Clout Street

Pat Quinn and Lisa Madigan grin and bear it

Posted by Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah and Rick Pearson at 7:20 p.m. Displaying the tight-lipped caution of potential political foes, Gov. Pat Quinn and Atty. General Lisa Madigan said today the internal workings of the state are benefiting from a newfound...

Daley family income down in 2008

Posted by Dan Mihalopoulos at 4:15 p.m. Mayor Richard Daley and his wife did not make nearly as much money in 2008 as in past years because Maggie Daley did not work, according to the tax return released Friday by...

Quinn's new campaign finance reform: everybody start at zero

Posted by Monique Garcia at 1:45 p.m. Gov. Pat Quinn, a politician who has never been able to raise much campaign cash, today offered a new idea in advance of a potential run for governor: no one who runs next...

City Hall to use stimulus money to keep four mental health clinics open

Posted by Hal Dardick and Dan Mihalopoulos at 1:05 p.m.; updated at 4:55 p.m. Although four South Side mental health clinics stopped seeing clients today, City Hall plans to reopen them at least temporarily, a spokeswoman for Mayor Richard Daley...

Quinn's double play: Sox fan utters 'Go Cubs Go'

Posted by Rick Pearson at 7:30 p.m. Gov. Pat Quinn may be a rookie at his new job, but when it comes to politics, he's a three-decade political utility man. So it was somewhat surprising today when Quinn committed what...

Quinn might push lawmakers to approve recall of statewide officials

Posted by Rick Pearson at 7:10 p.m. Gov. Pat Quinn this afternoon raised the possibility of a renewed push to add voter recall of statewide elected officials to the Illinois Constitution when lawmakers return from their spring break. Quinn has...

Feds interview state official about Blagojevich-Wrigley talks

Posted by Todd Lighty and Robert Becker at 3:10 p.m. The chairman of the state authority involved in talks about the possible sale of Wrigley Field said today that he and the authority's executive director have been interviewed by federal...

Daley political operatives helped pro-O'Hare candidates win suburban mayor's races

Posted by Dan Mihalopoulos at 2:33 p.m. Mayor Richard Daley's onetime campaign operatives helped the winning candidates in Tuesday's mayoral elections in Des Plaines and Bensenville. But Daley said today he had not yet paid any attention to the suburban...

Quigley claims victory in race to replace Rahm Emanuel

Posted by John McCormick at 7:20 p.m.; last updated at 9:10 p.m. Democratic Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley claimed victory tonight in the 5th District race to replace Rahm Emanuel in Congress. With 94 percent of the Chicago and suburban...

Voters dump mayors in Palatine, Lyons, Carpentersville, Bensenville, Berwyn, Waukegan and Worth

Posted by Tribune staff; last updated at 10:51 p.m. Suburban voters looked for change in more than a half-dozen towns tonight, deciding to dump their mayors. They lost to ex-Bears (Palatine). They lost after being caught on tape allegedly making...

Voters endorse idea of Route 53 extension in Lake County

Posted by Tribune staff; last updated at 10:10 p.m. Here's a sampling of the top suburban referenum questions on today's ballot and how voters weighed in on them: *Lake County: seeking support of Illinois Route 53 extension. Yes 76 percent...

Quinn, Daley elated over new statewide construction program

Posted by Susan Kuczka and Richard Wronski at 6:12 p.m. One of Chicago’s worst pothole-scarred streets was selected as the backdrop Saturday for Gov. Pat Quinn and Mayor Richard Daley to outline nearly $200 million for city road repairs and...

Would-be Quigley successors want to 'be like Mike'

Posted by Hal Dardick at 5:45 p.m. There was a rush “to be like Mike” on Saturday by many of those who want to replace a Cook County Board commissioner expected to soon be elected to Congress. “In that same...

With ex-friends lined up to testify against Blagojevich, who needs enemies

From Sunday's print edition: Blagojevich fallout: With ex-friends lined up to testify against former governor, who needs enemies By Jeff Coen and John Chase Tribune reporters In the wake of one of the most sweeping public-corruption indictments in Illinois history,...

Madigan moves against school grant tied to Blagojevich

From today's print edition: By Todd Lighty Tribune staff reporter Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan is trying to undo one of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's more infamous blunders—a $1 million grant he steered to a politically connected private school that hasn't...

Gov. Pat Quinn signs law guaranteeing $250 million for Chicago Olympics

Posted by Ray Long at 6:05 p.m. SPRINGFIELD---Gov. Pat Quinn today signed into law legislation providing a $250 million state guarantee to bolster Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. The state's guarantee only would be used if the Chicago games...

Obama video to open Olympic session

Posted from The Swamp: By John McCormick and Philip Hersh President Barack Obama has taped a video greeting that will be shown Saturday during an opening session with the International Olympic Committee evaluation team visiting Chicago this weekend. A White...

Quigley, foes head into home stretch in Rahm Emanuel replacement race

Posted by John McCormick at 2:05 p.m. Two of three candidates competing in Tuesday’s special general election to replace Rahm Emanuel in Congress faced off this afternoon at the City Club of Chicago, engaging in a friendly discussion of issues...

Gov. Pat Quinn signs construction plan, Rod Blagojevich reform measures into law

Posted by Ray Long at 12:59 p.m. Gov. Pat Quinn today quickly signed into law measures to get construction workers back on the job and give him the power to boot all of ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich's appointments from scandal-tainted pension...

Mayor Daley: Illinois has 'moved on' from Blagojevich scandal

Posted by Dan Mihalopoulos at 12:40 p.m. Mayor Richard Daley today said Illinois already has “moved on” from the corruption scandal involving former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was indicted Thursday along with five others, including his brother. “It’s very sad...