* I knew about this story, so I’m happy to see the Daily Herald used it in its piece on Geo’s life…
It was the fifth inning and a youthful Richard M. Daley was on the mound for the Illinois Senate.
Into the batter’s box stepped freshman Republican House member Adeline Geo-Karis. She looped a Daley offering into short left field, just beyond the fielders’ reach, and stood atop first base.
It was early June 1973, and with that swing, Geo-Karis is believed to have become the first woman to get a hit in the annual Illinois House-Senate charity softball game.
While perhaps not her greatest civic achievement, it may very well sum up Geo-Karis’ tenure in public life, a span of more than three decades during which she frequently found herself one of the few women in the room, but always ready to handle whatever the boys could dish out.
Geo-Karis died Sunday at the age of 89.
* You can read the original UPI story that the above recollection is based upon by clicking here.
A staunch Republican, Geo-Karis met such notables as former presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and helped George H.W. Bush campaign in Lake County. But she was also comfortable working with those on both sides of the aisle politically and socially.
“On a personal basis we were friends. I knew her before she was elected (to the State Legislature),” said State Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan. “I think one of her major accomplishments is what every legislator should take to heart - constituent services. When someone called her with a problem, she tried to do as much as she possible could to solve it for them.”
Geo-Karis retired after a 28-year career in the Senate, preceded by six years in the House, during the contentious Republican primary in 2006, which she lost to Warren Township Supervisor Suzanne Simpson. Geo-Karis then supported Democratic candidate Michael Bond of Vernon Hills, who beat Simpson in a close general election race to win the Senate seat.
Geo-Karis won her last election Feb. 5 when she was reelected to her position as a precinct committeeman.
Born in Tegeas, Greece on March 29, 1918, Geo-Karis immigrated to the United States in 1922. She was a graduate of Northwestern University and DePaul University Law School. She served as Lt. Commander with the U.S. Naval Reserves. Geo-Karis, who was also a past mayor of Zion and served as village attorney for Vernon Hills for many years, was a member of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Waukegan. She is survived by extended family and friends.
Geo was like a great aunt to me. I once owned a big, old, yellow Cadillac, and Geo loved it and I often gave her rides after session. For whatever reason, she called me “Miller.” Once, she caught herself and said, “I don’t know why I don’t call you ‘Rich,’ but I’ve gotten so used to calling you ‘Miller’ that I think I’ll just keep doing it.” I didn’t care. She was a woman who always spoke her mind and I truly loved her for it.
Funeral services for Geo-Karis, who was preceded in death by two brothers and a sister, are scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday in Zion at Illinois State Beach Park Conference Center and Resort in the Adeline J. Geo-Karis State Park, which was named after her two years ago. A wake is scheduled at the same location from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday.
So much news has happened since I shut everything down Thursday that I thought I’d catch you up today in a series of posts on a broad variety of topics. Comments are still off until Wednesday, when the General Assembly comes back into session.
Sources said Thomas helped investigators build a record of repeat visits to the old offices of Rezko and former business partner Daniel Mahru’s Rezmar Corp., at 853 N. Elston, by Blagojevich and Obama during 2004 and 2005.
In one case, sources said, Thomas told authorities he saw a Rezmar employee pass an envelope with a visible wad of bills to an unidentified Blagojevich aide.
“Individuals who helped select and process candidates for boards and commissions will testify that Rezko had weekly meetings with the head of patronage for the [Blagojevich] administration, where Rezko provided names of individuals he wanted appointed to certain boards,” prosecutors wrote in a 31-page document filed late Wednesday.
* Blagojevich fights order to release federal subpoenas…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration says it has new, secret evidence to warrant keeping the public from seeing federal subpoenas it has received.
Lawyers for the Democrat filed court papers Feb. 8 asking a judge to reverse his ruling of a month ago to release subpoenas from the U.S. attorney. “Newly discovered evidence” makes it important to keep the documents secret, they said.
But they also requested to file the documents in secrecy and no information about them was included in the filing.
Laski claims Daley invited him into his private City Hall conference room and asked if he’d heard “from anybody down the street.” — Hizzoner’s reference to the feds — during a probe of alleged time-sheet fraud at City Hall. […]
When Laski said, “No!” Daley offered to give him some advice.
Quoth Laski: “He spoke quietly as if we were being bugged. He told me, in a very serious tone of voice, that, in order to survive in this business, I had to have a buffer.
* Blagojevich fundraiser got loan from billionaire tied to Rezko; more here
The loan came from General Mediterranean Holdings, a company based in Luxembourg and headed by Nadhmi Auchi, a London-based Iraqi who is currently appealing a fraud conviction in France.
* Federal prosecutors counter defense bid to bar evidence in Tony Rezko fraud trial
* GOP hopefuls drop finance aide amid investigation…
The Republican congressional campaigns of Aaron Schock and Tim Baldermann parted ways with their shared campaign treasurer after news reports suggested he could be involved in an accounting scandal.
Christopher Ward served as campaign treasurer for Schock and Baldermann and previously had worked for the national party. Several media reports out of Washington, D.C., suggest Ward could be part of an investigation involving questionable accounting during his time with the Republican National Campaign Committee.
* How did Hillary win key city wards? Bosses’ pledges for Obama fall short: Clinton, Alvarez ‘were just very popular with Latinos and women’…
Does that mean the ward bosses have lost their power to carry their wards?
Did they cut secret deals to back Hillary Clinton for president and Anita Alvarez for state’s attorney?
Or was it just another “Year of the Woman,” in which women and Hispanics voted their preferences instead of those of their ward bosses?
There could be some loud fireworks the next time Illinois Senate Democrats meet behind closed doors.
Two of those Democrats, Martin Sandoval and Tony Munoz, contributed a combined $45,000 to Rep. Rich Bradley’s losing Democratic primary campaign against Sen. Iris Martinez. That is a big political no-no.
…the Frank Giustra-Kazakhstan-Uranium affair, blown open by The New York Times last week, serves as a reminder that the relationship between the Clintons and money has not always been lily-white.
Initially, Williams was brought in to run the campaign even though Solis Doyle was still there. The result was confusion for the staff, who weren’t sure who was really in charge, the source said.
But even more troublesome was the campaign’s money crunch. Over the last seven years, Clinton had raised $175 million for her re-election and her presidential campaign. But Solis Doyle didn’t tell Clinton that there was next to no cash on hand until after the New Hampshire primary.
“We were lying about money,” the source said. “The cash on hand was nothing.”
Clinton didn’t tell Solis Doyle she was lending money to keep the campaign afloat. Solis Doyle found out third-hand. And when she asked Clinton about it, the senator told her she couldn’t understand how the campaign had gotten to such a point, the source said.
Barb Hicks doesn’t know how many more services Madonna House can cut.
But dire state financial conditions have forced Hicks, the executive and business director of the Quincy shelter, to think about turning away even more people in need.
* Gov. asking lawmakers to end tax breaks for businesses…
On Friday, his budget office could not provide a detailed list of exactly what the governor is seeking, drawing the ire of House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, who has been Blagojevich’s chief legislative nemesis.
“That level of work would be a big burden for him,” Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said. “It’d probably be too much to ask.”
The Illinois Gaming Board reported that casinos in the state experienced a 17 percent revenue decrease in January compared with January last year. The majority of casinos also reported an almost 6 percent decrease in admissions.
Officials are blaming the smoking ban, which went into effect Jan. 1, for the decline. Illinois, along with 18 other states, made it illegal to smoke in nearly every public place and requires smokers to step at least 15 feet away from a building entrance, ventilation intake or an open window before lighting up.
The head of the gaming board said that because people have to go outside to take smoke breaks, that means less time spent gambling.
* Words no Illinois lawmaker will say: “Tax hike.”
* Subscribers know that I’m shutting everything down for a few days to attend a family funeral. Someone passing in a no-passing zone slammed head-on into my niece’s car. My niece is out of the hospital, but her husband and two-year-old daughter were both killed…
I’ll crank the blog back up on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Not sure yet.
No video. I’m too depressed.
*** UPDATE *** Thanks for all the kind e-mails, text messages, faxes and phone calls about my family’s tragedy. The funeral ordeal was one of the saddest experiences of my life. But your lovely sentiments helped lift my spirits, so many thanks.
*** UPDATE 2 *** We’re all gonna miss her…
On behalf of her family and friends, I am saddened to report that former State Senator Adeline J. Geo-Karis passed away Sunday evening, February 10, 2008, of natural causes, at Glenbrook Hospital.
Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced shortly.
* 12:55 pm - Bad news, budgeteers. The state’s investment income is gonna be way down…
Like investors everywhere, Illinois is watching its investment income shrink along with the swooning financial markets.
State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias warned lawmakers today the stock market decline will “trigger a significant reduction in interest income” in the current fiscal year.
Giannoulias said the state probably will collect $38 million to $50 million less in investment income during the 2008 fiscal year, which ends June 30.
Things will get worse next year, when the treasurer expects the state to collect $243 million, at best, from investments. In the last full budget year, Giannoulias’ office made $426 million in investment income. The treasurer’s office invests surplus state funds.
Democrat Barack Obama raised $7.2 million in less than 48 hours post Super Tuesday and rival Hillary Rodham Clinton collected $4 million, giving him a financial edge that’s caused consternation within a Clinton campaign clamoring for attention-getting debates.
It emerged yesterday that Clinton loaned her campaign $5 million last month, so it’s probably only a matter of time before some reporters question whether this little deal is somehow connected to that action.
* 1:14 pm - From a press release…
Governor Blagojevich today announced that more than 50,000 seniors across Illinois have pre-registered to receive free public transportation since he first launched the toll-free hotline and website two weeks ago.
* As expected the Chicago city council approved the real estate transfer tax yesterday with some minor adjustments…
Aldermen held their noses, swallowed hard and demanded that members of the military and disabled veterans get free rides, but ultimately voted to complete a Chicago Transit Authority bailout by hitting city property buyers with a 40 percent transfer tax increase.
Some senior citizens will catch a break, but the City Council’s approval by a 41-6 vote means that Chicago’s real-estate transfer tax will climb for most everyone from $7.50 per $1,000 of sale price to $10.50 beginning April 1. On a $300,000 home, the result would be a $900 increase.
People 65 and older who buy houses priced at $250,000 or less and attest that they will live in them for at least a year will get a refund of the transfer tax increase but will be required to apply to receive it.
* The vote was overwhelming, but Mayor Daley was angry at the half-dozen aldermen who voted against it…
The vote was 41-6 — and the six “no” votes had the mayor seething. They were cast by Aldermen Robert Fioretti (2nd), Sandi Jackson (7th), Sharon Denise Dixon (24th), Rey Colon (35th), Brian Doherty (41st) and Bernard Stone (50th).
“If Ald. Fioretti believes they don’t need the CTA in his ward, then stand up and say, ‘CTA, bypass my people.’ . . . You’ll last about a half a day. They’ll have to send . . . police and fire to protect you and your families,” Daley said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Daley continued his diatribe, finally saying, “Those who want to run for higher political office, vote ‘No,’” a dig at some aldermanic opponents who are rumored to be seeking higher office.
* When you serve in a legislative body run by an absolute control freak, any dissension is deemed traitorous. And, while I hate to say it, Ald. Stone made a pretty good point…
Stone dismissed the senior exemption as a “showpiece” that “isn’t worth a damn,” noting that most seniors are sellers — not buyers.
The showpiece comment was on the money. There aren’t many houses in Stone’s ward selling for less than $250,000.
*** UPDATE *** WGN has posted Mayor Daley’s entire snarky rant on YouTube. It’s a must-see…
Except for 2002 (when there was a super-hot Republican primary for governor), Tuesday was the biggest primary for the GOP since 1988. So, perhaps drawing too many conclusions from Tuesday’s huge Democratic turnout is premature.
* And this was forwarded to me by our blog friend JakeCP…
Chicago ‘04 GOP Primary vote 27,729
Chicago ‘08 GOP Primary votey 41,535
Those aren’t huge numbers, but it’s a lot of growth - almost 50 percent.
* Still, this meme will not die soon. From the AP…
It could be a long, long year for Illinois Republicans. Their U.S. Senate nominee is virtually unknown. They’re playing defense in at least four congressional districts. Illinois voters cast nearly 1.1 million more Democratic votes than Republican votes in Tuesday’s primary.
Things are definitely bad. No doubt about it. And - besides the primary turnout stuff - most other signs point to them heading for a lousy year. But the big Dem vote should be taken in some context, and so there you have it.
Dr. Steve Sauerberg, who won Tuesday’s Illinois Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, said Wednesday that Sen. Dick Durbin is out of touch with his constituents. […]
Sauerberg, of Lombard, also said that Durbin, a Springfield Democrat, had his chance to end illegal immigration but instead made it worse.
I know a lot of people like to bloviate about illegal immigration on blogs and on talk radio, but this is from Tuesday’s Illinois GOP exit poll…
Which ONE of these four issues is the most important facing the country?
Category
% Total
Illegal immigration
19
The war in Iraq
20
The economy
43
Terrorism
16
-
And…
Should most illegal immigrants working in the United States be:
Category
% Total
Offered a chance to apply for citizenship
30
Allowed to stay as temporary workers
25
Deported to the country they came from
43
* So, when it doesn’t even seem to be a dominant issue for Republicans, can it be used in a general election here? Also, remember, there are a whole lot of Latino and other immigrant voters in this state. Tons, even. Irish, Polish, Lithuanian, etc. And many of them know or are related to illegal immigrants.
Please, make sure to read this: I’m really not interested in your own personal opinion of illegal immigration. Try to have a civil debate or your comments will be deleted and you could easily find yourself banned. This topic often brings out the crazy in some people, and I’d rather avoid that today. Thanks.
[11th Congressional District Democratic candidate Debbie Halvorson] said Wednesday she wants to talk about issues and not be negative as she traverses a district that stretches from Chicago’s southern suburbs to Bloomington-Normal. Key among the issues is the economy.
“Everybody is frustrated with the Republicans,” Halvorson said.
* Runner up goes to Bernie Schoenburg, who, after noting that the Green Party ballot total was less than two-tenths of a percent in Sangamon county, wrote…
This does not bode well for a Green takeover of the state.
The surprise on Super Duper Tuesday in Illinois was at the state level, not the national level. Illinois still played a significant role February 5 by doling out more than 200 presidential delegates to the Democratic and Republican candidates, but the state got lost in the mix of 22 states that held primaries that day.
