Morning Shorts
Tuesday, Jul 8, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning
* Is Illinois lagging in technology growth?
For Illinois, the 21st place finish is the same the state received in the institute’s 2004 study. “We’re flatlining,” said Tom Churchwell, managing director of ARCH Development Partners, a venture capital firm in Chicago.
* Illinois to participate in new education program
* MetPier falling short
* Kirk Continues Torrid Fundraising Pace
Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), facing a highly-competitive re-election campaign, appears poised to again be one of the top Congressional fundraisers after announcing he raised $900,000 in the most recent fundraising quarter.
Kirk now has $2.85 million cash-on-hand – all of it which will be necessary to advertise in the expensive Chicago media market.
* 2006 rivals Rep. Mark Kirk and Dan Seals release campaign fundraising totals that hint at heated North Shore rematch
* The Cuba Syndrome: Mark Kirk and China/Cuba canard
* Schock’s dad testifies at tax-scheme trial
* 71-year-old campaign worker dies after walking Mundelein parade
* FEMA to aid Lake County flood victims
* Rain might halt Rock River’s retreat
* Smoking ban snuffs out cigarettes in stage play
* Ryan Keith to lead SJ-R Capitol bureau
* Amy Jacobson sues CBS 2 for airing bikini video
* Coen Brothers ‘Gospel’ Explored in New Book
Academy Award winners Joeland Ethan Coen are the subject of a new book to be published by Zondervan and written by award-winning Chicago Sun-Times columnist Cathleen Falsani.
* Aldermen rip Daley plan to license ‘expediters’
* City Council shies away from permit-expediter license idea
* City may let outside agencies rule on minority- or women-owned firms
Under the ordinance, the city’s chief procurement officer will be able to designate outside agencies, including the state and federal governments, as well as private groups, as a “certifying agency.” The city’s chief procurement officer would still be responsible for decisions that are made to certify, recertify or decertify.
* Illinois raking in millions from sale of personal data
- Reality Check - Tuesday, Jul 8, 08 @ 8:51 am:
Don’t allow your eyes to fool you above — that is NOT a link to a Ryan Keith bikini video.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Jul 8, 08 @ 8:52 am:
I see the tirbune has caught Kirk useing that old Republican canard of fear.
“A hat tip to Progress Illinois, a new political blog based in Chicago, for busting North Shore Republican Congressman Mark Kirk when he spread the rumor that China is drilling for oil off the coast of Cuba.
During an interview on WLS AM, Kirk said, “It makes no sense to allow the Chinese to drill on the Cuban side of the line in Florida without us tapping into the very same oil fields.”
PI posted the audio clip along with references exposing the claim as an urban legend favored by those wishing to lend urgency to proposals to ramp up off-shore drilling.
Vice President Dick Cheney advanced the claim in a speech in early June, but had retracted it nearly a week before Kirk’s radio interview.
Monday, Kirk’s spokesman Eric Elk acknowledged the bloggers were right: “While the Cubans may have issued offshore drilling rights, Congressman Kirk has publicly agreed that the Chinese are not currently drilling for oil near Florida,” he said.”
- Plutocrat03 - Tuesday, Jul 8, 08 @ 9:38 am:
The first time I saw the China drilling story was back in 2005 or 6, so the story is not new.
No one seems to be disputing whether China does have drilling rights to that area, so that the scenario is completely possible. As long as crude is valuable the scenario is possible.
Perhaps Kirk jumped the gun, but his exadurations pale in comparison to those coming from the Seals camp..
- Anon - Tuesday, Jul 8, 08 @ 10:01 am:
We could work to improve our 21st ranking in technology growth if we could get a bill out of House rules.
It’s a good bill, let’s get it a hearing on its merits. Apparently Blagojevich once suggested an idea about venture capital so now all venture capital is bad. Was venture capital invented by Tony Rezko? Probably.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jul 8, 08 @ 10:14 am:
Poor Amy, a victim of prurient local television news. How ironic.
When a high-paid television reporter of dubious ethics cannot detour some 40 miles out of her way to enjoy a private swim with her children at the home of a suspected murderer she’s covering without it being splashed across the news, give inside information on the case to the cops she’s covering without telling her bosses, and….
There must be a point there, I’m sure I’ll find it. If Amy’s a victim, then I am, too. I’m just not sure of what yet. But when I figure that out, I’m sure I’ll discover much pain, mental anguish, public humiliation and ridicule. I experience those things all the time, I just thought they were my own fault. But when I find out who’s REALLY at fault, I’m going to sue. And they’ll be sorry.
Really, she’s going about this the wrong way. There’s an obvious reality TV show here. The Jacobson’s starring Amy and Walter, the weekly hi-jinks of a couple of mixed up Chicago TV washouts who, when they find themselves out of work, find each other as well.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Tuesday, Jul 8, 08 @ 11:01 am:
I have formed the new position within City government of “facilitator.” The position is designed to speed the expediters through the licensing process so they can effectively assist developers rezone the City.
- adam smith - Tuesday, Jul 8, 08 @ 1:42 pm:
Typical of Zorn. Not a peep when Democrat Dan Seals claims to be a “professor” when he’s a part-time college instructor or a “business consultant” when most of his income is directly from his campaign fund. But if Mark Kirk (who has forgotten more about foreign affairs than Zorn and Seals put together will ever know) makes one misstatement, it’s a conspiracy with Dick Cheney to mislead the people. Give us all a break. The real story is that Kirk has piles more money than Seals and a huge lead in the polls. Maybe Dick Cheney is fixing the polls???
- Team America - Tuesday, Jul 8, 08 @ 3:21 pm:
That’s nothing, Adam. Zorn even suggested once that Seals would be a possible pick to replace Obama in the U.S. Senate if he’s elected president. Was he kidding? Seals’ only qualification for running for Congress is that he’s run for Congress, and yet he made Zorn’s Senate replacement short list? Wonder if they knew each other in college or something.
- north shore - Tuesday, Jul 8, 08 @ 3:22 pm:
With Kirk’s strong fundraising, the fact he consistently does well with independents, serves in the navy, and the lack of serious gop leadership in the state, why doesn’t he receive more consideration for Governor?
- Blackjack - Tuesday, Jul 8, 08 @ 4:00 pm:
21st? Oy. What did a legislator say once, that we’re not a poor State, we just act like one? Time to put some money where our blackberry is.
- Team America - Tuesday, Jul 8, 08 @ 4:05 pm:
Here’s more of Zorn carrying Seals’ water:
http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2008/07/wiki-wacky.html