The way folks in Chicago like to tell it, Thomas Ricketts bleeds Cubbie blue.

U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois almost annihilated the career of a young Barack Obama almost 20 years ago when he easily beat back a primary challenge from the then-unknown state lawmaker by portraying him as less than authentically black, among other things.

It used to be said that behind every successful man is a woman. In the case of President-elect Barack Obama, add his mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, to the mix.

Chicago billionaire Neil Bluhm made his fortune buying and selling hotels, resorts and malls. But in recent years, he has been expanding his interests in politics and gaming.

An Indian businessman with ties to both Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. is caught up in the probe of the governor’s alleged efforts to sell the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama.

Chicago Schools Chief Arne Duncan, tapped today to be Education Secretary, has powerful friends in common with President-elect Barack Obama.

In a city of political dynasties, Jesse Jackson Jr. has a last name with particular political resonance.

Barack Obama’s close ties to players in the murky world of Illinois politics led indirectly to the undoing of Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich.

Some see President-elect Barack Obama’s decision to sit down for his first print interview with Ebony magazine as a symbolic nod to the readers of the historic black magazine.

The group overseeing Barack Obama’s Jan. 20 inaugural boasts a bipartisan roster of go-getters, most with deep Chicago roots.

Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle, is a first cousin, once removed, to Rabbi Capers C. Funnye Jr., spiritual leader of a mostly black synagogue on Chicago’s South Side.

To a degree unlike any other city in America, Chicago is identified with its black elite. Locals joke that you can find more black millionaires per square foot at the Chicago Urban League’s annual dinner than you can anywhere in the world.

With Barack Obama sewing up the Democratic nominee for president, one of the hottest games in Chicago is guessing who might accompany him to Washington.

Barack Obama’s education in the bare-knuckled and often tribal politics of Chicago says much about his ambition, as well as his ability to cultivate powerful mentors.

As Illinois Sen. Barack Obama closes in on the Democratic nomination for president, Muckety has compiled a list of the 100 most networked players in Chicago as an early indicator of the ties that might bind a President Obama.

Full list of 100 most networked people in Chicago.

To determine the 100 most connected people in Chicago, we started with a list of 275 influential organizations, companies and agencies in the metro area.