First, the State’s Attorney is sued by George Alpogianis for failing to clear an over-turned conviction from the database. Worse still, turns out that Eugene Bailey, the 17 year-old Alvarez accused as delivering the fatal blows to Fenger classmate Derrion Albert, wasn’t even at the scene.
“While the charge against Bailey was brought in good faith based on witness accounts and identifications, additional information has developed … that warranted the dismissal,” Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez said…Bailey’s mother said the three weeks of custody had changed her son’s life forever. Bailey had no previous criminal record, according to prosecutors. ”Can anyone imagine that kind of pain?” she said referring to his time in custody.
Oops.
Monday 28 Sep 2009 by Slats |
No Comments
Filed under:
Uncategorized
On Tuesday, the David Hoffman campaign sent an email enumerating “guidelines for our communications” for “a different campaign for a different candidate.”
- Our emails are written by real people, and we sign them as our own. You won’t get an email written by a campaign staffer that says it’s from David…[or] template pleas written by campaign finance professionals.
- Let us know… whether we’re contacting you too much or too little…
- A good amount of our communication is via Twitter and Facebook. We like it, because it…allows you to have greater control over how you get our messages…”
On Friday, Hoffman’s opponent Alexi Giannouilas launched his own “personal Twitter page!” to go with the @alexi4illinois‘ ”campaign account, filled with staff & volunteer updates!” (One of those staff or volunteers is apparently a fan of John Edwards.)
The third major candidate in the Race to Replace Roland, Cheryle Robinson Jackson officially launched her campaign last week. Jackson’s Twitter style is much more personal and informal than her opponents, and she shares details on her campaign activities:
- On the horn dialing 4 $$$s all day! Going pretty well. Just had a great intv w/Roll Call n DC. Getting attn of natl media! How bout that!
- N DC 4 a rnd of mtgs w/Emily’s List, CBC & supporters. Gotta knock’em dead! BTW — it’s hot here! DC stole Chi’s summer – LOL!
While Twitter is still too new to have right or wrong approaches, we can conclude that the Hoffman campaign is more sparing than its opponents in the use of exclamation points.
On the GOP side, Mark Kirk re-entered Twitter to announce a “site redesign” after about 6 weeks away. (The Kirk campaign had a rough Twitter summer, in case you missed it.) Last week’s fastest rising Senate candidate, Republican businessman businessman Patrick Hughes, hasn’t written anything in 3 weeks.
Elswhere on the ballot, Cook County Board President candidate Toni Preckwinkle’s campaign shared a photo of the candidate “hard at work making fundraising calls” and pushed out a survey on ” the most important issue facing Cook County government.” GOP Treasurer candidate Dan Rutherford conducted a more personal poll, via YouTube, about his grooming. (”Who wants a slick, greasy-haired, pinky-ring-wearing state treasurer?” snarked Illinois Review.)
Tuesday 15 Sep 2009 by Slats |
No Comments
Filed under:
Uncategorized
In the one corner, we have @chi2016, the official Twitter feed of the Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid Committee. We don’t put much stock in numbers, but: 4290 followers, following 579. Recent tweets include shout-outs to range of random celebrities, including Mike Ditka, Quentin Tarantino, Brody Jenner (”son of Olympic Gold medalist Bruce”), David Cook, Rachel Ray (”a huge Chicago fan”), and, twice this month, Billy Dec (the Beachwood Reporter has a deeper review of @billydec) check out and 4 exhortations over 18 hours to “Vote for Chicago atwww.insidethegames.biz!” (Despite @chi2016’s reminders 10 days ago that “polls are closing soon,” Inside the Games’ “Which City Should Win the 2016 Games” poll is still up– we’re losing.
The challengeris @2016olympicbid, the feed of the NoGamesChicago movement– or perhaps of No Games organizer Tom Tresser. 1835 followers, following 1939. (Not sure if the misleading id earns negative or extra points.) If @chi2016’s taste the last few days has been for the random celebrity, @2016olympicbid’s focus has been on factual nuggets peripheral to the bid:
- U.S. Olympic Cmte (USOC) interim CEO Stephanie Streeter is on the board of the Green Bay Packers
- As Oprah plays politics more, disrupts life for average Chicago people and considers herself elite, the queen’s TV ratings have slipped 7%
- Chris Kelly, Blago fundraiser, got millions in roofing contracts at O’Hare thanks to his buddy, Mayor Daley. The Chicago Way
- Chicago Mayor Daley opposed Barack Obama’s campaigns for Illinois State Senate, U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate primary
- Chicago, Soldier Field, Mayor Daley and Bears co-owner Pat Ryan charge the highest parking rates of any venue in the NFL
@2016olympicbid wins the Tweet-off on the 5th ballot, for joining the righteous chorus against the Olympics propaganda messages on CTA buses. (CTA Tattler notes that “we riders don’t really have any control over which city actually wins the Games on Oct. 2, so why subject us to these “commercials”?.) At this point, we could ask the same thing of the twitter campaigns….
Thursday 10 Sep 2009 by Slats |
No Comments
Filed under:
Uncategorized Tags:
cookcounty,
dems
The Cook County Democratic Party is meeting today to weigh in on the Cook County Board President race. A Party endorsement doesn’t carry the same weight it once did– in the County’s most recent race, the preferred candidate of Party leaders, John Fritchey, lost the 5th Congressional District race in February. Nevertheless, a County slating meeting remains a vital part of early race jockeying, as the Governor’s appearance before committeemen last month attests.
So we took a glance at the Party’s calendar page to find the details on when and where the meeting would take place– perhaps a list of which candidates will present when, maybe even a link to a candidates questionnaire. As you can see, there is no mention of today’s meeting or any of the candidates, though there is a big graphic announcing John Fritchey’s campaign kick-off from 7 months ago.
Other things we picked up from Joe Berrios” site:
- It mis-spells the name of the Party’s City Vice-Chairman, Ald. Freddrenna Lyle.
- An indictment for bribery is not enough to disqualify Alderman Isaac Carothers from serving as the Party’s Executive Vice-Chairman.
- There are some great photos– even if the most recent ones are two years old. We particularly liked this one of the Mayor and Chairman Berrios.
(PS- Steve Rhodes previewed John Cullterton’s new media strategy, and his new site, www.SenateDem.ilga.gov, last month.)
Steve Rhodes looked at John Cullterton’s strategy for the State party last month. http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/State-Dems-20-53222232.html
We haven’t found much traditional news coverage of last night’s Cook County President’s forum at Malcolm X College (was it the first forum anywhere of the ‘10 cycle?), but luckily, our correspondent Jagger was on the scene:
Toni was mostly dry and one could tell she was sort of an unknown to many; her cheering section was very light. Danny was Danny. The forum was his territory so he had an automatic following. Dorothy seemed like a preacher and whiny. Stroger did quite well. He made a play for the youth vote by stating his age of 46. He made a comparison to City government and how Daley has raised taxes many times over the years AND still has a $500 million deficit– Cook has no such deficit. (Adds fuel to the fire that there is a racial double-standard.) The moderator (Cliff Kelly) was not great– not many could control a sometimes an unruly crowd and a panel of egomaniacs.
It was clearly a black nationalist affair— the few white folks in attendance must have felt uncomfortable when audience members and Stroger blamed the media and the white man for the lies. I like Todd to win again if the others split the anti-Stroger vote—the path is set for a well-financed white candidate to take it.
Apparently, Republicans weren’t allowed on the panel, but at least there was one in the audience, and on Twitter.
@mjcarrjr: Rep. Danny davis says “don’t expect to cut my hair if you ain’t an affirmative action barber.”
@adam_doster also tweeted the forum: ” Hey! There’s Laura Washington! I’ll have to tell her I changed out of my bathrobe before I left the office.” [Background on LW's dig on bathroom bloggers.] Adam also just posted a full length summary at Progress Illinois.
A Friday evening in August, on PBS, is not the ideal context for breaking a story about one of the President’s senior advisors and closest friends contemplating a career changing run for the Senate. But Tribune editorial page editor Bruce Dold chose Friday’s Chicago Tonight to drop his scoop that Valerie Jarrett may run for the Senate seat vacated by her boss. (”I think there’s some scuttlebutt that maybe someone like Valerie Jarrett may leave the Administration and come back and run,” he said at the 6:22 mark in this WTTW’s video. Note that none of Dold’s fellow panelists, included noted political observer Mike North, so much as arched an eyebrow at his report.)
The implication of Dold’s report is that the President’s Senior Advisor, who is involved with nearly every aspect of the administration and spurned attempts to appoint her to the same seat last fall, is thinking of abandoning the White House after 7 months in favor of a hotly-contested, 14 month race with two primary opponents, one a record-breaking fundraiser, protege of the President who holds statewide office, the other a fellow African American woman, and a strong GOP candidate waiting. (The GOP badly wants to win Obama’s seat– imagine if they could defeat his close friend and counselor while doing so.)
We’re skeptical.
Outside of Dold’s note on Chicago Toight, there has been a discernible lack of chatter online about Jarrett’s possible candidacy. (Meaning none.) Since Friday evening, the Tribune has mentioned Jarrett four times without tying her to the Senate race.
Dold qualified his report by saying “someone like Valerie Jarrett” might leave the White House to “come back” to Illinois to run. Obama’s only other senior from Illinois is David Axelrod– perhaps Dold is suggesting that he’ll be a candidate?
We’re generally inclined to give the Pulitzer Prize-winning Dold the benefit of the doubt– after all, he’s broken more stories by 9 am than we ever will. Maybe he really does have a bead on what would be one of the biggest political stories of the year, and has chosen not to share it with any of his newspaper’s reporters. But we’re betting that Dold got caught up in the excitement of being on a televised coffee klatsch (with buzzing cell phones) and made a mistake.
On Monday, Cheryle Jackson, in that odd modern political maneuver, announced that next month she would announce her candidacy for the US Senate race. Meanwhile, she’s still serving as president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League– at least according to its website. Her dual role of candidate and nonprofit executive could be confusing. When she appeared at Wednesday’s Chicago 2016 fundraiser (she sits on the bid committee board), was it as a nonprofit leader or as a candidate? When Chicago Urban League corporate funders met with her that day, did they imagine they were talking to nonprofit partner or a potential Senator? Presumably, Jackson will step aside from her day job next month when she officially announces, but until then our questions stand. One wonders what the Urban League’s board (a who’s who of powerful Chicagoans, including Bill Daley, John Rogers and Chicago Public Schools Chairman Michael Scott. [Scott has been in the news lately.]) We can’t think of a recent example of a nonprofit CEO running for political office. (In 2007, Newt Gingrich cited his leadership of American Solutions as a reason not to run for President. Jesse Jackson ran for the White House in 1984 while leader of Operation Push.)
Also on Monday, wealthy Northshore entrepreneur Kip Kirkpatrick announced his candidacy for Treasurer. A Democrat (albeit one who supported Republicans Mark Kirk and Rudy Giuliani in the ‘08 cycle, as well as Rahm Emanuel’s PAC), Kirkpatrick co-founded the private equity firm Water Street Healthcare Partners in 2005. Unlike Jackson, Kirkpatrick seems to have divorced himself from his employer, as he is no longer listed on Water Street’s masthead. (Dan Primack of Private Equity Hub explored the potential complications for Water Street should Kirkpatrick win. He garnered a statement from WSHP that it “will not solicit money from any Illinois state pension fund if [Kirkpatrick] is elected to the treasurer position.”)
Sunday 9 Aug 2009 by Slats |
No Comments
Filed under:
Uncategorized Tags:
chicago,
daley,
politics,
preckwinkle
I don’t envy Toni Preckwinkle her position. Put yourself in her shoes. On the one hand, you’re running as a reformer against the tarnished Todd Stroger brand, on a platform that emphasizes “ending waste, fraud and abuse.” On the other hand, you’re hoping for an endorsement from a mayor whose family ties to your opponent go back more than 40 years, and who does not have a stellar reputation for combating waste and corruption himself. You’re an enthusiastic supporter of his Olympics drive– like most elected officials in the city. So how do you respond to press reports that one of the mayor’s allies, a man he’s twice appointed to chair the Board of Education, has been developing Olympics-related real estate deals on the side while also serving on the Olympic bid committee? I bet you might equivocate, as Ald. Preckwinkle did yesterday, in footage aired, but apparently not posted online, by Fox Chicago. (My transcript of her quote: “The that idea that this is somehow, that the Olympics coming there, is going to have an untoward benefit for property owners on the perimeter is a little far-fetched.”)
Thursday 6 Aug 2009 by Slats |
No Comments
Filed under:
Uncategorized Tags:
jessejackson,
jessejacksonjr,
jjj
Jesse Jackson Jr. has not lacked for political troublels. His political obituary was penned by some when his ambitions for higher office brought him onto Patrick Fitzgerald’s wiretaps. But this evening’s news, broken by Dan Mihalopoulos, that Sandi Jackson is leaning towards a Lt. Governor run, combined with Jackson ally Dr. David Miller’s impending run for Comptroller, sets out the possibility of pro-Peotone JJJ allies holding multiple statewide offices. Having bagged his Senate dreams, is Junior giving up on higher office for himself, while looking to advance his agenda through others?
(Mick Dumke is up with his thoughts on Sandi’s move.)
In addition to the passing of Michael Jackson and John Callaway, 848’s Month in Review last week focused on the difficult days unfolding at City Hall. The panelists (Laura Washington, Eric Zorn and Sam Hudzik) agreed that the Mayor is in trouble (”The teflon is wearing thin,” said Washington; “his competence is starting to come into question,” said Zorn), but no one could identify any serious challengers to him in 2011. “I don’t see anybody on the horizon who has reform credentials and the possible fundraising ability to take on Mayor Daley,” said Zorn.
A year ago, a list of potential 2011 candidates would have started with two Congressmen who came close to running in 2007, Jesse Jackson Jr. and Luis Gutierrez. Recent events make it unlikely that either will run for anything other than re-election any time soon (and Gutierrez may not even do that, according to some rumors.) City Clerk Miguel Del Valle likewise seems an unlikely candidate, despite winning praise for professionalizing his office and avoiding indictment. (Last month, Sneed passed word that Del Valle could be the next City Colleges Chancellor.) Forrest Claypool has left the game. Ald. Sandi Jackson could be a city-wide candidate some day, but her husband Jesse’s headlines are too fresh for a ‘11 run; States Attorney Anita Alvarez is at least a cycle away from trying to match the leap Daley made in 1989.
So who’s left? The three most vociferous Daley critics on the Council of late are Manny Flores, Scott Waguesback and Joe Moore. Word is Moore is thinking of moving on, Waguesback is only halfway through his first term and has a low profile citywide. Flores, who was mentioned as a possible candidate in the Race to Replace Rahm earlier this year in the 5th Congressional District and previously declared an interest in succeeding his former boss Gutierrez, has taken a leading role in the Council’s new found quest to examine City Hall decision making. Inspector General David Hoffman’s name has been bandied about, thanks to a set of attention-grabbing reports and a speech to the City Club. Mike Quigley, fresh off one Congressional campaign and gearing up for another, is no fan of Daley and we’ve heard whispers. Mick Dumke aside, Lisa Madigan is not on the list.
We will have a better picture about 2011 on October 2, when the IOC selects its 2016 host city, and on February 2, when Democratic primary voters select a candidate to lead the Cook County Board. Although Chicago is a long shot to get the Games, it’s tough to imagine Daley being defeated if Chicago is selected. City Hall’s decision to, reportedly, play footsie with Toni Preckwinkle makes sense from a ‘11 lens: should she run well but lose against Danny Davis or Tom Dart, Preckwinkle could consider casting her gaze towards City Hall.
While 2011 is shaping up to be inopportune for many potential mayoral candidates, there remains a wild card in the from of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald whose team remains, presumably, actively curious about doings in and around City Hall. Likewise, a lengthened recession, doomsday layoffs, more taxes and an additional PR disaster or two like the parking meter privatization could speed up the political timeline of some of the potential 2015 (’19?) candidates.
