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Question of the day

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* Stella Foster led with this item today…

THE LOVE TRAIN: Gov. Quinn, besides trying to deal with the state’s budget crisis, has made other changes in his busy life. His longtime, 17-year courtship with Cheryl Byers, a Southern Illinois resident, came to a sudden and unexpected end this past March. I understand that she was often referred to as his “significant other” and was very much a part of his life. Byers, who has been with him through all of his political campaigns, is said to be heartbroken … and rightfully so. After all, she was with him waaaaaay before he became the governor. … My sources tell me that Quinn is now allegedly very friendly with Monica Walker, an accomplished exec at Holland Capital Management.

The two were recently spotted sitting next to each other at the 100th anniversary of the Chicago & Cook County Building Trades Council event at Navy Pier, and apparently Quinn had a friendship with her dating back to when he walked her down the aisle when one of her kids got married years ago.

* The Question: Should Gov. Quinn’s dating be fair game for columnists, reporters, etc? Explain.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:22 am

Comments

Gosh, this Quinn is so exciting, and what a heartthrob.

Comment by bill washerton Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:25 am
Answer the question, please.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:28 am
I dont’ think this is any of our business, this isnt’ NYC, Quinn is not Guiliani, and the Suntimes needs to stop being the NY Post…….

Comment by I'm just saying Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:29 am
He’s a bachelor - I thnk his private/romantic life should not be subject to political/journalistic scrutiny. I do feel sorry for the former significant other - 17 years is a long time.

Comment by Captain America Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:31 am
If he were involved with a married woman, I’d say yes.

Otherwise no.

Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:33 am
Good qotd Rich. I could care less about the man’s personal life. However, I do believe it is fair game for Stella Foster or other gossip-columnists if they choose to cover it. The Governor and other elected officials also know this, he’s well aware that his personal life will become public news.

Comment by siriusly Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:38 am
I would agree with Ravenswood- if Quinn is acting as “the other man”, it is a scandal and should be reported. Otherwise, the only mention of his personal life should be an engagement announcement or marriage notice.

As it is, I feel sorry for Ms. Byers everyone now knows she had a long-time relationship with the governor and is now feeling broken-hearted. NOT MY BUSINESS.

Comment by South Side Mike Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:39 am
I think it’s off limits unless he brings it up himself. Kids and family members, too, unless the public office or funds are involved.

Quinn seems to have a direct line to Sneed so I’m thinking this info came directly from him or someone close and authorized by him, and was done for his own purposes.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:40 am
yes, his personal love life is fair game. if jack ryan’s married life was fair game, then why not an unmarried politician’s??????

besides look fellas, stella was speaking to us ladies when she points out that:

Gov. Quinn, besides trying to deal with the state’s budget crisis, has made other changes in his busy life. His longtime, 17-year courtship with Cheryl Byers, a Southern Illinois resident, came to a sudden and unexpected end this past March. I understand that she was often referred to as his “significant other” and was very much a part of his life. Byers, who has been with him through all of his political campaigns, is said to be heartbroken … and rightfully so. After all, she was with him waaaaaay before he became the governor.—stella foster

us ladies are very sensitive about helping a man get to where he is only to be thrown aside for someone else who reaps the benefits of our hardwork, loyalty, sacrifice and devotion. we don’t like stuff like that. the nerve of him! what gall! that’s just as bad as when newt gingrich tokd his wife, while on her sick/death bed, that he was leaving her for someone else.
needless to say quinn probably flip-flopped on cheryl and played all sorts of mind games with her before unceremoniously(sp?) dumping her when he became gov.

dan hynes is married and stable—thank heavens!

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:40 am
For gossip columnists, Yes.
Plus, it’s about time the mansion saw some action.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:42 am
It shouldn’t be fair game, and that goes for all elected officials and all personal relationships — unless there is a connection to some form of dereliction of duty (i.e., giving a girlfriend a contract).

Unfortunately, they let that horse out of the barn years ago during the Clinton-era

Comment by ILPundit Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:43 am
wordslinger,

are you suggesting that quinn is just using this monica walker woman as a political pawn of some sort the way he did social service groups and their clients a couple of months ago?

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:43 am
No.

Comment by Pat collins Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:44 am
WCW, no, not at all, and not even close. I suspect he was just gossiping with Stella (not Sneed, as I mistakenly said earlier), like many politicians do.

Is anyone in a position, or have any business, to characterize anything about either relationship?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:46 am
No. Private is private. He is single and has not been arrested in the wee morning hours at any local tavern.

Comment by Shelbyville Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:49 am
To Rich’s QOTD,

No. It’s his PRIVATE life. As others mentioned unless and until something happens which affects his public life in some fashion then it’s not news.

Which leads to….

Will County Women, who wrote: “yes, his personal love life is fair game. if jack ryan’s married life was fair game, then why not an unmarried politician’s??????”

Jack Ryan’s divorce was NOT in the news until Gen. John Borling’s 2004 primary campaign manager Rod McCulloch went running around to the media saying he had an unredacted copy of Ryan’s divorce papers. (Keep in mind the divorce papers were initially public info after the divorce. The Ryans went back to court to have them sealed after the fact.)

Borling fired that guy but THAT intra-GOP event from the primary was what led the media to seek to have the once-public-but-then-sealed divorce papers made public once more.

Don’t blame the Trib for the actions of a Republican candidate’s campaign staff.

Comment by Rob_N Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:49 am
If he was dating a supermodel or Lindsey Lohan perhaps, otherwise with all the issues the state has this is silly

Comment by Oneman Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:52 am
It should be a subject of reporting ONLY if it turns to involvement in public policy or contracting.

If there is no relationship to official business, let the guy have some quiet time with a close friend.

This from a pretty rabid right-winger.

Comment by trafficmatt Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:55 am
As long as the relationship is between consenting adults, the media should leave it alone. If on the other hand, Quinn uses the relationship for government appearances then the media has a right to check out his escort’s general background. However, general background doesn’t include past lovers’ commentary and other prurient interests.

Comment by Louis Howe Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:55 am
After watching a recent rebroadcast of Irv Kupcinet being interviewed by John Callaway, in which kup explained how he gets info and how foster was his right-hand, quinn was not simply gossiping about himself to Foster.

thereinlies the difference between foster and sneed. sneed, a gossip columnist, is a quasi mouthpiece for quinn and gives him favorable slants.

foster likely got a tip, and i think she suggests as much in the column. anyway…quinn comes across as a bit of jerk.

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:56 am
It really doesn’t matter. The Press, Media, etc will write about anything if it creates controversy.

Comment by Rufus Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:57 am
I would like to feel the Gov’s personal life is private time. Unfortunately, he is a public figure by his own choice and that makes him open for any number of differing standards of what is acceptable. Makes no difference if the format is paper, electronic, gossip, or audio. If his actions will bring ratings/ads/money/prestige to the info provider, it will be out there.

Comment by zatoichi Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:57 am
If he takes a woman to state affairs, it’s fair game. If he’s “off the clock” and out with a woman, no. However, I see no value in having the knowledge in either situation.

Comment by Fan of the Game Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:58 am
As long as he keeps his personal life seperate from his public duties it should be off limits. That being said and remembering Rod, he should be very careful not to have dealings with any enity where his friend has involvement.

Comment by Red Bird fan Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:01 am
rob n,

let it go. the point is jack ryan’s married life was fodder for the media.

quinn is running for election, big stakes this time, and should not be afforded any kid glove treatment on his love life or anything else that he does while serving as governor. i’m still wondering why he refuses to disclose what government business he conducted with his pewrsonal cell/blackberry. might his new lady love be involved somehow with whatever he is hiding?

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:02 am
NO, myob…unless it becomes an issue of public policy through hypocrisy a la Gary Hart, Sanford, Ensign, or illegality a la Spitzer, the intern follies or abuse of office a la Patti’s business connections or N.J. Gov. putting gay lover in govt office. Rather, just normal human relations that don’t involve public policy issues should be left alone. The default in all those situations was privacy until something triggered attention. That should be the appropriate approach. The old saying of “it’s private unless caught in bed w/ a dead woman or a live boy” should still govern.

Comment by Abe's Ghost Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:10 am
Regardless if it is wanted, being a Governor (or elected official) means taking on the “celebrity status”. You should know that going in that every aspect of your life will be combed through and won’t stop until you are no longer a public figure (if even then).

All politicians will use aspects of their personal life to promote their image, so why should you expect your personal life to be left out of the media? If you put on the cover of your basic walk card your family, what church you go to, how many kids you have, how long you have been married, so on and so forth, you open the door to your personal life. Politicians want media coverage as much as possible to promote their image, and to satisfy their ego. The problem is they want to control what is written about what, and how it is written. That’s not how the first amendment works.

Comment by Moderate REpub Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:15 am
Governor Quinn has NEVER traded on his private life in his career in public service. He’s not one of those “Vote for me, I’m a family man” guys. So if he’s keeping his private life private, I say it’s nobody else’s business.

Comment by soccermom Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:18 am
Will Co Woman, “let it go. the point is jack ryan’s married life was fodder for the media. “

…Let it go. The point is Jack Ryan’s married life was used by a rival Republican’s campaign staffer who went rogue in order to make it fodder for the media.

Comment by Rob_N Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:19 am
Will County Woman: How in the world can you say you know the details of Hynes’ personal life?
You have ingested way too much koolaid sister!

Comment by Anonymous45 Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:24 am
Jack Ryan’s case involved a controversy over sealed public records, which makes the story far more legit.

Move along, please.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:24 am
Apparently since this is a QOTD, he is fair game.

Comment by Captain Flume Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:25 am
Everything is fair game; that said, any journalist with an iota of propriety would leave them alone.

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Comment by Ken in Aurora Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:25 am
Gov. Quinn’s personal relationships should be left private and out of and newspapers or gossip columns. It’s difficult enough to have anything resembling a life in the public eye. He should have his as well.

Comment by Levois Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:28 am
soccermom, that’s not true. don’t ever say never.

yes he has. his dad was in the Navy,but perhaps more to your point about “never” trading on his personal life for political purposes, he did drag his 90+ year-old mom out in support of his tax increase for the “aged and vulnerable.”

@rob N
ok.

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:29 am
Its fair game, but speculation about it is stupid. No one knows what went on between Quinn and his ex besides the two of them (or someone close to either of them).

Will County Woman - Quinn may be indecisive and not the best politician, but speculating that he plays mind games in his love life is ignorant and petty. He is a very decent man and none of us are qualified to judge his relationships.

Comment by Small Town Liberal Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:31 am
I bet that if anyone who says pols’ personal lives are fair game was put in the same situation, they’d reconsider their opinion. Just because “they put themselves out there” doesn’t mean the media has to report on it. But then again, if the public didn’t eat up fluff stories the media wouldn’t report on it the first place.

No, Gov. Quinn’s personal life should not be fair game EVER.

Comment by LN Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:34 am
Seems like someone’s private life should be off the table.

A casual mention that so and so was seen with so and so is OK, but todays reporters will try to make a story out of anything if they think it will sell a paper.

Comment by Plutocrat03 Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:37 am
soccermom - Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:18 am:

Governor Quinn has NEVER traded on his private life in his career in public service. He’s not one of those “Vote for me, I’m a family man” guys.
Sorry, but he has. He’s talked about his sons in reference as examples of support for public initiatives he has pushed for, he has recently even rolled his mother out in front of the cameras for the support of the income tax; and commonly refers to his father when pushing for veteran programs (and I am not saying he shouldn’t, just that he has).

He hasn’t played the marriage card because he is not married, but if he were he would be playing it. If Quinn was married his wife would have a big tent out at the fair promoting whatever pet project she would stand for (maybe not a tent of invasive weeds, but a tent about something none the less). If she didn’t have a tent, Quinn would have a press conference talking about how his wife doesn’t have a tent because it’s a waste of taxpayer money. Either way, his wife would be used to promote his image if he had one.

Comment by Moderate REpub Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 11:53 am
I wish that Gov. Quinn’s personal life was not used as fodder for the media, but I guess that’s the price you pay for being in the spotlight.

What I would like to know is whether Holland Capital Management is associated with Holland Construction Services, the developer of the proposed STAR bonds district in Glen Carbon … Does anyone know?

Comment by corky09 Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 12:00 pm
LN,

No, I wouldn’t expect my personal life to be off limits if I were in the publie eye. I would in fact just deal with it as par for the course. Where libel and slander are involved are of course a different matter all together. But, the gossipy true stuff? I would just deal with it because it is to be expected. maybe it is not to be expected by all media, but it is to be expected by some.

Please recall that when Gov. Quinn was interviewed earlier this year on Fox Channel 32, one of the anchors, Jan Jeffcoat, asked him specfically if he dated. The question made him turn a little red and clearly caught him off guard, but he fessed up that he did.

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 12:15 pm
Should it be? No, not really. Everyone deserves some privacy when it comes to their private life. Even if you are the Governor.

Will it be? Yes.

Comment by Stuck with Sen. CPA Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 12:16 pm
No, but yes. If this is what is deemed as news, the agencies will report it. I disagree about the Jack issue. It was agreed to be sealed by both parents/spouses.

I am far more worried about corruption, the fact that UofI has to answer for clout based decisions, but the IL House/Senate/public officials do not than GOv’s love life.

Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 12:21 pm
I don’t think Governor Quinn’s personal life is interesting enough to use as fodder.

Comment by Cheryl44 Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 12:22 pm
The guy is 60 years old. Why would anyone be interested in this?

Comment by Mr. Chips Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 12:47 pm
This stuff on Quinn’s dating life offends me because it’s boring.

He dated someone. They broke up. She’s not happy. He’s dating someone else.

Where’s the conflict? The insight into his character?

This stuff reads like gossip, but without being interesting.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 12:49 pm
Yes. It says a lot more about a candidate than any campaign materials could.

Comment by Greg Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 12:52 pm
Jack Ryan’s DIVORCE was used as a reflection of integrity. He had a chance to be vetted like any major candidate. Unless Quinn is dating someone who can impact policy, contracts or some public decision- it isn’t relevant. It becomes open game whan their is a relevant political story involved-

Comment by Inish Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 1:00 pm
If Quinn wanders off into Jack Ryan territory, I want to hear about it, but until then…

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 1:03 pm
“Where’s the conflict? The insight into his character?” —Carl Nyberg

the insight is…

when you think you know someone, maybe you don’t.

it is worth noting and interesting that gov. quinn is nothing like lt. gov. quinn, treasurer quinn et al. do people just flip on the principles that they have espoused for 30+ years?

i dunno. maybe. maybe his newfound political fortunes represent his mid-life crisis.

i feel sorry for the girlfriend of 17 long years of political wins and more importantly losses. she stood by him through thick and thin. can you imagine what it must have been like for her when he lost to dick durbin? that was a brutal election for quinn. that woman was a saint, and she got shafted.

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 1:07 pm
Again, you presume way too much…are you a Quinn family member that has intimate knowledge of his personal life? If not, put a lid on it…it’s none of your/our business…

Comment by Anonymous45 Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 1:44 pm
I believe the press should stay out of the personal lives of politicians when it has nothing to do with the office they hold.
That being said I think information on the conduct of politicians in their personal life can shed light on their character and ethics. Example: the case of the Governor of South Carolina, I believe this is relevant to his position since he went off the grid and was missing for an extended period of time and no one could get in contact with him. This calls in to question his commitment and his judgement.
The only other comment I have on this is that there seems to be a lot of things that the “Old” Pat Quinn was known for that the “New” Pat Quinn has tossed out. So in this case the personal life might be a barometer.
Finally, I guess a warning to all politicians, If their name is Monica stay away from them!!!! LOL

Comment by Irish Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:05 pm
Since this incident reveals the hitherto unknown ability of the governor to flip-flop, it is news. Otherwise, stay out of his private life.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:08 pm
Stella is way out of bounds on this matter.

Comment by Amy Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:08 pm
First of all, things are not always as they seem in these types of scenarios. That’s why this type of speculation is referred to as “gossip” and/or “rumors”–and I thought we tried not to do that here.

Secondly, if there is some truth in all of this, I hope that all parties involved agreed to the way it was announced and feel comfortable with it. Otherwise, it probably should have been kept quiet as it would have eventually worked itself out on its own.

And shame on us for even commenting on this.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:11 pm
==us ladies are very sensitive about helping a man get to where he is only to be thrown aside for someone else who reaps the benefits of our hardwork, loyalty, sacrifice and devotion.==

Gimme a break! Comments like this are the reason the answer should be NO! Who cares, anyway? At least he has some diversion in his life once in a while.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:12 pm
==========
At least he has some diversion in his life once in a while.
==========

Bill, is that a two or three-gallon tank of gasoline you’re using to put out this campfire?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:21 pm
Sorry. Should have said “can” instead of “tank”.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:22 pm
just curious amy, in what way is foster out of bounds on this matter?

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:41 pm
“the nerve of him! what gall! that’s just as bad as when newt gingrich tokd his wife, while on her sick/death bed, that he was leaving her for someone else.”

Are you seriously equating breaking up with someone you’re not married to leaving your wife (the woman you made a life long commitment to) while she has cancer for another woman? That is quite a bit of a stretch. You don’t what the circumstances of their break up was so why pretend to?

And if you really feel the need to analyze the source, it seems to me a lot more likely that this tidbit came from his ex-girlfriend considering the slant.

Comment by Johnnyc Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:41 pm
Well, I guess it all depends on whether Holland Capital Management does any business with the state. If it doesn’t, then she’s just his (rich)girlfriend. If it does, then the “couple” is fair game in a campaign.

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:51 pm
answer: only if it’s unethical AND illegal.

stella’s news would be a lot more titillating, and even appropriately reported, if quinn had disappeared for a few days and then been discovered to have lied about going hiking but had actually used state funds to fly to a south american country and spend time with a soul mate.

stella’s paragraph looks sort of pale by comparison. and right, quinn isn’t even married!

how sad for ms. byers. it seems unlikely that she did anything that was either unethical or illegal. i hope someone lets her know that a lot of us are sorry 1) that quinn did what he did and 2) that now it’s been mentioned in a chicago gossip column.

Comment by been there Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:55 pm
Should it be fair game? I have no clue. What I can tell you is that it is fair game. It’s just the way things are.

Comment by ahoy Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:56 pm
Generally, no.

Where it gets dicey is if the pol’s lady friend works for a vendor to the State, as Ms. Walker does. Holland Capital is a money manager, not the construction company.

Going forward, like it or not, any decisions made concerning that firm are going to be viewed in the context of a “Quinn pro quo.”

No, it’s not fair, but so are a number of things Gov. Romeo has done. Get ready to eat your own cooking, loverboy.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:26 pm
No we should not care unless there is a conflict of interest, e.g. girlfriend and/or friends oor family of girlfriend get deals, jobs etc.

Comment by Thirdgenerationchicago@yahoo.com Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:34 pm
AA, thanks!

Now, I REALLY want his personal cell/blackberry records that he used to conduct state business subjected to FOI!

He so proud of the FOI legislation he signed into law yestersday, then he needs to make his cell phobe/blackberry records public ASAP!

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:42 pm
re: Will County Woman — dan hynes is married and stable—thank heavens!

Like I’ve said before, you are either related to him or working for him. Take a chill pill, girl.

Comment by Chi Gal Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:46 pm
“that woman was a saint, and she got shafted.”

You know her? You know the circumstances of their relationship?

Give me a break.

Comment by Johnnyc Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:53 pm
I agree, AA. When there’s a conflict of interest, it is fair game.

However, Stella Foster’s columnn, as written, wasn’t necessarily the best way to bring this about–and that needs to be considered as well by the press. She’s talking about three people.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:53 pm
Chi Gal, people are not born “married” so one should assume that single or unmarried people can sometimes be stable as well.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:55 pm
Sorry, Chi Gal. Should have addressed that to WCW.

On the other hand, married people can obviously be unstable, too, as we’ve seen in the press.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:57 pm
No, it should not be fair game.

Unless, of course, said “Monica Walker, an accomplished exec at Holland Capital Management” is advising and guiding Gov. Quinn regarding the state’s financial and investment strategies. And, especially if Holland is going to be getting the state’s business. If any of that’s happening, then yes, we need to know everything.

Comment by Cheswick Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 4:29 pm
Wow most think Quinns private life is private but no one felt bad when Jack Ryan had his election chances ruined by his past private life.

Comment by fed up Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 5:25 pm
Um…no. Some of us argued that that was private, too. You must not have been reading the Illinois Leader blog back then.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 5:36 pm
Why not? Do we leave anybody else untouched? Besides, I am pretty impressed with Quinn and his smooth move of keeping Ms. Byers on the string for 17 years and not having been pressured into marrying her. We should all take a lesson from the Governor. My wife would have lit my fuse and blown me up like a cheap Chinese firecracker if she had to play “The Dating Game” for more than 5 years. I bow down in homage to The Mighty Quinn. This guy seems like he could sell sand to an Arab if he really wanted to. He has got my respect and I want to know how he does it?

Comment by Beowulf Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 6:51 pm
@ Beowulf: that isn’t funny. At all.

@ fed up: please read previous comments before adding redundant nonsense. Ryan’s situation is apples to grapefruit.

Rich is back so he can police as he sees fit, but I’m just saying.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 9:02 pm
A cursory check of State pension fund records (no “Transparency Portal” needed, thank you very much) reveals that only the SURS employs Holland Capital as a money manager. ISBI and TRS fired the firm several years ago for what appears to be subpar performance. The IMRF also utilizes the services of Holland. (Note: data as of 12/31/08 for IMRF and 6/30/09 for SURS.)

Let’s recall that the very first piece of “reform” that the Accidental Governor signed into law was the groundbreaking, landmark, pacesetting, yada, yada, yada, “PENSION ETHICS” bill. Likely remembered by many as the bill that nuked the TRS boss without warning, this bill also set in law for the first time numeric goals (or quotas, depending on one’s view of these matters) for the use of minority-female-disabled-and/or veteran owned money managers and brokers by the State, Chicago/Cook and IMRF pension funds. The bill also provided goals for sub-types of some investments, such as small-, mid-, and large-cap stocks.
Quinn signed the bill with great flourish the day it reached his desk, April 3, 2009.

Were this Blago signing, rapidly, a bill that gave Patti’s business an arguable tailwind toward gaining more State/public clients-in addition to the tens of millions already entrusted and for which annual fees reach $1 million-the public outcry would be deafening. Yes, I know they aren’t married. Substitute Alexi and his GF and rearrange the details a bit if you please, but any way you look at it, PQ has a problem on his hands that won’t go away no matter how many times he signs fat, meaningless “reform” bills or fires the UI trustees.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:12 pm
Sorry, 47th Ward. I guess that I should have been more sensitive to someone’s situation and more “politically correct”. My intent was to poke a little light-hearted fun at this everyday situation which falls under the public spotlight is all. It was definitely not meant to offend anyone (especially the fairer sex, Mr. Quinn, nor Ms. Byers). Sometimes, many of us tend to take these everyday matters a little bit “too seriously” in my opinion. I apologize if I have offended anyone. It was not my intent.

Comment by Beowulf Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 8:16 am
Well, our Viking friend, I’d sleep with one eye open for the next few nights just in case Mrs. Beowulf has plans to strap you to an SM-3 this time to send you off into orbit for a couple of days for that comment(commonly referred to as “putting one into the dog house” nowadays).

If all of this is true, it sounds as if the column has at least generated alot of support for Ms. Byers.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 7:23 pm
That was a very nice apology, BTW, Beowulf.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 7:24 pm