* This conversation between the federal government’s cooperating witness and Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) pretty much seals the deal. The witness is handing Smith $7,000 in a cash bribe that Smith “earned” by writing a letter of support for a daycare center grant…
During the meeting, CS-1 stated, “You thought I was bulls…’ didn’t you?” (CS-1 and SMITH laugh) CS-1 then stated (while counting the money), “One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Damn, stuck together. Six. Seven. (UI) Talk to you later.”
SMITH then asked, “You don’t want me to give you yours now?” CS-1 answered, “Holla’ at you later, man. I get at you later man. I just want you to know I ain’t playin’ no games wich you, serious.” SMITH said, “Alright, man.” CS-1 stated, “Do what you gonna do to keep your word. Holla at you later man.” SMITH said, “Alright. Get yours. When you want it?. . . When you want it?” CS-1 answered, “I’m gonna call you.” SMITH said, “(UI) pick out ya’ car first?” CS-1 said, “Yeah, I’m gonna get my car. . . but I got th, I, you know, your campaign now, you got to come on. Do what you gonna do man.” SMITH said, “Man, we gonna. I (UI) sh*t.” CS-1 said, “Do whatever you want me to have for the campaign, jus, just let me know.” SMITH said, “I’m gonna get you your two man!” CS-1 said, “Alright.” SMITH said, “You know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout. You know, and we said we gonna, we talk about it.”
“I’m gonna get you your two man!” refers to Rep. Smith’s promise to kick back $2,000 to the witness for his help in obtaining the bribe. The bribe was paid by the federal government, acting in the guise of a fictitious daycare center owner.
Oops.
So long, farewell.
* Smith was not exactly Mr. Clean before Secretary of State Jesse White had him appointed to the House…
Smith grew up in Cabrini Green with [Ald. Walter Burnett], who handpicked him to be 27th Ward Superintendent.
But Smith was fired from the $72,528-a-year job in 2005 amid allegations he used city equipment and personnel to do private landscaping work and improperly used state-financed Earnfare workers to lighten the load of city employees.
“In my job with the city of Chicago, I did nothing wrong,” Smith has said through a spokesman.
At the time, Streets and Sanitation officials refused to explain why Smith had been fired. Smith served as a precinct captain in the 27th Ward Regular Democratic Organization run by Burnett and Committeeman White.
“It’s painful. He’s like a brother to me. If it was my brother, I’d feel the same way,” Burnett said in 2005. “Anyone who loses their employment is painful to me. I know they’ve got families to feed. . . . Whatever happened, he has to deal with it with his lawyer.”
Smith was employed in the secretary of state’s office under White from December 2006 until March 2011, when White helped engineer his appointment to the House to replace Collins, who had moved to the Senate.
* The Chicago Tribune has unsurprisingly retracted its endorsement of Rep. Smith…
The case also confronts Democrats in Smith’s mostly West Side district with an impossible choice. Come Tuesday, do they nominate a man charged with public corruption? Or do they nominate his challenger, Tom Swiss, who has shown considerable disrespect for them?
Right here we need to interject that, on March 7, this page endorsed Smith over Swiss. That’s an endorsement we hereby retract. Federal prosecutors will have to prove Smith guilty beyond a reasonable doubt before he’s declared guilty. Political endorsements don’t have to meet that high burden. We aren’t convicting or acquitting Smith; we’re trying to guide voters in their choice of representation. Specifically, we’re looking at every word of the government’s 23-page criminal complaint and concluding that we do not want Derrick Smith in the Illinois House.
That said, we’re also uncomfortable with the challenger. As we wrote March 7, “Say this for Tom Swiss, a former director of the Cook County Republican Party running as a Democrat: He’s honest about what he thinks about his would-be constituents. He’s targeting what he calls ‘low-information voters.’ One campaign billboard in this racially mixed district features his name and image — he’s white — and another billboard features his name … and the image of a black construction worker.”
The political complications here are enormous, to say the least.
* Here is that complete e-mail Swiss sent in May of last year about the “extremely low information voters”…
From: Tom Swiss
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 2:53 PM
Subject: RE: Re-Map
Jim,
I was thinking about running for State Representative because there is an excellent opportunity in Chicago.
After Sen. Ricky Hendon resigned, my State Rep., Anazette Collins, was selected to replace him. Subsequently, an unknown, Derrick Smith, was selected to fill the State Rep vacancy. He is a member of Jesse White/Walter Burnett’s organization.
The boundaries of this district barely changed. The vote will be fragmented into many sections with Anazette Collin’s daughter Angelique, Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins, and Smith all running with probably another 4-6 people. It is a very poor district with previous candidates only raising $40k to $100k. It would probably take a plurality of only 4,000 votes to win.
I would run as a Democrat. My political service company (Ogden & Fry) could provide artwork, yard signs, data, and robocalling at cost. My cost would be 1/3 would the other candidates would spend.
The people of the district are extremely low information voters. I would emphasize 3 paths to victory - branding (yard signs/door-to-door lit drop, get-out-the-vote (early and election day door to door activity), and hiring people’s yards to place a yard sign for $5.
It would be an extremely aggressive campaign. It could possibly be the least expensive State Rep seat pick up for conservatives.
I have been analyzing the maps, D-2’s, and opponents for 3 months. There is truly a very unique opportunity here, so I am seriously considering this race.
Let me know if this is something your team would be interested in knowing more about…Tom
* And here is Swiss’ response to the Sun-Times about my reporting and about his billboard featuring a photo of an African-American…
When Rich Miller’s Capitol Fax website wrote about Swiss’ candidacy last year, Miller quoted an e-mail Swiss sent out saying many of the voters in the district were “extremely low-information voters.”
Swiss said Thursday most voters in Illinois are “low information voters” as evidenced by Rod Blagojevich’s two elections as governor.
“I kind of resent that — because of all the work I have done working with Africans [and the disadvantaged in America] — white journalists implying there is something racist in that,” Swiss said.
The reason Swiss chose a black man in a white hard hat to put on his billboard is because as construction jobs come to the district, he wants to make sure they go to district residents, he said.
* But here is an e-mail sent by the President of Illinois Log Cabin Republicans about the Swiss campaign last October…
From: Caitlin Huxley
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 4:12 PM
To: Caitlin Huxley
Subject: Petition signature volunteers needed this weekend!
Chicago Republican Volunteers,
As Republicans, we have a problem. Democrats in Illinois run Plants for slots as Republican Committeemen, and all too often as the Republican Challenger against themselves. With a little funding, and slow republican turnout, they can assure they will not be challenged. This happens all too often, and has done damage to the party structure. In fact, not too long ago, Illinois was a Red State.
It’s time to turn the tables and use their same tricks against them! This year we have a lifelong republican supporter running as a Democrat. Tom Swiss is fighting fire with fire & needs your help. this weekend we’ll be doing a massive push to get him on the ballot. If you’re available this Saturday and/or Sunday we could use your help to collect petition signatures. We need 1500, and with 5 to 10 volunteers we could easily reach that goal in 2 days.
Please email me back 7 let me know your availability.
Thank you,
Caitlin Huxley
Organizer
* And a photo of Rep. Smith leaving the federal courthouse. Caption?…
- OurMagician - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 8:52 am:
“I thought I got to be Governor for a few years before I get arrested-who changed those rules?”
- Stones - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 8:52 am:
Dead man walking
- Informer - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 8:55 am:
Low information voters can pretty much be said about a lot of Illinois voters. Consider for example how many people when discussing education funding say “but they get all of that lottery money.”
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 8:56 am:
just another day at the office no big deal man
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 8:58 am:
Looking at those emails Swiss sent, Speaker Madigan will let Tom Swiss be in HIS caucus, and be privy to HDEM strategy, and be a part of the House Democratic Majority political arm … I can see that.
This seat has more drama than a 1930’s radio play.
Deceit. Scandal. Betrayal. Power. Money (ok, 7 “G” isn’t ‘real’ money …).
I skipped the Smith stuff because, what do you say about a guy, on tape, basically selling out. Good Riddence Indeed.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 8:59 am:
===
Looking at those emails Swiss sent, Speaker Madigan will let Tom Swiss be in HIS caucus, and be privy to HDEM strategy, and be a part of the House Democratic Majority political arm … I can see that.
This seat has more drama than a 1930’s radio play.
Deceit. Scandal. Betrayal. Power. Money (ok, 7 “G” isn’t ‘real’ money …).
I skipped the Smith stuff because, what do you say about a guy, on tape, basically selling out. Good Riddence Indeed.===
My post, sorry …
- A few words from Lemont - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:03 am:
Gotta get paid. Dolla’ dolla’ bill y’all!
- Downstater - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:05 am:
Do these handcuffs make me look Gubernatorial?
- wishbone - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:06 am:
This says a lot about Jesse White’s judgement and probably his integrity.
- mokenavince - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:07 am:
I would make a small wager Smith will still win the primary.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:09 am:
I would think between Madigan and Jesse White’s crew, they are going to be focused to getting Smith through the Primary to dump Smith.
Made the call yesterday - Smith wins, but only because Madigan and Jesse have too much to lose.
- Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:10 am:
mokenavince, I’d vote for a crook over a guy who called me a ‘low information voter.’
Okay, maybe I wouldn’t vote if those were my choices. But my first reaction is to go for the devil I know.
- Shore - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:13 am:
Shiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttt
- Skeeter - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:14 am:
Downstater, that’s perfect. Great comment.
Regarding Swiss — I understand “low information.” I don’t really have a problem with it. I would apply the same label to many tea partiers. It seems like analysis and not insult.
Caitlan Huxley seems like a “low information operative” and that is an insult. She must be one of the dumbest operatives ever. Does she really not get that e-mails can be forwarded? No matter what she does for her career, she will not be the “same tricks” operative.
Note to Caitlan: You can THINK certain things, but putting them on paper is really a bad idea.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:14 am:
Informer, Swiss didn’t just call his potential constituents “low information voters,” he called them “extremely low information voters.”
- Lakefront Liberal - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:16 am:
This could be a prime opportunity — no matter who wins — for a Dem candidate to run as an independent in November. It would give all the political folks in Cook County something to do!
- Todd - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:21 am:
do they carry Smith across the lin eonly to have him drop out and appoint a new candidate for the fall?
- sad - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:21 am:
Here is the thing about these types of cases and our system. Because he allegedly took money to help himself personally in exchange for a favor he is in violation of the law. Yet politicians are constantly taking money, to put in their campaign coffers, to keep themselves in power and then doing favors for or voting with those that give them money. What in the world is the difference?!?!
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:23 am:
- Todd -
Don’t think Jesse or MJM have a choice now …gotta get Smith through, and before it was kinda a big deal to make sure, now its really a big deal. Will be fun to watch this one, especially this last weekend and on Election Day.
- Aldyth - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:24 am:
“I followed the recipe, but the bread didn’t rise.”
- zatoichi - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:29 am:
Here is the next Denzel Washington movie. Get George Clooney as the Trib editor and Common as the witness.
- PublicServant - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:29 am:
The exposure that Smith’s arrest is putting on this contest is a double-edged sword for Swiss. While, at first blush, it would seem to enhance his chances since he’s running against a crook, it also exposes him as a liar and the shill that he is, thanks to Rich and other journalists that continue to train the spotlight on Swiss’ underhandedness and obvious disdain for the voters in the that district.
I think the larger issue is that the republican game plan is running republicans as democrats in the primaries. Even when their voting records are found to have had previously declared themselves as republican in previous primaries, they say they’re just independents voting for the best candidates. Uh-huh. Got it.
- in Paris - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:30 am:
“Hey, I was only in it for the money. What’s a measly seven grand anyway - chump change.”
- Old Milwaukee - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:32 am:
This district is going to elect a known criminal. Illinois politicians live up the expectations of their voters.
Is it any wonder Illinois is in the shape it’s in?
- Siriusly - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:34 am:
I agree with Wishbone and Lakefront.
Everyone likes Jesse White, but this is not the first time he has backed a total dirtbag.
Lakefront makes a good point too. Even if Republican Tom Swiss does win the Democratic Primary, still plenty of time for him to get beaten by a better “dem” as an independent in the fall.
Tom Swiss’ strategy may have worked better if he had disguised himself a little better and not bashed his constituents in fund-raising emails. Really man.
- Wensicia - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:35 am:
This is a lose-lose situation for the tenth, a choice between a crook or a jerk who has nothing but utter contempt for the constituents. They’re better off choosing Smith and hoping the Feds eventually dump him into prison. Has Madigan given a statement on this yet?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:36 am:
Re: Swiss’s comment about his would-be constituents beting extremely low information voters. Is he wrong in that comment? Is he lying to them by saying that?
- mark walker - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:36 am:
Did Swiss properly report the in-kind contributions from his political service company?
How stupid/arrogant is Swiss to lay this all out in an e-mail to begin with?
Bad judgment by people who should have known better, to put Smith in this job to begin with.
- Montrose - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:37 am:
Caption:
“At least I still have that $5,000 kick back from the substance abuse treatment center coming that they don’t know about.”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:40 am:
===Re: Swiss’s comment about his would-be constituents beting extremely low information voters. Is he wrong in that comment? Is he lying to them by saying that?===
IF … it is indeed true about these district voters, or, for that fact, any disparaging thing about the voters you may think is true, you gotta keep it to yourself …
It’s kinda like your “Aunt” that has a mustache, you know its there, but ya don’t tell her about it.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:41 am:
Shore may have just laid down the best comment ever.
- L.S. - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:43 am:
Low-Information Hustler
- Easy - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:44 am:
Still waiting on Madigan’s statement that he will pull all resources from Smith’s campaign and ask him to resign and withdraw from the race….crickets…
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:45 am:
- Easy -
Pack a lunch … it will be awhile
- Dooley Dudright - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:53 am:
Illinois voters DO have a history of being low-information types.
Anyone recall the Dem primary in 1986, when LaRouchies won nominations for Lt. Governor and Secretary of State? And drove Adlai III to form a new party? And effectively handed Big Jim another term?
Mark Fairchild vs. George Sangemeister. Janice Hart vs. Aurelia Pucinski. If you’re a low-info voter — who ya gonna choose?
Why, the “nice” names, of course! Fairchild and Hart actually were the LaRouchies that the doofus Dem voters went for!
(For that matter — let’s vote for all of the Irish names for judge, right? Just cuz they sound nice. Oh, and extra points for female Irish. Low information voters? Yup!)
And of course there’s the Scott Lee Cohen episode from just two years ago. Dems should thank their lucky stars that Cohen (unlike Fairchild) resigned from the ticket. Imagine Quinn doing what Adlai did — and handing the governorship to Bill Brady.
It’s no small wonder that post-Cohen, the statute was quietly changed just last year to require combined Guv-GuvLite tickets in primaries. (Shoulda been done post-eighty-six!)
We voters are absolutely, positively, low-information. Illinoisans have proven that — repeatedly!
- MrJM - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:54 am:
“Anybody remember if I’m supposed to blame a drinking problem now or after sentencing?”
– MrJM
- OneMan - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 9:58 am:
== But my first reaction is to go for the devil I know. ==
Also known as how we ended up with a second term of Rod…
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 10:01 am:
Dooley Dudright, there’s low and there’s “extremely low.” Stop making excuses for this guy by deliberately misquoting him.
- langhorne - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 10:05 am:
if you pitched a script with these characters no one would buy it, unless maybe it was supposed to be slapstick.
i dont normally use this phrase, but talk about “low hanging fruit”.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 10:14 am:
@ Oswego Willy: == Looking at those emails Swiss sent, Speaker Madigan will let Tom Swiss be in HIS caucus, and be privy to HDEM strategy, and be a part of the House Democratic Majority political arm … I can see that.==
I know you were just being snarky. However, I thought it interesting that you think Speaker Madigan shares HDEM strategy with the rank-and-file!
Additionally, I think this gets interesting should Swiss win and Madigan faced a 59-59 tie. There is no question Swiss would caucus with the Republicans.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 10:20 am:
===I know you were just being snarky. However, I thought it interesting that you think Speaker Madigan shares HDEM strategy with the rank-and-file!===
Since I was being snarky, the fact that the Speaker would share strategy, as opposed to treating HDEMS, generally, like mushrooms, should go without saying.
further,
===Additionally, I think this gets interesting should Swiss win and Madigan faced a 59-59 tie. There is no question Swiss would caucus with the Republicans.===
Taking into account the new map, and the number of GOP seats probably already “lost” because of the new map, I would be hard-pressed to think the Speaker will get to 59-59, let alone be below 60, Tom Swiss or no Tom Swiss.
- soccermom - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 10:21 am:
Can I just say — I have a lot of respect for CS-1, for recognizing that something wrong was happening and taking action instead of hiding behind that all-purpose excuse, “Everybody else does it.”
- Strobby - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 10:22 am:
That didn’t work out the way I planned.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 10:24 am:
===Can I just say — I have a lot of respect for CS-1, for recognizing that something wrong was happening and taking action instead of hiding behind that all-purpose excuse, “Everybody else does it.”===
Concur … will be intersting when the “G” produces CS-1 and where CS-1 fits in the 27th Ward Organization.
- John A Logan - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 10:46 am:
Whats wrong with calling them “extremely low information voters?” You don’t look at a picture frame and call it a bowl of cereal.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 10:49 am:
JAL, are you that dense? I may be able to call a group of people “extremely low information voters,” but someone who wants to represent a district in the General Assembly should never say something like that. And if he does, he should explain himself, which he didn’t.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 10:52 am:
Something tells me CS-1 got rolled by the feds for something else and cooperated against Smith for future considerations. I could be wrong, but that’s SOP for the prosecution. I don’t think it’s likely that CS-1 dropped a dime on Smith “just because.”
Also curious to know why Smith wasn’t given a similar opportunity. Maybe because the election was imminent, maybe because he was a big enough target, or maybe because he really was acting alone. We may never know, but if Smith cooperated, this could have led to more 27th Ward indictments.
Or maybe not.
- mokenavince - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 10:55 am:
Cheryl44 it’s a shame how low we set the bar.The people diserve better.
- PublicServant - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 11:02 am:
Heh, I’m thinking CS-1 doesn’t fit anywhere within the 27th ward organization now.
- Hopalong Cassadeech - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 11:16 am:
Why does all this make me think of Rickey Hendon?
- Anon - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 11:18 am:
I agree w/47th Ward. I feel like something big is on the rise. This is just the beginning!
- NIref - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 11:21 am:
“Rep. Smith taking advantage of the Dirksen Federal Building’s newly-installed express arraignment lane.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 11:40 am:
“I’m gonna getcha your two, man. “
- 42nd Ward - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 11:43 am:
I know Swiss. I’m quite sure he did not switch to become a Madigan shill, but he was getting fed up with the leadership of the Illinois GOP and the infighting. I do think he is sincere in wanting to serve the people of his District - he’s worked at missions on the West Side long before he got into politics. He is just a different breed that doesn’t fit any political pigeonhole.
- ChicagoR - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 12:15 pm:
“He is just a different breed that doesn’t fit any political pigeonhole.”
Given that he says above that he’s running because the seat would be “the least expensive State Rep seat pick up for conservatives…”, I think he probably could fit the “conservative” pigeonhole quite nicely. And he’s trying to keep the voters in his district from knowing it.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 12:24 pm:
Are we in discussion that Tom Swiss is an “honorable” man, given his last relationships with the CCGOP, his “Webmastering” the CGOP, and the emails, by which Swiss knows he is being “crafty” and then speaks in derrogatory terms about the voters he hopes to represent?
We ARE going down that road?
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 12:27 pm:
47th — yeah, I just have a fantasy of people standing up when they see an elected official abusing his/her office…
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 12:33 pm:
I’m with you Soccormom. I wish there were more people with the courage to do this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/opinion/why-i-am-leaving-goldman-sachs.html
We need more of this kind of thing in Illinois politics.
- TwoFeetThick - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 12:33 pm:
“Darn it. That photographer just got me in a great profile shot and I forgot to wear my Mansiere today.”
- Concerned Observer - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 12:46 pm:
Caption:
“All in all, I’d say it’s an up day.”
- Vasyl - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 1:00 pm:
Sigh. My district.
I agree with the commenters that suggest there is nothing to do for White and Madigan but get Smith across the finish line and then replace him.
But that means that once again someone becomes an incumbent in this district without having won the seat in an election. I suppose the only good news will be if Dr. Van Pelt beats Collins — at least voters had some choice. Interesting that the best candidate of the lot is the reformed drug addict.
BTW, I got a lovely mailer from Swiss today with a photo of an attractive African-American woman on the phone saying “Hey gorgeous … uh-huh … Don’t forget to vote” and ending with “Vote for Tom Swiss! Yes! Mom even likes him.”
- sadie - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 1:20 pm:
Is there room on the bus to Colorado?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 1:26 pm:
Vasyl, please email me that mailer. Thanks.
- been there - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 1:31 pm:
Tragedy Chicago Style
- Cheswick - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 1:35 pm:
I am so sick of hearing voters being blamed all the time.
The level of informativeness of the voters is directly attributable to the level of the politician’s outreach to the voters.
And the politician who takes advantage of that situation for his own gain is a predator.
- bored on1 - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 3:07 pm:
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White presents “the Jesse White Bumbler”
- bored on1 - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 3:08 pm:
I will have a statement at 5:03
- amalia - Wednesday, Mar 14, 12 @ 4:59 pm:
All I said was, “show me the money!”
- Comc - Thursday, Mar 15, 12 @ 2:33 pm:
Is there any blowback on Alderman Burnett or SOS Jesse White (also the 27th Ward Dem Committeeman)?