Hump Day Political News Roundup

By Kevin Robinson in News on Mar 21, 2007 4:30PM

So much has happened in politics this week, all across our little city. From the ministers in the West Loop, to construction and development on the South Side, to Top Cops Downtown getting notice in DC, it's like Chicago is just one big happy village, people. Let's take a look:

Blago's Budget Puts Him in Touch With God. Governor Rod Blagojevich is on a "crusade," bringing tax fairness, education and health care to all of Illinois with his new budget. In a meeting at a West Loop church, he was surrounded by ministers as he announced to the press that his budget puts him “on the side of the Lord.”

Patrick Fitzgerald "not distinguished". Documents recently made available to the press indicate that Chicago's U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is not a favorite of the Bush administration. Although the ranking didn't place him on a list of prosecutors that were considered for firing, it does make you wonder about the White House's priorities.

Meeks Wants Blacks Better Served in the Job Market. State Senator James Meeks of Chicago wants to be sure that money going for economic development is distributed more equitably. He's calling on Gov. Blagojevich to make sure that African-Americans have better access to jobs and job-training programs, telling WBBM, "There must be a plan that is in place to attract economic development to areas where we have the highest unemployment. And I think the governor, as the head official of the state of Illinois, it is his responsibility to make sure that these individuals also are taken care of."

Morfin Calls for a Runoff in the 25th Ward. Aldermanic candidate Cuahutemoc Morfin is trying to force incumbent Danny Solis into a runoff, charging in a federal lawsuit that Solis didn't actually get the 50% margin needed to win. He claims that 283 votes cast for Ambrosio Medrano should be counted, since 178 early votes had been cast for Medrano before he was removed from the ballot the Friday before the election.