Hinz: Lightfoot to endorse Biden
Thursday, Mar 5, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz…
Mayor Lori Lightfoot plans to make an announcement in the next day or so, and although sources close to her aren’t officially confirming anything, all indications are that she will back former Vice President Joe Biden.
Lightfoot and Biden connected by phone earlier this week, right after he won most of the big Super Tuesday primaries.
* Press release…
Congressman Sean Casten announced today that he is endorsing Joe Biden for President.
“As a freshman member I am keenly aware of the power of strong, diverse coalitions. For that reason, I am proud to announce my support for Joe Biden. Joe has the empathy and the heart to unite our party, our country — and he has experience and the tenacity to get it done.” - Congressman Sean Casten
* Local 881 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) is endorsing Biden…
In announcing the support of the 34,000-member Union, Steven M. Powell, President of Local 881 and UFCW International Vice President, stated:
“Another four years of the Trump Administration would be a disaster for working people. It is critical that our next President be a friend to workers and an advocate for Unions. We believe Joe Biden is the best candidate to help our members and lead our nation. Joe Biden has been an advocate for our Local Union, has a great track record of putting working families first, and is committed to strengthening the rights of Union workers. He has developed a specific plan to help increase unionization, prevent employers from hindering the organizing efforts of workers, and protect collective bargaining rights. We strongly believe that Joe Biden is the best candidate to defeat Trump and will provide leadership that puts workers first. We are proud to give him our endorsement.”
* Treasurer Mike Frerichs…
Given today’s unfortunate news regarding the suspension of Elizabeth Warren’s campaign for President of the United States, I wanted to share my thoughts with those of you who, like myself, were inspired by her performance and disappointed by the headlines this morning.
I had the honor of working alongside Senator Warren while advocating for her candidacy and can attest to the fact that she is an extraordinary person; I know that she would have been an excellent President. She showed that you can advocate passionately for progressive ideas without being divisive. Her campaign demonstrated a sincere objective to be helpful and kind, even in the face of harassment and bullying.
While I am disappointed that she has ended her campaign, I have no regrets for supporting her. I think she has furthered the debate of ideas and has left the Democratic Party stronger because of her campaign.
I am heartened that she is still a fierce fighter in the US Senate for the fundamental change our country needs.
The one thing I am certain of is that we haven’t heard the last from Elizabeth Warren.
* Politico…
Joe Biden, who jolted Democrats by capturing victories in 10 states (Maine wasn’t declared for Biden until midday Wednesday), has queued up a combined $228,000 in ad buys on three Chicago stations: CB2/2, ABC/7 and WGN/9.
To put this into perspective, the House and Senate Democrats spent about a million dollars a week on Chicago broadcast to help put each of their 2018 candidates over the top. $228K is a drop in the bucket, but it’s better than nothing, I suppose. And he didn’t need any air cover on Super Tuesday (or a field operation, for that matter). We’ll see how he does in the next debate against Sanders.
* Tribune…
Sanders to hold rally in Grant Park on Saturday, another in Rockford Tuesday: The presidential candidate will hold a 2:30 p.m. rally at Petrillo Music Shell, in Grant Park.
As always with national politics, take a deep breath before commenting, and try not to infect comments with cable teevee talking points.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 12:29 pm:
I love Joe Biden, but a progressive democrat he is not and he is not running a progressive campaign.
I understand the notion of betting on the strongest horse, but endorsing the winner in an election doesn’t end the obligation to dance with the people that brought you into office.
The mayor didn’t have to endorse anyone.
===while advocating for her candidacy===
Exactly how much of this did the Treasurer really do?
- Fav human - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 12:32 pm:
Does this mean Tori P is now a Bernie buddy?
Mine was just starting to collect the money off his improved performance. He might be buying more if he can find the time available. I’m wondering how much political ads spend is going digital versus analog? You can always get Facebook ads…
- Hot Taeks - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 12:32 pm:
Whether this was case before or not, Lightfoot will now assuredly have a well-funded left-wing challenger in 2023.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 12:33 pm:
===doesn’t end the obligation to dance with the people that brought you into office===
The progressives didn’t elect her. Their leaders were, for the most part, with Preckwinkle.
- Fav human - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 12:33 pm:
Biden was..
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 12:35 pm:
===Lightfoot will now assuredly have a well-funded left-wing challenger in 2023===
lol
The left was almost uniformly against her last year. Worked out well…
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 12:43 pm:
Lightfoot can take that 75% and huge plurality and endorse Biden with little or no blowback.
It’s the smart play with Sharkey going with Bernie, and that too makes all the sense in the world for Sharkey.
I’ve yet to hear a mayor of a major city “losing” their next race, 3 years later, because of an endorsement.
If Biden does get the nomination and wins in the fall, it could help Lightfoot more than hurt because of this endorsement too.
Very little downside here for Lightfoot.
- Steve - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 12:49 pm:
===Lightfoot will now assuredly have a well-funded left-wing challenger in 2023===
Lightfoot won all 50 wards and virtually every precinct in Chicago. Some unions supported her , some didn’t. Some union people will support Bernie. Some union will support Biden. It probably makes sense for Lightfoot to support Biden because a significant percentage of the Chicago population does.
- anonamoose - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 12:49 pm:
I’ve read it in several places that the D electorate wants someone who can beat Trump, rather than someone to advocate for M4A, free college and student debt relief.
Plus D’s need everyone they can to stay in the senate (looking at KH, AK and EW).
- Pundent - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 12:49 pm:
The biden endorsement was the smart play for Lightfoot. The democrats are closing ranks around Biden and part of what these endorsements do is emphasize the need to support down ballot candidates like Casten.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 12:54 pm:
Certainly don’t agree with everything Lightfoot has done but really like other things she’s done a lot, like a good budget without a big tax hike, marijuana sales/zoning, standing up for immigrants, etc. I don’t think she will be too harmed by the far left, with or without the Biden endorsement. She did agree with the CTU contract, and how much better was that than Rauner? Imagine the CTU vs. Rauner.
- Boomerang - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 1:17 pm:
Rich, I think you forgot that Chuy Garcia endorsed Lori Lightfoot. Not a small name in Chicago progressive politics.
- Pick a Name - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 1:23 pm:
Hope Joe doesn’t call anybody a “a lying dog-faced pony soldier” like he did to the young lady.
- The Most Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 1:23 pm:
===The progressives didn’t elect her. Their leaders were, for the most part, with Preckwinkle.===
I respectfully disagree. Lori won wards (ha, all wards) where the most progressive City Council members won. So while the leaders might’ve been loud and unrelenting, progressives actually got tricked into voting for Lori. Her anti-corruption message resonated and she worked really hard to trick voters into thinking she was a progressive. So just because progressive leaders are in everyone’s faces, know that not all progressives were firmly with Toni.
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/12/a-story-pitch-goes-horribly-wrong/
- Frank talks - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 1:24 pm:
I saw the Bernie ad last night, that went even farther than the Bloomberg ad, that made it look like Obama was all on team Bernie. Interesting as the Bernie Bros usually try to hammer Biden for his 8 years as VP and the entire administrations lack of progressive accomplishments.
Strange days ahead.
- OneMan - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 1:28 pm:
Well gosh darn it with this move she is sure not to get the CTU endorsement next time around….
I’d say I feel bad I muted some folks on twitter this week because I can’t see them get angry about this, but saying I felt bad about that would be a lie.
- Montrose - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 1:29 pm:
“she worked really hard to trick voters into thinking she was a progressive.”
This all day.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 1:30 pm:
TMA, nothing you wrote made my point less true. She was elected by a huge percent. She could’ve lost every progressive vote and still won. She’s not beholden to any one faction in that regard.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 1:33 pm:
I don’t think Lightfoot tricked progressives into voting for her. Not everyone who’s progressive/liberal is all-or-nothing far left.
- Responsa - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 1:44 pm:
All these pols really did not (and do not) need to endorse anybody at this time. But whatevs.
- JP Altgeld - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 1:46 pm:
My sense is that, from an ideological/political standpoint, she wanted to go with Warren. That was made impossible by Warren’s approach to the strike. Biden is the obvious choice now.
She was always going to have a far left wing challenger. Chicago won’t go for that, however.
- Bobby S. - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 1:50 pm:
Does endorsements matter? Look at who former Senator Sandoval backing for Water Reclamation.
http://kim4water.com/kims-endorsements/
- Progressives - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 2:02 pm:
Waiting with baited breath for Biss’ Warren press release.
- Say What? - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 2:20 pm:
The Mayor made the only pragmatic choice available. Bernie is toast; Obama endorsement is imminent.
The lefts litmus test is as goofy as the rights.
- Sue - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 2:23 pm:
Frank Talks- the most humorous aspect of the Sanders commercial is that the only time Bernie was at the WH was the day Obama asked him over to bow out of the 16 primary battle with Clinton. The clip is the walk to the Oval seconds before Obama insisted Bernie drop out of the 16 campaign
- Pundent - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 2:26 pm:
=So while the leaders might’ve been loud and unrelenting, progressives actually got tricked into voting for Lori.=
Maybe those that apply a strict purity test might feel duped. But there seems to be a spectrum of progressives just as there are conservatives. And purity tests are great for campaigning and lousy for governing.
- Pundent - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 2:36 pm:
=All these pols really did not (and do not) need to endorse anybody at this time.=
Right or wrong the intent seems pretty clear to send a message that they aren’t with Sanders. The longer it takes to endorse Biden the more “divided” the party appears to be.
- Thanos Snap Judgement - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 2:38 pm:
It will be interesting to see where the allegiances of the Illinois Warren supporters, like Biss and Frerichs, shift to now, especially since Warren herself is not currently entertaining endorsing either Biden nor Bernie. The Midwest is still very much in play for both, hence Bernie’s recent decision to skip a rally in Mississippi and double-down in a place like Michigan
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 2:54 pm:
===where the most progressive City Council members won.===
Thanks, - The Most Anonymous - I don’t really want to get into the weeds and go into the significant differences between positional leadership and what the actual constituency does.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 4:23 pm:
== progressives actually got tricked into voting for Lori.==
Cue all the Bernie-supporting progressives voting for tulsi or some other third-party candidate in November (or just staying home), handing trump the election. Then blaming Biden’s loss on the nebulous “establishment”
- Responsa - Thursday, Mar 5, 20 @ 5:28 pm:
My congressman sent out an email to say who he is endorsing. It’s so cute that he thinks I care.