Location, Location

The two 10th district Dem candidates in the opposition squabbled among themselves about who is closest to really living in the district---owning a house a block away, or temporarily renting a house within it (hey--it could double as campaign HQ!). Tribune:

Seals lives in Wilmette a block away from the district's borders...[snip]Footlik grew up in Skokie but said he has strong ties to the district because his relatives live in the northern suburbs and he has dealt with many Jewish constituencies and other community groups while working in Washington. Footlik, who runs a homeland security consulting business, said he currently resides in Buffalo Grove.

Seals then got Footlik to admit he's only renting a house in the district.

And at a transportation location in the Loop, Reps. Mark Kirk and Melissa Bean (who still doesn't live in her district) warned the (Dem) snafu in Springfield is threatening matching infrastructure funding for Metra rail, which may go to other states. Tribune:

Kirk warned state leaders "there is a federal deadline pending" and suggested they lock themselves in a room to negotiate. "They can either kill themselves or come out with a bipartisan solution," he said.

The competition for scarce federal dollars is especially keen, and the representatives' warnings were "not an idle threat," said Michael McLaughlin, transportation director for the Metropolitan Planning Council, an independent non-profit planning organization.