Icymi yesterday - one of the biggest federal corruption convictions to hit Chicago/Illinois politics in years.

The reactions to Burke’s demise tell us a lot about the political culture here.

I bet some of you are up for a 🧵 with the highlights /1 chicago.suntimes.com/2023/12/21/240… Let’s start with the reaction from some current and former members of the august body Burke belonged to for 50+ years.

Lotsa chatter today about various eyebrow-raising comments in this sprawling survey of aldermanic vox populi by @fspielman /2 chicago.suntimes.com/2023/12/21/240…

Full statement tonight from northwestern suburban Trump backer and CEO who says he’s “deeply regretful” for entering the US Capitol during Wednesday’s violent pro-Trump riot More on the story here: wbez.org/stories/trump-…

.@RepChuyGarcia compares Trump's actions today to Confederate rebel leaders: "The call for insurrection from the commander in chief is on par with Robert E. Lee or Jefferson Davis’ role in the Confederacy. It’s sedition. It’s treason." /1 .@RepChuyGarcia: "Trump is unstable and continues to be a danger to the country."

But Garcia said he does not think there is enough time to impeach Trump. He believes VP Pence and the Trump Cabinet instead should consider invoking the 25th Amendment to remove DJT /2

.@RepRobinKelly, D-Ill., tells @WBEZ she was in the room where it happened - in the House chamber - when the violent pro-Trump mob forced its way in.

"I was in the gallery...We were crawling and kneeling and hiding. Guns were drawn. It was scary." /1 .@RepRobinKelly: "It felt very chaotic. I saw the [pro-Trump rebels] that they captured face down on the floor with guns on them."

Did you ever expect this in Congress?

"Hell, no. Hell, no. This was frightening, disappointing, unbelievable. All those words." /2

Spoke by phone with @RepChuyGarcia, who is safe in his office.

Garcia told me, "Never before have we seen anything like this occur here...It is a sad and tragic day in our country."

He said Trump and his sons "incited" the violence at the Capitol /1 .@RepChuyGarcia: "The actions that were spurred by the president's call have produced violence."

Garcia said Trump intended this march on the Capitol as "a test on whether he can prevent the peaceful transition of power."

"He has brought shame on our country." /2

.⁦@Facebook⁩ told ⁦@NPR⁩ they shut down the page of the “#Kenosha Guard” militia yesterday - after the shootings.

But I’ve got the screenshots. Let’s go through some of the lowlights..., /1 It’s just a “social club” - but with the grand ambition of protecting “our great city,” which had been hit by looters /2

Lots of interesting, well-known Chicago names in the federal PPP loan data released today. Remember this was supposed to help "small businesses" avoid layoffs ...

Among those getting the biggest amounts ($5-10M): the Field Museum, Four Seasons Heating & Air, Mario Tricoci 1/ Also in the 255-member $5-10M PPP club of Illinois: Illinois Bone & Joint Institute, Willow Creek Community Church, the Brookfield Zoo, Chicago Botanic Garden, American Academy of Pediatrics, Pangea Equity Partners II LP and Oberweis Dairy - the family business of Jim Oberweis 2/

We don't know why the feds just raided the 34th Ward office of Ald. Carrie Austin. But we know lots about Austin, who's been a member of the City Council for 25 years. Shall we go over some of that history? /1 wbez.org/shows/wbez-new… It could prove ironic Austin was one of the aldermen who expressed deep dismay at then-colleague Danny Solis when it was revealed earlier this year that he wore a wire on Ed Burke. "You just don't do that," Austin said, shaking her head /2 news.wttw.com/2019/01/23/som…

Food trucks are a favorite cause of many urban progressives. But after their latest setback in Chicago today, it may be worth remembering that the legal fight has been backed by some of the most powerful right-wing forces in the country. Lemme explain /1 wbez.org/shows/wbez-new… The 7-year legal fight against Chicago's food truck ordinance has been funded by a group with the vague name of Institute for Justice. Its lawyer have represented the plaintiffs in the Chicago case free of charge /2

BREAKING: Dorothy Brown does not have enough valid signatures to stay on the mayoral ballot, according to a preliminary summary report from the city's board of elections that I've obtained tonight 1/ There are 2 objections to Brown's petitions that are pending. The next hearings in those cases are scheduled for 430 pm and 5 pm on Friday, per the election board's website. 2/

We don't yet know why exactly the feds are crawling around Ald. Ed Burke's offices at City Hall and in the 14th Ward.

But let's run down some of the highs and lows of his last few years as alderman, shall we? .... wbez.org/shows/wbez-new… Burke did not welcome Rahm Emanuel back to Chicago with open arms. Still, they worked out a deal - and Burke got to keep his bodyguard detail, the most visible, expensive perk of his clout bettergov.org/news/yearly-ta…