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* A Chicago-style Hollywood shakedown is alleged…

A Metra train has a starring role in the new Hollywood science fiction thriller, “Source Code.” It is one of the many movie negotiations handled for more than a decade by Jonathan Gottlieb, a Metra special transportation services manager.

But after Gottlieb negotiated a $19,000 contract for “Source Code” last year, a film location manager reportedly complained that Gottlieb demanded additional cash for all his hard work — $2,000 — be delivered in an envelope to him or another Metra employee.

On the morning of the first shoot, the complainant said, Gottlieb was furious to learn the money would not be delivered and said told her she’d never be able to work with Metra again.

Gottlieb denies the allegation, but retired soon after it surfaced…

Gottlieb says the only money he ever received from a movie production company was for work he did as an extra. He also said he once arranged for his condo association to be paid $1,900 for allowing a film crew shooting nearby to park vehicles behind his building.

A complaint filed on the matter has been sent to Metra’s inspector general, according to the report.

* Meanwhile, a familiar name has resurfaced in a federal probe…

A federal grand jury has subpoenaed dozens of doctors in the Chicago area as part of a probe into a wealthy Indian-American fund-raiser who owns surgical centers — and has ties to U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.

While the FBI and IRS investigation is centered on businessman and political fund-raiser Raghuveer Nayak, who owns surgical centers in Illinois and Indiana, the feds have cast a wide net: Sources said at least 30 doctors received grand jury subpoenas, and more than 10 of Nayak’s employees have also been subpoenaed.

In addition, two of Nayak’s surgery centers in Chicago were hit with search warrants in late January, and at least half a dozen doctors have been offered immunity or been granted immunity for their testimony, sources with knowledge of the investigation say.

Federal authorities are investigating whether Nayak made improper payments to the doctors in order to draw their surgeries to his centers. Under the allegations, while private insurers paid doctors and the centers for surgeries performed, Nayak is under investigation for allegedly separately paying doctors hundreds of dollars for every surgery brought to the centers. Doctors who perform out-patient surgeries, including chiropractors and podiatrists, practice at the centers and can choose to bring their work to the centers rather than a hospital.

Once you come into the US Attorney’s gunsights, you tend to stay there.

* Speaking of Blagojevich…

Prosecutors in the Rod Blagojevich corruption case are asking Judge James Zagel to forbid the former governor and his defense team from suggesting to his upcoming jury that certain unplayed tape recordings might actually contain information which would prove his innocence.

“Not only do questions designed to elicit such evidence serve no legitimate purpose,” the prosecutors write, “they focus the jurors’ attention on evidence that is not before them, and act as a suggestion that other evidence, favorable to the defense, is being withheld from them.” […]

Another motion seeks to stop Blagojevich’s lawyers from eliciting testimony from lay witnesses about the legality of certain practices in the governor’s office; a related request asks the court to prevent Blagojevich from asking witnesses about “normal practices,” suggesting that “business as usual” should not be an acceptable defense. […]

The prosecutors say the former governor’s lawyers should not be allowed to elicit testimony related to what happened with the Senate seat, after it was publicly disclosed that Blagojevich had been targeted by secret wiretaps.

The feds say that after Blagojevich discovered he was being recorded he tried to conceal his alleged wrongdoing, so what he did (gear up to appoint Lisa Madigan to the seat) was about covering his tracks, not doing what was right. They’re right.

* And Father Pfleger is blaming conservatives and the NRA for his likely impending ouster as pastor of St. Sabina…

The Rev. Michael Pfleger, the embattled pastor of Chicago’s St. Sabina Catholic Church, told radio show hosts Tavis Smiley and Cornel West this weekend that he would look outside the Catholic Church if offered no other choice but to work at a Catholic high school.

Pfleger also said on the “Smiley & West” public radio program that he had been banned from speaking at events in the archdiocese and blamed pressure from conservative Catholics and the National Rifle Association for his most recent clash with Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George. […]

On the radio, Pfleger said conservative Catholics want to return St. Sabina, a mostly African-American parish on the South Side, to the way it was before he got there nearly three decades ago and silence what they believe to be progressive messages coming from the pulpit. […]

“The NRA … says I’ve been much too vocal about assault weapons and much too vocal about guns being registered and being accountable to gun owners,” Pfleger said on the radio. “So all that combined and I guess the cardinal didn’t have anything to do one morning and decided he wanted to get rid of me again.”

Ouch.

* Related…

* ADDED: House panel rejects clearing Metra board

* Sun-Times: Things don’t look right in Cicero

* Timetable for state employee health choice could be pushed back: State employees could get more time to decide which health insurance option they want next year because of protests filed over the decision to drop two popular HMOs. Nothing’s been decided yet, but state officials said Monday the benefit choice period — currently set to run from May 1 through May 31 — could be adjusted.

* Health care switch for state workers may be in trouble: Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign, who is one of 12 members of the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability that will vote on the state’s health care contracts to begin July 1, said he believes the Quinn administration’s preliminary contract awards could be in trouble with lawmakers who repeatedly expressed questions Monday about suggested cost savings and limited access to health care providers.

* State health insurance change could be delayed: “We are grateful that the process is being slowed up,” said Hank Scheff, director research and employee benefits for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union.

* New DuPage leader to form panel on pension abuses - Pension deals such as those profiled in Sunday’s Tribune are ‘outrageous,’ Cronin says

* House cleans up for next year’s pension system

* Advocates push back against Smart Grid: The legislation “puts the risk on consumers and businesses while the utilities can go on a technology shopping binge,” Clough said. “Illinois consumers and business simply cannot afford for automatic rate increase and guaranteed profits for utility companies to be put into Illinois law,” he said.

* Power Companies Want To Build Smart Grid

* State Treasurer Resurrects Suspended Loan Program

* Local foreclosure rates drop; state’s highest court to help those who face losing homes

* Preckwinkle visits Palatine residents to reassure them county works for them - Under Stroger administration, Palatine threatened to secede because of a tax increase

* Rahm Emanuel looks to innovators, reformers in CPS CEO search - Unlike Daley, he’s aiming for an outsider

* North Siders not smiling on plan for Wal-Mart

* Blogger Makes Beating Parking Tickets Look Easy

* Lawsuit: Bolingbrook trying to bar church from new site

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 9:11 am

Comments

Fr. Pfleger has been a thorn in the side of at least three Cardinals so far. There is no sin in that as many of Church’s Saints pushed the limits. I didn’t hear the interview and only know what I read here but if he suggested he might leave the Catholic Church I think he has lost all sense of perspective. He took vows when he was ordained. Among them was the vow of obedience. Every other Pastor in the Archdiocese is moved after six or twelve years. No one priest is more important that the Church itself. I appreciate the depth of his convictions and the ferocity of his faith but I fear for his soul.

Comment by What's in a name? Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 9:22 am
The catholic church has bent over backwards for pfleger. He has made sexist comments about Hilary Clinton threatened a gun shop owner sayin he would snuff him out and then claimed he didn’t know what snuff out ment. Pfleger has been allowed to flaunt the church rules regarding how long a priest can stay at a parish. Pfleger needs to deciede if he is a member of the catholic church or wants to be the leader of his own church. With pfleger it is always about him not about the church or it’s doctrine. I wish him well in his future endeavors what ever they may be. But I think he doesn’t want to be a part of a chuch he wants to lead his own church and that is fine. Lots of vacant store fronts in Gresham.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 9:27 am
@anon 9:27 am, can you quote the sexist comments Phleger made about Hillary. I remember they were controversial and poked fun at what he perceived to be her white privilege but I don’t remember them being sexist. Were they?

Comment by wndycty Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 9:32 am
So there is a movie “Source Code” and then there is “Chicago Code,” the tv show starring the woman from “Flashdance” as the top Chicago cop.

I think it’s all code for bad entertainment.

Comment by just sayin' Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 9:52 am
Politics in the Catholic Church? Shocking.

The Cardinal has every right to do as he wishes, but frankly I think its a bad P.R. move.

Catholics are by far the most socially liberal of all the faiths, as evidenced by recent polls showing strong support for civil unions among Catholics.

And Catholics priests have always been social activists…labor rights, civil rights, immigrant rights, HIV/AIDS…why should opposing domestic violence be any different?

We should be asking why EVERY catholic priest in Chicago isn’t standing up with Pfleger, instead of trying to silence him.

And oh, btw, this won’t silence him, merely martyr him and give him a bigger stage.

My question is: what to the parishioners of St. Sabina want?

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 9:54 am
I can’t tell which former top democratic family-the jacksons or the kennedys has had a worse go of it the past couple of years.

As for Blago the sequel, I can’t think of anything I’ve been looking forward to less than his 2nd trial.

Comment by shore Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 9:58 am
==We should be asking why EVERY catholic priest in Chicago isn’t standing up with Pfleger==

Maybe because EVERY catholic priest is moved every 12 years and Pfleger has not been. Maybe they are sick of the special treatment he has always gotten for no other reason than he has a real big mouth.
This guy really grates on my nerves and I don’t own a gunshop or a billboard company. He’s really hurt small businesses in the area and I know a lot of them will be happy to see him outta here.
Good Riddance.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 10:03 am
More Cicero hijinks, but no one seemed to pay attention.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/4376192-452/cicero-pols-play-games-citizens-lose.html

Comment by Larry's guy Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 10:13 am
- but no one seemed to pay attention. -

Pretty sure Rich posted that link last week.

Comment by Small Town Liberal Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 10:26 am
Fr. Phleger simply does what Jesus did and taught. If you have ever heard one of him homilies and be to st. sabina you know he preaches and acts according to Catholic teaching. FR, mike is very conservative theologically.I am a catholic. Would that more of the Catholic priests and hierachy did the same. Why are priests expected to serve six years in a parish.?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 10:38 am
===but no one seemed to pay attention===

Yeah. A Sun-Times columnist and NBC5 reporter did a piece on it, but nobody noticed. Right. Thanks for your input. Move along, now.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 10:39 am
Until now Pfleger’s stance (one I disagree with) was one that seemed principled, if a bit hyperbolic at times. The special circumstances of his long tenure at his current parish, I think, has gone to his head, He now sounds like a petulant child who yells to his indulgent mother in a crowded grocery store, “you’re not the boss of me!”

After he leaves the church maybe he should escape to some foreign country as well. He could room with Rob Sherman, perhaps.

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 10:42 am
Father Flakey seems to be trying to build up a strawman for the wo-is-me.

I never organized anything and don’t believe HQ has either. I don’t care for the guy, and his mouth about snuffing out people is way over the top.

But I know of no organized effort to the cardinal or church to get rid of him. Now I did hear that a church in Waco was looking for a priest.

Comment by Todd Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 11:34 am
Blago’s right to push for playing more of the tapes. I have it on good authority there’s a tape not entered into evidence where he clearly says:

“I’m just kidding! I’d never shake down a baby cancer hospital. That would be disgusting! What kind of person would do such a thing? Who could take that seriously?”

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 11:37 am
I know that there has been a grass-roots movement to encourage the Catholic church to take Snuffy to task, but the NRA is not involved.

Everything gun related good or bad winds up being laid at the NRA’s door whether they are responsible or not.

Comment by David Lawson aka Federal Farmer Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 1:13 pm
I certainly dont agree with everything Father Pfleger says or does, but I am prepared to give him his due. He took over St Sabina’s at a time when no priest in his right mind wanted to go there. He has made it a thriving church and he wants to stay there. I have no idea why the Archdiocese would want to pick a fight like this.

Comment by paddyrollingstone Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 1:21 pm
They move the priests around at regular intervals so that they don’t all get as “Uppity” as Fr. Mike. And so they don’t get too complacent or comfortable building local political bases. The Catholic church right now is in a phase swinging back into a more conservative outlook. Phleger has bent the rules about as far as he can, and taunting his Cardinal in the lay press means really that he’s already made his choice.

Comment by Gregor Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 1:57 pm
I don’t know him personally; but I have read about things he has done. I assume that he has done a lot of good things in the past; but based upon what I’ve read, it is way past time for Pfleger to move on - perhaps to some third world country without major media outlets so he could get back in touch with helping people. He appears to have lost connection with much that a church should be about and his role within that organization.

Comment by Logic not emotion Tuesday, Apr 12, 11 @ 4:45 pm