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Obamarama - Gearing up for the big day, polling and Web complaints *** Updated x1 ***

Monday, Feb 5, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

It looks like Obama will be having two announcement events this weekend, one in Springfield on Saturday and another in Chicago on Sunday. Plus, there’s a party Friday night that you might want to check out. From an internal e-mail…

Obama Presidential Announcement in Springfield

That announcement starts at 9 a.m. outside the Old State Capitol on Saturday, February 10. Tickets will not be necessary. I believe the speech will start later at about 10 a.m.

For Springfield, Dan Shomon and a bunch of folks are hosting a pre-party on Friday, February 9 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Alamo at 115 North 5th Street (5th and Jefferson). Cosponsors include Amy and Chris Martin, Julie Mirostaw, Julie Foehr, Scott Kennedy, Mia Phifer and others.

No tickets will be necessary and people are asking about parking but who knows.

The Obama presidential announcement in Chicago will be on Sunday, February 11 at 4:30 p.m. at UIC Pavilion at 525 S. Racine. Tickets will be distributed but not required for UIC.

Want to know what an Obama event is like from the crowd’s perspective? This may give you a little idea…

The person who posted that vid noted, “I almost went deaf.”

Meanwhile, Mark Blumenthal at Pollster.com takes a look at early polls that show Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama among African-American voters. Blumenthal has a warning for anyone who might think that this automatically bodes ill for Obama…

Yes, he has been covered extensively and is well known to political junkies. But never underestimate how remote most political coverage is to everyone else.

Having polled for one of Obama’s primary opponents in 2004, I can tell you that whatever doubts Illnois African-Americans may have had about Obama prior to the 2004 primary race, they faded fast as he began to run television advertising, move in the polls and receive routine coverage on media outlets (read local TV news) that reached real voters.

He is exactly right about this. Obama’s numbers with black voters weren’t great at all until he started running TV ads and got some other free media bumps.

Tom Bevan adds…

Having watched Obama in the 2004 Senate primary, I agree with Mark Blumenthal that whatever misgivings or doubts African-Americans have about Obama are likely to fade pretty darn quick as he emerges, especially if he acquires the look of a winner with some early momentum.

And on another topic entirely, the Democratic blog AmericaBlog says that Obama “has a lot of catching up to do” when it comes to his Internet operation. He points to how quickly other candidates posted their speeches from last week’s DNC cattle call, but by Saturday…

Obamaâ€™s website and YouTube donâ€™t have his speech up there - a substantial missed opportunity with no excuse. When people talk about an â€œinexperienced candidateâ€ itâ€™s not just the gaffes that they make on the campaign trail, itâ€™s failure to quickly capitalize on opportunity also.

*** UPDATE *** According to The Hotline blog, John Edwards is in Bloomington today, but I haven’t seen anything move on the wires.

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Monday, Feb 5, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day - Obamarama edition

Monday, Feb 5, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

The Post-Dispatch has a piece today on who the governor might appoint to replace Barack Obama, should the US Senator win the presidency.

llinois political experts who were asked the question declared it premature, but then offered some thoughts anyway on whom Gov. Rod Blagojevich might appoint to fill an Obama Senate vacancy, if it comes that.

The consensus: Undoubtedly a Democrat, probably an African-American, possibly a woman â€” and most likely not Blagojevich himself, though the law would give him that option.

Among the more interesting names being suggested: Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Illinois Attorney General (and Blagojevich rival) Lisa Madigan. […]

“There’s certainly going to be pressure from the African-American community, both in Chicago and nationally, to appoint another African-American to the seat,” Redfield said. “I don’t know who that’s going to be, but that’s a consideration.”

I would add that Latinos would also want the slot.

Here’s the relevant state law:

(10 ILCS 5/25â€‘8) (from Ch. 46, par. 25â€‘8)
Sec. 25â€‘8. When a vacancy shall occur in the office of United States Senator from this state, the Governor shall make temporary appointment to fill such vacancy until the next election of representatives in Congress, at which time such vacancy shall be filled by election, and the senator so elected shall take office as soon thereafter as he shall receive his certificate of election.

Yes, I know it’s way too early to think that Obama can even win the nomination, let alone the presidency, but who do you think might have the upper hand?

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Kadner offers legislative lesson

Monday, Feb 5, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

On Friday, Southtown columnist Phil Kadner wrote a long and excellent column about tow-truck scams.

“These chasers — that’s what we call these tow truck companies — monitor police calls and will usually target car owners who have insurance with State Farm and Allstate,” said the owner of a south suburban auto body shop who asked not to be identified.

According to car owners, body shop operators and legitimate tow truck operators, these “chasers” often will use a “solicitor” driving an unmarked car to make the initial approach to motorists at accident scenes.

The solicitor is a friendly fellow who acts as though he just stumbled on the accident scene while driving by.

“He makes sure the car involved is a newer model or a luxury car because they don’t want to haul an old junker to the yard and get stuck with it,” said the owner of a tow truck company who feels the “chasers” are giving the industry a bad name.

“Typically, the solicitor will initially ask if the driver is all right and then say something like, ‘You’ve got insurance, don’t you?’ And then he will ask for the name of the insurance company.”

The solicitor promises to take the car anywhere the owner wants, to his home or an auto body shop, but the car almost always ends up in the tow truck company’s lot.

To retrieve the car, someone’s going to have to pay more than $1,000 — cash only.

But Kadner also quoted someone in Lisa Madigan’s office saying that they couldn’t control how much the vultures could charge.

Today, Kadner has another column, which shows how difficult it can be to pass any real consumer protections in this state.

Tow truck operators who charge $1,000 are “criminals,” “the lowest form of humanity” and “just awful people.”

Those are the words of Bill Howard, president of the Illinois Professional Towers and Recovery Operators, an organization that represents the towing industry.

He claims his association is working on the problem of pirate tow truck firms that chase automobile accident scenes, promise car owners a free tow and often end up charging more than $1,000.

But…

I’m told the insurance companies actually tried to get a tougher tow truck law passed in Illinois a few years ago. The tow truck industry association killed it, I was informed.

It’s always easier to kill a bill than pass one, unless the bill doesn’t do anything. And, even when a bill does pass, there is often an inverse relationship to the number of votes a bill gets and what it actually does. The more votes, the less impact.

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“Real ID” opposition grows

Monday, Feb 5, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

Opposition to the federal Real ID law is heating up at the state level. The $11 billion implementation cost is just one factor in the dust-up, as this article notes.

Barry Steinhardt, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, said the Real ID ordered by Congress would require a digital photo and probably a fingerprint on each driver’s license or state-issued ID card. That, he said, will make it more valuable to identity thieves because the ID card will be accepted as much more than a driving credential.

“It’s going to be a honey pot out there that’s going to be irresistible to identity thieves,” Steinhardt said.

An identity thief, he said, could buy a Real ID from a rogue motor vehicle department employee with is own photo and fingerprint on it.

So far, lawmakers in 34 states have joined a coalition to propose legislation that would a majority of the states have taken some sort of protest action. The Congressional sponsors of the bill said it would fight terrorism by making it more difficult for terrorists to get a government identification card.

Here are some of the other objections to the law, according to the above article:

-Some states will have to invest millions in new computer systems that can communicate with federal databases. That is something they probably will not accomplish by the deadline.

-It will be difficult to comply with the requirement that license applicants prove they are in the country legally. There are more than 100 different immigration statutes, Steinhardt said, which will pose problems for motor vehicle clerks unfamiliar with immigration law.

-It does not solve the problem of terrorism. Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and some of the hijackers from the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, had legitimate driver’s licenses.

-Even the requirement that applicants’ full legal names appear on licenses will pose problems because some states limit the number of characters on the face of the card.

Thoughts?

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Ugh

Monday, Feb 5, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

This is a Chicago Bears Monday-morning quarterback open thread.

I’m so bummed.

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Morning Shorts

Monday, Feb 5, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson

* NEW: No reason for Illinois to have 900 school districts

* NEW: Future of moderate politics subject of SIU talk by three former governors

* Rich Miller: wait is on for other shoe to drop after Blago kills lending law

* Dart calls budget cuts incredibly dangerous:

Unlike most of the commissioners, Jerry Butler (D-Chicago) said what he was going to do about it.

“I am going to propose that we increase the tax,” Butler said. “I am going to ask the sheriff and the state’s attorney and all these officials — to stand with me on it.”

* Cook County commissioners eye land sale to raise revenue

* CTA funding looks dim: “Right now, we have three different Democratic leaders who have their own concerns, none of which involves transit,” concedes state Rep. Julia Hamos, an Evanston Democrat who heads a House panel studying transit matters for Mr. Madigan.

* Turbulence growing over Peotone project

* Granberg announces $150 thousand grant for Intermodal Transportation Center

* Chief Justice John Roberts on the role of the Supreme Court

* Cost of Clout:

The Daley administration would set up a $12 million fund to compensate people denied City Hall jobs or promotions because of politics under a tentative settlement of the federal Shakman lawsuit, the Sun-Times has learned.

* After 12 years, mixed results for Daleyâ€™s school reforms

* Tribune editorial: Exposing the faux Oâ€™Briens

* State: Slow down at ethics training

* Phil Kadner: He blasts towing scams but balks at new laws

* Big Box, round two: laborâ€™s campaign muscle

* Mary Mitchell: County health cuts hit poor youth the hardest

* Lawmaker targets remote control hunting: State Rep. Dan Reitz, D-Steelville, has proposed banning such hunting in Illinois, saying such “ready, aim, click” kills — or the prospect of them — push the ethical envelope and violate the spirit of “fair chase” hunts.

* Illinois may impose limits on campaign contributions; more here

* Sue Ontiveros: Vote in â€˜Alderman Idolâ€™… winner gets $100,000 a year

* Cook County softening on the no tax hike stance?

*Rich school, Poor schoolâ€¦.Tribune offers classroom ideas that work

* Illinois as kingmaker? The pull of the early primary

* Tribune Editorial: Donâ€™t privatize future by selling state lottery

* Lottery sale criticism mounts

* Daleyâ€™s inclusive leadership warrants another term

* Denis Robaugh: The history of smoking bans

* Daley silent over Sorich

* Legislation would allow jury trial for divorce proceedings

* Editorial: Tell government to butt out:

We live in a society in which it is perfectly legal to destroy a pre-born human life, to send pornography over the Internet or to display sexually explicit magazines in supermarkets. And yet we are engaged in this massive campaign to prevent people from smoking in public.

* Hurry up and wait in civil service case

* Rose fights back with NCAA tax legislation

* The power of TV ads

The four legislative leaders doled out a total of $23.4 million in the final six months of 2006 in an attempt to either keep power or wrest it away from the opposing party. In the end, spending by Democratic leaders, who were the big winners on Election Day, outpaced the Republican effort by nearly $3.1 million.

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Pre-game

Saturday, Feb 3, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Southtown: Where are they now? - Bears hype was unavoidable in ‘85, but in ‘07, some of those Super Bowl players aren’t easy to find

* Sun-Times complete coverage

* Tribune complete coverage

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READER COMMENTS CLOSED FOR THE WEEKEND

Friday, Feb 2, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

Chris Hayes has an article in The Nation about David Axelrod that Chris thought you might be interested in. Go have a look.

Also, Eric Krol asked that I pass this one along to you. It’s a funny little story by the Daily Herald’s John Patterson, entitled “Elusive Blagojevich sighted.” Krol’s latest DH column, which he may have been too modest to mention, hands out some attaboys: “Handing out a trio of props to statewide officials.” Go read them both.

And when you’re done with all that, or even before you start, make sure to check out Illinoize. Have a great weekend. Go Bears!

Oh, and one more version of Bear Down before I go…

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Bear down!

Friday, Feb 2, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

I love our fight song.

Bear down, Chicago Bears,
Make every play clear the way to victory!
Bear down, Chicago Bears,
Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly.
Weâ€™ll never forget the way you thrilled the nation
With your â€œTâ€ formation.
Bear down, Chicago Bears,
And let â€™em know why youâ€™re wearing the crown.
Youâ€™re the pride and joy of Illinois,
Chicago Bears, bear down!

And so the other day I went looking for versions of the song at YouTube to post on our last work day before the Super Bowl.

This, in my opinion, is how a real Chicagoan sings Bear Down…

Embedding has been disabled on this one, but it’ll warm the hearts of cute baby lovers everywhere. Click on the pic to watch…

The immigrant version…

CinÃ©ma VÃ©ritÃ©…

Kind of a punky/jazzy version from Manic Sewing Circle…

What collection of Bear Down versions could be complete without singing sock-puppet chickens?…

OK, this last one isn’t for everyone, but it’s so flat-out bizarre that I just had to post it. Some of the language renders it NOT SAFE FOR WORK, so please DON’T click on it if you’re at work and could get in trouble. And, seriously, it’s pretty weird. Consider yourself warned…

Go Bears! Anybody got a ticket? I need a miracle!

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Obamarama - The Barack-Mobile

Friday, Feb 2, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

I think my father may have finally popped his cork.

My dad’s most prized possession is his 1963 Cadillac convertible. It’s a beautiful car. Totally sweet.

He’s had the Caddy for over 30 years. It was my date car when I was a teenager, but I was always afraid to drive it because I feared somebody would crash into me or scratch it or whatever and then I’d be in HUGE, GIGANTIC, DANGEROUS trouble.

When my parents moved back to Europe, they stored the Caddy for a time in my garage, but all those bad memories came back from my youth and I barely drove the thing, afraid I’d hit a deer or something.

Anyway, as I think I’ve told you before, my father is a big Barack Obama fan. One of the biggest. The two of them have become close over the years (don’t ask, long story), and Obama refers to Dad as “Brother Miller” whenever they greet. It’s quite amusing.

Here’s a photo of the two of them together…

My dad has wanted Obama to run for president since before Obama was elected to the US Senate. Dad had buttons made up for a Washington, DC reception after Obama was sworn in to his Senate seat. Everybody out there wanted one, and I believe he had to have more made to accomodate the demand…

The first campaign my dad ever worked on was Barry Goldwater’s doomed 1964 presidential bid. A few years ago, Dad actually put a Goldwater sticker on the Caddy’s bumper, which shocked me. He had violated the Caddy with a bumper sticker, of all things. But Dad dearly loved AuH20, and he thought it was cool to have that sticker on his car, and who am I to judge?

So, I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised when my father had some new and absolutely ginormous stickers specially made for his Cadillac, which he intends to drive to Springfield for Obama’s announcement and, I would bet, throughout Iowa during the upcoming campaign.

Dad has never been one for half-measures, but for crying out loud, just look at this photo, and click on it for a frighteningly large version…

Here are some more. Click on each for larger, scarier images.

At first, I thought he had just photoshopped the stickers onto his car, but Mom assures me they are real.

You can’t see it in the pics, but there’s another sticker across the trunk which reads “The Time Is Now.”

By the way, the Goldwater sticker is gone.

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Friday, Feb 2, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day

Friday, Feb 2, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

You’ve no doubt heard about the Cartoon Network’s guerilla advertising campaign that backfired in Boston.

A furious Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino vowed yesterday to throw the book at the masterminds behind a guerrilla marketing campaign gone amok that plunged the city into bomb-scare pandemonium and blew nearly $1 million in police overtime and other costs.

As city and state attorneys laid groundwork for criminal charges and lawsuits, cops seized 27-year-old Arlington multimedia artist Peter Berdovsky, who posted film on his Web site boasting that he and friends planted the battery-wired devices, and Sean Stevens, 28, of Charlestown. Both were jailed overnight on charges of placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct.

“This is outrageous activity to get publicity for a failing show,” said Menino, referring to the battery-operated light-up ads for the Cartoon Network’s “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” which sparked at least nine bomb scares in Boston, Cambridge and Somerville.

The Chicago coppers weren’t happy either, and pulled down 20 of the signs yesterday, even though nobody had called 911 in panic, as happened in Boston.

“No one has the right to interfere with public safety,” [Chicago Police Supt. Phil Cline] said at a Thursday news conference. “This marketing scheme was dangerous and risky business that could have caused tremendous inconvenience, unforeseen damage and, more important, unnecessary harm to many people.” Cline said he will be asking the network’s parent company, Turner Broadcasting Systems, to reimburse the department’s costs since officers could have been getting rid of “gangs, drugs and guns” instead of taking down signs for “Aqua Teen Hunger Force.”

To the question: Who do you think is more irresponsible here? The Cartoon Network for placing the signs in the first place? Or the police, public officials and the media for reacting as they did? Explain.

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Governor makes big news in California

Friday, Feb 2, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

The governor was in California yesterday to announce that Illinois will share in a $500 million grant from British Petroleum to research alternative fuels.

A champagne toast celebrated the end of the national teleconference Thursday between the University and the University of California at Berkeley. BP Amoco announced its investment of $500 million in a partnership between the universities for the development of an Energy Biosciences Institute to advance fuels for the future.

The money was awarded to the universities after winning a worldwide contest announced six months ago. The universities beat out other institutions such as MIT, Purdue and Iowa State for the bid. Illinois is a leader in crop biology and the second largest producer of corn and ethanol. The University is expected to receive $100 million, which will go toward research and development of biofuel production, said Chancellor Richard Herman during the press conference.

“The goal of a university is to solve the greater problems of society,” Herman said.

That’s great news for Illinois and the nation, of course. And it’s probably a good thing that Blagojevich made his announcement in California, considering the press reports about his mounting legal bills and the serious holes in his administration’s case against two CMS employees. One also can’t help but wonder whether he scheduled a Cali fundraiser this week.

IlliniPundit points out an irony in the governor’s announcement. [emphasis added]

In Gov. Blagojevich’s first budget, he proposed eliminating all funding for CFAR. Now he gets to headline a press conference announcing a $500 million public-private program that is a direct result of CFAR’s accomplishments.

“CFAR” is the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research. The governor’s change of heart since then has been complete and, as shown above, politically beneficial.

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Grieving mother calls for driving age limits

Friday, Feb 2, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

You may have seen this news story…

Classes at a Metro East elementary school resumed Tuesday as investigators tried to pinpoint why an 84-year-old woman drove her car through a cafeteria wall the previous day, killing an 8-year-old student and injuring two others.

The mother of the little boy was understandably distraught and angry, sending the driver this note that was made public by Ryan Wesling’s survivors.

“I pray every day that you remain on this planet you see my son when you close your eyes,” Amanda Wesling wrote, adding that she hoped an Illinois law someday would bar seniors from driving once they reach a certain age.

And now she’s calling for action.

“We very much support a mandatory limit on the driving age for seniors,” Amanda Wesling wrote in a missive directed at driver Grace Keim, who authorities say was en route to a driving class at a senior citizen’s center Monday when she struck and killed 8-year-old Ryan Wesling.

Here are some recent incidents cited by that AP report.

–In November, an 89-year-old man whose car hurtled through a farmers market in California in 2003, killing 10 people and injuring more than 70 others, received five years of probation because a judge deemed him too ill to go to prison.

–Last August, a sport utility vehicle driven by an 89-year-old man plowed into pedestrians and vendors at an open-air public market in Rochester, N.Y., injuring him and 10 other people. Police say the man’s foot slipped off the brake pedal and hit the accelerator.

–In October 2005 in North Dakota, an 87-year-old woman on her way to a doctor appointment smashed her car into the hospital’s lobby, injuring five women. She was not charged.

According to the AP, two dozen states require seniors to jump through certain hoops to keep their licenses. Illinois requires road tests after age 75.

Democratic Illinois state Rep. Kurt Granberg says setting an age for drivers to hand over their keys wouldn’t be appropriate because “everyone’s different.” But Granberg says he wouldn’t be surprised if Ryan’s death prods lawmakers to revisit the state’s requirements for older drivers, perhaps asking the secretary of state’s office for its input.

Thoughts? And let’s try to have some empathy for all sides, please.

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Morning shorts

Friday, Feb 2, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* A look at spending differences in statewide races

* A look at Ill. congressional campaign finance reports

* Statewide Democrats blank their opponents with money, new records show

* Davlin far ahead of Strom in funding - Mayor has more than seven times as much as opponent

* Joe Mysak: States Should Follow Illinois, Get Out of Gambling

* Editorial: Sale of lottery won’t be a big winner for Illinois

* Chief Justice Roberts says judges should be judges, not statesmen

* Mayoral foe Brown pitches sales tax holidays - Says benefits to small businesses would offset cost

* Biggest contributor giving mayor, wife a lift to Miami

* Simpson: Why Dorothy Brown would make a good mayor

* Berrios named county Dem chief - Challengers step aside for first Hispanic in post

* Cell-phone charges: Let the buyer beware

* Firing range scare leads to increase in safety - Stray bullet nicked state police cadet back in November

* Top 10 Treo Accessories

* Payment is issue in fired state workers case - Governorâ€™s office not paying firm that probed hiring procedures

* Businessman admits cheating IDOT, other government agencies

* Editorial: Pandoraâ€™s box

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