Chuy phooey?
Mayoral hopeful Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, who — along with Mayor Rahm Emanuel — is hoping to secure the crucial black vote, just ran up against a runoff kerfuffle.
• Translation: A group called Black Leaders for Chuy — BL4Chuy — sent an email to Garcia’s campaign requesting an emergency meeting this past Monday at the campaign headquarters to discuss the termination of some members.
OPINION
The email stated: “Several Black Leaders for Chuy have requested a meeting tomorrow to discuss the current situation of key black leaders who were on staff being terminated from Chuy’s campaign as of the beginning of the run-off election period.
“This is a critical moment for all of us, and if you are interested in learning more about what has transpired and what we can do moving forward during this run-off election period, please join us at the South East Field Office 6306 S. Woodlawn Avenue tomorrow from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to discuss this recent turn of events.”
It was signed by Jonathan Thanh Danh Peck, who described himself as an adviser.
Attempts to reach Peck were unsuccessful, but Garcia’s campaign manager, Andrew Sharp, who verified Peck worked for the campaign, told Sneed: “This group is an ad hoc support group and we staffed up heavy our infield organization before the election and let some of those folks go, but I can assure you there was no such meeting held Monday night at headquarters.”
There ya go.
The cardinal’s story . . .
It’s a book, by George!
Sneed hears that Cardinal Francis George, 78, who is battling bladder cancer, still has more to say.
• Translation: George, who just underwent a battery of tests at Loyola University Medical Center since he was dropped from a cancer clinical trial a month ago, just finished writing a book.
“It’s been a recent project he finished a month ago and he’s putting the final touches on it now,” said a source close to George.
“I’m told it’s somewhat of a spiritually philosophical treatise . . . a reflection of sorts,” the source said.
“The cardinal has a publisher; knows he is not going to get any better — and is due home from the hospital Thursday, where the doctors were working on keeping the pain he has under control,” added the source.
The battling Bickersons!
Anne Dias Griffin, who is in the midst of a divorce from her billionaire husband, Ken Griffin — the state’s richest man — made these claims in court documents filed this week:
Her estranged husband makes $68.5 million a month after taxes.
Yipes!
• Translation: Her desire for child support, which she claims is only 2 percent a month — rather than the 32 percent of net income suggested under Illinois guidelines — is based on Illinois law, which requires Ken Griffin to support the children in the standard of living he established for them during their marriage.
And round and round the rubles run.
Running with Rauner . . .
It’s a one-two punch!
Back when Bruce Rauner was running for governor, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie hit Illinois to pitch for him.
Now it appears that Rauner has tossed Christie a curve ball.
• Translation: While stopping by an Illinois Farm Bureau conference last week, Rauner said the only state to have higher property taxes than Illinois is New Jersey, and it’s “lost.”
“They’re going down the drain, and they ain’t turning it around.”
Cute.
The K game . . .
If reports are true, Olympic decathlon champion Bruce Jenner, stepfather of the Kardashian kids and father of Kendall and Kylie Jenner — informed his children he was becoming a woman and asked them to not call him Bruce . . . shall we presume his new name will also begin with a K?
I spy . . .
Blackhawks Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brad Richards, Teuvo Teravainen, Antoine Vermette, Kimmo Timonen, Scott Darling, Joakim Nordstrom, David Rundblad and Antti Raanta all dined together at Chicago Cut on Tuesday night to give the newest teammates a taste of the city.
Sneedlings . . .
Thursday’s birthdays: Eva Mendes, 41; Kevin Connolly, 41, and Penn Jillette, 60.
