A behind-the-scenes scramble has already begun to fill the Senate seats that will be left vacant by Barack Obama and Joe Biden when they are installed as president and vice-president.

Neither John McCain, nor Barack Obama could claim they exercised leadership on the bailout plan, whose rejection by rank-and-file lawmakers yesterday drove markets to historic lows.

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.