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Dear elected officials: Trump is temporary, dishonor is forever.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

He really is that stupid.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

So many bastards, so little time.

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

The willow is too close to the house.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

I like political parties that aren’t owned by foreign adversaries.

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Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

You are here: Home / Elections / Local Races 2018 and earlier / Chuy Garcia & The Chicago Runoff

Chuy Garcia & The Chicago Runoff

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I can’t even pretend to understand Chicago politics, but after attacking Chuy Garcia last week — “Chicago Candidate With Sunny Attitude Is Cloudy on Specifics” — today the NYTimes all but endorsed the incumbent, complete with a lovely photo of Rahm hugging an older woman of color and a lot of Sane-Business-Friendly-Liberal-Vs-Wild-Eyed-No-Hoper-DFH signalling:

… Mr. Garcia is starting to draw more attention on liberal email lists, but he has yet to draw a total of even $100,000 from small donors using the liberal fund-raising hub ActBlue. (A week of network television advertising in Chicago costs over $600,000.)

“Unless they get the crazy lefty money machine going nationally, it’s not going to matter that there’s a resurgent left,” said an adviser to Mr. Emanuel who did not want to speak publicly about strategy. “The liberals at Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park can think great thoughts and read poetry for Chuy, but nothing else will happen.”

While the former presidential candidate Howard Dean has endorsed Mr. Garcia, Ms. Warren has not stepped into the race. Others on the left are showing ambivalence about campaigning against a candidate who has the full-throated support of the president of the United States.

“It would energize the progressive side of the party that many of us are part of,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said of a possible win by Mr. Garcia. “The apprehension is that the right-wing media would take it as some people abandoning the president’s endorsement. That’s why it gives some of us pause. We don’t want to feed into some of the hysteria against the president.”…

“I’m attracted to Chuy’s populism and his consistent progressive base. He goes all the way back to Harold Washington,” Mr. Sharpton said, referring to a 1980s mayor of Chicago. “But Rahm is good with the black business community, and he’s been good on some of the stuff when he was with the president as chief of staff.”…

The runoff is April 7, so there’s just over two more weeks to contribute through ActBlue and/or work to get out the vote.

Courtesy of commentor Rikyrah (who does understand Chicago politics), here’s a good Chicago Reader profile of Chuy Garcia:

Last Labor Day, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia spent four hours at Karen Lewis’s house, discussing her plan to run against Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Garcia, 58, is a Cook County Board commissioner and a former alderman and state senator; Lewis, 61, is the fiery president of the Chicago Teachers Union. He’s Mexican-American; she’s African-American and Jewish. “We were strategizing her victory path,” Garcia told me recently. “We talked plenty about conditions in the Latino community.”Lewis hadn’t formally announced that she was running, but she’d begun raising money for the race and was considered a potent challenger to Emanuel. All that changed in early October; she experienced light-headedness and strokelike symptoms, and was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. On October 8, she had emergency surgery, and a spokesman announced she wouldn’t be running for mayor after all.

Soon after Lewis got home from the hospital, she invited Garcia over again. “I went as a well-wisher,” he said. But he quickly learned Lewis had an agenda: she wanted him to run against Emanuel…

Lewis told him his years as a community activist and his stellar political career made him an attractive candidate. She conceded that many black Chicagoans weren’t aware of him, but she said they’d support him when they learned his history. She stressed his long-standing ties with labor and with gay and lesbian leaders, Jews and Muslims, and the city’s leading liberals…

Jesus and Evelyn are residents of Little Village, a low-income Latino community on the southwest side. “I have my complaints about daily life in the neighborhood,” Garcia said earlier this month. We were in the dining room of the modest three-bedroom home on 25th Place he and Evelyn bought 24 years ago. “Having to pick up people’s dog poop and beer bottles in front of my house. Noise on 26th Street in the summer—loud music, screeching tires, people yelling, kids acting up.

“But it’s still my community of choice, because there are good neighbors here,” he went on. “They offer to help if you’re shoveling snow, or if you’re having trouble with your car. They’ll call you if you leave your garage door open—’Hey, it’s been open for the last hour, is that how you want it?’ They’ll bring food over—’We just made some carnitas,’ ‘Check out this salsa.’ They’ll come over with a six-pack on a hot summer day.”

Little Village is still struggling to recover from the 2008-’09 recession. There’s a boarded building—a foreclosed property—across the street from Jesus and Evelyn’s home. Many residents are jobless. Shootings and killings have declined since Garcia helped create antiviolence programs in the neighborhood a decade ago. But he and Evelyn are still occasionally awakened by gunfire, followed by sirens. “Then your heart sinks, because of the likelihood you’ll know whose child it is.”

Garcia said he and Evelyn decided he should run “because we felt I could offer an alternative to what hasn’t worked in Chicago in some time, certainly the past four years. We thought I had a responsibility to move a cause forward—the cause of everyday people in Chicago who are struggling to make ends meet, parents worrying about their children’s safety, their education. And that there was the potential for a candidacy like mine to catch fire, and put the city on a different course.”

He announced his candidacy in late October. In less than a month, volunteers gathered 63,000 signatures to get him on the ballot, far more than the 12,500 required, and the most of any candidate…

Reader Interactions

61Comments

  1. 1.

    WaterGirl

    “Unless they get the crazy lefty money machine going nationally, it’s not going to matter that there’s a resurgent left,” said an adviser to Mr. Emanuel who did not want to speak publicly about strategy.

    It’s almost like they are daring people to put up a fight. How does that make any sense?

    Edit: the only thing missing is “we double-dog dare you”.

  2. 2.

    Kevin in Chicago

    Sorry to say, Chuy is done. Save your money. He cannot answer simple questions about his budget.

  3. 3.

    burnspbesq

    Does it really matter? I would argue that with suburban and downstate Republicans in control in Springfield, no mayor of Chicago can do anything meaningful to reverse the decline in the quality of public services for ordinary Chicagoans. Resource allocation decisions in Chicago are equivalent to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Making a difference requires money, lots of money, and it isn’t there.

  7. 7.

    Ruckus

    @WaterGirl:
    That would be nice. But in politics nice usually comes in second. But maybe this time the people who are getting screwed will see one of the actual problems and vote his ass out. A boy can dream…..

  8. 8.

    max

    The runoff is April 7, so there’s just over two more weeks to contribute through ActBlue and/or work to get out the vote.

    Some $ for Mr. Garcia has been sent.

    I can’t even pretend to understand Chicago politics, but after attacking Chuy Garcia last week — “Chicago Candidate With Sunny Attitude Is Cloudy on Specifics” — today the NYTimes all but endorsed the incumbent,

    I’m guessing the anti-lefty thing has been kicked off by libs coming down on Bibi – they had an entire article about people being upset at losing Democrats that quoted just Eliot Abrams & Ron Dermer.

    max
    [‘So. There’s that.’]

  9. 9.

    WaterGirl

    @Ruckus: I’m hopeful! But this is coming from someone who in early 2007 was certain that Barack Obama could win the democratic nomination. I stand my ground even when others around me lack faith.

  11. 11.

    RSR

    @WaterGirl: Here in Philadelphia, we understand all too well that what the state executive and legislature control is crucial.

    OTOH, having a mayor that’s not a neo-lib, union-busting, ed-reforming, pension ‘fixing,’ contemptuous jerk might at least let Chicago hold the line.

  12. 12.

    Fair Economist

    OK, OK, I made another donation.

    Resource allocation decisions in Chicago are equivalent to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Making a difference requires money, lots of money, and it isn’t there.

    Actually, no, Rahm has diverted millions from schools in poor areas to support schools in wealthy areas. He’s not just rearranging deck chairs, he’s shoving women and children overboard from the lifeboats.

  13. 13.

    Another Holocene Human

    Thank you, rikyrah. I was wondering what was up with the Chicago runoff because I hadn’t heard anything in a while. (Meanwhile more stuff has come out about Homan Sq.)

    AL, who on earth gives a flying fuck what the New York Times has to say about the Chicago mayoral race? Besides, they struck out in New York, endorsing Lhota and Quinnberg, both of whom came to humiliating finishes.

  14. 14.

    WaterGirl

    Just got this in the mail from the white house. It’s nice to see ALL the numbers, not just the numbers of people who were able to get insurance. This affects everybody.

    THE WHITE HOUSE

    Better with Obamacare:

    On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed a historic law that has transformed the lives of millions of Americans.

    Tomorrow, the Affordable Care Act will celebrate five years of significant progress. That’s a fact that people across the country can see in more affordable coverage, higher quality care, and better health, thanks to Obamacare.

    After five years of the ACA:

    More than 16 million
    Americans have gained health coverage

    9.4 million
    People with Medicare saved a total of more than $15 billion on prescription medications

    76 million
    People are benefiting from preventive care coverage

    105 million
    People no longer have a lifetime limit on their health coverage

    Up to 129 million
    People with pre-existing conditions are no longer at risk of being denied coverage

    ZERO
    Death panels were created

  15. 15.

    Renie

    Thanks for posting this; I’m going to donate through act blue right now. I can’t stand emanuel!

  16. 16.

    Another Holocene Human

    @burnspbesq: Really? Giving piles of shit away to corporations, well-connected institutions, diverting police resources to ball busting and away from investigations, all unforced errors by Emanuel.

  17. 17.

    Anne Laurie

    @Another Holocene Human:

    AL, who on earth gives a flying fuck what the New York Times has to say about the Chicago mayoral race?

    Well, when the Paper of Record decides to jump up & down & warn “us” against wasting precious funds & energy on some filthy, ‘unspecific’, funny-nicknamed no-hoper who’s rudely interfering with their Very Serious Person’s cruise to re-election…

  18. 18.

    srv

    Milquetoast Progressives vs Citigroup Rahmbama

    Who will Citi run against Hillary?

    Netflix tells me we need a man like Frank Underwood.

  19. 19.

    Kay

    @burnspbesq:

    Resource allocations are decisions, and this is a bad decision:

    Pathways is one of four companies that have opened up 15 new schools in Chicago in recent years amid a rapid expansion of alternative schools that will cost the district $50 million this year. The new crop of schools offer students a way to quickly earn credits—appealing to students who are far behind but raising questions about the quality of education they receive.
    The schools, newly dubbed “options schools” by the district, are likely to play a major role as CPS aims to raise the graduation rate to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s stated goal of 85 percent.
    CPS, unlike the state, includes students who complete an alternative school in its graduation rate. The alternative schools have played a part in recent improvements: Since 2011, the number of alternative school graduates rose by about 25 percent and the total number of graduates rose 10 percent. About 4 percent of the total graduates in 2014 were from alternative schools.

    We’ve had the credit recovery for-profits in Ohio for years. It’s just a bad idea. It jukes the stats for high school graduation and they then use it to point to the success of the same kind of “reforms” they’re using in Chicago. The claims aren’t going to hold up. The whole grad rate reporting process is discredited here as a result of this kind of gaming. We have one superintendent who has based his whole “success!” on sending low scoring kids out of his school and into credit recovery. schools.

  20. 20.

    Tree With Water

    I’ve observed my fair share of greed-headed SOB’s during a lifetime of paying attention to the democratic party, but none I’ve despised quite the same as I do Emanuel. Not even Joe Lieberman. Even when the South was still solid, and George Wallace reigned in Alabama, and Scoop Jackson democrats began to consider themselves the only true democrats, have I felt such contempt towards one. What amazes me is that he apparently has yet to be punched in the mouth by any of the thousands he’s intentionally insulted over the course of his career. To top it off, he gutless, too, as his proffered advice about Obamacare bears out. Please, Chicago, do the right thing on election, and run this guy out of office.

  22. 22.

    Kay

    @burnspbesq:

    And they know it’s a bad idea. They have 15 years of experience in Ohio to look at:

    “It was a whole big negative experience. I didn’t even want to be there,” he said of his time at Life Skills.
    Sixteen years ago, drop-out recovery charter schools didn’t exist. Now they enroll roughly 14,000 teenagers and young adults, mostly in cities with high poverty and unemployment.

  23. 23.

    Mike J

    My take on the Times story was a set up. If Rahm wins, it’s a failure for pure hearted liberalism. If Rahm loses, it’s a failure for Obama .

  24. 24.

    rikyrah

    Well, tomorrow is the beginning of Early Voting, and I can’t wait to cast my vote for Chuy.

    It’s quite interesting to watch those that ‘just knew’ that Rahm wouldn’t even be in a runoff, how they are reacting.

    First, we had our Senator, the wretched Mark Kirk, talk about how the ‘ money people’ wouldn’t be able to deal with Chuy.

    You know, the Mexican isn’t quite up to par to sit at the table with the Big Boys.

    Then, a few days later, our SOB Governor tried the same tactic.

    Someone must have reminded Kirk that his ass would be up for election in 2016, and to have the commercials for his opponent telling them that Kirk doesn’t think one of them could run Chicago wouldn’t look too good, so they’ve backed up off of THAT line of argument.

    Next, they have the series of ads calling Chuy ‘ a career politician’, as if that’s going to be a bad thing in CHICAGO. Running up against a man who has been in politics since Bill Clinton was President, complaining about Chuy being a ‘career politician’.

    Then, there is the story of the Chicago Police Department Black Site. When I tell you that this story has NOT gotten any traction in the ‘Mainstream’, it’s unreal. Getting plenty of traction in ‘alternative’ media, and in the barbershop and beautyshop. We are the city of Jon Burge…OF COURSE, we believe the Black Site story is TRUE. And, no amount of covering for this Mayor and Police Chief will make it go away. And, putting forth the ‘resignation’ of one White Police Captain is not going to quell the story.

    Chuy has been doing his own commercials. They really crack me up, because they have him looking into the camera, in a suit, looking all serious, just telling the truth about Rahm and his disastrous policies with the Chicago Public Schools. His uncomfortableness is charming. And, it endears him to me even more.

    Chuy will be outspent. That’s for certain.

    But, I have been seeing more Chuy signs in my neighborhood (I live in a Majority Black Ward), which makes me happy.

    The series of Black politicians coming out, vouching for Chuy, needed to be done. They needed to give their testimonials for Chuy.

    That Mr. Garcia still lives in the Little Village neighborhood means just about everything to me. He knows how I live. He knows the problems of the average Chicagoan. The Media is in the tank for Rahm. The same muthaphuckas that didn’t question SHYT from King Richard II and Rahm, suddenly need to the decimal point financial plans from Chuy Garcia.

    Phuck them.

    Team Chuy was also helped by another Chicago Public School scandal. Rahm fired the janitors, who, of course, were unionized, and replaced them with a private company. Over 200 principals gave a press conference about how unprofessional and filthy their schools had become since this private company had come in. This just reinforces the entire under girding of the ‘meme’ that Rahm doesn’t give a shyt about the Public Schools.

    Then, there was the story that the Chicago Public Schools got caught up in some Wall Street Scheme for financing, and that, the Mayor, if he CHOSE TO, could sue for malpractice, but, of course, he hasn’t. Yet, he can close 55 schools, and throw those teachers out of work, then turn around and find money for Charter School scams.

    Then, there are the redlight cameras. We could be here all week talking about that ripoff scam.

    Also, don’t forget, that 40% of the City Council is involved in some sort of runoff…..and that is definitely a good thing.

    It’s all about turnout right now.

    Mr. Garcia is more than qualified to be Mayor. And, I can’t wait to cast my vote for him tomorrow.

  25. 25.

    jackmac

    @burnspbesq: Actually, Democrats have a veto-proof majority in both houses of the Illinois General Assembly. While Republicans have the Governor’s office, there’s little the new guy (Bruce Rauner) can do without Dem leaders signing off.

  26. 26.

    rikyrah

    @jackmac:

    Actually, Democrats have a veto-proof majority in both houses of the Illinois General Assembly. While Republicans have the Governor’s office, there’s little the new guy (Bruce Rauner) can do without Dem leaders signing off.

    true.

    the most powerful politician in Illinois is Speaker of the House Michael Madigan.

    Period.

  27. 27.

    Jewish Steel

    Hey. I’ve played the Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park!

    So, there’s my lefty bond fides.

  29. 29.

    WaterGirl

    @rikyrah: I know you want him to win and I want him to win, but do you think there’s any realistic chance that he actually might win? Hoping you can say yes.

  31. 31.

    rikyrah

    @WaterGirl:

    it’s all about turnout. And, it’s about turnout in the Black community.

    I believe Rahm will get a majority of the Whites.

    I believe Chuy will get a majority of the Latinos. How many turn out is important.

    But, the road to the 5th Floor (the Mayor’s Office), is going to be determined by the Majority Black Wards that went for Willie Wilson in February. That’s why it’s been important for Black politicians who know Chuy and worked with him in the trenches, come out for him as they have been doing. It’s all about turnout at this point, which is why I think so many contested Aldermanic races are important too.

    I believe they are tied. Rahm can’t cross the finish line, and it’s up to the undecideds, which is basically the Black community.

  32. 32.

    mak

    today the NYTimes all but endorsed the incumbent

    The Times of New York City endorsed the incumbent candidate to win the Chicago mayoral race.

    So I guess that means even the people at the NYTimes wants Chuy to win.

    And what’s up with one of the mayor’s people dissing an entire neighborhood (Rogers Park)?

  33. 33.

    WaterGirl

    @rikyrah: Seems like he disproportionately screwed black people; it would be poetic justice if the black community votes him out of office.

  34. 34.

    WaterGirl

    @efgoldman: Seems like there ought to be something you could do with the song 99 bottles of bear on the wall – to commemorate your countdown to retirement.

  36. 36.

    patroclus

    Well, I voted for Chuy in the primary because I like him and his pro-Harold Washington history, but I’m back to undecided after watching the debate. I agree with the above comment that he really can’t answer simple questions about the budget and I’m not sure he’s really up to being Mayor; which is all about education and streets and sanitation and potholes and the El and the parks and the police and basic city services about which he only talks generally and opaquely with handy slogans like how he wants to return the schools to me. It’d be a nice story if he won, but my impression is that he’d have to quickly hire some people that actually know something about city functions because he doesn’t appear to…

    That being said, I’m still leaning his way, but unless he improves his performance promptly, he’s toast cuz I’m not the only one who thinks his debate performance is ready for prime time.

    I don’t care what the NYT says nor would I describe Emil Jones as the “Man Who Made Obama.”

  37. 37.

    Another Holocene Human

    @Mike J: I think you nailed it. Not that I personally see the end (please let it be so) of Rahm Emanuel’s political career as Obama’s failure. But if the cons want to jerk off to that, let them. I will sup on their bitter, bitter tears if Chuy wins.

    @rikyrah: Pulling for you.

  38. 38.

    rikyrah

    @patroclus:
    You really think that if Barack Obama had been a State Representative, instead of State Senator, that he would have been able to lay the kind of legislative foundation that he would need to run for the Senate?
    Really?
    Have you seen Madigan mentor anyone other than his daughter?

  39. 39.

    NorthLeft12

    I am not sure why there is even the pretense of voting. According to all those in the know it is all about who has the most money, and apparently the money has already voted.

  40. 40.

    Ben

    @mak:
    It’s the only North Side neighborhood that didn’t vote overwhelmingly for Rahm (Rahm barely eked out a plurality there in February)

  41. 41.

    Steve

    If I were still a Chicago voter, I’d be really angry about people trying to turn this into some kind of referendum on Obama. I guess maybe that’s to be expected from an out-of-town paper, but the fact that Rahm is Obama’s buddy has literally nothing to do with who will run Chicago better. Best of luck to Mr. Garcia.

  42. 42.

    mellowjohn

    @rikyrah:
    re the janitor firings: one of the companies with cleaning contracts is SodexoMAGIC (owned by Magic Johnson). the company was awarded an $80 million contract, after which Johnson gave Rahm’s campaign a $250K contribution.
    quid, meet pro quo.

  43. 43.

    boctaoe

    HmMMmmm Chuy sounds like a “community organizer”. Democrats should like him. This is not snark.

  44. 44.

    Tripod

    Here comes another progressive shit show fail parade. Throwing twenty bucks at a race you didn’t give a care about before February and won’t remember in three weeks doesn’t help. The time was 6-12 months ago for candidate recruitment and fund raising.

    Chuy is a mediocre candidate, his organization is typically Chicago ward heeler (we don’t want nobody nobody sent) that has struggled to scale up, and the Schock story sucked all the oxygen out of the room.

    Undecideds will break for Chuy, but he’s sixteen points down. It’s just too tall of a hill given the primary voting breakdown.

    I’d like to think Karen Lewis could have made a go of it, but here we are.

  46. 46.

    BGinCHI

    I don’t know who will come out to vote for Rahm that didn’t vote for him the first time. While on the other hand there is a lot of excitement for Chuy.

    But like always, if folks don’t vote it won’t matter.

    Also, to those writing here that it doesn’t matter who is mayor? Bullshit. You don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s not a magic wand bully pulpit but it’s an awfully powerful position in this city. Ask the Daleys if you don’t believe me.

  52. 52.

    Eric S.

    @rikyrah: Recent polls suggest that Rahm is well ahead but I’ve only looked at the headlines on those polls.

    Breaking news on the local NPR station this morning is the number of homicide detectives in Chicago is down 19% in Chicago and the rate murders are solved has fallen precipitously under Rahm.

  53. 53.

    Kerry Reid

    @mak: Well, Rogers Park IS the only North Side district that went for Chuy over Rahm in the first election — which makes this 49th Ward resident quite proud. And has clearly given Emanuel a case of butthurt.

    Also, Rahm’s bootlickers (of whom my feckless alderman, Joe Moore, is one) should get out and about more. The Heartland may represent the old-time hippie RP, but there is a LOT more to the neighborhood than that. We have a vibrant immigrant presence, including Latinos, Africans and Caribbeans. There are several small arts organizations. There are some great gay-owned businesses. Heck, given how much money Col. Jennifer Pritzker has poured into the ‘hood in recent years, you’d think Rahm’s minions would be a bit more careful about dissing us.

  54. 54.

    patroclus

    Well, my alderman, the mendacious Patrick O’Connor, was one of the original Vrdolyak 29, and I can’t stand him. I voted for Dianne Daleiden (and Chuy) in the primary, but she didn’t make the run-off. I live near Lincoln Square now, but the ward map is drawn so we share part of Rogers Park in the 40th ward and she lives near Heartland Cafe. So I guess Rahm’s minions were dissing me in a way, but they are, in fact, correct. If we don’t turn out for the run-off, then Rahm’s gonna win.

    Also, Rahm’s close ties to Obama are an important talking point in his favor to Obots like me. At least for the next two years, having the ear of the President makes the mayoralty more powerful. And unlike most of you on this thread, I don’t hate Rahm – he was my Congressman for awhile, and while he was, he led the effort to get the last Democratic Congress (perhaps in my lifetime) in power. He was a better Congressman than Mayor though and I’m still leaning Chuy, but Chuy doesn’t strike me as a particularly good Mayor either, at least based on the debate.

  55. 55.

    shortstop

    @burnspbesq:

    I would argue that with suburban and downstate Republicans in control in Springfield

    You’d be arguing yet again from a position of great confidence and total ignorance. Go check out the makeup of both houses in Illinois.

    @rikyrah:

    the most powerful politician in Illinois is Speaker of the House Michael Madigan.

    And I never thought I’d see the day when I have to be grateful to that crooked bastard because he’s standing between all of us and Bruce fucking Rauner.

  56. 56.

    shortstop

    @rikyrah: They aren’t tied, unfortunately — Emanuel’s apparently running double digits ahead. Garcia has Latinos and progressive whites, but as you know this city has plenty of unreconstructed white “Democrats” in it. You’re right that it’s going to be mostly up to the black community. Will school closings and black sites be enough? Waiting and watching.

    @Kerry Reid: I saw your “dungheap of history” FB comment to Aaron Schock. How I did laugh.

  57. 57.

    shortstop

    @BGinCHI:

    It’s not a magic wand bully pulpit

    Well, but it kind of is, and has been under both Daleys and Emanuel. The number of decisions made in this city by committees consisting solely of people appointed by the mayor would blow the minds of people who don’t know this place at all.

  59. 59.

    rikyrah

    @shortstop:

    the most powerful politician in Illinois is Speaker of the House Michael Madigan.

    And I never thought I’d see the day when I have to be grateful to that crooked bastard because he’s standing between all of us and Bruce fucking Rauner

    WHo you telling?

    I cannot stand Madigan.

    Cannot stand him.
    But, we gotta have stomach him in order to stick it to Rauner.

  60. 60.

    moderateindy

    @rikyrah:

    the most powerful politician in Illinois is Speaker of the House Michael Madigan.

    Nothing, and I mean nothing, gets done in IL from a legislation standpoint without Madigan’s support. He is not a good person, and yet he is protecting the state from Rauner, (the new Repub gov/ vulture capatlist) and his truly crappy agenda.
    I guess it’s like Cole rooting for West Virginia basketball even though they have the scumbag Bob Huggins as a coach.
    Sure Madigan sucks, and is what is wrong with IL state government, but at least he’s marginally on “our side” at least when compared to the alternative.
    If you watched the mayoral debate it would be very difficult to believe that Garcia could be an effective mayor. It is a shame that Karen Lewis got sick.

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