Progress Illinois

McCain Targets Seniors, Investors With New Plan
In an effort to gain political traction as economic insecurity rises, John McCain outlined a new economic package yesterday to help investors and senior citizens. The plan would cut long-term capital gains taxes in half and would change rules on 401(k) and IRA withdrawals. Democratic nominee Barack Obama -- who unveiled a $60 billion package of spending and tax-breaks the day before -- criticized the proposals for being too limited and benefiting the wealthy.

McCain Calls For "Voter Fraud Investigation"
Like conservatives and some media outlets, John McCain conflated two entirely different voter problems on the stump yesterday, calling for an immediate investigation into the community organization ACORN for what he described as "voter fraud going on" in battleground states. According to the Los Angeles Times, election experts say it is unlikely that bad names will be added to the rolls or lead to fraudulent ballots.

Candidates Prepare For Third Debate
Tonight marks the third and final presidential debate of the election season, offering the candidates one last chance to appeal to undecided voters. The theme of tonight's subplot could be "say it to my face," a line Obama uttered last week in a possible attempt to bait McCain into mentioning Bill Ayers. Both candidates and moderator Bob Schieffer will be seated at a table together, which the San Francisco Chronicle says could prevent either candidate from throwing "a metaphorical haymaker punch within literal haymaker distance of their opponent."

State Parties Rake In The Dough
Just days before the November 4 election, both major political parties in Illinois have reported substantial increases in fundraising, with the Democrats outpacing the Republicans by a two-to-one advantage. The Democratic Party reported more than $465,000 in donations alone on Tuesday, while the GOP reportedly took in more than $251,000 since Friday, although $200,000 came from the political fund of Illinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego).

Daley To Halt City Services
In the face of a $469 million budget shortfall, Mayor Daley announced yesterday he will force city workers -- except for police and fire -- to take unpaid days off the day after Thanksgiving, on Christmas Eve and on New Year's Eve for the next two years, a move city labor leaders said they could not avert. Daley, who hopes to save $20 million from the plan, called it " a good thing for the city, the taxpayers."

Dart Moves Closer To Lifting Eviction Moratorium
Just one week after grabbing national headlines by implementing a moratorium on foreclosure evictions, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said he's one step closer to ending his prohibition thanks to a legal ruling on Tuesday. The decision forces courts to use a new document for foreclosure evictions that identifies tenants living at the foreclosed property specifically and states how long they are allowed to remain in their unit.

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user Scotriani.