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Politicians behaving badly

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Illinois

* Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) will almost assuredly get booted out of the House tomorrow…

For the first time in more than a century, House lawmakers on Friday will try to expel one of their own.

Back in 1905, rookie Democratic Rep. Frank D. Comerford, of Chicago, angered colleagues by suggesting the General Assembly was up for sale like a “public auction.” They took umbrage, saying Comerford “besmirched the good name and reputation of this General Assembly.”

Now rookie Democratic Rep. Derrick Smith of Chicago faces expulsion on allegations he took a $7,000 bribe, a charge that arose from a federal sting in which authorities said they caught him on tape accepting $100 bills from a campaign aide working undercover for the FBI.

Comerford won back his seat in the very next election with a groundswell of grass-roots support, eventually becoming a respected judge.

Smith faces a much more difficult path. He has Friday’s expulsion vote, with many lawmakers saying Smith likely will be tossed from the House. Either way, he then faces a federal criminal trial, probably within the next year.

* State Senate Republican candidate Jim Oberweis is accused of using a handicapped parking space when he plays golf at his country club…

“I was recently told by a Republican business leader who sought me out that Jim Oberweis has handicapped plates on his car,” Pierog said. “He plays golf five or six times a week at the Aurora Country Club.”

Serious charges. It didn’t take much effort to find corroboration.

“I’ve seen him — he parks in all the handicapped spots,” said a member of the Aurora Country Club, who didn’t want his name used. “He says he has a bad back, but he plays golf all the time. I find it offensive.”

Of course, there could be valid explanation — maybe he can swing a club but not walk a block. Maybe they’re his wife’s plates. Hoping to find out, I phoned the Oberweis campaign, repeatedly over two days. No reply. Though I can’t imagine why. I’m a fair fellow — true, I have lingering resentment against Oberweis for demonizing immigrants in his bald but failed attempts to achieve public office. But that was years ago. Perhaps he’s reformed.

* GOP state Sen. Suzi Schmidt wants her order of protection changed…

State Sen. Suzi Schmidt is asking that the order of protection against her be modified so she can help care for an elderly neighbor recovering from hip surgery.

However, attorney David Del Re of Waukegan opposed the move because he said it would allow Schmidt to be within 100 feet of his clients who claim they have been stalked and harassed by Schmidt.

Both sides will argue the issue in front of Lake County Circuit Judge George Strickland on Aug. 22.

The trial against Schmidt is expected to take place on Oct. 10.

Schmidt pleaded not guilty in June to charges stemming from what authorities say was the harassment of the neighbors for more than two years over an alleged romantic affair involving her estranged husband.

* And Greg Hinz takes a look at a federal subpoena…

I heard a little more about that federal subpoena issued to Ald. Ed Burke’s City Council Committee on Finance, first reported by the Chicago Tribune this morning.

The subpoena came after Mr. Burke declined to voluntarily disclose to City Inspector General Joseph Ferguson records about the $115 million-a-year workers’ compensation program his panel administers. That already had been reported.

After Mr. Burke rejected the IG’s request, he picked up the phone and called the U.S. attorney’s office. At least that’s what everyone assumes.

But I’m reliably told that the two offices already were jointly working on a probe of the program. When Mr. Burke said no to Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Ferguson’s partner — federal investigators — just invoked their own authority to demand records.

I further hear that the probers have not been examining any specific individual or claim of misconduct but are more interested in the overall question of why expenses for workers’ comp run so much higher in Chicago than they do in other locales.

Some might call that a glorified fishing expedition. But if costs truly are way out of line here, some quite interesting questions arise, given how many precinct captains, family members and political pals are on the city workforce.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 11:32 am

Comments

==They took umbrage, saying Comerford “besmirched the good name and reputation of this General Assembly.”==

Wait a minute…. you mean to say that the General Assembly used to have a good name and reputation?

Comment by TJ Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 11:46 am
Oberwies and McSweeny … be careful SGOP and HGOP what you wish for … these to and their “entitlement” mentality will not shake up your caucuses, Oberweis and McSweeney will rip your caucuses to their cores, and those “rippings” are not going to be good to build on as a caucus.

HGOP and SGOP, you owe Oberweis and McSweeney their seats … don’t believe me, just ask them.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 11:50 am
It is as plain as vanilla ice cream that Jim Oberweis simply misunderstood these marked handicap parking spaces to mean “reserved for golfers carrying a handicap on their golf scores”. Jim would never be inclined to take a “truly” handicapped persons parking space nor would Jim ever think that “he was special”.

Comment by Melvin Gibson Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 11:59 am
If that Oberweis story is correct, it’s just awful.

Sen. Schmidt might want to move on with her life and just stay as far away from the dude as possible.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 12:14 pm
Corroboration is an unnamed Aurora Golf Club member? I don’t like Oberweis much at all but that’s not much proof.

Comment by OurMagician Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 12:58 pm
I live in the 25th Senate District. I intend to vote agains Oberweis, but the reality of the gerrymandered district map dictates that he will most likely be our State Senator–despite handicapped parking spots, a long line of defeats, and dislike by a lot of people :-

Comment by train111 Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 1:10 pm
In the Abominable Milkman’s defense, he’s run some pretty lame campaigns.

I would not bet on him to win.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 2:26 pm
The Milkman Putteth

Comment by Boone Logan Square Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 3:01 pm
This type of article makes me hear “Yakkety Sax” in my mind.

Comment by Horst Buccholz Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 4:02 pm
“Perhaps he’s reformed.”

The ice cream man is a typical right winger who wants to impose his so called religious beliefs on others while being corrupt to the core.

Comment by wishbone Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 4:07 pm
If they are his wife’s plates and he’s using them when she’s not in the car, he should have said car impounded.

BTW, I turned my own mother in for doing the same thing with Dad’s handicapped placard. She got a stern talking to, I think. She should have been towed.

Comment by Cheryl Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 4:51 pm