Progress Illinois

Quick Rebuke For President on Medicare
After President Bush vetoed a bill yesterday that would cancel a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors, both chambers of Congress immediately voted to override the President. It was the fourth time Congress has nullified a Bush veto in the last year.

Candidates Turn to Afghanistan
In major foreign policy speeches yesterday, both Barack Obama and John McCain turned their attention to the escalating war in Afghanistan, each pledging to send more troops to the country. But as the Washington Post reports, "the two offered sharply different assessments of the Iraq war and its impact on Afghanistan, with Obama saying Iraq is a distraction from the fight against terrorism and McCain calling it a proving ground for tactics needed to beat back a resurgent Taliban."

Obama Struggling To Close Race Divide
Despite the historic nature of Obama's presidential candidacy, Americans are sharply divided by race heading into the November election. According to a New York Times/CBS News poll, more than 80 percent of black voters said they had a favorable opinion of Obama compared to 30 percent of white voters. Meanwhile, nearly 60 percent of black respondents said race relations were generally bad, compared with 34 percent of whites.

Madigan Unveils Mini Capital Plan
In an effort to capture federal funds for road and mass transit projects, House Speaker Michael Madigan unveiled what supporters called a "little capital plan" yesterday that would generate $1.8 billion. An aide to Gov. Blagojevich ridiculed the proposal, which pales in comparison to the $34 billion plan the governor favors.

Aldermen Grill Weis Over Crime Spike
For seven hours Tuesday, aldermen took turns questioning Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis at City Hall, complaining about increased crime and warning that the top cop should avoid relocating officers from certain neighborhoods. Weis remained calm throughout his testimony, explaining the difficulty in holding down crime while making "Chicago even safer and restor[ing] public faith and public trust in the Chicago Police Department."

Senators Avoiding Statehouse to Protect Pay Raises?
While members of the House are trying to allieviate the need for a governor's veto of $1.4 billion in spending from the new state budget, Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) has said there is no need for the Senate to meet because his chamber has already approved an adequate funding plan. But some critics believe that Jones hasn't called his chamber back to Springfield because it would force them to vote down base salary raises for lawmakers.

Housing Commission Visits Chicago for First National Hearing
Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan hosted a regional hearing of the newly formed National Commission on Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, the first in a set of nationwide hearings hoping to address America's fair-housing issues. Focused on equal housing access for minorities and the disabled, the hearing was scheduled 40 years after the landmark 1968 Fair Housing Act and falls against the backdrop of the foreclosure crisis Madigan's office has been investigating.