What's not to love about Chicago politics?

When I think of Chicago politics, one word comes to mind, family. I think of a guy like Joe Berrios, the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, reaching out to help 15 of his relatives including sister Carmen , not only land a job with the county but collect on her disability claim after she “tripped on a floor outlet and landed on the floor,” and injured her foot, umm I mean shoulder.

IF I HAD KNOWN WGN's Patti Vasquez was looking for someone (anyone) to run for mayor next year, I would have thrown my hat into the ring while I was on her show last week (32:30). Instead, Patti goes down to Boul Mich to find a candidate and learns that Rahm is so beatable, Mickey Mouse or even Mike Oquendo (says he will re-open 50 schools and fix 50 pot holes) can take him head to head.



Most polls now show that Karen Lewis can win if she runs and if progressives and unions can get their act together and stop gnawing at each other and jockeying for position, at least for a few months and come together in the new coalition. Even yesterday's more favorable (for Rahm) poll has him failing to avoid a runoff. And this is before Karen's campaign has even begun. By my reckoning, if Progressive Caucus leader, Ald. Bob Fioretti jumps into the race along with Karen, that would all but ensure a runoff in which Rahm would likely lose. Even though Rahm's war chest is overstuffed with millions of corporate (don't-tax-me) dollars and dozens of press secretaries, he's still the asshole nobody likes -- except maybe the Griffin's. And they're heading for their own hedge-fund divorce.

Remember how we trampled the Berrios/Madigan machine and elected Will Guzzardi as our state rep? There's no reason why we can't do it again in February.