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* SJ-R: Sen. Dick Durbin says he got a “totally inappropriate” demand for government help from Stuart Levine about four years ago but that Levine went away mad.

* Tribune: Outgoing Cook County Board President Bobbie Steele on Tuesday resigned the county commissioner seat she was re-elected to earlier this month, a move that will let her double her annual pension. Steele, 69, now hopes to hand off her commissioner seat to her son Robert, a Chicago Park District administrator.

* Democrats won’t help GOP oust party leader

* Daley stands by Sorich - 4 found guilty are ‘fine’ men, mayor says

* Ex-Daley aides cash in as they depart City Hall - As scandals boil, 13 share in $165,000 for accrued vacation time

* Marin: When is a politician a statesman? And when is he a sellout? State Sen. Miguel del Valle (D-Chicago) knew that would be the question when people began to notice who sent the invitations for his Monday fund-raiser in Springfield.

* Editorial: State should quit playing games with legal bill

* Best firm in country for female attorneys is in Chicago, survey finds

* Dist. 204 denied quick-take powers

* Editorial: Let Illinois primary voters choose party in secret

* Experts Concerned as Ballot Problems Persist

* Daily Herald: A Kane County judge Tuesday ruled votes cast between 7 and 8:30 p.m. on Election Day are valid. But the fight to have the votes thrown out is not over.

* Ryan should lose pension, internal review says

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 29, 06 @ 9:02 am

Comments

Bobbie Steele is a joke. This was all planned from the minute Stroger had his stroke. Remember all the machine dems threatening to run for President. One closed door meeting later, it’s all settled; Bobbie will be interim and Todd will run for president. They got Bobbie to sit in the big chair for awhile promising this pension. She is doing nothing short of perpetuating the thievery that is the Cook County Board.

Comment by Danimal Wednesday, Nov 29, 06 @ 9:41 am
>Dist. 204 denied quick-take powers

aaahhh…nothing like rich suburban school districts fighting with rich suburban landowners.

The lawyers and newspapermen’s dream…

Comment by Leroy Wednesday, Nov 29, 06 @ 9:45 am
Well, today seems to be a little bit of a Republican day for top Republicans. Governor Ryan gets to stay out of jail during his appeal, suggesting that the federal appeals court believes he may have a chance at overturning his conviction. The frosting on the cake will be if he gets to keep in pension and luxurious lifestyle while out on bail—courtesy of us taxpayers. But even if he doesn’t….Big Jim will bankroll the good life for him.

And Kjellander says he is going to stay on as
Republican honcho allowing him to collect millions more on deals with Blago.

Again, not a bad day for the Republican management team.

Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Nov 29, 06 @ 10:29 am
How does one go about organizing a secession from Cook County? I am pretty sure that the suburban townships that voted 60 - 70% against Stroger would support such an effort. Between the anger at Stroger/Steele/Beavers/Dem Commiteemen, the timing is right.

Comment by Niles Township Wednesday, Nov 29, 06 @ 10:42 am
Just trying to understand the Levine-Durbin thing. So Levine contributed $3K to Durbin, got nothing in return for his “demands” (& money) and stopped contributing to Durbin?

Huh, well, after contributing $4K to Blago, he stands accused of trying to raise $1.5M more for “a public official”. I guess Levine must have had a pretty good return on that investment (and had is demands met) with that official. I wonder who it is…

Comment by Animous Wednesday, Nov 29, 06 @ 10:44 am
Between, Daley, Stroger and now Steele, if this latest pice of blatant nepotism goes through, Peraica should file a motion to offically rename Cook County Board meetings to “The Children’s Hour”.

Comment by Bubs Wednesday, Nov 29, 06 @ 10:50 am
These election machines are terrible. Sequia is a terrible company. I am very cynical now on this process.
Should go to a different or the old system.

Comment by Jimmy Wednesday, Nov 29, 06 @ 1:04 pm
So-called “open primaries” are a terrible proposal. Like the system that we currently have, they allow non-members to participate in a political party’s canidate selection process. Political parties have the right to use whatever internal selection process they desire to choose their candidates, and they have the right to limit that process to their members only.

Comment by Squideshi Wednesday, Nov 29, 06 @ 2:51 pm
>Political parties have the right to use whatever
>internal selection process they desire to choose
>their candidates, and they have the right to limit
>that process to their members only.

….and then stick the taxpayers with the bill.

Comment by Squid goes Squish Wednesday, Nov 29, 06 @ 6:47 pm
Aren’t there a couple more Cook County Board members we can cycle through the chairman’s seat before Todd is sworn in? There’s at least a few weeks left…it would be a pension bonanza! They probably all have kids that could be appointed to fill their seats,too.

Comment by NoGiftsPlease Wednesday, Nov 29, 06 @ 7:35 pm
To the deleted commenter named “Park District Insider”

I seriously doubt you are a Chicago park district insider like you claim because your IP address is from DuPage County public schools. Do they know you’re posting profanity on taxpayer property? You’re banned, and are very lucky that I’m not reporting you this time.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Nov 30, 06 @ 10:47 am