More Chicagoans Poised For the White House
David
Axelrod, the campaign strategist who helped craft Barack Obama’s bid
for the White House, has accepted the job as senior adviser to the
president-elect. Meanwhile, Hyatt Hotel heiress and political
fundraising heavyweight Penny Pritzker is reportedly under consideration for the Commerce Secretary post. (UPDATE: Pritzker denies that she's a candidate for the post.)
State Senate Dems, GOP Tap New Leaders
State
Sens. John Cullerton (D-Chicago) and Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) will
take the reigns of their respective parties in the Senate when the legislature convenes for a new session in January. The leadership picks
are part of a Senate shake-up that some hope will end the statehouse
feuding that has crippled state government in recent years.
Governor Reaches Out To Potential Obama Replacements
Gov.
Rod Blagojevich rang Reps. Danny Davis, Luis Gutierrez, and Jan
Schakowsky on Wednesday to talk about their potential to fill Obama’s
vacant U.S. Senate seat. Blagojevich reaffirmed to Davis and Schakowsky
that they are on his short list. He is expected to make the appointment
some time in December.
Airlines Call For Halt On O’Hare Expansion
Major
airlines operating out of O’Hare International Airport are calling on
Chicago officials to put the breaks on the next phase of a $15 billion
expansion project, due to a decline in air travel and the airline
industry’s uncertain future. According to documents obtained by the Tribune,
Delta Air Lines executives say that Chicago officials have rushed the
controversial project as part of an “impulsive grab for [tax] funds.”
Cook County Bond Sale To Generate Political ‘Funny Money?’
A
handful of Cook County Commissioners aren’t buying the pitch that they
ought to approve a $260 million bond sale to cover future lawsuit
settlements and jury awards. “There’s something bizarre going on here
or you’re hiding something from us,” Comm. Forest Claypool told finance
officials yesterday. He suggested that the Stroger administration was
looking for political “funny money” to help his 2010 re-election bid.
Income, Not Race Could Be Criteria For Chicago Magnets
In
lieu of an anticipated ruling in a school desegregation case, Chicago
Public Schools officials are considering a plan to take income into
consideration—rather than race—for admission to popular magnet schools.
Under the proposal, students’ income would be based on the census tract
where they live in an effort to keep magnet schools diverse.
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