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Two candidates for Alderman in the 43rd and 3rd wards of Chicago were interviewed by Jeff Berkowitz. Michele Smith (43rd) and Pat Dowell (3rd) are running respectively against the incumbents Alds. Vi Daley and Dorothy Tillman. Looking at the headline though the incumbents were to be on this video but "chickened out".

Which reminds me...

Tillman was supposed to be at a forum hosted by the Chicago Urban League. This was from the Chicago Reader political blog Clout City...

The Chicago Urban League hosted a Third Ward candidates' forum Tuesday night. It started 20 minutes late and was over about 2 minutes later.

At 6:30, the forum's scheduled start time, challenger Pat Dowell was sitting by herself at the candidates' table, facing a restless audience of more than 200 people. By 6:40 she was in the lobby conferring with her staff and event organizers. At 6:45 one of the organizers stepped to the podium. "One of the candidates has a conflict and sent a surrogate," he said. "The other candidate is discussing how to proceed."

It wasn't too hard to figure out which candidate was which. By 6:50 the "surrogate"--longtime political activist Jacky Grimshaw--was sitting in the seat everyone had expected Third Ward alderman Dorothy Tillman to occupy, while Dowell leaned into the microphone.

"I think tonight demonstrates exactly why we need change in this ward," Dowell said. "I was here to have a candidates' forum, not a surrogates' forum." She left the room.

Grimshaw hurried to the podium. "Dorothy is busy taking care of the business of the Third Ward," she said.

People from the audience were out of their seats, and several were crowding around her. They booed. Outside the entrance to the building Dowell supporters kept up a chant of "Where is Dorothy?"

"You can boo all you want!" Grimshaw yelled. "But the bottom line is that Dorothy Tillman is the alderman of the Third Ward and she gets to decide where she wants to spend her time!"

That's not good Dorothy. If it was her idea to send a surrogate she probably was better off with a more diplomatic surrogate. That or she wanted or expected her to say that last thing. This is a situation that was already not idea, made worse. And I do imagine that despite this ego trip but Tillman's stock may have just dropped. She may not survive this election because of this and she'll probably be the first one who'd be shocked.

Also check out Dowell's website. Remember this video that I posted back in January. Well she has video posted on her front page. Also this same video maker posted video of that forum. Hey go check out artistmac, he does some good work.