Progress Illinois, the political and issue oriented website partially sponsored by the SEIU Illinois State Council, reports that Cook Co. Democratic Party Chair, and Democratic Nominee for Cook Co. Assessor, Joe Berrios, and his campaign will not challenge the 90,000 some odd petition signatures filed by the Forrest Claypool campaign, in it's attempt to get him on the November ballot as an independent candidate For Assesor.
From a press release of the Berrios campaign, posted on 'PI':
"It would be irresponsible to subject either the public authorities or our opponent to the cost, time and effort of litigation, perhaps all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court," said campaign spokesman Manuel Galvan. "Instead, the campaign asks Mr. Claypool to set aside the insults and empty rhetoric, and pledge to conduct a spirited, fair and clean campaign. The public deserves nothing less."
If Forrest gets on the ballot, as he seems likely to do at this point, this situation is going to present a delicate balancing act by progressive, reform-minded Democrats as to who to support in that race.
Should make for interesting going in the General this November.
Two people I think highly of are running for elected office. These are not the offices that attract a lot of attention. They are not glitzy but they are two of the offices that affect each and every one of our lives. Both of these individuals are solid, progressive Democrats. Both have asked for help with gathering signatures.
Andrea Raila is running for Cook County Assessor. She's a tax geek in the best sense of the word and is running against several candidates, most notably Joe Berrios, who is chairman of the county's Democratic Party and commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review.
Clint Krislov is running for State Comptroller. Clint is an attorney and is representing the IVI-IPO in its parking meter lease lawsuit. An experienced and savvy advocate, Clint is competing with Raja Krishnamoorthi and David E. Miller for the seat.
Yesterday the Washington Post reported that Fran O'Brien's Stadium Steakhouse, a restaurant beloved by our on-the-mend combat vets at Walter Reed Medical Center, has been refused a lease renewal by landlord Hilton Hotels. The restaurant's basement location in the Capitol Hilton will have to be vacated by May 1, 2006. [See this heart-tugging WUSA Channel 9 video report.]
The decision has created an understandable uproar in the veteran's community: Fran O'Brien's has been treating our severly wounded veterans to complimentary Friday night steak dinners for the past 2 1/2 years. Their generosity has become legendary, and going out for dinner at Fran O'Brien's has become a "rite of passage" after difficult months spent recovering from serious injuries in a sterile hospital bed. Veteran's families have begun asking Hilton Hotels to re-think their decision. To help them to do that, a petition has gone up...
For the first time ever, the Green Party is running a full slate of candidates for the highest elected offices in Illinois. These are really great, honest, and hardworking candidates that support reforms like a living wage, single-payer universal health care, same-sex marriage, sustainable energy, and significantly improved public transportation. Rich Whitney, our candidate for Governor, has even pledged to veto any further mobilization of the Illinois National Guard for the illegal war in Iraq!
This message is from Tim Twacker, Will County Green Party: Greens won 25% of all races they entered nationwide in 2005, in spite of being outspent 10 to 1. You CAN make a difference: Keep reading.
Consumers will spend an average of $100.89 on Valentine's Day this year, up from the $97.27 average spent last year, according to a new study from the National Retail Federation (NRF).
If you're planning to celebrate the holiday by buying jewelry for your favorite sweetie or taking them out to dinner, I have a proposal for you. (No, not that kind. I'm already married!) Why do we need to keep feeding the retailing beast out there? Don't our partners already know that we love them immensely?
Let's celebrate Valentine's Day in a different way this year. Let's share our loving side with the ones who need it the most: our troops. Let's get busy and show them who really supports them, ok?
I've tried to make this as pain-free and fun as possible. Some of the action items can be done right in front of your computer screen. Other items will require you to get up and move about into the fresh air outside - maybe even mingle with other people. Still others will require you open up your wallet, if you so choose to do. No pressure there from me.
Can you sign this petition to show Congress that Americans want a thorough investigation of the president's secret wiretapping program?
President Bush admitted to personally authorizing thousands of allegedly illegal wiretaps, and he doesn't plan to stop. Circumventing the Constitution is serious business.
This is a big moment. People from across the political spectrum are standing together to protect the rule of law and the principles that are core to our identity as Americans.
Yesterday the Washington Post 