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Morning shorts
Thursday, Nov 30, 2006 * Tribune: Illinois lawmakers might end up getting an even bigger raise than originally planned… The AP story is here. * Sweet: I think Sen. Barack Obama, who is seriously considering a run for president, is going to jump into the 2008 race. I predict the freshman Illinois Democrat will announce near the end of this year or the beginning of 2007, sometime after he returns from a holiday break in his native Hawaii. * Sun-Times: John Daley, the mayor’s brother and the No. 2 power on the Cook County Board, lashed out at Gov. Blagojevich on Wednesday, accusing him of breaking a promise to give the county more time to repay money to the state. * Former governor Ryan loses pension, but gets to delay prison term.. More here, here and here * Steele out to uphold city’s political tradition - She could be latest to help son into office * Kass: Judges can wipe smirks off corrupt pols * Rush praises former rival Daley - Once scathingly critical, he now backs mayor
- Posted by Rich Miller
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- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Nov 30, 06 @ 9:23 am:
When was John Daley downgraded to No. 2?
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Nov 30, 06 @ 9:44 am:
I think Obama has started believing what he wrote about himself. So he is in to run as VP. I can’t wait to see him justify Chicago politics to the outside world. But then, he thinks he is above everyone else anyway.
- Wumpus - Thursday, Nov 30, 06 @ 10:07 am:
THis whole Bobb(I)e Steal affair is disgusting. Not somuch the pension thing, because most of us would do it. That combined with Prince Robert is what the idiots of cook county who tolerated and voted for the Stroger affair deserve.
- Levois - Thursday, Nov 30, 06 @ 10:49 am:
That was a pretty damning column by John Kass. Too bad I don’t get to read enough about him.
- Danimal - Thursday, Nov 30, 06 @ 11:49 am:
- Wumpus- I doubt most of us would have done what she did. She’s like a snake.
Steele had one task for four months in office; draft a budget for ‘07. She didn’t come close to getting it done. Now we will pay her sorry soul a pension from a system she doesn’t even understand. First she wanted to run for president, 4 months later she doesn’t want to even serve anymore. I’m sure if she knew how she would have increased the Board’s pension’s for the 4 months she was in office though!
- Pat Hickey - Thursday, Nov 30, 06 @ 12:04 pm:
Kass gets a lot of mileage out of the Willis kids.
- fedup dem - Thursday, Nov 30, 06 @ 1:36 pm:
To think that Rush’s comments came from the mouth of a former Black Panther? Rush has changed more than Michael Jackson. As far as I’m concerned, his 2nd Ward (where he is the Committeeman, but is now probably at least half white) should elect a white Alderman come February over Ald. Haithcock (a Daley butt-kisser) and whatever black candidate Rush puts up in the race. By 2008, a white will almost certainly defeat Rush in the Ward Committeeman’s race, sealing the demise of the source of African-American political empowerment in the North.
At the same time, I hope some other African-American candidate rises up to challenge Rush for his Congressional seat. Rush can be beaten in the 2008 Primary, if the African-American community stops voting like it is the mid 1960s, and they have to be the loyal followers of a mayor named Daley.
- Bubs - Thursday, Nov 30, 06 @ 1:48 pm:
Excellent column by Kass. Recent sentences for corruption have indeed been lame.
One thing motivating Judge Coar was that Sorich was a political soldier taking orders. Things may be very different for the men that gave him his orders, who have yet to be publicly identified. I wouldn’t want to be one of those men right about now.
A saving grace is that under current federal guidelines, a defendant must serve most, if not all, of the time.
- SpittinMad - Thursday, Nov 30, 06 @ 2:51 pm:
it has been an unconscionable couple of days for illinois politics. worse than usual. i haven’t recovered from the stroger fiefdom, and not a month later, it’s happening all over again. but worse– as steele is making more money than god off of our ridiculous and antiquated pension system. the senate wasn’t content to endow itself with 10-13% payraise post-election, but now is grabbing upwards of 15%. ryan is thumbing his nose at the free world, along with the free world. and madigan sits atop his throne single-handedly controlling the future of the state. i don’t get it. at the risk of sounding painfully naive: are people really voting for this kind of flagrant abuse of state office/ resources to continue? what am i missing? i have had it. why haven’t others?
- Cassandra - Thursday, Nov 30, 06 @ 4:12 pm:
Sounds like Daley and the Toddler are taking their first steps in dealing with Cook County’s huge deficit….get a whole lotta money out of the state if you can bully them into it.
Cook County taxpayers are facing increased property taxes with the unlikelihood of an extended cap, a volatile gas market, and probably at least some increase in electric rates. Even higher property taxes to pay off the deficit will definitely not be well received. And da Mare is running for re-election.
This will be fun to watch.
- Anon - Thursday, Nov 30, 06 @ 7:08 pm:
What a great choice. Steele was so productive at the Parks that community groups and staff would cringe when he showed up at a meeting. So much so, that staff were known to “forget” to notify him of upcoming meetings. He’ll fit in great at the county. By the way, how could he have gone bankrupt? He was known to make a second income selling frangrances out of his office at park headquarters- until the big guys had enough and reprimanded him. Anyway, next week he’ll have a new client base. Fragrances, what a great way to cover all that county stink!
- BBishere2 - Saturday, Dec 2, 06 @ 2:14 pm:
Sure is nice of Senator Obama getting to paid to represent himself while he runs all over the country putting out feelers toward his presidential campaign, ignoring his constituents in the state that got him elected in the first place to represent them….I think there should be a law passed to prohibit campaigning for another political position while occupying one. That would be considered “conflict of interest” in some circles, in my opinion.
- Angie - Saturday, Dec 2, 06 @ 6:05 pm:
Senator Rock Star will be running against Giuliani in 2008, is my guess. Hey, let him run. This should be very interesting.
Personally, if he were much more in line with Joe Lieberman, and if the Dems hadn’t totally dissed Joe, I think both of them running together for POTUS and VP would make some real noise, but Obama alone with his current stances on some issues? Don’t think so. He can’t beat Rudy, not against a social moderate who knows how to handle law and order issues (I think Mexico brought Giuliani down there to help them clean up crime because he did such a great job in New York).
Obama vs. Giuliani. Bring it on. Because it’ll be an interesting thing to watch, much more so than someone running against Hillary. I can’t take her monotone voice on the campaign trail, but I could actually stand watching Obama and Giuliani face off. Much more interesting.
Hey, let him run. He’d do better after some experience under his belt, but if he wants to run now, then so be it. Let’s see what happens, as at the very least, it’ll be interesting.
But to know when he announces his run, I think we’ll have to tune into Oprah to catch the info. lol