* Sun-Times…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday accepted Gov. Bruce Rauner’s apology for branding half of all Chicago Public Schools principals “managerially incompetent” and half its teachers “virtually illiterate,” but questioned whether teachers will forgive the insult.
“I’m gonna accept him at his word. More important is, will the teachers?” the mayor said. […]
If the governor is truly sorry for what he said, the mayor wants Rauner to prove it by putting the state’s money where his mouth is.
“The state finally leveled the pension inequity that existed where our taxpayers were taxed twice for pensions for teachers that don’t teach our children. I want to see that not only this year. I want to see it continue,” Emanuel.
“I accept that, sincerely, the governor apologizes. … I accept it because I want to move on and turn the page. [But] I want him to be a champion of the academic gains that the children of Chicago are making — not just against themselves, but against their national peers. … He should hold ’em up as an example of what you can do if you pull together principals, parents and teachers. … The governor of the state of Illinois should embrace the children of Chicago.”
Discuss.
…Adding… Rauner replies, via the Tribune…
Rauner countered that he has long worked to improve schools in Chicago, but said districts across the state need help too.
“You know, I have worked for 25 years to improve the quality of the public schools in Chicago. And I passionately, I ran for governor so we could have outstanding schools in every community, not just Chicago,” Rauner said Tuesday during a term limits event at a central Illinois farm.
“Every school district needs more money, every teacher needs more support.”
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* Press release…
U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon and Other Law Enforcement Officials to Hold News Conference Today at 2:00 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon, FBI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Anderson, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson and other law enforcement officials will hold a news conference to announce significant new indictments. The news conference will begin at 2:00 p.m. in the 9th Floor Press Room of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Dirksen Federal Building, 219 S. Dearborn, Chicago IL 60604. Media credentials will be required to access the Press Room, which will be open beginning at 1:15 p.m.
WHO: Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois
Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the FBI
Eddie T. Johnson, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department
Several other law enforcement officials from the Chicago area and Indiana
WHAT: The officials will announce significant new indictments against numerous alleged gang members.
WHERE: U.S. Attorney’s Office
9th Floor Press Room
Dirksen Federal Building
219 S. Dearborn, Chicago IL 60604
WHEN: Tuesday, July 26, 2016, 2:00 p.m.
*** UPDATE *** Here you go…
Thirty Four Alleged Gang Members Charged with Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Guns, Assaults and Attempted Murders in Chicago and Suburbs
CHICAGO — Two federal indictments unsealed in Chicago today charged 34 members of the Latin Kings street gang with participating in a criminal organization that assaults and attempts to murder its rivals and violently protects its territories in the city and suburbs.
Authorities uncovered the alleged gang activity through dual investigations conducted under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). During the course of the multi-year probes, law enforcement agents confiscated more than 40 firearms, including two AR-15 assault rifles.
The indictments allege that members of the Latin Kings violently enforced discipline within its ranks and retaliated against rivals and former members to prevent cooperation with law enforcement. Its members and associates engaged in various acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assault with dangerous weapons, arson, and extortion, according to the indictments. The charges include the attempted murders of rival gang members and a Melrose Park Police officer.
Thirty four alleged Latin Kings are charged with racketeering conspiracy. A 35th alleged Latin King is charged in the indictment with selling a firearm without a license. The 36th and final defendant is an alleged Latin King charged in a criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Several of the defendants were arrested this week and have begun making initial appearances in federal court in Chicago.
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* From the twitters…
* When you see “Bernie or bust” delegates loudly acting out, openly weeping and being interviewed on the teevee, remember this…
Pew Research has been polling on the 2016 campaign for months, allowing it to track attitudes among voters over time. Nearly half of the Democratic electorate, 44 percent, changed their preference over the course of the three surveys Pew conducted. About 3 in 10 supported Clinton, wire-to-wire; about 20 percent Sanders.
Pew asked those consistent Sanders supporters whom they support in the general election. Ninety percent said they back Hillary Clinton. […]
Last week, as the Republican convention was going on, Pew offered similar research about the Republicans. Of the 44 percent of the party that never supported Donald Trump, 79 percent were planning on backing him in the general election — lower than the percentage of Sanders supporters backing Clinton, but still nearly 8 in 10.
So why so much outrage in Philadelphia? Delegates to party conventions are not normal members of political parties. [Emphasis added.]
Arguably, his most fervent supporters in the country are at the convention. They’re the ones who did the hard work to get themselves on the ballot, or worked the caucuses the most. The Bernie or Bust folks have put their hearts and souls into this “revolution,” and they’ve been convinced all along that the establishment has thwarted their will at every turn (and, indeed, the hacked DNC e-mails show that was the case in many respects). They are the true believers. Most people just aren’t that way, which the Pew polling shows.
In a nutshell, the Republican elite created their own problems by catering to the fears and beliefs of often angry white people for decades - and the “stuff-stirrers” firmly took over that party this year. The Democratic elite took their “stuff-stirrers” for granted for decades and they very nearly paid a heavy price this year, and are still having problems at their convention this week.
…Adding… As a longtime subscriber just told me, many of the younger Sanders supporters were raised in an era of participation trophies. “They were never taught how to lose”…
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* Tribune…
Rep. Ron Sandack, a top ally of Gov. Bruce Rauner, said he made his decision to step down from the Illinois House after several fraudulent social media accounts were set up in his name in recent weeks. He also cited recent automated telephone calls accusing him of accosting a Democratic staff member.
“I wasn’t looking forward to an ugly general election as it were; this additional stuff added undue pressure,” said Sandack, who up for re-election in November. “It made my family uneasy and made me re-evaluate my priorities. Politics has gotten too ugly. I don’t need it, and my family doesn’t deserve it.”
Sandack would not say if he believed the social media shenanigans was politically motivated but said he filed a report with the Downers Grove Police Department. Downers Grove police did not immediately say whether they had any police reports involving Sandack, instead suggesting the Chicago Tribune file an open-records request. The Tribune did so, but police have five days to respond. […]
Last week, Sandack suddenly deleted his Facebook and Twitter accounts. Asked Monday if any compromising information was accessed before he deleted his social media accounts, Sandack said “no.”
The word coming out of the HGOP organization is that, from what they know (and it’s not much), the attacks didn’t appear politically motivated.
* Gov. Rauner was asked about Sandack’s resignation yesterday after his press conference, but he walked by without saying a word…
* The governor’s PR people are flat-out refusing to respond to all questions about Sandack. Part of the problem here is that Sandack left without consulting them and refused to reconsider, and they are really not happy. “What am I supposed to do, say it’s a sad day but we’re thankful for Capitol Fax telling us about it?” asked one top Rauner official yesterday.
It also doesn’t help that the rumor mill is still in hyper-drive on this one. If this thing completely blows up, they don’t want to be anywhere near it.
So, it’s no coincidence that Team Rauner is backing a replacement who threatened to run against Sandack last year and who is supported by Sandack’s top local foe, DuPage County Republican chairman Brian Krajewski, a former Downers Grove mayor who Sandack defeated in 2007. Krajewski is by far Sandack’s biggest local detractor.
* Back to Sandack…
The GOP floor leader in the House was rattled after finding several social media accounts set up in his name by unknown cyber-attackers.
Sandack was a prolific Twitter and Facebook user at the time, connecting with constituents during a regular flow of quips and chatter on social media.
In Downers Grove, where Sandack’s home office is, where he lives and where he was once the mayor, the fraudulent accounts prompted Sandack to take down his own pages and contact local police.
* And finally…
But for Democrats in Sandack’s district his resignation is a happy surprise. Sandack was up against Democratic Downers Grove Commissioner Greg Hose in the November Election.
“They are going to have to run a 12-month campaign in 3 months,” said Dupage County Democratic Party Chairman Bob Peickert. “We are optimistic that the democrat is going to benefit from this.”
The Republicans I’ve spoken with are confident that choosing Krajewski’s guy David Olsen will not increase the likelihood of a Democratic pickup, which, while not outside the realm of possibility, was kinda small to begin with.
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* You’ve got obvious ambitions and most of the state’s political reporters are all gathered in one room and you don’t take questions? Kinda odd…
I also wonder whether Speaker Madigan understands that anything nice he says about any of these potential candidates will be used as a battering ram against those same candidates in 2018. I mean, the dude has a 13 percent favorable rating.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Amanda has the elevator video. Kennedy did a lousy job and this did not go well at all. Wow. Just… wow…
Why go all the way to Philly and behave like that? It’s just beyond me.
…Adding… From Oswego Willy in comments…
he looks like he just got indicted
Yep.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Tribune…
Kennedy then walked toward a waiting elevator, but a crush of Chicago reporters followed him in, not satisfied with the nonanswer.
“This is sort of ridiculous, please,” Kennedy pleaded.
“What’s ridiculous is you don’t answer questions,” WFLD-Ch. 32 reporter Mike Flannery shot back. “You’ve run four or five campaigns in the gossip column. Are you running for governor or not?”
“I don’t have to address you. Please leave the elevator and let me go to my meeting. Please do that. Have some decency,” Kennedy responded. “What have you become? Please, please.”
*** UPDATE 3*** WBEZ…
“I really don’t think that someone, no matter what they do in life, should be, you know, the subject of bullying and I don’t think being a reporter is a license to bully,” Kennedy later said to a much smaller group of reporters in the lobby of the Illinois delegation’s hotel.
He said he’s considering a run for public office, but still has to introduce himself to Democrats.
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