November 2010
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11/22/10Rev. James Meeks: the Closest Thing to a Republican in the Mayor's Race?When Rahm Emanuel, Carol Moseley Braun, and Danny Davis officially announced their candidacies earlier this month, there was something of letdown about it all—nothing much new in what they said or whom they introduced as members of their teams. The one surprise was Democratic state Sen. James Meeks. He was introduced by Andy McKenna, Jr., the former head of the Republican Party in Illinois and a failed candidate in... Posted at 11:01 AM in Felsenthal Files | Permalink | Comments (0) |
11/19/10A Laptop in Every Pot: Gery Chico's Promises to Chicago Public SchoolsAt a news conference Tuesday, mayoral candidate Gery Chico offered so much good stuff to students and their parents that it’s hard to imagine why any voter with a child, grandchild, niece, or nephew in the Chicago public schools wouldn’t vote for him. I asked him how he... Posted at 12:48 PM in Felsenthal Files | Permalink | Comments (1) |
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11/16/10Did Former McCain Aide Steve Schmidt Help Mark Kirk Win?When Mark Kirk gave his victory speech on November 2nd, he thanked a trio of aides for helping him to a close win over Democrat Alexi Giannoulias. Among them was Steve Schmidt, a former chief strategist to the 2008 John McCain campaign for president. Schmidt, who confirmed via email his work for the Kirk campaign, works out of Sacramento, California, and was rarely on the ground in Illinois for the Senate race. But a source close to the campaign said the 40-year-old... Posted at 12:18 PM in Felsenthal Files | Permalink | Comments (0) |
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11/10/10Democratic Strategist Joe Trippi on Why Tom Dart Dropped Out of the Mayor's RaceJoe Trippi, best known for being Howard Dean’s campaign manager in the 2004 presidential primary season, spent days in Chicago in September and October advising Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart on his possible run for mayor. But two weeks ago, the sheriff announced that he won’t run after all, due to family obligations. Trippi—who had just returned from Mexico, where he rested after helping to run Jerry Brown’s victorious race for California governor—called me this morning to discuss Dart’s decision. Here, highlights from our conversation... Posted at 04:07 PM in Felsenthal Files | Permalink | Comments (0) |
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11/08/10Danny Davis Gets Chosen—FinallyThe Chicago Coalition for Mayor, a group of African-American businesspeople, elected officials, and activists, seems to have jilted Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun—the African-American mayoral hopefuls that the group selected a bit more than a week ago as the two who had the best chance to win. What a difference a week makes... Posted at 12:09 PM in Felsenthal Files | Permalink | Comments (2) |
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11/02/10Danny Davis Says Hispanic Can't Win Mayor's Race; Gery Chico RespondsAfter today, it’ll be all mayoral politics all the time. Why wait? I spoke yesterday to Democratic Congressman Danny Davis and lawyer Gery Chico, both of whom have eyes on the Fifth Floor of City Hall—and both of whom are warily circling each other. Last week, Davis said to community newspaper AustinTalks that neither Hispanic mayoral hopeful, Chico nor City Clerk Miguel del Valle, can win. Davis went so far as to compare Del Valle and Chico to serial losing candidate William “Dock” Walls... Posted at 01:20 PM in Felsenthal Files | Permalink | Comments (2) |
Felsenthal Files is a blog by author Carol Felsenthal, a lifelong Chicagoan and self-proclaimed political junkie. Her focus here will be Chicago politics, which, in the age of Obama, extends to the national and international spheres. Felsenthal is a regular blogger for The Hill and The Huffington Post and has written several books, including Clinton in Exile: A President Out of the White House. Among her many stories for Chicago are memorable profiles of Michelle Obama and Rod Blagojevich.
