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Question of the day
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* When you’re dealing with pensions, it’s all about where you start and stop counting…
- Gov. Pat Quinn’s plan to overhaul government pension systems to save money actually would cost Illinois taxpayers $95 billion extra over the next three decades, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Wrestling with an $11.6 billion budget deficit, Quinn wants to cut in half the amount of money the state would put into retirement systems for state employees in the next five years. […]
The total cost would be $532 billion through 2045, up from $437 billion under the current pension plan. […]
Quinn spokeswoman Katie Ridgway countered that, ultimately, Illinois pension systems would wind up owing less to retirees under the governor’s proposal because benefits would be scaled back. In 2045, for instance, the amount owed under Quinn’s plan would be $150 billion less than under the current system.
The same goes for the return on investments. The pension systems use a start and end date which shows great returns, which is how they justify charging the state 8.5 percent interest every year for underpayments.
* The Question: Should the General Assembly pass pension reforms in order to justify skimming over $3 billion next fiscal year to patch the budget deficit? If not, how would you close that gap? If so, justify it, please.
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Not enough info, but here it is anyway
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Thanks to a commenter, there’s a recent poll for the Cook County Board President’s race, but there are some major caveats here. First, we don’t know who was polled, how many were polled, which firm did it, the MoE, and whether they identified the candidates’ respective party affiliation, etc…
Business consultant Steve McClure, who headed the State Commerce Department during the administration of Gov. Jim Thompson, secretly commissioned a recent poll for potential Cook County Board Presidential candidate Paul Vallas — without telling him.
The backshot: The recorded telephone poll pitted former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas/Republican and Cook County Board Commissioner Forrest Claypool/Democrat, against each other for the job. Left OFF the list of potential candidates was current Cook County Board President Todd Stroger .
The kicker: McClure told Sneed: “Paul only learned about the poll after it was completed — that’s when I told his wife to tell him about it.”
The upshot: “Vallas won with 44 percent of the vote; Claypool came in with 23 percent; and 33 percent were undecided,” said McClure. “I’m told Paul was very pleased,” McClure added.
Take this with a big grain of salt, please.
* Related…
* Stroger: ‘I Will Veto’ New Rollback of Sales Tax
* Sales Tax Causes Rift Between Daley, Stroger: At yesterday’s board meeting, Daley criticized Stroger for not doing enough to curb county spending, in particular, for not issuing a hiring freeze. Stroger disagreed with Daley over the sales tax cut and addressed him directly.
* Commissioners’ vote no ‘present’ to taxpayers : Then Collins added for the benefit of those who might disagree with her non- decision: “You want to vote me out of office? Hooray. I would just love to go home for once in my life and relax.”
* Toni Preckwinkle Tours Cook Co. Suburbs in Presidential Race
* Cook County sales tax hike stands — for now
* Todd Stroger veto and his tax survive
* Stroger has failed to lead
* Loving Stroger’s tax
* Stroger no champion of the have-nots
Not
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Win some, lose some
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lots of driving-related legislation this week. Two bills passed the Senate yesterday…
The two measures approved by the Senate were House Bill 71, which would bar texting behind the wheel, and House Bill 72, which would prevent drivers from using cell phones in school or construction zones. Both go back to the House for consideration.
There are some exemptions in that school/construction zone bill…
Adds exceptions for specified emergency purposes and law enforcement officers or emergency vehicle operators when performing their official duties. […]
Adds an exception to wireless telephone in school and construction zones prohibition for a person using a wireless telephone in voice-activated mode.
And the texting bill…
changes an exception in the definition of “electronic communication device” to exclude a global positioning system or navigation system (rather than a global positioning system or navigation system used exclusively for the navigation purposes) from the definition, creates an exception to the electronic message prohibition for a driver using an electronic communication device while parked on the shoulder of a roadway, and creates an exception for a driver using an electronic communication device when the vehicle is stopped due to normal traffic being obstructed and the driver has the motor vehicle transmission in neutral or park.
Opposition to the texting ban…
Sens. Kwame Raoul and James Meeks, both Chicago Democrats, said they did not vote for the bill because the language remained ambiguous and gave law enforcement too much power. Meeks said it would be virtually impossible for an officer who pulls an individual over to determine from a distance whether the driver was texting, using a navigation system or dialing a phone number. Raoul added that existing laws for improper lane usage already apply.
* Two other bills failed miserably…
Meanwhile, the Senate killed legislation that would compel motorists to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks at all times and a measure to expand use of speed cameras in school, hospital and park zones.
More…
Speed cameras will not be coming to Illinois roads anytime soon.
The state Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would have allowed using cameras to automatically measure speed in school, park and hospital zones and issue tickets to speeders. The plan failed with 13 senators voting in favor and 35 voting against it.
State Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat, tried to convince fellow lawmakers that speed cameras would improve road safety.
* And speaking of driving…
The wife of the state’s transportation secretary has been driving around central Illinois with her husband’s old, no longer valid state lawmaker license plates.
This week, Betsy Hannig was seen driving around Springfield in a Cadillac bearing the “3″ Illinois House license plate on the back and a “deputy majority leader” plate on the front.
That plate and designation had been registered to her husband Gary Hannig when he was a senior member of the Illinois House. But the downstate Democrat was named state transportation secretary by Gov. Pat Quinn earlier this year.
Hannig’s wife Betsy was then named to serve out her husband’s term in the Illinois House. She’s been assigned plate No. 118B. House license plates are assigned based on seniority. The lower the number, the higher ranking the lawmaker and vice versa.
Oops.
* Related…
* Plan to use video at railroad crossings heads to Quinn’s desk
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Reform updates
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* David Ormsby makes an interesting point at the end of his post about the Senate Democrats’ recent blogger conference call on ethics…
Finally, [Sen. Don Harmon] reminded the bloggers [that] for all the editorial commentary criticizing the legislature on ethics there has been no lawmaker subject to FBI inquiry or subpoena or taint from the Blagojevich scandals.
What Harmon left unsaid was that a certain Chicago newspaper critical of the legislature can make no similar claim.
There has been taint, but that “unsaid” observation was priceless.
* Illinois reform commission chairman Patrick Columns pens an op-ed…
While some people have taken issue with some of the proposals, the harshest critics have said the commission members are neophytes who don’t understand the “sausagemaking” process of Springfield. In effect, they are saying that even though our state is a regular segment on “Saturday Night Live,” we shouldn’t expect anything meaningful to occur in Springfield.
From corruption victim Scott Willis to Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman, from former investigative reporter Hanke Gratteau to corporate whistle-blower Pam Davis and the rest of our team, we are not neophytes. We understand far too well the sausagemaking syndrome.
Actually, the harshest critics have said that Collins has relied too heavily on confrontational black hat/white hat arguments. One, a likely GOP gubernatorial candidate, has claimed he was overly partisan. Others have posited that since Rod Blagojevich proposed pretty much the same campaign finance reform laws, he must’ve already figured out how to get around them.
* The News-Gazette runs a story which inadvertently illuminates the sausage-making process…
llinois is about to get reform, but probably nothing close to what was recommended last month by a commission appointed by Gov. Pat Quinn.
“I think they’ll try to do a soft package of reforms,” said state Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville. “But I don’t think the public will put up with that. The newspapers aren’t going to let this go away, and they shouldn’t.”
But later…
But even Black doesn’t buy into all of the commission’s ideas. He and other lawmakers aren’t enthusiastic about campaign contribution limits.
“I have a problems with the freedom-of-speech issue,” he said. “If someone could use their own money and blow you out of the water as you’re trying to raise the money in $2,400 increments, you’re at a disadvantage. It’s an incumbency protection plan.”
* Meanwhile, the Daily Herald has posted Speaker Madigan’s responses to its reform survey. I’ve added House GOP Leader Tom Cross’s responses after Madigan’s for comparative purposes…
1. Should there be limits on how much individuals, businesses, unions, lobbyists and others can give to candidates?
Madigan: Undecided Cross: Yes
2. Should there be a state-contracting czar overseeing all procurement independent of the governor and lawmakers?
Madigan: No answer. Cross: Yes
3. Should the attorney general and local prosecutors be given powers akin to the U.S. attorney to investigate corruption?
Madigan: No Cross: No
4. Would you support limiting how long a legislative leader can serve in the leadership post?
Madigan: No Cross: No
5. Would you vote to do away with the current redistricting process and replace it with a nonpartisan system?
Madigan: No Cross: Yes
6. Should the state freedom of information laws be rewritten to include penalties for those who intentionally violate them?
Madigan: Yes Cross: Yes
7. Should the state reduce the number of political jobs?
Madigan: No Cross: Yes
8. Should the primary be moved to June?
Madigan: No. Cross: Yes
* Related…
* Harold Krent: Madigan’s plan far oversteps legislative bounds
* Make it easier for Illinois to fight corruption
* Former county state’s attorney’s license suspended
* Public info law could be strengthened
* An open and shut issue: Make public data public
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Sneed: Kennedy is in
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sneed claims a Chris Kennedy run is a done deal…
Scoopsville . . .
Bet the ranch.
Sneed has learned the Merchandise Mart’s Chris Kennedy, son of the late U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, will announce next week he is running for the U.S. Senate.
Sneed has also learned Kennedy, who lives with his wife, Sheila, and four children in Kenilworth, has hired the prestigious media consultant firm AKPD and has already shot his first TV campaign commercial.
AKPD was founded by President Obama’s senior adviser David Axelrod. Axelrod divested himself of the firm when he took the White house job.
More from her column…
• • The rationale: Top Dem party sources tell Sneed a Kennedy candidacy would come with instantaneous name recognition. “He’s also lived here for 25 years, is in his late 40s, comes from a business background, and has that Kennedy magic,” the source added.
• • The pol shot: The battle for Obama’s old seat is up for grabs. Former U.S. Commerce Secretary Bill Daley just opted out of the race; state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias held a fund-raiser for his Senate exploratory committee starring rocker Pete Wentz May 11 in Chicago, and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky is now seriously eyeing a bid.
* Sweet isn’t as sure, but filed this yesterday afternoon…
-Everything I am hearing on Tuesday points to Chris Kennedy getting into the Illinois 2010 Senate race. Maybe this will change but a Kennedy decision is close. As of Tuesday afternoon, the plan calls for him to be announcing sometime probably next week. Long time Kennedy family friend Jay Doherty is being tapped to head up the fund-raising effort. […]
I talked to Kennedy on Tuesday night. “I’m keeping my options alive and working through a whole series of issues still,” he told me.
* And Larry wonders why a Cleveland deal isn’t getting more press…
Chris Kennedy has been getting pretty glowing coverage lately–in Chicago–not so much in Cleveland. Kennedy’s Merchandise Mart company has clouted a deal through the Cuyahoga county board where the county will float $900 million in bonds to build a mart that Kennedy’s company will then own, having only to put up $20 million and get all the profits for 20 years and having all their property taxes comped.
There’s profanity there, so beware if you are or have to be sensitive, but check out this excerpt from a Cleveland Plain Dealer story…
The decision, if it holds, would mean the county has decided to spend nearly a half-billion public dollars without holding a meeting in public to discuss the basis for its decision.
To make it happen, Hagan overrode the concerns of the county’s $100,000 negotiator, who wanted time to bargain with landowners before committing to one site.
Why the sudden rush? Why all the secrecy? And why would a county government in the middle of a sweeping federal corruption investigation choose not to conduct its business in the most open way possible?
Try to avoid generic Kennedy family bashing in comments. It’s truly boring. Come up with something new, please.
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Morning shorts
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - Posted by Mike Murray
* Mayor Daley sees intensifying storm despite positive trends in economy
“It’s like a tsunami. It’s all coming together,” Daley said as he urged Chicago businesses to make their employees aware of government assistance programs.
“This is not a recession that we’ve seen in the past that’s one part of the economy. This is the financial industry. This is retailing. This encompasses manufacturing. It encompasses everything you see in society.”
He added, “Everybody wants a glimmer of hope. I do, too. I want the sun to come out. But, the glimmer of hope is not what we’re talking about here. … I’ve talked to many, many business leaders. They have the same perception. This is much longer and stronger. … It’s much different from any recession they’ve ever seen in the last 40, 50 years.”
* Chrysler cutting shift; 992 to lose jobs
Chrysler LLC, the struggling automaker reorganizing in bankruptcy, will lay off 992 workers from its Belvidere assembly plant and convert the plant to a one-shift operation.
The company sent out an e-mail today at 6:42 p.m. Tuesday with the new plan for its Belvidere plant, where about 2,600 workers on two shifts have been assembling Dodge Calibers, Jeep Compasses and Jeep Patriots.
* Potential buyer makes another bid for hartmarx, sources say
* Banco Popular pulls back, cuts 90 local jobs
* City nabs green honor
* CTA complaints are down, agency says
* Juvenile Court Overwhelmed in Southern Cook County
* 500 city teaching jobs, 3,000 job seekers
* $20 mil. grant to upgrade radios, improve disaster response
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Caption contest!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bulls legend Bill Cartwright is in Springfield today. Here he is with Rep. John Fritchey…
As always, keep it clean or risk permanent banishment. Thanks.
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Note to blog readers
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My news feed provider is doing some maintenance which slowed my site to a crawl. So, the news feeds are temporarily removed until the provider goes back online.
Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.
*** UPDATE *** OK, so my web guys have adjusted the settings so that the feed provider’s lack of output won’t slow down my site. The feed titles are back, some feeds appear to be loading, but the delays should be gone for now. The newer feeds are still not back on this site (Twitter, Post-Dispatch, etc.) because they use a different system. Hopefully, everything will soon be right with the world.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The world is right with itself. All news feeds are now back in place. I’ve adjusted the Twitter feed to truncate some of the overly long posts and I’ve added several state legislators to the feed. Tweet Illinois is at the Statehouse today and they’ve signed up a bunch of new legislative tweeters.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Since so many newspaper editorial boards are screaming for reform, should Illinois fund any enacted reforms (consolidated purchasing czar, publicly funded court elections, ramped-up Board of Elections and state’s attorney powers, etc.) by removing the state sales tax exemption on newsprint and ink?
Snark heavily encouraged.
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Kelly announces bid
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* No surprise here, but Robin Kelly is announcing her bid [or just exploring her candidacy] for state treasurer today. Kelly is a former south suburban state Rep. This is from an e-mail to supporters sent today…
Dear Friend,
There’s been a lot of talk around the state about different people running for different offices. I wanted to take this opportunity to personally inform you that I am exploring a bid for the Illinois State Treasurer’s office.
I hope you’ll take a moment to visit www.robinfortreasurer.com. You can forward this message to your friends and make a contribution today!
I believe Illinois families need a leader they can count on to guard their tax dollars and help them during these difficult economic times.
As Chief of Staff in the Treasurer’s office, I helped lead a complete turnaround of the agency. We made great progress by improving transparency, demanding accountability, and establishing tough ethical guidelines. I am proud that this is the first Treasurer’s office in history to ban contributions from banks and contractors who do business with the office, a policy I will continue as Treasurer.
We invested Illinois tax dollars wisely, generating more revenue for the state, and protecting jobs by providing Illinois businesses with low-interest loans.
We have made protecting opportunities for college students a top priority. That’s why we transformed the Bright Start college savings program from one of the worst into one Money Magazine ranked in the top three nationally. We also created the Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund, which gives a $2,500 deposit into a college savings fund to children whose parent made the ultimate sacrifice. In addition, aggressive legislation we championed to crack down on the overly aggressive marketing of credit cards to college students is on the Governor’s desk! …
Obviously, if Kelly and Giannoulias don’tt get that Bright Start problem straightened out soon, it will be an issue. Also, the SUV thing won’t help.
For now, at least, there aren’t any other Democrats talking about the treasurer’s office. That may change. We’ll know more soon after Lisa Madigan announces her own intentions - an event that will undoubtedly spur a gigantic domino effect.
Discuss.
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Beware the reformers
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* You certainly can’t blame all of our problems on Pat Quinn’s infamous “Cutback Amendment,” but it is a case study in why reformers can sometimes do more harm than good and should never be thought of as having all the answers…
The Illinois governor ultimately responsible for many of the state’s current ethics woes may not be Rod Blagojevich or even the imprisoned George Ryan. He may be Pat Quinn.
While Blagojevich’s rampant political corruption during six years as Illinois’ governor led to his arrest, ouster, indictment and now widespread calls for reform, some experts argue the structure of state government that has led to entrenched leadership and a lack of electoral competition has its origins during an earlier burst of state government reform, led by none other than Quinn.
In 1979 and 1980, Quinn was a good-government activist leading the charge for the “Cutback Amendment,” which reduced the size of the Illinois House by one-third and ended so-called cumulative voting in Illinois. Quinn and other proponents claimed cutting the size of the legislature would save the state money and lead to more competitive elections.
Most of our serious corruption problems in state government (as measured by federal action) have been at the executive level. Four disgraced former governors, Secretary of State Paul Powell’s shoe box, Attorney General Bill Scott’s slush fund. etc. You can’t blame any of that on the Cutback Amendment.
* The real problem with the Cutback Amendment is the consolidation of power by the House Speaker…
Filling a vacant U.S. Senate seat. Providing tax relief. Blocking legislative raises. Improving government efficiency. What do they have in common? A single lawmaker blocked every one of those ideas from being debated in the Illinois House.
Under the House’s strange rules, an objection from just one lawmaker will kill any effort to release legislation that has been bottled up in committee, no matter how many other people support the idea.
So Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie — the No. 2 Democrat in the House — is charged with standing up and objecting when Republicans file motions to release bills they feel should be debated.
The objection itself doesn’t kill the motion. The objection is usually voted on by the full chamber, almost always on a partisan roll call.
Still, it was the Senate Republicans who invented those rules when they were in charge, and the Cutback Amendment only dealt with the House. You can’t completely blame this problem totally on Quinn, either - although the SGOPs adopted the rules because they were proceeding to a “war footing” with Madigan’s tightly controlled House.
But, again, always beware reformers bearing “truth.”
* Related…
* Video poker puts its chips on Mike Madigan
* SJ-R Opinion: Approval of FOIA rewrite a must
* Term Lmiits for Legislative Leaders
* Backers of Accountability Portal already planning expansion
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Quinn muffed it again
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Erickson nails it…
Gov. Pat Quinn appeared to take a page out of his predecessor’s playbook Monday. While state lawmakers were meeting in Springfield, Quinn unveiled what he called a “doomsday” budget to a civic club in Chicago. […]
Just as Blagojevich once threatened to lay off state police troopers during budget negotiations, Quinn warned that thousands of teachers and other state employees would be laid off if lawmakers don’t work to fill a gaping budget hole. […]
Quinn’s move was reminiscent of the ousted Blagojevich, who often traveled around the state or held events in Chicago to criticize lawmakers while they were at work hours away in the Capitol.
Quinn apparently learned nothing. He had a perfect opportunity to draw attention to the very real problems faced by his proposals, and instead he pulled a wildly goofy stunt in Chicago - just like Blagojevich would’ve done.
* Quinn is even talking sports like Blagojevich now…
Quinn declined to say who he’d like to have as his running mate when he runs for re-election, but joked, “If the Cubs win the World Series, then probably Lou Piniella.”
Sheesh.
* Nice swipe by Rep. Jack Franks…
“I wish the governor would spend as much energy on finding efficiencies in state government, as putting together this document,” he said.
* The Tribune editorial board, however, apparently thinks the governor should get more strident…
If you want reform, Governor, fight for it. If you then want a tax increase, fight for it. If you want to look like a guy who’s just angling to make friends for the next election, keep letting the people who see you as a short-term placeholder set your agenda.
* The Tribune’s reporters look at the real problem here…
Here’s some perspective on the financial pickle. The state taps its main checkbook for more than $30 billion a year in spending, and more than half is dedicated to politically sensitive programs in education and health care. Both have proved impervious to significant cuts in the past, one reason why Quinn’s new threat was a gamble.
Factor out the cost of other must-have programs in human services, law enforcement, prisons and the like, and all but 5 percent of the budget is in practical terms immune to the chopping block, said Chrissy Mancini, analyst for the Chicago-based Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.
Bottom line? There’s no practical way to cobble together enough cuts to make ends meet.
* And there’s more budget trouble afoot…
An industry group said Illinois saw the country’s biggest percentage drop in gambling revenue in 2008, and it lays part of the blame on the state’s smoking ban.
In a report released Monday, the American Gaming Assn. said Illinois casinos collected $1.57 billion in 2008 revenue, a 20.9% drop from the previous year. The state’s ban on smoking in public places took effect Jan. 1, 2008.
Indiana saw a 1.6% increase to $2.67 billion in 2008.
* Related…
* ADDED: Brown: Video poker back in play in Springfield
* ADDED: Illinois lawmakers want money for construction
* ADDED: Ten years later, lawmakers aim for another construction plan
* ADDED: Don’t fiddle with 55-45 formula for road funds
* Quinn’s Doomsday Plan Called Scare Tactics
* Quinn tries to scare with ‘doomsday’ budget
* “Doomsday” projected without tax hike
* Quinn gloms onto a crisis
* ‘Doomsday budget’ fails to change minds
* ‘Slash & Burn’: Quinn paints doomsday picture if no tax increase
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“No mission, no principles”
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Chicago Magazine has a pretty darned good profile of Rod Blagojevich in its latest issue. Read the whole thing…
Axelrod also had serious doubts about Blagojevich’s readiness to be governor—his ethics, his maturity. “At one point, David asked Rod, ‘Why do you want to be governor?’” says Forrest Claypool, the Cook County commissioner and a longtime friend of Axelrod’s. “And the best that Blagojevich could come up with was, ‘It’ll be fun.’ There was no mission, no principles. It was just, sort of, a game to him.”
* This is classic Rod…
One summer day in 2001, Blagojevich went jogging around his Ravenswood Manor neighborhood. Afterward, he called a colleague. “Guess what?” Blagojevich asked him. “I just ran by Rahm Emanuel’s house. There he was, and we started talking. I told him I was definitely running for governor, and I said, ‘Rahm, you should run for my seat.’”
What Blagojevich didn’t tell Emanuel was that he had offered similar advice to several other prospects who lived in the district. Truth be told, Blagojevich didn’t really care if Emanuel succeeded him or not. (He didn’t much care if the Fifth Congressional District even existed after he gave up the seat, according to a former aide to Emanuel with knowledge of Blagojevich’s dealings. Blagojevich and Mell undertook a failed attempt to reapportion the seat out of existence in return for gubernatorial endorsements from the two downstate Democratic congressmen, whose seats would be spared.)
That’s very true. Blagojevich and Mell were completely open about that proposed deal to eliminate the district, which upset Mayor Daley to no end.
* A clear warning…
But when U.S. senator Dick Durbin met with the new governor in his office two months or so after the election, he says he didn’t exactly see a genuine change agent. “He was excited about filling jobs and contracts,” recalls Durbin. “That stopped me cold. I remember, he said to me, ‘It’s all good.’ He kept saying it over and over—‘It’s all good.’”
* Rod’s delusions and his Obama envy…
Blagojevich told some of the people around him that he was basically a lock to be on John Kerry’s vice presidential short list in 2004—a notion that Whitney Smith, a spokeswoman for Senator Kerry, flatly refutes. Later, the governor felt doubly snubbed by Kerry’s campaign when he wasn’t even asked to speak at the Democratic convention in Boston, according to several Blagojevich associates. Kerry, of course, plucked Obama from obscurity to deliver the keynote speech.
Blagojevich watched the speech from the floor of the Fleet Center. At a backstage reception afterwards, Blagojevich could barely conceal his envy. According to a Democratic insider who asked to remain unnamed, Blagojevich told Obama, “Great speech, Barack.” Then he added, backhandedly, “But, remember, this is as good as it gets.” Obama shot back, “We’ll see.”
Again, go read the whole thing.
* Related…
* Patti Blagojevich expected to star in reality show
* Patti Blagojevich mulls reality show spot
* Emanuel, Blago traded calls on school grant
* Thompson to Obama: Send Ryan home
* Thompson to try again to spring George Ryan from prison
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