>>>>In that case, I think he was just playing the game legally and it worked to his advantage. Basically, she decided to jump back in at the last minute. She waited too long and then didn't have time to go out and get enough signatures so she cheated (probably not her personally, it was probably her supporters who cheated). Not sure about the other candidates.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Tracy,
>>>>
>>>>That may be so - but that had to be one of the few times in the history of Democrat Party machine politics in Chicago that anyone got concerned about legality and signature or voter fraud or simply screwing up with nominating petitions.
>>>>
>>>>Yes, Alice Palmer should have gotten more valid signatures than she did. Anyone outside of Chicago in Illinois would have known that Obama's hands are never clean, not the way he's pumping billions of dollars into ACORN right now. Even Bill Clinton has said that Obama has the political instincts of a Chicago thug.
>>>
>>>Even Bill Clinton? He still hasn't gotten over the Democratic nomination race last year. He was way more agitated over Hillary's race than over any of the many things that have been said about him. He's hardly an unbiased commentator on Barack Obama.
>>>
>>>Obama was never part of the Chicago machine. He didn't antagonize them or fight them but was smart enough not to get pulled down into the sewer along with them.
>>
>>What political machine? Haven't you heard? It hasn't existed since 1976:
>>http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/11/obama_a_product_of_chicago_mac.html
>>
>>:)
>Obama has never been in Illinois. He had only casual acquaintance with Chicago policies; always renounced his pastor; he does not recognize Blago by name; never visited that church and did not see all of them for at least 50 years.

Being in Illinois and being part of a corrupt political machine are two entirely different things. I know you were going for humor there (congratulations!) but let's keep it somewhat factual.