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When news broke that Donald Trump had decided to hold the 2020 G7 summit at one of his Florida resorts, meaning payments from foreign visitors would go to his private benefit, even some Republicans long accustomed to the Presidents casual lawlessness reacted with alarm, ultimately forcing him into a rare retreat. But U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer, Republican of North Dakota, thought Trumps plan was praiseworthy.

It may seem careless politically, he allowed, but on the other hand, theres tremendous integrity in his boldness and his transparency.

Wow. Thats taking brown-nosing to a whole new level. If Trump followed through on his musings about shooting someone on Fifth Avenue, Cramer would no doubt laud him for not trying to hide his murderous instincts, as a common criminal might. (One of Trumps personal lawyers actually argued in court that the President could not be arrested or even investigated should he in fact commit a Fifth Avenue murder.)

Similiarly, when Trump likened the impeachment proceedings against him to a lynching, much of the nation was taken aback. Could he really be so callous and ignorant as to use such an analogy, given the horrific role of lynching in our nations past?

Not only could but should, opined U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina. This is a lynching, in every sense, Graham asserted. This is un-American. He said lynching involves people who are out to get somebody for no good reason and who take the law in their own hands.

Actually, lynching involves extra-judicial mob killingoften involving hanging people by their necks until they diewhich between 1882 and 1968 happened at least 4,743 times, mostly to people of African descent. But Graham, who once correctly identified Trump as a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot, has become a shameless, groveling apologist for the President, like much of his party.

Republicans keep lowering the bar for Trump and he keeps crashing into it, splintering it to shreds.

Thats one of the truly tragic things about Donald Trumphow he diminishes the people around him, by bringing them down to his tawdry level. Some Republicans, including Senators Cramer and Graham, will likely never rise from the muck, although Graham did briefly rouse from his moral coma to dissent from Trumps sudden and reckless decision to invite slaughter on the Kurds in Syria, to the delight of the despots the President kowtows to in Turkey and Russia.

Congressional Republicans keep lowering the bar for Trump, in terms of what constitutes acceptable presidential conduct, and he keeps crashing into it, splintering it to shreds.

George Will, the conservative pundit, laments in a recent column that aside from some rhetorical bleats, Republicans are acquiescing as Trump makes public display of his gross and comprehensive incompetence. He argues that if Trump continues to get away with insisting that the Constitutions impeachment provisions are unconstitutional, the instrument of impeachment will be rendered useless as a check on all future Presidents.

There may also be a political price to pay, as Will notes in issuing a warning that to Democrats surely sounds like a dream: If Congressional Republicans continue their genuflections at Trumps altar, the appropriate 2020 outcome will be a Republican thrashing so severelosing the House, the Senate, and the electoral votes of, say, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, and even Texasthat even this party of slow-learning careerists might notice the hazards of tethering their careers to a downward-spiraling scofflaw.

That conservatives like Will are at the forefront of opposition to Trump creates opportunities for alliances that were once unthinkable. MSNBC commentator Charlie Sykes, a conservative from Wisconsin, says in an interview for this editorial that Trumps unfitness has the potential to unite the citizenry.

I would like to think theres a coalition of the decent out there who are just horrified by watching Donald Trump, by watching what hes doing, but also what hes doing to us, Sykes says. I would love to see the emergence of a coalition that would set aside ideological differences, at least temporarily, to deal with the current emergency.

Sykes, a longtime Wisconsin radio talk show host, is now editor-at-large of The Bulwark, a conservative website dedicated to preserving Americas democratic norms, values, and institutions. He believes Trump poses an existential threat to a lot of the democratic norms that we have right now, and I do think those cross party and ideological lines.

To this end, Sykes argues, progressives ought to be willing to make common cause with Republicans and conservatives who are willing to break with Trump. Thats not a surrender of principle. It doesnt mean that we dont disagree about things, but it means that at this particular moment in time, its more important to be allies than to dwell on what we disagree about. We can go back to debating the tax rates later, but if we want to get past this moment in history, theres going to have to be this alliance that recognizes the unique emergency that the country faces.

Its an intriguing possibility. While Trumps impeachment now appears certain, it will result in his removal from office only if twenty Republican Senators join Democrats in voting for it. This is unlikely, given the devotion that most Republicans have shown thus far, but its not impossible.

The impeachment inquiry has churned up massive new evidence of Trumps shocking and illegal conduct, as career civil servants reveal the extent to which he has sought to use the power of the presidency to his personal political advantage.

William Taylor, acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, described how Trump explicitly tied the release of Congressionally approved military aid to Ukraines willingness to dig up dirt on his political rivalsprecisely the quid pro quo that Trump has insisted did not occur. Others followed, sometimes defying White House orders not to testify, at great risk to themselves and their careers. Meanwhile, the Presidents allies, to their eternal discredit, have rushed to provide cover for the President, with Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, demanding that the whistleblower who got the ball rolling be exposed and punished.

As Sykes frames it, the question for Republicans is how much more pure humiliation they are willing to take.

What Republicans right now have to be asking is: Do they really want to support five more years of this? Were talking about five more years of Donald Trump as the commander-in-chief. Five more years of defending and enabling Donald Trump, particularly as he becomes more and more untethered, more and more unhinged, more and more contemptuous of the truth and of the law.

There can be little doubt that Republicans are driven largely by political self-interest, as are many Democrats. But that means some of them might still be persuaded to abandon Trump. Sykes, while immensely disappointed at the degree to which [Republicans] have rationalized and enabled Donald Trump, has not given up hope that they will turn against him. If a few Republicans do so, a few more will likely follow.

And progressives can be a part of this, as long as they can get beyond blaming their fellow citizens for having the bad judgment to support Trump and instead encourage them to honestly ask: Do you really want to be part of this anymore?

The answer, for a broad and growing swath of the American public, is no.

No, we do not want a President who constantly embarrasses us on the global stage.

No, we do not want a foul-mouthed bigot to be Americas face to the world.

No, we are not OK with separating children from their families and locking them in cages.

No, we dont want a President who doesnt know the name of his own Defense Secretary, refers to members of his party as Rupublicans, and thinks Colorado is on the Mexican border.

No, we will not normalize Donald Trump, his ignorance, his crudeness, his impulsiveness, his meanness of spirit, his contempt for the very notion of Constitutional checks and balances, his open corruption and gross incompetence.

Yet Republican politicians will never abandon Trump as long as they perceive that this will cost them politically. As of midautumn, nine in ten Republican voters and Republican-leaning independents opposed impeachment. But that may change.

To secure the deserved ouster of this President, we need to win over a critical mass of ordinary Trump supporters. That may happen just from the open Congressional debate over impeachment and the weight of daily mounting evidence as to the Presidents criminality.

To date, the Presidents every response to the possibility of impeachment underscores its necessity. He has set out to obstruct the process, even ordering public officials to refuse to testify about his misbehavior. It is getting clearer that anyone who stands with him stands in opposition to the rule of law.

In the end, there will be some Republicans who will support impeachmentperhaps not enough to oust Trump from office but enough to more plausibly put the lie to the notion that the push for impeachment is a Democratic plot. There will be more defections of principled conservatives and constituencies that realize, however belatedly, that Trump has been conning them. And the majority of Americans who oppose this President will continue to grow.

What a delightful irony it would be if, in the end, this most determinedly divisive of Presidents ended up bringing the people of this country together.

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As Californias 2020 primary election nears, congressional districts across the state face major changes

One of the most significant is the 53rd Congressional District in San Diego. For the past 19 years, the seat has been held by Democratic Rep. Susan Davis, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Administration.

Originally from Texas, Caballero said in an interview that his father was involved in drug dealing and money laundering.

A crowd of other candidates also want the job, including the presumptive front runner, San Diego City Council President Georgette Gomez, and Sara Jacobs, a former aide to Hillary Clinton.

In September, Davis announced she would not seek reelection.

Jose Caballero, a military veteran, Bernie Sanders supporter and political consultant who describes himself as a progressive Democrat, is running for the seat. Davis said that her decision was driven by a desire to live and work at home in San Diego, although Caballero contends that her retirement came as a result of intensifying pressure from her primary challengers and from unhappy constituents. Caballero had announced his intention to run before Daviss announcement.

A crowd of other candidates also want the job, including the presumptive front runner, San Diego City Council President Georgette Gomez, and Sara Jacobs, a former aide to Hillary Clinton and a scholar in residence at the University of San Diego.

But Caballero deserves a look and his story is unusual.

Originally from Texas, Caballero said in an interview that his father was involved in drug dealing and money laundering. The activities prompted his mother to leave Texas with Jose and his sister.

[The club] brought the Bernie (Sanders) people into the room to create an intersection between the establishment and the Bernie progressives. Jose Caballero.

The family moved to the town of Mineral Wells in California, where they lived with grandparents in a one-bedroom apartment. As a teenager, Caballero joined the Navy and spent six years stationed on an aircraft carrier. Though he says that he originally joined the military out of patriotism, it was his experiences in the service that would push him towards his present politics.

Caballero describes watching planes take off from the carrier, and then later seeing footage of those same planes dropping bombs in Afghanistan, which caused him to question why he was taking part.

After his military service, Caballero moved to San Diego, where he studied political science at San Diego State University. He became active in local politics and in 2015 he founded the San Diego Progressive Democratic Club, which he said developed significant political clout in the county.

[The club] brought the Bernie (Sanders) people into the room to create an intersection between the establishment and the Bernie progressives, Caballero said.

The other Democratic candidates include Gomez, who has been endorsed by the state Democratic Party.

In 2016, Caballero made first attempt for public office with an unsuccessful run for the San Diego City Council. He served on the San Diego County Democratic Central Committee and as a delegate for the California Democratic Party.

For the past three years, Caballero has run a political consulting firm that works with labor unions and groups espousing tenants rights, animal rights and veterans rights.

Caballero says he decided to run for the 53rd CD because Davis was a seat-warmer and largely ineffective, contending that Davis has authored only two bills that were passed during her time in office. Additionally, he called her willingness to back legislation promoting military spending and offshore drilling as only doing what was politically advantageous at the time.

She was no longer where her district wanted her to be he says. Because she never had a legitimate challenger for the twenty years shes been in office, people didnt take the time to ask Who is this? Why are we voting for her every time.

Caballero isnt alone in seeking the seat: Currently, there are nine other candidates competing in the Democratic primary, according to the state elections officer. They include Jacobs and Gomez, who has been endorsed by the state Democratic Party.

I am a progressive veteran for peace. Most diehard progressives or democratic socialists are not veterans. Jose Caballero

Caballero acknowledges that he has an uphill fight, but notes that nearly one in two voters in the district voted for Bernie Sanders in 2016, which works to Caballeros advantage.Caballero supports Medicare for All, the Green New Deal and cancelling student debt all positions taken by Sanders.

Additionally, Caballero thinks his own background as a veteran could be the key to reaching more moderate voters.

I am an interesting flavor of progressive. I am a progressive veteran for peace. Most diehard progressives or democratic socialists are not veterans. They were, I guess, woke enough to not join the military industrial complex, he says.

In fact, his relationship to military service has become one of the defining features of Caballeros campaign. It is the impetus for what is essentially his flagship policy proposal the Heros Promise.

The Heros Promise is a proposal for what Caballero calls a military veteran Bill of Rights, with the intention of mitigating veteran suicide. It centers around reforming the military and providing a support system for both enlisted soldiers and veterans.

Under the proposed policy, active duty soldiers would first be granted meal and sleep time protection, an improvement that Caballero sees as basic but still necessary. The fact of the matter that our military soldiers are sleep deprivedand not getting all their mealscan cause massive vulnerabilities of [their] mental health and your morale, he says.

Additionally, the Heros Promise aims to ensure that service members would be able to file a grievance outside of the chain of command, and would have access to adequate mental health resources.

We need to protect mental health services Jose explains. As a reactor operator if I went and saw a therapist and said Hey Im not feeling great and they diagnosed me with depression, I lose my job. I lose my ability to serve as a reactor operator, which takes three and a half years to do. So a lot of people just sit quietly in depression for years and years at a time just so they can keep their head down and not have to suffer the consequence of being sad.

He also said that over 95% of our veterans are coming out with some form of PTSD. He said boot camp is a place where PTSD is administered.

People are yelling at you people are screaming at you, people are calling you a piece of garbage, and a lot of these young kids have never had anybody tell them those things before, he said, and because of that, that is a traumatic experience that they will live with for the rest of their lives.

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'Progressive veteran' faces uphill fight in 53rd CD - Capitol Weekly

Believe it or not, some on the left think the crazy new toy doesn't go far enough.

The holiday season is almost upon us and many people are thinking about gifts to buy for their loved ones. With this in mind, its important that we spare a thought for the eco-conscious feminist activists among us. They often struggle at this time of year. Fortunately, there is an abundance of advice on offer to help us all negotiate the pitfalls of the season.

Of course, the very best thing we can do for the planet this Christmas is to spend time alone wishing we had never been born. If we have to be with other people, its far better if we dont indulge in buying presentsor, indeed, anything. Surely everyone has some old stuff lying around that they can re-gift. But does this go far enough?

Thankfully, Friends of the Earth has compiled a list of 21 eco-friendly Christmas tips, so we have no excuse for slipping up. They include, unsurprisingly, making a donation to Friends of the Earth, along with preparing vegan meals, wrapping presents in old scarves rather than paper, and sending e-Christmas cards rather than the real thing.

But what about the children? Surely they can expect a new toy? Well, one solution might be to buy the little darlings in your life a gender-neutral Barbie doll. Mattel, the maker of the ever-popular figurines, announced back in September its intention to retool its products in order to align with fast-advancements in representation, inclusion and diversity.

Rather than the overtly female Barbie or super-masculine GI Joe, children lucky enough to receive a gender-neutral doll will be given the gift of a blank slate. Mattels latest creations show no signs of gender identificationthey are six inches of androgyny that can be styled as male, female, both, or neither. Each comes with a choice of short or long hairstyle options and a selection of different outfits.

The new dolls have been welcomed by GLAAD, an LGBT advocacy group. So many children and parents never saw themselves represented in toys and dolls, but this new line raises the bar for inclusion thanks to input from parents, physicians and children themselves, the group tweeted. Buy your child a gender-neutral Barbie and they will be immunized against the evils of stereotypes for life.

But it seems that even this is not enough for the ultra-woke. News of Mattels latest product has hit Slate where its being slammed as alarming. The problem, it seems, is that the dolls are just not realistic enough: they fall far short of actually embodying or even representing a nonbinary identity.

Lets get down to the nitty gritty. Whats being complained about here is that between each dolls legs there isnothing. A smooth, blank lump of plastic. Of course, anyone whos ever played with Barbie or Ken as a child will remember that this was how every doll looked. But apparently the nothingness of this new line of dolls is more troubling.

It seems the only politically correct doll is one that is gender non-conforming yet also anatomically correct. The trans-man doll would need to include scars to show where breasts have been removed and more scars on the arms and legs where skin grafts have been taken to aid in the surgical construction of a penis. And of course, this carefully built penis would need to appear, in all its glory, between the dolls legs.

Its time for a reality check. Neither Barbie nor GI Joe have ever been anatomically correct. No real woman or man could ever achieve such a physique. This is the entire point of the toy. The dolls are fantasy figures that allow children to dream up all manner of imagined scenarios. Dolls belong in the world of make-believe; they exist for projection, aspiration, and storytelling.

Much though transgender activists may wish it were otherwise, few children aspire to scar tissues and surgically botched genitalia. For that matter, few children imagine themselves to be gender neutral when they grow up. In their made-up worlds, they are moms and dads, teachers, doctors, astronauts, and movie stars. What they are not is simply bodies.

It seems to some as if the biggest crime we can commit nowadaysbigger even than wrapping shop-bought gifts in paperis to tell a girl she will grow up to be a woman or a boy he will grow up to be a man. Heres an idea. How about this holiday season we take a week off from haranguing other people on how to live or how to raise their children. Instead, lets relax and enjoy ourselves. Pass the wine, please.

Joanna Williams is the author ofWomen vs. Feminism: Why We All Need Liberating from the Gender Wars.

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Gender-Neutral Barbie and the Progressives Who Attack Her - The American Conservative

Is Mayor Pete the candidate to beat in the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination? Its too early to tell, because the race is still in flux. But South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete ButtigiegPeter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegSanders, Buttigieg surge in New Hampshire as Biden, Warren slip: poll Buttigieg calls The Root writer whose column on his past comments on minorities and education went viral Buttigieg surges to second place behind Biden as Warren sinks: poll MORE has risen to the top of thepolls in the first two states, Iowa and New Hampshire, that elect delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee.

Buttigieg is one of three Democratic candidates who entered the presidential race with little national name recognition but made a strong first impression. The other two are Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisSaagar Enjeti laments use of identity politics in 2020 Democratic race Buttigieg surges to second place behind Biden as Warren sinks: poll Bloomberg ties with Harris, Klobuchar in new national poll MORE (D-Calif.) and former Rep. Beto ORourke (D-Texas). ORourke dropped out after a sizzling start. Harris made a big splash in the first Democratic debate with a blistering attack on the then-Democratic frontrunner, Joe BidenJoe BidenSanders, Buttigieg surge in New Hampshire as Biden, Warren slip: poll State Dept. official describes frantic effort to save recalled Ukraineambassador Trump denies sending Giuliani to Ukraine on his behalf MORE, but her campaign has sputtered since then.

How did Buttigieg become a big player in the Democratic race while ORourke failed and Harris continues to struggle?

First, Mayor Pete got great early reviews from the great mentioners in the invisible primary that unfolds in the Acela corridor well before the candidates meet real live Democratic primary voters.

The Washington Post once called him the most interesting mayor you never heard of. Barack ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaSaagar Enjeti laments use of identity politics in 2020 Democratic race It's the aggressive progressives vs. the pragmatic moderates Corporation that holds migrant children backs out of plans to hold holiday party at Trump golf club MORE once included Buttigieg among four Democrats who represented the future of the Democratic Party.

Typical of the buzz was a tweet from Joe ScarboroughCharles (Joe) Joseph ScarboroughIt's the aggressive progressives vs. the pragmatic moderates Scarborough: Trump is either 'an agent of Russia' or 'a useful idiot' Saagar Enjeti: Republicans lost Kentucky by failing to appeal to working class MORE reacting to Buttigiegs appearance on Morning Joe. Mika and I have been overwhelmed by the reaction @PeteButtigieg got after being on the show. The only other time in 12 years that we heard from as many people about a guest was after @BarackObama appeared on Morning Joe.

Buttigieg also has a great story to tell.

Hes the un-Trump. Hes young and smart, and he served with distinction in a war zone.

Buttigieg received degrees from Harvard and from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He served in Naval Intelligence for seven months in Afghanistan, and he received a Joint Services Commendation Medal for his counter-terrorismduty in a combat zone. He was elected to the first of his two terms as mayor of South Bend when he was only 29. He still holds his rank as a lieutenant in the Navy Reserve.

And by the way, hesgay and married. He is the first openly gay candidate to run for the Democratic presidential nomination, and he would become the first openly gay president of the United States.

Plus, hes the kind of outsider who thrives in an environment where Americans still distrust and even hate Washington D.C.

The three candidates leading the national polls former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersSanders, Buttigieg surge in New Hampshire as Biden, Warren slip: poll Saagar Enjeti laments use of identity politics in 2020 Democratic race Why America needed Donald Trump MORE (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenSanders, Buttigieg surge in New Hampshire as Biden, Warren slip: poll Overnight Defense: Senators challenge Trump on military pardons | State Department to investigate if US weapons ended up in wrong hands in Yemen | Dems release final impeachment transcripts Saagar Enjeti laments use of identity politics in 2020 Democratic race MORE (D-Mass.) have all served as United States senators and are all in their 70s.

Mayor Pete is only 37; Biden had already served in Congress for nine years by the time the mayor was born in 1982. Together Biden and Sanders have done 64 years of hard time in Washington. Buttigieg served in Afghanistan but is unbloodied by gladiatorial combat in The Swamp.

For some Democrats, the decades of congressional know-how that Biden and Sanders have is a welcome antidote to Donald TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump at rally vows to supporters no name change for 'Thanksgiving' Trump says he will designate Mexican drug cartels as terror organizations State Dept. official describes frantic effort to save recalled Ukraineambassador MOREs lack of political experience. But to many Americans, long service in Washington is still the kiss of death.

In the most recent Democratic debate. Sen. Amy KlobucharAmy Jean KlobucharButtigieg surges to second place behind Biden as Warren sinks: poll Senate roundtable showcases importance and needs of women entrepreneurs Bloomberg ties with Harris, Klobuchar in new national poll MORE (D-Minn.) attacked Buttigieg for lacking the national experience to be an effective president. His comeback was Washington experience is not the only experience that matters. Theres more than 100 years of experience on this stage, and where are we now as a country?

Well played, Mayor Pete.

The Real Clear Poll averages have Buttigieg in first place in Iowa and New Hampshire, but still stuck in single digits nationally. Can Mayor Pete repeat his success and project that support onto a national playing field?

To become a big player nationally, Buttigieg must demonstrate that he can secure the support of Latino and African American Democrats. Mayor Pete is doing well in New Hampshire and Iowa, where there are relatively few black and brown voters. But he has very little support in the next two contests in Nevada and South Carolina, where there are large numbers of Latino and African American voters. The next wave of states, on Super Tuesday, boast large populations of non-white Democrats.

Buttigieg's opponents have tried to portray him as #MayoPete, the white bread candidate. If the label sticks, Buttigieg will have problems as he spreads his wings nationally. Anywhere from 35 percent to 40 percent of Democratic primary voters or caucus participants nationally will be black or brown.

Nationally, Buttigiegs future is also dependent on the state of Bidens campaign and the impact former New York City Mayor Michael BloombergMichael Rubens BloombergDeval Patrick beefs up campaign staff Buttigieg surges to second place behind Biden as Warren sinks: poll Bloomberg ties with Harris, Klobuchar in new national poll MORE and his money have on the campaign.

When all is said and done, the race will boil down to two candidates.

One of the finalists, either Warren or Sanders, will emerge as the champion of the aggressive progressives.

The other finalist will represent the pragmatic moderates in the party. Biden and Buttigieg are battling to be the pragmatists standard bearer. In the recent Democratic debate, Buttigieg went out of his way to court independents and even Republicans.

Bidens support has diminished since he formally entered the race. If Bidens candidacy stabilizes, Mayor Pete will hit a roadblock. If the former vice presidents fortunes continue to decline, Buttigieg will inherit some of his support.

Bloomberg is a late entry. The billionaire businessman has just started a two-week $37-billion national media buy that will make or break him in his quest to be the great moderate hope in the sweepstakes to stop Trump.

There have been five nationally televised Democratic debates, and theres less than three months before the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. But surprisingly few Democrats have made a hard and fast decision about a nominee.

Will Buttigieg break out and gain support beyond Iowa and New Hampshire? Will Bloombergs big bucks shuffle the deck? Theres still time for lots of twists and turns in the campaign until the people's choice finally emerges.

BradBannonis a Democratic pollster and CEO ofBannonCommunications Research. He is also the host of the radio podcast Deadline D.C. With BradBannon, which airs on the Progressive Voices Network. Follow him on Twitter@BradBannon.

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It's the aggressive progressives vs. the pragmatic moderates | TheHill - The Hill

A week out from a council vote on Chicagos next budget, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says shes done haggling over the $11.6 billion spending plan despite criticism from progressives that shes breaking promises made during the campaign.

The budget is the budget is the budget, Lightfoot said Wednesday at a press briefing.

After making it past committee-level hurdles this week, its likely that Lightfoot will get aldermanic approval at City Councils Nov. 26 meeting.

But progressive organizations are actively working for aldermen to vote against it.

The spending plan does not reopen the city clinics. It does not introduce progressive revenue that asks the rich to pay their fair share and it does very little for fair housing and homelessness, said Emma Tai, director of United Working Families.

Lightfoot says those critiques are invalid because such demands are untethered form the reality of the fiscal challenges we have in our city.

The mayor also hinted that politics may be part of the equation, given that United Working Families counts labor groups like the Chicago Teachers Union as a funding source. In the mayoral race this year, CTU backed Lightfoots rival, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and although the mayors office and Chicago Public Schools reached a contract deal theres still obvious tension following last months 11-day teachers strike.

This is an organization thats closely aligned with the Chicago Teachers Union. I would expect that they will have a drumbeat of complaints throughout my term and it woudlnt surprise me later in the day if they support a challenger to me, Lightfoot said, referring to the 2023 race.

Tai called that suggestion petty.

This is not personal. This is about what Chicago what the poor, working black and brown folks of Chicago need and deserve and this is about what the 2019 mandate was for, Tai said.

Follow Amanda Vinicky on Twitter:@AmandaVinicky

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Mayor: Progressive Pushback to City Budget 'Untethered' from Reality - WTTW News