Marathon Pundit

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Halloween parade in Morton Grove

Arrgh! Yes, that's Little Marathon Pundit in the pirate costume--she not only participated in her school's Halloween Parade, but she played drums in the band too.

Now it's time to go trick or treating. I'm dressing up this year--a rarity. I'm going to be a Chicago Marathon runner, complete with an empty water bottle.

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US Appeals Court rejects ex-Gov. Ryan's appeal--prison almost certain

The train pulls out at Kankakee....Steve Goodman, "City of New Orleans." And that train, metaphorically speaking, is pulling out of George Ryan's hometown of Kankakee a week from today. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the former Illinois governor's request to stay out of prison while his appeal process runs its course. Ryan's only hope, and its a slim one, is if the US Supreme Court steps in on the Republican's behalf.

In my opinion, you can put it on your timetable: George Ryan will be taking that train to the Federal Prison Camp in Duluth, Minnesota. It's over.

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Project Valour-IT, tonight's topic on the Andrea Shea King Show

Just what is Project Valour-IT?

From their site:

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled and adaptive laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field. The experience of MAJ Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered serious hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important these laptops can be to a wounded service member's recovery.

"Nanny State" book is out

Denver Post columnist David Harsanyi performed a great service in spreading the word regarding the injustice Thomas Klocek encountered from DePaul University when he tried to defend Israel from spurious attacks from some Muslim students at a 2004 student activities fair. While appearing on the O'Reilly Factor in 2005, he brought up the Klocek affair during a discussion about Ward Churchill, who was fired this summer for academic misconduct.

And from writing a column to writing a book is where Harsanyi has gone, and the result is out, Nanny State: How Food Fascists, Teetotaling Do-Gooders, Priggish Moralists, and other Boneheaded Bureaucrats are Turning America into a Nation of Children.

Regular readers of this blog know Chicago is a hot-bed of Nanny-Statism, as the below posts will explain:

Chicago's foie gras faux crisis

Trans fat next to be banned in Chicago?

City of Chicago weighs elephant ban

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Hillary victim of a "gotcha" moment in Philly debate

As in the film A Few Good Men, the best moment of last night's Democratic presidential debate in Philadelphia, televised on MSNBC, was at the very end.

That's when Tim Russert asked Hillary Clinton's opinion about the governor of her state's plan to issue driver's licences to illegal aliens. Hillary waffled on her answer but seemed to oppose it, but was noticeabley annoyed when Russert countered that she said a few days ago that "It makes a lot of sense."

Hillary called it "playing gotcha," and she was right--she was "gotcha-ed." And not just on this issue: She's been utilizing, to cop the phrase from her Democratic rivals, double talk throughout the entire campaign. And even before that while she was first lady.

John Edwards followed up on the "gotcha" with the quip that Clinton said "two different things in the course of two minutes."

HRC also couldn't give a straight answer on why her correspondence as First Lady with President Clinton, with whom I believe she still lives with, on why those documents, currently in the hands of the National Archives, won't be released until 2012.

Who won tonight? Everyone but Hillary, but the one who in my wingnut opinion gained the most was Sen. Christopher Dodd, for setting up, unintentionally of course, the Hillary DMV stumble with his forceful answer explaining his opposition in giving illegals driver's licences, calling the license what my high school driver's education said it was, "a privilege."

And now for others, starting with my senator, Barack Obama. Like his fellow candidates, he favors diplomacy over force in regards to the Iranian nuclear threat. Well everyone does, including President Bush. But he's forgetting this nugget of wisdom from Frederick the Great of Prussia: "Diplomacy without force is like an orchestra without instruments." But going further then his rivals, Obama favors normalization of diplomatic relations with Iran.

Hello, senator. We are not dealing with rational people in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Regime change, once again, should be the policy of government, but not necessarily by force. Military action cannot be taken off the table, in my opinion.
When normal people are running Iran, that's the time to normalize relations.

The words "sabre rattling" were used a great deal tonight in regards to Iran. In fact John Edwards said that the current administration is "rattling their sabres over and over and over."

But Iran is rattling their scimitars, and has been since 1979. And not once did the words "holocaust denial" come up last night. Nor did the fact that Iran is already committing acts of war against our nation by supplying our terrorist enemies in Iraq with weapons.

Sen. Joe Biden, who donned Halloween-scary eyebrows for the Philly match-up, added to his reputation for buffoonery when he uttered "Rudy Giuliani is the most unqualified man to seek the presidency since George Bush." I'm assuming Biden, who once spoke with bizarre pride because his home state of Delaware was once a slave state, was speaking of our current chief executive, not George H.W. Bush. For eight years, Giuliani was in charge of a city that has over ten times the population of Delaware.

Gov. Bill Richardson, as has been his wont in these debates, leaned heavily on his extensive résumé, and like the others was playing up diplomacy as the answer to the Iranian issue. And he reaffirmed his pledge to quicky withdraw our forces from Iraq.

Education was one of the topics brought up by Tim Russert and the other moderator, Brian Williams, and each candidate agreed that we need to improve in this area (Who could possibly be against that?), but not surprisingly, none of the Democrats favored school vouchers or merit pay for teachers, although John Edwards said he favors "incentive pay for teachers willing to go to the most difficult places."

He didn't bring it up tonight, but in his book, The Audacity of Hope, Obama proposed offering higher salaries for science and mathematics teachers, and the need for better instruction in those fields was bandied about among the participants.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich made the most noise, which will get him attention, but few votes. He harped on a couple of themes: Impeach Bush and Cheney, and socialized medicine, which he calls "not-for-profit health care." Even Kucinich is wise enough not to use the "S" word.

Regarding Iran, Kucinich barked, "Even planning for a war in Iran is illegal."

Hmmm...Has the erstwhile "Boy Mayor" of Cleveland ever heard of war games or military contigency planning?

And finally, in the most lighthearted moment of any the debates I've tuned into, Kucinich was asked if he really did---scroll down two posts for more details--see a UFO in the early 1980s, as Shirley MacLaine claims he did in her new book. Kucinich admitted that he did indeed witness such a thing. But so did Jimmy Carter, he added.

Here's a tip for Kucinich: Don't remind voters of the failed presidency of Jimmy Carter, who allowed this whole Iranian mess over which we are now "sabre rattling" over to occur.

Former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel, who has attracted minimal support and funds, was not invited to last night's debate. I'm not sure where he was, but perhaps he was awaiting an identified flying object: The Great Pumpkin.

I watched Chris Matthews post-debate analysis, and he believes Hillary's license mishap will make this a wedge issue in the general election. And that might happen, unless HRC, if she does win the nomination, backs off her support for illegals to be able to obtain driver's licenses.

But if she does, then she'll be called a flip-flopper. Which is something no one will ever accuse Dennis Kucinich of being.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

And some more of fall in Morton Grove

I ran my longest distance, 12 miles, this afternoon since the now infamous 2007 Chicago Marathon. The fall colors are still struggling to break out, but in Morton Grove's Linne Woods, I was able to capture some good shots during my run.

Related posts:

More fall views of Morton Grove

Morton Grove at dusk

Fall in Morton Grove

Goldenrod in Morton Grove

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UFO sighter Kucinich questions Bush's mental stability

Liberal presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), is questioning President Bush's mental stability because of his comments regarding a nuclear Iran leading possibly leading to World War III.

This is the same Kucinich, who according to an upcoming the soon to be released Sage-Ing While Age-Ing book by his friend Shirley MacLaine, saw a UFO in the 1980s.

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Peter Paul documentary exposes the true Hillary

People will finally realize the threat posed by Hillary Clinton to this country and the rest of the rest of the world. Former Hillary Clinton fundraiser Peter Paul.

That is what Paul has to say about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the new documentary, Hillary Uncenscored. The film debuted last week at Harvard University, and friend-of-the-blog Pam Meister will attend a screening in New York this evening.

Paul and comic book legend Stan Lee organized a now notorious Hollywood tribute the President Clinton in 2000, which doubled as a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's senate campaign. Once Paul's criminal past became public, HRC ostracized herself from Paul, but excluding the $2,000 Paul donated, she kept the money from the fundraiser, a pattern that seven years later is now quite familiar to those following Hillary's money-harvesting tactics.

Paul says he and Lee got involved in fundraising for Hillary because they received a promise that Bill Clinton, upon leaving the White House, would assist the pair with their new venture, Stan Lee Media, which in 2001 became a dot.com bust fatality. Bill Clinton, according to Paul, backed out of his pledge to help the fledgling firm.

As with many political scandals, there is a Chicago link. James Levin, owner of Tru-Link Commercial, who later pleaded guilty to fraud involving a Chicago Public Schools contract where minority participation was misrepresented, played a role in that fundraiser. Levin, who was once described himself "dear friend" of Hillary Clinton, is a former owner of a Chicago "Gentleman's Club."

Levin served on the national finance committees for Hillary's Senate campaign and Al Gore’s presidential bid in 2000.

Paul for his part claims that Levin didn't just finance the Clintons' political ambitions, but also satisfied one of Bill's always pressing needs, women. About Levin, Paul said, "He was introduced at one point to me as 'the lap dancer provider to the president."

The trailer for the video is here, and it's the most popular selection on the Google Video site.

Related posts:

Hillary's vacuous vetting exposes International Profit Associates hypocrisy

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

Obama ditching more Rezko linked cash, but what about Hillary?

Peace activists to protest Hillary's Saturday fundraiser in Chicago--location of party next to Clintonista's former strip club

Proof that Giuliani made NYC great: Rich dishwashers

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Two Western countries, one faith, lots of extremism

First we turn to London. From The Telegraph:

Extremist literature that encourages hatred of gays, Christians and Jews can be easily found at many of Britain's mosques, according to a new survey.

Researchers for the centre-Right think tank Policy Exchange claims it found the literature in a quarter of the 100 mosques and Islamic institutions they visited.

Many of the publications allegedly called on British Muslims to segregate themselves from non-Muslims and for unbelievers to be treated as second-class citizens wherever possible.

The literature also allegedly contained repeated calls for gays to be thrown from mountains and tall buildings and for women to be subjugated.

And that sick forgery, the anti-Semitic Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion was among the available publications.

Earlier this month, Fox News had this report about the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Virginia.

A congressionally mandated panel that promotes religious freedom is recommending the Bush administration close a Virginia-based Islamic school run by the Saudi government if school officials don't comply with demands to turn over textbooks that may include lessons on jihad and intolerance toward other religions.

"Significant concerns remain about whether what is being taught at the (school) promotes religious intolerance and may adversely affect the interests of the United States," said a report released Thursday by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

More...

The panel's findings focuses on a number of areas of concern with Saudi Arabia, including a 2003 study showing that Saudi texts encouraged violence toward others, "misguides the pupils into believing that in order to safeguard their own religion, they must violently repress and even physically eliminate the 'other.'"

A separate study last year conducted by The Center for Religious Freedom, run by Freedom House, and the Institute for Gulf Affairs, found that a ninth-grade Saudi textbook "teaches teenagers in apocalyptic terms that violence towards Jews, Christians and other unbelievers is sanctioned by God," the report reads.

Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, the 1999 valedictorian of the school, later joined an al Qaeda cell and became involved in a plot to assassinate President Bush. He's currently serving a 30-year sentence for his crimes.

Where did he get such crazy ideas?

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Monday, October 29, 2007

US gov't tourism video includes Canadian side of Niagara Falls

I've been to Niagara Falls and let I can assure you that it's very clear which is the United States side and what's part of Canada.

Niagara Falls, all of it, is impressive. But the grandest of the cascades is the Horseshoe Falls--which is as Canadian as Toronto.

But that didn't stop Disney, which produced the tourism video for the US State and once again beleaguered Homeland Security Departments (FEMA is part of that agency), from including Horseshoe Falls in the film that will play in various US embassies and airports in America.

The Scotsman spoke with Niagara Falls, New York historian and author Paul Gromosiak about the Falls segment and said, "This is not the United States, this is 100 per cent Canada, shot from the Canadian side. This is an insult."

I was there in 2003, and the Canadian side has its drawbacks. More tackiness, including three wax musuems, which is three more than can be found on the U.S. side. Maybe they've changed it since then, but as a huge fan of The Who, I was impressed by the tremendous amount of Who memorobilia inside the Niagara Falls, New York Hard Rock Cafe.

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Did someone say "school vouchers?"

Well, more than one of ten high schools in the United States is a "drop out" factory. It's another argument in favor of school choice, something the teachers unions vehemently oppose. But with results like these, it's fair to look at new options.

From AP:

It's a nickname no principal could be proud of: "Dropout Factory," a high school where no more than 60 percent of the students who start as freshmen make it to their senior year. That dubious distinction applies to more than one in 10 high schools across America.

"If you're born in a neighborhood or town where the only high school is one where graduation is not the norm, how is this living in the land of equal opportunity?" asks Bob Balfanz, the researcher at Johns Hopkins University who defines such a school as a "dropout factory."

There are about 1,700 regular or vocational high schools nationwide that fit that description, according to an analysis of Education Department data conducted by Johns Hopkins for The Associated Press. That's 12 percent of all such schools, no more than a decade ago but no less, either.

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Chicago Tribune: Change law, then recall Gov. Blagojevich

My governor, Rod Blagojevich, has achieved the impossible. He's done an even worse job as governor as the soon-to-be imprisoned George Ryan.

All the warning signs were there in regards to the Chicago Democrat when he was running for governor the first time in 2002. "Blago" had never run anything larger than a small office, he got just one bill enacted into law in his five years as a congressman. Sleazy characters, such as Dominic Longo and John "Quarters" Boyle were associated with the Blagojevich campaign.

Blagojevich's sole distinction was his father-in-law, powerful Chicago alderman Richard Mell.

Five years later, state government is dysfunctional, and there is one person to blame: Governor Rod Blagojevich.

During his tenure as governor, Blagojevich has shown he has just one talent. Using people like since indicted fund-raiser Tony Rezko to raise money. Although she ran a lackluster campaign, Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka still had no chance to unseat a Democratic incumbent in blue Illinois last year--a good year for the Democratic Party.

But to paraphrase Al Gore and Bill Clinton, "It's time for him to go."

And the Chicago Tribune is leading the charge, and it laid out its case yesterday in an editorial. Free registration is required fo the link:

Should Rod Blagojevich remain as governor of Illinois?

He shows no inclination to resign from office. And while the state constitution does allow for his impeachment by the Illinois House and trial by the Senate, it's doubtful legislators could bring themselves to such drastic action. So the realistic question becomes this: Given the multiple ineptitudes of Rod Blagojevich -- his reckless financial stewardship, his dictatorial antics, his penchant for creating political enemies -- should citizens create a new way to terminate a chief executive who won't, or can't, do his job?

That is, should Illinois join the 18 states that give voters -- as opposed to lawmakers -- the ballot power to remove state officials from office?

The Blagojevich experience suggests that the answer is yes, Illinois should write a recall mechanism into its constitution. Having endured the Blagojevich era, we believe voters never should have to endure another one like it. They instead should have the power to recall an inept governor.

This is not the only problem Blago is facing. His campaign organization is being investigated by US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.

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Cynthia McKinney and the Greens

In the epic Beowulf, the monster, Grendel, emerged from the fens. So it's no surprise that former Georgia Congresswoman, Cynthia McKinney, is headed to South Carolina to support a Green Party candidate running for a municipal office.

She'll be in Fort Mill on November 1, which is a shame, because Halloween is more appropriate. Of late, the toxic McKinney has been cozying up to the Green Party.

From The Palmetto Scoop:

Well, it turns out she was invited by the Green Party of South Carolina. And they’ve asked fellow nut job Bryan Smith, who is running for town council.

Said the York County Green Party in a press release heralding the event, "Her message of hope will bolster Smith's campaign for Fort Mill Town Council as well as giving the York County Greens their first big opportunity to build a solid local base of support for their cause."

The only message of hope McKinney could ever deliver to anyone would be word that she is moving to the Great Barrier Reef to pursue a career in shark wrangling. Otherwise, please keep her the hell out of South Carolina.d her to "deliver an address" at the Baptist Church in Fort Mill on Nov. 1 supporting

McKinney is considering another run for Congress, this time as a Green.

Related posts:

Massachusetts Green Party: Enough to make you puke

Still in the 1960s: 2008 Green Party convention coming to Chicago: UPDATED

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Sunday, October 28, 2007

North Dakota welcomes new wind farm

What's good enough for North Dakota apparently isn't good enough for the millionaires living off of Cape Cod.

In a few months, the state's largest wind farm will begin operation in Cavalier County, which has been struggling with population loss for almost 50 years.

The wind farm project might stop the human drain, as the Grand Forks Herald reports.

The benefits will last a minimum of 25 years, the length of the lease with landowners to place the turbines on their land.

After construction is complete, jobs likely will number only 12. But the influx of money will continue.

More...

The short-term economic benefits come from the project's 200-plus jobs and the goods and services purchased locally.

The temporary housing demand can't be met, as some workers travel from as far away as Grand Forks. Motels and every rent-worthy property are occupied. Restaurants, grocery stores and service businesses are bustling.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

War protest turnouts fall short of expectations

Despite growing evidence that coalition forces are doing a lot better, or perhaps, shall I say, winning in Iraq, there is still a large anti-war movement in the United States.

But is it shrinking?

There were a dozen anti-war protests throughout the country this afternoon, but the one in Chicago, which was expecting 10,000 participants, had only half of that.

They can't blame the weather. It was in the upper 50s today here, bright and sunny, and very little wind.

There was rain in New York today, and just 10,000 marchers showed up at the anti-war protest there, organizers were expecting 75,000.

ABC News believes turnout at the marches is down.

But fewer people in the streets does not necessarily mean fewer protesters, according to Paul Lichterman, an expert on grassroots politics at the University of Southern California.

"Protest has diversified since the anti-Vietnam war days," Lichterman said. "Marching down the street or occupying buildings are not the only means of protest ... Now, many thousands of people express their opposition to the current administration's war policies by donating money online."

Maybe.

I want the war to end soon--which is what will happen when we win and there is a free and stable Iraq in the heart of the Middle East.

Thanks for the link: This Ain't Hell, But You Can See It From Here....

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More fall views of Morton Grove

The fall colors in the Chicago area are so far a bit muted this year, but I managed to find some views worth capturing this afternoon as I was out and about on errands. That's a Sugar Maple on the left, taken in the Linne Woods Forest Preserve in Morton Grove.

On the right is an oak of some sort which I'm not able to identify, I took this one at the Wayside Woods Forest Preserve a little bit to the west. That's Goldenrod on the bottom, also from Wayside Woods, no longer golden, those are seeds of future Goldenrods.

Related posts:

Morton Grove at dusk

Fall in Morton Grove

Goldenrod in Morton Grove

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Michael Ledeen: Regime change now in Iran

The stated policy of any common-sense candidate (Sorry, Barack) for president should be regime change in Iran. Dialogue and diplomacy doesn't work with maniacs. They utilize it as a useful tool. Adolf Hitler did it at Munich in 1938, and Der Führer with another evil man, Josef Stalin, used diplomacy to forge the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact the following year. Two years later, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union.

As for war with Iran, we've been at war with the Islamic Republic since 1979--and our troops in Iraq are getting killed by Iranian supplied weapons.

Author and Pajamas Media columnist Michael Ledeen writes:

The central element of any sensible policy toward the Islamic Republic must be regime change. Fascist regimes, like their communist counterparts, do not change their essence, because they totally believe in the rightness of their cause and the inevitability of their triumph. The war with the Islamic Republic will be won or lost, but it will not be negotiated away as the mullahs convert to common sense and the love of peace.

If you're not reading Michael Ledeen's Pajamas column, what's holding you back?

His previous column, Maybe We're Winning in Iraq, is a must-read too:

Should we declare victory over al Qaeda in the battle of Iraq?

The very question would have seemed proof of dementia only a few months ago, yet now some highly respected military officers, including the commander of Special Forces in Iraq, Gen. Stanley McCrystal, reportedly feel it is justified by the facts on the ground.

These people are not suggesting that the battle is over. They all insist that there is a lot of fighting ahead, and even those who believe that al Qaeda is crashing and burning in a death spiral on the Iraqi battlefields say that the surviving terrorists will still be able to kill coalition forces and Iraqis. But there is relative tranquility across vast areas of Iraq, even in places that had been all but given up for lost barely more than a year ago. It may well be that those who confidently declared the war definitively lost will have to reconsider.

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That all powerful lobby...

Yes there is a lobby that represents just two-percent of the population, but it throws its weight around Congress with impunity. No, it's not the "Israeli Lobby," but the Farm Lobby, as Steven Plaut explains:

For decades, the American consumer has been fleeced by the farm lobby. Agricultural policy is one of the last bastions of socialist control in America. Congress has long feared applying free market economics to agriculture lest it enrage the Farm Lobby. Farmers are only 2% of Americans, a number almost exactly the same as the proportion of Americans who are Jews. And in Europe the situation is even worse. There the European Union has been largely a program of agricultural Bolshevism, with a thin political superstructure federation grafted on top of it.

Now if the Farm Lobby is so powerful, why is the press so devoid of any discussion of it? These are the same media who rarely miss a day in which they are not lambasting the "Israel Lobby." There are no books by ex-Presidents denouncing the excessive powers of the Farm Lobby. Respectable professors at Harvard and the University of Chicago do not churn out books and articles demonizing farmers for their lobbying efforts.

It's a good article, but I'd like to add one more source of power for the Farm Lobby. The first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucuses, which gives the Farm Lobby one more bullet in its arsenal.

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Is America ready for an angry and impatient president?

Apparently Barack Obama thinks so. Friday afternoon Obama spoke at Union Station, the train depot turned hotel and mall in downtown St. Louis, and told his supporters how angry and impatient he is.

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Obama said he was angry over the war in Iraq and impatient to stop it; angry over the lack of health care for millions of Americans and impatient to provide it; and angry over education initiatives like "No Child Left Behind that left the money behind" and impatient to change them.

Vote for Obama: He's Angry and Impatient.

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Friday, October 26, 2007

Judge: Ex-Gov. Ryan must begin prison sentence Nov. 7

Barring an unlikely intervention by the US Supreme Court, former Illinois Governor George H. Ryan will begin his 6 1/2 year prison sentence on November 7, probably at the the Duluth Federal Prison Camp in Minnesota, a minimum-security facility.

Ryan will be the third Illinois governor to serve time in prison since the 1970s, the others being Otto Kerner and Dan Walker, the latter served his sentence in Duluth.

Not surprisingly, the administration and campaign organization of our current governor, Democrat Rod Blagojevich, are being investigated by the office of US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.

Ryan's political career began as a soldier in the Kankakee County Republican Party in the 1960s-- his brother Tom was the longtime mayor of Kankakee. After serving on the Kankakee County Board, George Ryan moved up to the Illinois House of Representatives, eventually becoming speaker. In 1983, Ryan was elected Lieutenant Governor, then Secretary of State, before being elected governor in 1998.

Rampant corruption, mostly involved selling driver's licenses for bribes, was endemic during Ryan's stewardship of the Secretary of State's office--it took a while, but the methodical federal investigation of his office eventually made its way up to Ryan--but he wasn't indicted until after his single term of governor had ended.

Facing almost certain defeat in 2002, George Ryan chose not to run for re-election.

Unlike most political scandals, this one involved fatalities. On the same day Ryan was re-elected as Secretary of State in 1994, a trucker who got his Illinois driver's licence by paying a bribe, killed six children in Milwaukee in a fiery traffic accident.

Of course outside of Illinois, Ryan is best known for clearing out the state's death row shortly before leaving the governor's mansion in 2003.

Now he's the latest bust on the trophy case dedicated to the politicians of America's most corrupt state.

Prison will be a horrible experience for the septuagenarian. Let's hope the Duluth facility is as humanely as a prison can be, something former Governor Walker says was not the situation there in the 1980s, as CBS 2 Chicago reports:

"I hope sincerely he doesn't encounter the kind of mindless brutality I did at Duluth," Walker said.

Walker says he saw a prisoner gang raped at night while on-looking guards did nothing. And Walker was humiliatingly strip searched, outdoors, on the frozen prison yard, in full view of other inmates.

"Squat and spread it was called, that was the order the guard would give: squat and spread," Walker said. "You can use your imagination."

Ryan's prison number has already been assigned, it's 16627-424.

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Detroit selling 92 city parks

Detroit has lost almost half of its population since 1950. And the depopulating metropolis is selling off excess parts, or in this case, parks.

Yep, it's that bad in the Motor City.

From the Detroit Free Press:

One-quarter of Detroit's 367 parks could be sold under a proposal designed to help the city shed dozens of its smallest and most worn-down parks in an effort to aid others and position the land for redevelopment.

More than half of the 92 parks are less than an acre in size -- so-called pocket parks -- tucked in neighborhoods. Some have swing sets, jungle gyms, slides and benches. They make up 124 acres of the city's roughly 6,000 acres of parkland.

Many of those neighborhoods are no longer dense in population and are dominated by urban prairies as the result of demolished homes, conditions Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's administration cites in its proposal.

Selling parks. Detroit's in bad shape.

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Brownback backing Rudy?

Sen. Sam Brownback's presidential campaign never really got off the ground. Of the second-tier candidates, he was given a decent shot of breaking out of the second-tier because of his support among the family-values voters in the Republican Party. But former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, still a second tier denizen, has moved ahead of the others in the back of the class.

Still, Brownback's support will be much sought after by the remaining candidates in the field. Which makes Rudy Giuliani's visit to the Kansas senator's Washington office interesting.

Regarding Giuliani's stance on abortion, Brownback said, "I'm much more comfortable."

He then elaborated:

Justices are key. He's stated publicly many times about his support for strict constructionists like, I believe he said Roberts. John Roberts is a personal friend.

He may not be an exceptionally devout member of the faith, but Mayor Giuliani is a Roman Catholic, and Brownback is a recent convert.

Brownback's "comfort statement" is not an endorsement, but it's good news for Rudy.

Related posts:

Tommy Thompson endorses Rudy

My Kansas Kronikles: Goodbye to Kansas

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Gay group to protest at Obama gospel concert

A couple of days ago, I noted my reluctance to blog about the Obama's choice of the Rev. Donnie McClurkin, a self-proclaimed ex-gay who says homosexuality is a choice. to perform at an Obama campaign sponsored gospel concert. I found about the story at about 10pm local time, and I figured that McClurkin would've either walked away from the gig, or that the Obama camped would've fired him.

The smart thing of course would have been for the Obama campaign do dump him. Cruel to McClurkin, yes, but the reverend was expendable.

As a peace offering to gays, the Obama campaign announced yesterday that an openly gay minister from the United Church of Christ, the faith Obama follows, will be added to the musical line-up. Which won't make Obama's black supporters happy. The performer is the Rev. Andy Sidden, a white man.

Couldn't Obama have found a black minister, not necessarily gay, but at least "pro-gay" to "balance the ticket?"

The gay cleric's addition isn't enough to pacify the South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement. They'll be outside the concert venue protesting McClurkin's performance.

And the strange thing is, Obama is supposed to be so smart.

Related posts:

Gay minister added to Obama gospel concert

Another Obama audacious misfire

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Thursday, October 25, 2007

Andy Martin and the mad madrassa story

Political gadfly Andy Martin, once known as Anthony Martin-Trigona, may have a tie to that notorious chain e-mail, FW: Let us remain ALERT, which made the allegation, since proven to be false, that Sen. Barack Obama, attended a madrassa run by Wahhabi radicals in Indonesia.

From The Nation:

Despite the fact that CNN and others have thoroughly debunked the smear, the original false accusation has clearly sunk into people's consciousness. One Obama organizer told me recently that every day, while calling prospective voters, he gets at least one or two people who tell him they won't be voting for Obama because he's a Muslim. According to Google, "Barack Obama Muslim" is the third most-searched term for the Illinois senator. And an August CBS poll found that when voters were asked to give Obama's religion, as many said Muslim as correctly answered Protestant.

Oh yeah. And the e-mail continues to circulate.

"Everybody started calling me" when the e-mail first made the rounds, Andy Martin told me. "They said, 'Hey, did you write this?' My answer was 'they are all my children.' "

Martin, a perennial political candidate, is one of the declared Republican candidates hoping to oppose Dick Durbin next year.

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Thomas Klocek information here

This post will remain on top for the next few days. For newer entries, please scroll down. On Thursday at 7:30pm, former DePaul Professor Thomas Klocek and Greg Luckianoff, President of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, will participate in an American Freedom Alliance seminar, "The Demise of Free Speech in Academia, Anti-Semitism, and the Marginalization of Christian Groups on Campus" and is taking place at the Nessah Educational Center, 142 S. Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, California.

There has been a lot of interest in this event, and at the request of a couple people, to simplify things, I'm placing my link to my September 15, 2006 post on the Klocek incident below.

Sept 15: Second anniversary of the beginning of the Thomas Klocek affair

And don't forget to sign the Reinstate Professor Thomas Klocek at DePaul University petition. Just 20 signatures are needed to reach the goal of 2000.

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Romney: United Nations a failure

Well it's about time a major political figure spoke the obvious--the United Nations, that expensive, Jew-hating, anti-American, anti-freedom debating society, is a failure.

Even better, Romney supports a "coalition of the free nations of the world and bring those nations together so that we can act together."

Related post:

The Sanity Squad podcast on Bolton and Jamil Hussein

Latest Sanity Squad podcast: Iranian Holocaust conference and Kofi's departure

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Ex-Gov Ryan's appeal denied

Disgraced former Illinois Governor George H. Ryan received some bad news this morning: His appeal of his guilty verdict on various corruption charges has been denied, and the Kankakee Republican may have to report to prison in three days.

Still best known outside of Illinois for his opposition to the death penalty, I'm still confident that Ryan will win a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. Since Europeans for the most part are enamored with convicted cop-killer Mumia abu-Jamal, Ryan is well positioned to succeed Al Gore as America's next Nobel Peace laureate. The drama of a prison acceptance is too good to pass up by the folks in Stockholm, most of whom don't like America.

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Gay minister added to Obama gospel concert

Seeking to defuse a controversy, the Barack Obama campaign added an openly gay minister, the Rev. Andy Sidden, to a Sunday South Carolina gospel concert tour that also includes the Rev. Donnie McClurkin, who says that homosexuality is a choice and that God directed him away from being gay.

Gay groups are calling for the Obama campaign to drop McClurkin from the tour, despite Sidden's addition.

Related post:

Another Obama audacious misfire

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Wednesday, October 24, 2007

No fat in Cook County budget?

Last year Sen. Barack Obama called Cook County Board President Todd Stroger "a good progressive Democrat" and someone who will "lead us into a new era of Cook County government."

Stroger is a hack, but unfortunately he's someone who really is leading me and 5.3 million residents of Cook County into that new era.

The new era could end up with a doubling of the gasoline tax, a 2.8 percent property tax increase, and worst of all, the nation's highest sales tax.

Stroger says there is no fat left to cut in his proposed budget. But I found some from this year's budget, right here in Morton Grove in the Linne Woods Forest Preserve. What on earth is that in the picture? Is it a canoe landing? Maybe. If so, are the brains of Cook County government aware that the body of water in the picture, the North Branch of the Chicago River, is too shallow--with rare exceptions such as after heavy rains--for canoeing? Or is this a walkway to get a close look at the river? However, about 100 yards away, where grass is mowed, there is access, without steps, to the river.

How many projects like this well, whatever it is, are in Stroger's next budget?

Related posts:

Partial victory: Cook County Board delays vote on enacting nation's highest sales tax

Stop the proposed Cook County phone tax

"Is anyone watching out for Chicago taxpayers?"

Hey Obama! Speak out on proposal to impose nation's highest sales tax in your hometown: UDPATED

Cook County Board may vote for nation's highest sales tax

Time for me to shop...outside Cook County?

Marathon Pundit Chicago River dumping follow up

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Birdwatchers vs. gay cruisers in Chicago

There is Larry Craig-type activity outside of the Minneapolis airport. Where I run most days, in Skokie's Harms Woods, there used to be a public washroom known for gay liasons. Of course I had to stop using it. The washroom was torn down last year, ending the problem.

In Chicago there are similar spots, such as Magic Hedge, a mini-forest near Montrose Harbor.

From the Chicago "free registration required" Tribune:

"Historically, these charges have been used as discrimination against homosexuals," said Jon Erickson, a Chicago lawyer who has defended cruising suspects. "I've never seen a straight couple charged with public indecency in Branch 29 court."

Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), the city's first openly gay alderman, said police are wasting time by trying to combat an activity "that has been going on a hundred years."

Several of his constituents in the heavily gay ward have complained about entrapment during police stings, he said. He called those people "victims."

Police "are playing a game," said Tunney, whose ward includes the Town Hall police district. "Is this really a priority when we've got violent crime on the street?"

Hey Tunney, those constituents, whether they are gay or not, are breaking the law. People should not have to encounter couples involved in sex acts when walking around in a public area. What if children see this going on? And Ald. Tunney, if you don't like the law, use your position on the city council to propose repealing it. Show some, well, you know....

As for the lawyer, Mr. Erickson, well counselor, you don't often see straight couples engaged in such activity outdoors or in public bathrooms. And I'm aware of an entire site, which appeals to gay males, devoted to such encounters. All I'm going to say is that it has "Cruising" in its name, it's very not-safe-for-work.

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Chicago Marathon: Ambulance driver got lost, took dead runner to wrong hospital

Because of the heavy demand for ambulances created by the unseasonably hot weather in this month's Chicago Marathon, suburban crews were called in to assist Chicago officials.

An ambulance team from Niles, which is the town just west of where I live, was flagged down and began treating Chad Schreiber, who was in full cardiac arrest. But NBC 5 Chicago is reporting this morning that not only did the Niles crew get lost, but they took Schreiber, who had a pre-existing heart condition, to the wrong hospital.

Neither the Niles group or the hospital emergency room where Schreiber was taken were able to revive him.

Schreiber, a 35 year-old Midland, Michigan police officer, was married with three children.

Related post:

A participant's view of the cancelled Chicago Marathon: UPDATED

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emt

The South will not rise again, it has already risen

In today's American Thinker, Ed Lasky that the South is driving our nation.

An excerpt:

The South, in fact, has been a hotbed of business innovation. FedEx (Memphis) was a revolutionary company that has transformed transportation and business logistics in America. Wal-Mart has been a pioneer in bringing low prices to the American consumer and has immeasurably benefited the lifestyles of Americans, especially lower income people; Tyson Foods, Sanderson Farms, Smithfield Foods, Cal-Maine Foods (the number one egg producer in the nation); innumerable soybean farmers are protein factories that have fed America and are feeding the world (and helping our balance of payments). America's largest bank, Bank of America, is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Meanwhile, New York City is rapidly losing its place as the world's leading financial center to London, Hong Kong, and other centers of finance. Trades are increasingly done off the floor of the exchanges and through the internet. One of the largest such "virtual" exchanges is located in Kansas City (in reality, the exchange resides on a shelf of computers). Boston, Greenwich and New York City are no longer the only places where hedge funds are located.

Home Depot was a pioneer in retailing and has helped to make homes and home improvements affordable for millions of people. Texas Instruments and Dell computer have created a technological corridor in Texas that will benefit the region for years to come. The Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle can hold its own against Silicon Valley and surpasses Route 128 in Massachusetts. More prosaically, Coke has been refreshing the world's billions for years.

While Texas and Oklahoma and the Southern states bordering the Gulf of Mexico supply our energy needs, many blue states (and Florida) forbid the development of their offshore oil reserves and prevent the rise of nuclear power, while the Kennedys lead efforts to stop a wind farm from spoiling their view off the coast of Cape Cod.

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retail

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Robert Spencer comes to DePaul University

Man oh man, I'm sorry I missed this one, but luckily MJ and Jake of the Freedom Folks, and Anne Leary of Backyard Conservative were at DePaul Univeristy as David Horowitz' Islamofascist Awareness Week kicked off, with Chicago's entry featuring author Robert Spencer, who runs the Jihad Watch and Dhimmi Watch sites.

Jake and MJ videotaped Spencer's speech, made in front of capacity crowd. Early on, Spencer brought up the last words of Theo van Gogh, "Can't we talk about this?" Van Gogh, although Spencer didn't phrase it as such, was a Dutch Howard Stern type who pretty much insulted everyone. But it only his attacks on Islam for which he paid the ultimate price.

The world's premier Islamofascist, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, isn't interested in dialogue, so in line with Spencer's levelheaded reasoning, "Can't we talk about this?" would fail to make an impact on Iran's windbreaker-clad leader.

Amir Abbas Fakhravar, a former Iranian student who "tried to talk" but ending up spending five years in prison--where he was tortured, also spoke, as did DePaul Professor Scott Hibbard, who Jacobsen called "an engaging speaker very much rooted in the 'realist' approach to the Middle East."

The YouTube videos are great, and every minute is worth watching.

The event was sponsored by my good friends at the DePaul Conservative Alliance.

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Another Obama audacious misfire

Sen. Barack Obama is having another bad day. I was tempted to blog about his item last night, but I figured by the time I got up and around this morning, this would no longer be a story--the Obama campaign would put out this public relations fire.

As you'll read one post below, Obama is drawing heat on the right-side of the political aisle for not, unlike his rivals for the Democratic nomination, placing his hand on his heart as the National Anthem played.

On the left-side, particularly among gay activists, Obama is facing problems.

Donnie McClurkin is a gospel singer who says he was "once involved with those desires and those thoughts" which he traces to being raped at the age of 8 and 13.

He also said yesterday, "I don't believe that it is the intention of God. Sexuality, everything is a matter of choice."

This weekend, McClurkin, a Pentecostal minister who says he is now straight, will be among a group of gospel singers who will perform at an Obama fund raiser in South Carolina.

Gay groups want to "give the hook" on McClurkin's gig.

Here is a portion of Obama's written response

I have clearly stated my belief that gays and lesbians are our brothers and sisters and should be provided the respect, dignity, and rights of all other citizens. I have consistently spoken directly to African-American religious leaders about the need to overcome the homophobia that persists in some parts our community so that we can confront issues like HIV/AIDS and broaden the reach of equal rights in this country.

Obama's attempts to build a bridge to religious voters have not gone well. The title of his best-selling book, The Audacity of Hope, comes from a sermon from the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the pastor of Obama's South Side Chicago place of worship, Trinity United Church of Christ. The church's covenant is a holdover from the late 1960s, Black Power movement.

A sample:

We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian... Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain "true to our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through the days of slavery, the days of segregation, and the long night of racism. It is God who gives us the strength and courage to continuously address injustice as a people, and as a congregation. We constantly affirm our trust in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Community.

That raised some eyebrows among the Obama camp earlier this year, which is why Rev. Wright was "given the hook" after being asked to give the invocation at Obama's announcement that he was running for president. Wright got the word that he was out the night before.

Audacity!

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Western Michigan University

Another Obama flag flap

It's taken a while for this incident to make the rounds of the blog-o-sphere, but last month, while our National Anthem played at Sen. Tom Harkin's annual steak fry in Iowa, my senator, Barack Obama, was the only person on the rostrum who didn't place his hand on his heart.

Earlier this month, a sharp-eyed Iowa reporter noticed that unlike the other presidential candidates, Obama doesn't wear a flag pin on his lapel, claiming such an adornment is a substitute for "true patriotism."

But Obama does understand the importance of symbols. As Ben Smith pointed out in July on Politico, Obama, again in Iowa, positioned himself with in a way to conform to the teachings of guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder the Transcendental Mediation movement.

Sen. Barack Obama drew his heartiest welcome of a two-day swing through Iowa in the state's capital of inner peace.

To the frustration of the cameramen in the Fairfield town square, Obama delivered his remarks facing east, with the setting sun behind him blotting out their shots.

But here, there’s a power even higher than the television networks: Obama had positioned himself in alignment with the rotation of the earth, in accordance with the teachings of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whose followers moved en masse to this small Iowa city more than 30 years ago.

Here is the video, courtesy of Say Anything.

Related post:

Obama and Earth are One

Thanks for the link: WindyPundit

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Monday, October 22, 2007

Proof that Giuliani made NYC great: Rich dishwashers

Sunday night during the Republican presidential debates former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani took pride in his accomplishments as mayor of what was once viewed as an failed city, New York.

New York City and its inhabitants are so wealthy that dishwashers and other traditionally low-wage workers can afford to donate anywhere from $500 to $2,000 to the presidential campaign of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

What a city! What a mayor!

The Bench has more.

Related posts:

Hillary's vacuous vetting exposes International Profit Associates hypocrisy

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

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Chicago Blackhawks may broadcast some home games on TV

When I talk to people who live outside of the Chicago area about this "quaint" local custom, they're dumbstruck. The Chicago National Hockey League franchise, the "Original Six" Blackhawks, do not broadcast, not even on cable, their home games. Team by team, league by league, professional sports operations dropped their home "black-out" rules, but the Blackhawks carried on with their Mesozoic philosophy of ignoring the most dominant media of our time.

What happened? The Blackhawks now draw only 10,000 fans a game for their games at the United Center, and two generations of fans have been bypassed because the shortsighetness of one man, Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz, who passed away last month.

Now Wirtz' eldest son, Rocky, has disclosed that he's in talks with Comcast SportsNet, which broadcasts games of the Chicago White Sox, Cubs, and Bulls, to air some "Hawks" game this season.

I took some heat about this blog entry about Bill Wirtz, which I posted the morning of the longtime owner's death, but it seems the "Dollar Bill" Wirtz' son is aware of the key problem this once-proud franchise faces--and wants to fix it.

From the Chicago Blackhawks web site:

We are convinced that it is the appropriate next step to re-energize Chicago hockey fans and create new fans. We are also working on a long term strategy for televising additional home games in the future.

And on the ice, the Blackhawks are off to a good start, they're in second place in the NHL Central Division.

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NHL

Manifest destiny in reverse by horse

Bill Inman and his horse Blackie are on a cross country trek--west to east--and the pair are currently in Dodge City, Kansas.

From the Dodge City Globe:

The creator of Uncovering America, a Web log dedicated to capturing an image of American that's often missed in the media today, Inman is traveling from Oregon to North Carolina astride his horse. His mission is to bring the people, places and events he encounters into the homes of people who may have become jaded by the violence and negativity that consumes the media.

Related post:

My Kansas Kronikles: Dodge City, Beef Kingdom

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"Is anyone watching out for Chicago taxpayers?"

Jim McCauley, who owns a restaurant on Chicago's North Side asks, "Is anyone watching out for Chicago taxpayers?"

Probably not. But the Cook County and the City of Chicago are watching McCauley's wallet--like a lion eyes prey.

Both Cook County and Chicago are considering all kinds of tax increases, and maybe, maybe, people have had enough.

McCauley posted a sign inside his restaurant with that message.

We're a long way from an uprising, but McCauley's plea is a start.

Related posts:

Stop the proposed Cook County phone tax

Cook County won't end up with nation's highest sales tax

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Sunday, October 21, 2007

Republican debate analysis

Tonight's debate is over, and it's time (for me) to analyze.

Who won? Mayor Rudy Giuliani, I think. Early in tonight's debate, Fred Thompson jumped on Giuliani over his stands on abortion, gun control, and "sanctuary cities." Rudy bounced back, telling the audience of Thompson's opposition to tort reform while a senator.

Eight years of confronting a hostile New York media has made Giuliani light-footed in when dealing with pointed questions and determined opponents.

Opposition to Hillary Clinton dominated tonight's debate, which took place at a resort in Orlando, Florida.

Giuliani repeated an HRC quote, "I have a million ideas, America can't afford them all." To which Rudy added, "America can't afford you."

John McCain had a good night, and brought up Hillary Clinton's support of spending $1 million for a Woodstock Concert museum. McCain was, as he put it, was "tied up at the time" of the original Woodstock shows--he was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam in 1969. McCain's quip got him a well-deserved standing ovation.

Regarding Iraq, McCain said, "He'd much rather lose a campaign than lose a war." I can't conceive of a Democrat running for president saying such a thing. Well, Joe Lieberman would, but he's not running this this time.

I'll give credit where credit is due. Ron Paul is right, "Republicans have become big spenders." Still, the Democrats are even bigger spenders. But the Texas congressman brought up "an empire we can no longer maintain." The "American Empire" is lingo from the left--the far left, and Paul is far-out. He got his share of boos, especially after his comment claiming "Sixty percent of Americans want our troops out of Iraq."

Rep. Tom Tancredo didn't get much time to speak, and when he did, the subject of illegal immigration almost always seemed to come up. The Coloradan can't seem to escape being viewed as a single issue candidate--he's not helping his own cause.

California Congressman Duncan Hunter took issue with one part of Romney's Massachusetts health care plan--a plan Romney brought into discussion several times tonight, "It has lots of mandates. It's got to have, for example, fertility coverage. Well, what if you're 90 years old?"

It was at this point I was wishing long, long time White House Correspondent Helen Thomas was in the debate audience.

Huckabee again performed well, repeating one of his campaign themes, "We don't have a health-care crisis, we have a health crisis." He gets points from me just by uttering this word: Islamofascism.

Fred Thompson, making his second debate appearance, spanked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her supporting a resolution condemning the 1915 Armenian Genocide in Turkey as "totally irresponsible."

(Yes, genocide occurred. But now is not the time to jeopardize our relationship with Turkey.)

Mitt Romney was must have been thinking about the Boston Red Sox playing in game seven of the ALCS at Fenway Park against the Cleveland Indians. He came across defensive, and unlike Giuliani, had trouble deflecting attacks on his conservative credentials.

Yet the shadow of Hillary was felt throughout the night. And I kept thinking, one on one, in a debate with the Chicago-born New York Yankees fan, Rudy Giuliani is the best one to hit her out of the park.

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GOP debates in Orlando, Andrea Shea King in audience

After an hour of analysis, the next Republican presidential debate will take place tonight in Orlando at 8pm EDT, 7pm Central, on the Fox News Channel. Friend of the blog Andrea Shea King, Florida radio talk show host, will be in the audience as a guest of the Duncan Hunter campaign.

And that's not all for Andrea--she'll be having an early dinner with Sean Hannity.

Hat tip to Third Wave Dave for the heads up.

UPDATE 8:05 PM CDT: Pajamas Media is liveblogging the debate, as is Third Wave Dave, as well as The Real Sporer, who has already over 100 comments and counting.

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Central figure in military scholarships scandal lands new U of I job

Avijit Ghosh, dean of the University of Illinois College of Business while the military scholarships scandal occurred, has a new job with the university.

Currently on leave from that position, Ghosh on New Year's Day will become the school's vice president of technology and economic development--earning a salary that matches, pending approval of the university's board of trustees his take with the College of Business--$339,000 a year.

Earlier this year Ghosh was a candidate for the president's position at Western Michigan University.

Incidentally, I'm still wondering how many military scholarships were offered by the university for this year's Chicago executive MBA program.

Related posts:

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

University of Illinois military scholarships scandal update

Exclusive: Van der Hooning, and Illinois vets, get a hearing at the Court of Claims

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Illini

illinois

university of illinois

MBA

Saturday, October 20, 2007

La Raza pulls convention out of Kansas City over Minutemen member

In June, newly sworn-in Mayor of Kansas City, Mark Funkhouser, appointed 73 year-old grandmother Frances Semler, pictured on the left, to the city's park board. It's the type of government agency that does harmless things such as issue picnic permits and oversee dog-leash regulations.

But Ms. Semler, a neighborhood leader and onetime president of the Clay County Rose Society, is also a member of the Minutemen. They're the group that many people, including President Bush, call "vigilantes," but what they mostly do--besides holding occasional rallies requesting enforcement of current immigration laws--is sit in chairs with big hats and binoculars--and plenty of fluids--at the border so they can alert border patrol officials when they see someone breaking the law--that is, entering the United States illegally.

Despite the insignificant amount of power Ms. Semler has in her parks position, her Minutemen membership was too much for La Raza, an Hispanic civil rights group--who within days of her appointment called for Semler's resignation. And the group had some leverage--the 2009 La Raza national convention was already on the books for KC.

But Mayor Funkhouser surprised La Raza by not caving into the demand for Semler's head. And carrying through with their threat, La Raza announced Saturday afternoon that they're cancelling their Kansas City get-together. Not to be outdone, the NAACP, in a show of support, is threatening to pull its 2010 national convention out of Kansas City.

The 2009 La Raza convention, according to the Kansas City Star, was expected to bring 5,000 hotel rooms and $5 million in revenue to KC. Mayor Funkhouser shouldn't sweat, I used to work in the hotel business, those rooms will be re-sold, and besides convention bureau economic impact predictions are as about as scientific as alchemy. Generally, the estimates greatly overestimate the true revenue of what a group spends in a city.

Hats off to Funkhouser for not caving in to La Raza. The Minutemen are a legal organization, and Semler in her park board position can hardly expected to do anything of significance regarding immigration--or illegal immigration--in Kansas City.

Tony's Kansas City blog, while not a supporter of Funkhouser and Semler, has a pretty good summary of the events since June.

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Bloggers: Win cash, win a Sammie

For all of the creative and effective bloggers out there...

From the Sam Adams Alliance web site:

Are you a modern-day Sam Adams? Do you know how to get your message out about government accountability and transparency in your community? Local leaders, bloggers and video producers can enter for a chance to win cash prizes totaling $35,000!

The Sammies are a series of awards for outstanding citizen leadership and creativity. Cash prizes totaling $35,000 will be awarded to citizen leaders who are making effective change for more accountable and transparent government.

"We’re pleased to have this opportunity to recognize 'Modern-Day Sam Adamses' – the citizen leaders who are working hard to promote and defend liberty," said Bob Costello, president of The Sam Adams Foundation. "We're looking forward to learning more about local efforts and the creative ways people spread the word on important issues like government accountability and transparency."

"The Sammies" include awards for citizen campaigns, creative events, blogging, and videos. The program seeks to publicize recent efforts that may not have received adequate attention, and to encourage more people to stand up for good government practices in their communities.

The contest categories include:

Videos: Produce one short documentary-style OR one short satire about local or state government issues: $5,000 cash prizes for each.

Best Local-Subject Blogger: Post regularly on a blog that covers local issues such as accountability, corruption, transparency, property rights, etc.: $5,000 cash prize.

Tea Party Award: Make a public political point just like Sam Adams at the Boston Tea Party: $5,000 cash prize.

Sunshine Award: Use open records laws to uncover government corruption and waste: $5,000 prize.

Modern-Day Sam Adams: Lead a local political effort and achieve a victory for liberty: $10,000 cash prize.

All submissions are due by December 7, 2007, and the winners will be showcased at an event in Chicago on December 17, 2007, where they will be presented with golden colored Sam Adams bobbleheads, or "Sammies."

Please review our contest details and rules for more information about The Sammies.

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Friday, October 19, 2007

Obama back to supporting immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq

Just three weeks ago, Barack Obama at a Democratic candidates debate in New Hampshire couldn't make a guarantee about whether there would still be U.S. troops in Iraq at the end of a first Obama presidential term in 2013, saying, "I think it's hard to project four years from now."

But two weeks before that debate, Obama said this:

Let me be clear: There is no military solution in Iraq, and there never was. The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq's leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops," Obama said in his speech. “Not in six months or one year -- now.

Since the New Hampshire debate, Obama, who's been losing ground to Hillary Clinton in most opinion polls, has been delivering the message unlike HRC and John Edwards, he's always been against the war, way back in 2002--when almost no one had heard of him.

Throw this in the mix: In August, Obama said as president, he'd be willing to attack al Qaeda forces in Pakistan. To put in kindly, that comment was not well received by the Pakistani government.

Back to Iraq. Obama was in Tempe, Arizona Friday afternoon, and in a speech in front of 5,000 supporters, it appears that Obama has made up his mind what he would do there. Associated Press is reporting that Obama would immediately order U.S. troops to leave Iraq once he is president. Here's another report on his speech, which I found on the Obama campaign site.

This comes from the East Valley Tribune:

He called for withdrawing U.S. troops from the Iraq war, and said that if elected his first course of business will be to call for a meeting of the joint chiefs of staff to order them to remove Americans from the Middle East. He also promised to provide health care to every single person in the United States that is as good as health care U.S. senators receive.

I'm waiting for a transcript of the speech to appear.

Oh, just a reminder to my senator. The "surge" appears to be working.

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Not in my back yard: Commission rejects Cape Wind project

The Cape Cod Commission has voted to deny a plan to build a 130 turbine wind farm, known as Cape Wind, off of Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

Those "friends of the environment," the Kennedy Family, led by it's chief green warrior, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., have been vehement opponents to Cape Wind. The Kennedy's legendary Hyannis Port compound is near the site of where Cape Wind would be built.

The limousine liberal set that inhabits Cape Cod for the most part are in the Kennedy camp. John Kerry comes to mind.

But it's not just a Democrat thing. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, now a Republican presidential candidate, also opposes Cape Wind.

This doesn't mean the end of Cape Wind, the developers aren't giving up on their plan to offer clean energy to New Englanders. But at least in this round, the "Not in My Backyard" forces have won.

Of course, the people who have vacation homes on Cape Cod for the most part favor wind farms. But they want them where you live, not where they party and spend their summers.

Related posts:

RFK, Jr: Environmental hypocrite

A Kennedy is on the board of the Chicago Climate Exchange

New North Dakota wind farm, Cape Wind flounders

My Kansas Kronikles: Gray County Wind Farm

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Hastert not retiring early?

His aides are still saying former House Speaker Dennis Hastert will reign soon, but the Plano Republican is not confirming their version of the events.

From AP:

In Washington, however, Hastert told an NBC reporter the stories are mere "rumor" and that he still has a lot of work to do for Illinois.

Asked if he plans to resign before his term ends, he said, "not at this time."

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Thursday, October 18, 2007

Pakistan: Muslims killing Muslims

Sad to say, but I believed something like this would happen upon former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's return to Pakistan. Women rulers are viewed as anathema to Islamic extremists. What appears to have been an assassination attempt instead killed 126 people; the people behind the bombings would have viewed the attack a success if one more person died: Bhutto.

Let's hope that there are some protest marches against these types of attacks in the Muslim world in the next few days. It probably won't happen, but I wouldn't mind being surprised.

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Morton Grove at dusk

A major thunderstorm system is ripping through the southern half of the Chicago area as I write this. Up in Morton Grove, however, it makes for a colorful cloud pattern at the intersection of Waukegan Road and Dempster Avenue.

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Patrick Fitzgerald to marry

Former special prosecutor in the "Plamegate" case, Patrick Fitzgerald, whose full time job is serving as US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, where the culture of corruption keeps him very busy, is getting married.

The Washington Post broke the news last night, and this morning Fitzgerald's office confirmed the report.

Fitzgerald, who possesses average looks, was listed in 2005's "Sexiest Man Alive" edition.

It's the first marriage for the 46 year-old Fitzgerald. The bride-to-be is investment banker turned teacher, Jennifer Letzkus. It's her second marriage.

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Glenn & Helen podcast and their visit to the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Conference

While getting my fossil-fuel powered car serviced this morning, I listened to the latest Glenn & Helen Show podcast. Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds and Dr. Helen Smith traveled to New York for the recent Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Conference where they interviewed energy-effecient expert Amory Lovins, Windbelt inventor Shawn Frayne, and MacArthur Genius Award winner and science educator Shawn Carlson.

Lovins doesn't believe in what Reynolds termed "hair shirt environmentalism." Lovins notes, "The United States in 2006 used 48 percent less energy, 54 percent less oil, and 64 percent less directly-used natural gas per GDP than we did in 1975. Hen then added, "Oil is half as important as it used to be."

So the oil being pumped by Wichita, Kansas well needs to be used more wisely, in accordance with Lovins' reasoning.

Frayne's Windbelt isn't a big windmill, but something more compact that can replace dangerous kerosene devices.

Carlson favors better science education in our schools, but not the force-fed version that's in place now. His comments reminded me of when I was in high school, our biology teacher walked us to McGuinnes Slough (a large pond next to our school) to retrieve pond samples to be studied back in the classroom. Several students took a detour from that walk to smoke a joint--the only lesson they learned that day supplemented their sizable knowledge base in their high school major, "How Not to Get Caught."

Some kids don't care. Others need to be nurtured.

Listen to or download the podcast here. Or do what I do subscribe for free via iTunes.

As Glenn says, "We like that."

The podcast is sponsored by Volvo Automobiles.

Related posts:

My Kansas Kronikles: Gray County Wind Farm

Pajamas Media's Glenn & Helen Show podcast: Popular Mechanics and New Media

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oil

Brownback backing out of prez race

The darling of the "Family Values" wing of the Republican Party, Kansas Senator Sam Brownback is dropping out of the presidential race next week. To me, he came off unconvincing in the presidential debates, and like former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, he was hoping for a strong showing in August's Iowa Straw Poll. Thompson dropped out a few days later.

The Brownback campaign raised only $800,000 in the third quarter of this year.

My guess is that Brownback was hoping to to catch lightening in a bottle in a way that Pat Robertson did in 1988 when he finished second in the Iowa Caucuses. The gave the TV evangelist some momentum for a little while, but Robertson's campaign fizzled out a few weeks later.

Brownback, a genuinely religious man who doesn't carry the nut baggage (some will disagree with me) that Robertson did in '88, is expected to run for governor of Kansas in 2010. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, is currently governor, but is not expected to run for a third term, but might run that year to replace Brownback, achieving the seemingly impossible--becoming a Democratic senator from Kansas. The last time the Sunflower State had a Democrat in the upper house was in 1939--and I bet the Great Depression had something to do with that.

Related posts:

My Kansas Kronikles: A 39 post series

Is America ready for "Brownback Girl?"

Tommy Thompson endorses Rudy

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gop

Hastert likely to resign this year

Is "The Coach" throwing in the towel? Former Yorkville High School wrestling coach Dennis Hastert (and former Speaker of the House) may be resigning later this year, Roll Call reported last night. The Chicago Tribune's Swamp blog has more.

Hastert's district suburban and rural district is safe for the Republican Party, but look for the Democrats to make a move to score an upset in a special election to choose Hastert's successor.

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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Fred Phelps vs. Fred Thompson on gays

Those nuts from Topeka, the Fred Phelps-led Westboro Baptist "Church" have not stopped showing up at soldier's funerals claiming that "God Hates Fags" because of American toleration of homosexuality. They've sent on open letter to former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN), who is now a presidential candidate. In the 1980s, Thompson replaced Phelps' daughter Margie and won a legal case for that "church," whose headquarters is pictured on the left.

In a recently published Westboro flyer, the "church" claims Thompson "saw eye to eye" with the Phelps group back then.

Now that he's running for president, Westboro is stating that "We certainly hope you haven't changed your mind about the dangers the homosexual threat presents."

Thompson's a lawyer, and won a case for Phelps' group. Memories fade and become fuzzy over the years. Besides, the Westboro bunch has its share of, shall I say, eccentrics.

In response, the Thompson campaign referre do them as "radical fringe group."

Related post:

My Kansas Kronikles: Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church

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westboro baptist church

Frank Shorter on the Chicago Marathon

An Olympic marathon gold-medal marathoner from 1972, was in Chicago on the day of the October 7 Chicago Marathon. In today's New York Times, he has a suburb op-ed about that race and marathoning in general. In the conclusion, he offers this advice, "Because no matter who you are, it just might not be your day."

He also writes:

Make clear to first-time marathoners what elite runners already know: in certain situations it’s important to back off from the gut feeling to exert yourself more and more just to maintain the pace.

•

Change the standard ambulance procedures so that only those truly in danger are transported. Doctors will tell you that dehydration can often be initially handled on the scene, but many ambulance protocols call for sufferers to be transported automatically to the hospital.

•

Make dropping out palatable. Runners, especially first-timers and those running for charity, should be given the option of getting their money back and perhaps a guaranteed entry at a major marathon in the near future. Race directors could easily cooperate on this. Peer-group and self-imposed pressure to follow through on months of training should be alleviated as much as possible. Fund-raising groups should underwrite a second try for those giving so much of themselves for the benefit of others.

•

If necessary, turn off the clock.

Race directors will vehemently disagree on post-race refunds--the logistics of the undertaking could in the long run make entering races more expensive. But Shorter's entire op-ed is filled with this and other ideas worth considering.

Thanks to Marathon Pundit reader Brian P. of Chicago's western suburbs for tipping me off to the Shorter article.

Related post:

A participant's view of the cancelled Chicago Marathon: UPDATED

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sports

Klocek and FIRE seminar in Beverly Hills Oct 25

Fired DePaul University Professor Thomas Klocek and Greg Lukianoff, the president of FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, will speak at a seminar sponsored by the American Freedom Alliance.

The event is entitled "The Demise of Free Speech in Academia, Anti-Semitism ,and the Marginalization of Christian Groups on Campus" and is taking place at the Nessah Educational Center, 142 S. Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, California.

Regular Marathon Pundit readers are aware that Klocek was an adjunct professor for 15 years at Chicago's DePaul University, America's largest Catholic college, until he was fired for expressing pro-Israel views in front of some DePaul Muslim students. FIRE has been a great supporter to Klocek and other individuals who've seen their academic freedom challenged.

Admission is $15.00, but just $10.00 for students.

For more information, view the PDF file.

Related posts:

Reinstate Thomas Klocek at DePaul petition just 28 (now 21) signatures short of goal

Thomas Klocek three years later: The Man Who Did Not Turn Back

Sept 15: Second anniversary of the beginning of the Thomas Klocek affair

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Tuesday, October 16, 2007

English overturning Persian in Iran?

Is English replacing Persian in Iran? Wishful thinking, to be sure. I think we're doing a good job wining the hearts and minds of the average Iranian, and what comes out of the mind are words--and some of those words are in English, the language of "The Great Satan."

The Tehran Times is a clownish news source, but I came across this article which might be alarmist, might be flat-out wrong, but it shouldn't be ignored:

Linguist Ali Khazaeifar has warned that Persian is gradually being swallowed up by the English language.

"Our problem will only be solved when each individual finds out that his mother tongue is in danger," Khazaeifar, head of the English department at Ferdowsi University in Mashhad, told the Persian service of ISNA on Monday.

He stated "Persian is being gradually and deceptively eaten away by a relentless enemy named the English language."

Khazaeifar went on to say that, "Ignorance of the Persian language must be addressed as a national problem and a solution must be found. The situation should be viewed as crucial at a national level if anything is to be achieved to overcome Iranian youths' lack of knowledge about their native tongue. People must be informed of the problem.

I find it impossible to believe that young people in Iran are going about their lives regularly speaking English, or even sometimes substituting it for Persian. Probably what is happening is that like the French, the Iranians, or at least Professor Khazaeifar, are noticing English words like "e-mail," "byte," "hip-hop" and the like are creeping into Persian.

Hey, word-borrowing from languages works both ways. It was the Iranians who gave the English-speaking world, via Arabic, the word "fatwa."

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Stop the proposed Cook County phone tax

Disclaimer: I work in the telecommunications industry, but no one asked me to post this item.

From NoPhoneTax.org:

The Cook County Board of Commissioners has proposed a new tax of $48 per phone per year, which could raise some phone plans by as much as 131%! The proposed tax would apply to every phone – even to every cell phone and broadband line. If passed, this tax would hit the pocketbooks of all consumers and businesses in Cook County.

The new proposed tax would increase every year at the rate of inflation. This means that in five years, the total tax would be more than $250 per phone!

The County claims it needs the revenue from these taxes to save the health care system. We know that there are better ways for Cook County to save money, such as affordable technologies that can eliminate inefficiencies in our health care system and save millions of dollars.

Creating a new phone tax – on top of the many federal, state and local taxes that consumers already pay for each phone line – is not the answer.

There is a spot on the site to click and sent e-mails to the various Cook County officials who you need to contact.

Related post:

Cook County won't end up with nation's highest sales tax

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Fall in Morton Grove

I took this photograph a few minutes ago at the Wayside Woods Forest Preserve in Morton Grove. In the foreground is the restored prairie. I'll be visiting the site, and taking photographs, over the next few weeks.

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My all-time favorite comment on this blog

Last Monday I made a post entitled "Shirts of The Chicago Marathon." Because of the hot weather, I made the decision, which was later made for me, to turn this year's Chicago Marathon into a "fun run." So I took my digital camera with me.

Runners participate in marathons for all types of reasons, to some extent, all do it to meet a challenge. Some run to celebrate a victory over a more daunting challenge, such Mindy on the left.

I posted her picture, which I took at the 25 mile mark of the race--one mile short of the goal.

Her shirt reads, "Mindy, 4 year cancer survivor."

And this is the comment Marti left:

John,

I was Googling for Chicago Marathon Shirts, and your blog came up. I clicked on it, and was shocked to see a picture of my sister, Mindy, the four year cancer survivor! I sent her the link, and she is amazed that (1) You chose her shirt for a picture and (2) I actually found and recognized her picture! It is a really great photo, and means more to me than any of the "official" Marathon photos. Would you mind terribly if I printed the photo in order to frame it?

Thanks much for the great pix and great race commentary...it was a real experience!

That comment makes up for all the hate mail and vitriolic comments I've gotten in the two years I've had this blog.

Related post:

Shirts of the Chicago Marathon

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cancer

First of the self-obsessed generation applies for social security

The baby boom generation by all accounts is the most self-obsessed group of people the world has ever produced. So should it be a surprise that the first "boomer" to apply for social security benefits did it in front of the media?

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Monday, October 15, 2007

Ex-con husband of Rep. Jan Schakowsky writes book

During the unhappy last few days Richard Nixon's presidency--when he was talking to White House presidential portraits--the only president to resign the office made a vow that he'd write a book in prison.

Nixon's well-deserved shove from office is viewed by 1960s liberals as vindication of their activism in the later part of that decade and the early part of the next.

It was for a while, but in 1981 Ronald Reagan moved into the White House for an eight-year stay.

My congresswoman, Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston), is a child of 1960s "movement" politics, as is her husband, Robert Creamer. I'm sure neither will appreciate the irony that Creamer (no relation to the sports author) started writing his book in "The house with many doors," just as "Tricky Dicky" had pledged he'd do.

From Lynn Sweet's Chicago Sun-Times blog, here's what Creamer says:

I did much of the preliminary work on this book while spending five months on a forced sabbatical at the Federal Prison Camp at Terre Haute, Indiana.

Creamer drew the attention of federal authorities because he kited checks while executive director of the Illinois Public Action Council, a self-appointed consumer advocacy group. Rep. Schakowsky, who was not implicated in any crimes, served on the board of the organization while Creamer was writing those funny checks.

Author Creamer declares that the "liberal" word should vanish.

Sweet writes:

He also suggests that liberals toss out that label in favor of branding themselves as progressive, if for no other reason than the right has "vilified" the word liberal so much that’s it's a negative.

The Left has been trying for years to tar the word conservative, but with no success. Why is that?

Creamer's book, which will be published next month, is called Listen to Your Mother: Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win. It's skipping the hardcover stage, the book will come out as a paperback.

Hat to Backyard Conservative.

Related post:

Ex-con and congresswoman's husband Creamer taught at Camp Obama

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Larry Craig is off the Romney bus

"You're either on the bus or off the bus." Ken Kesey in Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

"The bus" of course is a methophor, Kesey most likely meant that "Being on the bus" meant being with the "in-crowd."

And Sen. Larry "Not Gay" Craig (R-ID), who recently pleaded guilty to soliciting for sex in a Minneapolis men's room, is off the Mitt Romney bus.

From AP:

"(Romney) not only threw me under his campaign bus, he backed up and ran over me again," Craig said in an interview with NBC, excerpts of which were released on Monday.

Craig now claims his bathroom stall foot-tapping was misunderstood, and has spent the last few weeks trying to get his guilty plea for those actions overturned.

Formerly the co-chair of Romney's Capitol Hill campaign effort, Craig still doesn't get it. Not only is his political career finished, the one-time little known Republican is now a national joke.

Follow up on your promise, Senator, and quit now.

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GOP

Richardson passes on idea to grab Great Lakes water

Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM), a presidential candidate, made some waves when he suggested that the water of the Great Lakes should be diverted to the dry Southwest.

As I reported last week, Richardson, a long shot to win his party's nomination for president but someone who could end up as running mate for whomever wins, made a speech in Las Vegas about that city's water shortages, "Wisconsin is awash in water" were among the things he said.

That didn't play well in Wisconsin--or Michigan, and now Richardson, through his press secretary, with presumably a deep swallow, is taking it all back.

From the Detroit Free Press:

"Richardson in no way proposes federal transfers of water from one region of the nation to the other," said a statement by his press secretary Tom Reynolds. "Richardson believes firmly in keeping water in its basin of origin and of the rights of states to oversee water distribution."

The statement, issued Saturday, noted that in New Mexico he has started initiatives on water conservation and investments in water production.

Related post:

Bill Richardson wants Great Lakes water for the Southwest: UPDATED

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Pol who John Kerry got into the Boston Marathon to be on trial soon for extortion

In 2003 State Senator Matt McCoy, a Democrat from Des Moines, found himself in US News and World Report when John Kerry dangled the offer of an entry into the Boston Marathon for McCoy, a runner who had not run the necessary qualifying time to enter the the Valhalla of running events.

From a Jewish World News reprint of the Roger Simon US News article:

Kerry, who can talk knowledgeably on everything from monetary policy to missile throw-weights, chooses a little more pedestrian issues for McCoy. "I hear you just ran the San Diego marathon," Kerry says. "What was your time?"

"4:16," McCoy says.

"That's great, great," Kerry says. "I remember my first Boston Marathon ... it's a great run. You've got to come to Boston and do it."

"I gotta qualify," McCoy says with a laugh.

"If you want to come and do it, I can get you a number if you want to run this year," Kerry says.

"Fan-tas-tic!" McCoy says. "That is dynamite."

"I mean, seriously, tell me serious if you want to do it," Kerry says. "'Cause I'll get you one."

Who says John Kerry is a frozen fish? Not Matt McCoy! "I think Iowa is looking great for you," McCoy says.

"Can I get you committed?" Kerry asks.

"Absolutely!" McCoy says.

"That's fabulous," Kerry says. "That's enormous. I mean, that is really huge. Thank you. You've made my day. Take care of yourself. And keep in training cause we're going to get you into Boston!"

Simon, not to be confused with Pajamas Media's Roger L. Simon, then writes that a Kerry staffer called McCoy the next day, letting the state senator know that he did get accepted into the 2003 Boston Marathon.

McCoy then tells Simon:

No, I could not have qualified on my own; I am a little too slow. This was Massachusetts-style politics.

McCoy completed the Boston Marathon the following month with at time of 4:52.
Iowa-style politics are more above-board than the Bay State's, and much cleaner than my state, Illinois.

But McCoy is allegedly doing his part in bringing down the reputation of the Hawkeye State.

In March he was charged with attempted with attempted extortion, as the Ames Tribune reported at the time:

McCoy is accused of attempting to use his elected office to extort money from Reid Schultz, the owner of an ADT security dealership Security Plus in Des Moines. The company had plans to sell home monitoring systems for the elderly to state agencies.

The indictment alleges, McCoy, 40, attempted to extort $100 for each installation of the monitoring systems.

Between December 2005 and March 2006, McCoy allegedly received $2,000 in cash and checks from Security Plus, money that had been supplied by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This is a fun story. This morning's Des Moines Register is reporting on McCoy's attorneys' attempt to get a founding member (No, not "Bowser") of the 1950's revival group Sha Na Na to testify for the defense.

Federal prosecutors will ask a judge to block a language expert who also was a founding member of the vocal group Sha Na Na from testifying in state Sen. Matt McCoy's attempted-extortion case.

Documents say former Sha Na Na member Robert Leonard, now a Hofstra University professor, is expected to tell jurors that McCoy was unaware of his business partners' "actual agenda" and therefore was manipulated during what he perceived as normal business talk. Those conversations were secretly taped for the FBI.

But later this morning, McCoy's legal team withdrew the request to have Leonard, who played bass for the group, to testify, the Des Moines Register reported.

McCoy hasn't run a marathon, according to MarathonGuide.com, since 2005, when he completed Grandma's Marathon in 2005.

Kerry, as my predecessor site Blue States for Bush and other bloggers pointed out, never officially ran the Boston Marathon (another Kerry fib). Kerry's presidential campaign staff made the claim, conveniently unverifiable, that he ran the race as a "bandit," that is, someone who didn't register and pay for the honor to run in the Boston Marathon. Kerry hasn't since made the claim that he ran the Boston Marathon, but in 2005, his daughter Vanessa did.

Related post:

Vanessa Kerry tops her Dad: Starts and finishes the Boston Marathon

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78 Chicago Marathon runners try it again in Denver

Last week Denver Marathon officials made an offer to disappointed Chicago Marathon runners: Run our race for free.

Entry into Denver's race was $105.

And 78 runners took them up on the offer. But if you watched last night's Colorado Rockies--Arizona Diamondbacks game, you know conditions were far from perfect yesterday in the Mile High City--chilly and rainy. But it's easier to run in that kind of weather than extreme heat.

The Chicago Tribune (free registration required) has more.

Related post: A participant's view of the cancelled Chicago Marathon: UPDATED

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Sunday, October 14, 2007

Obama writing Michigan off?

In May Barack Obama gave a speech in Detroit in which he waved his finger at the auto industry, telling an initially receptive Motor City audience:

Whenever an attempt was made to raise our fuel efficiency standards, the auto companies would lobby furiously against it, spending millions to prevent the very reform that could've saved their industry. Even as they've shed thousands of jobs and billions in profits over the last few years, they've continued to reward failure with lucrative bonuses for CEOs.

That speech was not well received in the capital of the American auto industry.
After that address, the Detroit Free Press discovered Obama was driving a since-jettisoned gas-guzzler, a Chrysler 300c.

But Obama is now running a commercial in New Hampshire playing up his fuel-efficiency credentials. But if he somehow becomes the Democratic presidential nominee, it could put Michigan in play for the Republicans.

From "The Freep":

The ad -- referring to his speech in May before the Detroit Economic Club -- may appeal to the environmental sensibilities of New Hampshire voters, but it will be remembered in Michigan if he becomes the nominee, political analysts said.

"If he becomes the nominee, running against the auto industry now will hurt him in Michigan in November," said Craig Ruff of the Lansing-based Public Sector Consultants. "That could make for a negative ad that would be part of the Republican nominee's arsenal."

As a favor to the Iowa and New Hampshire Democratic parties, Obama pulled his name off the moved-up Michigan Primary ballot. The Michigan party views that decision differently.

Related posts:

New Ford Taurus: A car Obama should be looking at

Ford CEO bashes Obama

Obama: Do as I say, not as I do

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Land once owned by Lincoln sold

AP is reporting that four acres of land once owned by Abraham Lincoln has been sold to the newly-formed group Abraham Lincoln Historical Farm. Lincoln purchased the land from his father, and his step-mother, Sarah Bush Lincoln, with whom the 16th president was probably closer to than his father--lived on the land until her death in 1869.

The property is near the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historical Site in Lerna, Illinois--near Charleston. The cabin is a reproduction of the original cabin where Lincoln's father and stepmother resided.

Related posts:

Bush to kick off Lincoln bicentennial celebration next Feb. 12
Andrew Ferguson video on his new book, Land of Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln birthplace site
Abraham Lincoln birthplace site's log cabin
"My earliest recollection is of the Knob Creek place"
Thirty hours in Lincoln's Springfield, Illinois
I found this bit of history in downtown Chicago today
Lincoln Bicentennial Commission playing with Lincoln Logs
Illinois lagging in Lincoln bicentennial celebrations

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Gasoline finally under $3.00 here

The last time I bought gasoline and it was under $3.00 a gallon, I was about an hour west of St. Louis on my way home from Kansas in July. Today was the first day in quite some time when I didn't see a single $3.00 or more price for gasoline. About a week ago, I began noticing sub-$3.00 gas at some stations.

This Clark station is on Golf Road in Niles, Illinois.

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gas

Obama anti-war ad a re-reading of 2002 speech

As Hillary Clinton continues to distance herself from Barack Obama in the opinion polls, his sole hope of winning the Democratic nomination for president, barring an unforseeen collapse by HRC, is probably based on playing up his anti-Iraq War credentials.

Even if it means a little creativity by the Obama campaign in repeating one of his early claims to glory--his 2002 anti-war speech.

From Lynn Sweet's Chicago Sun-Times column:

The Obama campaign readily admits that White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) recently recorded a portion of the Oct. 2, 2002, anti-Iraq war speech he originally delivered at an outdoor rally in Chicago for a new ad that went online Thursday.

There is no good audio tape of the speech, which is playing a pivotal role in the Obama campaign. But the campaign used a sound effect to create the impression one was listening to the original speech.

"It was Barack re-reading a portion of the speech. As I told you, there is no original tape," Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, told me in an e-mail exchange.

The 77-second ad uses sound effects that could easily lead one to conclude that one is listening to Obama making the original speech at the plaza rally outside the Kluczynski Federal Building in the Loop.

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Saturday, October 13, 2007

Tommy Thompson endorses Rudy

I haven't seen much on this story in the blog-o-sphere, but former Gov. Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin endorsed Rudy Giuliani's bid to win the Republican nomination for president on Friday.

On the surface it's not a big deal, Thompson, who was President Bush's first Secretary of Health and Human Services, was until a couple of months ago a candidate for president in his own right. But he is the first presidential drop-out to make an endorsement. Thompson was hoping for a strong showing in the Iowa Straw Poll to at least put him at the top of the second-tier of GOP hopefuls, but it was former Arkansas Mike Huckabee who "won" that honor.

Thompson hopped on the Rudy bandwagon in a seemingly odd place, miles of way from America's Dairyland--and New York City--in South Carolina. But Giuliani is an abortion-rights supporter, and Thompson is pro-life, so maybe announcing the endorsement in one of the country's most conservative states makes sense.

South Carolina's best political blog, The Palmetto Scoop, offers a good analysis of Rudy's predicament as he hustles votes in this very important early primary state.

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Chicago's first Wal-Mart--one year later

Bill Baar, who usually blogs at Bill Baar's West Side, but today at Illinoize, caught a good article in the Austin Weekly News, a community publication serving the Far West Side of Chicago.

From that newspaper:

"I'm here to tell you all that we at Wal-Mart couldn't be more pleased with the results from this store," said Todd Libbra, regional general manager for Wal-Mart, at Tuesday's ceremony. "This store truly reflects the community, and we credit that to the partnerships we have developed with Ald. Mitts and other local elected officials, the 37th Ward Pastors Alliance, community leaders and residents.

"Let me make one thing clear to everybody out there," Libbra added. "We as a company could not be more pleased with this store, in this location, in this community, and we are very, very proud of our 400-plus Wal-Mart associates that have been here taking care of our customers and taking care of our store."

There have been a few bumps in the road for the Chicago's first Wal-Mart, but as Baar notes, "I don't know if its success met expectations but it has to be better than an empty lot."

Ald. Emma Mitts of the city's 37th Ward fought against most of her colleagues to get that store built in her jobs-and-retail starved community. Other aldermen would do well for their constituents to follow her lead.

Related posts:

5,000 apply for Detroit area Wal-Mart jobs

My book report: The Wal-Mart Revolution: How Big Box Stores Benefit Consumers, Workers, and the Economy

Daley vetoes Chicago "big box living wage" ordinance

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Friday, October 12, 2007

Chicago Marathon statement on Sunday's race released

Earlier today Carey Pinkowski, Race Director of the Chicago Marathon, released his statement on Sunday's race. He should've had this out a few days ago--runners are an obsessive lot, and I'm certain thousands of them visited the Chicago Marathon site wondering when there would be some sort of explanation of what happened--and didn't happen--on October 7th.

The shirt is of course not officially licenced Chicago Marathon gear, it comes this way from Kansas Jayhawk, and you can purchase one at the new Chicago Fun Run site. a back-of-the-packer who encountered several empty water stations on Sunday--but still managed to finish.

As for the shirts, the operator of the website says portions of the proceeds will be donated to the family of Chad Schreiber, the Michigan runner who died in the race.

From the Chicago Marathon site:

Dear Runners,

For 17 years I have been honored to serve as Executive Race Director of The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, a race steeped in a 30-year tradition of providing the ultimate marathon experience for runners.

The record high temperatures and humidity at Sunday’s race made for a challenging day for marathoners. The conditions on Sunday presented me with the single most difficult decision I have ever made as race director. While that was a frustration to many, I stand behind the decision to end the race early– it was a necessary safety measure. However, I also recognize that because of the conditions and my decision, many of our runners did not have the experience they trained for and expected.

As an organization dedicated to providing the very best experience in the industry, the results have left us disappointed as well. Our team has spent the last several days reviewing the details and we are listening to runners, staff and volunteers. Rest assured that we take the day’s events - and your comments - seriously.

We are reviewing all details and feedback as we plan to continue the tradition of our race in 2008 and beyond. Offering the best experience possible to runners always has been our priority and it remains a commitment of the highest importance.

My personal gratitude goes to each of you, as well as to staff and volunteers, for participating in the race this year. I share in your disappointment, if you did not have the experience you expected.

I certainly hope to be able to greet you at our finish line in the years ahead, in the grand fashion that has characterized The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon for so many years.

Sincerely,

Carey Pinkowski
Executive Race Director

McCain: Gore doesn't deserve Nobel Peace Prize

Acclaim for the shared-Nobel Peace Prize is hardly unanimous, and one critic who's step forward is John McCain.

From the Des Moines Register:

Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain said the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, announced today, should have gone to someone else other than former Vice President Al Gore.

"I would have liked to see that prize go to the Buddhist monks who are suffering and dying in Burma," McCain said after a speech this morning in Davenport.

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Detroit dance party for light-skinned black females cancelled

Racism and bias comes in all sorts of ways, in all kinds of skin colors and shades, as this Detroit News article points out:

A local DJ and party promoter retreated Thursday from a plan to sponsor a bash that would let "light-skinned" black women into a downtown club for free.

But the "Light Skin Libra Birthday Bash" at Club APT on Woodward Avenue turned out to be a bashing -- of promoter Ulysses "DJ Lish" Barnes after word of the unusual party spread on the Internet.

"I made a mistake," Barnes said. "I didn't think there would be a backlash."

Barnes, who said he's been a party promoter for six years, canceled the event.

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Autumn's arrival a few days late

I took this photograph in the Miami Woods Forest Preserve in Morton Grove a couple of days ago during a run. The heat that smothered Chicago Marathon participants on Sunday is gone, seasonal weather has returned.

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Al Gore wins Nobel Peace Prize

With little surprise, Al Gore won this year's, shared it really, Nobel Peace Prize for his environmental work, some of which, such as his film An Inconvenient Truth, gets played in places where it has no business being showed.

Until this year Little Marathon Pundit attended a Latvian language school, and in a fifth grade religion class, the teacher played it in front of the kids.

I'm Catholic, the school is run by Lutherans. Must be a Lutheran thing.

Look for more playings of An Incovenient Truth in similar situations now that Gore has the Nobel seal of approval.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Chicago cops to attend marathon runner's funeral

Here's a very nice gesture being carried out by some Chicago police officers. The funeral for Chad Schreiber, a member of the Midland, Michigan police force, will take place on Friday--Schreiber is the runner who died in Sunday's Chicago Marathon because of a heart defect.

Four Chicago cops, all members of the Chicago Police Department Running Club, will attend Schreiber's funeral.

The thirty five year-old Schreiber left behind a wife and three children. A fund has been set up for the three kids.

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Hillary opens Little Rock campaign office

Hillary Rodham Clinton wasn't in Little Rock, Arkanas--except in spirit--when her campaign opened an office this afternoon in the downtown part of the city--just a mile or so from her onetime place of employment, The Rose Law Firm.

From KARK-TV:

She spent 20 years in this state...now presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is opening campaign headquarters for her run for president, here in Little Rock Thursday. The office is at LaHarpe and State Streets in downtown Little Rock. Doors officially opened at 4:30 p.m. Thursday with a reception. National campaign chair and former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe gave opening remarks along with Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, Arkansas Treasurer Martha Schoeffner and Pine Bluff Mayor Carl Redus. Campaign officials say their headquarters is one of Clinton's first to open in the early states and optimism is very strong. Mrs. Clinton is in New Hampshire Thursday. In a press statement she says she is delighted to be opening a first office in Arkansas and the outpouring of support from old and new friends has been overwhelming.

Really? Is that why the Rose Law Firm web site contains no mention of its most famous alumnus?

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Bill Richardson wants Great Lakes water for the Southwest: UPDATED

"There it is! Take it!" William Mulholland, 1913, while pointing at the reservoir created by the first Los Angeles aqueduct.

I meant to get to this story a few days ago, but the Chicago Marathon and its fallout has forced me to hold off on a few items. Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM), despite his impressive résumé, is a long shot to win his party's nomination for next year's presidential election. As an Hispanic, he's been viewed as a attractive running mate for the eventual top of the ticket--and that person is probably going Hillary Clinton.

The most of the Great Lakes states will be viewed as key battlegrounds in 2008. Besides Ohio--Pennsylvania (especially if Giuliani gets the GOP nod), Wisconsin, and Minnesota may decide who gets sworn in on January 20, 2009.

Last week, Richardson was pandering for votes in Nevada, an early Democratic caucus state. Always thirsty Las Vegas is looking for more water, and some Nevadans have their eyes on the Great Lakes. The idea is not a new one, but is as popular in my part of the country as banning gambling would be in Vegas.

From the Las Vegas Sun:

If elected, Richardson said, he would bring states together to talk about a way for water-rich northern-tier states to help with shortages in the Southwest. He also said he would elevate the Bureau of Reclamation to a Cabinet-level post. The bureau within the U.S. Interior Department manages water resources in the West.

"I believe that Western states and Eastern states have not been talking to each other when it comes to proper use of our water resources," Richardson told the Sun. "I want a national water policy. We need a dialogue between states to deal with issues like water conservation, water reuse technology, water delivery and water production. States like Wisconsin are awash in water."

Richarson should know better. Wisconsin is not going to pull the plug on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior for a Nevada bucket brigade. Besides, disbursement of Great Lakes water is not just a United States issue, with the exception of Lake Michigan, the water of the Great Lakes also lies within the border of Canada.

And if Richardson ends up as HRC's running mate, look for him to backtrack from his water-grab suggestion.

UPDATE 1:01PM: The Detroit Free Press has an article in today's edition about thirsty Gov. Richardson.

Related posts:

Bill Richardson's "Maricón Moment" strikes out

Bill Richardson telling tall tales again

Bill Richardson résumé padding flashback: Being drafted by the Kansas City Athletics

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Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Chicago Marathon runners offered free entry to Denver race

Marathon Pundit reader John P. of Chicago tipped me off to the news that the Denver Marathon is offering free entry to any runner who registered for last Sunday's ill-fated Chicago Marathon.

Denver's event had its inaugural go last year. This year's edition will be held this coming Sunday.

From AP:

"This is in response to the Colorado running community that has contacted us because they were scheduled to complete their marathon in Chicago this fall, and so we wanted really to take care of those athletes," (Race Director Anton) Villatoro said.

Anyone registered for the Chicago Marathon can register online for the Denver Marathon at www.denvermarathon.com and enter the online referral code "ChicagoRunner," or they can register in person on Friday or Saturday at the Denver Marathon EXPO at the Adams Mark Hotel in downtown Denver.

Hey, who says there's only bad news in the media. And this is a great gesture by the Denver Marathon folks. The entry fee for the Denver Marathon is $105.

Related posts:

A participant's view of the cancelled Chicago Marathon: UPDATED

Chicago Marathon: Keep Pinkowski in charge

Water station mayhem at Chicago Marathon

Happier scenes from Sunday's Chicago Marathon

Shirts of the Chicago Marathon

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"Rezko lot" next to Obama's home for sale

If you're looking for a piece of land in Chicago's exclusive Kenwood neighborhood, and you'd like to live next to Senator Barack Obama, now is your chance. Between those trees and that red house--the Obama home, is the lot that was once owned by the wife of indicted Democratic fundraiser, Tony Rezko.

(I decided not to risk getting closer to the house when I took that picture in June--yes, there are secret service agents there.)

The asking price is $1.5 million. Attorney Michael Sreenan, who performs legal work for Tony Rezko, is the current owner of the property.

The Chicago Sun-Times sums up the earlier transaction:

This would be the third time the property has changed hands since June 2005, when Rezko's wife, Rita, bought the property from a doctor for $625,000. It was the same day Obama bought the doctor's adjacent house for $1.65 million. Obama paid $300,000 below the doctor's asking price; Rezko paid full price.
About six months later, Obama expanded his property when he paid Rezko $104,500 for one-sixth of the vacant lot. Obama has since called that deal "boneheaded'' and a "mistake'' because Rezko's husband was widely known to be under federal investigation at the time. Tony Rezko was indicted a few months later, accused of demanding kickbacks from companies seeking state business under Gov. Blagojevich.

What the Sun-Times failed to mention is that the home and adjacent property had in previous transactions been sold as one unit. The appearance of course is that Obama, after he purchased the one-sixth portion of the lot, was beginning the first of several transactions to recombine the two parcels--which in essence would make Rita Rezko someone who was really involved in a backhanded loan to Obama who of course in 2005 was a US Senator.

Kenwood, particularly Obama's street, is a nice neighborhood-- and Obama lives on a mansion row.

Obama is still able to draw the crowds to his speeches because of his "rock star" status, but hasn't been able to catch Hillary Clinton in the polls as both seek the Democratic Party's nod for president. And Hillary, despite the Norman Hsu controversy, is now pulling away from her pack of rivals, including Obama.

There are a lot of theories as to what's holding Obama down, but I believe he still has a credibility issue with voters because his message of a "New kind of politics" conflicts with the smell of messy Rezko deal.

Related post: Obama vows to clean up Washington as president

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Chicago Marathon: Keep Pinkowski in charge

The Chicago Tribune's Eric Zorn, like myself, knows Chicago Marathon Race Director Carey Pinkowski pretty well, and I have to agree with Zorn that Pinkowski uttered a whopper of a misstatement at Monday's post-marathon press conference:

Is there anything we could have done better? No. We anticipated the weather. I'm very proud of the way things went...

Well, he shouldn't be. Even if this was the only aid station that ran out of water and Gatorade, and it apparently wasn't, Pinkowski owes Sunday's participants and the aid station volunteers a deep, sincere apology. After all, runners had to shell out $110 to enter the race.

Many people, runners and non-runners alike, are calling for Pinkowski to resign. Here is Zorn's take:

His PR stumbles notwithstanding, Carey Pinkowski is still the guy I'd want instituting those reforms.

I agree. And let me put the situation into perspective. When Pinkowski took over as race director in 1990, the race was still suffering from the stigma of being cancelled in 1988 after its chief sponsor, Beatrice Foods, abruptly pulled out. By 1991, the marathon had no title sponsor, and half of the race course was pushed onto Lake Shore Drive, out of the neighborhoods because residents viewed the race as an extreme annoyance. Slowly Pinkowksi got the race, bit by bit, back into the neighborhoods, where for the most part it was eagerly welcomed by inhabitants of the many Chicago communities it now passes through.

In 1994, LaSalle Bank (which was acquired this year by the Bank of America) became the title sponsor, and it later purchased the race outright--keeping Pinkowski in charge. In the early 1990s, the marathon averaged about 8,000 entrants, within a few years after LaSalle took over, the number of participants doubled, then doubled again--up to the point that the race sold out at 45,000 entrants. This year that 45,000 cap was reached six months before race day.

All this time, I have to reiterate, Carey Pinkowski was at the helm. While the "back-of-the-pack" grew, the elite side of the event was not overlooked by Pinkowski, who was an All-American runner for Villanova University before he entered race management. In 1999 Khalid Khannouchi set a new men's record for the marathon in Chicago; Catherine "The Great" Ndereba in 2000, then Paula Radcliffe in 2001, did the same in regards to the women's world record for a 26.2 mile effort.

Keep Pinkowski and let him, in Zorn's words, "institute those reforms."

Zorn has run three marathon and can write with authority on the subject. The same can't be said for his co-worker Mike Downey. (Free registration is required for the link.)

Nearly 10,000 of the people who filed entries for this 30th annual race were smart enough not to run it.

Here's a little known fact about major urban marathons. Many of them, such as New York, Marine Corps in Washington, and of course Chicago, sell out months in advance. The first two use a lottery system to decide who gets in, but once you are chosen, you have to pay up. Chicago, as I wrote above, was booked up in April. A herd instinct drives people to sign up for races that they may be thinking of running, or they have every intention of running, but aren't able to on race day. Injuries are the chief reason people stayed home when this year's Chicago Marathon came around, but non-running distractions--new jobs, new responsibilities, illnesses, a pregnancy, or a change of mind months earlier brought that no-show count up to 10,000. Take a look at the other sold-out Chicago Marathons, and you'll find a similar number of absentees. Runners are a determined lot--too determined sometimes--so it's my firm belief that very few decided to throw in their non-sweaty towel when they heard Sunday's weather forecast.

Once again, I have to revisit media reports of the race. Yes, some people, too many, had a horrible experience on Sunday, and the race suffered a fatality--which was not the first Chicago Marathon death. But a lot of runners toughed it out and finished--some like myself drastically slowing down to ensure a successful completion of the race, others patiently walked it in.

But I'm still getting calls and e-mails from people wondering if I'm in the hospital or bedridden, which is what they believe was the fate of almost every runner that took part in Sunday's race because of what they saw on TV or read in the newspaper. I am fine. I ran a little bit on Monday, a little more on Tuesday, and I plan to run a little bit more later this morning. But then I'll take a couple days off.

Am I nuts? Probably. Determined? Absolutely. After all, I've run 29 marathons.

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