|
Morning shorts
Monday, Oct 9, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller * Lee Newspapers: Republicans running for every statewide office except for governor have more than party affiliation in common. Each one of them, from the candidate for attorney general to the candidate for state comptroller, will still have a taxpayer-supported job if they lose on Nov. 7 * Sun-Times: Lincoln Park Zoo’s polar bear exhibit features a couple of very powerful, 800-pound creatures — and the name of a man who allegedly won illegal kickbacks by muscling hospitals into using his pals for construction projects. * Tribune: Trying to clear the air about air - Governor candidates tackle the environment * Sun-Times editorial: If we must have a city clerk, del Valle is wise choice * Shimkus: This week was a learning experience * Washington Post: A Republican congressman knew of disgraced former representative Mark Foley’s inappropriate Internet exchanges as far back as 2000 and personally confronted Foley about his communications. * Tribune: House page scandal puts Hastert’s foe in spotlight * Sweet: A casualty of the Mark Foley cyberspace sex scandal is the once-close relationship between Illinois Republicans Rep. John Shimkus and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert. * NBC5: In a new Newsweek poll, 52 percent of those surveyed said they believed Hastert was aware of Foley’s inappropriate messages to teenage house pages and tried to cover them up. Forty-two percent said they trust Democrats to do a better job of handling moral values, while 36 percent said they trust Republicans more. * Novak: The survival of J. Dennis Hastert as speaker of the House of Representatives will produce an uncomfortable scene Thursday at the Hilton Chicago. President Bush is the principal attraction at a reception to fund congressional candidates in two suburban Chicago districts — once thought safely Republican but where Democrats now lead. In the wake of the Mark Foley scandal, Hastert’s presence at the reception will be an embarrassing distraction. * Sun-Times: Did alderman’s friend help feather her nest? - Pal billed $5,000, invoice from decorator shows * Daily Herald: The name Stewart Umholtz may not be familiar to most Illinois voters. Ironically, the Republican candidate for state attorney general said, that might not be such a bad thing. * Tribune: A top Chicago Transit Authority official who has been responsible for overseeing the reconstruction of the Brown Line during the last three years is resigning as the rail project continues to face major pressures to contain costs, CTA officials said Sunday. * AP: Open meetings debate rekindled - Recent amendment to Open Meetings Act brings protests from some public officials
|
 |
|
|
- suburban - Monday, Oct 9, 06 @ 8:13 am:
I just read in the Daily Herald that Kotowski who was a transition Team Co-Chair for George Ryan has gotten cold feet about Blago. He claims he won’t vote for his party’s nominee. WOW.
- Cassandra - Monday, Oct 9, 06 @ 8:41 am:
Blagojevich should enjoy his last few carefree first term days because his second term is going to be a doozy.
The feds will likely be nosing around throughout his term. Some indictments are likely.
A bunch of financial chickens will come home, like the pension payments and the new GASB requirement to plan for retiree medical costs.Huge cost overruns on the Dan Ryan. The schools and the CTA screaming for more money.
Black politicians demanding hundres of millions in earmarks for their election support.
Most important, there will be a lot of politicians on both sides of the aisle working to make sure he doesn’t decide to go for a third term. Chief among them will be Lisa, who has already started (note today’s Lisa statement about the internal investigation) and Alexi, not to mention younger and more attractive Republican candidates hitting their stride and smelling blood in the water.
It’s going to be a great four years for the political blogs, but not for Blago.
- Vote ABB - Monday, Oct 9, 06 @ 9:21 am:
Amen, Cassandra, but we will have to muddle through some time with him at the helm, to the detriment of the state of Illinois taxpayers. This man has spent millions of dollars on his campaign for free, courtesy of said taxpayers and they don’t even realize it. He lacks a conscience, scruples or whatever you want to call it, is certainly unethical and surrounds himself with thugs and “Gordon Gecko” types. His re-election will be a sad day for Illinois.
- Angie - Monday, Oct 9, 06 @ 12:55 pm:
I hate to say this, but I think the GOP fellas were terrified that if they raised suspicions (if they knew of this for a while), the Dems would come out screaming about a homophobic witch hunt.
This is such a joke. The Dems are always painting the entire GOP (which is a pretty big tent that does NOT just include the Religious Right, but also includes people like Rudy Giuliani, for crying out loud) as “racist, sexist, and homophobic, but here’s this Republican gay guy, and we’ve got the Dems screaming. In a way, it is sort of funny when you analyze it that way.