Wisconsin residents cheer on ‘Paul’ as Ryan accepts spot on ticket

JANESVILLE, Wis. — A breathless Sara Mueller literally ran through the front doors of the Holiday Inn Express Wednesday evening.

“I’m extremely excited,” said the 40-year-old homemaker and lifelong Janesville resident.

Mueller spent the next few minutes telling a gathering of fifty or so other …

Tropical Storm Isaac clouds picture for Republicans

TAMPA — Republicans gaveled their convention to order Monday for a session lasting only minutes as Tropical Storm Isaac spun a path toward New Orleans, presenting Mitt Romney’s team with the challenge of selling his candidacy while the Gulf Coast faces another potential disaster.

Convention notebook: Republicans use Madigan to raise money

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Illinois Republicans are going to the dogs.

Not literally.

In the party’s quest to demonize House Speaker Michael Madigan and make him a key part of its 2012 messaging, the state Republican Party debuted a website where the party’s faithful can buy …

First lady tells Chicago donors why to re-elect Obama: He’s ‘awesome’

First lady Michelle Obama revved up a hometown crowd of women at the Standard Club on Tuesday and then watched as Gov. Quinn signed a law to protect military families. As her husband raised money in George and Florida, Mrs. Obama told Chicagoans, including many old friends she waved to, that in her biased opinion, the president is “awesome” and deserves another four years.

U. of C. prof wants to shelve Obama library idea

A University of Chicago professor is raising red flags about the still-underground campaign to bring Barack Obama’s presidential library to the campus where Obama was a senior law lecturer.

“I want to raise the alarm because I think a presidential museum will inevitably become our …

Mapping the presidential libraries

Building presidential libraries on college campuses is a recent trend.

Franklin Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower all are remembered in free-standing institutions in their hometowns.

Jimmy Carter’s library in Atlanta has a loose affiliation with Emory University through the Carter Center. The …

GOP V.P. contenders to speak in Rosemont Friday

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindahl, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Ohio Gov. John Kasich are among the vice-presidential possibilities flocking to Chicago Friday for the Conservative Political Action Conference.

While conservatives will be gathering in Rosemont to hear from the standard-bearers …

For Emanuel, risk hosting summit ‘will pay off’

Mayor Rahm Emanuel had the most to lose from the NATO summit — having stuck his neck out to get it and squeezed business leaders to spend $36.5 million to fund it — and he appears to have emerged from Chicago’s dance on the world stage relatively unscathed.

Obama on NATO Summit: It’s no Taste of Chicago

Deal with it.

In a nutshell, that was President Barack Obama’s kidding message to Chicagoans carping about all the traffic restrictions and security measures in place for the NATO Summit.

“I’ve been asking: Why is everybody making such a big fuss? This isn’t as big …

Courthouse weddings off

Hoping to get hitched in front of a judge downtown this Saturday?

Well, it won’t happen this weekend, thanks to the NATO Summit.

The Marriage and Civil Union Court at 119 W. Randolph will be closed Saturday, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced …

Barack Obama’s ever evolving views on gay marriage

1996: In his first run for office, state Senate candidate Barack Obama responds to a North Side gay magazine’s issues survey with a letter that includes his support for gay marriage. “I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight effort to prohibit such marriages,” Obama …

Feds to impose ‘no-fly zone’ for small planes during NATO summit

The government is warning small-plane pilots they could be shot down if they violate a no-fly zone in Chicago during the NATO summit.

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a flight advisory for May 19 to 21, banning non-commercial aircraft from flying within 10 nautical …

Local NATO hosts red-faced over ‘Red Zone’ militarization plan

The head of Chicago’s NATO Host Committee said Thursday she was blindsided by the federal government’s decision to create a militarized “Red Zone” in the Loop to protect federal buildings in the run-up to the May 20-21 summit at McCormick Place.

Protesters: Parts of I-55, Lake Shore Drive to be closed during NATO summit

Portions of Lake Shore Drive and Interstate 55 will be closed to traffic during the May 20-21 NATO summit to accommodate a security perimeter imposed by the U.S. Secret Service to protect world leaders meeting at McCormick Place, protesters were told Tuesday.

Vice President Biden drops in for President Obama fund-raiser

Vice President Joe Biden wrapped up a three-state campaign tour Thursday at the Lincoln Park home of real estate developer Elzie Higginbottom. He gave shout-outs to former Mayor Richard M. Daley and former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, whom he called “one of …