Different outlets, very different coverage.

* Sun-Times‘ Oprah quote: “I would just like to say to our esteemed governor, you could sign autographs for me any time,” Winfrey said when she took to the lectern. “And I love your philosophy. Thank you so much for what you’re doing for the state.”

* AP’s Oprah quote: “You can sign autographs for me any time,” Winfrey told the governor. “I pay my taxes; I help you a lot.”

* Tribune’s Oprah quote: There wasn’t one. But the last graf was this:

But unlike Winfrey, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka and Mayor Richard Daley drew scant attention from onlookers

* ABC7:

The first debate in the race for governor in Illinois is scheduled for Monday night in Decatur. But the sparks were already flying Wednesday when the candidates crossed paths at a women’s business luncheon in Chicago [where Oprah spoke].

* Decatur Herald & Review on Monday’s first gubernatorial debate:

Green Party candidate Rich Whitney has not been invited to participate. Organizers said the event was scheduled before Whitney won a spot on the November ballot, and Blagojevich had said he wanted to debate Topinka alone.

Both campaigns have said they would like to hold 12 debates between Labor Day and Election Day, but scheduling conflicts have scuttled plans for at least two, including one in Southern Illinois.

* Post-Dispatch:

IRN, the Decatur debate host, declined to invite Whitney to Monday’s event after Blagojevich’s campaign said it didn’t want him there. “We agreed to debate Treasurer Topinka. We weren’t really interested in renegotiating” to include Whitney, said Blagojevich campaign spokeswoman Sheila Nix. […]

IRN News Director Jim Anderson said Blagojevich’s stance prompted debate organizers to ask Topinka’s campaign about possibly debating just Whitney, but that her campaign declined.

Whitney also has been barred, so far, from the Oct. 26 Chicago debate, said WTTW spokeswoman Mary Field. She said Whitney’s exclusion wasn’t requested by the campaigns, but was a decision of the television station, based on his low showing in polls. Field said the station could still reconsider inviting Whitney if his standing in polls improves.

* AP coverage of the debate:

The Associated Press on Wednesday withdrew its invitation to host a debate between the candidates, saying their inability to agree on a date HAD left the news organization without enough time to make arrangements for the event.

* Southern Illinoisan:

Rich Whitney may have surpassed several obstacles to get himself on the November ballot as the Green Party gubernatorial candidate.

But now, he may have a bit more campaigning to do in order to be included in the Southern Illinois gubernatorial debate tentatively scheduled for Sept. 26.

* And what the heck is this?

* Tribune:

Hoping to stimulate development and create jobs in Will County, Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced Wednesday an expansion of the Joliet Arsenal enterprise zone that will provide an industrial park developer tax incentives to convert 770 acres within the former arsenal site into a bulk distribution center.

*** UPDATE *** FYI, the hot tub couple were found not guilty.

       

34 Comments - Juice - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:13 am: the differing coverage just shows how biased and unreliable print media has become. trib holding up polls, sun times printing outrageous polls — this is pathetic. rich, what do you say about this? is the media capable of honest reporting anymore? - Juice - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:14 am: oh, and by the way, why do you post the obviously misplaced photo next to the scandalous story? you know that was an error. you are just like the rest — anything to get non-news into the bloodstream. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:17 am: Juice, I was pointing out the error, for crying out loud. You Blagojevich people are getting more sensitive by the day. - DOWNSTATE - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:20 am: Oh I got it he donated that 1500 hundred he took illegally for the hot tub to help with her therapy.See it wasn’t as bad as you thought. - DOWNSTATE - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:21 am: Might add Rich that there are ares done here where the Blago people are tearing done Topinka signs what are they afraid of. - Juice - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:24 am: I see downstate. next thing to happen is that somebody will throw a brick through her office window. ive seen this movie before. vallas, eisendrath…pathetic what people do when they are going to lose and they know it. - Lovie's Leather - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:25 am: Just because the fringe-democrats take their gov very seriously… Yeah, I heard about Blago and Schwartz skinny dipping… I thought this was old news…? - Lovie's Leather - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:27 am: Here is my favorite part of the skinny dipping article, “The trial will continue today at 1:30 p.m.” - Juice - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:35 am: rich, your highlighting the error with the photo seems to be playing out just as a responsible journalist would have intended. blago bashers served fodder on a silver platter. - Bill - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:37 am: Rich, Maybe you Topinka people should answer questions about no-bid contracts to banks, disclosure law violations, and the real relationship between Topinka and Ryan. It is bad enough that we have to run against that rolling pin wielding goofball but we also have to run against the biased media. No problem! We will beat you all. 58% of us fringe democrats are going to re-elcet the best Governor this state has seen in 27 years…Gov. Rod Blagojevich! whoops…there I go obfuscating again. - Wumpus - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:37 am: Rich, you just can’t win can you? - Lovie's Leather - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:38 am: Yeah Juice, I think that definately was the point. But it was funny, and it was a media mistake. I bet you that in two hours, the page will be changed back to normal without the Blago thing. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:39 am: Juice, only you and Bill could twist a shot at the press by me IN DEFENSE OF THE GOVERNOR into believing that I was taking a pop at the guv. - Lovie's Leather - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:41 am: obfuscate One entry found for obfuscate. Main Entry: ob·fus·cate Pronunciation: ‘äb-f&-”skAt; äb-’f&s-”kAt, &b- Function: verb Inflected Form(s): -cat·ed; -cat·ing Etymology: Late Latin obfuscatus, past participle of obfuscare, from Latin ob- in the way + fuscus dark brown — more at OB-, DUSK transitive verb 1 a : DARKEN b : to make obscure 2 : CONFUSE intransitive verb : to be evasive, unclear, or confusing - Bill - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:43 am: Thanks for your support buddy! - Pat Hickey - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:48 am: Rich, ‘You Topinka People?’ Why ,Sir, I take umbrage! Dander to Boot! An affront , Sir, we Topinkans have a proud and honorable heritage and will no longer be sullied. And isn’t Blago Fodder a regular feature at Old Country Buffet Now? - Bill - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:50 am: Pat, Do you ever make sense? - Juice - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:51 am: Rich, i don’t believe you. You know the people who read this blog, and you know that they would use this opportunity to bash him. If you wanted to point out an error by the press, you would have so stated. Please. - Pat Hickey - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 9:10 am: Why sure, Bill, but it things get skewed by the mensa members giving the Guv all that sound advice and sage counsel. Paul Vallas and Glen Poshard, simple lads that they be, understood the messages, Ok. - Guy Fawkes - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 9:14 am: What is Oprah Winfrey smoking? “And I love your philosophy. Thank you so much for what you’re doing for the state.” What philosophy? Selling out Illinois! What Rod’s done for the state? More investigations and counting at the taxpayers expense……. Wonder what Oprah gets out of those statements? Stick to your TV show Oprah! - VanillaMan - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 9:17 am: Juice is right! After I saw the governor with that sex story I just KNEW I had couldn’t vote for Blagojevich! What kind of juice were you named after? Peyote Button? - Pat Hickey - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 9:24 am: Guy, those are pearls cast to us porcine bi-peds from the American Isis - Watch the Blasphemy, son. - cermak_rd - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 9:27 am: I was far more offended by the fact that Rich cut out some of the skinny-dipping story. Far more entertaining than what the gov’s up to. I don’t think Rich meant to bash here. It’s on a line with what Leno does with his headlines bit. - Snark - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 9:28 am: Oprah doesn’t hate the Governor like I do, the sky is falling! - Jaded - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 9:37 am: I am just glad there was a caption with the picture, or I would have thought it was Mayor Daley sitting next to that guy! - anonymous - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 9:41 am: Oprah supports the Governor because he has done a lot for women. Why do you think he polling so high with that demographic? Besides expanding breast cancer screenings and protecting reproductive rights, he ensure that women get equal pay as women. Topinka VOTED AGAINST equal pay for women. This is why I, as a woman, am supporting the Governor for re-election. But, seriously, it is pretty cool that Oprah will be voting for him too! - Jaded - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 9:53 am: Well now he know who Rod will have as his character witness at his sentencing hearing in early 2008. George had Mike Farrell, Rod will have Oprah. Who knows she is pretty popular, maybe she can knock a few years off the sentence. You go girl! (No offense Bill, but she will probably have a little more sway with the judge than you.) - Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 10:10 am: Borrowed from a blog commenter at ispeeved: As Jack Nicholaon said in One flew over the Coocoo’s Nest- “Billy, you should be out bird dogging chicks and b***ing beaver.” - Shelbyville - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 10:49 am: The picture being misplaced is funny. Lighten up people. - Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 12:02 pm: Gee…Oprah supporting a Democrat. That’s news! - Parallels - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 12:45 pm: Remember Oprah’s book-of-the-month endorsement of James Frey, author of “A Million Little Pieces”. Her interview with Frey after his deceptions were revealed was almost as painful to watch as the Governor’s “$1,500 check” press conference last week. - Buck Flagojevich - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 6:45 pm: Gee…Oprah saying something stupid. That’s news! My God, She is so irrelevant to the real world. - BREAKING NEWS... - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 7:22 pm: the hot tub couple were found not guilty earlier today, or got off scot free if you will… - Establishment Republican - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 11:14 pm: What’s this about Blago and Oprah in a hot tub? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.