Sunday Comics

Sunday Comic: Obama Sees Rough Months Ahead

What is it that has the president so pessimistic as spring unfolds? Oh ... that.

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President Obama Visits Argonne: Live Updates from Patch

Obama speaks about American energy policy Friday at Argonne National Laboratory. Here's what he has to say.

President Barack Obama will visit Argonne National Laboratory on Friday afternoon to discuss "American energy policy." The visit is especially interesting for friends and employees of Batavia's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory because the president's comments are likely to affect folks at Fermilab. Obama is scheduled to arrive at O'Hare International Airport around 11:25 a.m. on Air Force One. He will then travel to Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials, where he will address credentialed media at 1:30 p.m. The White House Press Office said the visit will focus on American energy, but did not elaborate on the context of the president's remarks. Obama's trip marks the first time a president has appeared at Argonne since former …

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Sunday Comic: Obama Has Perfect Record on Asteroids

Unfortunately, there are man-made dangers hurtling toward us at blinding speed.

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Patch on Politics

Did Life in the Shadow of President Obama Push Jesse Jackson Jr. Over the Edge?

A columnist who's covered Jackson since his first days in public office suggests Obama's rise sent Jackson to his downfall.

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.— who came into Congress bearing the heavy weight of his family name and lofty ambitions — counted Chicago's third airport as a signature issue for the better part of his time in office. And there's been no stauncher advocate for that project than Southtown columnist Phil Kadner. Construction of such an airport would bring much-needed jobs to an area plagued by chronic unemployment, and the airport itself, once realized, would serve as an economic engine for decades to come. So went the mantra. Targeted for a rural area outside the 2nd District until the latest congressional remap put the land into his district, Jackson's pursuit of the airport irritated Democrats and Republicans alike, from Chicago to Will …

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VIDEO: Obama Supporters Celebrate Win

McCormick Place is filled with celebration as the race is called.

LIVE from McCormick Place: Patch reports live from the Chicago celebration. Comments on this post are set for pre-publication review.

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Local Merchants Divided on Obama's July 13 Speech

Some merchants disagree, others agree with the president, but others want to keep their politics out of business.

Local merchants have conflicting views about President Barack Obama’s July 13 speech in Virginia, in which he told small businesses they didn’t succeed on their own — that they received help along the way. The reactions expressed this week to St. Charles Patch and Geneva Patch represented a mix of outright support for the president’s remarks and carefully worded disagreement. “It was ill-considered and wrong-headed,” said David Lencioni, president of the Blue Goose Market, 300 S. 2nd St., in downtown St. Charles. He was among a few who were willing to talk to Patch this week. But he weighed his words carefully before speaking. “I think what he said was very revealing. “But I don’t want to use what he said to make any judgments on him or …

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Obamacare Upheld by U.S. Supreme Court

Federal health care mandate deemed constitutional by five of the nine judges.

The Supreme Court announced Thursday that the Affordable Care Act, which mandates every American to purchase health insurance, is constitutional. The Supreme Court ruled that the federal government can levy a "tax" on individuals who do not buy into the system. The judges said the individual mandate cannot be upheld under the commerce clause, but that Congress's ability to tax and spend in this case is upheld. The individual health care mandate is the key provision in Obamacare, and many are calling it a huge win for the president as we approach the November elections. The Obama administration touted the law passed in March 2010 as its signature legislative achievement. However, others decry the law because of concerns about the federal …

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Quinn Says His Budget 'Contains Truths You May Not Want to Hear'

Here is a wrap-up of area political news.

Prison closures, layoffs and cutbacks to health care for the poor are part of the budget proposal Gov. Pat Quinn released Wednesday, according to the Chicago Tribune. Hultgren Supports McConnaughay Randy Hultgren, Republican congressman from the 14th District, which includes the far western suburbs, has endorsed Karen McConnaughay, who is seeking the Republican nomination in the 33rd State Senate District race, Patch reported. Durbin a Co-chair of Obama’s Re-election Effort U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin is one of 35 national co-chairs named to President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, according to the Washington Post. Obama’s co-chairs include elected officials, campaign volunteers and a few celebrities. Quinn Says He is Not Sure About …

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Obama Volunteers in Kane County Identify with Tone in State of the Union Speech

President Barack Obama's third State of the Union address was given Tuesday night.

Inside a crowded St. Charles bar, volunteers from Obama for America’s Kane County team watched on as the President talked on national television about the economy and his agenda for the near future Tuesday. For the group of nearly 30 volunteers watching on screens normally reserved for sporting events at Rookie’s All-American Pub & Grill in St. Charles, Obama’s State of the Union address is a reminder of the candidate—and the ideals he supports—for which they volunteered their time to help push him into office. Much of Obama’s speech focused on the economy and jobs. The President's critics often cite a lingering economic recovery and a nationwide unemployment rate that remains far too high. In Illinois, statewide unemployment dropped, but …

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