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Unsolicited advice

Posted in:

* Dear Rod Blagojevich,

Please, try to be just as brutally honest every day as you are on a government surveillance recording played at your trial today.

On election day, 2008, you were caught on tape talking about how you wanted to appoint yourself to the US Senate seat while lashing out at your fellow Illinoisans

“Now is the time to put my f——children and my wife first for a change,” Blagojevich is heard saying. “I f—— busted my a– … I gave your f—— baby health care… What do I get for that? Only 13 percent of you think I’m doing a good job, so f— all of you.”

That’s the real Rod Blagojevich, not the one we’ve seen on those goofy cable TV shows. Thanks.

* Dear Gov. Pat Quinn,

You haven’t yet been able to force a compromise in the big road construction strike, but a Naperville school superintendent has managed to get Local 150 to come back to work

Naperville Community Unit School District 203 has reached an agreement with the striking operators’ engineers union to resume work on the $87.7 million renovation at Naperville Central High School.

Workers returned in full force this morning and could work in several shifts, seven days a week, to complete the project by the Aug. 25, the first day of school.

Superintendent Mark Mitrovich would no provide details on the agreement, which was reached at 8:30 p.m. last night, he said at a press conference this morning. The details will be disclosed at a district board meeting July 19, he said.
As of now, it is an “accord in principle” between the district and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, Mitrovich said.

Get on it, man.

* Dear Chicago Tribune editorial board members,

The next time you gear up to pen a breathless screed demanding Medicaid managed care, please read this Washington Post article

A recent report found that 2.7 million children on Medicaid in nine states, most of them states that outsource Medicaid, are not receiving required screenings and immunizations.

The pure and beautiful future you imagine isn’t all roses.

* Dear Dunning-Kruger effect authors,

Thanks for explaining Illinois politics and certain editorial boards better than I ever could…

Background here.

* Your turn.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 1:47 pm

Comments

  1. Dear Mark Kirk,

    Get it together, man! Shake up your campaign. Do something. Things just ain’t working.

    Comment by Frustrated GOPer Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 1:56 pm

  2. Dear Jason Plummer,

    Dodgers suck!

    Comment by George Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 1:57 pm

  3. Wow. So much for the former Governor’s mantra that he was “taken from the people”. It seems he wanted to get away from us.

    Comment by Really?? Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 2:01 pm

  4. Dear Bill Brady:

    SHUT UP!! You are up in the polls and everytime you open your mouth you P.O. another group.

    JUST SHUT UP!

    Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 2:12 pm

  5. Well at least Rod got his wish…We are ALL
    F—–

    Comment by BIG R.PH. Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 2:15 pm

  6. Dear Bill Brady,

    Please repeat after me. “Jobs, economy. Economy, jobs.” Stick to the message.

    Comment by polisciguy Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 2:17 pm

  7. Dear Frustrated GOPer,

    I agree with you, 100% on Kirk. He needs a shakeup.

    Comment by polisciguy Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 2:18 pm

  8. These are my favorites, Rich!

    Dear Rod,

    Same to you …

    Dear Jerry Clarke,

    Please hide Jason Plummer better. Have you not realized that every time he says anythnign about ANYTHING (i.e. baseball) he sounds like a dopey, spoiled kid who still thinks this is “pretty cool and stuff”… As your “message” gets better, do you want Plummer delivering it? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

    Dear Kirk and Brady,

    If you are deciding to work against each other to do what is best for yourselves … then - you will both lose. Why highlight the others “faults” to negate your own, because the person you are tearing down is going to be just as harsh as Quinn or Alexi. You both already have opponents, don’t add another one and make it all the more tougher.

    Dear Jason Plummer,

    Release those tax returns BEFORE Labor Day … Heck, before State Fair. You have guys in races this year not paying any taxes, taking refunds while accepting business bailouts, etc … you think, with all that noise, you will get a pass, especially AFTER Labor Day? … and Jason, … listen to Jerry Clarke and hide … please.

    Dear ILGOP,

    You are running races against a very weak, vulenrable SITTING governor, so stop obsessing about Rod; connect Quinn to Rod, then use the truckload of bad decisions Quinn made against him. Why? You ain’t beating Lisa or Jesse, and MJM still looks tough to crack, and Cullerton may drop a seat or two, but still will have the gavel, so get what is out there … US Senate, governor, treasurer and comptroller … and use that Quinn stuff!

    Dear Cross and Rodogno,

    Do not waste money on goofy ideas in races you “smell” something is possible. It’s going to be an odd year, so be smart, agressive and “finish” the close races we know are in play with wins … do not shuffle in $100k in some house or senate race because of rumors or a feeling….

    Dear Randy Hultgren,

    You have the golden opportunity to take out a sitting democratic congressman in a republican leaning district. You have no “family” baggage, you are a contrast to your opponent, so use those strengths to run a tight, tough, GROUND, campaign.

    Thank you.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 2:21 pm

  9. Making a profit and providing actual medical treatments to patients are incompatable. It’s no surprise that managed care is letting children fall through the cracks. When 2014 arrives, we may all be struggling to get the insurance companies to pay for the things they are supposed to cover.

    Comment by Aldyth Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 2:33 pm

  10. Dear Blagojevich jurors,

    I know you have listened to unending tapes of the governor and his pals hatching numerous schemes, but stay focused and finish the job with the “guilty on all charges” verdict we have been waiting for so long.

    Dear Jason Plummer,

    So now your favorite team is the Dodgers just like your dad’s. Your dad built a subdivison named Ebbets Field, and all of the streets are named after Dodger players. Do you do anything independent of your dad, or will you be naming him deputy lieutenant governor?

    Comment by Stooges Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 2:40 pm

  11. Dear “Judgement Day Is On the Way,” perhaps you can now change your handle to “Judgement Day Is Finally Here” :-)

    Comment by Secret Square Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 2:58 pm

  12. Dear Jason Plummer -
    Every since your primary win I have been telling you to build a Lincoln-like river flatboat, fill it with hogs, and do a river tour down rivers in Illinois. Instead you are embarrassing yourself by showing that the only baseball stadiums you ought to speak at are like you - the minor leagues. Grab a couple of big long poles, shove yourself off a Sangamon river bank with a load of hogs and stay on our rivers, waving and getting a nice tan as journalists shout questions from bridges, holding their noses from the pig stench. You can look like a young dorky Huck Finn. Lift those hogs, build muscles, grow a beard, speak like a Quaker and wear a stove pipe hat. Dude, it is your only hope!

    Dear Rod Blagojevich -
    I wrote a really great song for you to post on the day you are found guilty. I’ve been working on a regular Blagojevich/VanMan songbook in order to help everyone celebrate your upcoming incarceration! Contact Rich Miller with your favorite tunes so I can “enhance” them to fit the mood. Also, if you would like, I can put a couple of jail songs set to a harmonica so you and your cellmates can do a few evening numbers.

    Dear Pat Quinn -
    It is time for me to make a strong recommendation for your campaign to help you win this November. Here goes…
    Build a Lincoln-like river flatboat and fill it with hogs…

    Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 3:00 pm

  13. Dear Chicago White Sox,

    Thank you for sweeping the California Angels. You can now return to your normal mediocre selves.

    Signed,

    The Texas Rangers

    Comment by Doug Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 3:07 pm

  14. Dear Blair Hull,

    Please try to buy your friends more carefully.

    Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 3:11 pm

  15. Dear Rod Blago - Nooo….. I think you are the one that is #$%@^@.

    Dear Gov? Quinn, Focus Focus Focus. The State is severely in debt. People are not being paid. The money you are giving to staffers actually does come out of the same pot as the money you could be paying vendors, human service agencies, etc. Please look up shared in the Dictionary and write the definition 25 times on the blackboard.

    GA - You had your chance. can you all say lame duck?

    Comment by Irish Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 3:13 pm

  16. Dear Bill Brady -
    I won’t pile on and call you a dork because you no longer hear that word after hearing it your entire life. Besides if I called you a dork, Rich Miller wouldn’t let me post this unsolicited advice. You really don’t know how many times I have gotten busted by Rich Miller, but I do know that before he does, he ROTFLHAO! But I digress…

    As a “dork”, (see I put it in quotes), you need to avoid social issues. You aren’t really all that keen on social issues, because I can kinda tell by the way you act that you really didn’t get a awful lot of invitations as a kid to birthday parties, graduations, dances, or rallies.

    So stay away from social issues! This is your election year! The only reason you have a crack at being our next governor is because we are freaking desperate! So desperate that we are willing to overlook an awful lot of your shortcomings. Remember those old B-movies where the natives throw a virgin into a volcano in order to appease it? Well, 2011 is Krakatoa in Illinois, and you are as close to virginal as we can get. The volcano needs to be appeased! This is your year!

    Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 3:15 pm

  17. Dear John Fritchey -
    I am now as tan as you. Bite me pale face!

    Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 3:18 pm

  18. Dear Natasha Korecki,

    Thank you for your court reporting on the Blago blog. I am reading it almost as much as Capitol Fax.

    Almost.

    Dear Governor Quinn,

    For the love of God, just tell human service providers what their cuts are and stick with it. It is hard enough to do the work with annual cuts and massive payment delays. A little stability would be a gift right now.

    Comment by Montrose Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 3:26 pm

  19. Aldyth - please explain why government run veterans health care sucks so bad. Just recently thousands more veterans got letters telling them they may have been exposed to HIV! Lucky them! When Congress decides to get their health care at this gov-run agency, I’ll consider letting them run my health care. Till then I’ll keep what i’ve got.

    Comment by Belle Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 3:34 pm

  20. MJM - Can you say tie envy?

    Comment by Irish Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 3:37 pm

  21. Dear Illinois: Please can we just find a whole new set of bozos to run this bus. And, while we’re at it, let’s get some more beaches and sea breezes, eliminate the Asian Carp by developing a fish processing industry, legalize marijuana with a good regulatory/tax program, put the tea bags back in the tea pot and then totally revise our state income, sales and property tax dysfunction. Now, return to your Arnold Palmers!

    Comment by D.P. Gumby Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 3:42 pm

  22. Dear Congressman Kirk:

    Please, PLEASE talk to some “advisors” you feel you can trust and who are outside your immediate circle.

    I’d bet that many Republicans–even those who say they will not vote for you, or admit they will only do so while holding their noses–really don’t want to see another Republican US Senate Candidate crash and burn.

    Comment by The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 3:44 pm

  23. Dear blago,

    On behalf of Illinois political followers thank you for this trial. If not we would be stuck with the daily brick back between 4 candidates for governor and senator that frankly was awful before it started. As an Illinois Republican your trial has been the best thing to happen in years and we appreciate your colorful nature. I hope you have proteges lurking.

    Comment by shore Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 3:47 pm

  24. Dear Jesse, Jr. It might be time to consider a career change. Do you have any other skills?

    Comment by And I Approved This Message Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 4:03 pm

  25. Dear Mark Kirk: Since you seem to be a bit confused on this -

    Truth
    Pronunciation: \ˈtrüth\
    Function: noun, the state of being the case : fact (2) : the body of real things, events, and facts : actuality (3) often capitalized : a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality b : a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true c : the body of true statements and propositions
    3 a : the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality b chiefly British : true 2 c : fidelity to an original or to a standard

    Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 4:15 pm

  26. On the Dunning-Kruger effect, the report concludes: “Next time you’re inclined to chalk your obnoxious co-worker’s delusions of grandeur down to the Dunning-Kruger effect, consider the possibility that your co-worker’s simply a jerk––no meta-cognitive incompetence necessary.”

    Comment by Indeedy Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 4:19 pm

  27. Dear Illinois Politicians:

    Learn to stop when you’re ahead.

    Most of you are some combination of hard-working, charming, ambitious, and a little lucky. Being an elected official–even a lower or medium level official–ain’t a bad gig. If you work reasonably hard at your given position and don’t burn too many bridges, you can carve out a nice little niche in the political world for yourself, even if it isn’t as president, governor, or congressman. Maybe you move up; maybe you don’t. But if you work half as hard at your ACTUAL position as you do in scheming to get to the next level, you’d probably be better off. Being an ex-politico lawyer/businessman with great political and/or media connections isn’t a bad gig either.

    But by getting too-cute-by-half, you’re really risking calamity. I know you are quasi-narcissistic because your mother/father didn’t hug you enough, but trust me, getting to the *next* highest rung on the financial/presteige ladder won’t make you love yourself any more. The problem is you, not your current condition. So stop with the pay-to-play, stop with the boozing & womanizing, stop with whatever other narcissistic vices you employ to try to fill your un-fillable void. It won’t work, and you’ll end up harming yourself and your family, but the rest of Illinois as well.

    Be grateful for what you have and let the chips fall where they may.

    Comment by John Galt Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 4:20 pm

  28. Unfortunately, the Dunning-Kruger effect provides little guidance in determining the validity of politicians’ and editorial board members’ arguments. Underachieving idiots will consistently posit conceited ideas, while overachievers (highly educated or otherwise) will only present self-assured arguments on ‘easy’ or more simply defined problems. Most of time, overachievers will craft measured, careful answers to the country’s myriad of complex problems; however, such modest arguments in tone are less convincing to the average American. After all, I would argue that Americans prefer simple, confident answers to highly complex problems.

    So in total, if a politician and/or editorial board member presents a brash argument, how can the public decide if said politician/board member is a conceited idiot, or an overconfident overachiever? Likewise, if a politician/board member makes a measured, multi-layered argument, how can the public decide if the politician/board member is correct and modest, or simply irresolute about a correct course of action?

    Comment by Hank Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 4:32 pm

  29. P.S. to Congressman Kirk:

    As it’s becoming obvious that nothing should be taken for granted in this race, my suggestion should have clearly referenced “REPUBLICAN advisors”.

    Comment by The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 4:39 pm

  30. =So in total, if a politician and/or editorial board member presents a brash argument, how can the public decide if said politician/board member is a conceited idiot, or an overconfident overachiever?=

    Um…they tap into what they commonly refer to as “instinct” and “common sense”? They certainly don’t “over analyze” this level.

    But hey, we still have a few months left! Maybe we can change all that through a few ads containing well-crafted and conceited arguments.

    Comment by The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 4:50 pm

  31. Dear Pat Quinn-

    I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but you are requiring me to take 12 more furlough days in FY2011- a 4.5 percent pay cut. I just read about the generous raises you provided to your staff.

    Where do I sign up for a $24,000 raise. Oh, that’s right. Your staff “work hard” and “deserve” a raise. Meaning the rest of us non-union employees don’t work hard and therefore deserve a pay cut instead of a raise??

    You come across as a bit bewildered, somewhat of a schlub. But over the years you have seemed to be well-intentioned and always willing to “speak truth to power”. Which worked fine as long as you were out of power.

    So here’s a little truth for you, sir. The pay cuts for non-union staff are saving the state very little money. For staff paid with federal funds, it’s not saving the state anything at all. It’s all for show, and you know it.

    Giving big raises to your own (deserving) staff is the last straw. This shows you are just mean-spirited and much less of a person- let alone a Governor- than I thought you were a year ago.

    I can’t vote for Brady but I won’t vote for you.

    Comment by DuPage Dave Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 4:57 pm

  32. After, of course, we first repeatedly insult the public by explaining to them that we’re doing so because they “do not know how to think”–which, of course, explains why they won’t submit to our demands. Once we’ve broken them down completely, we’ll begin to “re-educate” them.

    And they’ll love us for it, too, in the end because we helped them.

    (This post, of course, is a reply to Hank’s post–and full of snark.)

    Comment by The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 5:00 pm

  33. Dear Summer,

    Please slow down, you are moving way too quickly this year. Also, a little less humidity would be nice. Thanks.

    Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 5:01 pm

  34. 100% correct, Rich.

    After reading the transcripts and listening to some of the tapes, it is obvious Rodo was (is) not only a crook and delusional, but just plain mean and not very smart. His “plans” were laughable and he acted like a child when he didn’t get his way.

    Comment by this old hack Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 5:09 pm

  35. I always suspected Rod was a problem from the get-go. All those glossy TV ads, his name plastered everywhere in Illinois so in case he left his castle in Ravenswood he could remember his name.
    Illinois thanks YOU for NOTHING!

    Comment by Northside Bunker Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 5:12 pm

  36. Dear Aldyth. That’s about as silly a statement as I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard plenty.

    Comment by steve schnorf Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 5:20 pm

  37. - Northside Bunker - Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 5:12 pm:

    It was always all about Rod and only Rod!
    The elderly, women & children were all a ruse.
    A true embarrassment for all Illinoisians.

    Comment by Carlos Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 5:24 pm

  38. IDPA put AFDC recipients in managed care twice in the last 25 years and it didn’t work.

    Comment by Emily Booth Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 6:52 pm

  39. Dear CommandoKirk, NoTaxRushmore, Daddy’s Little Deduction, “Gags” Brady, StatewideTom, LandfillKeats, RxRon, the blowhards et. al.:
    Pleeeeeeze get Michael Steele for the Fair!

    We think it will really put you sharp tongue wizards on the right path.

    p.s. DuPage Dave did it ever strike you that it might be good to say thanks for having something from which you can take a furlough day?

    Comment by CircularFiringSquad Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 7:08 pm

  40. Actually, for the relatively small number who are currently in, it appears to be working just fine, doesn’t it?

    Comment by steve schnorf Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 7:11 pm

  41. I’m someone who likes information.

    Comment by Emily Booth Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 7:23 pm

  42. Dear Dunning-Kruger effect authors,

    What does the line look like for a population where no one is competent?

    Comment by Excessively Rabid Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 7:42 pm

  43. Seems like Mitrovich has exceeded his authority by promising something financial that he cannot sign off on. Time to FOIA the communications of the Board to see if we have violations of the Open Meetings Act.

    Comment by Plutocrat03 Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 8:36 pm

  44. Manage care has been and will continue to be a disaster for Medicaid clients, but not the owners of the HMOs. Contracts have never been monitored by the State Medicaid agency or analyzed appropriately to determine if patients received the referrals or well care as necessary.

    Comment by really?? Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 8:39 pm

  45. Dear 4th of July,

    Once again, my favorite holiday after Thanksgiving pulls through. Hot as heck, parade, baseball, bbq, fireworks, what a grand celebration.

    I’ll bet even the chronic whiners on the blog who think they were somehow wronged by being born in the United States in the late 20th Century cracked a smile.

    Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 9:25 pm

  46. Dear Bill Brady & Brady Camp:

    I understand why you wouldn’t want to burn resources, time and energy in Chicago (the city proper) for this election, but maybe it would not be to your advantage to attend the debate at Chicago State. this is a gimmie, and you should consider it as more of an opporutnity to get some free exposure. You would come off pretty good because you would get credit for showing up and it would seem like you went there to listen to concerns, in this instance, black people may have about the state that Illinois is in, and the impact on them. cohen would not be a challenge for you in this debate. he wouldn’t be able to land any punches on you.

    There is a perception is that the GOP has no need for blacks, but in what is likely to be a tight governor’s race you need all the support you can get. If that support comes from the unlikiest of places, you better try to get it some of it. you have everything to gain from at least trying. you want to be governor, don’t you? Also, going to the Chicago State debate might actually even earn you some respect because you would be doing something not commonly associated with republicans: coming out of your comfort zone.

    One of the reasons why I think you would be ideal in this situation is because during the primary you did something that was different and got you noticed. You went to the south side of Chicago to address the mythical/nonsensical ‘food desert’ issue. it was totally unexpected, but refreshing to see a white down state republican, of all people, doing it. it was kinda cool that you did that.

    if white republicans would come out of their comfort zones more often they wouldn’t seem so foreign, distant and aloof to minority voters.

    do you really want to perpetuate the aloofness that leaves minorities cold or do you want to build a bridge to more votes?

    frankly if republicans did more minority outreach, particularly of middle and upper class
    minorities, you’d might be pleasantly surprised at how receptive they are and can be.

    where are your minority surrogates and campaign staffers? the IL GOP had two blacks running against Kirk in the primary, and they’ve totally dropped out of sight. you should be working with them because they are resources now and beyond. you were talking about diversity during the primary and shortly after you won.

    additionally, where are your hispanic, asian and muslim campaign staffers?

    don’t have any minority staffers/surrogates? GO GET SOME!!!!! and don’t even try to suggest that there are none to be found, because yes there are some to be found.

    you need to become more visonary in your thinking and how you are running this campaign. this is high stakes race. should you win this race, you will also be the leader of the IL GOP to an extent, and you would have to be at the front pushing for its growth and making it look good and appealing to a much broader constituency if it is to thrive and survive as a party in this state. clearly you belong to the weaker of the two major political parties in Illinois. you guys (the IL GOP) need to grow up and grow out and stop being so white! it’s 2010! and, Illinois is part of a globalized world.

    i’m not saying you are going to become an overnight sensation in minority communities across Illinois or a darling of minority communities in a year or two, largely because of your social positions, and the GOP’s tendency to poorly articulate its positions, and misguided perceptions about republican views in general.

    what i am saying is that every little bit that you do will help to get you a little bit, if not more, in return. it’s the little bit extra that you do that will carry you over into a victory in november.

    :)

    Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 9:45 pm

  47. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 9:45 pm:

    Ooops, that^^^^^^^ was me.

    Dear Blago:

    If you can try to make money off of your wiretap tapes. They are hilarious! LOL, your angry rants and excessive use of the f-word = priceless.

    like many people , i’m still waiting for the government to actually prove,not merely imply, that you did something illegal.

    at this point I don’t know if you’re going to prison or not, whatever happens you don’t have much of future here in illinois. you should look to another state to take up residence. you can’t run for public office here, and what can you do to support yourself? who would hire you here? (i’m not asking these questions to be mean spirited in any way. i’m just askin’)what sort of prospects will you have here after your trial?

    outisde of your wife and children, who did/do you like? one wonders if you even like them.

    Comment by Will County Woman Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 9:57 pm

  48. =There is a perception is that the GOP has no need for blacks,….=

    And–as I’ve said before–The Bud Billiken Parade is one of the greatest places in our State to see true family values and pride in action. And WHAT a reason to CELEBRATE!

    Comment by The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 10:57 pm

  49. Dear Springfield media:
    An enterprising reporter could use FOIA requests of the Comptroller or Inspector General’s office to get a tally of all the Governor’s Office people that still work for the Governor, but who have “officially” been posted to and paid salary from, other agencies. It is kind of dishonest to say a governor reduced head count in his office… only to see that the same people work there, they are now just ghosting under other agencies. This trick became practically a science under Blagojevich: we’d like to see this practice officially repudiated by Quinn and the other Gubernatorial candidates, and we’d like to see a tally of how many of these invisible staffers still exist today, BEFORE the election.

    Comment by Cupsenballes Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 11:16 pm

  50. Dear Governor Quinn,
    Do you even want to keep this job? Because for those Illinoisians who may support you, your constant ability to generate bad headlines (which is all we read) make us wonder –to borrow a phrase from your running mate–what are you thinking? Do you not see the state is in a shambles? And, no, we don’t blame the General Assembly. You see, there is no shade at the top. No one to blame but you, because you are the leader of this state. When services to may of our most needy residents shut down this summer and autumn, there will be only one place we look on the ballot to vent our frustration. You ran with Milorod twice, and last year you got a pass. Well, in case you haven’t noticed things haven’t really picked up since last year, and there are no more free passes available. The buck has to stop somewhere, and blaming the GA isn’t really the strong leadership Illinoisians think we need. So, the buck stops with you. If you think your staff is so brilliant to deserve raises, do what the real world does and say “times are tight now, but when things pick up the money will be there.” Trust me, it’s happening every day across this state of which you are the leader. Not elected leader, remember, but reader nonetheless….and you need to change your behavior if you want to add that adjective to your resume.
    Cordially,
    Residents of Illinois

    Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Jul 8, 10 @ 11:23 pm

  51. Real…Anonymous,

    can the snark. as you are undoubtedly well aware, the point/intent behind the Bud Billiken Parade is to celebrate education, going back to school, ya know. that is a worthwhile and noble cause, for any politician to partake in. it would be an hour or two of Brady’s political life. he should go get some facetime/exposure, just as he should hit up other ethnic events/parades this summer in Chicago. should he do all? no, just two or three big ones. Bud Billiken, like it or not, is one of the big ones.

    i was pretty clear in specifying the types of black people Brady would/could appeal to and reach to using a “common ground” appeal/message: middle and upperclass. these aren’t, or are no longer, the typical/average Bud Billiken parade- goers because they tend to be older, their children grown, and largely found in suburbs or the fringes of Chicago.

    Brady needs to try for first downs whenever and wherever he can, he can’t win coming up inches short. remember hynes? he came up inches short of a first down and ultimately a win.

    Dear Brady Camp pt 2. :
    As has already been mentioned by others on the blog… you need to come of with a contract for america-like plan for Brady in Illinois. “A Promise for Illinois” laying out what he plans to do for Illinois, particularly with respect to the budget, and how he plans to do it.

    His 10% across the board cuts stance has cost him in terms of establishing his credibility with the Illinois media. the Brady campaign still has some major credibility issues, particularly with respect to the budget. the last thing Brady or you need is for newspapers across this state to endorse someone else or no one at all, and rip him to shreds in the process.

    if you simply rely on the other candidates to make mistakes and make themselves look bad, you’re going to come up inches short of a first down/goal in the end. there has to be both push and pull factors that bring people out to vote for Brady.

    Comment by Will County Woman Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 6:07 am

  52. =can the snark=

    WillCountyWoman, that WASN’T SNARK.

    I’ve marched in the Bud Billiken Parade with Republican Candidates.

    It’s one of my favorites…no, I’ll take that back. It IS my favorite.

    I always encourage ALL of the Republican Candidates to go.

    It sounds like YOU owe me an apology for once again jumping to the wrong conclusion.

    Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 9:00 am

  53. That was me by the way.

    And you know, WCW, you should think about WHY it is that you thought my comment was “snark”.

    Comment by The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 9:01 am

  54. - And you know, WCW, you should think about WHY it is that you thought my comment was “snark”. -

    She’s not very bright and has weird race issues, sound about right?

    Comment by Small Town Liberal Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 9:33 am

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