December 28, 2005
GUTIERREZ' 2008 RETIREMENT STIRS HISPANIC AMBITIONS
Hispanic politics in Chicago has always been a Three-Ring Circus. Mexican-Americans compete with Puerto Ricans, North Siders compete with South Siders, Mayor Daley's Hispanic Democratic Organization (HDO) seeks to squash all opposition. The U.S. Attorney is seeking to squash the HDO, as the Hired-Truck scandal blossoms. And the anti-HDO forces face competition from the anti-anti-HDOers. And now that Chicago's Numero Uno Hispanic, Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-4), has announced his retirement in 2008, and is considering a mayoral bid in 2007, the situation has mushroomed into a Ten-Ring Circus. Key 2006 primary contests loom, and the outcomes will be indicative of the HDO's clout -- or lack thereof. Gutierrez has been a Daley ally, but may decide to challenge the mayor anyway. If it's Daley, Gutierrez and Jesse Jackson Jr., Gutierrez will finish third. A flock of ambitious Hispanics are already angling to win Gutierrez' congressional seat in 2008. Full Article...
December 21, 2005
GOP GOVERNOR CANDIDATES PLAY LT. GOV. "NAME GAME"
In Illinois, in the past, candidates for Lt. Governor were rarely seen and barely heard. That's changed for 2006, with the three major Republican gubernatorial contenders -- Judy Baar Topinka, Rod Gidwitz, and Jim Oberweis -- concluding that having the right LG on their "ticket" could generate mucho votes. Topinka, the Illinois treasurer, scored a masterstroke in cajoling DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett (the narrow loser for attorney general in 2002) to run with her as Number Two. Big-bucks contender Ron Gidwitz scored a coup by getting State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (who was running for governor) to downsize and join his ticket for LG. Social conservative Jim Oberweis snagged Kathy Salvi, wife of defeated '96 and '98 candidate Al Salvi, as his running-mate. But prior Republican LG primaries (in 1976 and 1982) demonstrate that geography trumps ideology. Doctrinaire conservatives lose. Birkett's alliance with Topinka will deliver a huge DuPage vote for "Topinkett," which "Gidberger" and "Obersalvi" won't overcome elsewhere. Message to Governor Rod: You'll have mucho problems beating Topinka-Birkett. Full Article...
December 14, 2005
BLACK OPPOSITION FIZZLES TO DART'S SHERIFF BID
Those who "trash talk" should back up their talk with proveable trash. Bobby Rush, the black South Side Chicago congressman, has been trashing Tom Dart, the Democrats' slated candidate for Cook County Sheriff. Rush called Dart "repulsive," and said that Dart, while in the legislature, had an "abysmal" record on black issues -- which infers that Dart is some kind of racist. Dart's 10-year voting record as a state representative, while calculating, equivocating and opportunistic, is certainly not racist. Dart flip-flopped on a host of social issues, including abortion and welfare reform, and voted "present" on a number of others. Rush has yet to produce any specifics on Dart's voting record. The "black vote" in any countywide race is usually a third or more, and Dart could be vulnerable to a foe who attacks his lack of on-street law-enforcement credentials. But Bobby Big Mouth can't find anybody credible to oppose Dart. Full Article...
December 7, 2005
19TH WARD MASTERS ART OF "SEAMLESS SUCCESSION"
Envy is epidemic in politics. Those who've got are envied and resented by those who haven't got. But there's two fundamental political rules: (1) Grab whatever power you can. And (2), much like the 1960s song, hang on to what you've got. Chicago's far southwest side 19th Ward has got a lot -- the county sheriff's office, with 6,500 jobs; the county assessor's office, with staggering fundraising potential; and the state Comptroller's office. Sheriff Mike Sheahan is retiring, and he's passing off the office to another 19th Warder, his chief-of-staff, Tom Dart. The 19th Ward wants to hang onto what it's got. And others -- especially Northwest Side Democratic committeemen -- can't complain. The 38th Ward's Tom Tully could have been assessor-for-life, but gave up the job in 1978 -- and the 19th Ward's Tom Hynes got slated. And Sheahan, then the obscure 19th Ward alderman in 1990, beat incumbent Republican Sheriff Jim O'Grady. Hynes handed off the assessor's job in 1997 to his protégé, Jim Houlihan; and Sheahan handed off the sheriff's job to Dart in 2005. The 19th Ward, unlike it's inept Northwest Side brethren, knows how to keep what's it got. Full Article...
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