Illinois governor orders special election for Jesse Jackson Jr.'s old seat
Source: CNN
(CNN) – Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said Monday that a special election will be held to fill the congressional seat vacated by former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who stepped down last week amid an ethics probe and ongoing health problems.
Quinn said a primary election would be held on February 26, which coincides with an already-scheduled local primary election, and proposed setting April 9 as the date for the general election to coincide with another previously-scheduled vote.
The governor's statement said Quinn was working with state lawmakers to establish April 9 as the date of the general election, rather than an earlier date, since it falls outside the 115-day period established by state law to schedule a special election date.
"This special election will be carried out in a manner that is fair to the electorate and as economical as possible for taxpayers," Quinn said in a statement. "By holding the special primary and general elections on the same days as existing contests, we can save significant taxpayer dollars and ensure the people of the 2nd District can make their voices heard."
Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/26/illinois-governor-orders-special-election-for-jesse-jackson-jr-s-old-seat/
= new reply since forum marked as read
She's just as much a Chicago resident as Rahmbo was when he ran for mayor. 
Michelle can do more good for our country as First Lady then should would as being 1 of 435 in the U.S. Congress.
The only thing that I can think is that maybe you haven't been paying attention to all of the things Michelle has done over the past four years.
August 22, 2012
First Lady Michelle Obama Announces 125,000 Veterans & Military Spouses Hired through Joining Forces
WASHINGTON – Today, First Lady Michelle Obama traveled to Naval Station Mayport, Florida to announce that more than 2,000 businesses who have participated in her Joining Forces initiative have hired or trained more than 125,000 veterans and military spouses in the past year. Mrs. Obama also announced that these same companies have committed to build on the momentum to date and have pledged to hire or train 250,000 veterans and spouses in the coming years. The First Lady’s event at Naval Station Mayport was livestreamed by the Department of Defense to every U.S. military base around the world.
-snip-
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/22/first-lady-michelle-obama-announces-125000-veterans-military-spouses-hir
AND
Office of the First Lady
For Immediate Release
January 11, 2012
First Lady Michelle Obama Announces Major Coordinated Effort by America's Academic Institutions to Combat PTSD & TBI
130 Medical Schools & Research Facilities to Join Forces to Serve Veterans & Families
(Richmond, Virginia) Today, as part of First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) committed to creating a new generation of doctors, medical schools, and research facilities that will make sure our heroes and their families receive the care worthy of their sacrifice. Recognizing veterans, service members and their families’ dedication and commitment, 130 schools associated with the AAMC and AACOM pledged to leverage their missions in education, research, and clinical care to train the nation’s physicians to meet the unique health care needs of the military and veterans communities.
“I’m inspired to see our nation’s medical schools step up to address this pressing need for our veterans and military families. By directing some of our brightest minds, our most cutting-edge research, and our finest teaching institutions toward our military families, they’re ensuring that those who have served our country receive the first-rate care that they have earned,” says First Lady Michelle Obama.
Together, the AAMC and AACOM are committing to improve the education in their medical schools, the research in their laboratories, and the clinical care in their hospitals to better address the health issues that military families face. Specifically, these organizations are committing to:
• Train their medical students as well as their current physicians, faculty, and staff to better diagnose and treat our veterans and military families;
• Develop new research and clinical trials on PTSD and TBI so that we can better understand and treat those conditions;
• Share their information and best practices with one another through a collaborative web forum created by the AAMC; and
• Continue to work with the VA and the Department of Defense to make sure that everyone is providing the best care available.
“Because of our integrated missions in education, clinical care, and research, America’s medical schools are uniquely positioned to take a leadership role in this important effort,” said Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., president and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges. “Medical schools have long recognized the sacrifice and commitment of our military, veterans, and their families. The relationship between the Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and academic medicine dates back to the end of World War II and serves as a model for successful partnerships between public and private institutions. Our work with the White House on Joining Forces is a natural extension of our efforts in this area and renews our commitment to the wellness of our nation’s military.”
“A central component of the White House Joining Forces Initiative is wellness, and I am pleased to announce AACOM’s participation in a new Joining Forces effort that could have a significant impact on the health and well-being of our nation’s veterans.” Dr. Stephen C. Shannon, President and CEO, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.
Examples of universities stepping up to provide for veterans and their families include:
• Virginia Commonwealth University where they’re leading a groundbreaking project to provide resources and training to health care providers, volunteers, and community members throughout Virginia who can help ease the transition home for veterans with TBI and PTSD.
• The University of Pittsburgh where researchers are developing a new imaging tool that allows the visualization of the wiring of the brain in vivid high definition, which could lead to new breakthroughs in the diagnosis of TBI.
• The University of South Florida where they are working with the Department of Defense and the VA to create a first-of-its-kind Center for Veterans Reintegration, which will mean a single, cohesive research, treatment, and education facility for veterans and families.
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden created Joining Forces to bring Americans together to recognize, honor and take action to support veterans and military families as they serve our country and throughout their lives. The initiative aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of society to ensure veterans and military families have the support they have earned. The initiative focuses on key priority areas – employment, education, and wellness while raising awareness about the service, sacrifice, and needs of America’s veterans and military families. More information is available at: www.JoiningForces.gov.
The following is a list of the 130 universities and colleges participating in this program:
LIST here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/11/first-lady-michelle-obama-announces-major-coordinated-effort-americas-ac
Our First Lady is NOT sitting home everyday knitting or baking cookies
and that's one of the most ridiculous i've heard in awhile. 
a monument of President Obama and President Obama side by side maybe fist bumping forever.
(or perhaps Chief Justice Obama and Justice Obama somewhere between Lincoln, FDR and MLK.)
Though we all might not be here to see it 60 to 75 years from now after old age sets in, and the Obama's will be 125, future generation or two after us will.
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I feel bad for his troubles, but someone should have suggested that he should not have run. he could easily have arrived at this decision one month before the election as he did two weeks after. His constituents really were without representation for six months.
Of course, it took Gabby Gifford a year to resign but I hardly compare the two cases.
And Ted Kennedy had a stroke on Inauguration Day and was a member of the Senate until his death nine months later.
One can also add that neither Obama nor Clinton nor McCain attended much of the Senate on 2008.
Perhaps members of Congress should be treated like regular wage earners. Paid sick days, disability payments if needed and otherwise unpaid leave of absence.
His slogan could be "Blast Through The Gridlock!"