Do better, dude
Tuesday, Jan 15, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I haven’t interacted much with Illinois Supreme Court spokesman Chris Bonjean, but I sure hope when I do he responds better than this. From a Tina Sfondeles Sun-Times story…
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza — who has joined a long list of those vying to replace Mayor Rahm Emanuel — avoided some controversy by being sworn in by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Rossana Patricia Fernandez — not Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, whose husband Ald. Ed Burke was charged earlier this month in an attempted extortion case. Justice Burke, a close friend, gave Mendoza the oath of office in 2016. WBEZ first reported the switch on Jan. 11.
Asked for comment on why Burke did not administer the oath, Illinois Supreme Court spokesman Chris Bonjean declined to elaborate, simply saying, “I hope the Sun-Times has better news judgement [sic] than that.”
Wow. That was a pretty condescending non-response.
* So, what, then, could possibly be the difference between Tina’s news judgment and that of WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos? Because Dan called the court about the same story just a few days ago and Bonjean had no patronizing retort…
And state Supreme Court spokesman Christopher Bonjean told WBEZ that he spoke with Anne Burke, and she said Mendoza had invited her to swear her in again — then withdrew that request recently.
Bonjean said he did not know when exactly the invitation was withdrawn or why.
Was that so hard?
…Adding… Sfondeles tells me that Bonjean called and apologized.
- Colin O'Scopy - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:12 am:
Christopher Bonjean might be channeling the Burke family’s distain for the way they feel they are treated by the Chicago Sun-Times.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:14 am:
I’m pretty sure that the Burkes’ relationships with mayoral candidates is news these days.
- Steve - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:25 am:
Mr. Bonjean sounds kind of bitter towards the Chicago Sun-Times. After all, many investigative stories the last 20 years came from the Chicago Sun-Times.
- lakeside - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:29 am:
Weird - Dan had an easier time getting a non-condescending response than Tina did. They both work/used to work for the Sun-Times, so I wonder what the difference could be between Dan and Tina?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:32 am:
===so I wonder what the difference could be between Dan and Tina?===
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:33 am:
===ounds kind of bitter towards the Chicago Sun-Times===
I don’t think the paper had anything to do with it.
- Gooner - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:35 am:
Not to get off topic, but it was nice to see Judge Fernandez swear in Mendoza.
I’ve known her since she came out of law school. She was an excellent lawyer, is an excellent judge, and has a wicked sense of humor. It is great to see her get some state-wide attention. I’ve love to see her move up to the First Circuit.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:36 am:
To be fair, Chris’ answer to Dan may have revealed more than was intended. He may need to learn how to give a better version of “no comment.”
- lakeside - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:44 am:
It’s a head-scratcher, Rich. We may never know.
Separately, I would like to give Tina a shoutout for her [sic] burn.
- A State Employee Guy - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:44 am:
Not that I like going to bat for PR flaks, but is this really newsworthy stuff, Tina?
- A State Employee Guy - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:45 am:
And Dan.
- jim - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:50 am:
In the context of the burke indictment and the political fallout from that — everyone running from Burke — it’s certainly newsworthy.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 11:53 am:
===but is this really newsworthy stuff, Tina? ===
It was to Dan and it was to the Supreme Court dude last week. Why wouldn’t it be for Tina on the day the actual swearing-in took place?
Take a breath and don’t quit your day job.
- ChrisB - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 12:03 pm:
Maybe he’s just bitter Tina didn’t catch his good side for her ongoing series, “Men Watching Construction Projects.”
Non-snark, that series should win some type of award.
- Leigh John-Ella - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 12:04 pm:
When someone questions if it’s news, it almost assuredly means it is and that person wishes it weren’t.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 12:07 pm:
Bonjean seems a bit tone deaf.
- Chris Kaergard - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 12:13 pm:
I can only imagine how the late, great Joe Tybor would’ve dealt with that question — on and off the record.
- Perrid - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 12:18 pm:
I’ll defer to you Rich, as I’ve never even heard of this guy, but seeing sexism here seems to be a stretch. At least I’d want more to go on to make an accusation.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 12:49 pm:
Is it “news”
Sure everything Burke is “news” — after looking the other way for …..decades. Guessin’ the Justice wasn’t too big a help framin’ the response. Tryin’ to get the “G”s back in but hard to break an addiction.
- A State Employee Guy - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 12:58 pm:
This is ANN Burke, not ED Burke.
- A State Employee Guy - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 12:59 pm:
Anne*
- Stones - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 1:25 pm:
I don’t know Christopher Bonjean but he doesn’t sound like a Joe Trynor.
- jim - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 2:11 pm:
let me offer an alternative theory to the bonjean bashing.
maybe he got a ton of grief from Justice Burke for responding to the first inquiry and was trying to head off a second story by discouraging it.
since he was helpful the first time around, it might explain why he wasn’t the second time around.
Does anyone doubt the Burkes are enraged that all their friends have abandoned them and don’t want to be reminded of it? Maybe she gave Bonjean an earful and said she didn’t want to read any more about it.
By the way, it was Joe Tybor, a great guy, not Joe Trynor, who was the previous court flak.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 2:21 pm:
===let me offer an alternative theory===
Jim, in your world, nothing is ever bigoted or sexist. It’s always some excuse. You’re a real piece of work.
- haha - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 4:09 pm:
A better response (to both) to both would’ve been;
Her husband is criminally charged in a federal complaint.
- Left Leaner - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 4:52 pm:
Chris Bonjean. Some things never change.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 15, 19 @ 5:04 pm:
Apparently he worked at the Sun Times for nine years, so maybe he has an axe to grind.
https://www.isba.org/iln/2016/09/23/illinois-supreme-court-appoints-christopher-bonjean-director-communications
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, Jan 16, 19 @ 8:51 am:
“Sfondeles tells me that Bonjean called and apologized.”
Any credit that Bonjean gets for apologizing should go double to Sfondeles for making Rich aware of the apology.
I wouldn’t be so gracious.
– MrJM