Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Monday, Aug 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Â· Miller: Stu Levine has flipped. Things are gonna get crazy real soon.

Â· Rezko’s entire world appears to be collapsing in front of our eyes: Fund-raiser for gov sued over real estate deal

Â· Metro East leaders appear to change story about state response

Â· “The organizers of massive coast-to-coast immigrant marches tried to keep their growing national movement headed in the same direction Sunday by devising a strategy for influencing the fall elections.”

Â· Kadner: Teachers can’t pass test so state lowers the grade

Â· Topinka plays down effort to help at accident scene

Â· ‘Veterans Care’ Pre-Registration Under Way

Â· “The child sex-abuse allegations lodged against prominent Metro East attorney Tom Lakin this year continue to reverberate in the political world. Two Democratic judicial candidates running in closely watched races in Southern Illinois have returned donations they received this election cycle from the Wood River law firm founded by Lakin, recently disclosed campaign finance records show.”

Â· Study: Rising property values outpace taxes

Â· Why did an Illinois Supreme Court justice try to change her testimony?

Â· Hospital probe nets millions in fines

Â· Tests on mysterious stone could help rewrite Illinois history

Â· Armadillos have migrated north

Â· Report from the Metro East:

[Topinka] walked to the plaza area outside the courthouse, shook some more hands and told the assembly her ideas on court reform and venue shopping. The Republicans nodded, the reporters scribbled and the young woman working for the opposition videotaped every word Topinka said.

The camcorder operator did not go unacknowledged by Topinka. When she finished her prepared remarks, she asked for any questions from the press - and asked “Gov. Blagojevich’s roaming stalker” if she had any questions. No, the videotaper said.

“It’s funny, the camcorder gets here and the governor doesn’t,” Topinka said, after she’d criticized Blagojevich earlier in the week for not showing up when the Metro East was hit hard by powerful thunderstorms last month.

14 Comments

- I see the difference - Monday, Aug 14, 06 @ 7:51 am:
Nod to Topinka for showing some class about the car wreck. You know how her opponent would have handled it.

- Gregor Samsa - Monday, Aug 14, 06 @ 7:56 am:
I saw the governor address veterans at the state fair Sunday. He took credit for everything Pat Quinn has been doing for them.

Except, Rod didn’t take any credit for his cronies getting around veteran’s preference in state hiring.

- Bill Baar - Monday, Aug 14, 06 @ 8:11 am:
ditto on Topinka and the accident…

- Ravenswood Right Winger - Monday, Aug 14, 06 @ 8:44 am:
Interesting article on Mary G. McMorrow.

- Wumpus - Monday, Aug 14, 06 @ 9:54 am:
Why should Topinka be all over the media, she has a staff to push this story. I am going to vote for her, but this praise for her is silly. However, Rod would have touted this as some new program “All Cars”. Every driver qualifies that cannot afford AAA, even if you drive a late model Honda Accord or Ford Taurus. It would be on state letterhead with his name emblazened across the top.

- Pat Hickey - Monday, Aug 14, 06 @ 10:09 am:
Phil Kadner was too kind. Any time teacher accountablity comes on the horizon in the narrow world of education reform, count to five and wait for the T-shirt sales to bounce as another demonstration takes to the sneakers.

- Goodbye Napoleon - Monday, Aug 14, 06 @ 10:30 am:
the link to your southtown column isn’t working

- respectful - Monday, Aug 14, 06 @ 12:00 pm:
What do Rod and Judy think about lowering the passing grade for teachers to 57%, which is lower than standard grading scales for students? The grade for special ed teachers is much worse: They merely need to get 30 out of 100 correct according to The Tribune on Aug. 11, 2006.

- Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 14, 06 @ 12:19 pm:
The column link is working now.

- Wumpus - Monday, Aug 14, 06 @ 2:06 pm:
This lowering of passing scores is a theme in this state. First, they lower the state hs exam and now Chciago proudly boasts that the highest % of students now passed! Now this. What are they thinking.

- Shallow Pharnyx - Monday, Aug 14, 06 @ 8:29 pm:
Great article, Rich. We can only hope and pray your last sentence comes true.

- state worker A - Monday, Aug 14, 06 @ 9:56 pm:
â€œThis administration is in big trouble, campers. Big, big trouble.â€ I was delighted to read your story, especially the last line. Does U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgeraldâ€™s have a fan club? Let me be the first one to sign up â€“ Go Patrick, Go.

- Anon - Tuesday, Aug 15, 06 @ 12:21 pm:
Didn’t she also call the governor a moron at that press avail? Interesting how that never got repeated.

- Angie - Tuesday, Aug 15, 06 @ 7:18 pm:
His “roaming stalker”? Judy cracks me up.

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