Longo holds press conference
Wednesday, Feb 2, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller I’m amazed that he actually went through with it. And I’m not surprised at the reaction by the governor’s office. With a guy who has been knocked around by the press as much as Dominic Longo has, the most effective response is ridicule. A convicted felon who worked on some of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s past campaigns says the governor is defaming him and trying to hide their friendship.
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Rubbing his nose into it
Wednesday, Feb 2, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller UPI/Washington Times has an excellent analysis of Comptroller Dan Hynes’ refusal to pay a $2.5 million bill for 256,000 unused flu vaccines from Europe. (If the link doesn’t work, just copy and past this into your browser: http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20050201-031000-4302r.htm ) An attempt by Illinois’ governor to obtain unapproved flu vaccine directly from Europe at the height of last fall’s vaccine shortage has backfired, turning into a statewide embarrassment. […] Heh.
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“Not so fast”
Wednesday, Feb 2, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Here’s the link to the Ungaretti & Harris analysis of Illinois’ new gay rights law that I wrote about today in Capitol Fax. Here, again, is the last paragraph written by the firm’s attorney Nicholas Anaclerio, which is now being used by the religious right to condemn the new law for allegedly forcing churches to hire and retain gays and lesbians: “Thus, while adding another protected status to Illinois’ Human Rights Act, the measure may ultimately force courts to consider and balance its ban on sexual orientation discrimination with State and Federal constitutional safeguards of religious freedom.” Go here and here to see how the anti-gay Illinois Family Institute uses Anaclerio’s analysis to tear into the new law as an unconstitutional infringement on the rights of religious institutions. (And, yes, it’s “anti-gay” not “anti gay rights” because IFI routinely uses terribly harsh language to describe homosexuals and homosexuality.) By signing into law SB 3186-a bill that, according to its sponsor, would ban churches from ‘discriminating’ against homosexuals-Gov. Blagojevich is signing away the First Amendment freedoms of churches and anyone who disagrees with homosexuality, Illinois Family Institute Executive Director Peter LaBarbera said today You can also go here to see a bunch of links to stories, blogs, etc. that are using Anaclerio’s analysis to bash the gay rights law. And since this thing is exploding all over the Internet, and because Anaclerio’s analysis is being misused so much, I thought I’d break my usual rule and provide a quote from today’s subscription-only edition: “I didn’t then and I don’t now take a position about whether it does affect the abridgment of religious liberties.” Anaclerio also said he is not claiming that the law is an unconstitutional infringement on religious liberties. “That’s not what I said. And I wouldn’t have said that without a whole lot more study of it.” Subscribers already know that there’s much more to today’s story which refutes the religious right’s contention that the law abridges their churches’ freedoms.
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Longo speaks
Tuesday, Feb 1, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Outrage of the month
Tuesday, Feb 1, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Illinipundit is puzzled because his links to internal Illinois State Board of Elections pages aren’t working. He’s trying to link to campaign finance reports of individual candidates, but users are redirected to another site. For some reason, Blogger is messing with the links, sending them to a very strange 404-not-found site. If you are taken to a strange site, please either refresh or copy the links and paste them into another browser window if you’re having problems. Thanks, and sorry for the trouble. I’m trying to figure out what the problem is, but I’m stumped. It’s not Blogger’s fault. The ISBE is up to its old tricks again. Years ago, my old website was set up to search ISBE pages. The Board quickly blocked the searches, but I raised a big stink and they lifted the blockade, but not before coming up with some totally lame excuses about why they shouldn’t have to do it. I’ve noticed in the past several months that they’re doing it again. I didn’t say anything because, well, because I really don’t know why. But this is ridiculous, and incredibly arrogant of the ISBE, especially in the blogging age when people use internal links all the time. Blog owners and their readers who are upset about this should send the board’s webmaster an email, or pick up the phone and call the Board at (312)-814-6440 or (217)-782-4141. Ask the Board why it’s against the public’s right to know. Also, check this page and see if you know anyone on the House Elections Committee. If you do, contact that person and ask him or her to look into the matter.
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Light blogging today
Tuesday, Feb 1, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller I’ll be on the road to Springfield today, so blogging could be light.
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Contractors
Tuesday, Feb 1, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller The Tribune and the Sun-Times both cover the item in today’s Capitol Fax about the politically connected construction company that was paid to remodel the governor’s new campaign office. Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s campaign paid more than $164,000 last fall to a Markham construction company that recently won a $24.3 million state contract and has links to the governor’s chief fundraiser, disclosure reports filed Monday show. There’s a big push by some Democrats and Republicans to forbid the governor to raise any more campaign cash from state contractors. Stay tuned.
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Promises made….
Tuesday, Feb 1, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller The Rockford Register-Star has a long list of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s campaign promises and whether he’s kept them yet. It’s worth a read, and the governor doesn’t come out too bad in the end.
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