ChicagoClout

Just a couple of days ago, I had an inspirational phone call from my favorite Alderman in Chicago, Robert Fioretti. Robert Fioretti is the well-respected Alderman in the 2nd Ward. Robert is facing personal challenges with his health, but things are looking better every day. Make sure you say a prayer for Robert's continued improvement and we pray he is back in the saddle for the 2nd Ward. God bless you all this New Year! Thanks for the "Hello" Alderman!

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Have a Happy New Year all my friends that like Chicago Clout. Please enjoy this New Year and I hope you help clean up Chicago! Mayor Daley leaves a big dirty diaper. Photo by Patrick McDonough

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Do you really want Rahm Emanuel the next Mayor of Chicago? This photo is by Patrick McDonough.

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We have a great T.V. Show on the objectors to Rahm Emanuel's attempt to run for Mayor of Chicago. No matter what you think on the matter, most of Chicago's taxpayers have no clue on what the law is and what the requirements are. The objectors will explain why they believe Rahm is not eligible to be on the ballot. The facts on the case were muddled and I think the Chicago media needs to get teeth on the residency laws and regulations. I have been asking for this for years, but I am not pals of the Chicago Political Elite. We have a well-known lawyer and a certified expert on residency law to put the pieces together. So bring an open mind and learn the story behind the story. I am also going to ask some big shots in the Chicago media if they would like first crack at this story. We at Chicago Clout are a support service to the big guns. Photo by Patrick McDonough. Rahm Emanuel was tired when I took this picture. When he was fresh in the morning, he does photograph well. The morning photos I took of Rahm were really great. Patrick McDonough Objector 007.

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Chicago Clout is inviting Ms. Lewinsky on an all expense paid trip to Chicago this January to help "get it out" for Rahm Emanuel. We will update you soon.

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Thanks to WGN and ABC7 News. I had a chance to voice my opinions with the objectors in Patrick McDonough vs. Rahm Emanuel. No. 11-EB-MUN-007. This was on December 23, 2010. I will have a T.V. show soon so you can meet some of the objectors in person. The Chicago Media is joke in their unabashed support of the Rahm Emanuel's Residency case. Many valid points were made and never played on the air. I also objected to the behavior by Attorneys from Mayer Brown LLP. This company makes millions of dollars from the City of Chicago and taxpayers. Is this because the City of Chicago lawyers are not able to defend a complex case? I think the law department under Mara Georges needs a cleaning. If you vote for Rahm, this will never happen. This photo was taken by Patrick McDonough from the WGN-TV website. I hope they do not mind since it is a picture of yours truly. God Bless all of you and all the people trying to clean up politics in Chicago. I hope you have a great new year.

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December 23, 2010 Rahm Emanuel will be kept on the ballot. Marisel A. Hernandez, Commissioner of the Board of Elections left work early after the Rahm Emanuael results loaded down with bags full of gifts. It looked like Christmas gifts. It must be great to just "go along to get along" in Chicago politics. All she did was sign her name and collect the gifts like a good, loyal girl. Photo by Patrick McDonough.

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Attorney Russ Stewart examined Rahm Emanuel in the case Patrick McDonough vs. Rahm Emanuel. Rahm Emanuel is attempting to get on the ballot for Mayor of Chicago. Russ Stewart is also a columnist for the Nadig Newspapers, here is an excerpt of his take.... Number Three: It's not over until it's over. Judicial creativity will keep Rahm Emanuel on the Chicago mayoral ballot. And he will be elected mayor. This columnist, as the attorney for one of the objectors to Emanuel's candidacy, had the opportunity to directly examine Emanuel on Dec. 14 at the city electoral board hearing. A Stipulation entered by Emanuel's lawyers conceded that he and his family were "principally present" at a Washington, D.C. rental home from June 30, 2009 to October 1, 2010. I asked Emanuel whether "principally present" meant that he "lived there" for that period. Answer: Yes. I asked if he "resided there." His lawyers objected. I asked if Emanuel was "principally present" anywhere else. Answer: No. The Chicago Municipal Code mandates that a candidate is "not eligible" for municipal office unless he/she is a "qualified elector" - meaning voter - and has "resided" in Chicago for one year prior to the Feb. 22, 2011 election. Emanuel re-registered to vote and took up physical residence at 754 N. Milwaukee Avenue on Oct. 5, 2010. Under city ordinance, he needs to prove "residence" since Feb. 22, 2010. I asked Emanuel, who was the White House chief-of-staff, how many times he was physically president in Chicago from February to September 2010. Answer: Twice. He said he flew in for a political event, and stayed overnight at a hotel. Emanuel, of course, rented his Ravenswood home for a year from Sept. 1, 2009, and extended the lease to June 30, 2011. Had he kept the home vacant, and his belongings present, Emanuel would not have this "residency" problem But Emanuel is the sole remaining white candidate on the 2011 ballot, and a phalanx of political insiders have a vested interest in his election. They cleared out the white field for Emanuel, and don't relish the prospect of a Hispanic or black mayor. The electoral board decision will be appealed by the loser to the Circuit Court, and by that loser to the Illinois Supreme Court. Judges can fit the law to the facts, and ignore the facts as they relate to the law. When Emanuel voted by absentee ballot in the 2010 primary, he did so from his rented home, where he clearly did not reside. A city statute states that if one has "lost his residence" due to "business of the United States," then his vote is valid. Emanuel was not in the U.S. military. He was a political appointee of the president. My prediction: The Illinois Supreme Court has a 4-3 Democratic majority. Expect a ruling that Emanuel's non-residence was due to federal "business," akin to military service, and that he is entitled to ballot placement. When that occurs, the election is over. Emanuel will be the next mayor. Photo by Patrick McDonough (Russ Stewart is an expert on Election Law and picked as one of the three principal lawyers in the case)

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Patrick McDonough, one of the objectors at the Rahm Emanuel Hearing, continued to keep a close eye on the proceedings. Last night, all were tired and sometimes that is when some funny business can happen. Mr. McDonough asked the Hearing Officer Mr. Morris to keep a close eye on the activities of some of the attorneys. When Mr. Emanuel's witnesses were on examination and cross-examination, the witnesses would continue to look at Rahm's Attorneys. One of the Attorneys would grunt, cover his mouth, and have an assortment of movements that was followed up by an immediate, I do not recall. This was put on the record and a much closer watch was put on the Attorneys. No one Attorney was accused, but it is very important for all lawyers to act in a proper manner. The witnesses for Rahm went to the lawyers offices for preparation and were informed of the issues. One dude was bragging about the $125,000.00 to 150,000.00 he gave to Rahm's Mayoral Run. He was not sure just how much. He continued to make a wild assortment of faces, yawning, smiling, and boredom. I watched him laugh with Rahm's lawyers, like he "hit the ball out of the park". He returned later at the end of the hearing to listen to the Lawyers tell him again what a great job he did. Sometimes in life, you are the last to know.

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Marge was punching away for Rahm Emanuel today. She talked about the things like where Rahm was for the last few months. I suggest this lady will become a Commissioner if Rahm ever wins the Mayoral Race. She is a communications expert, or so she says. Photo by Patrick McDonough.

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Rahm Emanuel's friend testified as to her knowledge about Rahm Emanuel's where abouts during the last year and then some. Photo by Patrick McDonough

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Rahm Emanuel had a very long day at the Chicago Board of Elections. Attorney Russ Stewart did an amazing job on behalf of Patrick McDonough of Chicago Clout, objector. The Chicago Media has made Rahm Emanuel the chosen one. It is not the way it is to go after having a nut case like Daley for the last twenty years. Photo by Patrick McDonough

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I must say Hearing Officer Joe Morris did a great job at the Rahm Emanuel Hearing yesterday and today. Freedom is something to Chicago Citizens and the Chicago Press. If you allow more meetings and citizens can participate, you will have a better country. Yes, the hearing officer has very Saintly Qualities. Photo by Patrick McDonough

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I was harping about the work at Milwaukee Avenue and Montrose for a long time. It was some of the worst work I have ever seen. Mayor Daley will leave office and we will pay for work done just a few months ago. Who is going to pay for the massive repair work just completed? Is this under warranty? Are Chicago City Streets and Sanitation guys going to re-repair this lousy work? This light almost killed a guy walking by today. We saw it drop under a very light wind. Photo by Patrick McDonough

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Hired Truck scandal whistleblower running for 48th Ward alderman December 8, 2010By Tony Merevick Patrick McDonough was once a city plumber. Then he blew the whistle when private trucking companies started winning fat city contracts -- for doing nothing. These days, McDonough is making a run for alderman in the 48th Ward. In a speech to a Columbia College journalism class, McDonough called himself the "lone ranger." "I'm running because we're nowhere near cleaning up all the problems that we have in Chicago," McDonough said. "It's a train wreck. It's going over the bridge, and it's only going to get worse." McDonough, 50, now an investigator for the city of Chicago, said he believes hard work can create change. McDonough helped launch the probe into the city's hired truck program in 2003, raising questions about the $40 million-a-year program that paid clout-heavy contractors, some with ties to organized crime, $40 an hour and up to do little or no work. After news of the scandal broke, dozens of city workers were indicted. The FBI questioned Mayor Richard Daley for two hours about city payments to trucking firms. Meanwhile, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the trucking companies in the hired truck program had donated $800,000 to Daley's re-election campaign. McDonough vowed to battle the 48th Ward incumbent, Mary Ann Smith, and other opponents, just like he battled corruption in Chicago. "It's going to be ugly," he said. The 48th Ward encompasses the Andersonville neighborhood on the city's North Side, where McDonough grew up. "The area is extremely wealthy," he said. "We have a very wealthy ward. The Andersonville part is very well-to-do." McDonough is running his campaign like he would an investigation; he's said he's going after what he thinks is wrong. "We have to put everyone back to work," he said, saying many jobs are leaving the city. He opposes the privatization of city systems and services and challenges Daley's portrayal of Chicago as a green city. He also supports state pension reform and a more robust oversight of tax increment finance (TIF) funds. McDonough talked about his role as a whistleblower and his active reporting job as the publisher of Chicagoclout.com, a website he and other writers use to publicize corruption in the city. He said he is the only investigator in the city who does his job. "I have people arrested, brought to court, I enforce the rules and the laws, and I consider the opportunity that I have an honor and a pleasure, and I also do the best that I can," he said. "I give 110 percent to my job." He said he only gets about two to four hours of sleep per night. Although he said he is an unwavering watchdog, McDonough praised city workers and said the majority of city workers work hard. "There are a lot of people who love our jobs when it's 20 or 30 below and they say that there's a broken water main and the water is two or three blocks down the street and you can't feel your fingers, all of a sudden everybody quits, and it's guys like us that take care of things," he said. "I don't actually do it because I'm an investigator, but that's how I started with the city of Chicago." McDonough is one of eight children and the father of five. Noting that his work as a whistleblower has prompted critics to call him a "snitch," McDonough said he is 6 feet, 2 inches and weighs 250 pounds. "You can say whatever you want about me, as long as you don't touch me," he said. After he blew the whistle on the city's hired truck program, McDonough was investigated by the city, a strange turning of the tables for him. "That's how the city works," he said. "So when someone does try improving the situation in Chicago, they consider that a threat on what they have going. And there's millions and millions and millions and millions of dollars of money floating all over the place and they don't like people like me exposing what they're doing." "I'm the lone ranger out there and it really gets old," he said.

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I am tired but I need to work non-stop for the next few days. Rahm Emanuel was a no show at his own politicial funeral. I think Rahm must think he is still in Washington D.C. giving Obama the ointment. Photo by Patrick McDonough.

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It was no fun defending Rahm Emanuel today at the Chicago Board of Elections. Rahm Emanuel lawyers seems, hurt, scared, and lost for words. Mr. Morris, the Board of Elections choice to oversee this case was having a very long day. I was happy to see Mr. Odelson and Mr. Russ Stewart asked to be in a special group of trusted and experienced lawyers to oversee the event. I was surprised the Chicago Media painting a seen that was not reflective of the atmosphere. I also spoke with Mr. Morris and voiced my concerns that the entire room was filled with many hearings and cases. I think that will be remedied. All in all, the people in attendance were very nice and respectful, despite the lack of proper audio levels. One of the objectors put in his two cents regarding the lack of credibility at the Board of Elections. Many other objections were made and I think Rahm Emanuel did himself a major disservice by not showing up. Rahm looked like a coward. If you are going to run for Mayor and people make an objection, have the guts to defend yourself. I think Rahm needs to get his entire defense in order to avoid the perception of ciaos. Rahm really lost the chance to show he can lead out in front, instead of being a "wizard" behind the curtains. Rahm has lost all the momentum the press gave him and the word is out. You can see an ice-cold and in control Burt Odelson. Photo by Patrick McDonough

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I am happy to cover these events that brings Chicago Alive. Daley has destroyed free speech in Chicago. Lets get it back. Please get involved with all elections for office in 2011. We need new voices and new ideas. Photos by Patrick McDonough of Chicago Clout.

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http://www.wbez.org/story/50th-ward/50th-ward-candidates-talk-business Please enjoy. On a personal note, I am proud of City of Chicago employee Tom Morris. I hope Local 150 backs this man. Nice job everyone. Photo by Patrick McDonough

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Debra Silverstein want to be the next Alderman in the 50Th Ward. She is pictured with Salman Aftab. Good Luck to all in the 50Th Ward brawl. The debates a couple of days ago are great for the community. I hope this spirit falls over to the 48Th Ward. Photo by Patrick McDonough

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Enjoy this picture of Emery Joe Yost with Greg Brewer, an Aldermanic Candidate for Chicago's 50Th Ward. Pictured With Greg is Emery Joe Yost, teacher at Warren Park on Western. Joe is a music teacher. Good Luck to all the candidates in the 50Th Ward. Photo by Patrick McDonough

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Alderman Bernie Stone was very kind to Emery Joe Yost and his son on December 1, 2010. Alderman Stone knew Emery Yost from the Chicago Park District during the Alderman's Thanksgiving Turkey givaway at Warren Park. Photo by Patrick McDonough

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I enjoyed listening to Thomas T. Morris, a City of Chicago Hoisting Engineer, at the 50Th Ward debates yesterday. It was the 50th Ward Aldermanic Candidates Business Luncheon Sponsored By West Ridge Chamber of Commerce WBEZ 91.5 Wednesday, December 1, 2010 12:30pm Croatian Cultural Center 2845 W. Devon Avenue I will have pictures of the other candidates soon. Nice Job Tom Morris. Photo by Patrick McDonough

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I had a great time at the Mayoral Debate at U.I.C. yesterday. Jay Stone did a great job debating and two other City of Chicago employees also debated. I had a great day with Jay; he is a thoughtful, well educated contender for Mayor. I also attended the 50Th Ward debates and I was very proud of Aldermanic and Chicago employee Tom Morris. I guess Daley really made a bunch of city workers very upset. I will have more on this soon. Great photo by Patrick McDonough

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