Johnson, Pritzker and the Biden barrage

Happy Wednesday, Illinois. On this day in 1966, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke before 30,000 Chicagoans at Soldier Field for “Freedom Sunday.”

TOP TALKER

THE POLITICAL DYNAMICS of whether President Joe Biden should stay in the presidential race spilled into the Illinois political ethos Tuesday, putting Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson on the spot. They both said they stand behind the president.

Johnson joined Biden and nearly 200 mayors in a Zoom call during which the president owned up to flubbing his debate performance and reassured the city leaders that he’s up for the task of the campaign and a second term.

The mayor liked what he heard, according to a letter he emailed to supporters.

“I know there has been a lot of chatter about the president’s performance in the debate, and the president himself has said he had a bad debate,” Johnson wrote about the Zoom meeting. “Having spoken to the president just now, I can tell you he is ready, willing and able to take on and defeat Donald Trump. He made it clear that he will be crisscrossing the country and campaigning relentlessly to defeat Donald Trump.”

Biden also addressed goals for a second term, which align with Johnson’s own initiatives, including housing, education, public safety and banning assault weapons and vowed to restore Roe v. Wade, according to a campaign spokesperson.

Read our full story here.

Earlier in the day, a press conference about bringing jobs to Chicago’s West Side was upended by reporters wanting to know about Pritzker’s presidential aspirations in wake of questions about Biden’s ability to run for office.

Pritzker’s answer wasn’t exactly a no: “I’m not engaging in hypotheticals. You can see that I’m all in for Joe Biden. Joe Biden is going to be the nominee of the Democratic Party. I’m going to go out there and wholeheartedly campaign for him,” Pritzker said.

Meanwhile all eyes are on Biden: Before his meeting with the mayors, the president delivered a forceful speech to open the NATO summit in Washington. The goal was to quell doubts about his fitness to run a second term.

Did it work? These headlines indicate it’s still up in the air:

How Biden froze Capitol Hill — for now, by POLITICO’s Adam Cancryn and Elena Schneider

‘We could lose the whole thing’: Colorado senator frets over Biden’s prospects, by POLITICO’s Ursula Perano

When asked if Biden should remain on the ticket, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, told reporters, “that remains to be seen,” via POLITICO’s national Playbook.

Biden support slips in deep blue New York: ‘We’re a battleground state now,’ by POLITICO’s Nick Reisman

CONVENTION ZONE

THEY DID IT: The Chicago 2024 Host Committee says it’s secured 12,200 volunteer applications to help put on the Democratic National Convention in August. The goal was 12,000.

Wide swath of applicants: The host committee says the applications are from every zip code in Chicago, with nearly three-quarters submitted by Illinois residents. “Chicago, Illinois, and the Midwest are beyond excited to host this summer’s convention, and there is no clearer proof than today’s massive planning milestone,” Host Committee Executive Director Christy George said in a statement.

They’re not done yet. Volunteer applications for the Aug. 19-22 convention are still being accepted. You can apply here.

More convention news:

— Democratic convention could cause traffic nightmares for hospitals near United Center, by the Sun-Times’ Kaitlin Washburn and Mitchell Armentrout

— Pro-Palestinian group seeks larger protest route near Democratic convention as city raises safety concerns, by the Sun-Times’ Mary Norkol

— Gov. JB Pritzker steps up his anti-Trump push with a Milwaukee abortion ad, by Bloomberg’s Miranda Davis.

— DeSantis fought with Trump for the nomination. Now the Florida governor won’t speak at the convention, by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout, Meridith McGraw and Kimberly Leonard

— Trump didn’t invite Haley to the RNC. She’s encouraging her delegates to back him anyway, by POLITICO’s Meridith McGraw

If you are Christy George, Playbook would like to hear from you. Email: [email protected]

WHERE'S JB

At the RUSH Professional Building at 10 a.m. to sign the Healthcare Protection Act — At Prime and Provisions at 2 p.m. to give remarks at Reimagining Public Safety Act reception.

WHERE's BRANDON

No official public events.

Where's Toni

No official public events.

Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or (heaven forbid) a complaint? Email: [email protected]

BUSINESS OF POLITICS

— SENDING GOOD VIBES: Richard Porter, the outgoing national committeeman for the Illinois Republican Party, sent a note to GOP colleagues thanking them for their support over the past 10 years and announcing he won’t be running for party chair, a position that opened up recently. The reason: He’s been diagnosed “with a curable form of throat cancer” that will keep him off the radar for a while as he undergoes treatment.

He’s talked to applicants: Porter says he’s spoken to three folks thinking of running. “Each of them have different strengths — I am confident any of them would do an excellent job..” Here’s his full letter.

— School board candidate roster narrows as more than half face objections before the Chicago Board of Elections, by the Tribune’s Sarah Macaraeg, Molly Morrow and Zareen Syed

CORRUPTION CHRONICLES

— Former GOP state lawmaker Sam McCann, a candidate for governor, is sentenced to 42 months in prison: He pleaded guilty for “stealing nearly $700,000 in campaign funds and attempting to conceal his theft with false reports to state election authorities,” by Capitol News’ Hannah Meisel.

— Board yanked convicted ex-Ald. Ed Burke’s $96K annual city pension just minutes after sentencing, records show, by WTTW’s Heather Cherone and Jared Rutecki

TRAINS, PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES

— City, suburban transit bosses resist call to combine agencies, ask for cash instead: “Leaders of the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace argued the systems are already efficient, accountable — they just need more cash to improve the frequency of trains and buses,” by the Sun-Times’ David Struett.

THE STATEWIDES

— INVESTIGATION: The U.N. calls restraint chairs torture. Illinois jails use them every day: “The Illinois Answers Project found jail staff are restraining people in chairs in ways that often violate policies and last longer than recommended by manufacturers,” by Grace Hauck.

— Menard prison staff picket, citing unsafe working conditions, by Capitol News’ Molly Parker

CHICAGO

— Chicago police rebuff watchdog’s request to reopen probe into cops’ ties to extremist Oath Keepers: “Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said officers tied to extremist groups ‘are dishonoring the badge,’” by WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos and the Sun-Times’ Tom Schuba.

— Mayor Johnson slowly builds on a campaign promise to hire more young people for city’s summer jobs program, by WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel

— Dozens of Chicago area Mariano’s, Jewel-Osco stores to be sold in supermarket merger talks, by Fox 32’s Adam Zielinski and The Associated Press

Reader Digest

We asked what makes a good vice president:

Clem Balanoff: “An attack dog who can make the case.”

Mike Gascoigne: “Someone who complements the president’s strengths and weaknesses and can offer them a voter base that they themselves do not tap into.”

Carlton Hull: “Loyalty and integrity and a willingness to travel all 50 States to talk with the voters.”

Charles Keller: “A business owner who became a governor. Plenty of experience in getting things done effectively.”

Ed Mazur: “Someone with great interpersonal skills, conceptual skills and technical skills who if needed to become president could hit the ground running.’”

David Schwartz: “A willingness to learn all the pieces of the presidency so they can step in if necessary and an ability to express disagreements with the president in private but present a united front in public.”

Timothy Thomas Jr.: “The office of V-POTUS has come a long way since the time of FDR’s John Nance Garner III, who said it’s “not worth a bucket of warm [spit].’ The VP must be a team player, able to step in when/if necessary but also set their personal aspirations on the backburner while waiting their turn.”

NEXT QUESTION: When did you receive a personal note from a lawmaker? Email [email protected]

THE NATIONAL TAKE

— Harris hits the campaign trail as Biden tries to quiet his critics, by POLITICO’s Eugene Daniels

— Trump toys with Miami crowd — and Rubio — over vice presidential pick, by POLITICO’s Kimberly Leonard

— POT POURRI: How Minnesota accidentally created America’s weed beverage capital, by POLITICO’s Paul Demko

TRANSITIONS

— Michelle Paul is now legislative director at the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office. She spent 20 years at the Illinois Federation of Teachers, in a number of roles, including six years as legislative director.

— W. Brooke Elliott named business school dean at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, by the Tribune’s Lizzie Kane

IN MEMORIAM

— Longtime Sangamon County Board member John O’Neill dead at 78, by the State Journal-Register’s Steven Spearie

TRIVIA

TUESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Jon Maxson and Ald. Bennett Lawson for correctly answering that Rockford was known as “home of the sock monkey” because it was patented there. H/T Jack Mccarthy for the fun photo.

TODAY’s QUESTION: What unidentified figure was seen by residents in Mattoon in 1944?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Former Congressman John Cox Jr., former state Rep. Carol Sente, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association President and CEO Mark Denzler, civic activist Toni Canada, nonprofit leader Sunny Fischer, Faegre Drinker Senior Director Olivia Pantoja, TresserLabs Chief Engagement Officer Tom Tresser, journalist Brandon Smith, Wall Street Journal restaurants reporter Heather Haddon and downstate Illinois journalist Paul Wood.

-30-