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Illinois

* Kass: Real Estate Fairy visits pols who believe

* Brown: How much longer until politicians use up their ‘corruption allowance’?

* Feds seek nearly 6 years in City Hall hiring fraud

* Long term urged for ex-Daley aide in hiring scheme

* Libel lawsuit a $7 million win for judge - Chief justice says Kane paper hurt his job prospects

* Libel verdict could quiet criticism of judges, lawyers say

* Blagojevich considering woman to direct IDNR

* Marin: Fight to help seniors runs into lobbyists’ buzz saw

* Editorial: Hereâ€™s what we think gov should do in his next term

* Ald.’s loose lips spice up hearing

* Alderman satisfied with police hires

* Mayor Daley today will introduce an ordinance to provide a $4.5 million city subsidy to Jays Foods Inc.

* Kadner: When it comes to airports, Weller helps Chicago

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 15, 06 @ 7:45 am

Comments

I can not recall a jury verdict as whacky as the one in the Chief Justice Thomas case. What job prospects did this man lose? After all, this formerly-overrated field goal kicker is the CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT!!! Even after he rotates off as Chief Justice, Thomas will still be a Justice, and can stay there until he reaches a cushy retirement age.

Those Justices who decide to leave the Supreme Court have all found cushy high-paying jobs in major law firms if that is what they wanted to do. Short of running down State Street in Chicago’s Loop stark naked singing the Green Bay Packers fight song, there is nothing that Thomas can say or do to harm those prospects, nor have some newspaper story harm those prospects.

Comment by fedup dem Wednesday, Nov 15, 06 @ 9:14 am
Nice bit about the “corruption allowance” there. What’s even more scary, though, is that the GOP lost big on the national level, and now there’s talk about bringing in Trent Lott, of all people? You’ve gotta be kidding me. Are they trying to ruin the chances of a Giuliani Republican by dragging people like Lott into leadership positions? Real smart, folks. All parties ought to be electing some fresher faces with reform in mind, not the same old dinosaurs that end up on committee after panel after leadership post.

Comment by Angie Wednesday, Nov 15, 06 @ 2:06 pm
Jim,
It is going to be even worse than you think. Look for there to be a trifecta of tax increases next year. Democrats on the federal level will raise taxes, Todd Stroger is almost certain to push tax hikes for the county (yeah, I know he said he would not, but remember he also said his father would be coming back to the county board after a little time off to recover), and Emil Jones with a veto proof majority in the Illinois Senate is sure to puch a tax hike through. Blago will be able to have it both ways: seeing taxes go up, while vetoing it and claiming to have been against it all along when his veto is overridden. Like the old saying goes, it is better to be lucky than it is to be good. People will see how it is when this all comes to fore. They’ll learn………

Comment by Patty Wednesday, Nov 15, 06 @ 9:47 pm
Patty,
The worst thing about what you are saying is that the increased revenue from higher taxes will not be going to help those who need it, but to the crooked polititians who created the mess in the first place. I would not mind paying more if I really thoughtthose in need would benefit from it. But as a long time observer of politics, I know better. The people who will beneift most from higher taxes are those who contributed to the campaigns of insiders like Emil Jones. Mr. Jones assumes people in Illinois must be well off, as he wants them to pay higher taxes and seems to have no trouble with electric rates going up either. I am sure that the fact that Com Ed has contributed to his campaign fund has nothing to do with this whatsover…..

Comment by Rizzo Wednesday, Nov 15, 06 @ 9:53 pm
While many are angry with the GOP right now, I think it will be a different story two and four years down the road. Democrats are not exactly paragons of virtue here in Illinois. One need only look to the many indictments at City Hall, the federal investigations of county officials in CROOK COUNTY and consider the likely scenario of Blagojevich being indicted within the next two years and it paints a slightly different picture.

Comment by Jim Wednesday, Nov 15, 06 @ 10:00 pm
Angie has a point about bringing back people who had a chance in a leadership role and failed. Lott said a lot of dumb things as majority leader, and left much to be desired. So did Bill Frist. Good riddance to him. Republicans at the state and federal levels need to show more resolve and recruit candidates who can appeal to a wider spectrum of voters, while at the same time adhering to the Republican principles of honest and efficient government. We need to rid the GOP of politicians like Tom Cross, Skip Saviano and George Ryan who play footsie with the Democrats and claim that is the only way to get things done in Illinois. Nonsense! THat is why Republican voters got disgusted and stayed home this year.

Comment by Rizzo Wednesday, Nov 15, 06 @ 10:10 pm
They ought never to have sold out Lott for Frist. Lieberman and Lott are big winners who bucked the trend.

Comment by T.J. Wednesday, Nov 15, 06 @ 11:34 pm
Thanks, Rizzo. What I meant to say, and I was sort of being a bit more subtle as I let this all sink in, is that the GOP is positively acting suicidal. NOT Trent Lott of all people.

Then again, the Dems never manage to call for the resignation of Robert (formerly of the KKK) Byrd from politics, either, so why should the GOP?

Shall we all register as Indies and join Joe Lieberman as part of the Maybe/Maybe Not Caucus? Where everyone is just critical of both sides?

I’m just at a loss over this. You’d think losing big would sort of–you know–sink in. Right when guys like Rudy and McCain are considering a run, they drag out Trent Lott. God, that ticks me off.

Comment by Angie Thursday, Nov 16, 06 @ 1:22 am