The Rolling Stones sold out their November 25th and 29th shows at London’s O2 Arena in just seven minutes, according to multiple reports. Fans apparently snapped up the arena’s least expensive seats, priced around $152, in just three minutes, while the priciest seats at around $601 were gone a few minutes later.
The high traffic caused Ticketmaster to crash before the tickets had sold out. A holding page read, “We’re experiencing high demand. You will be automatically directed to the page requested as soon as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience.” Resale websites are already listing tickets for as much as $20,050.
* I like Amtrak. I rode it often when I lived in Chicago and commuted to Springfield for session. Higher speeds are something I definitely support. But we flew in the US Transportation Secretary for a fifteen minute highish-speed ride? C’mon, man…
Touting high-speed rail as the future of passenger rail, Amtrak on Friday led a test ride at 110 mph between Dwight and Pontiac on the agency’s Chicago to St. Louis route.
About 11:45 a.m., U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Gov. Pat Quinn held on tightly as the speedometer screen peaked at 111 mph.
The 15-mile demonstration lasted for just a couple of minutes as the train approached Dwight, but the ride became increasingly bumpy. Normal speed in the area is 79 mph. […]
“This is only the beginning,” LaHood said. “By 2015, 110 mph service will be expanded throughout nearly 75 percent of the corridor.”
Also, with the pending closure of the Dwight prison, they ought to seriously consider shutting down that stop. Pontiac isn’t far away. Passengers can board there.
And furthermore, it would help if the trains left the station on time. A friend took a train from Chicago to Springfield last night which left Chicago almost two hours late. Even if they get the train speeds up to 250 mph (which they won’t), a two-hour delay kills all that progress.
* Jason Plummer ran for lt. governor in 2010 and is now running for Congress and still didn’t pay his property taxes on time? Dude, you’re a millionaire. Don’t you have people for that?…
One issue that won’t go away in Illinois’ 12th congressional race: taxes.
Democrats have blasted Republican lumber heir Jason Plummer for not releasing his tax returns. Now comes news that Plummer has paid property taxes late on his home in Edwardsville, which is outside the district he’s running to represent. Records show Plummer paid the taxes late for tax years 2011 and 2009, according to Madison County property records.
The taxes are about $5,500 per year, which Plummer has paid in installments. He was billed minimal penalties for the late payments, but has brought everything current.
Look, stuff happens. People get busy. Bills get lost. Some folks don’t have the money to pay their taxes on time. But most people aren’t running for high-level office.
C’mon, man!
* Speaking of Plummer, I don’t really have much of a problem with paid, professional video trackers, but do they really have to try and incite their targets? They shouldn’t be stalker paparazzi…
Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios may be under fire, but he’s still got a friend in a fellow Democrat, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
As the Sun-Times first reported in Tuesday’s paper, Berrios is thumbing his nose at a subpoena issued by the county’s top watchdog seeking documents about an employee under investigation for misconduct.
He’s also ignored an ethics board recommendation to fire three relatives on his payroll as well as a $10,000 fine the panel issued for violating the ethics policy by hiring his son and sister. His daughter was already on the payroll when he was elected in 2010. […]
“I think Joe has done a good job of running his office,” she said.
* The Illinois Review triumphantly claims it sparked a look at whether President Obama might lose Illinois…
Two weeks ago, MSM pundits rolled their eyes when IR pointed to an Illinois political consultant speculating that Obama could lose Illinois on November 6. With the Romney campaign putting a minimal amount of resources into Illinois, the likelihood of an Illinois victory seemed ludicrous. Now the national conservative source Daily Caller is adding to the “Obama could lose Illinois” chorus Bruce Donnelly started last week on IR
* Is this a step toward a gubernatorial run? Maybe so…
Bruce Rauner, the civic-minded private equity executive who has been mentioned as a potential Republican candidate for Illinois governor, is retiring from GTCR, one of Chicago’s biggest private equity firms, where he was managing director. He said he plans to spend more time on civic and philanthropic interests. […]
Reached Thursday night, Rauner said he was traveling, busy with meetings and unavailable for an interview.
Canfield, a managing partner, credits Rauner with helping to build GTCR into a significant private equity firm.
He also noted on Friday morning that Rauner has more civic and political activities on his plate, and the firm has restrictions and limitations on those types of activities.
“Being a full-time employee at GTCR comes with significant restrictions on outside activities, and it got to the point where Bruce didn’t want to be encumbered to engage in his civic and political activities,” Canfield said this morning. “He wanted the freedom without those restrictions.”
I’m hearing that Nick Ayers, who headed the Republican Governors Association’s efforts for a few years and then ran Tim Palentty’s disastrous presidential bid is behind this move.
* When politicians got in trouble in the old days they’d often check themselves into a hospital. Blue Cross was far more generous back then. Politicians could go hide out and dodge reporters and anyone else they wanted to avoid.
Now, I’m not saying at all that this is what Congressman Jackson might be doing. I’m just saying that I’m reminded of those stories from long ago…
A Sneed source who claims to have visited Jackson this week said, “Jesse wanted you to know he is finding it difficult to continue his treatment because the press is staking out his home and making access to his doctor, who is within a short walking distance from his home, incredibly hard.”
“He said his doctors are considering sending him back to Mayo Clinic for treatment.”
The source added Jackson, who is being treated for bipolar disorder during his four-month absence from work, is trying “to stay focused and calm to enhance his treatment and is just following doctor’s orders.” Jackson, who is also being investigated by the Feds, sees his doctor twice a day.
Jackson is recuperating, not working and has no intention of dropping out of his re-election campaign, according to the source.
Congressman Jackson, the subject of a Gawker.com report that he was spotted recently having drinks on two nights with two different women at a beer bar in Washington, claims the women were “lobbyists… friends,” according to the source.
Included in his expenditures are fees paid to a political consulting business owned by his wife, Chicago Ald. Sandi Jackson.
“For the last four months, his wife is still getting $5,000 checks from the campaign, where during those months he’s in the hospital,” Jackson’s Republican challenger, Brian Woodworth, told NBC Chicago.
* Illinois Republicans have consistently bragged about the millions of phone calls they’re making on behalf of their candidates this year. But Will Caskey isn’t impressed.
Caskey owns an opposition research firm. He works for Democrats. He votes for Democrats. Yet, he was robocalled by Joe Walsh and then contacted by a GOP volunteer urging him to vote against state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, who doesn’t live anywhere close to him. Yesterday Caskey was robocalled by the Illinois Republican Party urging him to send in the absentee ballot application they mailed him, with some nasty stuff thrown in about President Obama.
I don’t know how I managed to get into your database of likely supporters for…well for whatever you Republicans get up to. The fact is, I don’t belong there. Ever. I don’t care how white and male I am or that I own a business or that I grew up in Louisiana or whatever other microdata you scrounge up (haha who am I kidding, you didn’t really do that! Nice one Pat).
I’m a Democrat. I’ve voted in four out of four Democratic primaries. My household is double 4/4 D. In layman’s terms (no offense, it just seems like you need this spelled out) it is likelier that I am going to spontaneously levitate and set people on fire with my mind than I am to vote GOP.
Not only that, I give Democrats money! I give them a LOT of money! They give me a lot of money too; the transactions are hardly unidirectional here. And on a final note: I didn’t get an absentee ballot. I didn’t request one. I’ve never, ever voted absentee. So that robocall you just sent me today urging me to remember to send in the absentee ballot you mailed me is, well, gibberish. All that nasty stuff you said about President Obama was also gibberish
Less focus on empty rhetoric and more focus on actually getting the job done right would probably be good advice here.
In other words, it’ll be tough to “Fire Mike Madigan” if you’re calling hard Democrats so many times and sending them absentee ballots.
* WCIA TV’s Steve Staeger tried to get an answer from the DCCC yesterday about where the money actually came from that paid for Democrat David Gill’s controversial TV ad. As I’ve already told you, Gill’s ad claims he won’t ever take a penny from corporations, Wall Street, etc., but ironically enough the spot is paid for in part by the DCCC, which does take that cash.
Got off the phone with the DCCC. They say the commercial was paid entirely with grassroots money. But they said there is no separate fund.
So, if there is no separate fund, then how the heck can Dr. Gill know that he’s not taking “tainted” money? From the Gill campaign…
All funds raised for the DCCC 441ad commercials aired in partnership with the Gill campaign come from funds raised by the DCCC’s online/grassroots donors, not PACs, lobbyists, or corporate donors.
Dr. Gill asked the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for assurances that these funds used to assist his campaign’s advertising would not be from corporate PACS or Wall Street interests and the Committee met his strict standards on this matter.
* Gill’s campaign referred all further questions to the DCCC. But the DCCC so far hasn’t said how they met Gill’s “strict standards” since there is no separate fund. I sent this e-mail to the DCCC’s spokesperson today…
Is there or is there not a separate DCCC fund that contains “grassroots” non corporate money? And if so, what is the name of this fund?
The reply…
We fundraise from different sources. Our grassroots/online fundraising money that we used in partnership with Gill only came from grassroots/online fundraising not PAC.
My response…
And how can you prove this?
The DCCC’s response…
Dr. Gill made a pledge so in partnering with him, we honored that. What we’re spending in partnership with the Gill campaign came from our grassroots and online fundraising.
So, I guess we’re just supposed to take their word, even though there is no separate fund.
* This is a problem created wholly by Gill. He made such a huge deal about not ever accepting “even a penny” from corporations, Wall Street, lobbyists, etc. It’s now up to him to prove that he didn’t get any of that cash.
* Meanwhile, I told you already that the American Action Network was upping its buy by $1.15 million against Gill. The PAC had already spent $320K. Here’s the new ad…
* Script…
David Gill loves seeing your money fly away.
Gill supported billions in stimulus spending that failed to create the jobs promised,
with billions to failed companies like Solyndra.
Gill supports Obamacare which cuts $716 billion from Medicare,
and a 2 percent healthcare tax costing families a thousand dollars a year.
David Gill: Making a mess out of healthcare, and our economy.
Vote No on David Gill.
American Action Network is responsible for the content of this advertising.
* Protestors not happy with Boehner visit: Cameras weren’t allowed inside the fundraiser but we talked to Rodney Davis beforehand. He’s just honored the House Speaker is here.
“I’m dead-set opposed to civil unions. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Now, unfortunately, in my opinion, they have opened up the door for other things. Now, and please bear with me, does this now say that somebody can get married to their dog?”
ABC now has a THIRD version of the ad submitted to them by the NRCC. They wouldn’t run the revision (#2). So there might be as many as three versions up
Oy.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Democrat Bill Foster’s congressional campaign claims that four of the five Chicago broadcast TV stations initially refused to air this ad by the NRCC…
Only CBS2 continued to air the ad, according to the Foster campaign.
The ad claims that Foster sold his stock “just one day after congressmen held a closed-door briefing in Washington about the financial crisis.”
“Congressman Foster got the parachute, you got the crash,” the ad ends.
* Foster’s campaign says the NRCC spot was “a clear attempt to outright lie to the public without any credible facts.” More…
It’s quite simple: Bill never attended the “closed door briefing” they allege. Not to mention, it was publicly reported that AIG would require a federal bailout at that time, so anyone with an internet connection had access to information.
Though the Bill Foster campaign is fuming over a recent campaign ad that charges he personally profited during his time in Congress — the ad is still running — with the exception of WGN.
The National Republican Congressional Committee says the ad raises a central question about the timing of the Democrat’s personal financial decisions during a critical time in congress — the 2008 housing market collapse. While some stations asked for more details about the ad before airing it, she said, they aired it after some minor changes. […]
“The major Chicago television stations are all running our ad that highlights how Congressman Foster inappropriately used his position on the House Financial Services Committee to personally benefit. We added language to our ad that reinforces the fact that Congressman Foster abused his power,” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Katie Prill.
Biggert and Foster have portrayed each other as wealthy in TV ads. Asked whether it was disingenuous for each candidate to slam the other as a millionaire without mentioning they are one as well, Biggert quickly responded: “But I’m not.”
“Certainly the salary from being a member of Congress would not make me a millionaire,” said Biggert, whose congressional salary is $174,000 a year. “We have investments, and that’s good. You have to plan for retirement.”
Biggert’s financial disclosure form shows that she and her husband, Rody Biggert, a retired attorney, have assets worth $1.9 million to $5.3 million.
* I showed this to subscribers earlier today, but I thought you might get a kick out of it as well. GOP state Rep. Skip Saviano’s latest TV ad is called “Obedient Duckling.” Rate it…
“Duckling” is Statehouse slang for newbie House Democrats who need constant management by leadership so they don’t screw up their reelection campaigns.
* I watched the debate last night between Joe Walsh and Tammy Duckworth and this part stood out for me…
Walsh described himself as ‘Pro-life without exception.”
He said he did not believe in an exception for rape and incest because — “there’s still a life there.” He then added: “the life of the woman is not an exception.” Walsh nicked Duckworth for having the complete opposite view.
“[Duckworth] actually supports tax-payer funding of abortions,” Walsh said.
Duckworth went full steam ahead at her response.
“I’m pro-choice without restriction, and here though, Mr. Walsh … what he said — not for rape, incest or life of the mother — he would let a woman die rather than give her, than to give the doctor the option to save her life.”
Walsh interrupted her, all the while saying: “That’s not fair.”
After the debate, Walsh later explained his remark that the life of the woman is not an exception, saying that medically today, the health of the mother is not a reason for an abortion.
Asked by reporters after the debate if he was saying that it’s never medically necessary to conduct an abortion to save the life of a mother, Walsh responded, “Absolutely.”
“With modern technology and science, you can’t find one instance,” he said. “… There is no such exception as life of the mother, and as far as health of the mother, same thing.”
“Abortions are necessary in a number of circumstances to save the life of a woman or to preserve her health,” the college said. “Unfortunately, pregnancy is not a risk-free life event, particularly for many women with chronic medical conditions. Despite all of our medical advances, more than 600 women die each year from pregnancy- and childbirth-related reasons right here in the US. In fact, many more women would die each year if they did not have access to abortion to protect their health or to save their lives.”
Walsh has scheduled a 2:30 press conference today to discuss his comments, which have gone national
*** UPDATE 2 *** The Daily Herald didn’t even bother to include the Walsh/Duckworth abortion exchange in its story this morning. But its reporter did go to Walsh’s presser. From the Twitterverse…
@RepJoeWalsh pro life “for mother, unborn child.”
@RepJoeWalsh cites ectopic pregnancies as rare instances that could kill mother and child.
The idea there is some kind of modern medical technology or procedure that has made full-term pregnancies suddenly perfectly safe for all women is news to Dr. Carrie Terrell, an ob-gyn and chief of staff at the University of Minnesota Medical Center.
“There are innumerable potential instances wherein a termination of pregnancy would be indicated to save a woman’s life,” she said in a phone interview Friday.
That list includes “but is not limited to,” she said, such serious conditions as:
* chorioamnionitis in pre-viable pre-term premature rupture of membranes (a bacteria-related inflammation of the fetal membranes),
* severe pre-eclampsia and other hypertensive (high blood pressure) disorders,
* certain forms of cardiomyopathy (a disease that weakens and enlarges the heart),
* various maternal cardiac and pulmonary anomalies,
* severe nephrosis,
* severe cancers,
* infections with sepsis, and
* multi-organ failure.
Terrell said that in her practice, she sees pregnant women with these kinds of conditions several times a year.
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* The other thing that stood out for me in the coverage of this topic is that nobody challenged Duckworth to explain what she meant when she said she is “pro-choice without restriction.” What the heck does that mean? Abortion up to nine months for any reason at all?
