Topspin Democratic U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly is taking attorney general candidate Kwame Raoul to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address next week. Kelly, of Matteson, has endorsed state Sen. Raoul in the eight-way Democratic primary. His parents immigrated from Haiti, and Trump was quoted this month calling Haiti and African countries "shithole countries." "As a first-generation Haitian-American, his presence and voice at the State of the Union is greatly needed," Kelly said of Raoul, "especially in light of the president's recent racist and derogatory comments about Haiti and other nations." The announcement comes as his opponents this week attacked him at a Tribune editorial board meeting over campaign donations accepted took from tobacco companies. Raoul's trip to Washington lets Kelly make her point about Trump and gives him a bit of a profile boost in the crowded attorney general primary. Members of Congress each get to take a guest to the big speech, and they often pick someone to try to make a point. Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider of Deerfield is taking Republican Lake County State's Attorney Mike Nerheim to highlight the prosecutor's leadership in battling the opioid crisis. Lake County is home to the "A Way Out" program, which allows people to seek substance-abuse help and treatment at participating police stations without fear of arrest or charges, according to Schneider's spokesman. (Katherine Skiba) What's on tap * Mayor Rahm Emanuel's schedule wasn't available. * Gov. Bruce Rauner will be at the Chicago History Museum to make an education announcement. He's not supposed to take reporters' questions, but he's likely to get some anyway. * The Chicago Teachers Union will start counting ballots in the vote to possibly merge with unionized charter school teachers. * U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth will speak to students at the Chicago Military Academy in Bronzeville. From the notebook * New Pritzker digital ad hits Rauner: Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker is out with a new digital ad showing a half-minute snippet from the speech he delivered last month blasting Gov. Rauner's "I am not in charge" declaration. "Bruce Rauner unleashed a budget crisis on our state. And after all of that, he has the nerve to look you in the eye and say, 'I'm not in charge,'" Pritzker says in the ad, which was filmed as he accepted the endorsements of U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth. "If I'm elected governor, when the Dreamers need my protection, when people of color need my commitment to justice, when the LGBTQ community needs my voice, and women everywhere need me to say, 'We believe you,' I will be in charge," Pritzker says in the ad. "Illinois deserves better than Bruce Rauner. Illinois deserves a leader." It was after the Illinois Farm Bureau's annual convention in Chicago in early December that Rauner told reporters, "I am not in charge. I'm trying to get to be in charge." The person in charge, Rauner said, was the governor's favorite political target, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. (Rick Pearson) * Planned Parenthood "endorsement": The political arm of Planned Parenthood of Illinois is telling its supporters that it is backing three top Democrats seeking the March nomination for governor. Planned Parenthood Illinois Action said it is backing Democratic contenders Daniel Biss, Chris Kennedy and Pritzker. Pritzker earlier got the endorsement of Personal PAC, a politically active group that supports women's reproductive rights. (Rick Pearson) * Daiber a "no" on independent map amendment: Change Illinois, a group that has pushed for a state constitutional amendment to remove much of the politics from the redrawing of legislative districts, asked candidates for governor whether they support such a move. Rauner didn't respond to the group's survey, though he has backed such a concept as part of his agenda. His primary challenger, state Rep. Jeanne Ives, of Wheaton, didn't respond either. Among the Democrats, Pritzker, Kennedy, Biss and Robert Marshall all said they support a constitutional amendment and would make it a priority if elected to the state's top office. Bob Daiber, the lone Downstate candidate in the race, said he opposed a constitutional amendment, saying "a nonpartisan commission wouldn't necessarily end gerrymandering." Instead, Daiber said he wouldn't allow mapmakers to consider where an incumbent lawmaker lives and how districts were previously drawn as part of the process of coming up with new district boundaries. Activist Tio Hardiman of Chicago did not respond to the survey. Of note: Kennedy's running mate, Ra Joy, previously headed Change Illinois and worked in support of proposed constitutional amendments to redo the mapmaking process. (Rick Pearson) * Speaking up the day after: Compared with some of the candidates in Wednesday's raucous editorial board meeting for the Democratic attorney general candidates, former Gov. Pat Quinn didn't say much at all. The next day, his campaign sent a fundraising email titled "cutting through the noise." "Yesterday at the Chicago Tribune endorsement session, my opponents got heated with each other," it reads. "They threw insults at each other until the moderator had to ring a bell to stop them." He said he'd "fight on behalf of consumers against unfair practices of the big utility companies and the big banks." Quinn might need the fundraising help. He raised less than $80,000 in the last quarter of 2017. * Longtime GOP leader steps aside: A longtime, storied Republican political operative from DuPage County stepped aside from his post as Addison Township GOP chairman on Wednesday night. "The reason for my departure are the stupid things going on in the Republican Party, some of the candidates running, and the fact that I will be 78 in March," Pat Durante wrote in a note. "If I were 20 years younger I would enjoy taking the gloves off and going blow for blow, but I need a break." Durante is a former top aide to the late U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde. He has long decried the decline of civility in politics. In the last election, he was a backer of Ohio Gov. John Kasich for president – and wasn't thrilled with Trump's victory. At the same time, he was known as a "gentleman street fighter" when he opposed you in an election, said DuPage County Circuit Court Clerk Chris Kachiroubas, who committeemen picked to replace Durante. "He would take you on — throw everything at you but the kitchen sink (sometimes the kitchen sink) — and if he lost he would be the first call you received to congratulate you." Durante has led the Addison Township Republican Organization that served as Hyde's base since 1974. Durante was known for running GOP campaigns and turning out the vote — while teaching other political operatives how it was done. He also explained how things worked to quite a few cub reporters. Durante said he plans to continue to play a role as a committeeman, if not head of the organization. "I will continue to run all the campaigns in Addison Township for all the candidates that are endorsed by the ATRO and will also act as an adviser," he wrote. (Hal Dardick) * Quick spins: EMILY's List, which raises money for pro-choice, Democratic women running for office, is backing Naperville's Lauren Underwood in the seven-way Democratic primary to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren of Plano. Underwood is the only woman in Democratic field. ... Sapan Shah, a political newcomer from Libertyville in a three-way GOP primary for the chance to run against the Democratic U.S. Rep. Schnieder, is on the air with a cable TV ad: "I will heal our broken health care system, bring jobs back to the 10th District, and then get out of the way for the next citizen legislator." (Katherine Skiba) * On "The Sunday Spin": Chicago Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson's guests are Republican state Rep. David McSweeney of Barrington Hills; and separately, Democratic attorney general candidates Sharon Fairley and Renato Mariotti. "The Sunday Spin" airs from 7 to 9 a.m. on WGN-AM 720. What we're writing * Watchdog: Ira Silverstein's conduct "unbecoming of a legislator," but not sexual harassment. * Holy Name parking lot project clears hurdle despite alderman's questions about Catholic Church windfall. * Scoop: New skyscraper rivaling Trump Tower Chicago could rise behind redeveloped Trib Tower. * Amazon dials up Emanuel administration and other HQ2 contenders to explain selection process. * Bill in Springfield would ban tackle football for kids under 12 but some experts and coaches question approach.
* Lawsuit settled days after judge blasts city over allegations of withholding evidence. * Fired Cook County Jail officer wins job back in latest fallout over personnel board. * U. of C. professor invites former Trump aide Steve Bannon to campus debate, prompting protest. * Transgender student who sued Palatine school district over locker room access loses round in court. * Illinois Tollway board continues talks over payment for technology upgrade. * Feds release immigrant from detention after being wrongly listed as gang member. * Longtime Robbins Mayor Irene Brodie dies. What we're reading * "Serial stowaway" likely to be released from custody after judge bans her from airports. * Burger King ad uses Whopper to explain net neutrality. * Husband with Alzheimer's forgot he was married to his wife of 38 years. He proposed, and they married again. Follow the money * Republican state comptroller candidate Darlene Senger created a campaign fund. * Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here. Beyond Chicago * Trump ordered Robert Mueller to be fired in June. White House lawyer threatened to quit. * Trump offers plan for path to citizenship, $25 billion for border wall. * Michigan State president resigns over Nassar scandal. * Cow escapes farm in Poland, runs free with wild bison. | 
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