It's Official

From the Tribune's Clout Street blog:

• Chicago’s police union endorsed Gery Chico in the mayor’s race today, choosing the former Daley administration official over Rahm Emanuel because officers believe they would fare better with him on key issues, especially changes to their pensions.
  
  On a small stage where a couple dozen beefy cops in suits packed themselves around Chico, Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Donahue called the candidate “a Chicago guy” and lauded his track record working to bolster the police department’s ranks during his term as Daley’s chief of staff in the 1990s.
  

Thanks for the "beefy cops in suits" comment you lefty pinko slanted-reporting ignoramuses. Here's something that needs to be rectified though:

• Support for Chico and Emanuel was about even in the balloting, Donahue acknowledged. Ballots were sent to 17,000 union members in December. Not all members responded. Donahue confirmed that the two candidates were separated by less than 100 votes, though he could not immediately say how many ballots were cast. He pointed out, many union members cast their ballots before the candidates began to answer questions publicly about how they view the need for pension reform.

Participation was rumored to be low, so low that Donahue was embarrassed to even mention a number at the meeting. We realize that to many cops, living in a democratic controlled town is an anathema to their political leanings and the lack of affordable housing in quiet neighborhoods dilutes any chance of creating a formidable bloc of voters. But for something as simple as sending back a pre-printed envelope that arrives on the doorstep, participation ought to be well into the 80 and 90 percent ranges.

UPDATE: The envelope wasn't prepaid - it was pre-printed. Post corrected.