Soon-to-be-former 7th District Cook County Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno thinks it's on the way out. Reeling from his loss to Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, Moreno lamented the demise of the Chicago Machine to the Sun-Times. "The committeemen don't have as much influence over the voters as they did when patronage was alive and well," Moreno told the paper. With Al Sanchez and the Hispanic Democratic Organization out of the way, and a federal judge looking over the mayor's shoulder when it comes to hiring, ward bosses can't round up mobs of poll workers to help turn out the vote. Garcia, who was bounced from his seat as a state senator in 1998 at the hands of the HDO, beat Moreno in last week's election. more ›

According to a new Sun-Times analysis of last Tuesday's county-wide primary races, those candidates that attempted character assassination of their rivals by associating them with unpopular Cook County Board President Todd Stroger lost, almost across the board. Stroger's approval ratings are basically in the same territory as President Bush's—somewhere between rock bottom and Herbert Hoover—so the prevailing logic was that if you could associate a candidate with Stroger, it would be like transferring his unpopularity onto them. Makes sense, right? more ›

The Thermals have always sounded kind of like Superchunck to us, only tighter and way more political. In our opinion, those are all good things.Their appearance at this year's Wicker Park Summerfest was a highlight amongst the live acts performing, and last year's The Body, The Blood, The Machine remains a pretty electrifying punk rock diatribe. Opening the show is Chicago's Chin Up Chin Up. We've written about them in the past, and we're always... more ›

If you live in a ward that is contested, you've probably noticed that you are getting mailings from the aldermanic candidates where you live. Maybe you've even gotten the so-called "robocall" — a recorded message from a candidate (usually the incumbent) encouraging you to come out to vote (for them), and listing some of the reasons why you should. Our friends in the 32nd Ward tell us that the two headline candidates, Ted Matlak and... more ›

Lacrosse, often considered to be a sport played only on the East Coast of the United States, continues to grow in the Midwest and here in Chicago in particular. Obviously, the introduction of two Chicago-based professional lacrosse teams, the Chicago Shamrox of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and the Chicago Machine of Major Lacrosse League (MLL) proves there are investors who believe the sport can succeed in Chicago. This weekend, local lacrosse standouts will have... more ›

Professional Lacrosse is coming to Toyota Park in Bridgeview. The Chicago Machine announced they will play their home games at Toyota Park. Although the 20,000 seat stadium was built as the home of the Chicago Fire, it is also an excellent facility for concerts and sports other than soccer. The Machine played their inaugural season at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. John H. Meister, the Machine's President, is excited about the move as it will... more ›

Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States and here in Chicago. In the span of a few months, Chicago has been awarded two professional lacrosse teams. The first team, the Chicago Machine, will play traditional outdoor lacrosse as part of Major League Lacrosse (MLL). Their inaugural season begins May 20th and runs through August. The Machine will make their home at the Sports Complex of Benedictine University in Lisle. Chicago... more ›