Posted by John McCormick at 6:05 a.m. CDT

Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign is planning what could be the largest fundraiser of his presidential bid so far, a big-dollar event in Chicago that is expected to raise at least $1.5 million in a single evening.

Minimum suggested admission for the June 8 reception at the Park West theater, 322 W. Armitage Ave., is $1,000.

A flier for the event lists nine individuals or couples who have each pledged to raise at least $100,000, enough to make them "chairs" for the "Celebration with Senator Barack and Michelle Obama."

Posted by John McCormick at 1:54 p.m. CDT

Sen. Barack Obama used a midday appearance in Chicago today to respond to Republican criticism that his vote Thursday night against an Iraq spending bill is the equivalent of "waving a white flag" to terrorists.

"The way that we are going to show that we support the troops is by [starting to bring] some of them home," Obama told an international convention of more than 1,200 members of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

His fiery speech came after a vote in Washington where Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton opposed an Iraq war spending bill because it didn't contain a timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops.

Posted by Naftali Bendavid at 7:45 am CDT

Democratic Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, as many politics watchers know, is one of Washington's more forceful, vivid personalities. Whatever you think of his politics and personality, Emanuel stands out in this blow-dried world with his intensity, abrasiveness and liberal use of profanity.

That's part of the reason I followed him through the 2006 congressional campaign, a project that resulted in my new book, "The Thumpin': How Rahm Emanuel and the Democrats learned to be ruthless and ended the Republican revolution." Emanuel headed the Democratic campaign to retake the House after 12 years in the wilderness, and I thought it would be fascinating to watch this compelling figure as he cajoled, bullied and prodded his fellow Democrats to win as many seats as they could.

Not that I expected them to win. It's hard to remember now, but back in early 2005 President Bush had just won an impressive re-election victory, the Republicans had gained seats in the House and Senate, and some analysts were predicting a new era of GOP dominance.

It didn't turn out that way. And that's why I think this ended up being such a good story. Few congressional elections change the political scene in a significant way; voters usually trudge to the polls and grudgingly return the incumbents to power. Not this time. Dissatisfaction with the Iraq war and frustration with corruption prompted voters to throw out the Republicans and hand the Capitol keys to the Democrats. The House hadn't changed hands in 12 years--and before that, not four 40 years.

Posted by Frank James at 2:18 pm CDT

Our own Naftali Bendavid, deputy chief of the Chicago Tribune’s Washington bureau, has a new book “The Thumpin’, that chronicles Rep. Rahm Emanuel and the Democrats’ takeover of Congress. The title comes from President Bush’s characterization of the defeat Republicans experienced at Democratic hands last fall.

The book grew out of a post-election article Naftali wrote based on his exclusive year-long access to Emanuel, the peppery and profane Chicago-area congressman and former Clinton White House political operative who ran the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s successful efforts in 2006.

To mark the book’s publication by Doubleday and its going on sale Tuesday, Naftali has agreed to blog tomorrow about Emanuel, the book, and the House Democrats.

So even though we know Swampers haven’t had a chance to read the book, don’t let that stop you from weighing in on Emanuel or joining our “Ask Naftali” session. Look for his posting early tomorrow and send in those questions or comments.

Posted by Jim Tankersley and Christi Parsons at 4:20 CDT

Sen. Barack Obama picked up a personal Secret Service detail today, after a committee made up of the top Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate determined that he was a "major candidate" in need of special protection.

The Secret Service confirms the appointment of the detail, the earliest ever assigned to a presidential candidate who didn't already merit protection because of another job, but did not say why Obama now needs it.

Privately, several congressional sources close to the senator said they believe there was no threat against Obama that raised specific concerns but that there had been a series of threats since he launched his campaign.

Two Secret Service agents stood out front of his Hyde Park home this afternoon.

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) already has a detail because of her status as a former First Lady.

Posted by Frank James at 12:21 pm CDT

As a reporter who covered Carol Moseley Braun’s historic 1992 Senate campaign and got to know her fairly well back then, I just want to say how sorry I am that she sustained a broken wrist but how glad I am that nothing more happened to her during a mugging Friday night outside her Hyde Park home.

Braun's pretty feisty and street smart so I have to believe the mugger caught her off guard which sounds like the case.

Also, thank goodness for those University of Chicago students who came to her aid, Zachary Trayes-Gibson and Rachel McFadden, scaring off her attacker. Braun has referred to them as heroes and that’s what they are.

From the description of the attack and the short foot chase, it sounds like the attacker, who got away, didn’t have a gun though he apparently had a knife.

But Trayes-Gibson didn’t know that, at the time he commenced the chase, a fact his parents likely will mention to him if they haven’t already.

Posted by Naftali Bendavid at 1:40 pm CST

It’s a classic example of rapid response.

The Los Angeles Times published an article this morning suggesting that Barack Obama, in his 1994 memoir “Dreams From My Father,” exaggerated his role in a movement to rid certain Chicago apartments of asbestos. Specifically, the Times suggests that Obama downplayed the role of others in the Altgeld Gardens development and enhanced his own.

By 8:05 this morning, Obama’s campaign had sent reporters an e-mail titled “About that L.A. Times Story…”, offering a five-page, point-by-point rebuttal. “The implication is false, and the article is misleading,” it says, arguing that Obama’s role in the asbestos removal campaign was key and that he never exaggerated it. Given the detail in the document, it was clear the Obama campaign had been ready for the article and was pulling material together for some time. (The rebuttal is posted below.)

Posted by Christi Parsons at 2:50 p.m. CST

Some big Chicago unions are unhappy with him, but Democratic Mayor Richard Daley shrugged it off with a smile today.

It's true the Chicago police union isn't endorsing his bid for reelection, but Daley said he thinks that's actually a "strong message for me."

Mayor Daley at the Capitol today. Tribune Photo by Pete Souza

Sen. Dick Durbin plays host to a group of mayors from Illinois in his Capitol office. Chicago Tribune photo by Pete Souza.

Posted by Christi Parsons at 1:51 pm CST

The sandwiches he served were nice and the view from his office is spectacular, but Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was under no illusion as to why thirty Illinois mayors were so eager to join him for lunch today.

"I know many of you will be coming to me for earmarks," Durbin told the mayors, referring to the process by which Congress doles out federal money for special projects to local officials who come calling every year.

Now that Democrats have taken over and Durbin is the second-in-command in the U.S. Senate, he’s in a position to give Illinois communities a leg up in that process – whether they’re seeking money for a new bridge, a road or a municipal building.

Posted by Frank James at 1:58 pm CDT

An observation about yesterday’s presidential news conference. Over the years, it has become almost axiomatic that the Washington press corps cares mainly for scandals, especially if sex is involved, while ignoring issues of great moment.

But at yesterday’s White House Rose Garden press conference, the White House reporters' first 13 or so questions to President Bush had to do with important affairs of state – his policy towards North Korea and the continuing difficulties for the U.S. in Iraq dominated the first 13 or so questions.

(Official White House photo by Paul Morse.)