Question of the day
Wednesday, May 21, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It’s graduation season and this is from a press release…
State Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago 13th) congratulated and encouraged graduates on Sunday as he delivered the keynote address at Chicago-Kent College of Law. Raoul earned his juris doctor degree from Chicago-Kent in 1993, then embarked on a career he told graduates was unorthodox but equipped him “to serve as an advocate in more meaningful ways than I could have imagined as a law student.”
On November 6, 2004, I was asked why – among six or seven individuals vying for the appointment – I was best qualified to replace then-State Senator Barack Obama, who had just been elected U.S. Senator. I wasn’t the likeliest candidate – either on paper or in the minds of the political odds-makers. But I was able to point out to the people in that room that I had applied Illinois law in just about every conceivable circumstance, from employment and labor to child welfare to personal injury to higher education to workers’ compensation to criminal law. I’d been a small businessman. I’d prosecuted the accused and defended them.
* From the accompanying photo…
* The Question: Caption?
- Almost the Weekend - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 2:59 pm:
Patience is a virtue ask me in 2016 or 2018.
- Aldyth - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:00 pm:
Future United States Senator Raoul addresses graduating lawyers.
- Enemy of the State - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:01 pm:
“…..and so far I have stayed out of jail.”
- Norseman - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:01 pm:
Am I cool or what!
- Bring Back Boone's - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:03 pm:
This just in…”Kwame Raoul high on Kwame Raoul”
- Team Sleep - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:07 pm:
Sorry I’m late, guys. Now you know how my Judiciary Committee peeps feel!
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:10 pm:
…so all Toni and Leslie cared about was which one of us had the weirdest name. The next thing I know, I’m a senator. True story.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:13 pm:
“You think I talked about myself a lot in that last paragraph. You ain’t seen nothing yet!”
- wordslinger - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:14 pm:
“So, this isn’t ‘Jubilee Showcase’?”
Jubilee Showcase was the goods.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:15 pm:
“One word. Plastics.”
- John A Logan - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:17 pm:
I have been outside the city limits of Illinois and there is a place called Springfield…..
- A guy... - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:24 pm:
And had I applied a little more thought, I could be running against Bruce Rauner right now.
- Mittuns - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:24 pm:
Senator Raaaaaooouuuullllll
- A guy... - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:25 pm:
No, Tio was not available.
- Mittuns - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:26 pm:
Does this gown make me look gubernatorial?
- dupage dan - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:30 pm:
Can somebody tell me who Roland Burris’ monument carver is? I got a lot of stuff to get on mine.
- Reality Check - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:33 pm:
Shut up, kid, or I’ll cut your mom’s pension.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:47 pm:
I thought there’d be an honorary degree inside this folder, but it’s an autographed photo of Jesse White.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:49 pm:
” Don’t worry. You all can see you remember me when…”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:51 pm:
“In the IL Senate, I am reminded often how many legislators are lawyers, and how many if those weren’t present the day they taught law at their law schools.”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:53 pm:
“I told President Cullerton, when he appointed me to the Pension Committee; I went to law school, that means I am no good at math…no good at math…law school…there it is, thanks..,”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:54 pm:
“I have seen your future. All I have to say is; go back.”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 3:55 pm:
“At first when I was asked to speak, I thought; do I owe any fines for student parking, late textbooks ..,”
- I B Strapped - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 4:00 pm:
Believe me, it’s all good when you’re the man that gets the nod! wink,wink…
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 4:01 pm:
“When I sit in the Illinois Senate, almost bored, I have to remind myself, as I am reminding you, ‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once and awhile, you might miss it…”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 4:04 pm:
“If you feel your client is wronged, Sue. If your client is doing the ‘wronged’, plea, if you can get a third of your settlement on cash, settle, and if all else fails, blame your client…”
- Streator Curmudgeon - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 4:10 pm:
“And then I said to Rod, ‘Wait ’til you hear my Everett Dirksen impression.”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 4:12 pm:
“On my first day in the General Assembly, I opened the drawer to my desk on the Floor and inside I found three envelopes…”
- phocion - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 4:12 pm:
Class Act.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 4:13 pm:
“You may recognize me from Capitol Fax Caption Contests…”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 4:36 pm:
“(Snickers, after looking at the program left on the podium), You guys still spelled my name wrong!”
- Upon Further Review - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 4:38 pm:
Show me the money!
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 4:53 pm:
“Let’s get this clear. The other guy formerly held my seat.”
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 4:55 pm:
“Sorry, folks, it’s hard to find a cap to fit my head.”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 4:57 pm:
“I just flew in from Chairing a Senate Committee and boy are my arms tired…”
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 5:14 pm:
“People say I had big shoes to fill. For the record, he’s a 10C and I’m an 11D.”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 5:14 pm:
“…and then the little girl pointed at me and said, ‘Look Mom, it’s Mayor Daley!”
- siriusly - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 5:17 pm:
Did I mention that I have Barack’s senate seat ?
And no, it’s not freaking golden.
- x ace - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 5:25 pm:
” Kinda like the Robe,wonder how the name Kwame Raoul will look up there on the wall next to Ilana Diamond Rovner and Abraham Lincoln Marovitz”
- forwhatitsworth - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 8:08 pm:
I’m sure that Senator Raoul dazzled the audience with his keynote speech. I was dazzled myself when I heard Senator Raoul deliver a very eloquent speech on the senate floor in opposition of pension theft encouraging the senate to vote NO on the legislation already passed by the House because of constitutional violations. Shortly after this speech there were many people ready to jump on the Raoul For Governor bandwagon. I was heart-broken a few weeks later when Sen. Raoul voted YES for stronger pension theft and perceived constitutional violations.
- Earl Shumaker - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 9:26 pm:
forwhatitsworth: I appreciated your comments. I had the same thoughts. Raoul has shown us that when he speaks he can not be taken seriously. He is just another Chicago politician
- anonymous - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 11:32 pm:
Kwame has come along way from covering paternity court cases.
- Anonymous - Thursday, May 22, 14 @ 8:02 am:
This man is another empty soul that follows Speaker Madigan’s orders like a zombie. He will be whatever he is “groomed” to be by the sole proprietorship of the Madigan machine. I will soon be another x resident of this disaster of a state. The Liberal experiment does not seem to be going well, I’m sure it will get better with just a little more spending and borrowing. I’m soon going to join other
HAPPY former resident’s of this corrupt State. Yep another high net worth individual is taking his ball and going home. Soon there will be no high net worth to tax! You can not redistribute nothing. Good luck with that future.
- anonymous - Thursday, May 22, 14 @ 8:19 am:
Hard to believe that the same legislative district can produce two consecutive “empty suits” sold as the “the real thing.” During the concealed carry debate, Raoul was the lead Democrat on the bill in the Senate and it sometimes seemed as if he did not know much about it beyond what his handlers told him.
- ash - Thursday, May 22, 14 @ 9:00 am:
Anonymous — this is not a liberal experiment. Madigan and his followers are not really liberal and they really aren’t Democrats. They are political opportunists pure and simple. Everything they do is about their own power, and public policy comes in a distant second in their minds.
- Toure's Latte - Thursday, May 22, 14 @ 9:13 am:
“But you didn’t come here to hear me lavish praise upon myself about my unparalleled past, so let’s talk about my future!”
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 22, 14 @ 9:20 am:
–You can not redistribute nothing.–
I take it you didn’t make your alleged “high net worth” utilizing the English language.
Can’t miss you if you won’t leave.
- Bonsaso - Thursday, May 22, 14 @ 10:10 am:
“weird” name - I am guessing he was named after Kwame Nkrumah who oversaw the nation’s independence from British colonization in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana. An influential 20th-century advocate of Pan-Africanism, he was a founding member of the Organisation of African Unity. So he probabaly identifies himself with KN.