Another look at 2010
Friday, Jun 12, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tom Dart has been proclaimed a hero of the working class for refusing to enforce eviction notices, but today’s Sun-Times has a story which shows just how difficult it’ll be if Dart decides to move up the political ladder…
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is being sued for enforcing a “shackling policy” that requires correctional officers to shackle pregnant woman in the custody during and immediately after labor and delivery. […]
In labor, a sheriff’s deputy shackled Morales by her hand and foot to the hospital bed as required by Dart’s “shackling policy” and disregarded a physicians request to remove the shackles.
The sheriff deputy explained that Dart’s “shackling policy” required the shackles to stay on.
Not a pleasant mental image.
* Yet another Republican has emerged as a lieutenant governor candidate. Randy White. Click here to see his online ad. And here’s one of his newspaper op-eds…
People! It is time to remember our founding fathers’ intent. I have been to Washington. I have read the original documents on which this country was founded. I have seen the notes in the margins made by the men as they worked on each issue. They were basing everything on God-given principles. God is in every thought as they drew up the documents. Do we as Bible-Belt Americans realize the media-backed, popular candidates stand for the very things our founding fathers stood against, and would be appalled by?
* Republican Sen. Kirk Dillard said yesterday that he’s seriously considering a bid for governor, the same day he was scheduled to “co-host” a fundraiser for GOP Sen. Bill Brady’s gubernatorial campaign. He explains…
Dillard tells Animal Farm he signed on months ago for Brady’s local fundraiser and hasn’t asked for his name to be removed. But he won’t be attending. Instead, he has made plans to attend a fundraiser for Western llinois University.
“I gave Senator Brady permission to use my name before I began seriously considering a run for governor,” Dillard said.
* As I told you yesterday, earlier this week Congressman Patrick Kennedy took some seriously nasty shots at Alexi Giannoulias on behalf of his cousin Chris Kennedy.
Well, here’s what we learned this morning…
Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who has struggled with depression, alcoholism and addiction for much of his life, said Friday that he has checked into a medical facility for treatment.
The Rhode Island Democrat, who sought treatment three years ago after an early-morning car crash near the U.S. Capitol, said in a statement that his recovery is a “lifelong process” and that he will do whatever it takes to preserve his health.
That might explain some things.
* Earlier this week, Kass touted former reform commission chairman Patrick Collins and others for Chicago mayor…
How about Reform Commission Chairman Patrick Collins, the former federal prosecutor? Collins has integrity. Others include Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) and ex-Chicago schools chief Paul Vallas, who may lack hair but knows how to craft a budget.
* As I told you before, the Tribune editorial board lavished praise on Paul Vallas this week and begged him to come back and run for Cook County Board Chairman. Vallas, as you already know, announced yesterday that he would not run. Today, the Tribune whacks Vallas…
We’re thrilled that Huberman has put the central bureaucracy of Chicago’s school district — the second largest employer in the city, behind the federal government — on a diet. The job cuts come as the district faces a budget deficit of at least $475 million.
But his dramatic move leaves us wondering how these jobs survived the district’s two previous reform administrations. Why wasn’t this excess bureaucracy removed by Huberman’s predecessor, Arne Duncan, now the U.S. secretary of education, or by Paul Vallas, now running schools in New Orleans? Or did they help to create it?
* Speaking of Cook County Board President…
Cook County GOP Chairman Lee Roupas said Thursday other candidates have been pondering a run and they see the post as winnable next year given the public’s dissatisfaction with the sales tax hike under county board President Todd Stroger, a Chicago Democrat.
Potential GOP candidates include state Sen. Matt Murphy of Palatine and a second run by Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica of Riverside.
Sen. Murphy has already ruled out a run for the post and confirmed yesterday that he hasn’t changed his mind.
- Speaking at Will - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:48 am:
== The sheriff deputy explained that Dart’s “shackling policy” required the shackles to stay on. ==
Wow. I, well…. I’m going back to sleep.
- Diamond Dog - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:50 am:
Dear Randy White,
Illinois isn’t the Bible Belt.
Love,
Everybody From the Bible Belt
- Carl Nyberg - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:55 am:
Patrick Kennedy is an important figure for Illinois to be aware of.
Kennedy and Jesse Jackson, Jr. are both on the House Appropriations Committee.
Kennedy is senior to JJJ. They are both about the same age. There is one Democratic, Chet Edwards, who is senior to both and about ten years older. All the other Democrats senior to Kennedy and JJJ are much older.
Assuming the other Democrats die or retire roughly in order of their births, there will come a point when chairmanship of the committee will come down to Kennedy or JJJ.
Since Kennedy seems to have ongoing problems (like Phil Crane did), how likely is it JJJ will be chair?
- John Bambenek - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:56 am:
There’s also this guy: Adam for Illinois.
He’s enough of a candidate that at least two other GOP candidates are attacking him.
- Obamarama - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:02 am:
Randy White: Also part of our founding fathers’ intent was to accept slavery as a legal practice and deny women the right to vote. So when modern candidates stand against these practices… yeah I’m OK with that.
Nyberg: After JJJ’s mini scandal regarding paying his wife I doubt the Dem leadership would ever allow him to be Chair of Appropriations. Too ironic, too ripe for a GOP campaign ad.
- James the Intolerant - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:07 am:
Huberman has to lay off that many people to bring his own group of Hubermanites. He has already brought approximately 20 people over there. At CTA he loaded up the payroll with his little loyal force and pushed through an Executive Pension buyout that allows many of them to draw a pension with nowhere near the time that any normal person would have to put in to get a pension. Gives a $4M contract to Jones Lang LaSalle while there to oversee a RE portfolio that has made the parking meter fiasco look like a finely tuned machine. When are people (media) going to wake up to this fraud.
- Cassandra - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:08 am:
Wow. Shackling women in labor. Sounds beyond medieval. But then, we already knew we are llving
in olden times here in greater Chicagoland. Princely dynasties rule the Chicago and Cook County govt. roosts. Mutters heard from angry peasants who are being taxed into oblivion. Gun violence, the modern version of thuggery in the byways. All we need is a plague…an uptick in the swine flu maybe?
- siriusly - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:11 am:
I thought I saw Dillard say on Fox Chicago the other night that he IS a candidate for governor. I think he’s past the “considering” stage.
- just sayin - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:13 am:
Who even runs for Lt. Gov? It’s so namby pamby.
Consider we don’t even have a Lt. Gov right now, and won’t until January 2011. Is anyone concerned or has anyone noticed any difference?
If we want to save money, just get rid of the post. It’s not like V.P. where you need someone who could immediately respond to a foreign military threat or some big thing.
- Conservative Veteran - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:18 am:
Randy White’s campaign isn’t new. I read about it, about four months ago.
- Amy - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:22 am:
Cassandra…LOL!!!!
- Rob_N - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:25 am:
Bambenek — Randy White’s running for Lt. Gov. Kennedy has been mentioned for and Gianoullias is running for Senate.
Nobody mentioned Governor, but your (and others’) repeated attempts at Google-bombing his website are duly noted.
There’s a guy who wears a chicken suit who sometimes runs for office. Why don’t you mention him too?
- True Observer - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:37 am:
“Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), who has used his battle with alcoholism and drugs as a springboard for mental illness advocacy, has returned to treatment, he said in a statement released by his office.”
A good thing he was able to talk up his cousin for U.S. Senate and the Kennedy Clan in general before he went in.
- Cosmic Charlie - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:43 am:
I respect Vallas. I really do. But all of this budget guru talk on Vallas is a joke. He has raised taxes literally everywhere he has gone. Now maybe all three school districts were woefully underfunded. They probably were. But the bottom line is that he has never had to run a governmental body with less revenue. Always more. So, in response to John Kass, yes he does know how to craft a budget. But his experiences thus far have never shown him to be someone who could “manage” the City, County or State out of their respective budget messes.
BTW Rich, thanks for once again pointing out the inconsistencies (or hypocrisy) of the Tribune. They continue to embarrass themselves.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:48 am:
If you’re every down and think the world’s out to get you, pay a visit to 26th and Cal. There but for the grace of God…..
- VanillaMan - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:58 am:
Obviously Mr. White is sincere in his Lt. Governor candidacy. Emoting the Founding Fathers shows an acceptance of basic historical beliefs and values. Every Illinoians who runs for public office that is sincere in their desire to serve Illinois should be welcomed into the political fray. It is those who are insincere, those planning on crafting ways to rob Illinois while in office, those who believe political office is a tool for them to use, you know - the kind we often see already in office - who should be the ones we reserve our rotten eggs and cat-calls.
Welcome Mr. White, and good luck. But I like my candidates a bit more seasoned. How about a nice local office to get better acquainted with public service? I know there are plenty of people who can use the same kind of heroic help you have demonstrated in NYC and in Sri Lanka in your neighborhood.
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I don’t care about Mr. Dart’s political future, and no one else should care either if they are not dependants on Mr. Dart’s continued employment opportunities. It seems every political player gets the celebrity treatment like some kind of star, with similar wonderings about their future roles.
Change the name. Instead of calling them shackles, consider calling them security restraints. After all, these felons are wearing this attire to protect us, right? What kind of restraints and apparatuses are being used during the birthing process? To question Mr. Dart’s political future based on some naive idea of Scientologogical-silent-birthing process is ridiculous. Gee, have you ever seen someone born? It ain’t an episode of “Little House on the Prairie”, where an actress is suddenly holding a six month old wearing clean white gowns.
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When a politician commits a gaffe - he’s accidentially told the truth, but when Kennedy does it, he checks into rehab too. DUI? Rehab. Dissing the President? Rehab. Sounds like this Congressional District is out of eligible candidates to be their congressman. I guess everyone must be under 25 years of age or in prison.
- Johnny USA - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 11:06 am:
How many women in labor have been shackled by Dart? Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands?
Any ideas?
So much for the reformer. Guess I’ll have to vote for whatever milqtoast machine pol that runs against him for the next office up. You know….the one that doesn’t shackle women in labor.
- Ghost - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 11:16 am:
Two comments.
First, I think Collins would be an excellent Mayor for Chicago.
Second, I do not agree with White’s conclusion, BUT I appreciate that he is speaking openly about his belief on the place of religion in government. This way we can see the crazy up front and make an informed decision at the polls.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 11:18 am:
–First, I think Collins would be an excellent Mayor for Chicago.–
Why? The dude’s not exactly a fan of representative democracy.
- Sub - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 11:53 am:
Why would Dillard sign on to co-host a fundraiser (essentially endorse) for a colleague who is running for Gov, when he obviously doesn’t think that he should be the nominee? It is so Springfield.
And it is a classless move to basically announce you’re running on the day of the colleague’s fundraiser. Says something about Dillard.
- Downstate GOP Faithless - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 11:55 am:
so what does sen. dillard really believe then? that his own colleague was good enough in the spring, but not now? i certainly dont think brady has done anything in the past four months to cahnge the way most people think of him-outisde of course for not thinking sen. dillards own ambitions would get in his way
- Levois - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 12:00 pm:
A guy is following one of my twitter accounts running for Congress in the 1st Congressional District.
- Ghost - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 12:21 pm:
Word, becase Collins opinions about governemnt operations are way too theoretical. I’d like to see him operate in a position like the mayor of Chicago applying all of his theories. I would enjoy that immensly.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 12:22 pm:
Me too, Ghost. You’ve convinced me.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 2:38 pm:
I’m sorry to say this, but it’s come time for the people in Rep. Kennedy’s RI district to openly question whether he can serve effectively. I wish him all the best, but this is his SECOND rehab stint.
- this old hack - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 3:28 pm:
There are heavy Daley ties to Kennedy, dating from Richard J.’s relationship with the father and the President to the present. Billy Daley, the Mayor’s nephew, ran Patrick Kennedy’s first Congressional campaign back in 1994.
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as for Tom Dart, FORGET Tom Dart! He’s a pain in the neck. Prone to temper tantrums when he didn’t get what he wanted (i.e. Dan Hynes running statewide with backing before he did, didn’t like MJM in the House, on and on and on.) What he never brought out was the fact that he was MADE a State Senator from Beverly when he was all of 29 years old when Joyce left the Senate to work for Daley. Then he couldn’t get a job after he lost his state Treasurer’s race, but no worry–sherriff Sheehan came to the rescue which led to his anointing as Sherriff.
Sure, he sponsored good bills and did a lot for child welfare laws in Illinois. The man worked very hard when I knew him, but his sense of entitlement is just too much for me. Shackling of pregnent offenders won’t help.
- Amy - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 3:35 pm:
this old hack: LOL II.
- FDR - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 3:36 pm:
The shackling story shows the pitfalls of being sheriff.
If a guard doesn’t cuff a pregnant woman and she escapes we all sit back and make fun of the sheriff and say “what a bunch of dingbats, they can’t even guard a pregnant lady!”
But if they cuff her to the bed to keep her from escaping we say “tisk, tisk sheriff. You’re so cruel.”
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 3:40 pm:
“Then he couldn’t get a job after he lost his state Treasurer’s race”
It didn’t help when Blago and Daddy-in-law promised him the ISP job, but the Punkin and the Pope had a different idea.
- Downstate - Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:55 pm:
Dillard is the only Republican who can win for Governor.
- Great Album Title - Saturday, Jun 13, 09 @ 6:09 am:
1. “Shackled by Dart” would be a great album title or group name.
2. The Office of Lt. Governor makes no sense at all, even more so that candidates run separately in the primary. Weird. In the last 30 years, we have had at least three vacancies where the duties were transferred to CMS: O’Neal (bored) Kustra (to host a radio show until–wait–Edgar having heart surgery–ok–academia now) and the current situation.
3. Illinois may not be the “Bible Belt” per se but it may be per quod. Get 50-60 miles out of Chicago and the radio is jammed up with gospel stations.