughter Darcel for 7th Ward Alderman. This race looks to be one of the hottest and most contested races in the city this election cycle, as William Beavers tries to hold onto the Ward he left for the County Commission, and Jackson Jr tries to build a base......

To say that Mayor Daley announced his intention to run for a sixth term yesterday would be technically, if not totally, true. As The Beachwood Reporter pointed out weeks ago, Daley all but announced his intention to run when Terry Peterson stepped down from his job as CHA chief to manage Daley’s re-election campaign. And why wouldn’t he? The guy sure knows how to fundraise – a skill that, in light of ongoing federal investigations,......

In separate press conferences that surprised nobody, both Jesse Jackson Jr. and Luis Gutierrez announced that they were really excited about going back to Congress and working on the new Democratic agenda. Jackson thinks it's an exciting time to be next in line to be chair of the sub-committee on House Foreign Operations Appropriations. And he doesn't want to run for mayor. Gutierrez was a bit more sanguine, citing his desire to be at his......

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. While Congressional Democrats were basking in the glow of an election-day victory, Jackson was sizing up his odds against an organized, well-funded machine that can still produce the votes. Luis Gutierrez is also expected to make a similar announcement today.......

Being the mayor of a big city can be stressful. Sometimes you need to vent a little to someone who will listen. Luckily, Mayor Daley has lots of folks like that. They're called the press corps. For instance, Da Mare wants to see more college dorms downtown because nothing makes the Loop seem young and vibrant like a bunch of kids in hoodies smoking and text-messaging. He also thinks faculty and staff should live in......

Well, it's been quite a week, and it's only Wednesday! Let's jump into the Way Back Machine and have a look at some of the vitriol and invective that has plagued this fine city's political scene in the last three days: • The big news on Monday was that Barack Obama was going to run for president. Sort of. If you watch the clip, he didn't really commit to anything. Chicagoist thinks that he's playing......

Mayor Daley must long for the halcyon days of 2003. Back then, he didn’t have to exert himself by exercising a veto, he just got the City Council to do what he wanted with a wave of his hand. And when he wanted to close an airport, he just sent a coupla guys out ‘dere to bulldoze the t’ing. But this is 2006. And not only does he have vetos to levy and Jesse Jackson......

Two men that are running for mayor but refuse to declare it are taking swipes at each other in the local papers. Neither one will definitively say it, but it sure looks to Chicagoist like the competition is on. Yesterday, Jesse Jackson Jr. admonished Richard Daley to "leave race out of it". Apparently claiming that the unions turned a blind eye when big-box retailers opened shop outside of black neighborhoods, Da Mare accused living-wage supporters......

After a robust week of posting and rocking here at the Chicagoist offices, the week seems like a blur. Was it really only a week ago that “Tank” Johnson was charged with assault and resisting arrest (incidentally, aren’t you glad you live in a city that has a guy named after an armored fighting vehicle on its football team?)? Of course, Mr. Johnson (if you’re nasty) wasn’t the only one causing trouble last week. Just......

A new Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll shows that 56% of Chicago voters think Mayor Daley is doing a good job. But if he runs for reelection next year, he could face a strong challenge from Jesse Jackson Jr., and if Luis Guitierrez enters the race, Daley could be forced into a runoff with Jackson. 18% of voters believe Daley had no knowledge of the Hired Truck scandal or the city’s corrupt hiring practices. So while......

The Gary-Chicago International Airport seems to have solved half of their own chicken-egg problem: how do you get funding to improve your airport without any regularly scheduled airline service, and how do you get airline service with a crappy airport? Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels announced yesterday that the US Dept. of Transportation had promised $57.8 million in funding over the next 10 years to expand the Gary airport. The money will be used to extend......

O'Hare is one of the world's busiest airport, and Midway is undoubtably the world's most penned in airport. So what's a growing city gonna do? Build what could be the nation's biggest and most expensive public works program in the middle of Southwest suburban farm country, in the form of an airport. Instead of spending the Senate recess laying on a beach and sipping mai tais, US Senator Barack Obama is trying to mediate the......

Last night we had a dream (or maybe a night[da]mare). In the dream, a parade of Chicagoans marched to city hall (torches and pitchforks in hand), up 5 floors and through the doors of Daley's office. Ron Huberman tried to stop them, but somebody kicked him in the nuts, and the mob plowed past. They grabbed the squealing Daley, tied him up and headed outside with him in tow on a rope. They headed to......

In the most recent scandal at City Hall, Mayor Daley has fired 2 Chicago officials who are accused of running a rigged system that rewards people with political ties with jobs. Yesterday both Robert Sorich and Patrick Slattery were let go. But not just let go, that was just a result of their being INDICTED by the feds. The 2 men are accused of giving well-connected job applicants easy, fake interviews and of bumping up......