Return of the Red Line some politics with video on demand!

[VIDEO] ABC7Chicago took a ride on the Dan Ryan branch of the Red Line before everyday commuters will be on Sunday. Today also many of our city and state politicians also took a ride and lauded this branch's return to service. As you see in the video above they also made some comments about the reconstruction project.


[VIDEO] Chicago Tribune cameras was also there as you see in the video below. What you see below is Mayor Emanuel, US Sen. Dick Durbin, and Gov. Pat Quinn.

Now the write-up about the speeches at Garfield Red Line L stop from the Tribune we see that the focus was as much on politics as it was on the re-opening of the Red Line.

The mayor, like Quinn who spoke before him, noted the project would better connect South Siders with jobs and other neighborhoods. They also said the project provided jobs and contract work for minorities. But it was Durbin who didn't mince words noting the political benefits.

"Let me tell you what Politics 101 is if you are running in the city of Chicago and Cook County," said Durbin, who is seeking re-election next year. "You better find yourself at the 95th Street station passing out literature if you are running for office. And you know why? Two hundred and fifty thousand people a week ride this Red Line."

Quinn, who also is running for re-election, played to the audience, invoking the memory of Harold Washington, the city's first black mayor.
...
It was the first joint public appearance for the mayor and governor since Quinn invoked his populist credentials Tuesday night at a rally staged by unions and neighborhood activists that had strong anti-Emanuel overtones, with the theme of "Take Back Chicago."

Emanuel praised the governor for helping fund the Red Line project, but did not mention him by name, as he did when praising Durbin for pushing transportation funding at the federal level. Quinn introduced the mayor, but otherwise did not mention his name.

Alright, just remember the post I wrote about the "Take Back Chicago" rally that took place earlier this week. That's what the article is referring to.

And just for kicks here's another video from the Tribune showing a test run on the newly constructed Dan Ryan branch. [VIDEO]