With only 31% who want Richard M. Daley reelected, what’s likely to happen? First, don’t think for a moment that he’ll give it up. He’s a political creature who can’t imagine living without the mayoralty. No matter what happens to Maggie…terminal illness, incapacitation or death…he’ll run. And he’ll be sure to show tears whenever she’s mention. These aren’t crocodile tears. He means them. But no matter, he must run. He can’t help it. A limited, totally un-introspective man this is his life. So he’ll …

As it stands now the Democrats stand to lose at least a half dozen senate seats in November and could even lose their wobbly nine-seat majority if the wobbly independent Joe Lieberman wobbles more to the right.

Losing Ted Kennedy’s Massachusetts seat—granted because of a miserable candidate—showed that everything is up for grabs in this anti-incumbent, anti-politician, anti-everything year. The bluest states could turn blood-red—New York with an ill-chosen appointee to replace Hillary Clinton, Delaware with no Biden of any generation to shore up the faithful and, yes, Illinois with a …

It’s official: Hoffman is now beating Giannoulias in Cook County. Is an upset in the works?
The latest tally is 57% to 36%, with a 9% margin of error. We’ve been watching Hoffman’s numbers mount all day, and now the dark horse’s lead is bigger than the margin of error.

Good government groups across the state are likely thrilled.
Other updates:
Quinn: 61% / Hynes: 39%
Preckwinkle: 65% / O’Brien: 20%
More at the Chicago Current

Chicago Current
http://tiny.cc/RnSE1

The Senate Democratic primary in Illinois today carries more weight than a single election. The winner will be running to salvage a piece of the Obama presidential legacy — if a Republican wins the seat in November, Barack Obama would become the first senator-turned-president to lose his former seat to the opposite party.

Of course, there isn’t much precedent for this. In 2008, Obama became just the third sitting senator elected president, following John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Warren G. Harding in 1920. Kennedy was replaced by the appointed Benjamin …

At the risk of sounding positively Obamaesque, “change we need” will materialize in Illinois on Feb. 2. Democrats will refrain from nominating tainted insiders who would lose in November, and Republicans will refrain from nominating tainted ideologues that would lose in November.
Relative to voter turnout, anger is the great motivator, and disgust is the great depressor. If anger prevails, and turnout surges, a lot of favored candidates will bite the proverbial dust.

In this column, longtime political analyst and columnist Russ Stewart and conservative icon and radio commentator Tom Roeser offer …

Thumbing through the Sun Times this morning, I notice the David Hoffman campaign was considerate enough to buy an ad to their own site which links to a Chicago Daily Observer article  (well they just cut and paste the whole thing (permission anyone? weren’t you some kind of crime fighter?)) .   Here’s another good one if you are feeling larcenous again.
Just for some balance our Tom Roeser was not real impressed with David Hoffman, taking him to task for veering to the Left of the Obama administration, and not really …

Democratic senate candidate David Hoffman, the former Chicago inspector general, is airing television spots featuring a mother who lost $10,000 in the Bright Start college savings program overseen by Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, the leading senate candidate.

Ellen Mrazek is one of 65,000 families in the state who lost a total of $150 million and will get about half their money back—though she first believed, with all the others, that she would recoup 90 percent.
That 30-second nutshell, is the essence of a column I posted here a couple of weeks ago, …

I sat down for my radio interview with David Hoffman Sunday night with a good deal of favorable anticipation. Notwithstanding my Republican credentials, I recognize that the heavy preponderance of Illinois voters are Democrat and that an able, attractive Democrat untouched by scandal could well win the race. Especially this Democrat: a bright, 42-year-old, a former federal prosecutor under Patrick Fitzgerald who in all brings a brilliant 16-year record of public service to the voters. Moreover, he is best known for his widely-praised work as Inspector General of the city …

Please join the Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Chicago Daily Observer, Tom Roeser, as he welcomes Democratic US Senate Candidate David Hoffman and ace political analyst Russ Stewart this Sunday at 8PM on Political Shootout, live on WLS AM-890.
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