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Quotes of the day

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Illinois

* Our top award goes to Mayor Daley, in a leaked transcript of his speech tonight apologizing for the parking meter fiasco…

“I’ll be the first to admit that we totally screwed up the way it was implemented.”

Actually, tonight’s statement makes Daley pretty much the last person to admit that Daley really screwed up.

* Runner-up is Gov. Pat Quinn, speaking to reporters this morning about the way he has handled his call for the University of Illinois trustees to resign…

“I think I handled it in an exemplary manner, a fair manner.”

Think all you want, guv.

* Second runner-up goes to U.S. District Judge James Zagel, who wrote this in a recent opinion denying reporters access to transcripts and secret recordings in the Rod Blagojevich corruption investigation…

“I have examined the sealed materials that are the subject of this motion and
am satisfied with the government’s contention that there is an ongoing investigation.”

No kidding.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 11:36 am

Comments

“I think I am doing a good job.” —todd stroger and pat quinn (conclusion of themselves arrived at independent of one another)

“I think I handled it in an exemplary manner, a fair manner.” –Pat Quinn on U of I trustees matter.

Really????? You do???? Of course YOU would think that.

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 11:43 am
Imagine the pressure Daley must be feeling to make a statement like that. Of course, it’s an empty and wholly disingenuous apology, as evidenced by his ensuing statement in defense of the deal, but nonetheless, we’re talking about the same guy who has refused to apologize for, or even acknowledge his role in, countless scandals and highly questionable projects.

Comment by The Doc Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 12:14 pm
“I’ll be the first to admit that we totally screwed up the way it was implemented.” - Mayor Daley

Daley joins these other famous people…

- Steve Jobs regarding the Apple Newton
- Brian Dyson regarding New Coke
- Ed Cole regarding the Chevrolet Vega
- Confederate Navy regarding it’s submarine
- Leland Hotel regarding the “horseshoe”
- Adolphus Busch regarding Budweiser
- John Lennon on his marriage to Yoko Ono
- NASA regarding the Mars Climate Orbiter
- Captain Piero Calamai on the SS Andrea Doria
- Greg McLemore regarding Pets.com
- Gorbachev regarding Chernobyl

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 12:16 pm
From Websters:

Exemplary
1 a : serving as a pattern
b : deserving imitation : commendable
c. deserving imitation because of excellence

I think Quinn means the 1a sense of the word.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 12:16 pm
I think Daley is admitting he screwed up in part to appear more like a regular human being than a despot…maybe three of his constituents will feel some empathy for him especially if they’ve ever developed tunnel vision on a single issue to the neglect of all others…

Comment by Anonymous45 Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 1:29 pm
Even a simple-minded guy like Daley watched and learned a political lesson from the fates of other politicians like Clinton and Nixon. When they denied the existence of the animal that walked, talked, and looked like a duck and instead they attempted to pass it off as a peacock to the voters, the clock struck 12:00 AM midnight.

Bill Clinton must have taken him to the side and said, “Listen Ritchie. All you have to do is say “I did it, I shouldn’t have done it, and I promise you that I will never do it again.’ Trust me, voters (and Hillary) will love you for it and you can later feed them more crap after a little time has gone by. People retain things for maybe 2 weeks at most.”

Comment by Beowulf Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 1:59 pm
The Daley mea culpa is strange. Hasn’t the parking meter thing just started to quiet down? Why is he heating in up again?

It’s almost like some more bad news is about to break and he’s trying to get ahead of it.

Comment by FDR Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 2:06 pm
==I think I handled it in an exemplary manner, a fair manner.” ==

You just keep thinking, Butch. That’s what you do best.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 3:57 pm
Daley is not issuing this mea culpa due to the parking meters, but becuase of the Olympics. He fears that if he does not get this uprising about meters and a thousand other things under control that support for the Olympics will decline further, and the IOC will take notice.

Comment by Independent Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 4:10 pm
Hilarious, Anon.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 4:14 pm
Who really cares if Mayor Daley says about 1 year too late that he messed up on the meter deal. During the 20 years of Mayor Daley II, he has said he was sorry and cried in public so many times my head is spinning. With February, 2011 (12 months after February, 2010) everyone will reelect him King and business as usual!

Comment by Daley Lover? Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 6:34 pm