(Chicago, IL) – March 24, 2012. THE iLLINOIS OBSERVER today released its second Illinois blog survey since 2009 in which it ranks 67 independent or “mom and pop” Illinois-based blogs that cover Illinois politics and local government news, and we found once again that the Chicagoist headed up the top 10 list. Independent or “mom and … Continue reading
(Springfield, IL) — March 30, 2011. A bi-partisan group of Illinois House lawmakers are pushing a legislative effort to permanently cut legislative salaries by 10% and deny legislators any future raises. Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) — December 15, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn’s Administration is planning to move forward next week with an expanded program to sell a big chunk of the state’s $5.3 billion of vendor-owed debt to Wall Street banks and hedge funds, according to an Quinn Administration spokesperson. Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) — November 2, 2010. As other Illinois Democrats struggle with Republican and Independent voter anger, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Secretary of State Jesse White are crushing their opponents as they cruise to re-election with strong support from both voting groups, according to a recent poll. Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) – October 27, 2010. Despite slumping support nationally since last spring, the Tea Party movement in Illinois has gained strength, an analysis of polling data has revealed. Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) — October 22, 2010. Chicago Tribune owner Sam Zell, whose newspaper has endorsed GOP governor nominee Bill Brady over Governor Pat Quinn, yesterday dropped $25,000 into the downstate senator’s campaign kitty, bringing Zell’s total donations to Brady for his campaign to $65,000, according to state election records. Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) — October 17, 2010. Unlike its public broadcasting counter part in Southern Illinois on Thursday night, the WBEZ Chicago Public Radio Illinois governor debate will exclude Green Party gubernatorial nominee Rich Whitney at Elmhurst College tonight. Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) – October 14, 2010. State Senator Dan Rutherford (R-Chenoa) and Democrat Robin Kelly have both sketched out either small bore or undetailed ideas for the Illinois Treasurer’s office that will likely have little impact on the state, but more likely a greater impact on their campaigns. Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) – August 3, 2010. The Chicago parking meter privatization issue that has bedeviled Mayor Richard Daley since its controversial inception shows no signs of abating any time soon. Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) – July 9, 2010. The Chicago Tribune may hold a nearly 2 to 1 lead over the Chicago Sun-Times in print circulation, but unique visitors to the Sun-Times Web site may soon outstrip those to the Tribune’s if trends continue, according to a new survey of area newspapers’ Web site traffic. The Tribune … Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) — June 23, 2010. While Illinois was waiting for its newest U.S. senator to be named, FBI wiretaps reveal former Governor Rod Blagojevich was playing political games. And those games started almost immediately upon the election of Barack Obama to the presidency. “You’re pitting one team against another like a free agent,” he … Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) — April 25, 2010. Woe. Here’s something that doesn’t round bend everyday. State Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) and LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago) today called on Governor Pat Quinn to call out the Illinois National Guard to battle the surge in violent crime in Chicago that has claimed 113 lives so far this year, equal … Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) — April 8, 2010. Who would have ever thought that Democrats Governor Pat Quinn, House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) and Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) might have squeezed from the ultra-conservative Wall Street Journal the headline–”In Praise of Illinois.” But, yep. Last month, Madigan and Cullerton engineered legislative approval of an astounding pension-reform … Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) — March 24, 2010. President Barack Obama yesterday approved the new health care reform law, but Governor Pat Quinn or a Governor Bill Brady will be largely responsible for carrying it out in Illinois. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune‘s Judith Graham, Illinois Department of Insurance Director Michael McRaith swatted aside one … Continue reading
January 24, 2010. A new poll in the 2010 Illinois Democratic primary for governor has Governor Pat Quinn’s lead over Comptroller Dan Hynes shaved to 4 points. Continue reading
“It would be irresponsible for a governor to move forward on something of this magnitude. without having a debate on it,” Tom Cross said Monday. “What if he says tomorrow that he’s going to sell Lincoln’s Tomb?” Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) — November 6, 2009. Illinois Democratic lawmakers State Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago), Deputy House Majority Leader Lou Lang (D-Skokie), and State Senator Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) today endorsed Governor Pat Quinn in the Illinois 2010 Democratic primary for governor over Comptroller Dan Hynes at a press conference on Chicago’s North Side. Hynes, a constituent … Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) — November 5, 2009. Illinois 2010 Democratic governor candidate Ed Scanlan of Oak Park is currently leading all Illinois 2010 Republican and Democratic and Green governor candidates in the Web “eyeballs” race, according to a new survey of candidate Web sites. Utilizing Alexa Internet’s Web traffic monitoring tool, THE iLLINOIS OBSERVER submitted the … Continue reading
(Chicago, IL) — November 2, 2009. A new survey released today by THE iLLINOIS OBSERVER ranked 52 independent Illinois-based blogs that cover Illinois politics and government–blogs that are not embedded in or sponsored by major media Web sites such as the Chicago Tribune or the Chicago Sun-Times–and found the Chicagoist headed up the top 10 … Continue reading