The circular firing squad
Thursday, Apr 9, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Today started with a complaint by WIND’s Cisco Cotto that he had been banned from speaking at the April 15th “tea party”…
“They’ve told me only people from WLS will be given mic time at the rally,” AM 560 WIND’s Cisco Cotto told his talk show audience this morning. “The guy who is the big name is WLS commentator Dan Proft. This guy is positioning for something here…”
Cotto said there’s rumors Proft is running for governor in 2010.
“I think there’s something inherently wrong with the big headliner having huge no-bid contracts with the town of Cicero,” Cotto said. “I’m wondering if people are being duped, and this is just a scam to raise someone’s profile.”
* Proft responded…
“Cotto was completely out of line, and I do have something to say about his cheapshots,” an angry WLS commentator Dan Proft told Illinois Review this afternoon. “What he said was based on no facts, and his temper tantrum because he’s not invited to speak at the Chicago Tea Party is ridiculous.” […]
“I’ve been cheap-shotted before by people more talented than Cisco Cotto.”
* The tea party organizers also dissed National GOP Chairman Michael Steele…
Not only has the Chicago Tea Party organizers rejected the volunteer participation of AM 560 WIND’s Cisco Cotto and Big John Howell, they’ve also told Republican National Chairman Michael Steele he won’t be appearing at their noon Daley Plaza rally on April 15th.
* The Chicago Young Republicans then stepped in and invited Steele and Cotto to their own, separate afternoon tea party…
The Chicago YRs responded via press release this afternoon to today’s controversy over who’s invited and who’s not to the Chicago Tea Party rally on April 15th. Emphasis appears on the “all” and the fact that all Chicagoans and media, including WIND’s Cisco Cotto and Big John Howell, will be welcomed at the CYRs April 15th event, later that afternoon.
This is why I prefer coffee.
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Unsolicited advice
Thursday, Apr 9, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Dear Gov. Quinn,
You’ve long been in favor of campaign contribution caps, so your testimony today before your own reform commission on behalf of caps was of little surprise, except for this…
Quinn also raised the issue of what to do about circumstances in which incumbents have raised huge amounts of money under the previous rules. In such circumstances, he said, someone who starts raising money under new restrictions would be at “a competitive disadvantage” against someone who raised money previously, under the current unlimited system. He suggested there should be some kind of adjustment to create a fair “starting line” for everyone.
That “fair” starting line concept was a bit suspect, so, thankfully, reporters were able to follow up…
I asked [Quinn] how he would address the scenario of candidates like his potential rival, Lisa Madigan, having raised gobs of money before his new proposed limits go into effect, and his call for a fair “starting line.”
He suggested, in apparent seriousness, that she and other officials with huge existing campaign coffers could donate them to charity, and then proceed to raise new money under new limits like everyone else.
Considering that as of December 31st you had about $83,000 in your campaign account and Lisa Madigan had $3.5 million, don’t you think you look just a little self-serving and perhaps even outright desperate?
First it was moving the primary back to give you time to catch up, now this. How about you just get in the game, man?
It’s almost as if you’re attempting to specifically devise a campaign system to compensate for your personal and structural shortcomings. Maybe not even “almost.”
…PS… He, guv, I thought you said you would respect the General Assembly and the constitutional separation of powers. Wouldn’t imposing the press release proposals of a “citizens committee” created by gubernatorial fiat on the GA as a whole violate both of those pledges?
Quinn also said that lawmakers should be required to vote individually on each of the commission’s recommendations to clean up state government, which range from how state contracts are awarded to the tools law enforcement officials have to investigate corruption.
Just sayin.
* Dear Associated Press (again),
You have apparently gone completely around the bend and are now bordering on the self-parody. Please, stop.
You long ago started a YouTube channel which specifically allows everyone in the world to embed AP videos on any and all websites. But your higher-ups are completely unclear about this concept and recently went after one of their own AP members…
Here is another great moment in A.P. history. In its quest to become the RIAA of the newspaper industry, the A.P.’s executives and lawyers are beginning to match their counterparts in the music industry for cluelessness. A country radio station in Tennessee, WTNQ-FM, received a cease-and-desist letter from an A.P. vice president of affiliate relations for posting videos from the A.P.’s official Youtube channel on its Website.
You cannot make this stuff up. Forget for a moment that WTNQ is itself an A.P. affiliate and that the A.P. shouldn’t be harassing its own members. Apparently, nobody told the A.P. executive that the august news organization even has a YouTube channel which the A.P. itself controls, and that someone at the A.P. decided that it is probably a good idea to turn on the video embedding function on so that its videos can spread virally across the Web, along with the ads in the videos.
How daft can you get?
Seriously.
What is wrong with you people?
What IlliniPundit said…
The people who run the AP are so stupid it hurts.
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Your local election results analysis, please
Thursday, Apr 9, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I was gonna do a big piece on local elections, but I just don’t have the energy. So, here’s a roundup…
* Kankakee Township shifts toward Dems
* Tax Hikers Have Hard Time
* Voters Reject Tax Hike in Five of Six School Districts
* When voters say ‘no’, it’s time to listen
* Chicago suburban elections: A very bad year for incumbents
* A rare defeat
* Peoria City Council Candidate May Seek Recount
* Election all over but the recounting
* Election recap: Independents, close votes tell the story
* Turnout low, but voters’ voices encouraging
* A reality show of politics, Rita-style
* If only voters got hot dogs and beer: In Cook, turnout was 21 percent, down from 27 percent in the April 2005 election. In Will, turnout was 18 percent, down from 25 percent. In both counties, the number of ballots cast fell by about a fifth. As many people were on hand for Tuesday’s White Sox season-opener at U.S. Cellular Field as voted in Worth and Orland townships combined.
* Proud Lake County mom has two mayors in family
* Suburban Mayoral Results Please Immigrants
* Waukegan mayor’s race proves to Latino voters they can make difference
* Johnson vows to continue airport fight without Geils
* Geils’ hard-charging style may have led to his loss
* O’Grady plans to publicize building budget, trim administrative costs
* Now in firm control of Matteson, Ashmore setting his priorities
* New Oak Forest mayor says he will have ‘heart’
* Please Mayor Kuspa, bring Tin Man back to Oak Forest
* New Flossmoor mayor has changes in mind
* Jim Schwantz, Palatine mayor-elect
* Schwantz thanks Palatine voters, takes spotlight
* Michael E. Kelly, Bartlett village president elect
* Robert Nunamaker, Fox River Grove President elect
* Linda Soto, Hainesville mayor elect
* Dave Anderson, Elburn village president elect
* Judy Abruscato, Wheeling village president elect
* Rick Zirk, Gilberts village president-elect
* Gilberts village president has been there done that, in different town
* Dolores “Dolly” Vole, Prospect Heights
* Ryan “Todd” Weihofen, Lakemoor
* Jeff Pruyn, Itasca
* Frank Soto, Bensenville
* Tony Ragucci, Oakbrook Terrace
* Ed Bender, Fox Lake
* Deborah Birutis, Winfield
* New Winfield president must unite warring factions
* Jerald Bartels, East Dundee
* Ed Ritter, Carpentersville
* Mark Knigge, Wauconda
* Mark Pfefferman, Glen Ellyn
* Victory in Worth took a little bit of sole
* Future may do little to change result of Bloomington mayoral race
* Changes may have allowed a split conservative vote in Bloomington
* McHenry Co Republicans Survive Dem Onslaught
* Coin toss could decide suburban mayoral race
Now, tell us what you think about Tuesday.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Apr 9, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Who is your most famous ancestor?
* Bonus Question: Do you also have any famous or influential Illinois political types in your family tree?
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* State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston) wants to run for attorney general and has developed a unique unified political theory. Unfortunately, it involves comparing the power of the people to an army of cockroaches.
Hamos related this theory to Champaign County Democrats the other night. According to Tom Kacich, she talked about how you step on one cockroach and the next morning there are two, and then the next morning there are three. “Pretty soon, you’ve got an army of cockroaches in there.”
And if that wasn’t yucky enough for a dinner speech, Hamos’ analogy then proceeded to get way outta hand…
“That’s what constituent letters are all about,” she said. “So if any of you wonder if it’s important for you to reach out to even excellent legislators, constituent letters demonstrate that there is an army of cockroaches right behind you.
“And you know what? In the state Legislature, 10 cockroaches demonstrate to us that there is a whole army right behind you. And that is the power of constituents and grass-roots organizing. I don’t want any of you to forget that.”
For anyone at the Democrats’ dinner, I doubt that will be possible.
Hamos wasn’t finished. Near the end of her talk she mentioned the need for citizens to apply pressure to legislators to fix the state’s financial problems. “Can we as legislators take action on a very, very tough agenda without that army of cockroaches right behind us? I really want you to help us do this. It’s really going to take public support.”
From you cockroaches.
Call me crazy, but I doubt that visual will work well in a TV ad. If she wants to be a populist, she’s probably got the analogy backwards. Unsolicited advice: Time for a total rethink.
* Meanwhile, Attorney General Lisa Madigan expressed more doubts about Gov. Quinn’s tax hike proposals…
“I’m in the grocery store, I’m walking across the street and people will stop me and have a lot of questions about state government and say how is it that you’re going to tax us more? We can’t afford it.”
* Gov. Quinn may push the recall issue again once the General Assembly returns from spring break. The guv is also set to act on a backlog of pardon requests. That ought to show us how brave he really is.
And this is not news. Quinn told me months ago that his “heart is big enough for two teams.” He’s the governor, so he probably shouldn’t hate. The rest of us are free to do what we want. In that spirit, I say again: Go Sox. Cubs suck.
* Related…
* Rutherford forms exploratory committee for state treasurer run
* Quinn backs Foster military relief bill
* Ex-death row inmate acquitted at retrial
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* I’ve heard more than a few people say they just don’t believe the federal allegations that Rod Blagojevich was conspiring as early as the 2002 campaign to pad his own personal pockets with ill-gotten gains from the governor’s office. Well, this little-noticed item might help those people get over their doubts…
Lon Monk [is] cooperating with the government
Monk was there right from the beginning. If he’s saying that Blagojevich was conspiring to send business to Tony Rezko, who would then bank the profits and split them later with Blagojevich, Monk and others, then I think that lends the story more credence than if it just came from Rezko.
* Filan and Brandt were interviewed by the feds…
The head of the state authority involved in talks about the possible sale of Wrigley Field said Wednesday that he and the authority’s executive director have been interviewed by federal agents in the corruption investigation of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
William Brandt, chairman of the Illinois Finance Authority, said he met with federal agents in late January or early February to answer their questions about the Wrigley deal. Brandt said agents also separately interviewed the authority’s John Filan.
* And the heat increases on Congressman Jackson…
Federal authorities have questioned [John Harris] a former chief of staff to ex- Gov. Rod Blagojevich and other cooperating witnesses about an attempt by friends of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to raise funds for Blagojevich to encourage him to pick Jackson for the U.S. Senate, sources said.
A federal grand jury investigating alleged corruption in the Blagojevich administration is expected to hear from witnesses about the fundraising effort in coming weeks, sources said.
Federal prosecutors allege Blagojevich, who was indicted last week on corruption charges, was considering awarding the seat to Jackson in return for a Jackson associate offering $1.5 million in campaign cash.
Covert recordings of Blagojevich last fall allegedly captured the then-governor suddenly going from cold to hot on naming Jackson to replace President Barack Obama in the Senate. Prosecutors allege Blagojevich told aides he had been promised something tangible and immediate to name Jackson to the seat—namely money—and that he was leaning toward appointing Jackson.
* Congressman Danny Davis might have to eat these words…
“I think that everything there is to know in relation to Representative Jackson’s role in this is pretty much known.”
And how would he know that?
Jackson, by the way, says he’s cooperating and he’s innocent. Read his statement by clicking here.
* Speaking of people who say they didn’t do anything wrong…
- U.S. Sen. Roland Burris said Wednesday his legal expenses related to investigations of his contacts with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich have reached $500,000.
So, the legal bill is only up a hundred grand since January? That’s progress, at least.
Burris also gets the quote of the week…
“Rest assured,” he said. “I stand by my reputation.”
And an AP reporter who covered the southern Illinois Burris tour appeared to be critical of other reporters who covered that same tour…
But hundreds of miles from a Chicago press corps that at times has excoriated him and frequently urged him to step aside, Burris hit a comfortable stride.
Wouldn’t that be your fault, too? Just asking.
* Related…
* Bauman resigns: Although Mr. Bauman’s biographical profile on the system’s website states that his appointment followed a nationwide search, he was in fact promoted to the position on Aug. 9, 2001, when political appointees to the board of trustees gained a one-person margin needed to control the board. He was promoted to head TRS a day before interviews were scheduled with the finalist candidates identified through the nationwide search, when the politically well-connected faction outvoted elected active and retired teacher trustees, according to previous Pensions & Investments reports.
* Ill. pension head quits; nationwide search begins
* Bauman expresses pride, regret as he bids farewell to TRS
* Blagojevich arraignment set for April 14
* Lawmakers: What about Annie and Amy?
* Jesse Jackson Jr.: ‘I have done nothing wrong’
* Jackson: I’m cooperating with ethics inquiry
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Morning Shorts
Thursday, Apr 9, 2009 - Posted by Mike Murray
* Gutierrez Proposes Weak Reform of Payday Lenders - Powerful Democrat Once Supported a Ban on the Industry: Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), who heads the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, is pushing a loophole-riddled bill that would allow payday lenders to charge annual interest rates of nearly 400 percent — a proposal widely condemned by consumer advocates and some liberal Democrats, who want to put payday lenders out of business altogether.
* Area congressmen hunt for funding
* Schoenburg: Hare concerned by high-profile Schock’s early votes
* Only political will can stop minority contract fraud
* Fighting big-city corruption: Mayor Richard Daley offers script
Absent from his speech at the international event was any talk of city hiring fraud, the Hired Truck program or the myriad other scandals that put Daley aides in federal prison or left them free pending appeals of official misconduct convictions.
A day after yet another city contractor became the target of fraud charges, Daley instead focused his comments on how he has tried to “lead by example,” creating an Office of Compliance to coax ethical public service from his underlings.
The mayor didn’t mention, however, that he started the office in response to a federal probe of a hiring and promotions system that was found to be rigged to reward loyal Daley campaign workers for most of his tenure.
* Chicago is nation’s 5th Best ‘Walking City,’ survey says
* Ill. ethanol producer files Ch. 11
* Early reports: March sales fall, but less sharply
* Chicago falls from No. 1 spot of pokey taxpayers
* Old U.S. Steel South Works in Chicago now a hive of activity for bees
* 2 Chicago Board of Trade floor traders plead not guilty to federal charges
* Bingo thrives amid economic downturn
Caritas Hall Bingo’s parking lot is full practically every night, evidence that even economically turbulent times can’t keep people from their entertainment. Games start about 6:15 p.m. daily and last until 9:15 p.m.
* Teen killed on way to dice game
* City sending in pothole cavalry
* Neighbors take to the street: Chicago wasn’t patching potholes, so West Sider’s became a DIY road crew
* Congrats, Chicagoans: Olympic enthusiasm seemed like the real zeal
* New Asian Carp Barrier to Go Online
* Soldier Field asked to consider World Cup
* Have you been dogging getting Spot a license? City makes it easier
* We’re all aggregators. Get over it, AP.
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