Marathon Pundit: August 2007

Friday, August 31, 2007

Welcome Townhall.com readers

The Hillary Clinton International Profit Associates post can be found here.

Thanks for the link!

Craig to flush away his Senate seat on Saturday

He's still "not gay," but by September 30, he won't be a US Senator from Idaho, according to media reports.

A couple of times this week I wrote "quit now" about Larry Craig. Yes, the Republican governor has to find a replacement for the "not gay one," but to me, by saying he's leaving office at the end of September, it's just a way for Craig to collect two more paychecks.

But beginning October 1, Craig will have a lot of free time available. I wonder how he'll spend it?

Related post:

Craig should can himself for his act in the can

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republicans

Idaho

gay

My Kansas Kronikles: My return to western Kansas

After a brief detour into panhandle country, Texas and Oklahoma, I've returned to western Kansas. The green grass of the Flint Hills are hundreds of miles in my rear view mirror at this point.

Both of these photographs were taken near the town of Lakin in Kearney County, about 40 miles from the Colorado border. That's the Arkansas River on the right. As the Oregon, Mormon, and California Trails roughly parallel the Platte River in Nebraska, the Santa Fe Trail meanders along the Arkansas River. Horses and people need a reliable supply of water for cross country wagon trips. Although that requirement is no longer a pressing need.

It's Fred's turn

After months of speculation, hints, flirtations (but not the Larry Craig kind), Tennessee Republican Fred Thompson is going to announce that he's running for president on September 6.

Sadly, this means he will miss the pleasure of appearing on debate floors with departed candidates Jim Gilmore and Tommy Thompson, but the Republican Party is better for it now he's finally in.

Good news: Fred Thompson has a lot of grass roots support.

Bad news: Many, maybe most of the endorsements from major and minor and politicians have already been offered, most of them going to Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and John McCain. State legislators and the like have organizations, many of them small, but little by little, these endorsements can turn into a sizable number of votes.

Thanks for the link:

Rogers Park Bench

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Craig, still not gay, quitting today?

Sen. Larry "Not Gay" Craig (R-ID), may be quitting today, according to CNN. If he doesn't, look for more calls for his resignation.

The Friday before a holiday weekend is the perfect time for such an announcement. Let the story fade away, Senator. Once again, resign now.

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gay

Hillary "full of it" on vetting: UPDATED

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was forced to answer questions earlier today while appearing with her fellow Democrat, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, at an event on yesterday in Midtown Manhattan.

Here's what she said about the Norman Hsu, a major HRC fundraiser who has a warrant for his arrest dating back from 1991 in California.

Obviously we were all surprised by this news and we have a procedure that we follow and upon verifying it we returned his money and continue to analyze all contributions and take action if that's warranted.

What a crock of hooey. To see what I'm talking about, scroll down one post.

UPDATE 11:50 AM: Norman Hsu turned himself in to authorities this morning in California.

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law

Hsu

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Hillary returns Hsu money, but what about International Profit Associates cash?

Besides Sen. Larry Craig, see below post, the other major political news story is Norman Hsu. A major Democratic fundraiser for many campaigns, Hsu was to be a co-host for a September 30 Hillary Clinton fundraiser.

That was until it was revealed that Hsu is wanted on a 1991 California grand-theft charge. He's out, and the Clinton campaign is donating $23,000 in Hsu money to charity. Cash Hsu raised from other donors for Hillary is not being returned, however.

There's more tainted cash in Hillary's coffers. International Profit Associates is a Buffalo Grove, Illinois consulting firm. Here what the New York Times had to say about them in 2006:

Federal authorities are pressing a sexual harassment suit against the company on behalf of 113 former female employees.

The Illinois attorney general is investigating accusations of deceptive marketing tactics, officials say, and the company has been the subject of 470 complaints to the Better Business Bureau across the nation in the past three years.

Alleged victims of IPA sexual harrasment appeared on Oprah in 2005.

Executives and associates of International Profit Associates have donated $130,000 to Hillary Clinton's Senate campaigns.

That same NYT article noted that a Clinton spokesperson would be "reviewing the contributions"

But two months ago, Chris Fusco reported that none of that IPA-tied cash has been returned or donated to charity.

In June, Myron "Mike" Cherry was one of twenty "chairs" at a Chicago Hillary Clinton fundraiser. Although not accused of any crime and said to be cooperating with authorities, Cherry is believed to be the "Individual H" referred to in the federal indictment of Tony Rezko, the longtime Barack Obama political contributor.

Cherry has also done legal work for International Profit Associates.

Are you looking for a lawyer? If so, read this Myron Cherry 2007 article, 16 things you need to know...When hiring and managing a lawyer. It's found on the IPA Business Today site.

So Hillary donated her HSU money, all $23,000 of it, to charity. Big deal.

What is she going to do about the $130,000 in IPA-tied money she's collected over the years?

Or are they still, more than a year later, "reviewing the contributions."

A major hat tip to Dan Curry of Reverse Spin, who has posted extensively on this topic.

One final note, and this comes from Curry's web site. Finding IPA stories, negative ones at least, is quite difficult. Curry raises the possibility that the roadblocks on the IPA information highway may not be accidental creations.

Thanks for the link:

Political Pistachio

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International Profit Associates

law

Hsu

Craig: GOP's hot potato

Sometimes it's not a lot, but most of what gets done in Congress is accomplished in committee meetings, not on the Senate or House floors. Yesterday afternoon, Sen. Larry "I am not gay" Craig (R-ID) resigned, presumably under pressure, from four committee posts.

One can now argue that Craig isn't a full-time senator since he was purged from the committees, and that the people of the Gem State aren't getting proper representation in Congress.

Meanwhile, several top Repubicans are urging Craig to resign.

It's a holiday weekend, Larry. The perfect time to dump bad news.

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gay

Massachusetts Green Party: Enough to make you puke

If you think that the Green Party is a bunch of Al Gore wannabes lugging bundled newspapers to the recycling center on their way to a solar energy symposium, then you need to take a look at the Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party, the Bay State's incarnation of the Greens.

Solomonia has a great post up about Islamist infiltration of the Green Party there. CAIR's Ibrahim "Dougie" Hooper, genocide denial in Darfur, David Duke's web site, Cynthia McKinney (who is considering running for Congress under the Green banner) all figure into this vile stew, as well as something else....now what was it? Think...think....

Oh, yes, huge helpings of anti-semitism...how could I ever forget!

It makes me want to puke.

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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Buh-bye: 55 gang members face deportation

Waukegan, the alter ego of Ray Bradbury's bucolic but fictional Greenville, Illinois, isn't a very nice place decades after the author moved with his family to Los Angeles.

But Waukegan, a lakefront town 50 miles north of Chicago, may get a little less dangerous. From the Chicago Sun-Times:

"So far we've picked up 55 across Lake County and about 21 in Waukegan alone," said (Waukegan Police Chief Bill) Biang, who emphasized that the criminals are not exclusively illegal immigrants. "We're using ICE's assistance and authority to remove these gang members. Whether they are here legally or not, they are eligible for deportation."

ICE spokeswoman Gail Montenegro confirmed the initiative and said several similar operations, to arrest sex offenders or fugitives, for instance, have routinely been undertaken in Lake County.

But their countries of origin won't be glad to get these guys back.

One illegal immigrant, one with no street gang ties, is Elvira Arellano, the former West Side Chicago church denizen who was deported to Mexico after she used her Quasimodo sanctuary stunt to draw attention to the cause of open borders. Rather than performing the logical, but admittedly harder task of improving the robber-baron sociey of Mexico so fewer people feel compelled to illegally enter the United States from her homeland, Arellano wants to be appointed to the Mexican president to appoint her to the ambassadorship of the United States.

H/T to the Bullwinkle Blog for the Arellano story.

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law

"Not Gay" Senator Craig trots wife out for press conference

I'm not surprised Sen Larry Craig (R-ID) didn't take my advice by going away quietly, but yesterday, he did the predictable thing, and held a press conference with his wife, and told the world from Boise, "Let me be clear: I am not gay and never have been gay."

Since he was obviously determined fight, if he asked me what to say, I would've advised him to state, "Let me be straight..."

And yesterday, the Idaho Statesman came up with another possible bathroom sexual incident, in 2004 in Washington. Here's what the man, whom the paper described as someone with "close ties to Republican officials," said.

Upon walking into Union Station one day, I made eye contact with a well-dressed older gentleman whom I recognized as Sen. Craig. We, after having made eye contact for 30 seconds or so, we began walking towards one of the restrooms in Union Station.

I followed him in there. We went to the urinals, where we both unzipped ...

The rest isn't safe for work.

More from the Statesman:

I’ve always been interested in politics and probably if you showed me pictures of the hundred senators I could probably name 75 or 80 of them. And that would be true over the last probably 20 years. So, I don’t think it’s unusual that I did recognize him. There’s no doubt in my mind that that’s who it was.

Craig: Quit now.

Rumors of Craig's homosexuality have followed him since the 1980s.

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gay

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

DePaul University fumbles again

I remember a Hogan's Heroes episode where wisecrasking POW and underground saboteur Colonel Hogan, played by Bob Crane, is put into a situation where he has to defuse an American bomb that's landed in the prison camp he is incarcerated in. At the fateful moment--which wire to cut, the black one or the white one?--Hogan turns to the camp's inept commandant, Colonel Klink, and asks the Luftwaffe officer which one to snip.

Klink makes his choice, but Hogan cuts the other wire--the correct one.

The German then asks Hogan, "If you knew which wire it was, why did you ask me?"

Hogan responds, "Well, I figured whatever wire you picked, it'd be the wrong one."

And that's Chicago's DePaul University, whatever decision its top brass makes, it seems to be always the wrong one.

It's my belief that by not granting controvesial Professor Norman G. Finkelstein, it's president, Father Dennis Holtschneider made the right decision. Oh, I've been fired from jobs, I know the hurt that follows.

Typically, professors who are denied tenure, which essentially amounts to lifetime employment, are given one more year to teach. Finding a job at another university is a difficult task, especially after being told by their present employer that they are no longer wanted. So a year with pay and essentially part-time employment makes the pain a little bit easier to contend with.

It's hard to figure out exactly what's going on at DePaul, which is nothing new.

From the DePaul web site, here is Finkelstein's page, which was last updated four days ago:

Courses Taught:

PSC 230 Classic Political Thought
PSC 231 Modern Political Thought
PSC 233 Political Ideas and Ideologies
PSC 234 Freedom and Empowerment
PSC 235 Equality and Social Justice
PSC 339 Topics in Political Thought: Utopia and Its Critics
PSC 349 Topics in World Politics: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
PSC 390 Capstone
HON 201 States, Markets, and Societies
ISP 101 Focal Point Seminar: Palestine

Updated on August 24, 2007 (Emphasis mine)

But DePaul's Denise Mattson offers a different tale.

From AP:

DePaul officials declined Monday to comment on the case. Denise Mattson, associate vice president for public affairs, released a statement saying: "Finkelstein has been assigned to an administrative leave with full pay and benefits for the 2007-08 academic year. Administrative leave relieves professors from their teaching responsibilities. He was informed of the reasons that precipitated this leave last spring."

For certain, one Finkelstein class was being offered by DePaul for the fall quarter until last week, Political Science 235, "Equality in Social Justice." Ron Grossman of the Chicago Tribune this morning described that Finkelstein swan song as "standing room only." Click on the above link. Guess who's listed as the instructor? That PDF file is dated June 28, almost three weeks after Finkelstein's denial of tenure.

DePaul needs to explain what the hell is going on at DePaul. If Finkelstein was given the heave-ho right after he his tenure request was denied, how did one of his classes--or more--end up in the school's course catalog. An e-mail to Finkelstein from DePaul's provost obtained by Peter Kirstein, appears to contradict Mattson's statement. If circumstances have changed since early June, then say so--and Mattson or "Holt" needn't go into specifics, after all it is in the end a human resources matter.

Will DePaul do the right thing? Or will they choose the wrong wire--just as Colonel Klink did? My money is on the Klink option, based on the Thomas Klocek affair. Or the Ward Churchill fiasco. Or the "affirmative action bake sale."

Related posts:

More DePaul: Finkelstein to teach? Go to jail? Hunger strike?

CAIR-Chicago recommended that DePaul fire Klocek

DePaul President Fr. Holtschneider: "Academic freedom is alive and well at DePaul"

Fisk on Fink: Robert Fisk joins the Norman Finkelstein tenure debate as DePaul's "perfect storm" gathers strength

Extra credit reading assigment: A DePaul Guide to Managing Print and Electronic Media

Thanks for the link:

Pirate Ballerina

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My Kansas Kronikles: The Texas panhandle

Since I found my myself at the epicenter of the panhandle universe, and since the Oklahoma panhandle is just 34 miles wide, why not drive to Texas, and visit its panhandle?

On US Route 54 Oklahoma ends, and Texas begins, at the town of Texhoma. It's a Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas thing, but the Texhomas are much smaller.

As you can see in the picture on the right, Texas is the second most populous state in the union.

Why is the man below happy? Probably becaue he just left the Happy State Bank in Stratford, Texas.

Throughout the Great Plains, the yucca plant is a common site, and the Texas panhandle is no exception.

Next: My return to western Kansas.

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Clean up time after the flood

Yesterday was the first day since Wednesday that I didn't speak with anyone who didn't have electricity in their home. At one point, Commonwealth Edison estimates 670,000 northern Illinois customers were without power, a staggering amount even in a very populous region such as the Chicago area.

For some, the storm was good news. People I know tell me generators sold well, as well as cheaper items such as bagged ice, D-size batteries, cell phone car chargers, and flashlights.

A lot of basements were flooded, including the one belonging this Park Ridge resident. Many other curbs near where I live have moved their basement furnishing to the curb for the trash collectors to pick up.

Related posts:

High water mark: North Branch of the Chicago River

After the deluge

Chicago area pounded by violent thunderstorms

Before the flood?

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Monday, August 27, 2007

Craig should can himself for his act in the can

Man, you're in Republican country. The University of Idaho is the Vandals.
William Least Heat-Moon, River-Horse, 1999.

One can understand the frustration. How many direct flights are there from Washington to Boise? So you get stuck for a while in Bloomington, Minnesota with time to kill, then you decide to work off your stress.

As for Senator Larry Craig, an alumnus of the University of Idaho, I guess that means heading into a men's room to have sex.

That's bad enough. But the way he tried to pull himself out of this tight spot is reprehensible.

From Roll Call with an assist to Captain Ed in Minnesota.

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested in June at a Minnesota airport by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a men's public restroom, according to an arrest report obtained by Roll Call Monday afternoon.

Craig’s arrest occurred just after noon on June 11 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. On Aug. 8, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in the Hennepin County District Court. He paid more than $500 in fines and fees, and a 10-day jail sentence was stayed. He also was given one year of probation with the court that began on Aug. 8.

(My note: Big deal. So that means Craig will switch planes at O'Hare Airport instead.)

A spokesman for Craig described the incident as a "he said/he said misunderstanding," and said the office would release a fuller statement later Monday afternoon.

After he was arrested, Craig, who is married, was taken to the Airport Police Operations Center to be interviewed about the lewd conduct incident, according to the police report. At one point during the interview, Craig handed the plainclothes sergeant who arrested him a business card that identified him as a U.S. Senator and said, "What do you think about that?" the report states.

Well, I can tell you what I think. Quit now. You have no chance of winning an election in Idaho--you are up for defeat next year, even though "you are in Republican country." You've vandalized your career and your party.

And please, spare us the "I'm sorrys," the book, and most importantly, the "'I'm sorry'" book tour."

And finally, don't do a McGreevey and drag your wife into the fray.

Go away. Quietly.

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gay

Gonzales resigns

In a surprising turn of events, if you look at the situation from a two year viewpoint, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigned today.

Turn back the clock to 2005--at that time, Gonzales looked like a future Supreme Court Justice, if not a Chief Justice.

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More DePaul: Finkelstein to teach? Go to jail? Hunger strike?

The strange news just keeps coming from DePaul University. Two posts down, I wasn't serious about Oklahoma's panhandle, other than its shape, being strange.

DePaul University is a different manner.

From the Chronicle of Higher Education:

DePaul University has canceled all of Norman G. Finkelstein's courses, taken away his office, and put him on administrative leave for his final year, but the controversial political scientist said that will not stop him from coming back to teach this fall. If necessary, he said, he will go to jail.

In an e-mail message, Mr. Finkelstein told The Chronicle that he intends "to show up on the first day of the academic year to teach my classes (students are currently searching for an alternative venue) and to use my regular office in the political-science department. If the university attempts to impede my movements, I intend to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience and go to jail. If incarcerated, I intend to go on a protracted hunger strike until DePaul comes to its senses."

Typically when tenure is denied at DePaul, the instructor is offered to teach one more year. I thought Fink was either going to fade away, collecting a paycheck while teaching in Chicago, or stay home in Brooklyn.

DePaul's fall quarter starts in a couple of weeks.

Scroll down for a related post and more on Norman G. Finkelstein.

Hat tip (again) to Dr. Steven Plaut.

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Revised: Chomsky coming to Chicago for academic freedom lecture

Look what just popped into my e-mail box at 1:00am. Hey, I'm all for academic freedom, particularly at DePaul University, a frequent topic here, but aren't the organizers of the October academic freedom conference forgetting something?

Here's a hint:

Sept 15 (2006): Second anniversary of the beginning of the Thomas Klocek affair

Below is a press release from the DePaul Academic Freedom Committee:

UPDATE 8:29AM: The confreren will be held at the University of Chicago, but is sponsored by the DePaul University Academic Freedom Committee. I've got to watch those late nite posts!

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
27 August 2007
Media Contact: Daniel Klimek
Email: dpk24g@gmail.com

"In Defense of Academic Freedom" – DePaul Students and Community Launch Website and Organize Lecture to Highlight Violations

October 12 2007 lecture featuring: Tariq Ali, Akeel Bilgrami, Noam Chomsky, Tony Judt and John Mearsheimer

12 October 2007 - 2:00pm - 7:00 pm
Rockefeller Chapel, University of Chicago

CHICAGO, IL -- DePaul University students, concerned over the controversial tenure denials of Dr. Norman Finkelstein and Dr. Mehrene Larudee by its administration, have launched a website (http://www.academicfreedomchicago.org) and have organized a conference to highlight the threat to academic freedom in universities. Since the tenure denials, prominent scholars across the country have begun speaking out.

On October 12, 2007, the DePaul University Academic Freedom Committee, International Studies Program and Department of Philosophy, Diskord Journal (University of Chicago) and Verso Books will host a panel lecture featuring:
• Dr. Akeel Bilgrami, Johnsonian Professor of Philosophy and Director of The Heyman Center, Columbia University
• Dr. Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor & Professor of Linguistics (Emeritus), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Dr. Tony Judt, University Professor and Director of the Remarque Institute, New York University
• Dr. John Mearsheimer, R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago
• Dr. Neve Gordon, Professor, Department of Politics and Government, Ben-Gurion University

Hosted by:
• Tariq Ali, Editor of the New Left Review and Verso Books

DePaul students have been protesting for academic freedom since June 2007, when tenure was denied to Professors Finkelstein and Larudee. After a meeting between 30 student leaders and DePaul President Dennis Holtschneider, the students hosted a sit-in in the executive offices of the president. The students were evicted, after several days, under the threat of expulsion. Students furthermore organized a visible protest at DePaul’s graduation ceremonies, where countless graduates also refused to shake Fr. Holtshneider’s hand, and recently numerous students publicly fasted for one-and-half weeks to express their seriousness and self-control regarding these vital issues and academic injustices.

Chomsky

My Kansas Kronikles: Oklahoma's strange panhandle

So, let's hear it for Ohio
And the rippling redwood forest
Or the Sawmill River Parkway
Oklahoma's strange panhandle
Aren't they all wonderful?
Oh, yeah, yeah yeah!
Loudon Wainwright III, Bicentennial, 1976

Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. The Wizard of Oz, 1939.

Now when I was a little chap, I had a passion for maps. I would look for hours at South America, or Africa, or Australia, an lose myself in all the glories of exploration. At that time there were many blank spaces on the earth, and when I saw one that looked particularly inviting (but they all look like that) I would put my finger on it and say, 'When I grow up I will go there.' Joseph Conrad's Marlow character, Heart of Darkness, 1902.

Now I'm grown up, and last month it was time for me to briefly leave Kansas and head to an inviting spot on a map, the Oklahoma panhandle. It's not quite a blank space, but no one will confuse it with Manhattan Island, or Manhattan, Kansas, either.

Drive two miles south from Liberal, Kansas on US Route 54, and you'll enter the panhandle, also known as No Man's Land.

As I wrote in this live Treo-blog post, the panhandle was once called No Man's Land because it was the last section of the continental United States to be organized by the federal government; that occurred in 1889 when it was joined with the Oklahoma Territory.

Oh, before I forget, Loudon Wainwright III sang of the panhandle in his song, Bicentennial, but this year, Oklahoma is celebrating its statehood centennial.

The panhandle is 170 miles wide, but only 34 miles top-to-bottom. Like much of western Kansas, the terrain is mostly plains, with farms and ranches scattered throughout. On the left is the typical natural habitat of the area.

No Man's Land may have few men and women living there, and it is small, but not too small to have a museum, called of course, The No Man's Land Museum. I found out about the museum in one of my travel books, Off The Beaten Path. The museum is free and worth visiting even if it there was an admission fee.

Debbie Colson is in charge of the No Man's Land Museum, and she is assisted by Sue Weissinger. The pair were only vaguely aware that "a book" made reference to their museum, but I went out to my car and retrieved Off The Beaten Path. They were impressed, and were also pleased that I would mention their workplace on Marathon Pundit, and I handed each my blog-card. That seemed to please Debbie and Sue. However, since one of them--and I'm not saying which one--left the museum and drove off in a car with a bumper sticker stating something like, "Don't Like The Way Things Are? Vote Democratic", at least that woman was probably not thrilled by the conservative tone found on Marathon Pundit if she visited here after I visited there.

The museum is in Goodwell, on the campus of Oklahoma Panhandle State University. The largest town in the panhandle is Guymon, just to the north. Below is Guymon's Main Street and its now-closed American Theater.

Guymon is not an Oklahoma "Beef Kingdom," but a porcine one. It's largest employer is a pork processing plant. In 2005, Guymon became an official Oklahoma Main Street Community.

The panhandle has some notoriety. It was the epicenter of the 1930s Dust Bowl--the book The Worst Hard Time zeroed in on the panhandle town of Boise City.

Next: The Texas panhandle

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Sunday, August 26, 2007

White Sox end embarrassing series with Red Sox with another lopsided loss

The shadows of late summer reached the pitchers mound at the end of today's Chicago White Sox game against the surging Boston Red Sox on Chicago's South Side.

Funny, when the White Sox were marching to the 2005 World Series championship, I didn't notice those shadows. And I overlooked them when the South Siders swept the then-defending World Champion Red Sox in the '05 Division Playoff Series.

About a week ago, the White Sox entered last place in American League Central, behind the consistently hapless Kansas City Royals. And based on this weekend's series, it looks like the Sox are in last to stay, making this Royals fan happy.

The Red Sox made it into double-digit run territory in each game of the four game series. The combined run total for the four games were Red Sox 46-White Sox 7. Needless to say, Boston won each game.

Earlier in the season, parts of the White Sox were on. They'd hit, but their bullpen would fail. The starting pitching would soar, but they didn't hit...

This weekend, the White Sox failed on all cylinders.

Tomorrow afternoon in a make-up game, the South Siders play the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who are in last place in the AL East. Now that's the kind of competition we can handle.

Maybe.

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MLB

Glenn & Helen podcast with the Univ. of Chicago's Richard Epstein

Although it can hardly be called a conservative college, the University of Chicago, where the great Milton Friedman once hung his hat, certainly has a higher level of sanity than most other schools.

An example is U of C Professor of Law Richard Epstein, who is interviewed in the latest Glenn & Helen Show podcast. Professor Epstein is the author of two books, Overdose: How Excessive Government Regulation Stifles Pharmaceutical Innovation and Mortal Peril: Our Inalienable Right to Health Care?

It's one of the best Pajamas podcasts I've listened to in quite some time.

Here is one of Epstein's many insightful observations on how government regulation stifles the development of and approval of medications that help people, and often save lives:

There's no question that the FDA is a New Deal type agency, and those kinds of agencies almost almost always lead to stagnation in the areas in which they regulate.

And another...

But as a practical argument, the case for regulation with the respect to these key kinds of products is widely overstated relative to the rather puny benefits it generates.

Glenn Reynolds contributes his insight:

If you're going to treat people who work for companies that make life saving drugs as if they're working for tobacco companies, fewer people are going to want to do it, and you're going to pay a real social price for that, and I think that, in the long run, may kill as many people as some bad drugs.

When Jonas Salk developed in polio vaccine in the 1950s, he was hailed as a hero. Today pharmaceutical companies are the bad guys. Just look at mass media entertainment. In the 1940s, and up to this day, Nazis, and deservedly so, were common "stock villains" in movies and TV, as were to a lesser extent Communists until the late days of the Cold War. Then it was South Africans.

In the early 21st century, even though there is an enemy, al Qaeda, worthy of villain status, sadly, it's often pharmaceutical companies that are today's "stock villains."

These companies develop products that save lives and ease suffering, and yes while making a profit, perform an enormously important public service.

Listen to or download the podcast here. Or subscribe for free on the iTunes web site.

Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds and his blogger wife, Dr. Helen Smith, make up the Glenn & Helen Show.

The podcast is sponsored by Volvo Automobiles.

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FDA

University of Chicago

books

Saturday, August 25, 2007

High water mark: North Branch of the Chicago River

For the third straight night, thousands of people in Chicago's north and northwestern suburbs have no electricty. The effects of Thursday's two belts of storms are still quite apparent for them.

And of course the area rivers are near or just past flood level. Earlier today I took a run--with my digital camera in hand--along the Chicago River North Branch Trail.

Damaging flooding from the Chicago River is rare--excess water can be diverted by the North Shore Channel and the Chicago River locks in downtown Chicago. Besides, the Cook County Forest Preserve District owns much of the land on both sides of the river, so trees and shrubs, instead of homes, take the brunt of any flooding.

However, this Niles resident isn't taking any chances. The owner of this bungalow has sandbags ready in case more rain comes.

And the water is pretty close to that house; across Harts Road is this partially submerged picnic table. And yes, that is a very large turtle just below the water's surface.

That's not to say that the North Branch has only effected trees and plants near its banks. On the right is the entrance of the closed-for-now Tam Golf Course.

And I had to alter my running route this afternoon. The part of the trail in the bottom picture is underwater, cyclists can stuggle through it, but I just didn't want to run through ankle deep water, so I turned around.

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Marathon Pundit Chicago River dumping follow up

A couple of weeks ago, Niles Journal reporter Daniel Cameron interviewed me on the telephone about my July 17 post about a milky substance I saw pouring into the North Branch of the Chicago River.

From his article, What Is This Stuff?

Concerned, Ruberry decided to get some evidence. He continued his run a mile and a half south to his home, grabbing a camera to take pictures. When he returned two hours later, the substance was still pouring out of the tunnel.

"This wasn't runoff from some guy washing his car," said Ruberry. "Whatever it was, there was a lot of it."

Ruberry, who works in telecommunications in Niles, decided to take action. He called the Cook County Forest Preserve Dist. The district said it would come investigate, but when it hadn't appeared after 15 minutes, Ruberry left the scene.

More...

The Cook County Forest Preserve stated last week that it had no record of Ruberry's call, but said it would perform an investigation.

This does not surprise me. Among local law enforcement agencies, the Cook County Forest Preserve Police is regarded as a patronage haven for ward-heelers.

Think Chief Wiggum and the fictional Springfield Police from The Simpsons, and you have a pretty good idea what to expect from them.

Here's what I did that afternoon: I called 911, and the dispatcher transferred me to the Forest Preserve Police. If there is a next time, I'll call, based on information I've gathered since July 17, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Cook County Water Reclamation District, and a non-government group, the Friends of the Chicago River.

The Cook County Forest Preserve can be tough when they want to be. Here's what I wrote a few months ago about a reputed incident, in a post about the crime rate in my hometown of Morton Grove:

Oh, in late 2005, while running not too far from the spot where the drifter's body was found, a Cook County Forest Preserve policeman, on a bitterly cold day, confronted me about allegedly--and I want to reiterate, allegedly, urinating fairly deep inside a grove of trees. No one else was there, which says a lot about the law enforcement force derisively known at "the tree police."

It's nice to know Chief Wiggum's boys have their priorities straight.

The polluter has not been caught.

This is what you get with one-party rule. The Democratic Party has controlled the Cook County Board of Supervisor's office since 1969.

Later today, or perhaps tomorrow, I'll have some more North Branch of the Chicago River pictures--this time of the flooding from this week's heavy rains.

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Pajamas Media BWIR on the Pentagon's procurement process

Last week before Sunday's big rains hit, I got to see the opening portion of the Chicago Air & Water Show during my lakefront run, and I witnessed several examples of the end result of the Pentagon's procurement process.

In this week's Pajamas Media's Blog Week in Review focuses on what goes on before the jets, as well as ships, guns and other weapons used by the Defense Department are put in use by the military.

Moderator Austin Bay interviews reporter Rebecca Christie of the Wall Street Journal and the Dow Jones Newswires, an expert on this topic.

Christie discusses the Air Force's new F-35 fighter, the most expensive military development project ever, and the Navy’s new Littoral Combat Ships. On the latter, the Navy asked two companies, Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, to each design a vessel, in a competitive bid of sorts, and the best craft will win the USN's nod.

Listen or download the podcast here.

Or do it the Marathon Pundit way and subscribe for free on the iTunes site.

As always, the podcast is produced by Ed Driscoll and sponsored by Volvo Automobiles.

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My Kansas Kronikles: Liberal: Kansas' second Beef Kingdom

Just north of the Oklahoma border, and not too far from Colorado is the town of Liberal.

From the town's website:

The year was 1872, and western Kansas consisted of mile after mile of waving prairie grasslands and one large, flowering river. Settlers traveling west on the Santa Fe, Jones and Plummer, and western cattle trails simply passed through thinking this area "uninhabitable". But one undaunted man, making his way west, did stop and settle. Mr. S.S. Rogers was the first homesteader in what would later become Liberal. Outside of the Cimarron River, water was very scarce in Southwestern Kansas and there was usually a charge for even a small amount; however Mr. Rogers always gave his water free to passing travelers. Quite often he would hear a reply of "that's mighty liberal of you" from the grateful recipients.

By 1885, Mr. Rogers had opened a general store and the government established an official Post Office. It seemed only natural to call the new town "LIBERAL".

Like Dodge City, Liberal and the to-be-blogged about later Garden City, Liberal is one of Kansas's "Beef Kingdoms." Its largest employer is National Beef Processing, it operates a large slaughterhouse not too far away from the "Liberal" sign pictured above.

Liberal has a museum. Operating in a fashion that's common in smaller towns, where it does not pay to specialize, it's museum celebrates Kansas' most famous fictional resident, Dorothy Gale, and its first European explorer, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. The museum, like many in Kansas focuses' on its pioneer roots.

Next to the museum there is a replica of Dorothy's house, and there's a Dorothy impersonator on its staff.

On the northeastern end of Kansas, near Interstate 70, there is an Oz Museum in Wamego. Not too far away in Nortonville is the Kansas Wizard of Oz 'N More Store store. Closer to home (for me) in Oz-ness in Oz Park in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. The author of the Wizard of Oz books, L. Frank Baum, was a Chicagoan. Supposedly Baum used to vacation in Chesterton, Indiana, not too far from Gary (this was 100 years ago), which inspired the people of Chesterton to organize an annual Wizard of Oz Festival each September.

(Yes, I'm rambling, but it's a Saturday post!)

"We will not be silent," and we'll sue

Sol of Solomonia, whose Boston Red Sox swept my Chicago White Sox yesterday in a doubleheader, has another great post on his blog, this time about two Iraqis, Reed Jarrar and an man known only as "The Hammer." The latter is pro-American but lives in Iraq. The other, a Hamas sympathiser who goes by his real name and lives in the United States. He lives here, but despises the American "occupation" of post-Saddam Iraq.

From Sol's blog:

If the stories and photos on his blog are any indication, Jarrar has been living the activist's life of Reilly, traveling across Asia, Africa, Europe and America, meeting celebrity activists like Cindy Sheehan, doing television interviews, going on speaking tours...not a bad gig if you can get it.

But it was only a matter of time before Uncle Sam would pay, because that's what you get for being nice.

On August 12, 2006, Jarrar had just finished a political event in New York. Sporting a t-shirt with the slogan "We Will Not Be Silent" (originally an anti-Nazi statement now adopted by the radical Left for use against you-know-who) in English and Arabic on it, he headed for his JetBlue flight back to California. And that's where things took what is becoming a familiar turn.

JetBlue (Hey, at least he was flying on a discount airline) and the TSA, because of that shirt, wanted to keep him off the flight. This was just two days after British authorities busted a plot to blow up 21 America-bound airliners over the Atlantic. After some discussion, they let him on the plane, but instead of viewing what happened as a momentary inconvenience, Jarrar followed up in a truly American fashion--by suing. And the ACLU is assisting him.

And the what about the Hammer?

In photos, he appears with his face covered, eyes hidden behind dark glasses. That's how he goes to work out on the street, too -- identity obscured for the protection of himself and his family.

That's what it is to make a living as an Iraqi interpreter working with American troops. If the enemy find out who he is, they might track him down, they might kill him, they might kill his people. Thanks to the idea that those who work with the "occupation forces" are "collaborators," and thus fair game for death, he has much to fear.

Go to Sol's blog to read more....

Michael Totten has his own post about "The Hammer."

From his blog:

Hammer is looking for employment in and permanent relocation to the United States for himself, his wife, and his son. If you can sponsor him for a Green Card and help save his family, email him at superlink_par@yahoo.com and superlink_70@yahoo.com.

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law

Friday, August 24, 2007

After the deluge

It's a rare day when the Weather Channel's lead story is what's happening in Chicago---and there's not a snowflake in sight. Earlier today I drove west on Golf Road and attempted to take another photograph of the Des Plaines River on the campus of Oakton Community College. But Golf Road was closed due to standing water, so I couldn't get anywhere near the place today.

Many people I've spoken to who live in the Chicago suburbs of Des Plaines, Glenview, Park Ridge, Mount Prospect, as well as the western end of Morton Grove--I'm on the east end--have been without power for since the first wave of storms hits yesterday afternoon.

The electrical workers in the top photo are repairing a power line in Park Ridge.

What does a power outage look like? Well not much, but on the corner on Greenwood Avenue just north of Dempster in the same town, you'll notice the traffic light is not functioning.

Just a few steps away from the banks of the Des Plaines River, this home has a pond in its back yard that wasn't there Thursday morning.

About that river, I took this photograph just before sunset from the Rand Road bridge near Maryville Academy's Des Plaines campus. A pretty photo, yes, but it doesn't show that the river is getting very close to overflowing its banks. Luckily, the rain forecasted to day bypassed the area. More rain is expected on Saturday morning, however.

Related posts:

Chicago area pounded by violent thunderstorms

Before the flood?

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Kevorkian attorney Geoffrey Fieger indicted for illegal 2004 Edwards contributions

Noted Michigan defense attorney Geoffrey Fieger and his law partner were indicted today for making illegal contributions to the 2004 presidential campaign fund of John Edwards. A fixture of cable news shows, Fieger is best known as the man who defended Dr. Jack Kevorkian for breaking Michigan's assisted suicide law.

From the Detroit Free Press:

The indictment was unsealed today at the U.S. District Court in Detroit, accusing Fieger and Vernon Johnson of violating the $2,000 per election federal limit on individual contributions to presidential candidates. The indictment accuses them of soliciting "straw donors" to also contribute the $2,000 maximum to Edwards and then reimburse them for their contributions.

Fieger, the area’s most famous and flamboyant attorney, and Johnson are accused of disguising the payments to the straw donors by treating them as employee bonuses or as payment to third-party vendors. They are accused of conspiracy, making and causing conduit campaign contributions, causing false statements and obstruction of justice.

Edwards has another key Michigan tie. His campaign manager is former Detroit area congressman David Bonior.

Fieger is the older brother of Doug Fieger, lead singer of late 1970s pop-rock group The Knack.

UPDATE Sat. Aug 25 12:15 PM CDT: The Fighting GOP has more:

Well, Dr. Death’s attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, got caught red-handed and was just indicted for "allegedly" orchestrating $150,000 of illegal campaign contributions to John Edwards…and what does he say to the media?

"He blamed the Bush administration."

“Fieger told radio station WWJ-AM that he would fight the charges and wasn’t surprised by them. He blamed the Bush administration. "'We'll just embarrass these people,' Fieger said."

Related post:

John Edwards' odd choice to run his campaign: David Bonior

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law

legal

Kevorkian

Michigan

My Kansas Kronikles: Gray County Wind Farm

Several times on this blog I've drawn attention to the hypocrisy of America's leading enviromentnal clan, the Kennedys, the the Cape Wind Project near their legendary Hyannis Port compound on Cape Cod.

The chief Kennedy environmentalist is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. One of his reason for opposing Cape Wind is that migrating birds would be killed by the 130 proposed wind mills that would make up Cape Wind.

Last month near Montezuma, Kansas, which is located between Dodge City and Liberal, I traveled through the Gray County Wind Farm. That wind farm is made up of 190 wind mills. And guess what? The Great Plains is a very important migratory bird route, and right in the middle of it is this wind farm among the wheat fields, Kansas' largest.

But no Kennedy family member lives in southwestern Kansas.

Related posts:

RFK, Jr: Environmental hypocrite

A Kennedy is on the board of the Chicago Climate Exchange

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Thursday, August 23, 2007

Chicago area pounded by violent thunderstorms

Chicagoan not used to weather like this messing our lives in August. In January with a blizzard or bitter cold, yes, but not with rains and thunderstorms.

Two squalls of violent thunderstorms blasted the Chicago area this afternoon. Reports of downed trees, street closures, power outages, and scattered flooding are dominating tonight's local news. Wind gusts of up to 70 mph, almost unheard of here, were reported.

Mrs. Marathon Pundit was stuck in traffic on Interstate 94 for an hour, both the north and southbound lanes were closed in Wilmette, along with the other driveres, she was diverted off the expressway.

I took top picture in Niles. The front windows of this jewelery store, along with the frames, gave way to the high winds. A few block south at Golf Mill Ford, where I bought a car a few years ago, a light pole collapsed, damaging the red Mustang on the left.

Yesterday I made a post about the Des Plaines River, Before the Flood? This river photo was taken around 2:00pm today--before the storms hit--near Golf and River Road in Des Plaines. Golf Road is closed in that area now, I believe it's due to "general flooding," I'm pretty sure the river is still within it banks or the MSM would've reported it.

The local electric utility, Commonwealth Edison, is reporting over 300,000 homes and businesses are without power, most in the northern suburbs of Chicago--where I live. I drove through Niles about an hour ago, much of the suburb is in darkness. A downed power line on the corner of Dempster and Milwaukee near Notre Dame High Schools probably the culprit. I was diverted from Dempster onto a sidestreet on my way home to Morton Grove this evening, there were several crews of ComEd workers on the the scene.

Flooding is the biggest concern right now. Rain is forecast tonight and tomorrow.

Thanks for the link: WindyPundit.

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$10.1 billion "judicial hellhole" ruling voided again

In a rare visit to Illinois two years ago, President Bush visited Madison County in the Metro East region near St. Louis. In a speech there in front of many area doctors, the president brought attention to the problem of irresponsible verdicts generating from a county that has been called a "judicial hellhole" by The American Tort Reform Association.

One of the most egregious verdicts to emerge from Madison County was a $10.1 billion judgement against Philip Morris, on the dubious claim the conglomerate falsely claimed that its Marlboro Light cigarettes were safer than other types of smokes.

Yesterday, in the latest setback for the plaintiffs, the Illinois Supreme Court, once again, tossed the judgement into an ashtray.

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law

My Kansas Kronikles: Wagon ruts

About nine miles west of Dodge City on US 50, there is a spot in the prairie where wagon ruts, indentations made by the many pioneer wagons the traveled the Santa Fe Trail, are visible. The photograph on the right might show a rut. Or it could be a a tire track from a tractor. The historical marker at the site said the ruts are most visible in the late afternoon and early evening--when I was there.

Five miles west of "the rut" is the town of Ingalls, where the Santa Fe Trail splits. The Mountain Route goes into Colorado, the Cimmarron Route veers into Oklahoma.

As for US 50, before the interstate highway system, it was an important road, one Time Magazine called "the backbone of America" in 1997.

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Wednesday, August 22, 2007

My Kansas Kronikles: Dodge City, Beef Kingdom

After leaving Greensburg, I drove northeast to historic Dodge City. Dodge City got its start in the 1870s as a Wild West "Cowtown." Cowboys from Texas drove cattle from Texas to the strategically located town near both the Santa Fe and Great Western trails, the Santa Fe Railroad, and the Arkansas River.

During its infamous heyday, men who were months removed from alcohol, gambling, and women came to Dodge City--with predictable results. Saloons with gambling and brothels opened up, and many men who didn't leave with their hard-earned wages "transferred" to shrewder individuals paid a higher price--their lives.

On the right is the reconstructed Front Street, a faitfully rebuilt version of the Dodge City's main street that lawmakers like Bat Masterson once patrolled. I arrived at the complex a little bit after 5:00pm, and many of the buildings shown have operating businesses. Some had closed shop for the day, however. Each summer night there is a reeneactment of a gunmen's showdown, which I missed.

Maybe I came at the wrong time, but Front Street was a big disappointment.

There is a pretty good Boot Hill Museum that tells the story of Dodge City from the Plains Indian days until Dodge City's second life, as a Western icon celebrated in movies and television shows such as Gunsmoke. Like the one in Tombstone, Arizona, Boot Hill is where many men who "died with their boots on" were buried. But almost as soon as it opened, the cemetery was closed, and the bodies moved to a proper cemetery. The gravemarker on the left is a re-creation.

But Dodge City has a third life. A beef processing center. Entering the town from nearby Fort Dodge, drivers see a massive slaughterhouse operated by National Beef. Surrounding the plant are feed lots. A feed lot, many of them can be found in more remote parts of western Kansas, is the final stop for cows where they are fattened up before their journey to the avatoir.

Dodge City, along with fellow southwestern Kansas towns Liberal and Garden City, comprise what I called Kansas's Beef Kingdoms.

Just as with the long-closed Chicago Stockyards, immigrants comprise the majority of the workers at contemporary slaughterhouses. Most of the people working at the Kansas plants are Hispanic, and depending on your source, or your interpretation of the data, Hispanics make up at least one-third, and possibly over 40 percent of the population of the Beef Kingdoms, including of course Dodge City.

If your view of Kansas is a bunch of white people with pockets of blacks near Kansas City, your view needs to be revised.

Related Kansas posts:

My Kansas Kronikles: An overview
My Kansas Kronikles: Chase County Courthouse
My Kansas Kronikles: Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church
My Kansas Kronikles: This has to stop
My Kansas Kronikles: The Sunflower State
My Kansas Kronikles: The Flint Hills
My Kansas Kronikles: Alan Clark's filling station in Eskridge
My Kansas Kronikles: A taste of home
My Kansas Kronikles: Kingman
My Kansas Kronikles: Western Holiday Motel in Wichita
My Kansas Kronikles: The Prairie Chicken Capital of the World

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Before the flood?

I took this photograph a few hours ago on the campus of Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Illinois. That's the swollen Des Plaines River in the picture, which has flooded portions of Kenosha County in far-southern Wisconsin. The Fox River, which also flows into Illinois, has also caused serious flooding in southern Wisconsin.

In isolated spots in the Chicago area, the Des Plaines has gone over its banks. Experts on the Illinois side of the border are cautiously optimistic that the flooding plaguing Wisconsin won't hit here, but heavy rain is in tonight's forecast, the clouds are darkening as I write this post.

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Court: Ex. Gov. George Ryan has four days to report to prison if appeal denied

Former Illinois Governor George H. Ryan is a free man--for now. Yesterday a federal appeals court upheld the corruption and racketeering charges that the Repblican was convicted of over a year ago. For a few hours yesterday it appeared that the longtime pol would be headed to prison on Friday, but his attorneys, including another former Ill. governor, James Thompson, blocked that.

However, in a court ruling today, Ryan will have to report to prison within four days if his next appeal is denied.

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First Hillary, then Obama: The surge may be working

Two days ago in Kansas City, Hillary Clinton had this to say in a speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars annual convention about the troop surge in Iraq:

It's working. We're just years too late in our tactics.

Here is what Barack Obama had to say in front of the same group yesterday:

If we put 30,000 additional troops into Baghdad, it will quell some of the violence short term. I don't think there is any doubt about that.

Could it be, like the "Peace Democrats" of 1864, today's Dems have played their surrender hand too early, and now a couple of them are trying to backtrack?

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VFW

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Kansas Outraged Patriots billboard vandalized

Jake of the Freedom Folks tipped me off that this Topeka, Kansas billboard was vandalized last week by someone with impressively neat spray-paint handwriting but unfamiliar with the proper portrayal of a Nazi swastika. The left facing swastika, the one the vandal used, is a religious icon from the Buddhist and Hindu faiths, the right facing one is the one Hitler liked, and presumably the one the criminal meant to use.

Outraged Patriots is an Oklahoma based group, and Jake assures me Dan "hell of a good guy and the real deal," which is good enough for me.

As for the vandals who disagreed with his message. There is a proper and legal way to respond. Design your own billboard, and pay an outdoor advertising firm to put it up. Attempting to destroy another's message is well, fascist.

Last month I was in Topeka. You may have heard of a "church" there trying to force its unpopular views on the rest of the country.

Related posts:

My Kansas Kronikles: Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church

Chicago illegal immigrant activist deported

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Kansas

Fred Phelps

westboro baptist church

Ex-Ill. Gov. Ryan's conviction upheld: UPDATED

"Having been there -- I repeat, having been there -- I do not wish jail for any person." Former Ill. Governor Dan Walker, discussing last year's conviction of George Ryan.

Barring an unlikely turn of events, George H. Ryan, a Kankakee Republican who was Illinois' governor from 1999 to 2003, will be heading to federal prison soon for various corruption and racketeering charges. An appeals court upheld his conviction today.

Best known outside the Land of Lincoln for his 2003 emptying of Illinois' death row, Ryan's reputation here is that of disgrace.

UPDATE 7:15PM CDT: Late this afternoon, Governor Ryan's lawyers convinced a federal court to allow Ryan to remain free while he appeals today's ruling. This afternoon it appeared that the longtime Republican lawmaker would have to surrender himself to authorities on Friday.

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My Kansas Kronikles: Greensburg, the fall and rise, part six

The last of a series, within a series.

Before the May 4 tornado hit, Greensburg's population was estimated to be around 1,500 persons. As I noted in an earlier post, the businesses are coming back to Greensburg--what about the people? Businesses are there to build new homes for the residents of the town.

But for now, home is this mobile home park, meant to be a temporary solution. Residents live there rent free for one year, but must pay utility costs. Which might be high, even though, as you can see in some of the photos, the sun was struggling to break out, temperatures were in the mid-90s that day.

But for the folks of Greensburg who want to own their own home, there are no shortage of choices.

And sadly, there is no shortage of space in town. Next is Dodge City, one of Kansas' three "Beef Kingdoms."

Monday, August 20, 2007

My Kansas Kronikles: Greensburg, the fall and rise, part five

This is my penultimate Greensburg post. Here are some more photographs from my trip there last month, once again focusing on the rebuilding of the town--and the town's spirit.

Neatly propped up against the rubble from a demolished home are The Three Wise Men. Like the World's Largest Hand-Dug Well sign, my guess is that someone found the sign amongst debris, and put the sign where in place a prominence.

Flowers cheer people up, which is why someone planted and maintains the ones pictured here. The petunias on the left mark all that's left, except for the basement, of a house. Once again in the background is Greensburg's sentinel, the grain elevator that survived the May 4 tornado.

Sticks: They're not just for poking your eye out anymore

The recently concluded Illinois State Fair ended on a high note. The American Egg Board and the Illinois Department of Agriculture conjured up a contest: Breakfast on a stick. Two "entrees" were judged the winners.

Sunrise dippers, Beverly Cutler's entry, which consisted of egg, sausage, cheese wrapped in a biscuit with gravy on the side, shared the top honor with Anthony Karas' creation: bacon-wrapped savory buttermilk crepes.

Related post:

Thirty hours in Lincoln's Springfield, Illinois

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Latest slow blogging excuse

Violent thunderstorms each night. Seriously, the last three nights, the Chicago area has been pounded by major thunderstorms, which has me quite drowsy now. Last night in particular I needed rest, I ran 20 miles Sunday morning.

Hopefully tonight will be peaceful.

Chicago illegal immigrant activist deported

Elvira Arellano, an illegal immigrant who moved into a Chicago storefront church last year and avoid deportation--you know, sanctuary--has been finally been deported, AP is reporting this morning.

Arellano decided to travel to Los Angeles to assist immigration rights, or I should say, illegal immigrantion rights there.

Her eight year-old son is still in the country, apparently in the custody of her pastor. The child is a US citizen. Sad? Yes. But keep in mind that Arellano entered the US illegally twice, and could've always, with her son, moved back to Mexico.

Before she moved into the Chicago church, Arellano was arrested for working under a false social security number.

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Sunday, August 19, 2007

Lock up your daughters: Peter Yarrow coming to Skokie

Earlier today I visited the Barnes & Noble store in Skokie, IL near my home. I brought Little Marathon Pundit, age 10, to the children's section. And it was there I discovered Peter Yarrow, a member of one of the most overrated musical groups of all time, Peter, Paul, and Mary, will be there for a book signing and performance there on Thursday, August 23 at 7:30pm.

The above photograph was taken a few hours ago in the children's section of the Skokie Barnes and Noble.

If you are too young to remember them, think of some of the performers in A Mighty Wind

Peter is a big liberal, and he was one of John Kerry's earliest celebrity supporters in his 2004 presidential run. Yarrow and Kerry have known each other for 35 years--and he's the godfather of Kerry's daughter Alex.

Yarrow's past raised some eyebrows that year, when his conviction for taking indecent liberties with a 14 year-old female fan, while the victim's sister was president. As a "welcome" to the girls, the folkie opened the door of his hotel room---while naked. Yarrow served three months of a one to three year sentence. Yarrow was pardoned for his crimes by Jimmy Carter in 1981.

Sentences for the offense committed by Yarrow are tougher now.

Yes, Yarrow says he's sorry, and the incident was "the most terrible mistake I have ever made."

But should Barnes & Nobles have shown better judgement in inviting Yarrow to perform and plug his book, Puff The Magic Dragon. I think so.

About the book. It's $16.95 and the co-author is Lenny Lipton. The illustrations by Eric Puybaret are great, but the verbiage, with a few additions, is not much more than a reprinting of the lyrics of the song of the same name. On the plus side, there's a four-song CD included with the book. That is, if you like watered-down folk-music. (Okay, I didn't listen to the CD, but I bet I'm right.)

And if you are in the area on Thursday night, take the escalator down to the basement, turn left, and head to the Barnes & Noble children's section, and see Peter Yarrow perform and sign his overpriced book.

UPDATE Sunday, Aug. 26: I was seriously considering attending this event for the humor element. However, because the night of Yarrow's Skokie's appearance was the same day as the worst non-winter weather in the Chicago area in twenty years, I decided not being on the road was a good idea, since local news was peppered with reports of cars in transit being crushed by falling trees. For all I know, Yarrow's show and book signing was cancelled. Golf Road was closed due to flooding in Morton Grove, near the Skokie Barnes & Noble at the time of the event, as was Interstate 94 just north of the store.

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Peter, Paul, and Mary

Pandering for union votes, and money, in Iowa

The last time I checked, labor unions represented about 11 percent of the work-force, just seven percent of those working in the private sector. But that didn't stop a whole bunch of Democrats, including frontrunners Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards from a Cedar Rapids, Iowa labor forum where they fished for support.

As I blogged here and here last week, union leaders in Michigan, despite shrinking membership rosters, for the most part aren't cutting their own pay or seeing the need to cut their staff.

Unions still remain reliable sources, for now, of cash (from workers' dues) and votes for the Democratic Party.

On the latter, I'd like to add this anecdote. A friend of mine confided in me about his father:

They told my Dad at the union hall to vote Democratic. When he first came to this country, he barely spoke English, and he did as he was told. When he later found out what the Democrats represented, he began secretly voting Republican, but told the bosses he was still a 'good member' each election day.

In short, the union vote, and research backs me up, is soft, especially at the top of the ticket.

Cash is different. And the unions, with the exception of those such as SEIU and AFSCME that have many public sector members, must know that at some level, and maybe it's soon, they won't have enough people paying dues for their organizations to have an impact. The money just won't be there.

But it's there now, hence the "pander fest" that took place yesterday in Cedar Rapids yesterday.

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My Kansas Kronikles: The Coronado Cross

Today being Sunday, I thought we'd leave Greensburg for a little bit and head west to the Coronado Cross, between Dodge City and Fort Dodge, Kansas.

Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado led the first European expedition into what is now the American Southwest in 1540. The group entered Kansas later that year in search of Quivira, a supposedly rich city. What they found, near where Lindsborg is now, was just a bunch of huts--no wealth, no gold--unless sunflower petals were included in the quick audit of the village.

On their way back to Mexico, Father Juan de Padilla held the first Christian mass in the North American interior, on the spot where the cross now stands, on Sunday, June 29, 1541.

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Saturday, August 18, 2007

My Kansas Kronikles: Greensburg, the fall and rise, part four

Most of the rubble from Greensburg had been removed when I arrived there from the Gypsum Hills last month. Up on the left, all of the house are gone on this street, only a what's left a downtown building can be seen. The trees, as you can see, also suffered great damage from the May 4 tornado.

The otherwise immaculate buildings, with only the foundations and parts of the brick walls surviving, are from downtown Greensburg. The grain tower, seemingly the town's sentintel, is in the background, along with the Cenex gas station I blogged about in my last Greensburg post.

Yes, there still are some destroyed homes that need to be cleared away. The home below, now rubble, once heard laughter, crying, singing, and humming. Now all it hears are the western Kansas winds.

Not even the street signs survived the tornado, but there still is a Wisconsin Street in Greensburg.

In my last post, I blogged about the three banks in new buildings in Greensburg. The foundation and these two safes are all that's left of one of the those bank's original structure. Oh yes, I looked. The safes were empty.

Cenex

Longtime Reagan aide Mike Deaver dies

Mike Deaver, one of the key members of Ronald Reagan's inner circle from the Gipper's days as Governor of California until early in Reagan's second term in office, died today in Maryland at the age of 69, succumbing to pancreatic cancer.

Deaver served as Reagan's "image man" for years, and of all the Reagan aides, he was the closest to Nancy Reagan.

Deaver took the blame for the president's ill-fated speech at the Bitburg Cemetery in Germany during ceremonies honoring German war dead. As an advance man, Deaver visited the cemetery in the winter of 1984, but the gravestones were covered were freshly fallen snow.

In 1987, Deaver was convicted of perjury resulting from congressional testimony he gave, he did not serve time in prison. The Reagans broke ties with Deaver, although Nancy and Mike settled their differences in 1990s.

It was in the 1990s that Deaver joined the public relation firm of Edelman in Washington, where he was as vice chairman.

Deaver and a partner, upon Governor Reagan's departure from Sacramento, formed a public relations firm with just one client: Ronald Wilson Reagan. Deaver was a driving force in getting Reagan's mid-1970s five-days-a-week radio commentary spots to be syndicated nationally, along with twice-a-month newspaper columns. Although he was hardly unknown quantity, the broadcasts and columns kept Reagan in the public eye, and were among the building blocks of Reagan's eventual ascension to the presidency.

Even while the fairness doctrine was in place, liberals had good reason to fear a conservative voice on the radio.

Mike Deaver, rest in peace.

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My Kansas Kronikles: Greensburg, the fall and rise, part three

Rebuilding Greensburg means a lot more than just putting up new homes. Businesses must be there to service the people of the town--or else no one will want to live there. Part three of my Greensburg post is dedicated to the returning businesses of the town.

Construction of the Kwik Shop isn't complete, and the parking lot needs work, but it's open for business on US 54, the old main drag of Greensburg.

Although there are a few of them in my home state of Illinois, to me a Cenex gas station to me is an indicator that I'm west of the Mississippi River. Near the Kwik Shop is a new Cenex. The grain elevator in the background is the same one that was prominent in the many day-after-the-tornado pictures of Greensburg. It survived the twister--most of the town did not.

I don't know how many banks were operating in Greensburg before the May 4 tornado, but the town now has three of them: The Centera Bank (above), The Greensburg State Bank (on the right), and the Peoples Bank (below).

One of my motivations for my Kansas trip was the negativity I encountered while reading Thomas Frank's bestseller, What's the Matter with Kansas? Frank seem puzzled that conservative radio hosts rarely discuss business issues on the air; after all, economic concerns are what drives society, and conservatives tend to be "pro-business." An interesting point to bring up. My guess is that politics is what attracts listeners to the Rush Limbaugh show--and keeps them coming back--and Limbaugh knows it.

Political bloggers tend to ignore business issues, but I try to mix some business news in from time to time.

But back to Greensburg. Even a small town needs a grocery store. Regional chain Dillons served that purpose, but as you can see, its Greensburg store was also destroyed on May 4. But as I blogged before I left for the Sunflower State, Dillons will rebuild there.

Both Dillons and Kwik Shop are owned by Kroger Co.

Greensburg faces many challenges, but not having a grocery store commit to the town would be a tough one to struggle against.

Earlier Greensburg posts:

My Kansas Kronikles: Greensburg, the fall and rise, part one

My Kansas Kronikles: Greensburg, the fall and rise, part two

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Friday, August 17, 2007

Been sick lately

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but I haven't been posting as much lately. I've been struggling with a fever for a few days, but I think I've finally turned the corner.

Teacher who put bag over student's head back in classroom

If anyone is wondering why I'm seemingly crazy, it might be because I had an art teacher with the same name as the guy in the below stort while I was in junior high school. Could I have repressed an unpleasant memory when I was a child?

From CBS 2 Chicago:

The sixth-grade art teacher who has been on administrative leave for putting a bag over an elementary school student's head in suburban Evergreen Park last winter will return to school next week.

The Evergreen Park District 124 school board voted Monday to end the paid administrative leave of Charles Lupori, a teacher at Southwest Elementary in Evergreen Park. But the board set conditions Lupori must follow when he returns at the start of the new school year.

Other media report say that Lupori has been with his current school district for 22 years. Could be the same guy.

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East St. Louis vote fraudster found guilty of improper asbestos removal

Well, I broke down in East St. Louis. Tom Waits, The Train Song, 1987.

When people commit vote fraud, it's not a difficult leap of logic to assume other crimes may have been committed. Such is the case of Charles Powell Jr.

Earlier this week the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Powell was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for his role in the improper disposal of asbestos of a landmark East St. Louis building. Powell was on the town's city council at the time.

Powell is already in federal prison for taking part in a vote-buying scheme during the 2004 elections while he was chairman of the East St. Louis Democratic Party.

H/T to Cal Skinner at the McHenry County Blog.

Related posts:

Convicted vote thief joined by top local Dems at his pre-prison going away party

Two more in East St. Louis vote-fraud case sentenced

Another Democrat sentenced in Kentucky vote buying case

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Thursday, August 16, 2007

Obama vows to clean up Washington as president

Barack Obama represents Illinois in the Senate, one of the most corrupt states in the nation. In my home state, aldermen, judges, legislators, heck, even governors are sent to the "Big House" with numbing regularity. In a twisted sense of pride, many Illinoisan brag about our "achievements."

Yet Obama claims he is the man that can do what no president has ever done: Clean up Washington.

Democrat Barack Obama, who accepts special interest money and played poker with lobbyist pals as an Illinois lawmaker, acknowledged Thursday that he swims in "the same muddy water" that corrupts Washington, but he pledged to reform the system if elected president.

Presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton "doesn't recognize the problem," Obama told The Associated Press.

The below posts paint a different picture:

"Consigliere" Rezko still shadowing Obama

Obama gives up donation from man with Rezko ties

Obama donates more Rezko tainted donations to charity

Obama's letters for Rezko show favors

Rezko cash three times what Obama claims

Chicago Tribune catches up to Marathon Pundit

Obama and the Laborers' Union Ed Smith

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The King thirty years after his departure

Forget the music--just for a moment. Elvis Presley, who died thirty years ago today, was one of the great sociological influences on 20th Century life.

Where was I when I heard the news? Watching a home afternoon (Wrigley Field lights were 11 years in the future) Chicago Cubs game on WGN-TV. A bulletin gave the news to the people of the Chicago area. Then Jack Brickhouse, the Cubs' announcer at the time, explained that Preslely was one of the greatest musical performers of all time.

Brickhouse, who to me was a square's square, surprised me with that one.

The next morning I went to cross country practice and of course the topic during the 10-mile run was Elvis. Presley's musical peak was in the rear view mirror by then, but we all agreed that if had been no Elvis, that meant there could've been no Beatles, Rolling Stones, or Led Zeppelin.

Third Wave Dave gives his personal recollections here, and over in Kansas, Lindsborger News adds his take.

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My Kansas Kronikles: Greensburg, the fall and rise, part two

Until the devastating May 4 tornado, Greensburg sole claim to fame was that it was the home of the world's largest hand-dug well.

From BigWell.org:

The story of the World's Largest Hand-Dug Well began in the 1880's when both the Santa Fe and Rock Island railroads were laying tracks across the plains of Kansas. A large supply of water was needed for the steam locomotives and for the people of the area. The only dependable source of water was from a well. In 1887, the city granted a franchise for a water works system, to cost approximately $45,000, a huge sum of money in those days. The Santa Fe terminated its track at the west Kiowa County line and removed it eight years later.

Construction of the well was a masterpiece of pioneer engineering. Hired on a day to day basis for fifty cents to a dollar a day, crews of twelve to fifteen farmers, cowboys, and other local men dug the well. Some of the men lived on location in a camp of tents while working on the well. Other crews quarried and hauled the native stone used for the casing of the well This stone was hauled in wagons from the Medicine River twelve miles south of Greensburg. Dirt from the well was hauled away by the same wagons which had slatted beds. By opening the slats and dumping the dirt in low spots, streets and roads to the quarry were leveled.

As you can see on the bottom photo, the structure surrounding the Big Well, as with much of Greensburg, was destroyed. A Greensburg resident told me that the yellow sign was found a block away from the site, and a good samaritan placed it where it stands now.

According to BigWell.org, 3,000,000 people have visited the attraction over the years. Soon hopefully, more will be taking the stairs down the world's largest hand dug well.

I took the top and bottom photos. The middle two come courtesy of BigWell.org.

Related post: My Kansas Kronikles: Greensburg, the fall and rise, part one

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UPDATED: Romney wins Illinois Straw Poll

I received this update on Blackberry and I don't have more details at this time, but Mitt Romney is the winner of the Illinois Republican Straw Poll that was held in Springfield at the state fair today.

UPDATE 6:15PM CDT: Here are the percentage totals for each candidate:

Mitt Romney – 40.35%
Fred Thompson – 19.96%
Ron Paul – 18.87%
Rudy Giuliani – 11.61%
John McCain – 4.12%
Mike Huckabee – 3.04%
Sam Brownback – 1.08%
Duncan Hunter - .65%
Tom Tancrado - .33%

UPDATE Aug. 17 9:40 AM CDT: Springfield's Rich Miller of Capitol Fax makes that claim that Romney "bussed a ton of people in."

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Recently concluded Chicago homeless census rigged

Last week I blogged about the incredible claim by the City of Chicago that just 24 homeless people lived in the city's downtown.

I voiced my skepticism, and it turns out I was right to doubt the report. It turns out that only a few downtown blocks were part of the survey

From CBS 2 Chicago:

A city census that turned up only 24 homeless people living on downtown streets was confined to a 12-block area, a top mayoral aide said Wednesday, acknowledging that the real number is far higher.

Acting Housing Commissioner Ellen Sahli said a separate count conducted between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. on a cold night in January -- in a much broader swath that includes all four community areas that take in parts of downtown -- turned up 995 homeless people.

Of that number, 352 people were living on the street and in public places. The remaining 643 people were staying in shelters.

The numbers in the last paragraph seem to be much closer to the truth.

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One more time at DePaul for Finkelstein?

Friend of the blog Dr. Steven Plaut visited Norman Finkelsteins' web site, and found a letter posted, from the DePaul Academic Freedom Committee, that indicates Prof. Finkelstein may be back for one final year of teaching at DePaul University.

But the denial of tenure to Finkelstein is a closed case.

Related post:

Fisk on Fink: Robert Fisk joins the Norman Finkelstein tenure debate as DePaul's "perfect storm" gathers strength

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007

This is news? Chavez proposes end to term limits

Sometimes when you're a news junkie like myself, you assume things that are just being announced as news already happened. Up to a point, this was the case two nights ago when I read on the CBS 2 Chicago, in an exclusive, that former House Speaker Denny Hastert (R-IL) would not run for another term next year.

Since I've been reading on Illinois blogs and various MSM sites about several candidates of both parties positioning themselves to run in Hastert's suburban Chicago/rural northern Illinois district, I was surprised that the local and national media made a big deal about the story. I'd already accepted the former Yorkville High School wrestling coach's departure from public life as fact.

Far south of Hastert's home in Plano is Caracas, Venezuela, where its president, Hugo Chavez, holds court in front of a bunch of sycophants. Associated Press is reporting tonight that Chavez is calling for changes to Venezuela's constitution that would eliminate term limits, paving the way for Chavez to become president-for-life. (Okay, AP didn't phrase it that way, but it should have.)

As with Hastert's upcoming retirement, I thought Chavez had already gotten rid of term limits.

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My Kansas Kronikles: Greensburg, the fall and rise, part one

On May 4, a devestating tornado destroyed most of Greensburg, Kansas. Last month as part of my trip to that state, I traveled to the rebuilding town.

My favorite image is the one on top, the destroyed stone home with the two spotless US flags.

Greensburg is named for Donald R. Green, who helped found the town in 1876. Green ran a stagecoach line between the Kansas towns of Kingman, Coldwater, and of course, Greensburg. The stage coach line road later became US 54, still an important road in Kansas, which connects Wichita to the Oklahoma panhandle. US 54 bisects Greensburg.

Interested in volunteering in Greensburg? Your first stop is on the right.

Below is a street on Greenburg's far-east end. Media depictions of the destruction of the town were accurate, roughly 90% of the town was destroyed, only houses such as this one, found in that narrow strip, survived.

Are you looking for a job? Then head over to Greenburg and the grounds of the Kiowa County Courthouse. As you can see below, they're hiring in Greensburg.

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The good life of working for the UFCW

The United Food & Commercial Workers union is a politically active organization--its most visible arm is the group WakeUpWal-Mart. Once led by two Democratic political operatives, WakeUpWalMart regularly takes Wal-Mart to task for its perceived bad, read that, non-union ways.

In the second part of a series on the growing pay gap between union leaders and the people they represent--in a time where union membership in the private sector continues to plummet, the Detroit News places its gaze on the the United Food & Commercial Workers.

Tough times are nothing new for the cashiers, stockers and butchers of UFCW Local 951, the largest local in the state. Membership at the local, which primarily represents workers at Meijer, has dropped from about 40,000 in 2000 to 28,000 today. Some stores have closed, and those that remain employ fewer workers. Eliminating baggers from checkout lines cost 6,000 union jobs, according to Potter. Technological advances, such as self-serve check-out lines, have eliminated many more.

About the only place not losing jobs is the union hall. While the union local was losing 30 percent of its workers in six years, the number of union officers and employees dropped by four -- from 103 to 99. Most of those who remained continued to receive raises.

Current Local 951 President Marv Russow argues that it's the wrong time to cut union hall staff. The union has dedicated more employees to recruitment in an attempt to curb its membership decline. Those members who remain often are facing more economic struggles and need additional services from the union.

More...

But as membership (and the corresponding dues) plummeted, the local has spent a higher and higher percentage of its $11.5 million budget on salaries. In 2000, Local 951 members paid $78 a year toward union hall salaries; by 2006, that figure had jumped to $91.32.

Part one of the Detroit News story was tough on the union it focused on yesterday, the United Autoworkers. However, the paper points out that the pay gap between Michigan assembly line workers, and the union members working at the grocery stores they shop at, is greater. And the pay gap between the UFCW brass and its rank-and-file is also larger.

Related posts:

Union leaders don't share their members pain

Wake Up Wal-Mart has two empty bunks

John Edwards wakes up to Wal-Mart nightmare

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UAW

My Kansas Kronikles: The Gypsum Hills

If the Flint Hills in eastern Kansas weren't proof enough for you that Kansas is not, topographically speaking, a flat state, I present to you the Gypsum Hills, sometimes called the Red Hills, in the south-central part of the state.

Just west of Medicine Lodge, on US Highway 160 until Coldwater, is the Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway, which I took as a southern detour on my way to Greensburg. The Gypsum Hills are well, red, and continuing in the red theme, many red cedars populate the area.

As I noted in my Kingman post from Monday, the climate in western Kansas is dry, and this yucca plant is evidence of that. Yuccas don't grow in many places in the Midwest.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Introducing the Illinois GOP Network

The Illinois Republican Party is down, but a long way from being out. As our party rebuilds from the ground up, after a string of disappointing election days, now is the time for bloggers and other interested individuals to take part in the growth process. Illinois is the home state of Abraham Lincoln, and the birthplace of Ronald Reagan, two great Republican presidents. And remember, it wasn't so long ago, 1995 to be exact, when the Illinois GOP controlled each statewide office, both chambers of the General Assembly, and the Governor's Mansion.

And the governor at the time, Jim Edgar, actually lived in the mansion.

As James Thurber once wrote, "You could look it up!"

The good old days were not that long ago, and they could be back sooner than you think.

Where do we start? By networking and building, and the place to do it is at the new Illinois GOP Network Forum.

Click on the above link to get started. I'm already there.

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My Kansas Kronikles: Medicine Lodge

When I announced my Kansas trip on this blog, Kentucky blogger Prairie Bluestem, who has relatives living near Kingman, recommended Medicine Lodge to me.

Like Kingman, it has a fabulous old-style small town main street. But Medicine Lodge has more history. In 1867, in front of 15,000 Kiowa, Comanche, Arapahoe, and Cheyenne Indians, gathered just east of the town to sign the Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty. Among the newspaper reporters on hand to witness the event was Henry M. Stanley, the man who four years later found Dr. David Livingstone in Africa.

Kansas, as others have commented is a contemporary center of America's "Religous Right." I'm not a fan of that term, as it is usually used in a derisive manner.

But those religious conservatives didn't just spring out of nothingness from Kansas' red soil. Abolitionist Carry Nation, the woman who put her axe to many liquor stills, was from Medicine Lodge. Pictured is her home, which is right next to the Stockade Museum, which Prairie Bluestem recommends to anyone interested in Old West history.

Next: The Gypsum Hills.

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Union leaders don't share their members pain

I'm proud to a union man
I make those meetings when I can, yeah
I pay my dues ahead of time
When the benefits come
I'm last in line, yeah.

Neil Young, Union Man, 1980

The problems facing the automobile industry are of course magnified in the Detroit area, where the "Big Three" are headquartered. When union members lose their jobs, that usually means fewer union members.

But when membership contracts, what about the unions themselves and specifically, their leadership?

The Detroit News takes a look, and what they found shouldn't surprise you.

During the toughest economic times for organized labor in decades, union leaders are more likely to keep their jobs and get raises than the members they serve. A Detroit News analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data revealed a growing pay divide between labor bosses and the rank and file who pay their salaries with their dues.

Michigan's biggest unions represented 60,000 fewer workers in 2006 compared with 2002. While membership plummeted 14 percent, jobs at union halls remained safe, dropping less than 1 percent.

Workers who kept their jobs saw the disparity between their paychecks and those of their union bosses grow. The pay gap between the state's 50 top-paid labor leaders and union workers has grown by $18,000 since 2002 -- an economic chasm expanding by almost $10 a day. Records supplied to the Labor Department by the unions themselves show that the state's 50 top-paid union officials now earn an average of $186,000. More than 1,000 labor officers and staffers in Michigan made more than $100,000 in 2006, more than twice as much as the average union worker.

The pay disparity is taking a financial toll on many union halls across the state. Fewer workers generate less in dues, the lifeblood of a union. With dues down and union officer pay up, a greater percentage of union budgets is going to pay labor leaders. That leaves less cash for worker protection, negotiating and organizing.

I'm hoping that a reporter asks the two Democratic candidates who've done their best to pander to organized labor, John Edwards and Barack Obama, about this story.

Today's Detroit News article is the first of a series.

Related post:

5,000 apply for Detroit area Wal-Mart jobs

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Bob Dole, John Edwards, two 28,000 sq. ft. buildings

Time for a little detour from western Kansas over to the state's liberal center, Lawrence.

On the last day of my Kansas trip last month, I visited the University of Kansas where the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics is located. Dole of course was a Republican politician who was one of the country's greatest public servants: War hero, Senate leader, and presidential candidate.

The institute officially non-partisan, and one of its goals is to foster inter-party cooperation among politicians. It's housed in the above $28,000 sq. ft. building, which opened in 2003.

Bob is married to North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole. Which brings us to the Tar Heel State.

Democratic politician John Edwards, a one-term Democratic senator and former trial lawyer from the same state, recently built a 28,200 sq. ft. home there. Pictured on the right, in a photograph courtesy of Don Carrington of the Carolina Journal, is Edwards' sprawling homestead.

Although he's likely deny it, to some extent the 28,000 Dole Institute celebrates Bob Dole's long career of public service.

Edwards 28,000 sq. ft. home, on the other hand, is a monument to himself.

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Monday, August 13, 2007

Illinois GOP Staw Poll on Thursday

It won't have as much as an effect--I think so, at least--as the recently concluded Iowa Straw Poll, but the Illinois Republican Party will be holding its straw poll on Thursday at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.

Unlike the Iowa version, any voting age Illinois resident can vote--without having to pay anything.

However, the Illinois Straw Poll was conceived just a few months ago, so don't look for busloads of supporters being transported to Illinois' capital city for the event, such as what occurred at Iowa State University on Saturday.

The bulk of Illinois' population is in the Chicago area, the edges of which taper off 150 miles northeast of Springfield.

So even among the low standards of straw polls, the Illinoisans who vote won't be a representative sample of the Prairie State.

But it's a start. And it's good to see the Illinois Republican Party waking up from its slumber.

Related posts:

Illinois GOP Primary mini-analysis and scorecard

Thirty hours in Lincoln's Springfield, Illinois

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GOP

My Kansas Kronikles: Kingman

....Kingman, Barstow, San Bernadino...

Ah yes, Kingman. The ultimate driving song, Route 66, mentions Kingman. But not the Kingman I visited last month. Route 66 does pass through Kansas, but for only about thirty miles--on the state's far southeastern corner and very far from Kingman.

To me Kingman was the gateway to western Kansas, it was around this time I began to notice the fauna changing to that typical of the Great Plains.

On top is downtown Kingman. Many of the main streets, often called Main Street, of smaller Kansas towns have red-brick surfaces, Kingman is one of those villages.

On the right is the Kingman Carnegie Library, one of the many Carnegie libraries scattered throughout the world, most of them are in the United States. Unlike most Carnegie libraries, the one is Kingman incorporates the Carnegie name.

Once again, a friendly Kansan stopped me, and was quite pleased after I explained who I was, that I was taking pictures of his hometown. This gentleman somehow was under the impression I was cycling across that state.

Related post:

Three Rivers, Michigan and Andrew Carnegie

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University of Illinois military scholarships scandal update

Here are my prior posts on the University of Illinois military scholarships scandal.

Broken promises: How "jarheads" got shunted aside at the University of Illinois: A Marathon Pundit series

Marathon Pundit Exclusive: What happened behind the scenes of the University of Illinois veteran scholarship scandal

University of Illinois: "Hookers are Praised as Soldiers" –Marathon Pundit's Third Investigative Report

On September 12, in the basement of the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago, the Court of Claims, which consists of seven "judges" who are actually attorneys appointed by Governor Rod Blagojevich.

The Court of Claims is the arena where certain types of lawsuits against the state, or state universities, are heard.

I am going to try and attend.

Robert van der Hooning, the former Assistant Dean for the University of Illinois College of Business was the man in charge of the program whose goal was to offer 110 full-ride scholarships the Urbana-Champaign campus' Executive MBA program in Chicago last year.

Many of those scholarships were later rescinded by senior University of Illinois College of Business administrators.

To me, actually to most people, "a deal is a deal," but fearing under-funding of the each scholarship's funding source, the Illinois Veterans Grant, the administrators quietly began pressing the delete button on many of those scholarship offers.

After getting the good news, shortly after Memorial Day, some veterans got the bad news. The scholarships they thought they had were pulled. After Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and Lt. Governor Pat Quinn got involved, many of those scholarships were offered again, only to be re-rescinded, and then offered again.

Van der Hooning is suing the University of Illinois, charging his dismissal from the school was in retaliation for his whistleblowing activity as he tried to right the scholarship wrongs.

Despite what I see as a very strong case, van der Hooning may be facing a tough audience next month. Governor Blagojevich, a Chicago Democrat, hasn't done much if anything to increase funding for the constantly underfunded Illinois Veterans Grant program. By law, what the Illinois Veteran's Grant doesn't pay, state universities have to cover out of their own pockets.

"Blago" was sworn in to office for his first term two months before the invasion of Iraq. As for as the military, and their needs, things have obviously changed since January, 2003.

And as I stated above, the Court of Claims "judges" are Blagojevich appointees.

The University of Illinois is run by its board of trustees, who are appointed by, you guessed it, the governor.

The state's fiscal 2008 budget, which was due at the end of May, still hasn't been approved. There's a chance, albeit a slim one, that the Illinois Veteran's Grant will be remembered before a budget is approved.

I don't expect much from Blagojevich, however. As Diane from Respublica reports, "Governor Elvis" has signed just 31 of 700 bills that have been sent to his desk this year.

And Illinois War on Terror vets keep coming home, looking to get on with the rest of their lives and continue to contribute to society.

If van der Hooning loses, so do the veterans, since a signal will have been sent that it's okay to screw them over.

This case is not just about one guy.

Thanks for the links:

Glock21 Op/Ed
Backyard Conservative

Related post:

Univ. of Illinois College of Business Dean on "partial leave of absence without pay"

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illinois

university of illinois

MBA

law

Karl Rove resigning

President Bush's right hand man for years, Karl Rove, will resign his White House position at the end of this month.

Many of Bush's top staffers have resigned recently. However, those with long memories will recall that few of Ronald Reagan's inner circle were around by the end of the Gipper's term.

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Sunday, August 12, 2007

My Kansas Kronikles: Western Holiday Motel in Wichita

After a day of driving through the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas, I headed southeast to the Sunflower State's largest city, Wichita.

I checked into the Western Holiday Motel on the city's west end, with the very familiar sign out front, Wichita's version of "Vegas Vic."

The city plays a key part in one of my favorite films, as I commented that evening from my room:

"I'm Treo blogging from Wichita, Kansas, from a motel eerily like the one John Candy and Steve Martin shared in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles."

Ironically, that famous part of that great movie was not filmed in Wichita, but in Illinois near Joliet.

I was staying by myself, so I didn't have the opportunity to scream, "Those aren't pillows!"

More good news: Unlike the John Candy and Steve Martin characters, I wasn't robbed either.

Western Kansas is next.

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Tommy Thompson exit soon: UPDATED

In a follow up to my Iowa Straw Poll post from last night, it appears that the Tommy Thompson campaign is headed for the exit ramp. The former Health and Human Services Secretary and longtime Wisconsin governor will probably announce he's ending his longshot quest for the Republican presidential nomination, according to CBS News.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won the non-binding straw poll taken at Iowa State University in Ames, with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee placing second. Kansas Senator Sam Brownback ended up in third place, followed by Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul.

Thompson finished in sixth place. Bad, but it turns out to be really bad that Thompson couldn't get more straw poll votes than the laughing stock of the Republican Party, Ron Paul.

As governor of that state 45 miles north of me, Thompson was well-liked, even among Democrats, winning four elections to Wisconsin's top post. But like such Wisconsin "delicacies" as deep-fried cheese curds, Thompson was unable to catch fire outside America's Dairyland.

UPDATE 9:25PM CDT: It hasn't been officially announced, but Thompson is going to drop out.

Related post:

Romney wins Iowa straw poll

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My Kansas Kronikles: The Prairie Chicken Capital of the World

While driving through the Flint Hills of Kansas, I saw what I thought was a fat pheasant flying across the road. Most likely, it was a prairie chicken.

From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

A grouse of open grassland, the Greater Prairie-Chicken is known for its mating dance. Males display together in a communal lek, where they raise ear-like feathers above their heads, inflate orange sacs on the sides of their throats, and stutter-step around while making a deep hooting moan.

The tiny town of Cassoday, Kansas in Butler County, population 95, touts itself as the Prairie Chicken Capital of the World.

Prairie chickens were once numerous throughout the North American continent, but are now confined to the Great Plains.

About those pheasants: Natives of Eurasia, pheasants are contributing to the struggles of the prairie chicken. Pheasants sometime lay their eggs in a prairie chicken nest, the pheasant hatchlings will emerge first, and the female hen will abandon her nest, believing her job is done. However, since they are not being warmed by a sitting hen, the prairie chicken hatchlings usually die inside the egg.

Related posts:

My Kansas Kronikles: Chase County Courthouse

My Kansas Kronikles: Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church

My Kansas Kronikles: An overview

My Kansas Kronikles: This has to stop

My Kansas Kronikles: The Sunflower State

My Kansas Kronikles: The Flint Hills

My Kansas Kronikles: Alan Clark's filling station in Eskridge

My Kansas Kronikles: A taste of home

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Jenks ties Major League record for consecutive retired batters

In an otherwise--if you are a Chicago White Sox fan--forgettable game, Sox closer Bobby Jenks tied a Major League record this afternoon as he retired his 41st consecutive batter.

Jenks entered that game in the ninth inning, retiring the three batters he faced.

A fantastic catch by White Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye for the middle out in the ninth.

Announcer Steve Stone, who was filling in for regular White Sox voice Darrin Jackson, witnessed both streaks. Jim Barr, who for now shares the record with Jenks, retired 41 straight batters for the San Francisco Giants over two games. Stone was a teammate of Barr. Jenks retired his batters in 13 innings over several games.

In this afternoon's match-up, the Seattle Mariners defeated the White Sox, 6-0.

Related posts:

Almost perfect: White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle throws no-hitter

April 30, 1922: Baseball's first "perfect" game

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Saturday, August 11, 2007

Romney wins Iowa straw poll

This evening's Republican Iowa Straw Poll, an anticlimactic event given that top names such as Rudy Giuliani and John McCain decided to skip the affair, was won by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. In second place was former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who seems to be the leading contender of the second-tier candidates and despite some ethics issues, can now be called a viable vice presidential possibility. Kansas Senator Sam Brownback ended up in third, he was hoping that his ties to evangelicals in the Hawkeye State would lead to a strong showing, if not an outright victory, as Pat Robertson achieved in the 1987 Iowa Straw Poll.

Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, finished in sixth place. As I blogged last night, his campaign is going poorly, and the former HHS Secretary was looking for a strong showing in Ames, where the balloting took place.

Instead, it appears he'll be joining former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore as a former Republican presidential candidate.

Related posts:

Soon-to-be-former Gov. Huckabee and wife on "wedding" gift registries

More Huckabee ethical problems

Is America ready for "Brownback Girl?"

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Muhammad in the Bible? Yep, says Islam Online

The Qur'an is dominated by flowery language that can be interpreted in dozens of ways. The Old and New Testaments use symbolic style to great effect, but many passages of the Bible read like a narrative.

So it's no surprise that an Islam Online forum counselor, Shahul Hameed, finds of all people, Islam's prophet Muhammad, in the Bible.

Here he is, right here in the Book of Matthew:

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. (Matthew 21:42-44, King James Bible)

Oh sure, Imam Hameed goes into a long-winded explanation as to how Muhammad is in this passage, more specifically, the offspring of Ishmael (Call me, won't you?), that is the Muslims, will be the ones bringing forth the fruits.

Most interpretations of that passage view this as Christ's foreknowledge of his rejection by the Jews of Jerusalem and his ultimate crucifixion.

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Friday, August 10, 2007

Knute Rockne and Kansas update

Last month I Treo-blogged from Wichita about my unsuccessful attempt to visit the site near Bazaar, Kansas, where the airplane carrying legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne crashed in 1931.

A resident of nearby Cottonwood Falls e-mailed me some information this morning, and with her information, I put all the pieces together for this post.

From KAKE-TV in 2006:

Easter Heathman of Rural Matfield Green was 13 when the plane carrying Legendary Notre Dame Football Coach Knute Rocke crashed in the Kansas Flint Hills. He is now one of the only living memories of that crash.

More...

"This is about where Knute Rockne’s body laid as near as I can recall. It’s kind of sacred ground here."

On that fateful day in 1931, Knute Rockne's life became intertwined forever with Kansan Easter Heathman. Since the crash Heathman has been the unofficial caretaker of the site in the Flint Hills where 8 men lost their lives. "It's amazing, but I remember it just like it was yesterday."

The monument can't be seen from any road; only Easter Heathman and a few old timers know the way. Next month, folks around Matfield Green will hold an observance of the 75th anniversary of the eight men killed on a foggy day in the Flint Hills way back in 1931.

According to the woman from Cottonwood Falls, Heathman is still escorting interested individuals to the site--depending on his health. He turns 90 next year.

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Wisconsin not financially kind to Tommy Thompson

Former Health and Human Service Secretary and Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson is not doing well in the national polls, he's not raising a lot of money, and tellingly, he isn't even bringing in a lot of money from America's Dairyland.

Whose fault is that? As for his inability to raise Cheesehead cash, he's blaming the media, particularly the state's most important newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

According to that paper, former Gov. Thompson was in Des Moines in front of 16 supporters. Meanwhile, the Des Moines Register, Iowa's most important daily, splashed this headline on page on that same day, "Ex-Sen. Thompson to mingle in Iowa."

Of course that Thompson is Fred Thompson, not Tommy, who presumably could attract far more than 16 people in Iowa's largest city.

But Tommy has the Journal Sentinel on his mind:

It's not (the Des Moines Register) that gets Tommy Thompson's goat.

He said that "negative stories" the Journal Sentinel has carried about his presidential quest have "dried up the money" in Wisconsin.

"I expected to come out of Wisconsin with the media behind me," he said, "raising the dollars so I could get through Iowa."

Thompson, Tommy that is, should blame himself for running a lackluster campaign.

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My Kansas Kronikles: A taste of home

I didn't stop in, but I was glad to see a little bit of a taste of home in Strong City, Kansas, a tiny village just north of Cottonwood Falls in Chase County.

As I've noted before, the people of Kansas are exceptionally friendly, and I man enthusiastically waved at me while I took this photograph.

Related posts:

My Kansas Kronikles: Chase County Courthouse

Knute Rockne and Kansas

Blogging from the Old Chicago Restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas

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Chicago claim: Just 24 homeless living downtown

A recently concluded City of Chicago census of homeless people living downtown states that there are only 24 homeless people living in the section of the city locally known as "The Loop."

Take it from me, that number is a little low.

The next number is too high. From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Homeless advocates maintain the actual nightly homeless population is 21,078 because of an "invisible" group that includes people "doubled-up" with relatives and friends.

If you are living somewhere--other than a shelter or in an alley--then you are not homeless. Financially secure? Definitely not. But again, not homeless.

Chicago has an excellent chance of landing the 2016 Summer Olympics, Mayor Richard Daley is clearly trying to spruce up the city's image before the International Olympic Committee selects its host city.

Chicago is just not "The Loop." Every Sunday morning I drive through the northern end of Lincoln Park. I've never counted the sleeping bodies I see camped out there, but 24 seems like a reasonable number. If I got out of my car, I'm sure I'd find more.

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My Kansas Kronikles: Council Grove and the Santa Fe Trail

When I was a child my father suggested that I watch the film Santa Fe Trail. I expected that the film would be set in New Mexico--but most of it took place in the "Bleeding Kansas" of the 1850s.

But there are historical innacuracies in the film. George Custer, played by Ronald Reagan, fights at the side of Jeb Stuart. Custer was no where near Kansas at the time, in fact he didn't graduate from West Point until 1861. Stuart ironically, was portrayed by Errol Flynn, who just two years later played Custer in They Died with Their Boots On.

The Morris County town of Council Grove is steeped in history. Historians disagree on when the Santa Fe Trail first became a pioneer route, but as the marker on the right states, the people of this Kansas town believe it was there on August 10--Hey, today is August 10!

Seth Hays, a grandson of Daniel Boone, was the first white settler of Council Grove. As I live-blogged while eating a buffalo burger there, Hays founded the Hays House in 1857, the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi.

In 1867, years after his "appearance" on the trail with Jeb Stuart, George Custer and his 7th Calvary camped under this elm tree in Council Grove. The Hays House claims Custer was once a guest there.

Years after travel-by-trail was supplanted by the railroads, two ornate bank buildings were built on Main Street, which was on the part of the trail that passed through Council Grove. On the left is the Council Grove National Bank Building, and below is the Farmers and Drovers Bank, which is amazingly, still a bank.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Crazy vs. crazier: "Attention whore" announces run for Congress

Self-described "attention whore" Cindy Sheehan, who as far as I know hasn't cashed a regular paycheck in two years, announced today that she's running for Congress, challenging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

In other words, the "ho" is back turning tricks.

From AP:

A tearful Cindy Sheehan cited her son, killed in Iraq, as her inspiration as she announced her candidacy Thursday for the U.S. House against Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Sheehan last month said she intended to run against Pelosi, the House speaker, if the San Francisco congresswoman didn't move to impeach President Bush by July 23.

Sheehan said Thursday that Pelosi had "protected the status quo" of the corporate elite and had lost touch with people in her district, most of whom, she asserted, want American troops out of Iraq.

1970s fossil Daniel Ellsberg is among Sheehan's supporters. Ellsberg is the man who leaked the "Pentagon Papers" to the New York Times, and who inadvertently became a figure in the Watergate Scandal when "White House Plumbers" broke into the office of his psychiatrist, Lewis Fielding

If Fielding is still alive, perhaps the doctor can take on one more patient.

Related post:

I thought she was going away

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