ruling this Thursday leaves Rahm on the ballot in the mayor’s race or takes him off, the case will almost certainly end up in the courts. The first step in the appeals process is the Circuit Court of Cook County; then the Illinois Court of Appeals; and after that, the Illinois Supreme Court. Should that last body not rule Rahm’s way, it’s hard to imagine him accepting the defeat and moving on with his life. If he loses, could Emanuel take his case to the highest court in the country?..." /> ruling this Thursday leaves Rahm on the ballot in the mayor’s race or takes him off, the case will almost certainly end up in the courts. The first step in the appeals process is the Circuit Court of Cook County; then the Illinois Court of Appeals; and after that, the Illinois Supreme Court. Should that last body not rule Rahm’s way, it’s hard to imagine him accepting the defeat and moving on with his life. If he loses, could Emanuel take his case to the highest court in the country?..." /> ruling this Thursday leaves Rahm on the ballot in the mayor’s race or takes him off, the case will almost certainly end up in the courts. The first step in the appeals process is the Circuit Court of Cook County; then the Illinois Court of Appeals; and after that, the Illinois Supreme Court. Should that last body not rule Rahm’s way, it’s hard to imagine him accepting the defeat and moving on with his life. If he loses, could Emanuel take his case to the highest court in the country?..." />
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Carol Felsenthal
Could Rahm Emanuel's Residency Case End up in the U.S. Supreme Court?
By Carol Felsenthal
Whether the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners’ ruling this Thursday leaves Rahm on the ballot in the mayor’s race or takes him off, the case will almost certainly end up in the courts. The first step in the appeals process is the Circuit Court of Cook County; then the Illinois Court of Appeals; and after that, the Illinois Supreme Court. Should that last body not rule Rahm’s way, it’s hard to imagine him accepting the defeat and moving on with his life. If he loses, could Emanuel take his case to the highest court in the country?... Read more
A Look at Joseph Morris, the Hearing Officer in the Rahm Emanuel Residency Challenge
By Carol Felsenthal
Rahm Emanuel took the stand this morning in a hearing to determine whether he meets the residency requirements to run for mayor. The hearings, held at the Loop offices of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, have been something of a spectacle. Presiding over the three-ring circus has been hearing officer Joseph Morris, a 59-year-old lawyer and conservative activist donning a bow tie. Born and reared in Gary, Indiana,... Read more
Gery Chico Lands Key Endorsement: Harold Washington's Pastor, B. Herbert Martin
By Carol Felsenthal
Gery Chico will score a key endorsement Monday afternoon from B. Herbert Martin, pastor of the Progressive Community Church at 48th and Wabash in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood. Martin, 68, Harold Washington’s close friend and pastor, was raised in Mound Bayou, Mississippi and came to Chicago in 1967 to earn his master’s in divinity at Northwestern... Read more
A Potential Conflict of Interest in the Rahm Residency Case?
By Carol Felsenthal
Rahm Emanuel’s residency challenge is heating up, and it will likely end up in the Illinois Supreme Court. Sitting on that top court is Justice Anne Burke, who is married to Ald. Ed Burke, a City Council heavyweight as chairman of the finance committee. Although he has not yet issued the endorsement, the 14th Ward alderman gives every signal of supporting one of Rahm’s serious challengers, Gery Chico... Read more
Louis Susman, Our Man in WikiLeaks (and London)
By Carol Felsenthal
In the wake of the WikiLeaks document dump and the ensuing media frenzy, I wondered what I would find on Obama’s diplomatic appointees from Chicago. Of the four local Obama campaign donors who were rewarded with cushy ambassadorships—banker Louis Susman to England, lawyer David Jacobson to Canada, TV producer Charles Rivkin to France... Read more
Rev. James Meeks: the Closest Thing to a Republican in the Mayor's Race?
By Carol Felsenthal
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... Read more
Did Former McCain Aide Steve Schmidt Help Mark Kirk Win?
By Carol Felsenthal
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... Read more
Democratic Strategist Joe Trippi on Why Tom Dart Dropped Out of the Mayor's Race
By Carol Felsenthal
Joe 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... Read more