It is hardly news that Chicago is a blue city in one of the bluest states-a Democratic stronghold for generations. What is far less known-until today-is just how big a role Chicago is playing in fomenting activism on the red-state side of the political color wheel.
In today’s lead story, CNC contributor Daniel Libit highlights the work of Eric Odom, a man who has used Internet savvy and tireless networking skills to help spur the rise of the Tea Party movement. Operating from Chicago, Libit wryly notes, Odom is “a rogue elephant in a herd of Democratic donkeys.” Like-minded people such as Ed Lasky and the climate-change skeptics at the Heartland Institute are making Chicago a surprising center of gravity for the conservative and libertarian agendas, Libit reports.
Close readers of CNC reports will recognize that this is Libit’s second story for us. He explained last week how Scott Lee Cohen, the pawnbroker-turned-politician who resigned as the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor over allegations about misconduct in his personal life, had become an embarrassment to pawn brokers, of all people.
Libit’s sharply observed, engagingly written stories are emblematic of what might be to some a surprising development within the CNC newsroom. Those who have followed our work recognize that with contributors such as James Warren, Dan McGrath and Don Terry, we have some of Chicago’s most seasoned and authoritative journalists writing for us. The work by Libit, City Hall bureau chief Dan Mihalopoulos and others shows that some of our best reporting is coming from those with fewer gray hairs around the temples, too.
Don’t worry about the old timers, though. McGrath and Warren weigh in today with two sharply observed columns. In his column, Warren helps do what barrels of ink spilled on the topic so far have not: He makes sense of the health care debate. Inspired by the give-and-take at a small group session with presidential economic advisor Austan Goolsbee, Warren convenes his own health care summit-consulting with some leading thinkers about some of the key issues facing our country as health care reform moves haltingly forward.
McGrath brings a very local perspective to another national story: The remarkable success of the Chicago-based gold medal speed skater Shani Davis. Drawing from his own experiences in dealing with Davis and his prickly mother, Cherie, McGrath explains why an athlete as remarkable as Davis has never quite had a hold on this city the way Michael Jordan and Mike Ditka once did. McGrath shows why Frank Thomas, who retired from baseball this week, also stumbled and failed to win over a fan base that would have loved to swoon over his remarkable athletic prowess, too.
Today’s report marks, almost to the day, three months since CNC published its first stories on the Web and in The New York Times. In that span, we have told you about the remarkable rich profits and surprisingly foreign ownership of the company that controls Chicago’s parking meters. We have explored the fits and starts of education reform in Chicago, and heard exclusively a brooding anger from Cook County Board President Todd Stroger as he realized that Mayor Daley was abandoning their families’ multigenerational political alliance. We have brought you to gang-infested streets and now, with today’s report, highlighted some of the conservative voices operating from a blue-state wilderness.
Old and young, the reporters in our news room are taking you to places and people in this newsy city that help all of us better understand how Chicago works, and sometimes doesn’t work. We hope you are enjoying the tour so far-and look forward to more good work ahead.
Good reading to you.