Although the Republican party is scrambling pretty hard to find strong contenders for the 2012 presidential election, things are still unclear as to how solid the pool of candidates will be come the primaries. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has been deliberating a bid for the White House for months, encouraged by colleagues to consider a bid. Citing family concerns, Gov. Daniels announced his decision not to pursue a candidacy for the presidential elections next year, leaving the Republican Party with more question marks than they need right now in posing a formidable challenge to President Obama's re-election campaign. more ›

Last week, we received word that Obama 2012 World Headquarters will be the Prudential Building. Knowing this, we had a feeling Obama's re-election campaign would start up very soon, and there is a general consensus that Obama will announce his run for a second term in office tomorrow. more ›

The Obama campaign machinery is being tuned up for the President's 2012 re-election campaign. Sun-Times Washington Bureau chief Lynn Sweet reports that Obama will be hosting a series of events across the country in donor cities very lucrative for Democratic fundraising to officially kick off the Obama 2012 campaign. The Obama 2012 team will also call the Prudential Building its headquarters. The new location is steps from Obama's 2008 campaign HQ and overlooks Grant Park, which famously hosted Obamapalooza. more ›

The international news of the last week has been filled with images and descriptions of the post-election turmoil within Iran. As tens of thousands of people in Tehran and around the nation filled the streets to protest what they believe is a stolen election, the American president has been remarkably mum on the whole affair. "The last thing that I want to do is to have the United States be a foil for those forces inside Iran who would love nothing better than to make this an argument about the United States," Obama said in an interview recorded Friday. "We shouldn't be playing into that." more ›

We've spent the past few days marveling at the protests happening in Iran following the recent controversial presidential election. Now comes word that a local group of Iranians are planning to protest the controversy. From CLTV: "The Iran House of Greater Chicago says it doesn't necessarily care about the outcome, but just wants to make sure everyone's vote was properly accounted for Friday." No word on specifically what they have planned nor where the protest will happen. Click here for some amazing pictures of the protests. [via Windy Citizen] more ›

Incredibly anti-climactic and completely expected after the Tribune's surprise endorsement of Barack Obama for president yesterday, the Bright One's editorial board has officially announced that they, too, are backing our home town Senator for the top spot: more ›

"I don't know why my man Barack wants to be president but I'm proud of him because politics is dirty, especially with Republicans," Mac told the crowd of 600 at the Hyatt. more ›

• Londonist pondered who might be the next sponsors of the London Eye and whether or not readers would be willing to donate £1,000 each for a Londonist Eye.
• Shanghaiist was shocked to find a cameltoe in the city's only English-language paper.
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While most of the city was partying down at Lollapalooza this weekend, a different type of party was going on just a few blocks south of Grant Park: YearlyKos, the annual convention hosted by DailyKos, the netroots weblog started by Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, and filled with content, news and views by a motley crew of bloggers from around the nation (including Dick Durbin!). Saturday was a big day for the bloggers by the lake, with... 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 ›

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 ›

This just in: Forrest Claypool has conceded the Cook County Board presidential election to John Stroger. The new voting machines really loused things up yesterday, causing problems with malfunctioning equipment and workers who were unsure what to do. Did you see the news clip of the chick who got her thumb stuck in the machine? High drama! So ballots were still being counted, and early this morning only about 85-88% of votes were tallied in... more ›

A favorite theory of many JFK assassination buffs is that the mob, led by Chicago boss Sam Giancana (pictured right), ordered a hit on the president as payback for double-crossing them after they helped him win the 1960 presidential election. When Kennedy won Illinois, many Richard Nixon supporters claimed that then-Mayor Richard J. Daley's political machine in Chicago had fixed the city election, thus helping Kennedy carry the state. But others, most notably investigative reporter... more ›

For the fourth straight presidential election Illinois went solidly blue in 2004, labeling our state "Solid Democratic". Since Democrats control the statehouse and the governor's office too, there's talk in Washington of taking advantage of that shading by redrawing Congressional district lines so more Democrats could take Republican districts. It's called "off-year redistricting", and North Shore Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-9) wants Illinois to take a page from Texas' Republican governor and legislature. In 2002, Texas... more ›

I was all jazzed up this morning, pleased that I had the energy and capacity to get up early and do something, anything, before work. Yay! Election Day! My polling place is only two blocks from my apartment, but the school has like a jiznillion doors and I wound up walking the entire perimeter looking for the main one. Finally spotting the election signs, I bounded up the five or six stairs (handicapped entrance around the corner), thinking "whee! Voting!" rather than "Hey, stairs. One at a time." My voting glee was quickly shattered by wiping the fuck out on the steps. We're talking down on the ground, scraped knee, ripped stockings, gravely dirt mushed into my palms, my bag inexplicably 12 feet away: Total Wipe-Out. At least there was no one around. Oh wait, there totally tons and tons of people stunned by my exquisite grace and poise. The school security guard helped me to my feet—adios, pride—and smiled. "You must be very excited to vote," she chuckled. "I really am!" I replied as she helped me dust myself off. more ›

Colin Powell seemed to step out of line with the administration's official platform on Iraq yesterday, admitting on ABC's "This Week" that the insurgency in Iraq is getting worse. more ›

Anyway, the CTU criticizes Daley’s timing as the plan was announced during a bitter CTU presidential election. The CTU is also concerned that "novice" teachers will be put into jobs that don't pay them well and don't provide benefits. Or maybe it’s just the fact that these private schools won't be accountable to the union.
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