Politics

Who’s Powerful In Chicago? One Mayor, Two Sports Figures, And Lots of Others

Who really runs Chicago? According to Chicago Magazine, it is a collection of leaders in politics, business, sports and food.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Earlier this month, the magazine came out with its list of the city’s 100 most powerful people. It’s a surprisingly diverse list, with some very familiar and not so familiar faces. (Oprah, whose Chicago-based show ended last year, is no longer on it.)

Steve Edwards at our partner station WBEZ recently talked about the list with Chicago Magazine editors David Bernstein and Marcia Froelke Coburn.

We broke down the Top 10 into four categories.

Politics: In a city where politics is in everyone’s DNA, it’s no surprise that Mayor Rahm Emanuel is the most powerful person in Chicago. He’s joined in the top 10 by three other politicians: U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, and President Obama’s campaign strategist, David Axelrod. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Communities, Government, Industry, Politics, Chicago Magazine, most powerful, Rahm Emanuel

February 22, 2012 | 10:23 AM | By Micki Maynard

Michigan’s Primary Race Tightens As Romney Talks Right To Work

A new poll by NBC News shows Mitt Romney taking a narrow lead over Rick Santorum in the race to win Michigan’s Republican primary next Tuesday.

The NBC poll, out Wednesday, showed 37 percent of likely voters support the former Massachusetts governor, while 35 percent support the former Pennsylvania senator. To statisticians, that’s within the margin of error, meaning a statistical tie.

“Michigan is neck and neck,” said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the NBC survey.

That’s a big change from last week, when Santorum led Romney in two Michigan polls. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Jobs, Politics, Barack Obama, Michigan, Mitt Romney, Primary, Republican, Rick Santorum, Rick Snyder, Right to Work

February 20, 2012 | 10:54 AM | By Micki Maynard

Michigan Primary Race Tightens As Candidates Blanket The State

A new poll out Monday shows the Michigan Republican primary race is tightening. Public Policy Polling says former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum’s lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is down to four percent.

PPP’s earlier poll showed Santorum with a 15 percent lead over Romney, raising the prospect that the Michigan born candidate was in danger of losing his home state. It was one of two polls showing Santorum ahead.

Romney’s gain is coming as he spends more time in Michigan ahead of next Tuesday’s primary.

Says PPP: ”What we’re seeing in Michigan is a very different story from Florida where Romney surged by effectively destroying his opponent’s image. Here, Romney’s gains have more to do with building himself up.”

Santorum has double digit leads among Protestant voters, union members, evangelical Christians, Tea Party members, people describing themselves as “very conservative” and men.

Romney is leading with women, seniors, moderates, people who say they are “somewhat conservative” and Roman Catholics. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Politics, Michigan, Mitt Romney, Ohio, polls, Rick Santorum

February 17, 2012 | 12:34 PM | By Micki Maynard

Welcome, Political Reporters! Your How-To Guide for Midwest Primary Stories

First, Changing Gears brought you a handy guide to making a hard-scrabble documentary about Detroit. Now, we’re welcoming the flocks of political reporters who are descending on the Midwest with our How-To Guide For Midwest Primary Stories.

Photo via Greentech.com

We’re dividing this into two parts: Michigan, which holds its primary on Feb. 28, and Ohio, which is part of Super Tuesday. Save it for this fall, because you can do these stories all over again!

Today, we’ll tackle the Great Lakes State.

Michigan

It’s possible to cover the Michigan primary by staying within 60 miles of Detroit. Why drive farther than you have to?

Here are suggestions that barely require you to move from your room at the Marriott in the Renaissance Center or the Westin Book Cadillac (or the Holiday Inn Express, if your news organization is on a tight budget):

Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Communities, Industry, News, Politics, Detroit, Michigan primary, political reporters, Republican

February 16, 2012 | 3:46 PM | By Micki Maynard

The Next Phase In Protests: Get Ready For The 99% Spring

UAW President Bob King referred last week to a “new movement for social justice” this spring, and now we know what he’s talking about. The UAW’s Facebook page on Thursday features a big photo promoting the 99% Spring, sending its readers to a new Web site called The99Spring.com.

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The 99% Spring Protest Movement Gets Organized

The site speaks directly to the protests that took place in Wisconsin over Gov. Scott Walker’s push to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees. There’s a letter from its organizers, who include King, as well as a variety of union, political and other groups.

Declares the site, “In the tradition of our forefathers and foremothers and inspired by today’s brave heroes in Occupy Wall Street and Madison, Wisconsin, we will prepare ourselves for sustained non-violent direct action.”

From April 9-15, the site says, its supporters will gather across the country — “100,000 strong, in homes, places of worship, campuses and the streets to join together in the work of reclaiming our country.” Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: News, Politics, 99% Spring, protests, Scott Walker, United Auto Workers, Wisconsin

February 15, 2012 | 12:38 PM | By Micki Maynard

An Indiana Political Legend May Face A Tough Re-Election Race

Although the political spotlight is on Michigan’s Feb. 28 primary right now, there’s another good political story bubbling in the Great Lakes states.

Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar

Richard Lugar, who turns 80 in April, has been one of Indiana’s U.S. senators as long as a lot of people have been alive. He was first elected to the Senate in 1977, and he’s served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee twice. Before he was elected to the Senate, he was mayor of Indianapolis.

But Lugar, a Republican, may face a stiff challenge from within his own party. The Chicago Tribune reports that the Club for Growth, an influential conservative group, is endorsing Lugar’s primary opponent, Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock.

The Club’s president, Chris Chocola, questioned some of the votes that Lugar has taken on fiscal issues in Washington.

Lugar voted in favor of a Congressional bailout for Detroit automakers, and more recently, the Indiana senator opposed a ban on earmarks that was pushed for by Republicans in the Senate.

Lugar’s internal polling shows him well ahead in the Indiana race, according to the Tribune. But if he were to face a tough challenge, or even lose the Senate race, it could be a blow to President Barack Obama. He has cited Lugar as one of his good friends when he was in the Senate, even though the pair are from different parties.

FILED UNDER: Government, Politics, Indiana, Republican Party, Richard Lugar, Richard Mourlock

February 14, 2012 | 9:43 AM | By Micki Maynard

3 Things To Know About Mitt Romney’s Latest Op-Ed

Yesterday, we told you that Michigan’s native son, Mitt Romney, has fallen behind former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in two pre-primary polls. Now, Romney is firing back in the Detroit News. not at his rival, but at union leaders and Obama administration officials.

Romney touches on many themes about the 2009 auto industry bailout. You can read the entire op-ed here. We picked out three things and provide some context.

1) The UAW. Instead of standing up to union officials, Romney says President Obama “rewarded them” with stakes in General Motors and Chrysler.

The stakes he refers to are held by the health care trust fund that administers benefits for UAW members. But the UAW did not get the terms it wanted. The union originally sought a greater share of GM, only to accept a counter offer from the Treasury Department.

Meanwhile, the Treasury also owns about 33 percent of GM, out of an original 61 percent stake. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Government, Industry, Politics, Chrysler, General Motors, Michigan, Mitt Romney, Primary, Republican

February 13, 2012 | 12:09 PM | By Micki Maynard

Polls Show Santorum Leading Romney in Michigan

Conventional wisdom says there’s no way Mitt Romney can lose the Michigan Republican primary — after all, he was born in Detroit, grew up in suburban Oakland County, his father was governor, and he won the primary in 2008.

But two new polls show Rick Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, leading Romney in Michigan, where the primary takes place Feb. 28.

According to USA TODAY, an American Research Group poll shows Santorum leading Romney 33 percent to 27 percent among likely Republican voters. Newt Gingrich has 21 percent. A poll by Public Policy Polling shows Santorum with 39 percent, to 24 percent for Romney. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Politics, Michigan, Mitt Romney, Republican, Rick Santorum

February 13, 2012 | 11:45 AM | By Micki Maynard

A New Chicago Show For A Good Friend of Changing Gears

This afternoon, our partner station WBEZ in Chicago kicks off Afternoon Shift with Steve Edwards, a daily two-hour live talk show featuring a good friend of Changing Gears.

Steve Edwards, WBEZ

You’ve heard Steve as a co-host of Changing Gears’ specials and call-in shows. Most recently, he co-hosted our Changing Gears/WBEZ special, “Getting By.”

For Steve, a well-known voice in Chicago, it’s a homecoming to the airwaves. He served as host of Eight-Forty-Eight, the morning news program, from 1999 to 2007. His weekly feature, “The Best Game in Town” was a must listen during last year’s Chicago mayoral campaign.

Tune in weekdays from 2-4 pm CT (3-5 pm ET) for a lively mix of local and national topics, including news, politics and business stories. (Anyone with a background in manufacturing will get the meaning of the show’s name.)

Meanwhile, check out some of Steve’s best interviews.

FILED UNDER: News, Politics, Chicago, Steve Edwards, The Afternoon Shift, WBEZ

February 8, 2012 | 11:45 AM | By Micki Maynard

Cue The Music For The Indiana-Michigan Right to Work Dance Off

In a Michael Jackson music video, or an episode of Soul Train, Michigan governor Rick Snyder and Indiana’s Mitch Daniels might challenge each other to a dance off over Right to Work.

Michael Jackson in "Bad"

Instead, we have Snyder’s latest interview, in which he says Indiana ought to be worrying more about Michigan’s comeback.

Some context: Indiana and Michigan have been competing for years to land factories and convince businesses to locate in each state.

One of the biggest reasons why Snyder sought reform of Michigan’s business taxes in 2011 was so that the state could be on a more level playing field. It didn’t help that Indiana won a corporate headquarters formerly located in Michigan right after the state’s tax package was signed.

Now, Daniels has upped the ante by signing Right to Work legislation, which prevents unions from charging mandatory dues even if they represent a workforce. Many experts have said Michigan could be the next state to get such a law.

But Daniels, in an interview with Stateline.org, continues to oppose Right to Work for Michigan — and gives his neighboring state an elbow. Continue reading →