On the eve of an election which may decide the future of the city I’ve come to call home, I’ve begun to ask myself the question – what makes Chicago unique?

One could argue that there are numerous traits that set Chicago apart from the big cities of the East and the sprawling cities of the West. We’re Midwest. We’re away from the glitz of Hollywood and the Wall Street money of New York. We have our own unique politics. And, when you look around, you’ll see generations of people who …

The first time I met Mayor Richard M. Daley, I was 4 years old. I remember this moment well, not just because of its importance to my father, but because of a photo that sat on the center of the mantel in his office at home. When I would visit him there, often distracting him from his writing, he would tell me stories about the pictures that adorned his office. The photo of me, just a young boy being held by my father, shaking Daley’s hand, was one of his …

Loyalty and the desire to help his friends are two of the qualities that best define Phil Krone. I’ve known Phil since I was a child. He was a friend of my father’s and always eager to lend his thoughts and ideas to him. After my father died, Phil was there for me, helping me navigate the many trials that lay ahead. I’d never know when Phil would call. Sometimes it would be in the wee hours of the morning as he traveled around the world. What I knew was …

I was raised in a family that was enthusiastic about sports—Cubs, Bears, Bulls, golf, tennis.  Whatever the season, my family was following a sport and its heroes.  But the game that intrigued them most was politics, the most exciting and frustrating and rewarding of them all, the one that affects the way we live and our hopes for the future.  My family had their heroes in this game, too.  Not a lot of them though because their standards were high.  My Rock Island grandparents worked hard for the late Adlai …

I live in the Fifth Congressional District and will vote in the special election on Tuesday for Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley to replace Rahm Emanuel who left Congress to become President Obama’s Chief of Staff.  Even though this primary has been somewhat overshadowed by the Roland Burris situation, a large turnout of voters was never predicted for this race.  And because there are thirteen candidates, this election is a lot like a lottery.  Anyone can win.  No one should be surprised if the winner has somewhere between 15 and …