Which Local Political Officials Will Be At Chicago World Series Games?
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Some Chicago political officials will be watching the World Series games on television.
The question of which local elected officials will be in Chicago for the Cubs-Indians games at Wrigley Field and how they got their tickets has become a game of political football, CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports.
Some aldermen are plenty peeved that the Cubs withdrew their offer to sell them World Series tickets at face value, after ethics officials objected. That offer was available in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
"The whole thing was odd to me," says Ald. Nicholas Sposado. "And I didn't think anyone was doing anything wrong."
When the Cubs offered playoff tickets, plenty of local politicos took advantage.
"I've been to all the playoff games here in Chicago," Mayor Rahm Emanuel says.
And he had company. Gov. Bruce Rauner and Sen. Mark Kirk bought tickets as well.
Kirk's opponent, Rep. Tammy Duckworth didn't, though Secretary of State Jesse White bought playoff tickets.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Cook County Board President Tony Preckwinkle didn't. Neither did House Speaker Mike Madigan, whose spokesman Steve Brown said: "Madigan's a season-ticket holder, so it's unnecessary. But we have a campaign to run. Doubtful he'd have time to attend."
What's more, the mayor says, please show some sympathy for the ethics committee.
"The ethics committee hasn't struggled with this question since 1945," Emanuel said.
Emanuel added what's really important isn't which elected official gets access to the World Series, it's that the Cubs are in the World Series at all.