SIGH OF RELIEF? Aside from those who will directly benefit from it, few people in Illinois should have been more relieved at the passage of the gay marriage bill on Tuesday than the four candidates competing for the Republican nomination for governor. To win the primary -- in which the most faithful of the Republican Party faithful turn out to vote -- the candidates couldn't be seen as favoring gay marriage. But a Republican must get votes in Chicago and Cook County to defeat Pat Quinn, who scores a big win with Tuesday's vote. Too hard an anti-same-sex marriage stance could be trouble in November. The GOP candidates' attempts to deal with this double-edged sword have been a wonder to behold. Will it all become moot now? Maybe somewhat. I explain in my blog post today.
SUCCESS NOT SECESSION Many downstaters (and some suburbanites) might not want to hear it, but they better start rooting for Chicago to pull out of the financial quicksand into which it's sinking. As Chicago's economy goes, so goes the rest of the state. Reboot's Madeleine Doubek, a suburbanite, explains why all of Illinois is in this together, like it or not.
THE REAL BUZZ Which candidates for governor are really popular on Facebook and which ones are just jacking up the numbers for shock and awe effect? Just as in real life, you can't buy true friends on Facebook. We crown the true King of Facebook among the five candidates in today's Reboot Illinois Buzz Meter.
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CARTOON CONFESSIONAL Editorial cartoons usually speak for themselves. But Scott Stantis' cartoon for today arrived Tuesday with a note of explanation from the artist, who said he would not have drawn the same piece 10 years ago. He explains and I add some commentary here.
NEW FLAG The cartoon referenced above is here. An earlier piece from Stantis on the topic (excerpted above) is here.
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HEADLINE WRAP-UP No surprise here: Discussion of the gay marriage bill dominates the news cycle today. We've got excerpts from news outlets around the state in our news roundup today, plus news on the push for a progressive income tax and a revision of the state's financial picture. Give us five minutes and we'll give you the news. Click here!
HEADLINES Here are some of the stories that make up the roundup above :
4. The Illinois revenue forecast has been adjusted up by $369 million for the fiscal year. (State Journal-Register)
3. Chicago’s top health official defended the proposed cigarette tax hike as a public health victory. (Chicago Tribune)
2. Even after the legislature passed same-sex marriage legislation, the issue should still re-emerge throughout the Republican gubernatorial primary. (Chicago Sun-Times)
1. Opinion: In a ‘historic vote,” the Illinois House approved same-sex marriage. (Chicago Tribune)
