With little more than three weeks until the election, the crowded race for Chicago mayor has been rocked by a federal probe into public corruption at City Hall (and perhaps beyond). Establishment candidates have to swat away questions and concerns about their ties to players in the alleged influence-peddling scandal, while the rest have to fight even harder to get out their campaign messages. So how does a onetime Black Panther and activist-turned-congressman come to back a mayoral candidate whose family has come to define Chicago's storied white, male and Irish Democratic machine? It's cliche to say that politics make strange bedfellows, but U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush backing Bill Daley, the onetime chief of staff to Barack Obama, and brother and son to Chicago mayors, is something to contemplate as we all thaw out. And former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has some pointed words for whoever becomes Chicago's next mayor as police begin the path to reform under the mandates and watchful eye of a federal judge. Welcome to The Spin. |
 From the Tribune's Bill Ruthhart: "Amid the wiretaps, FBI raids and emergence of a corruption scandal momentous even by Chicago standards, the race to become the city's next mayor largely has become a campaign about who's best suited to clean up City Hall and who's most likely to preserve a power structure that has led to decades of pay-to-play politics, shakedowns and self-dealing. "For establishment candidates Toni Preckwinkle, Susana Mendoza, Bill Daley and Gery Chico, it has been a rush to attack, or explain away, a variety of associations with Chicago's latest round of alleged government graft, including federal authorities charging the city's most powerful alderman, Edward Burke, with attempted extortion. "For the other 10 candidates, the challenge has been to cut through the cacophony of political attacks among the front-runners to emerge as the top independent reform candidate, even as they lack the fundraising and name recognition to make their campaigns more viable." Read the story here. |   |
 From the Tribune's Lolly Bowean: "The endorsement is meaningful, in part, because Rush has broad and enduring support from a large and strong African-American voting base on the South Side. Not only was he a co-founder of the Illinois Black Panther Party, Rush is also a former activist and minister who has long been vocal about social and economic injustices endured by African-Americans. "Rush, 72, has represented his district for more than two decades. Former President Barack Obama, who was then a state senator, tried to unseat him in 2000 and was crushed. The election results became evidence of how loyal Rush's base is to him. He's said the loss helped steer Obama toward other ambitions." Read how their paths have crossed, Rush's reason for backing Daley and the candidate's response here. More endorsements: News of Rush's endorsement came hours after Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown announced she's backing public policy consultant Amara Enyia, whose profile has expanded with the support of Chance the Rapper. Read here. And Preckwinkle announced endorsements Friday from Cecile Richards, former president of Planned Parenthood, and Tina Tchen, a leader of the Time's Up movement. They pointed to Preckwinkle's record of advocacy on behalf of Chicago women in giving her their support. | |
 With a judge's approval on Thursday, the Chicago Police Department is officially under a court order to overhaul its practices and policy, brought on by the 2014 police shooting death of Laquan McDonald. But what does it mean? From the Tribune's Dan Hinkel: "The consent decree is the most substantive effort so far to address the many complaints Chicagoans — particularly African-Americans — have about policing. But, if it is fully enacted, what will the consent decree actually do?" A sampling of the expected changes, from Hinkel's report: - Officers will have to report when they point their guns at people, which has drawn some opposition by those concerned it might make officers more hesitant to take out their firearms in dangerous situations.
- Officers will not be allowed to use a Taser on someone who is simply running away. Current Chicago police policy does not specifically bar use of the devices on those trying to evade arrest, even though other big-city agencies ban the practice.
- Police will have to provide first aid to those injured by officers' uses of force. Current policy is vague, but by 2021, officers will have to have first-aid training and render aid to the injured.
Background: Madigan sued Mayor Rahm Emanuel to force reform amid the scandal sparked by the November 2015 release of video of Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times. Madigan and Emanuel aides spent a year-plus hammering out a consent decree that would be formally approved by a federal judge, who will be supervising closely to see that the changes are enacted. Her words: Madigan, who decided against running again and is the daughter of powerful Democrat and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, penned an op-ed in the Tribune that offered words for the next mayor: "While this spring's mayoral election will result in new leadership for Chicago, the terms adopted for police reform will remain in place because the federal judge supervises and enforces the consent decree — not City Hall. That is why the consent decree promises real, lasting police reform. It is not subject to the types of politicians' whims that have thwarted past reform efforts." Read the whole piece here. | |
 From the Tribune's Blair Kamin: "There's a whole lot of shakin' goin' on at City Hall, and it could slow down the $6 billion Lincoln Yards megadevelopment that was railroaded through the Chicago Plan Commission last week. Ald. Edward Burke, 14th, who in December outfoxed progressive aldermen trying to block $1.5 billion in controversial tax increment financing for Lincoln Yards and three other huge projects, is out as City Council Finance Committee chair — forced to step down after federal officials charged him with extortion." And Ald. Daniel Solis, 25th, who would have presided over a key Lincoln Yards vote as chair of the council's Zoning Committee, is also out. He resigned Tuesday after the Chicago Sun-Times revealed a federal court affidavit's allegations that Solis received favors, including sex acts and Viagra, in exchange for his help on official City Council actions. Solis' replacement as Zoning Committee boss, Ald. James Cappleman, 46th, has his own demands now, saying he wants developer Sterling Bay to deliver more affordable housing and for Ald. Brian Hopkins, whose 2nd Ward is home to the development, to get community groups to support the planned development — in writing, Kamin reports. Read the story here. You'll note that Sarah Hamilton, the spokeswoman for Sterling Bay, is a former spokeswoman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel | |
 From the Associated Press: "Foxconn Technology Group said Friday that after its chairman spoke directly with President Donald Trump the Taiwanese company will proceed with plans to construct a plant in Wisconsin that will make liquid crystal display screens that can be used for small electronic devices. "The news capped a week of confusion about Foxconn's plans in Wisconsin. The company announced in 2017, to much fanfare, that it planned to invest $10 billion in the state and hire 13,000 people to build an LCD factory that could make screens for televisions and a variety of other devices." Read the full story here. Last year, the president was in Wisconsin for the planned $10 billion plant's groundbreaking ceremony. As the Tribune's Ally Marotti and Lauren Zumbach reported this week: "The Taiwanese electronics giant, which supplies Apple, said Wednesday that it is considering adding research and development work to a facility that it originally said would focus on manufacturing." But it declined to give details beyond saying it was still committed to creating 13,000 jobs and investing in southeastern Wisconsin. The background: "The decision comes amid escalating tension between the U.S. and China over trade. Foxconn manufactures many of its products in China, such as cellphone components that are shipped abroad. The company is likely facing pressure from both sides," Marotti and Zumbach point out. ldonovan@chicagotribune.com Twitter @byldonovan | |
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