Will County GOP Says Jesse Jackson Jr. Should Drop Out of Congressional Race

The Chicago Democrat is the subject of two federal investigations and was diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder earlier this year.

Will County Republicans called for U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Chicago) to resign Friday and quit his re-election bid amid multiple federal investigations.  GOP members met outside of the Will County Courthouse on Friday and posed a united challenge to Will County Democratic candidates to withdraw their support of Jackson Jr. The congressman is reportedly under federal investigation for accusations of misusing campaign money to decorate his $1.3 million Washington D.C. home.  He's on the ballot in the 2nd Congressional District, which represents parts of Chicago and suburban Cook County including Chicago Heights, Flossmoor and Homewood. In newly redrawn maps, the 2nd District extended south past Kankakee.  VOTE: Should Jesse Jackson Jr…

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Who Won the Presidential Debate? Patch Survey Takers Say Romney

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney met for their first debate. We surveyed influential Illinois politicians and guests at Patch watch parties, who say the president whiffed.

Illinois Republicans said Mitt Romney "hit a home run" in the Oct. 3 presidential debate and some Democrats said President Barack Obama "looked unprepared," even if they still agree with what he said.  Patch conducted a quick, unscientific poll among politically involved citizens following the debate and also surveyed residents at Patch-sponsored watch parties throughout the suburbs.  Of the 19 Republicans who responded to the online survey, 16 said Romney won by a wide margin and one said he defeated Obama by a slim margin. Two Republican respondents said Obama won the debate.  "I expected Obama to lecture Romney. I never expected Romney to lecture Obama," one Republican said. "Obama spent more time looking at his belly button like a …

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Eric Roberts

1:39 pm on Sunday, October 28, 2012

Except that he lied about it Tom. 3 companies out of the 33 companies that took money from DOE green initiative went bankrupt. Sounds to me like the government made a good investment financially and for our future.   more ›

Illinois Democrats Say They're More Confident About Re-election Post-Convention

In the latest Land of Lincoln Blue survey issued by Patch, Democratic respondents said they thought President Obama did a great job, but loved President Clinton's speech more. They also said Republicans showed how "out of touch" they are.

Now that the Democratic and Republican national conventions are complete, Democrats in Illinois say they're more confident in President Obama's re-election campaign than they were last month. That's part of the results from a recent Land of Lincoln survey issued by Patch in the Chicago area. Eighty-nine Democrats were surveyed, with 15 responding. About 87 percent of those surveyed said they're more confident now than they were before the conventions.  But was it Barack Obama who energized them? Almost every Democrat that responded to the survey said President Bill Clinton was the highlight of the convention, even overshadowing the current president. Clinton showed that Democrats "stand for the working class and the seniors of this country…

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Illinois Republicans Energized but Questioning Foreign Policy After Convention

In the latest Land of Lincoln Red survey issued by Patch, Republican respondents shared their opinions on the presidential election following the Republican National Convention.

Citing speeches by Sen. Marco Rubio, vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan and celebrity Clint Eastwood, 94 percent of Republicans surveyed by Patch said their party's National Convention provided the party with the momentum it needs to get the base to turn out for what is expected to be a close election. That's part of the results from a recent Land of Lincoln survey issued by Patch in the Chicago area. Ninety-three Republicans were surveyed, with 30 responding.  Most Republican respondents mentioned the Rubio and Ryan speeches as highlights of the convention, while one respondent said "Mitt Romney just did OK."  According to Republican respondents, 53 percent said they felt more confident about Romney's chances of winning after the …

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State Senator Meets Frankfort Voters During Forum

Incumbent State Sen. Toi Hutchinson, who represents District 40, attended a Meet the Candidates Forum at Gateway House on Sept. 10.

Report: Appeals Court Puts Dems Back on Ballot for Will Co. Board

After being taken off the ballot in July, candidates in five districts, including those serving Frankfort and Mokena, can run in November thanks to a state appellate court, the Chicago Tribune reports.

A state appellate court Wednesday put seven Democrat candidates for Will County Board back on the November ballot, the Chicago Tribune reports. The decision reversed rulings from the Will County Electoral Board and a circuit court that Democratic party leaders did not give proper notice for a meeting where the candidates were nominated. Republican leaders will appeal the ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court, the Tribune reported. READ: Dems Booted From Will County Board Ballot Candidates who were returned to the ballot include Mario Carlasare, of Frankfort, who was running in District 2; and Santino Lettieiri and John Sanchez, both of Mokena, who were running in District 12. Republicans objected to the seven Democrats being put on the …

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Will GOP Declares Independence From 'Chicago Machine'

Infuriated by new district maps in Illinois, Will County Republican officials and candidates signed a "declaration of independence," calling on voters to stop the "tentacles of Cook County" from reaching into Will County policy.

Area Republicans rallied Monday to declare independence from "the tentacles of Cook County and Chicago politics" reaching into Will County. The gesture was symbolic but served to fire up a crowd of well over 100 people as the Nov. 6 election nears.  Last year, Illinois Democrats drew new state and congressional districts that Republicans say could remove any Will County representation in Congress. "We have to take back what's ours and make sure we stand up for it," said Dave Carlson, the Republican candidate for Will County state attorney. "To implement what we believe in, we need the voters' support in November." Want to blog about politics on Patch? Email michael.sewall@patch.com. Various elected officials and candidates for office spoke…

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Women Voters Key for Obama's Re-election

The First Lady's speech highlights how, in a 50-50 nation, the narrative that wins this fight may win the White House. Female politicians from Illinois gave their reaction to news from the convention.

CHARLOTTE, NC — President Obama "believes that women are more than capable of making our own choices about our bodies and our health care,” First Lady Michelle Obama said during her Tuesday speech to the Democratic National Convention. "That's what my husband stands for." It was a continuation of a consistent message from women at all levels the Democratic party: This election is about the government’s right to control your body. Earlier that day, just a few blocks away from where Mrs. Obama spoke, Gov. Nikki Haley made the Republican pitch. “Let me tell you about women. Women are extremely smart,” the first female governor of South Carolina said. “They care about a lot more than contraception.” Those two arguments — that the 2012 …

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vicky

1:44 pm on Friday, September 28, 2012

Love when they sent Michelle Obama out to Iowa to campaign with her husband. They had her in a red gingham dress with her hair as plain as can be. She looked like she should have been on an episode of Hee-Haw. Give me a break, don't insult us.   more ›

Will GOP's Madigan Attacks Persuade Local Voters?

Illinois Republicans are trying to tell voters that a vote for any Democrat this fall is a vote for House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Could this be the election year in which the GOP's portrayal of Mike Madigan as the corrupt manipulator of Democratic state reps — mere marionettes who dance on strings — actually pays off? The Southwest Side power broker is again the target of a Republican bid to tie him to the candidacies of every House Democrat in the November election, according to a report from IllinoisWatchdog.org. A recent $100,000 union donation to Madigan and the House's failure to act on pension reform in the General Assembly is being cited as evidence of a suspicious scratching of the back on the Speaker's part.  David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, offered this take to a reporter for …

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