Obama in Chicago to speak, campaign

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The first time a sitting President has landed at Gary's airport was Wednesday evening. Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson greeted her fellow Harvard alum on arrival.

President Obama is in Chicago for 24 hours to campaign for Democratic candidates including Governor Pat Quinn and Senator Dick Durbin, as well as to speak at Northwestern University.

Guarding the president on his trip are men and women whose agency is under heavy political fire. Secret Service director Julia Pierson resigned today, falling on the sword after a fence jumper armed with a knife made his way into the White House.

Now there's word the Service didn't tell the president about an incident in Atlanta two weeks ago. President Obama was in an elevator at the CDC with a private security guard who began taking fan photos. Only after questioning did the Secret Service learn the man had a gun and a criminal record.

"Over the last several days we've seen recent and accumulating reports raising questions about the performance of the agency," said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

Another federal agency in the crosshairs is the FAA. Air Force One landed in Gary Wedneday night because of the sabotage of the FAA control center in Aurora.

"How can you have an airport so integral to the national and international system with no back-up capacity, where one individual can have this impact?" asked former Obama chief of staff and current Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel.

The President is in Chicago campaigning for Governor Pat Quinn and other Democrats on Thursday. Then he will deliver a speech on the economy at Northwestern University. Aboard Air Force One tonight was a Northwestern alum, one of the president's speech writers, proudly wearing his Wildcat best.

PHOTOS: President Obama arrives at Gary International Airport