As the temperature rose and the March 19 primary approached, election posters bloomed like spring flowers in the fighting 47th Ward. In the front yards and on the porches along the quiet side streets of Ravenswood and Lincoln Square, Kaszaks and Emanuels, Madigans and Schmidts, Claypools and Lechowiczes jostled for precious sunlight. Amid this fierce competition one sign faced no opponent, one dominated the landscape like a sunflower–the large white sign for Fifth District congressman and Democratic candidate for governor Rod Blagojevich. And on nearly every sign was a dark blue sticker in the lower right corner that read “Endorsed by Alderman Gene Schulter.”
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But someone took offense at these stickers. By a week before the primary dozens of the Blagojevich signs throughout the 47th ward had been vandalized. The MO was always the same–a quick but heavy application of white spray paint. Sometimes the paint covered the entire sticker, sometimes just the alderman’s name. Either way, the intention was clear.
“If you stand still long enough in this ward he’ll put a sticker on your back,” said Kelly of Schulter. “This guy loves to see his name up. [Alderman Dick] Mell asked me if I wanted to put my name on the Blagojevich signs that our people were putting up. I told Mell I don’t want my name on any signs. My ego time is gone. I don’t need my name on my signs.”
