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* Republican Bill Kelly lost badly to Judy Baar Topinka in the comptroller’s primary last February. He now has a Saturday evening show on WiND Radio and contributes to a page at the Washington Times’ community website called “Tea Party Report.”
He’s more of a “teaparazzo” than an actual journalist and freely admitted in a recent press release that what he does is theatrical…
The host is known for his high octane political antics with an entertainment bent.
Kelly really got under the skin of a couple of high octane Chicago TV reporters the other day who were attempting to interview Rahm Emanuel. Kelly appeared more interested in “asking” loaded questions and interrupting the proceedings than actually listening, and at one point CBS2’s Jay Levine angrily threatened to deck the guy. Kelly’s video is a must-watch…
Our politics today.
I can empathize with being shut out of the process because I, too, was ostracized for a long while for not being a “traditional” journalist as defined by the big boys. On the other hand, being an obnoxious goof and attempting to scream out political points instead of asking actual questions gives the rest of us in the alternative news delivery business a bad name.
* And while we’re on this topic, you wouldn’t think that a news service which is regularly used by 45 Illinois newspapers, 100 radio stations and a bunch of TV stations would be kept out of the Illinois Legislative Correspondents’ Association, but that’s exactly what is happening now to Illinois Statehouse News.
The company’s founder is a prominent member of the Right, but ISN has put out a decent product and has hired some top-notch reporters like Ben Yount, who came over from Metro Networks. I’ve often used their videos and regularly use their items on this site.
I don’t attend Correspondence Association meetings because I’m not headquartered at the Statehouse and don’t particularly care what happens at them, but I wish I’d have known about the group’s latest meeting because I would’ve stood up for Illinois Statehouse News. Instead, the members voted to refuse giving ISN entré to our little club. They’ve more than earned their stripes, as far as I’m concerned. Another vote is expected next month. We ought to do the right thing here.
The problem may be that iSN gives its content away. So they’re seen as an unfair competitor by some, and there’s been some worries expressed that they could make “legit” operations obsolete and then they could start revealing their “true” colors. But they’re not going away just because they don’t have a Statehouse office. They’re headquartered right across the street, for crying out loud.
We don’t have to give every jamoke with a website and a YouTube account automatic ILCA membership, but there are some excellent websites out there which are producing quality stuff. Turning our backs on the future is what got the news industry into so much trouble to begin with.
* And speaking of alternative news sites, Progress Illinois has posted highlights from last night’s rally featuring Vice President Biden. I’ll bet you didn’t read about Lisa Madigan’s ear-shattering shrieking voice in the papers today…
Yeesh.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 2:51 pm
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I love how Kelly says “I’m with WIND Radio” as if that legitimizes him somehow. No, Mr. Kelly, you’re on WIND Radio, you’re not “with” it. There’s a big difference. WIND really ought to speak with him about that because he’s damaging the station’s reputation with his antics.
What a jerk.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:02 pm
==I, too, was ostracized for a long while for not being a “traditional” journalist as defined by the big boys.==
That’s ironic since they now get most of their content from the Fax and the blog. They can “report” on state news without ever stepping foot in the patch. You gotta admit that Kelly is a moron though.
Comment by Bill Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:04 pm
Jay Levine thinks no event is news unless he shows up to cover to it.
Comment by AlphaBettor Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:05 pm
Bill Kelly is aggressive in that video and comes off poorly. However, Charles Thomas and Jay Levine are absolute sycophants who should be embarrassed that they aren’t asking some of these tough questions themselves. Is the residency issue settled? VERY FAIR question! Sickening. I’ll be writing a letter to both stations for the manner in which their reporters presented themselves.
Comment by Logical Thinker Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:07 pm
Whoa, hold on there Logical Thinker. Charles Thomas and Jay Levine were there asking the questions that they wanted. If their bosses at WLS or WBBM don’t like the questions, they ask then they will hear about it. But it’s not Bill Kelly’s place, nor Rahm Emanuel’s, to tell them what kinds of questions they can ask.
Those guys were there to ask questions and its really not too much to ask that they have a turn to ask their questions without being interrupted. They didn’t interrupt Kelly. It’s not their fault that Rahm ignored him.
Kelly is a huge jerk. “truth squad” really? What kind of truth did you uncover for us here? That you’re rude beyond imagination.
Comment by Siriusly Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:14 pm
I guess that’s not really Lisa’s style, lol.
Just be glad Neil Hartigan wasn’t there. Most painfully obnoxious screamer I ever ran across.
Did Kelly miss a recent Dem president there? Oh well, I imagine Nixon doesn’t make the list at GOP rallies.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:18 pm
For what it’s worth Jay Levine got upset at me when I was in college when I pointed out to a classmate (he was there covering the Farrakhan speech at NIU) that Jay had enough hair spray on that you could bounce a quarter off of his head.
Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:19 pm
So, let me get this straight, because Kelly is obnoxious, it’s ok for media guys on tape to threaten to assault him?
Not defending Kelly but aren’t we letting off the knuckledraggers that call themselves journalists a little too easily?
This is politics, of course there are annoying people around.
Comment by John Bambenek Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:21 pm
It’s good to know that Jay Levine is the intellectual bodyguard for Rahm Emanuel. Bill Kelly didn’t even ask the tough question for Rahm like: when did Rahm learn about Freddie Mac’s accounting problems?
Comment by Eugene Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:21 pm
Wait a minute. All Rahm has gotten since he’s been in the race are softball questions that are nothing but fluff. Name one reporter who has put Rahm on the record with regards to the residency issue. And although the stimulus is more of a national issue, the only, ONLY reason Rahm is getting the attention (and preferential treatment he is from the media) is precisely because of his WH experience. There are questions about his conversations with Blago, the unions, and the Tomczak organization that absolutely should be and need to be asked. Guys like Thomas and Levine obviously won’t ask them. Therefore, who will?
Comment by Logical Thinker Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:23 pm
Pretty bad moment for charles thomas and jay levine who don’t come off very well at all, levine especially, wow. It’s pretty funny when you consider emanuel is an operative who has spent his career doing to others what kelly did to him.
Comment by shore Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:23 pm
===Name one reporter who has put Rahm on the record with regards to the residency issue===
There have been several. You ever heard of Google?
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:26 pm
I was there. Lisa’s voice was like nails on a chalkboard.
Biden was like some body put a quater in the DNC puppet and he would shut up. People were walking out about half way through his stuff.
Durbin’s voice was shot, but he still thinks the campaign is against Glen Beck, Hanity Fox news and Karl Rove.
Comment by todd Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:29 pm
You’re right Eugene, the problem is that Kelly didn’t ask any intelligent or well researched questions. His one big question was “Some people say you did the stimulus to pay your buddies on Wall St. billions”.
That’s a pathetic question especially when you realize that more than half of the TARP money lent to banks has been repaid. The stimulus money went to states and federal projects, not Wall St.
His lack of consideration for others aside, Kelly’s questions were childish.
Comment by Siriusly Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:33 pm
Its one thing to be ostracised for not being a reporter from a mainstream news network, its quite another to be an insufferable jerk who pushes others out of the way and screams over other reporters trying to ask questions for minutes on end.
Comment by EazyTurner Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:40 pm
I’ve never been a huge fan of Thomas and Levine, but I can’t say I wouldn’t be tempted to do the same thing if I was in their place and some wise-guy like Kelly crashed the party.
And I second your sentiments on ISN.
Comment by MKA1985 Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:40 pm
–Durbin’s voice was shot, but he still thinks the campaign is against Glen Beck, Hanity Fox news and Karl Rove.–
That’s red meat for the crowd he was talking to and will fire them up. Just the thought of those charlatans sends my blood pressure through the roof.
Where is this generation of conservatives’ Bill Buckley, who had the foresight and guts to drive the Birchers and other loonies from the conservative movement, paving the way for Ronald Reagan?
The haters mentioned by Durbin aren’t conservatives in any sense of the word (perhaps Rove; he’s an attack dog). They’re in it for the money and they’ll be the doom of the GOP for years to come if real conservatives continue to let them dominate the party.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:45 pm
Bill Kelly is proving himself to be all about Bill Kelly. These grandstanding attempts at journalism are a pretty poor substitute for hard work, yet that is exactly what Bill Kelly isn’t familiar with, working hard to put together a story. I don’t care who you are (with perhaps the exception of Rod) people need to be treated with SOME respect. Ask your tough questions, but at least do it in such a way that is respectful of the other reporters.
This should not be a surprise though. This is the same guy that stole an atheist display from the capitol last Christmas. He would be better off standing along the highway waving a sign for Little Cesar’s pizza, that way he gets the attention he obviously wants and actually contributes something to society.
Comment by Living in Oklahoma Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:45 pm
Have to love the petulant whine Bill Kelly throws in at the end of his video too. Is he a journalist or a child blogging about how he didn’t get what he wanted for his birthday?
Comment by EazyTurner Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:50 pm
- So, let me get this straight, because Kelly is obnoxious, it’s ok for media guys on tape to threaten to assault him? -
That would be a return to the “John Wayne America” that you right wingers seem to be so fond of.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 3:59 pm
Really the only thing Kelly did that was obnoxious was shouting over the questions of the other reporters and not letting Rahm answer “their” questions. But Rahm also brought that on himself — he didn’t want to answer the tough or annoying questions (whether you think they are loaded or not) so he kept trying to dodge Kelly — Kelly surely has the right to become more assertive and press Rahm to answer the questions.
Comment by Just Observing Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:05 pm
It is an interesting video on several levels. Kelly was obviously baiting, and these guys bit hard. But they were affirmatively trying to block him from Emanuel, and phyically threatening the guy? Their question was “What have you heard from the people of Chicago?”, which is a 16- inch clincher softball fresh out of the box.
Comment by 42nd Ward Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:10 pm
On the ISN thing, though I’m a fan of Rich and I think he should have been a member far earlier, I have to say I’m with the Correspondents on this one; I think it is the camel’s nose under the tent. Nothing against Yount, who I think has a history of integrity. If anything, I think the folks bankrolling Yount are using his good name and honest work for cover.
They have a definite agenda, and a long term plan for executing it. And that creeps me out. Fox news is the vanguard of this kind of stuff, and I just don’t want to give these kinds of efforts any more free beachheads into the American media consciousness on a state level. Are current ILCA members beholden to various interests? Yes. But not in this particular way, not so directly. I wouldn’t give a membership to INS any more than I would to the state’s official information service. They are biased towards and paid to only tell one side of a story, and you can call that many things but IMO it ain’t journalism. The Bill Kelly thing just reinforces my fears about this “new journalism” that really isn’t. His lame attempt to pass himself off as a journalist is just another version of this same trend. If you give INS the same imprimatur of supposedly unbiased reporting as the other ILCA members, the folks that are NOT careful consumers of news will be exposed to a lot of potential propaganda. Not right away, but slowly, over time, not just by what IS reported.. .but also by what ISN’T. I wish Yount nothing but success, but I hope he can find a gig somewhere else, before those guys drag him to the dark side.
As far as Kelly vs. the Chicago prettyboys, well, I’ve seen the Big Time guys long enough at events to know they all pretty much have their stories written before they show up, and all they are really about during press Q&A time is getting a specific line or sound bite to plug into their already-written story. Many is the time I’ve heard Doogie or Jay or Andy or any number of those guys shout out a “question” that was really an editorial comment or a “gotcha” dig. They have no right to do that and call Kelly on it when he does it. That Kelly does it with far less class and without the ability to self-regulate is the main difference, far as I can see.
That the old guard reporters are deferential to each other in live Q&A is more of a detente’ than anything else, and if the story is really hot, they will walk over each other in a hot second to get their “gotcha’s” in ahead of another guy or gal.
I think the time of aggressive actual *research and reportage* from TV newspeople in Chicago is long past, particularly in state and city news. What passes today for mainstream TV journalism is a kind of kabuki theatre, a stylized performance geared to simply-explained personality clashes and obvious scandals, done for efficiency and not for actual illumination of an issue. The proof is visible in recent efforts to ’save money’ among “competing” Chicago news orgs by having one station’s cameraman shoot a state press conference and give each station the same tape, so the reporters don’t even have to attend the events they report on and ask questions. They just read the press release, pick a sound bite, and call it reporting. That makes me ill from a journalistic perspective. Then again, I’m old-school.
The other commenter was right in saying a lot of today’s Illinois political reporting is parasitic copy-paste from Rich’s operation and the AP. if those two don’t cover it, or dig up the leads, these days it likely won’t GET covered by anyone else. Not in any depth. That is a real tragedy to a state that needs accurate information about their government today, more than ever before.
Comment by Newsclown Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:18 pm
The more I think about the more I’m curious to see the true “media” types ask Emanuel these 2 questions:
1. Will the policies put in place by the Obama administration have any impact on the city of Chicago both in the short-term and in the long-term?
2. Mayor Daley opened his State of the City/Budget address today saying that those people in DC who think the recession is over are crazy. Given that this was what you contended while you were in the WH, how would you respond?
Guarantee you no one will. I’d love to see someone without Kelly’s antics and past do it but then again, maybe it’s those types who actually would.
Comment by Logical Thinker Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:24 pm
Listen, I am no Rahm-pologist, but Bill Kelly is as obnoxious as those twerps who filmed themselves ambushing Melissa Bean a couple of weeks ago. No doubt they go home and watch themselves on Youtube dozens of times in succession and pat themselves on the back on how clever and anti-establishment they are.
I think Levine and Thomas were more disturbed by the constant interruptions than the content of the questions asked.
Comment by Jake from Elwood Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:32 pm
Rich, Tom Talley the boss at the Department of Water Management ended up with a job in Des Plaines for the Cook County Dept. of Transportation. Dane Placo will have something on Fox News tonight. A “Rally to Fire Talley” will happen tomorrow morning at his new jobsite. John DAley has his hands all over this scam.
Comment by Patrick McDonough Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:41 pm
I don’t care if it was Rahm, Quinn, Brady or anyone else, this behavior is what the Tea Baggers want. Their idea of public discourse or discussion is them yelling down anyone they target whether in Town Hall meetings or on the street.
I almost hope some of their candidates win election and watch how they deal with the legislative process and expectations that you act like an adult and understand the give and take of the process.
Comment by Give Me A Break Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:44 pm
Fed-Up, the problem is that with governors and Da Mare, if you cross them you get shut out, you lose easy access, you no longer get responded to. The reporters who play ball and don’t press *too hard* (just enough to make it look good) then get more attention and face time, and they can then bring those results back to the studio to look like “better” coverage. To do a really *honest* job at this, you can’t be worried about ratings or getting a contract renewed. You have to be self-employed.
All those blow-dried guys and gals have a very fragile rice bowl, and they understand that they live in a symbiotic relationship with the people they report about. If you upset your subjects long enough and badly enough, they freeze you out, you can’t get access and so you have little product to show, your boss brings in someone else who can get along and get some face time with the big cheeses, and…you lose that beat. It happens in any size “company town” where there is one huge employer, be it government, industrial, academic. You dance the monkey dance of asking pointed questions but never quite making the close, so they feel they can escape to play another day. Don’t tell me these guys wouldn’t step on their mother’s foot to get an exclusive with Rahm in time for sweeps. But at the same time, to get that access, just how much do they have to give up to the gatekeeper?
THAT’s why all the softballs: if you play hardball, you may get one home run, after which, they don’t let you back into the park to play another game.
Comment by Newsclown Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:49 pm
it’s made Drudge btw….
Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:50 pm
“Making it” to a mention on Drudge is not something I’d be all that proud of…. just reinforces my earlier contention.
Comment by Newsclown Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:54 pm
LOL. Yeah, I just noticed that.
“Chicago hometown reporters shield Emanuel from outsider’s questions”
Sheesh.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:54 pm
GMAB,
=I almost hope some of their candidates win election and watch how they deal with the legislative process and expectations that you act like an adult and understand the give and take of the process=
You mean, you want someone (re)elected who is just like Rod Blagojevich?
Comment by dupage dan Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:55 pm
It’s a great question to ask rahm btw, how he or any other democrat is change to the city and an answer to the problems.
Conservative media is going to be all over this race.
Comment by shore Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 4:56 pm
If Kelly asked Rahm about TIFs or Chicago’s schools, or the city budget, no way does Drudge pick this story up. But any chance to embarrass the President with Tea Party talking points makes the Report. Predictable and pathetic.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 5:01 pm
regardless of how you feel about Drudge, the fact it made it to drudge means it is going to get more play now.
Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 5:07 pm
Kelly is a joke.
So are Levine and Thomas.
Levine decking anyone is beyond belief. He might mess up his hair.
As for Cirque du Rahmeil the media really needs to step up it’s game on Mayoral sweepstakes reporting. There are other candidates out there and some of them arguably have a better shot at being Mayor than he does.
Comment by Irishpirate Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 5:17 pm
Irish - you’re right about the media needs to do better - but that leads me back to Rich’s point. There’s another election first - please ignore Rahm for now!
Comment by Siriusly Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 5:25 pm
Siriusly,
yeah, wait for the mayoral circus until the general election circus is over. Good point.
One group of clowns at a time.
Comment by Irishpirate Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 5:34 pm
sure the wannabe Kelley was a jerk. but Thomas and Levine behaved unprofessionally, and the Rahm squad did not manage the situation. yes, they let the reporters do their dirty work for them, but the whole thing look unprofessional all the way around.
would that a journalist with actual cred and tools took it to Rahm….
Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 6:02 pm
Does Matt Drudge even have anything to do with the Drudge Report anymore? They way he used to run it, it had a bent but undeniable color and interest. Today it seems little more than a resucitation of hard-core GOP talking points.
Comment by ZC Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 6:07 pm
Rich, did you ever have your “beer summit” with Kelly?
Comment by ChuckT Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 6:08 pm
I find it interesting how all the policy failures of the Administration is not falling on Rahm’s head. They said the stimulus would get unemployment down to 8% - haven’t seen that yet. Trillion dollar deficits.
Comment by View from the Cheap Seats Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 6:10 pm
Dupage, Rod did not understand the give or take but I don’t ever recall him acting like a Tea Bagger. I would love to see some them in a committee and how they react to the lawmaking process.
Comment by Give Me A Break Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 6:19 pm
Fox is picking it up too . . .
Comment by 42nd Ward Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 6:23 pm
ChuckT, I had no interest whatsoever in doing that.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 6:29 pm
He’s pretty annoying, but frankly, no worse than the way I’ve seen some of the old-timers on Chicago TV to behave when they were in Springfield (think Dick Kay).
And, if I understand his question, he had a legitimate point about whether or not Emanuel can meet the residency requirements. Frankly, that was a softball that Emanuel could have easily answered.
Comment by Old Guy Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 6:38 pm
Speaking of Drudge, he’s got a new story up on I’ll, and its the headline with his signature “siren” for breaking news.
Comment by matt Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 6:50 pm
The only question I have for Rahm is how much money is he going to bring to Chicago from Washington DC?
Comment by Emily Booth Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 7:07 pm
My impression-
Emanuel is a really dinky guy;
Levine doesn’t look like he could ‘deck’ anyone. Must have a large cameraman with him to make him tough;
All three remind me of the song ‘dirty laundry’.
Comment by Park Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 7:45 pm
Rich, Lisa is known for yelling. It is not confrontational, that appears to be her normal speaking voice
Comment by Wumpus Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 7:55 pm
Park, that’s true. I’d bet on Kelly.
I spoke to Kelly tonight. He says if Rahm had just answered the residency question, he would have packed up. By ducking it, Rahm just irked Kelly, so Kelly kept asking.
Then the fun started.
Comment by 42nd Ward Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 8:12 pm
I think my friend from the 42nd Ward is Bill Kelly. Next time I see Kelly loitering on the street in front of the City Club lunch, I’ll ask him.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 8:27 pm
Wrong again, 47th. And petty.
Comment by 42nd Ward Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 10:12 pm
What a shock that Rahm would get softball questions, Daley has been getting them for years. It is like Daley is o a victory tour, not one question of if he feels he is walking away from duty for leaving with the budget in such a mess or having burned throuh almost $1B in meter money in 3 years. All the city had to do was double meter costs temselves.
Comment by John Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 10:28 pm
It does look like Levine and Thomas are trying to block out Kelly. I also agree that Dick Kay was/still is as obnoxious as Kelly. The difference is that Kay was with NBC and was a flaming lib.
Thomas should be ashamed of the question he asked. What’s next? How is the weather, Rahm?
Comment by Good Government Guy Thursday, Oct 14, 10 @ 9:47 am
Kelly’s first question to Rahm?
“What’s it like being back in Chicago?”
The networks’ first question to Rahm?
“What are the people of Chicago saying to you?”
They both start with “softball” questions, who is to say that Levine and Thomas wouldn’t have brought up tougher points later in the scrum?
That said, Levine needs to keep his cool, then have a talk with Kelly and his station off camera if he is really affecting his work.
This entire incident makes the media look pretty foolish.
Comment by MediaManatee Sunday, Oct 17, 10 @ 6:59 am