Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Sun-Times columnist Lynn Sweet did a good job of keeping the forum moving, not an easy task with eleven candidates eager to talk. They covered a range of issues, from President Obama’s stimulus bill to Middle East policies. I thought Jan Donatelli, Tom Geoghegan, and John Fritchey did well, and I was happy to hear all the candidates come out against Mayor Daley’s plan to privatize Midway Airport. It would have been nice if any of them–particularly Fritchey and his state House colleague Sara Feigenholtz–had criticized the deal before the City Council rubber stamped it. But you know how it goes in Chicago politics: most folks will only criticize the mayor’s policies if he’s not in the room.
The great mystery Sunday was 40th Ward alderman Patrick O’Connor–as in, where was he? Not at the forum, even though he’d filed nominating petitions to run in the race. Suzanne Elder, who helped organize the forum, said she’d called O’Connor at least three times and e-mailed him another three times. He never responded.
And now I’m writing about him.
