O'Reilly Factor welcomes ALF back to television

One of the great minds of the 1980s, lovable alien ALF, returned to television Friday evening, as Bill O'Reilly welcomed the onetime TV star onto the O'Reilly Factor.

Although ALF has had a tough go of it since his NBC show was cancelled in 1990, including a trip to rehab, ALF still has the quick wit and keen analytical skills that endeared him to millions television viewers.

His Michael Vick dog-grooming franchise offering has failed, and the entertainment industry views him as typecast. But ALF would like to regularly appear on the Factor, and in all seriousness, Bill O'Reilly seems to think it's a good idea.

Let's hope ALF returns. Who else would be better at interviewing Dennis Kucinich?

Technorati tags: entertainment television tv ALF nostalgia 80s O'Reilly fox Kucinich

Illinois GOP wants to make you "Governor for a Day"

Scroll down my blog to read about what a cushy job it is running a state with 12 1/2 million residents, that is at least for now, both an industrial and agricultural dynamo.

Do you want such a life? Well, if you live in Illinois, you can for a day--thanks to the Illinois Republican Party.

You won't get the governor's paycheck, but you also won't have to fight off federal prosecutors looking into your campaign fund.

From an Illinois GOP press release:

In light of the recent expose on the carefree lifestyle led by Governor Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois Republican Party is conducting a special drawing across the state to make one lucky Illinoisan Governor for a Day.

"While we can’t give you a $155,000 taxpayer funded paycheck to do nothing, we will attempt to come close by giving you what we believe one day in the life of Rod Blagojevich might be like," said ILGOP Spokesperson Lance Trover.

The winner of Governor for a Day will begin the day at the hour of their choice. From then, they will be ushered to a salon for a haircut and massage. Following their time at the salon they will be treated to a first-class lunch which will be followed by a tour of the City of Chicago including visits to the Sears Tower and other Chicago landmarks. Ensuring they are treated just like our current governor, the winners will end their day by attending a Chicago Blackhawk’s game.

"While it is clear this sort of lifestyle is normal for Rod Blagojevich on any given day, it’s far from normal for the average Illinoisan," added Trover. "Hopefully this day will give one hardworking Illinoisan the opportunity to live like the Governor they help fund with their hard earned tax dollars."

The special drawing will kick off at noon on Friday, November 30, in front of the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago and the Illinois Capitol in Springfield. ILGOP staff will be present handing out free drawing tickets at both locations.

To ensure all Illinoisans have a shot at being Governor for a Day, anyone can email their name and contact information to GovernorforaDay@ilgop.org and they will be assigned a specific number for Wednesday’s drawing. One entry per person.

The winning number will be announced on WeAreIllinois.org at noon on Wednesday, December 5, 2007.

Best of luck to all entrants. And just remember: being Governor of Illinois is not hard work, as long as you don’t show up.

Technorati tags: politics Blagojevich illinois Chicago Democrats Illinois Politics Republican

Hay--oh....Ed McMahon on Andrea Shea King tonight

The legendary Ed McMahon will be a guest on tonight's Andrea Shea King Show on BlogTalk Radio.

Listen tonight at 9pm Eastern, 8pm Central Time. More details here.

Hat tip to Third Wave Dave.

Technorati tags: entertainment television tv Ed McMahon

Marathon Pundit exclusive: Lt. Gov. Quinn's letter to U of I president about military scholarship scandal

The below letter has been authorized as authentic. Thanks to Marathon Pundit commenter R. Gerritt for submitting it last night under the blog comments section.

Thank you R. Gerritt, and thank you Lieutnenant Governor Quinn.

November 20, 2007

Dr. B. Joseph White
President, University of Illinois
364 Henry Administration Building, MC-346 506 S. Wright St
Urbana, Illinois 61801

Dear President White:

I am writing to express my continuing concern about the University of Illinois' Executive MBA program's treatment of our veterans.

On March 3, 2006, I joined Robert van der Hooning, then Assistant Dean for Professional and Executive Education at the University's College of Business, at a University of Illinois-sponsored luncheon to promote the College of Business' commitment to award free tuition for its Executive MBA Program to Illinois servicemembers who have served in the Global War on Terror. At that time, the University pledged to provide up to 110 full academic scholarships to the 20-month Executive MBA Program, including tuition, mandatory fees, books, meals, and lodging.

Since that promising beginning, I have been deeply disappointed by the University of Illinois' failure to fulfill its promise to our veterans. Instead of honoring our pledge to our veterans, the University ofIllinois has cut back on its promise.

I am writing this letter to formally request a full listing of all veterans who have thus far received the tuition waiver from the College of Business, along with a list of all veterans who have applied for an been denied admission and total enrollment numbers for the Executive MBA program over the last two years. I expect the University of Illinois to make good on its promise and set an example of ethical behavior for all of its students.

I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Pat Quinn Lt. Governor

cc: Dr. Richard Herman, Chancellor, UIUC
Members, University of Illinois Board of Trustees

Related posts:

Scandal update: Lt. Gov. Quinn wants count of vets in Univ. of Ill. MBA program

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

Technorati tags: Illini illinois university of illinois uiuc Military college education MBA armed forces Patrick Quinn

Sudanese mobs calls for execution of "teddy bear" teacher

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, show your shoe
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, that will do!

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go upstairs-
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers-
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the lights-
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say good-night!
(An old nursery rhyme)

Who would think cute teddy bears would cause so much anger? As most people by now know, Liverpool school teacher Gillian Gibbons, who left comfortable England for impoverished Sudan to teach kids there, let her students vote on the name of the class teddy bear. The children, most of them seven years old, voted for "Muhammad."

That got her a sentence of 15 days in a prison for inciting religious hatred. Again, were talking about a teddy bear. Gibbons could've received a six month stay in jail with a 40 lashes, so within the twisted standards of Islamofascist Sudan, she got a merciful sentence.

That has not escaped the notice of imams in Sudan. They riled up their flocks during Friday mosque services, as about 10,000 Sudanese rallied in Khartoum, chanting among other things, "No tolerance: Execution," and "Kill her, kill her by firing squad."

The National Organization of Women, a group of poltroons, has not come out on a firm stand on this atrocity.

Radio talk show host and former Los Angeles NOW Chapter president Tammy Bruce had this to say about NOW and Gibbons, "The supposed feminist establishment is refusing to take a position in this regard because they have no sensibility of what is right anymore. They're afraid of offending people. They are bound by political correctness."

And a note to my many Sudanese readers: It's just a teddy bear.

Technorati tags: Sudan Africa السودان religion UK teaching Liverpool Islam sharia Muhammad NOW feminism Tammy Bruce women's rights

Murtha: Surge is working

Well...how will the far Left, people like my own congresscritter Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), react to the news that virulent anti-war Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) says the Iraq troop surge is working?

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

"I think the 'surge' is working," Mr. Murtha, a Democrat, said in a video conference from his Johnstown office, describing the president's decision to commit nearly 30,000 additional troops at the beginning of the year. "But the thing that has to happen is the Iraqis have to do this themselves. We can't win it for them."

Technorati tags: Murtha iraq politics Democrats Schakowsky Jan Schakowsky

Prairie fire in Illinois over Blagojevich--the governor who cannot govern

CBS 2 Chicago reporter Mike Flannery says he "hit a nerve" Wednesday night when his reporter on Rod Blagojevich--the governor who will not govern.

Channel 2 was inundated with e-mails, Flannery reports, almost all of them denouncing the Chicago Democrat, and their web site published dozens of them.

Almost all are worth reading--here a few:

I am embarrassed to be from Illinois. The antics of our current governor make the crimes of George Ryan look tame in comparison. Soon the "Welcome to Illinois" signs on our borders will be taken down and replaced by signs that read "State closed due to foreclosure - Rod Blagojevich, Governor". How much longer are the people of Illinois going to put up with this hack? California recalled their useless Governor Davis, so when are we going to do the same?
- Evan Breyn, Crystal Lake

The report by Mike Flanagan definitely reinforces the belief by many that he is a totally incompetent Governor. He shows the same interest in the State of Illinois and its problems as King George did when dealing with the colonies. He lets his advisers suggest ways and his cronies in the legislator (parliament) deal with the problems and then still feels that he has the divine right to do as he wants to do because he is the Governor (King). I am glad that there is a need for a super majority or else there would be a crisis as to how to pay for all of his programs for only the people that he wants to help. The only trouble we have is that it has taken so long for the news organizations throughout the state this long to uncover his true lack of responsibility to the state not just himself and his desires for our tax money.
-Marc Woods, Westmont

Now that was good reporting! If the Governor in his arrogant way, thinks we will stand still for his management by being absent, he's got another thing coming. Our Governor has done more harm to the State of Illinois than anyone who previously held that office. If he attempts to run again, he will see how those of us who pay for his leisurely management style feel about it. While Governor Nero fiddles, and jogs and says hello to his kids, Illinois burns. We aren't the dummies he thinks we are. His days in office are numbered.
- M. Saper, Wilmette
Again, thanks for your candor.

Reasons for going or staying in war aside, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn has done more to honor our Illinois troops than Gov. Blagojevich ever has. I've seen Quinn at several military funerals, but why can't the executive of the state at least pay his respects?
- Acton H. Gorton, Carbondale, IL

Mike Flannery deserves an Chicago Emmy Award for Wednesday's story. He followed up last night with more salvos against our failure of a governor.

More from CBS 2 Chicago:

Can the governor be recalled? How much do we as taxpayers pay for his lifestyle? Those are just some of the questions viewers e-mailed to CBS 2 after Wednesday night's special report exposing they way Gov. Rod Blagojevich is spending his time and the state's money.

As CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports, the story hit a nerve. A viewer asked what taxpayers are paying for the governor's flights back and forth to Springfield from his Northwest Side home. That total is $5,800 per day. CBS 2 has asked the governor for his flight records from this year, though he has yet to supply them. Even still, it is safe to say that hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent this year just so he could sleep in his own bed in Chicago, or make it to a hockey game and back to Springfield for a short time, as he did Wednesday night.

Another viewer asked about the cost of holding special legislative sessions. The governor has thus far called 35 such special sessions, more than all previous governors combined. (Correction: Just the last 40 years.) They cost more than $1 million in salaries and expenses for lawmakers.

And what is his security detail costing taxpayers? CBS 2 observed no less than seven staffed vehicles surrounding the governor's home. Some of the state troopers earn six figures with overtime. It is a conservative estimate, but it costs hundreds of thousands of extra dollars a year to cover the multiple shift changes, squad cars and sport-utility vehicles ferrying Blagojevich all over the state.

Blagojevich needs to be removed from office and the best way to do that is to amend the state constitution to allow recall elections.

But ultimately, we must ask who is to blame for this mess, and besides the Democratic Party of Illinois and its leaders--yes, I'm looking in your direction Senators Obama and Durbin, and House Speaker Madigan, and a whole bunch of others--the slightly over 50 percent of the voters who chose Rod Blagojevich in a three-way race last year are responsible for the man who lives 200 miles away from the seat of government while not governing the state.

People of Illinois: This is your state--take it back.

Amend the constitution. Or write a new one. Recall Blagojevich!

Related post:

Illinois' "governor who cannot govern" doesn't seem to even work

Thanks for the link:

It's My Mind

Technorati tags: politics Blagojevich illinois Chicago Patrick Quinn Democrats Springfield Illinois Politics

Sen. Dodd an Iowan for now

Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) has literally packed his bags, with his family, and moved to Iowa. I'm not making this up. His oldest daughter attends a Des Moines elementary school. Jokes have been made about rival Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards doing that, but Dodd, since late October has put down stakes in the Hawkeye State. He's planning to stay until the Iowa Caucuses in early January.

There is just one problem. It hasn't helped Dodd break from the bottom of the pack among the Democrats.

Technorati tags: elections 2008 Dodd democrats Iowa politics Des Moines Connecticut

CNN burned by poisonous debate plant--again

Perhaps CNN, "The Most Trusted Name in News" should quit the presidential debate business. For the second time this month, planted questioners with ties to the Democratic Party, have sprouted in a CNN debate.

Read more about the first incident here.

Since I missed last night's Republican debate, I'm utilizing the insight of VodkaPundit's Stephen Green, who offered his analysis on Pajamas Media.

On of the best questions of the night came towards the end, and concerned the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy. The questioner, was a retired Army general who served, in the closet, for 42 years before he could reveal himself as a gay man. Did CNN owe its viewers the courtesy of letting them know that that the general now serves on Hillary Clinton’s "Gay Steering Committee?"

On the subject of cable news, it's important to remember that the Democratic presidential candidates and their top staffers, spurred on by the nutroots, are boycotting the Fox News Channel, because of that network's alleged conservative bias.

The Democrats must prefer CNN's bias, as well as that belonging to MSNBC.

Fox News, of course, enjoys much higher ratings than either network.

UPDATE 4:30PM CST: Michelle Malkin found more plants in the CNN garden. Red State wants a debate "do over."

Technorati tags: CNN media bias msm democrats elections 2008 Hillary Clinton Hillary politics

Henry Hyde dies

Henry Hyde, the Republican congressman who represented Chicago's western suburbs for over thirty years, passed away early this morning--he was 83.

Hyde chose not to run for re-election last year, and was succeed by another Republican, Peter Roskam.

After the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994, House Speaker Newt Gingrich chose Hyde to chair the House Judiciary Committee. He was one of the few non-southerners Gingrich chose to head a committee.

While in charge of that committee, Hyde presided over the initial impeachment proceedings of Bill Clinton, which led to the tarnishing of his reputation. Salon.com revealed that the married Hyde had an affair while in his 40s with a married woman, leading to the breakup of her marriage.

Despite his indiscretion, Hyde was an honorable man and an effective congressman, and a hero to pro-lifers. Rest in peace.

Teri O'Brien echoes similar sentiments, but this mentally unbalanced blogger, The People's Republic of Seabrook, wishes that Hyde roasts in Hell.

Hyde of course, unlike former President Clinton, never lost his law licence for committing perjury, something Seabrook leaves out of his post.

Earlier this month, President Bush presented lifetime Chicago area resident with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Because of illness, Hyde was unable to attend the ceremony, his son accepted the award for him.

Technorati tags: Henry Hyde Illinois impeachment Bill Clinton politics Republican

Illinois' "governor who cannot govern" doesn't seem to even work

I've always been a proponent of the maxim, that the government that governs the best is the one that governs the least.

But what about a governor who doesn't seem to govern at all? That seems to be what we have with Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Chicago Democrat.

In a recent editorial, the Chicago Tribune called Blagojevich "the governor who cannot govern." But based on a CBS 2 Chicago report by respected journalist Mike Flannery that I watched a couple of hours ago, the Tribune was being easy on "Blago," who once boasted that he had the "testicular virility" to run Illinois.

But Blagojevich can't even show up to work. And if he works at his Chicago home, or at his nearby campaign office, there's little to show for it, based on what political insiders have to say.

Meanwhile, state legislators met in Springfield last night in a special session to maybe fix the mass transit budget shortfall that the governor has "kicked the can" on for months. Blago called for the special session. But Blagojevich wasn't anywhere near the capital last night--he was sitting in the 100 section of the United Center watching the Chicago Blackhawks game.

Blagojevich doesn't even speak on a semi-regular basis with his lieutenant governor, who figures prominently into my post two entries down.

When asked earlier this month when was the last time he spoke with the governor, Quinn replied, "I don't know, couple of months, probably."

From CBS 2 Chicago:

According to his own records, in the last four months Blagojevich made an average of one public appearance every five days, only taking questions from reporters two or three times a month.

The governor does make unannounced appearances, but his office would not reveal how many.

By comparison, Mayor Daley typically faces reporters three or four times a week; Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin almost every day.

The governor's staff told CBS 2 he's often in the State Capitol, but others we spoke to call that laughable. Those sources say the governor is rarely seen in Springfield or at his Thompson Center (in Chicago) office.

Although there is no provision for a recall in the Illinois constitution, there is a move to amend it, just so voters can have the chance to remove Blagojevich from office.

Let's hope it succeeds. Amazingly enough, Blago wants to run for re-election in three years, according to CBS 2 Chicago.

Of course, since US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is investigating Blagojevich's campaign apparatus, Blago may have other concerns on his mind by then.

After all, three of the last seven Illinois governors have served time in federal prison, including his predecessor, Republican George Ryan, who moved to his confined quarters in Wisconsin earlier this month and is currently pondering why men have no sense of aim when they use the facilities he's cleaning.

Thanks for the link:

It's My Mind

Technorati tags: politics Blagojevich illinois Chicago Patrick Quinn Democrats Springfield Illinois Politics

Beavers leaves it to the race card as America's worst governmental body gets worse

I live in Cook County, America's second largest, it's population is bigger than most states.

The payroll of Cook is overwhelmed by patronage workers and other layabouts. The Democratic Party has controlled county government for 38 years. County government is inefficient, most of the Cook County board of commissioners view the workforce as a place to dump patronage workers and other layabouts onto the public payroll. Yes, there are hard workers working for the county, but in flawed organizations, the least common denominator--which is not excellence--always wins out.

County government typically flies under the radar of most voters, so they generally vote the party line, whatever that may be, on election day.

Which is how buffoons such as William Beavers (D-Chicago) get to become a Cook County commissioner. A majority, but not all of the Democratic supervisors want to saddle people like myself with the nation's highest sales tax. Luckily, the Republican supervisors and a few Democrats refuse to stick it to the five million people they represent.

For instance, one such commissioner is Forrest Claypool, another Chicago Democrat, who feels private interests with health care expertise should run the massive Cook County health service operations, rather than the political hacks.

Makes sense to me. But not to William Beavers. He believes that the reason there is opposition to the tax increase is racism--Todd "The Toddler" Stroger, the President of the Cook County Board, is an African American, as is Beavers.

Of course Stroger only got his job after the Cook County Regular Democratic Organization appointed him to head the county ticket after his father suffered a massive stroke shortly before winning the 2006 Democratic primary over Claypool. The elder Stroger has not been seen in public since, but waited until four months after the primary to withdraw his name from the ballot.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Commissioner William Beavers said "if Todd was a white man, he wouldn't have half these problems," further alleging "this is a remake of the Harold Washington days" at City Hall, where racially fueled votes often ended in 29-21 decisions.

Beavers railed on that one of Stroger's top critics, Commissioner Tony Peraica, "hates everybody who's black ... all black elected officials," going on to say Peraica used to beat up black people growing up in the Bridgeport neighborhood.

Peraica was the younger Stroger's general election opponent. Sadly, common sense and good government lost out when "The Toddler" won in November.

As reprehensible as Beavers' comments were, he managed to top them with this awful offal, telling a reporter he's "the hog with the big nuts and I'm gonna tell you what it is."

Too bad the hog isn't a steer. And the way it is stinks. Like a pile of hog..uh...stuff. Interesting side note to Commissioner Beavers. For over twenty years he represented Chicago's 7th Ward as alderman, until he decided to move on the county government. After an exhausting search of the ward's 60,000 residents, Beavers found a woman named Darcel Beavers to replace him. That Beavers is of course the daughter of William, and Mayor Daley appointed her as alderman. But a few months later, the voters tossed her out, replacing her with Sandi Jackson. She's the wife of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who is the son of....

Well, you know.

And the people of Chicago and Cook County tolerate this crap. But up to a point, at least when it comes to socking them with the nation's highest sales tax.

Commissioner Beavers can be reached at wbeavers@cookcountygov.com.

Related posts:

Hey Obama! Speak out on proposal to impose nation's highest sales tax in your hometown: UDPATED
Say no to higher Cook County taxes
Partial victory: Cook County Board delays vote on enacting nation's highest sales tax
No fat in Cook County budget?
Your Cook County tax dollars at work
Stop the proposed Cook County phone tax
"Is anyone watching out for Chicago taxpayers?"
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
Cook County sues Cook County

Thanks for the link:

It's My Mind

Technorati tags: politics Illinois Democrats Cook County Chicago Strogerwaste government race racism

Scandal update: Lt. Gov. Quinn wants count of vets in Univ. of Ill. MBA program

Almost a year ago I made my first post on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (my alma mater) reneging on its promise to give 110 full-ride executive MBA scholarships to War on Terror vets.

The school's EMBA program is based in the Illini Center in Chicago's Loop, pictured above.

In March of 2006, with great fanfare, the university announced the scholarship offer. The understanding within the college, and among supportive public officials such as Lieutenant Governor Patrick Quinn and Rep. Rahm Emanuel, both Democrats, was that the scholarships would be given out immediately.

But as Robert van der Hooning told me many times over the months, the University of Illinois School of Business, led by its dean at the time, Dr. Avijit Ghosh, decided to "reverse-engineer" the process and admit significantly fewer veterans. Their fear was that expected share of the tuition costs. The IVG would be the primary funding source for those scholarships, the University of Illinois would pick up the rest.

The B-shool then rescinded on some scholarship offers--then un-rescinded some (after Quinn and Emanuel got involved) then rescinded some more.

After the dust settled, about 35 veterans, not 110, received scholarships for the 2006-07 school year. The balance, university officials promised, would be awarded over the next two years.

Well, it's year two, and I have received credible allegations that far fewer than the expected number of veteran scholarships were awarded to Illinios veterans this year.

Van der Hooning, who filed an ethics complaint about the chicanery, is no longer employed by the university. He's filed a suit against the school, and his case was recently heard by the Illinois Court of Claims in Chicago.

He's still keeping an eye on our veterans, as is Lt. Governor Quinn. He sent a strongly worded letter to Dr. Joseph White, the president of the University of Illinois, requesting a not only a count of veterans currently enrolled in the EMBA program, how many received scholarships, and how many vets were turned away by the state's flagship university.

And the local media is listening. WBBM-AM Chicago has already reported on the story, as has the Associated Press and below is an excerpt from their report:

"Since that promising beginning, I have been deeply disappointed by the University of Illinois' failure to fulfill its promise to our veterans," Quinn wrote. "Instead of honoring our pledge to our veterans, the University of Illinois has cut back on its promise."

University of Illinois spokeswoman Robin Kaler, noting that the person in charge of the scholarships is out of town, said the school hasn't responded yet to Quinn's letter. She wasn't sure how many scholarships have been awarded so far.

"They're working on a response," she said.

Quinn spokeswoman Elizabeth Austin said he wrote the letter after hearing from veterans in the program and others that the university isn't making good on its initial pledge of 110 scholarships.

Thank you, Mr. Quinn and Ms. Austin.

And thank you, Illinois veterans for fighting for our freedom.

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

Thanks for the links:

Reverse Spin
Backyard Conservative
The Bench

Technorati tags: Illini illinois university of illinois uiuc Military college education MBA armed forces Chicago Patrick Quinn law legal

Times of London: Conrad Black could get just a five year sentence

Former newspaper baron Conrad Black, former CEO of the Hollinger Group which once published the London Telegraph, the Jerusalem Post, and Canada's National Post, could receive a surprisingly light prison term of five years when he is sentenced in Chicago next month, according to an exclusive report by the Times of London.

The rump of Hollinger is now called the Sun-Times Media Group, which publishes the Chicago Sun-Times, the Daily Southtown and a whole bunch of suburban newspapers, including the Morton Grove Champion.

Lord Black was found guilty of fraud and corruption charges in a federal court earlier this year, the office of US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald prosecuted the case. The prosecution is asking for a sentence of 24-30 years, a possible death sentence for a 63 year-old man.

The Hollinger case was a major story in Great Britain and Black's native Canada, but not so here in the Chicago area. Authors Dominick Dunne and Mark Steyn were regulars in the visitors section of the courtroom during the trial.

Related posts:

Guilty verdict reached in Conrad Black trial

Conrad Black trial not getting much attention in Chicago

Technorati tags: Conrad Black Dominick Dunne Mark Steyn crime law Canada UK Media Chicago Patrick Fitzgerald law

Univ. of Washington apologizes, sort of, for Seattle Marathon charity lie

It's been a bad year for urban American marathons, as you'll read in my related posts section.

This time it's the Seattle Marathon facing a public relations nightmare.

From Monday's Seattle Times:

When thousands of runners lined up near the Space Needle early Sunday for the half-marathon event at the 37th annual Seattle Marathon, the announcer said: Remember, you are running to benefit UW Medical Center patient housing today.

What many runners may not have realized was that not one cent of their race-entry fee — which costs up to $95 for the half-marathon and $120 for the full marathon — is destined for charity. Only money that runners decided to donate on top of their entry fees will go to charity.

Last year that amounted to only $12,000 — 1 percent of revenue — at an event that now pulls in more than $1 million annually.

The Seattle Marathon web site plays up the charity connection, with a logo at the top that says "To benefit UW Medical Center Patient & Family Housing Fund."

It gets worse. The marathon web site makes the claim that the race is "is organized and run by volunteers in the community."

Yes there are many volunteers the assist in the monumental task of putting on a marathon race, but hundreds of thousands of dollars went to marathon and organizer salaries in 2006, and the not-for-profit firm LKHA Inc. received $162,000 for "corporate administration."

Later on Monday, University of Washington officials made a sort-of-apology; in short, they issued a statement that they were sorry you if didn't really didn't understand what was really going on.

Congratulations are in order to the Seattle Times for superb reporting on this story.

Related posts:

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

Water station mayhem at Chicago Marathon

Technorati tags: running marathon run news sports Seattle Seattle Marathon University of Washington public relations

Merry Christmas from Michigan

Since I feel a bit guilty by several posts I've put up about the economic troubles Michigan is facing, I feel I owe the Great Lake State this one.

Christmas tree lots such as this one on Milwaukee Avenue in Niles are popping up all over the Chicago area. Most of the trees come from Michigan, and in the back of the lot is usually a Michigander living in a trailer until all the trees are sold--then it's "Home for the Holidays."

Technorati tags: Michigan Christmas holidays Christmas Trees photography photos

Dennis Kucinich wants Ron Paul as his running mate

I just saw this on MSNBC. Far-left Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich says he wants so-called Republican Ron Paul as his running mate--that is, of course, Kucinich wins the Democratic nomination--or any nomination.

No word, according to MSNBC, as whether the Texan congressman is interested in Kucinich's offer.

Don't believe me? Here's a news link.

Technorati tags: Kucinich democrats elections 2008 politics Republican Ron Paul

Annapolis could be a waste of time

Daniel Pipes weighs in, as usual, with common sense, this time about the Annapolis Middle East Peace Summit, which begins later this morning:

Surprisingly, something useful has emerged from the combination of the misconceived Annapolis meeting and a weak Israeli prime minister, Ehud ("Peace is achieved through concessions") Olmert. Breaking with his predecessors, Olmert has boldly demanded that his Palestinian bargaining partners accept Israel's permanent existence as a Jewish state, thereby evoking a revealing response.

Unless the Palestinians recognize Israel as "a Jewish state," Olmert announced on November 11, the Annapolis-related talks would not proceed. "I do not intend to compromise in any way over the issue of the Jewish state. This will be a condition for our recognition of a Palestinian state."

In my opinion, even if, and that's a big if, Palestinian leaders firmly agree to a recognition of Israel, that may not be the happy ending many are looking for here.

Egypt recognized Israel in the late 1970s, agreed to peace, yet its media regularly spews anti-Semitic lies. In 2003, state-run television broadcast the mini-series Horseman Without a Horse, based on the Czarist-era Russian anti-Semitic hoax, Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Technorati tags: news خبر Jewish israel מדינת Annapolis Egypt Palestinian

Say no to higher Cook County taxes

The Chicago Tribune isn't supportive of large excerpts appearing on other sites, just ask Free Republic, but I'm going to cut-and-paste a big chunk of an editorial from today's edition and cross my fingers.

Todd "The Toddler" Stroger--whom Barack Obama warmly endorsed last fall--and some of his greedy connivers on the Cook County Board of Commissioners are still hoping to saddle Cook County residents--where I and 5.3 million others live--with the nation's highest sales tax. They failed last month to get the tax hike approved, now they hope to do it during the Christmas season--when many people have other things on their mind.

This must not happen.

From the Trib:

The nine Democrats inclined to give Stroger more tax dollars surely would welcome guidance from the citizens who pay their salaries.

Here's who they are and how to reach them:

* William Beavers, South Side and south suburbs: 312-603-2067 and 773-731-1515, wbeavers @cookcountygov.com. In his response to a 2006 Tribune editorial board questionnaire that asked about cost reductions versus tax increases, Beavers wrote in part: "As chairman of the [Chicago] City Council Committee on Budget and Government Operations, I have a record of supporting budgets that address revenue shortfalls through the reduction of costs in government. I will continue to advocate for such budgets if elected as a county commissioner. ... We need to continue to make progress in employee head count through greater efficiencies."

* Jerry "Iceman" Butler, Near South Side, south suburbs: 312-603-6391, jbutler@cook countygov.com. Butler in his written response: "We are constantly looking for ways to reduce payroll. ..."

* Earlean Collins, West Side, west suburbs: 312-603-4566 and 773-626-2184, ecollins@cookcountygov.com. She may be the deciding vote on whether to raise county taxes.

* John Daley, South and Southwest Sides, southwest suburbs: 312-603-4400, jdaley@ cookcountygov.com. Last year Daley said in his response to the Tribune: "Taxes should be raised only as a last resort and not before savings measures are implemented through consolidation and efficiency gains. ..."

* Roberto Maldonado, North and Northwest Sides: 312-603-6386 and 773-395-0143, rmaldonado@cookcountygov.com. Like Collins, he could be the deciding vote on tax increases.

* Joseph Mario Moreno, Southwest Side, Cicero: 312-603-5443 and 773-927-7154, jmoreno@ cookcountygov.com.

* Joan Patricia Murphy, south suburbs: 312-603-4216 and 708-389-2125, jmurphy@cook countygov.com. The essence of Murphy's response in 2006: "I do not favor decreasing the workforce if it limits the services the County provides. ... I do not favor raising taxes. ..."

* Deborah Sims, South Side, south suburbs: 312-603-6381 and 708-371-4251, dsims@cook countygov.com.

* Robert Steele, Near North, Near West and Near South Sides: 312-603-3019 and 773-722-0140, rsteele@cookcountygov.com.

And of course there's Stroger, who said when he proposed his budget that he wasn't hearing from citizens upset by his plans to raise taxes:

* Todd Stroger's telephone numbers are 312-603-6400 and 312-603-5500. His e-mail addresses are thstroger@cookcountygov.com and officeof thepresident@cookcountygov.com.

Please do not use threatening language. Be firm, be angry--but don't go overboard.

Funny, no Republicans want to increase the county sales tax. Why is that?

Related posts:

Hey Obama! Speak out on proposal to impose nation's highest sales tax in your hometown: UDPATED
Partial victory: Cook County Board delays vote on enacting nation's highest sales tax
No fat in Cook County budget?
Your Cook County tax dollars at work
Stop the proposed Cook County phone tax
"Is anyone watching out for Chicago taxpayers?"
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
Cook County sues Cook County

Technorati tags: Barack Obama politics 2008 election Illinois Democrats Cook County Chicago Obama Strogerwaste government

Brit teacher in Sudanese jail for teddy bear named Muhammad

A nice English woman decided to leave Liverpool to teach kids in Islamofascist Sudan. In a lesson about animals, her students voted, overruling her suggestion, to name the class teddy bear "Muhammad."

The Times of London reports that 54 year-old Gillian Gibbons is in jail on blasphemy charges--and faces a possible of six months in jail along with 40 lashes.

Her school is temporarily closed--administrators fear reprisals from angry Islamists.

Vile.

Related posts:

Manute Bol: A big man with a big heart

This can't be good...Sudanese president in Iran

Technorati tags: Sudan Africa السودان religion UK teaching Liverpool Islam sharia Muhammad

More on International Profit Associates

My good friend Dan Curry at Reverse Spin has been keeping an eye on the International Profit Associates scandal for months. The Miami Herald has a story on the controversial Illinois firm, one that has been very generous to the campaign funds of many Democratic candidates--including Illinois' attorney general, Lisa Madigan, as well as Hillary Rodham Clinton.

From the Herald:

Florida's attorney general has registered 28 complaints against IPA and passed those concerns along to its Illinois counterpart, which is investigating the company. While IPA has been sued by individual clients in the past, this is the first time that former customers have banded together in court.

From Reverse Spin:

That was Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum's first mistake—if he wants anything done about IPA. Madigan, a Democrat, has been investigating IPA, a political donor, for more than four years without producing any results. And the Democratic Attorneys General Association, the political action committee of Democratic AGs, took one of its largest campaign donations, $50,000, from IPA last year in the midst of Madigan’s "probe."

Getting anyone in Illinois interested in IPA fraud complaints will be difficult. The New York Times and now the Miami Herald have delved deeply into the IPA matter but not the Chicago media. That is puzzling to say the least considering that IPA is headquartered in suburban Buffalo Grove and it has showered Illinois politicians with hundreds of thousands in campaign donations. IPA also has given Hillary Clinton more than $150,000. For all (of Curry's) posts on IPA, go here.

There are active communities of victims who vent their frustrations with IPA here, here and now at the bottom of the Miami Herald story.

A friend recently (not me, by the way) asked me if the Illinois media freeze on IPA was related to the IPA radio and TV ads that seem to air constantly on Chicago stations. Seems like a fair question.

Seems like a fair question to bring up in the next Democratic debate.

Related posts:

Where is the outrage? Dem atty gen'l group takes $50K from International Profit Associates
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?

Hillary got $4,000 donation from high school student

Technorati tags: Illinois 2008 Election DemocratsChicago law Hillary Clinton Hillary business Florida Lisa Madigan

Sen. Craig staffers voting with both feet and leaving

Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) should've followed through on his pledge his Senate seat after his guilty plea involving that now infamous men's room incident in Minneapolis this summer.

Trent Lott (R-MS) will announce he's retiring today...hint..hint....

He's now being faced with staff defections.

Senator: Do what's right for the people of Idaho and quit.

From the Idaho Statesman:

The losses could further damage Craig's effectiveness, which took a hit when Senate leaders stripped him of his leadership posts after his arrest became public, said Jasper LiCalzi, chairman of the Department of Political Economy at The College of Idaho.

"The real expert in many areas, policy areas, in the senator's office is the staff, not the senator," LiCalzi said.

The latest casualty of Craig's legal woes is Jeff Schrade, who lost his job as the senator's spokesman for the Veterans Affairs Committee when Craig lost his position as ranking member.

Before Schrade, natural resources adviser Michael Freese and legislative assistant Chelsea Penrod Hickman left Craig's office.

Technorati tags: republicans Idaho gaycurrent events politics Larry Craig GOP Trent Lott Mississippi

Sunday night's Odds and Sods

I could call it "Odds and Ends," but in a tip it of the hat to The Who, I'm calling this soon-to-be regular bit, "Odds and Sods."

First, free registration is required for this one, but the Chicago Tribune has an article about a large cache of documents related to the 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal.

Chicago blogger Cao has the scoop on the next Move America Forward caravan, "Honoring the Heroes at the Holidays." This one stays in the southern half of the country, until it reaches the east coast. The caravan starts Monday in Santa Nella, California and ends on December 16 at the World Trade Center site in New York.

Jerry and the other bloggers at IsraPundit have major trepidations about the upcoming Middle East summit in Annapolis, Maryland. Here's one of many good posts on that topic.

Bill Baar notes on his blog, Bill Baar's West Side, that Soviet dictator and mass-murderer Josef Stalin wrote romantic poetry.

Here's my addition. Serial killer John Wayne Gacy was a prolific painter.

Scroll down for my posts on what happened on previously on November 25. But Third Wave Dave has his entry on what occurred on November 22, 1963--the day John F. Kennedy died.

Technorati tags: baseball White Sox Chicago White Sox MLB sports Move America Forward history Annapolis JFK Stalin

Harold Washington twenty years later

For many Chicagoans, the "Where were you when..." question, such as the John F. Kennedy assassination, is one asked about the November 25, 1987 death of Harold Washington, the city's first black mayor.

I had a day off from my job at the time at the Bismarck Hotel where many politicians would meet for lunch, so I watched the television coverage--the soap operas were preempted by the news that the mayor had collapsed in his city hall office.

I met the mayor twice, and found him to be the probably one of the warmest and most charming men I've ever encountered. The second time was a month before his death. Although he was clearly terribly overweight, he didn't seem anywhere near death as he asked me and my girlfriend all kinds of questions while he patiently waited for his dinner at a Chicago Loop restaurant. Here was a man, I though, who was genuinely interested in others.

I asked how come he almost never dined at the Bismarck, which was located a half-block from city hall, he replied, "Soon, John...soon."

But I was not a supporter of his. I didn't live in Chicago in 1983 when Washington pulled off an upset win over the incumbent, Jane Byrne, and current mayor Richard M. Daley. Four years later, I voted for Jane Byrne in the Democratic Primary and Ed Vrdolyak--who's currently under indictment on fraud and bribery charges--in the general election. I'm not particularly proud of those votes, but I just couldn't knock the chad off for Harold.

Even in my twenties, I had an antipathy about "movement" politics, viewing them as high on ideals, but low on common sense. Although a product of Chicago machine politics, by the 1970s, Washington presented himself to voters as a reformer.

Several mayoral appointments Washington made were very troubling. His longtime friend Clarence McClain, who was a top campaign aide in Washington's 1983, as well as his almost-forgotten 1977 run for mayor--lived in Harold's Hyde Park apartment building.

The media uncovered an old pimping conviction of McClain's, and Washington had to let him go from his position as director of intergovernmental affairs. McClain wasn't very far removed from power--becoming a consultant. After Washington's death, McClain went to prison for accepting bribes to ensure a New York firm would be awarded a lucrative collections contract.

In the late 1960s, Chicago Police officer Renault Robinson formed the Afro-American Patrolmen's League, and had to endure repeated acts of racism against him. By the 1980s, Robinson, a hero to many Chicago blacks, was serving on the board of the Chicago Housing Authority.

Mayor Washington promoted Robinson to chairman of the CHA. By 1987, Robinson's inept stewardship forced the federal government to begin the process of placing the housing authority in receivership--a compromise betweed Department of Housing and Urban Development avoided the indignity for Chicago.

Then there is Robert Mier. Washington chose the academic as his director of economic development. Mier was the wrong man for the job, but let's not be too hard on him. Washington's successor, Eugene Sawyer, kept him in place. Chicago's days as an industrial behemoth were over by the time Washington became mayor--when factories closed, for example Wisconsin Steel in 1980--business sages knew at the time that they would never reopen.

But not Mier. Smaller industrial sites, especially in neighborhoods, to use a new word at that time, that were "gentrifying," were viewed as attractive sites for upscale housing and retail developments. But Mier wanted to keep these areas in an abandoned state, so when the Chicago economy improved, new captains of industry could swoop in, open the gates, and put Chicagoans back to work.

It didn't happen that way because it couldn't happen that way. Mier was reading from a 19th century playbook--and the new Chicago, as well as the new America--was one where information and ideas were the prime commodity.

Drive around Chicago today, particularly in former industrial zones such as Ravenswood and Elston Avenues, and you'll see how wrong Mier was.

Mier was shipped back to academia by Sawyer's successor, current Mayor Richard M. Daley, shortly after being sworn in as mayor.

On the positive side of Washington's four and a half years as mayor, after his election African-Americans could finally believe that Chicago was their city too. Spending for city services became more equitable--minority neighborhoods weren't at the end of the line.

The mayor made some bad appointments, but he also jettisoned two men who had it coming.

Washington forced city sewer commissioner out of his job, which led to his end of his reign as Chicago's last "Plantation Ward Boss." Quiqley was committeeman of West Side 27th Ward, one that had few white residents other than a gaggle of Quigley's sewer cronies--almost everyone else living there was African-American.

Another powerful ward committeeman, Ed Kelly of the 47th Ward, was maneuvered out of his job as chairman of the Chicago Park District by Washington. Discrepancies between spending in parks in white neighborhoods and minority areas were glaringly obvious to even casual observers. Tiny Welles Park, within walking distance of Kelly's North Side home, was a jewel among Chicago parks. It's still pretty nice.

Washington had to face a hostile City Council for his first three years as mayor, dubbed the "Vrdolyak 29." For eighteen months, Harold could finally rule as an effective mayor. Even so, for a while, rather than being a rubber-stamp body that it is now--and it was that way before he became mayor--the council worked as a legislative body. An unintentional reform, but a reform all the same.

Technorati tags: illinois Chicago Harold Washington history Vrdolyak crime corruption Democrats on this day business politics Daley

Bad times in Michigan

From all of these signs saying sorry but were closed
All the way down the Telegraph Road
Dire Staits, "Telegraph Road," 1982.

Mark Knopfler wrote "Telegraph Road" while traveling on his tour bus on Detroit's Telegraph Road and viewing the bleak urban-scape surrounding him.

The early 1980s recession was particularly brutal to Michigan, and the state--even without a recession--has lost jobs each of the last seven years.

Michigan is in tough shape--and here's an interesting indicator. I went to the Detroit Free Press site this morning, and I saw that the top two "Most Viewed Stories" are these two:

1. Search our database of Oakland foreclosures

2. Search our database of Wayne foreclosures

Wayne County includes Detroit and its inner suburbs. Oakland County is one of the wealthiest in the nation.

Yes, there are foreclosures--a lot of them--nationwide. But it must be worse in Michigan, particularly in the southeastern part of the state.

Related posts:

Blue state blues: Detroit area housing starts plummet

Google office with tax breaks opens in budget challenged Michigan

Technorati tags: Michigan Detroit real estate foreclosures real estate blogging economy

Happy Evacuation Day!

Today is Evacuation Day. What is it? On November 25, 1783, the British ended its occupation of New York City--which it captured from George Washington's Continental Army in 1776 in a series of battles.

Washington would've preferred to win the city back in battle--he was planning an invasion of northern Manhattan when the opportunity to trap--with the help of the French Navy--General Cornwallis' redcoats at Yorktown was presented to him.

The British left in a bad way. Soldiers nailed a Union Jack on a flag pole--and greased it to make it as difficult as possible for New Yorkers to remove it.

General Washington returned to the city the same day, and a little more than a week later, gave an emotional farewell to his officers in a New York tavern.

Some British troops remained in remote forts in the Northwest Territory.

It wouldn't be until 2001 that New York would be attacked again.

Technorati tags: history George Washington america great britain new york usa revolutionary war nyc on this day

Saudi king spews nonsense

In the spirit of those "Co-exist" bumper stickers that are so popular on Chicago's North Shore, Abdullah had this to say about people of faith:

If different communities and cultures would turn to their great principles (taught by their religions) then they would find many things that bring them closer, keep them away from conflicts and improve their human qualities.

Sounds nice. But Abdullah heads a dictatorship where only one religion, Islam, can be publicly followed. Saudi citizens face a death sentence if they leave the Islamic faith.

Earlier this month, Abdullah met with Pope Benedict in Vatican City. Don't look for a reciprocal visit by the Pontiff in Mecca: non-Muslims are banned from entering the city.

Technorati tags: Saudi Arabia islam pope papa vaticano christianity السعودية religion

Howard out, Labor in as Australia votes

America lost a good friend today as the Labor Party in Australia defeated John Howard's Liberal-National Coalition.

Kevin Rudd will be the next prime minister of Australia.

Howard was gracious in defeat, telling supporters, "I accept full responsibility for the Coalition's defeat in this campaign."

Still, the sting of defeat must be bitter for Howard, as not only will he no longer be the prime minister of Australia, he apparently has lost his parliamentary seat, a Labor challenger is leading in Howard's New South Wales district.

Saturday's vote was not a referendum on the War on Terror--sorry anti-war folks--but rather a referendum on Howard, who has been the leader of Australia for eleven years. Many Aussies felt Howard should have stepped aside and handed over party leadership to Peter Costello, the nation's treasurer. Interestingly, the environment and an ongoing drought down-under was a key issue. Rudd has pledged to sign the Kyoto Protocol, not that signing it will make it suddenly rain, of course.

If you don't believe me, surf some Australian news sites, you'll see.

But Rudd has pledged to remove Australian troops from Iraq.

Howard leaves behind an Australia with a much stronger economy than what was in place when he assumed power--and the Land of Oz can rightfully be called a world power. Well done, Mr. Howard.

Pajamas Media has more, as does Michelle Malkin.

UPDATE 11:00PM: Australian friend-of-the-blog John Ray has his take here.

Technorati tags: politicselection Australia John Howard Kevin Rudd australian politics Iraq war on terror economy Kyoto environment

Austrian "Rabbi" says Iran offers best model for human rights for children

A Brooklyn born man, Moishe Arye Friedman of Austria, has said Iran is the best model for children's human rights for children.

Friedman goes by the title "Rabbi," but there is doubt among the Jewish community on whether Friedman has completed his rabbinical studies.

A member of Jews United Against Zionism, a group that says the the existence of Israel violates Jewish law, Friedman attended the Tehran Holocaust denial conference earlier this year, even though Friedman is not a holocaust-denier.

Viewed by almost all Jews as a total nut-case, Friedman's claim about children's human rights in the Islamic state is simply wrong. Prior to the 1979 Khomeini-led revolution that toppled the Shah, the minimum age for Iranian women to marry was seventeen. Khomeini lowered it to nine.

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Technorati tags: news farsi iran Persian خبر سياسی زنان Jewish israel מדינת Muslim women Islam

Civil War to be fought again in Kansas City Saturday

It's hard to believe, but Saturday's Big 12 matchup in Kansas City between Kansas and Missouri is the biggest college football game of the year.

The two teams are perennial also-rans in the conference's north division, but Kansas is currenty ranked 2nd nationally, and Missouri, depending on which poll you're reading, is ranked third or fourth.

But like most rivalries, this one is more than a game. But unlike most rivalries, tensions began mounting before the football was invented--all the way back to 1856 and "Bleeding Kansas," a struggle that led to the Civil War.

From the Lawrence Journal-World & News:

"The violence between Kansas and Missouri in history started with the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854," said Virgil Dean, who works for the Kansas Historical Society. "Missourians had a real interest in making sure Kansas was a slave state — in promoting the expansion of slavery."

That didn't sit well with Kansans, including the aforementioned (John) Brown. So Kansans and Missourians fought. A lot.

"In the mid-19th century, there wasn't anything more controversial than slavery," Dean said.

For years, from 1854 until the end of the Civil War in 1865, the two sides committed atrocities of varying degrees. Neither side was perfect, though in the end, Kansas could say it was fighting against slavery and Missouri, well, wasn't.

That's John Brown on the right, from a mural inside the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka.

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UPDATE November 24: Missouri won tonight's game, 36-28. Kansas got off to a slow start, they finished strongly, but the clock ran out on the Jayhawks.

Related posts:

College football: The odds get even

Knute Rockne and Kansas update

My Kansas Kronikles: Lawrence

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

Technorati tags: Kansas history KU jayhawks Mizzou Missouri NCAA sports Kansas City

They pick soybeans, too

The Iowans I know are a little defensive about their state--so it doesn't help when someone makes a comment like this one.

I've always, being from New Hampshire, viewed Iowa as being a place where they pick corn and New Hampshire being a place where we pick presidents.

New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg, a national co-chair for Mitt Romney's campaign, said that.

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Technorati tags: New Hampshire politics Romney Mitt Judd Gregg Republicans 2008 election

Glenn & Helen Show podcast with Bob Levy of the Cato Institute on guns

It's with particular interest that I listened to the latest Glenn & Helen Show podcast: I'm a resident of the first community in the nation, Morton Grove, Illinois, to issue an outright ban on handguns, the Second Amendment, the Washington DC gun ban, and the current litigation over that latter what's discussed with Bob Levy of the Cato Institute on this edition of the podcast.

Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit and Dr. Helen Smith comprise the Glenn & Helen Show.

A federal appeals court struck down the DC gun ban, the district appealed the ruling, and shortly after the podcast was recorded, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. Whatever SCOTUS decides, the ruling will place guns as a major issue in next year's presidential elections.

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

The podcast is sponsored by Volvo Automobiles.

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Technorati tags: iPod itunes podcast blog Volvo guns 2nd amendment Morton Grove 2nd Amendment Washington DC Cato Institute SCOTUS

Thanksgiving Day greetings from Ray Davies

Sometimes a foreigner is best equipped to place a national tradition into perspective, and Ray Davies, longtime leader of The Kinks, proves that in his 2006 song, Thanksgiving Day.

Lyrics courtesy of Dave Emlen's fabulous Kinks tribute site.

Are you going on Thanksgiving Day
To those family celebrations?
Passing on knowledge down through the years
At the gathering of generations

Every year it's the same routine
All over, all over
Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day

Papa looks over at the small gathering
Remembering days gone by
Smiles at the children as he watches them play
And wishes his wife was still by his side

She would always cook dinner on Thanksgiving Day
It's all over, it's all over
It's all over the American way
But sometimes the children are so far away

And in a dark apartment on the wrong side of town
A lonely spinster prays
For a handsome lover and a passionate embrace
And kisses all over, all over
All over her American face

It's all over, it's all over, it's all over

'Cause today she feels so far away
From the friends in her hometown
So she runs for the Greyhound
She'll spend hours on the bus but she'll reach town
For Thanksgiving Day

Come on over, come on over
Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day
Come on over, come on over
Come on over, come on over
Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day

At a truck stop a man sits alone at the bar
Estranged in isolation
It's been a while now and he seems so far
From those distant celebrations

He thinks back to all the mistakes that he made
To a time when he was so young and green
Innocent days when they both looked forward to that
Great American dream

Now it's all over, it's all over, all over
And all over America people are going home
On Thanksgiving Day

Now Papa looks out of the window
The sight brings a smile to his face
He sees all his children coming back home
Together on this special day

Related post:

Ray Davies: Still around and enjoying "Life after Breakfast"

Technorati tags: Thanksgiving The Kinks Ray Davies Americana music rock British Invasion

Edwards wants to lure supermarkets into food deserts

Even more so than Barack Obama, John Edwards is an opponent of Wal-Mart, which says a lot about the Democratic Party, since Wal-Mart is America's largest employer and the world's largest corporation.

Do they want to punish success?

Like many politicians on the eve of Thanksgiving--a holiday tied with bountiful eating--John Edwards visited a food pantry yesterday. Mayor Richard Daley did the same thing in Chicago, and I'm sure I could find dozens of other instances.

Here's what caught my eye about Edwards' trip to the pantry:

As The State of South Carolina reports, Edwards is proposing "A new federal grants program, sponsored by public/private partnerships to attract supermarkets to lower-income communities."

Whoah...There is a company, Wal-Mart, trying to set up shop in many inner-city communities, and some politicians--all of them Democrats--are trying to prevent that. But because Wal-Mart is non-union--so is Target by the way--the Dems and their union $upporters are digging in their heels so Wal-Mart can't build in poverty-stricken urban areas.

In Chicago, its City Council passed a bill that would have put in force a "living wage" ordinance that would've applied to only big box retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Home Depot. Smaller supermarkets wouldn't be effected. Daley, a Democrat, vetoed the bill, calling it a job killing bill.

Early this year, Chicago's second largest supermarket chain, Safeway-owned Dominick's, closed a dozen stores, most of them were in the city. That's when the term "food desert" became part of the lexicon of knowledgeable Chicagoans. A food desert is an area not served by a supermarket. Oh yes, there are grocery stores in such places, capitalism can't be killed, but they are usually small to medium sized endeavors that have no choice but to charge a little more for their goods since they can't match the economies-of-scale of Dominick's--or the big boxes.

And it shouldn't take too much thought as to where Chicago's food deserts--and those in other large cities--predominate: poorer areas such as the ones Edwards wants to assist.

Wal-Mart hasn't committed to the number of stores it wants to build in Chicago, but I've read that they want anywhere from five to twenty. And those potential Wal-Marts would almost certainly sell groceries. Currently there is just one Wal-Mart in the city.

Does that mean that Edwards will end his sucking up to the nutroots and the unions, and welcome Wal-Mart and the other big boxes to the food deserts? Probably not, but Edwards needs to be confronted on this issue. The next Democratic presidential debate would be an ideal opportunity for him to be questioned on his awkward stand.

Related posts:

John Edwards wakes up to Wal-Mart nightmare
My book report: The Wal-Mart Revolution: How Big Box Stores Benefit Consumers, Workers, and the Economy
Study: Wal-Mart saves families $2,500 per year
The good life of working for the UFCW
Union leaders don't share their members pain
Chicago food desert update: Hyde Park Co-op may close or file for bankruptcy: UPDATED
The Obamas: The Audacity of Hypocrisy
Michelle Obama quits board of big Wal-Mart supplier

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Technorati tags: Wal-Mart unions labor politics elections retail business Obama barack obama John Edwards democrats Chicago Illinois Target food deserts John Edwards poverty Daley big box Thanksgiving

South Carolina singled out for sleaze in The Times of London

In today's Times of London, Tim Reid calls South Carolina "the foulest swamp of electoral dirty tricks in America."

I think that's a bit unfair, since most of the rumors and innuendo--unless I'm missing something--aren't exclusive to the Palmetto State.

Reid's article is interesting, as it is the first mainstream media outlet to acknowledge that rumors are floating around regarding a Hillary Clinton lesbian affair with Huma Abedin, a top HRC campaign aide.

The article touches on some other rumors, or rumours as they spell it in the UK, including this entertaining one: Fred Thompson was a "corrupt playboy."

One of my regular blog visits, The Palmetto Scoop, is cited on its reporting of the anonymous "Mormon" calls to New Hampshire voters, which TPS claims is a ruse to generate sympathy backlash votes for Mitt Romney.

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Technorati tags: democrats elections Hillary Clinton Hillary politics Mitt Romney Fred Thompson South Carolina Republican mainstream media UK

Animal rights group burned by using wrong thermometer

Animal rights groups like to remind the world that they exist by putting out an alarmist press release on slow news days. This is what Maryland-based Animals' Angels has done. But their press release was misleading.

From the Des Moines Register:

Two animal rights groups wanted to draw Thanksgiving-season attention to the way turkeys are shipped. So they issued a news release Tuesday accusing Sara Lee Corp. of allowing turkeys to be hauled to its Storm Lake slaughterhouse unprotected from the elements in "subzero temperatures."

Turns out that on the day in question, last Jan. 25, it was cold but not quite as cold as that. The low in Storm Lake was 16 degrees, according to an Iowa State University database.

"I am German," said Sonja Meadows of Animals' Angels, a Maryland-based group. "We measure everything different."

She said she meant that the temperature was below zero degrees Celsius - 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Her group made the same error in a letter Meadows said was sent to Sara Lee after the incident.

Yes, Fraulein Meadows, but you're here now. My guess is that you got caught fibbing.

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Technorati tags: Iowa Thanksgiving turkey animal rights news

Two racist situations, with two different outcomes?

Julie Myers' bid to become director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is in jeopardy because she and two other managers chose the Halloween costume of a white woman dressed in a prison uniform and dreadlocks as the "most original" outfit.

Meanwhile in Chicago, a transportation department supervisor who is a nephew of a late Democratic congressman, is keeping his $77,000-a-year job--even though the city's inspector general recommended his dismissal, event though he used, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, the "n-word and other racist and sexist slurs."

More from the Chicago Sun-Times:

The board did find Annunzio made "racist, derogatory and disparaging remarks," but didn't fire him because the most "egregious" allegations weren't backed up by testimony from the target of the barbs.

The co-worker didn't testify about Annunzio allegedly calling him a "Mambo Gorilla" or about Annunzio allegedly putting a tablecloth on his head and acting like a Klansman in the co-worker's office.

Still, 11 co-workers testified Annunzio used profanity and racist slurs.

Two of those said they saw the tablecloth incident.

Annunzio's boss said the the supervisor "lacked people skills."

Then he shouldn't be a supervisor--supervisors manage people.

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Technorati tags: politics democrats racism Illinois Chicago bigotryhomeland security

We are winning in Iraq: Refugees returning

Do you want more evidence that we are winning in Iraq? Iraqi refugees are leaving Syria and voting with their feet--by returning to Iraq.

From the Times of London:

Iraqi refugees are returning home in dramatic numbers, concluding that security in Baghdad has been transformed. Thousands have left their refuge in Syria in recent months, according to some estimates.

The Iraqi Embassy is organizing a secure mass convoy from Damascus to Baghdad on Monday for refugees who want to drive back. Embassy notices went up around the Syrian capital yesterday, offering free bus and train rides home.

Saida Zaynab, the Damascus neighborhoods once dominated by many of the 1.5 million Iraqi refugees, is almost deserted. Apartment prices are plummeting and once-crowded shops and buses are half empty.

The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) was scrambling to assess the transformation last night. An interim report is expected today. "There is a large movement of people going back to Iraq. We are doing rapid research on this," a spokesman said.

The Times is reporting that Iraqi refugees are heading home from Egypt, Jordan and other countries.

Also in The Times, Gerard Baker in his blog ponders "What if Bush wins the war after all?"

He raises a couple of possibilities:

1. The news gets to the point where Iraq ceases to be a drag on Bush's ratings, and if that happens it will change overall perceptions of the Bush presidency. If his approval ratings are at 45 per cent a year from now, rather than the current 35 per cent, that can't be anything other than good news for his party. (Though it still doesn't mean they'll win.)

2. A pretty strong case can be made that the surge has been a success. This is tricky for the Democrats. They fiercely opposed the surge and issued dire warnings about what would happen if it went ahead. They insisted on and tried to legislate an immediate withdrawal of US forces last spring. That doesn't look smart right now.

Related post: Iraq: We are winning

Thanks for the link: Wow, Andrew Sullivan, although he claims I'm performing a premature victory dance.

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Technorati tags: democrats military armed forces Iraq elections 2008 politics Syria Jordan Egypt

Cook County sues Cook County

The dysfunctional mess known as Cook County government reached a new level of ridiculousness today, as the Cook County public defender filed suit, in Cook County court, against Todd Stroger, the president of the Cook County Board of Supervisors.

The cash grabbing, ineffective body of government has been ruled by one party--the Democrats--for almost forty years.

Stroger, a complete political hack, replaced his father on the general ballot last year after his father had no choice but to withdraw from the race after suffering a massive stroke a week before winning the Democratic primary in a very close race. He's not been seen in public since being stricken.

And forgive me if I'm repeating myself, but Sen. Barack Obama gave Stroger II a ringing, yet audacious endorsement last fall after it appeared that Republican Tony Peraica might break the Democratic lock on the board presidency.

Here's what Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn said at the time:

Obama's staff released a profoundly disheartening letter to voters this week in which Obama, joined by Sen. Dick Durbin, endorsed Cook County Board presidential candidate Todd Stroger.

The letter, which puffs lots of hot air into the saggy balloon of Stroger's legislative resume, refers to him as "a good progressive Democrat" who will "lead us into a new era of Cook County government."

Todd Stroger was a "strong voice" in Springfield, the letter says. He has "worked assiduously" for the poor as an alderman. Yet, of course, the record reveals that Stroger is an unimaginative legislative drone whose reform credentials are wholly imaginary--an unlikely trailblazer to a new era.

No one should be surprised things have gotten even worse in Cook County since Stroger took over.

And now Cook County is suing itself.

A "new kind of politics" has "graced" Cook County, America's second most populous county.

Related posts:

Hey Obama! Speak out on proposal to impose nation's highest sales tax in your hometown: UDPATED
Partial victory: Cook County Board delays vote on enacting nation's highest sales tax
No fat in Cook County budget?
Your Cook County tax dollars at work
Stop the proposed Cook County phone tax
"Is anyone watching out for Chicago taxpayers?"
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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Technorati tags: Barack Obama politics 2008 election Illinois Democrats Cook County Chicago Obama Strogerwaste government law lawsuit legal

Wind power update--Michigan this time, UPDATED

What's good enough for Michigan isn't good enough for Cape Cod. The Detroit Free Press' Mike Wendland writes about his encounter with a wind farm in the state's Thumb Country.

As he writes:

But as huge as that operation is, wait until DTE Energy gets rolling. The utility has been easements on some 25,000 acres of Thumb farmland around Caseville, Port Hope and Bad Axe. enough land to erect 250 windmills which could generate as much as 500 megawatts of power... enough to power nearly 125,000 homes.

UPDATE 10:20 PM: I just finished watching an ABC 7 Chicago segment on wind power. Bureau Valley High School in north central Illinois erected a wind turbine that not only powers the tne entire school, excess power is placed on the electric grid, putting $30,000 into the treaury of the school each year.

A school district near Erie, Illinois, near the Iowa border, is also putting up a wind turbine.

Related posts:

North Dakota welcomes new wind farm

Not in my back yard: Commission rejects Cape Wind project

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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Technorati tags: wind renewable energy Massachusetts wind power Michigan

Peter N. Kirstein once again rambles on Finkelstein

Peter N. Kirstein, a history professor at Chicago's St. Xavier University, once again brings up the topic of the firing of former professor Norman G. Finkelstein from DePaul Univeristy, another Catholic university on the other side of town.

As is his wont, Kirstein brings up perceived misjustices that Finkelstein had to endure during his tenure struggle, but neglects to mention former professor Thomas Klocek's dismissal from DePaul. Free speech rights is supposed to available to everyone.

Kirstein has been an ardent supporter of another famous fired professor, Ward Churchill of the University of Colorado. While Kirstein admits Churchill engaged in academic misconduct, he doesn't believe CU should have rolled up the tee-pee on the phony Indian's career there.

On the other hand, Kirstein favors the dismissal of Glenn Poshard from the presidency of Southern Illinois University. Poshard, a moderate Democrat, was a longtime congressman from downstate Illinois, and is best remembered as the man who disgraced Republican George Ryan defeated in the 1998 gubernatorial race. Poshard is alleged to have plagiarized parts of his doctoral thesis. There are very credible charges of plagiarism against Churchill.

Related posts:

St. Xavier professor cheers Ahmadinejad Columbia speech

DePaul alum Mayor Daley writes recruiting letters for St. Xavier University

Finkelstein defender Peter Kirstein praised David Irving

Technorati tags: Chicago illinois college education news DePaul Norman Finkelstein Ward Churchill Thomas Klocek St. Xavier Peter Kirstein خبر SIU Catholic Poshard St. Xavier

Chicago food desert update: Hyde Park Co-op may close or file for bankruptcy: UPDATED

The Hyde Park Co-op is about a mile from the home of Barack Obama, a prominent opponent of Wal-Mart. The co-op, a Socialist-tinged holdover from the Depression era, is the closest grocery to the Obama homestead.

I've been to the co-op, although they claim they've made improvements recently, I've noticed a scanty selection of goods, most of them overpriced. It's at best a medium-sized operation.

The co-op is in bad financial shape, and it faces two tough choices: closing immediately and being replaced by another grocer in the space it rents from the University of Chicago--or filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The Chicago "free registration required" has more.

Earlier this year, after the closing of some Dominick's supermarkets in Chicago, Gallagher Research identified some "food deserts" located in the nation's third-most populous city. A "food desert" is an area not served by a supermarket providing residents with low-cost choice for groceries. Most of these deserts are located in impoverished areas, but the Hyde Park neighborhood was among the deserts found by Gallagher.

The Obamas live in Kenwood a few blocks north of Hyde Park, where the family lived and work until purchasing their new home, with a little help of course.

Chicago's South Side seems to be a good place for such "big box" chains such as Wal-Mart and Target to expand into. But if it happens, it won't be with Obama's blessing. Speaking of the retail giant, Obama says, "I won't shop there." Of course until recently, Obama's wife Michelle served on the board of directors of a firm whose largest customer was, you guessed it, Wal-Mart.

Hyde Park doesn't have much open space for a "big box" store, but the impoverished area west of it, where an Olympic stadium may be built, has plenty.
So does the middle-class Chatham neighborhood south of Hyde Park. Ald. Howard Brookins wants a Wal-Mart in his ward, and the developer wants them there, too. Mayor Richard M. Daley vetoed the so-called "living wage" ordinance for big big box stores last year, but is quiet on whether he favors the Chatham Wal-Mart, which would be Chicago's second.

Interestingly, in 2004 Chicago's City Council--which has one Republican and 49 Democrats--approved the rezoning of the Chatham property where the Wal-Mart store might be built, but only if a Wal-Mart would not be a part of the development.

However, the only anchor tenant interested in putting down states at the Chatham site is Wal-Mart.

And those Chicago food deserts remain....

And don't look for any food co-operatives to move in. According to the Chicago Tribune, the city once had thirty such operations, and the Hyde Park Co-op is the last one. And it may be gone very soon.

On a personal note, although the food deserts aren't too far away from me-- there is no need to send me food.

UPDATE November 22: Crain's Chicago Business reported last night that the board of the Hyde Park Co-op voted to close the store. However, the issue needs to be voted on by the 2,600 member of the cooperative.

Related posts:

Chicago's "food deserts" well known to Obama

Big-box shy Chicago facing "food desert"

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

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Technorati tags: Obama Barack Obama democrats elections 2008 Wal-Mart Business Big Box retail Chicago politics Illinois University of Chicago Target

Novak stands by Obama dirt story

Well no one knows what it is, or if it is for real, but columnist and Joliet, Illinois native Robert Novak is standing by his story that the Hillary Clinton campaign is spreading word that they have some damaging information on Barack Obama.

From Fox News:

"This is very similar to the kind of trick that Richard Nixon used to pull, where he would say, 'I know some very bad information about the communists supporting George McGovern, but I can't put that out because it wouldn't be right, but I'm just too good of a guy,' " Novak said.

A message left seeking comment from a Clinton campaign spokesman was not immediately returned.

Novak also said he still had no proof that there really is scandalous information about Obama, only that he's certain that Clinton's campaign told well-connected Democrats that they had such information.

"Now whether there is any such scandalous information, I don’t' know, but what I know is I'm confident in my sources, who I trust. We're told this by Clinton people that there was such information out."

The Nixon comparison must really sting at Hillary Rodham Clinton. In 1974, young Ms. Rodham (she didn't initially use the Clinton name after marrying Bill) served as counsel for the House Judiciary Committee during the Richard M. Nixon impeachment inquiry in 1974.

Related post:

Bob Novak: Univ. of Ill. alumni group's conservative curriculum faces opposition

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Technorati tags: democrats elections 2008 Hillary Clinton Hillary Obama Barack Obama Robert Novak Nixon

League of Villains update: Chavez and Ahmadinejad meet in Tehran

Two of the world's most execrable leaders, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, met in Tehran for a few hours earlier today.

Yesterday both creeps were in Saudi Arabia for an OPEC meeting. Ahmadinejad said, "We would never want to use oil as a weapon or take any illegal actions ... but if America takes any action against us we will know how to reply."

Chavez raised the stakes, stating that oil should be used as a weapon to fight "imperialism."

Since becoming president of Iran, Ahmadinejad has been snuggling with the leaders of rogue states, as you'll read below.

League of Villains update: Ahmadinejad in Venezuela
Another League of Villains update: Belarus foreign minister in Tehran
Latest from the The League of Villains: Ahmadinejad awards Chavez
This can't be good...Sudanese president in Iran
League of Villains update: Senior Iranian and Cuban meet
The League of Villains and China: the Left's great red hope against the USA

Technorati tags: news farsi iran Persian خبر سياسی زنان venezuela hugo chavez OPEC Ahmadinejad

Dem debate: Questions sprouted from CNN plants

I didn't watch last week's Democratic Presidential Debate that was held in Las Vegas.

Jenny Bea of PC Exposed did. And as I learned while listening to yesterday evening's Andrea Shea King Show, the debate ended Thursday, but Bea's work was just beginning.

Shortly after the debate, word spread that the first audience member to ask a question--a random person--was Catherine Jackson--who took part in a counter demonstration of a group that protested in front of Senator Harry Reid's office--the protesters were opposed to Reid's anti-war stance.

CNN: The most trusted name in news.

Then there this run-of-the-mill voter, Maria Luisa. Below is what Bea found out about her, first beginning her research among the CNN transcripts of the debate.

But the transcripts said her name was Maria Parra-Sandoval and she was a student at UNLV, and in the video clips of that question, that’s what she said her name was. Interesting that no one picked that up. So I popped her name into my Yahoo search engine to discover that Luisa is her middle name, her full name is Maria Luisa Parra-Sandoval, and she worked in Harry Reid’s office in Nevada and DC. (Picture on page 23) She was also invited as a guest on the floor off the 74th session of Nevada Legislature, by a man named Rubin Kihuen, he was elected in 2006 and a member of the Nevada Assembly Democrats. Upon further research and a tip from a commenter on another message board, it turns out that she came here illegally from Mexico as a child with her family, but since gained legal status, and has won scholarships to attend UNLV.

Maria Luisa is Maria Luisa Parra-Sandoval, and her picture is in the yearbook on one of the Nevada government web sites, in addition, her name is listed as one of Harry Reid's staff.

When I found out, I nearly fell out of my chair. So what about the rest of them?

Another "typical voter" who asked a question was Khalid Khan. But Bea discovered it just so happens he's the President of the Islamic Society of Nevada.

LaShannon Spencer is the former director of political affairs for the Democratic Party in Little Rock, Arkansas. She asked a question, too. Another "average person" eager to exercise her franchise next November, right?

Jenny has done an amazing job exposing CNN with her exhaustive research. Once again, here is her post. And she's still doing some digging amidst the plants.

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Related posts:

Roger L. Simon: Obama doesn't want to be president

Hillary victim of a "gotcha" moment in Philly debate

Technorati tags: democrats elections 2008 CNN media bias msm Nevada las vegas Harry Reid

Oh no. Family wants to re-open Tawana Brawley case

The Tawana Brawley "rape" case is, like the Hitler Diaries, Piltdown Man, Clifford Irving's autobiography of Howard Hughes, one of the great hoaxes of the past century.

Tawana and her case faded away, thankfully. But her mother and stepfather want to have it reopened.

From AP:

Brawley was 15 (in 1987) when she went missing for four days from her home in Wappingers Falls, about 75 miles north of New York City. After being found, she made the shocking allegation that she had been abducted and raped by six white law enforcement officials.

The case quickly made headlines and drew the attention of the Rev. Al Sharpton, who became an outspoken advocate for the teen.

But a special state grand jury found evidence Brawley had fabricated her story. A former Dutchess County prosecutor who had been implicated in the case later sued Brawley, Sharpton and other Brawley advisers for defamation, winning a $345,000 judgment against the advisers and a $185,000 judgment against Brawley.

A spokeswoman for Sharpton, who was held liable for $65,000 in the case, did not immediately respond to an e-mail message early Sunday. The former prosecutor's lawyer did not immediately return a telephone message.

Like most people, I'd never heard of the Rev. Al Sharpton until the Brawley story hit the news. Twenty years later, that loudmouth is still popping up on television screens shouting out his nonsense.

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Technorati tags: Tawana Brawley Sharpton New York hoax news

Obama should be glad someone wants to "swift-boat" him

Saturday is usually a quiet day on the political news front, but not yesterday. Robert Novak started the fun, when he made the claim in his latest column that the Hillary Clinton campaign has "scandalous information" about her chief rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama.

HRC's camp is denying Novak's report, meanwhile, my senator is claiming that the Clinton campaign is using "swift boat" tactics.

Although he trails Hillary Clinton in all national polls--by a lot--Obama should be fortunate that someone would want to "swift-boat" him.

I'm sure the other candidates for the Democratic nomination, such as Mike Gravel, Bill Richardson, Christopher Dodd, or Joe Biden, would welcome the gift of being deemed important enough to receive such an attack.

On the other hand, Dennis Kucinich, another opinion poll bottom-feeder, is so weird, he can always "swift boat" himself.

As far as the group that unintentionally inspired the phrase, Swift Boat Veterans fo Truth--I think they told the truth about John Kerry in 2004.

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Technorati tags: Kucinich democrats elections 2008 Hillary Clinton Hillary Biden Dodd Obama Barack Obama Mike Gravel Robert Novak John Kerry

Iraq: We are winning

Yep, we are winning in Iraq. And stories like this aren't just coming from milbloggers and Fox News. Today the Chicago "free registration required" Tribune weighs in:

Iraqi officials are already declaring victory.

"[Al] Qaeda has been defeated completely. And soon they will cease operating completely," Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, the Interior Ministry spokesman, said in an interview in his office. "We expect them to have some attacks, they will make huge efforts and maybe they will succeed in one or two instances. But now they're shifting their operations outside Iraq. They will not have a safe home here anymore."

U.S. officials are more cautious. Al Qaeda has rebounded from past setbacks, and it almost certainly is trying to regroup, they say.

"Al Qaeda, though on the ropes, is not finished by any means," Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, the U.S. commander in Baghdad, said in a Nov. 6 briefing in the capital. "They could come back swinging if they're allowed to."

It'll be interesting to see how, or better yet, if the Democratic presidential candidates retool their nutroots-fueled anti-war posturing.

Once again, we are winning in Iraq.

Technorati tags: democrats military armed forces liberal Iraq elections 2008 politics

Happy Latvian Independence Day

Mrs. Marathon Pundit is hails from Latvia, and today is marks the day Latvia declared its independence in 1918.

Happy Independence Day!

Technorati tags: Latvia Latvija on-this-day history

Saturday night's trip around the horn...

On this rainy Saturday night, here's what's rockin' on the blogosphere--from the Great Midwest and beyond....

Iowahawk has a reprint of a 1942 publication by Munro Leaf, My Book to Help America. How things have changed....

I missed this one when it was first put online, but the DePaul student newspaper (Yes, I know it's not a blog) a few months ago found a man who can top both the Republicans and Democrats at the Chicago Catholic University--and that man is Thomas Klocek.

As Graham Chapman once said on Monty Python's Flying Circus, "And now over to me..."

This afternoon, the my alma mater, the University of Illinois, crushed Northwestern 41-22 on the football field. Behind the scenes at the U of I, there's a scandal I've been covering since February. Keep in mind the disclaimer on the left-hand side of my home page, but some of the comments are well, interesting on this post, this one, and especially this one.

Haloscan is a little buggy tonight, but the comments are there.

Eight days from now marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Chicago's first black mayor, Harold Washington. Levois at It's My Mind recalls the event, which happened on the afternoon before Thanksgiving that year.

Kentucky blogger Prairie Bluestem is a Nebraska native, and posts about Rudyard Kipling's visit to Omaha. It's safe to say that what the great Englishman wrote will never make it into an Omaha Chamber of Commerce brochure.

Keeping an eye on things in South Carolina is the job of The Palmetto Scoop, and they are welcoming a new contributor, Will Armstrong.

Dan at Outraged Patriots in Oklahoma came across a Washington Times article about a Virginia furniture retailer, which proclaims on a sign outside the store "Credito sin papeles de gringo." In English that means "Credit without gringo papers."

Do you still get credit if you have "gringo papers?"

Technorati tags: Illini illinois university of illinois uiuc college DePaul immigration illegal immigration Omaha Virginia Chicago Harold Washington history books Thomas Klocek South Carolina

DePaul's Nick Hahn debuts on Townhall.com

DePaul Conservative Alliance member Nick Hahn III has his first column up at Townhall.com. One of my brothers attended the January symposium with on campus free speech with Thomas Klocek and David Horowitz at DePaul--Hahn moderated.

My brother asked who he was, and I replied, "He's someone you should keep an eye on."

And now that he's a Townhall contributor, it'll be easy do that.

Hahn writes of the recent visit at DePaul by Amir Abbas Fakhravar, founder of the Confederation of Iranian Students--a group working for regime change in the Persian state.

Upon his arrival to Chicago, Fakhravar was adamant about touring DePaul’s Student Center (picured above), the main student gathering on campus. As he walked through the building, I saw that the excitement in him was racing. The flurry of activity––open discussions amongst students and between faculty, student-manned information tables, the mass amount of student computers connected to the world at state-of-the-art internet speeds––this all seemed to fill Fakhravar’s heart with joy.

Suddenly, he stopped in front of a bulletin board used to advertise student events. He turned and looked at me different from ever before and pointing to the flyers on the board, he said, "This is our dream in Iran." The diversity of ideas on display lit up his eyes with a hopeful vision of the future for his country.

In my introduction for Fakhravar, I stressed that despite our differences in language and ethnicity, we as students are one. The student generation is always the generation of liberty because it is the generation of prosperity, progress, innovation, knowledge, and dreams. Fakhravar captivated the audience with his personal stories and then surprised them with a seemingly unexpected denunciation of war. "I don’t want war. No one wants war," he explained, "but it is the Islamic Republic who does." After Fakhravar was through, he received a standing ovation––as the Natan Sharansky of our time rightly deserves.

Technorati tags: news farsi iran Persian خبر سياسی زنان DePaul

Ill. Green Party seeks to remove white supremacist from ballot--but what about McKinney?

An odious turd named Richard B. Mayers has filed the necessary papers to be placed on the Green Party ballot in the 3rd Congressional District of Illinois in February's primary election. Mayers is a white-supremacist and if he wins the primary over Jerome Pohlen, who is endorsed by the state Green Party, Mayers will appear on general election ballot of the district, which encompasses Chicago's Southwest Side and parts of the western and southern suburbs.

The Chicagoist has a rundown on Mayers here.

Naturally the Greens want nothing to do with this trash, and want him off the ballot.

The Decatur Herald & Review has an odd article about Mayers and the Greens objections--but without saying what's so objectionable about Mayers.

"We don't want him on the ballot because of his past activities" is what Illinois Green Party spokesman Patrick Kelly said.

However, as bad as Mayers is, if his--to use a famous Nazi badgering technique--"papers are in order," the Greens can't kick him off the ballot because of his hateful views.

Bad in my opionion, but not as awful as Mayers is Cynthia McKinney, who will be on the Illinois Green Party ballot. McKinney, the first black congresswoman elected from Georgia, surrounds herself with race-baiters. Including her father, her bodyguards, and her campaign manager.

Before he assumed his title of Savior of the Earth--something Green Party members care about, Al Gore was a presidential candidate. During the 2000 campaign, McKinney complained that Gore's "Negro tolerance level has never been too high." Donna Brazile, an African American woman, headed Gore's campaign in 2000.

This YouTube video shows McKinney playing the "racial profiling card."

The Greens however don't seem to mind McKinney appearing on the Green Party ballot a a presidential candidate.

There was one objection made with the Illinois State Board of Elections about McKinney. It was made by Richard B. Mayers.

Can't we all just get along?

Related posts:

Georgia's Cynthia McKinney Parkway may be headed for the exit ramp
Police brutalizer Cynthia McKinney to lead protest of police brutality
Green Party makes political threat against Rep. Schakowsky
Uh-oh. Green Party candidates multiply in Illinois
Cynthia McKinney and the Greens
Massachusetts Green Party: Enough to make you puke
Still in the 1960s: 2008 Green Party convention coming to Chicago: UPDATED
Illinois gov race--Rich Whitney: What is Green once was Red

Technorati tags: Green Party Cynthia McKinney politics 2008 election democrats Georgia racism Illinois Chicago Al Gore

Pajamas Media BWIR with Austin Bay

One of Little Marathon Pundit's favorite Spongebob Squarepants episodes involves something called "Opposites Day." And that what it is with the latest edition of Pajamas Media Blog Week in Review. Blogger Ed Driscoll is the host--he usually produces the podcast--and regular host Austin Bay is the guest.

Ed calls Austin, who was in Abu Dhabi when the podcast was recorded, and he talks about his trip to Afghanistan--where he "Greets the Strong Horse." Retired Colonel Bay discusses his trip to the Dubai Air Show, where surprising, civilian aircraft got more attention than the military planes.

The importance of military blogs is also brought up.

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

Technorati tags: war on terror iPod itunes podcast blog Pajamas Media Military war on terror milblogs أبو ظبي Afghanistan افغانستان

David Broder: Icebergs ahead for the Dems

Chicago Heights native David Broder put out a great column yesterday--before Obama whiffed, just like Hillary two weeks prior--his turn on driver's licences for illegals.

As the Democratic presidential race finally gets down to brass tacks, two issues are becoming paramount. But only one of them is clearly on the table.

That is the issue of illegal immigration. A very smart Democrat, a veteran of the Clinton administration, told me that he expects it to be a key part of any Republican campaign and that he is worried about his party's ability to respond.

I think he has good reason to worry. The failure of the Democratic Congress, like its Republican predecessor, to enact comprehensive immigration reform, including improved border security, has left individual states and local communities to struggle with the problem. Some are showing a high degree of tolerance and flexibility. Others are being more punitive. But all of them are running into controversy.

The other iceberg facing the Democratic Party, according to Broder, is Bill Clinton. Assuming Hillary wins the Democratic nomination, we could be looking at a dual presidency--the first since the post-stroke part of Woodrow Wilson second term. After HRC stumbled over her licence for illegals question, Bubba had to step in and assist in her damage control.

Will we have four--or eight years of this?

Related post:

Hillary victim of a "gotcha" moment in Philly debate

Technorati tags: democrats elections 2008 Hillary Clinton Hillary Bill Clinton Obama Barack Obama DMV illegal immigration immigration

Roger L. Simon: Obama doesn't want to be president

I missed last night's Democratic presidential debate, on such occasions, I turn to a blogger whose opinion I trust to see what I missed. Roger L. Simon is my choice, and he hits Barack Obama hard--view the YouTube video first, though.

I caught most of the Democratic debate tonight and I was astonished by how unprepared Obama seemed to be on the most obvious question of the evening - how he stood on illegal aliens having driver's licenses. This is the very subject he had used to nail Hillary Clinton at the previous debate, yet his answer to this same question this time was, if anything, more evasive than Hillary's at the other debate.

Surely his handlers must have prepared him for this question. Otherwise they are rank incompetents. So there can only be one conclusion: Barack Obama does not really want to be President.

At least that was what was going through my head while watching the rest of the desultory performance by all concerned. (Only Biden is able to really answer things directly, agree with him of not.)

Now I can't say I totally blame Obama, because he must know what we all do - that he is way too inexperienced for the job at a time like this. During the last week, when the press was making a big deal out of Hillary stumbling, he must have been wrestling in his unconscious with the possibility that he actually could win - a surprising development under the circumstances. The result: he sabotaged himself at the most obvious moment. You don't need to be Dr. Freud to figure that one out.

And exactly who is Obama trying to impress when he brings up his record in the Illinois State Senate? It just reminds people that he was a minor player in the scheme of things just three years ago. Also, regular readers of this blog are well aware that Illinois is a very corrupt state, one that esteemed political scientist Larry Sabato recently called part of the "holy trinity" of corruption. Louisiana and New Jersey are the other partners in crime, according to Sabato.

Technorati tags: democrats elections Barack Obama Obama Politics Illinois New Jersey Louisiana Biden

How the GOP can take back Illinois

That's just the beat of time-the beat that must go on
If you been trying for years-then we already heard your song
The Clash, "Death or Glory," 1979

Although none of them were Ronald Reagan conservatives, from 1977 until 2003, Illinois' governor's mansion was occupied by Republicans. Illinois' state senate was contolled by the Republican Party as late as that same year.

How do we take back the state?

One way is to not find candidates with leadership skills--but no political experience. Someone like Greg Ballard who pulled off one of the biggest political upsets ever by unseating two term Democratic incumbent Bart Peterson in the Indianapolis mayoral race. Ballard was outspent 30-1 by Peterson, but still came out on top.

From the Louisville Courier-Journal, with a hat tip to Bill Baar at Illinoize.

Ballard, a 52-year-old retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, capitalized on public discontent over property tax increases, a hike this year in the Marion County income tax and the city’s crime rate.

"I've got more experience than most mayors going in based on my Marine Corps experience, my corporate experience and small business experience," Ballard said today. "I study leadership all the time, and so I have no problems at all leading this city."

From a later Courier-Journal article:

City-County Councilman Robert Lutz, a Republican, said Ballard isn't "beholden to anyone or to any law firm that lined his pocket" in the campaign.

"He's an independent guy," Lutz said. "I don't know what he's going to do. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if he made some decisions that won't make the powers that be happy, on either side of the aisle."

Only one Indianapolis law firm held a fund-raiser for Ballard--no one thought the incumbent would lose.

Oh, and the Republican Party won control of the Indianapolis City Council too.

Illinois has twice the population of the Hoosier State, so there has to be a couple of Ballard-types here. Looking to the business world--many Fortune 500 companies are headquartered here--makes sense, but it would be have to be someone who didn't have a toe in Illinois' sleazy politics. That's why Ron Gidwitz, CEO of Helene Curtis, went nowhere with his 2006 gubernatorial campaign. As for Jim Oberweis of Oberweis Dairy, well Jim, you're a political gadfly.

But maybe a corporate leader isn't the answer. After all, Ballard was just a colonel.

Besides the tax and crime concerns of Indianapolis voters, one of the reasons Ballard pulled off a surprise win was that he a man with proven leadership skills--but he wasn't a professional politician. His inexperience became an asset.

Illinois is being run by professional politicians right now. Everything is going great, isn't it?

Technorati tags: republican elections politics illinois Indianapolis indiana Greg Ballard

It is so. Barry Bonds indicted

Supposedly Chicago White Sox outfielder "Shoeless" Joe Jackson was confronted by a young fan who heard he'd been indicted on conspiracy charges for his role in the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal who said "Say it ain't so, Joe."

Well, as far as so-called home run king Barry Bonds goes, it is so--he's been indicted for conspiracy and obstruction of justice today for lying to a federal grand jury about not abusing steroids.

It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

A few months ago, Jack Cashill wrote about Barry Bonds and the "anything goes" culture of the San Francisco Bay area. While baseball fans around the world were disgusted by Bonds allegedly-chemically enhanced chase of the legendary Hank Aaron, the folks of the bay area cheered him on.

Hat tip to Third Wave Dave for the Cashill article.

UPDATE November 16 11:10AM: Pat Hickey in the comments brought up this Bonds bile, involving former Chicago White Sox slugger, and Gary, Indiana native Ron Kittle, who had an unfriendly encounter with Bonds in 1993. As he recounts in his book Tales from the White Sox Dugout:

The setting was the visitors' clubhouse at the Chicago Cubs' Wrigley Field home in 1993, when Bonds’ San Francisco Giants had come to town. Kittle, by then retired from the game, had asked Bonds to sign two jerseys Bonds had worn in games, so that Kittle could auction them for Indiana Sports Charities, his philanthropy helping kids with cancer.

I paid about $110 of my own money for them, so they could be auctioned off at the golf outing. I did that all the time for stars like Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Derek Jeter and Roger Clemens. When I tell them how their autographs help the cause, every player gladly signs -- with one exception.

I walked up to Bonds at his locker in the Wrigley Field visitors' clubhouse, introduced myself and said, ‘Barry, if you sign these, they'll bring in a lot of money for kids who need help.

Bonds stood up, looked me in the eye and said, “I don't sign for white people.” If lightning hits me today, I will swear those were his exact words. Matt Williams and other Giants were in the room and they heard what Bonds said.

I stood there for a minute, and the veins in my neck were popping. I've only been that mad a few times in my life. I was going to beat the (heck) out of him, really kick his (butt), but Williams saw what was happening, so he came over and got between us. Matt said, "Ron, that's just the way he is."

Bonds. What a tool.

Technorati tags: baseball mlb sports history law barry bonds san francisco giants crime San Francisco

Hastert resigning

A year ago he was Illinois' most powerful Republican--of course that's not saying much. This afternoon, former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert of Plano announced he'll be resigning his congressional seat before the end of this year.

Look for the Democrats to make a move to pick off his seat. Hastert's suburban-rural district leans Republican, but the after last year's success--particularly in Illinois--the Dems are cocky.

Technorati tags: Congress politics Illinois Hastert Republican

Obama mining for trouble

Barack Obama on occasion boasts how he connected with southern Illinois voters during his 2004 senate run.

During that campaign, Obama made a promise to revive the moribund coal mining industry in that part of the state.

Shortly after getting sworn in as a senator, Obama had his chance to do something. A bill called the Clear Skies Act would've loosened emission standards of power plants burning coal--and its passage would've been a shot in the arm for the Illinois coal.

He was probably just polishing the "Obama Brand," the new senator publicly toyed with voting for it. But Obama voted the party line--and if he didn't break a campaign promise, he certainly let down some southern Illinois voters.

Two years later, Obama had a chance to make good on his pledge. From a July Washington Post article:

After co-sponsoring legislation earlier this year for billions of dollars in subsidies for liquefied coal, Obama more recently began qualifying his support in ways that have left both environmentalists and coal industry officials unsure where he stands. His shift has helped shape this month's Senate debate over how to reduce both dependence on foreign oil and carbon dioxide emissions; on Tuesday, he voted against one proposal to boost liquefied coal and for a more narrowly worded one. Both failed.

More broadly, Obama's contortions on coal point to the limits of the role he likes to assume, that of a unifier who can appeal across traditional lines and employ a "new kind of politics" to solve problems. In reaching out to the coal industry, some observers say, he may have been trying to show that he is a different sort of Democrat, but the gesture had the look of old-style politicking and put him in a corner, where he wound up alienating some on both sides of the issue.

Some in Illinois view its vast, but heavy-on-the-sulphur brand of coal as black gold.

In Nevada there is real gold to mine. Which is leading Obama into more mining trouble.

Obama opposes repealing a 135 year-old law that allows companies to mine for gold and other minerals on public lands without paying the federal government for the usage--environmentalists call it mis-uage--of the land. The mining industry of course opposses the bill, as does Billy Vassiliadis, a Nevada power broker and lobbyist for mining interests.

And he's an advisor to the Obama campaign.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), son of a miner, opposes the bill too.

Both the Obama campaign and Vassiliadis say they've never discussed the bill, which would compel mining firms to pay royalties for the use of the land, as well as force them to pay up for clean-up efforts, install enviromenntal controls on mining, and ban bargain sales of public land to miners.

In addition to oppposing the royalty requirements on the mining firms, Obama said the bill, "places a significant burden on the mining industry and could have a significant impact on jobs."

Is this what Obama's "new kinds of politics" is supposed to be?

Related post:

Obama and the Laborers' Union Ed Smith

Technorati tags: democrats elections Barack Obama Obama Politics Senate Illinois Nevada Harry Reid mining coal environment

Freedom Folks Blogs for Borders vburst is back

MJ and Jake (behind the camera) of Freedom Folks are back after a hiatus with another Blogs for Borders vBurst. This one is not for the little ones, because it involves a physical attack, one in which anti-illegal immigration protester Dennis Slater received a nasty cut that required 12 staples to his head.

MJ catches up to Robert Spencer and interviews the author and blog host after his DePaul University appearance last month. Spencer praises bloggers and their role in bringing attention to the illegal immigration problem, telling MJ, "The blogosphere is the primary hope in this struggle."

In my Pajamas Blog Week in Review post from Saturday, I wrote that the illegial immigration issue has come to the forefront of the political arena "from the ground up." Freedom Folks are among the ground troops who've moved the story.

Technorati tags: immigration politics illegal immigration dennis slater Robert Spencer DePaul video

Georgia's Cynthia McKinney Parkway may be headed for the exit ramp

Regular visitors to this blog can't help but notice that I've posting a lot lately on the Green Party. The group is being infiltrated by radicals, and there is no clearer evidence of that than the potential Green Party presidential run of former Georgia Democratic congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.

McKinney hasn't officially announced her run, but she'll be on the Illinois Green Party ballot as presidential candidate. And she's hoping to qualify for federal matching funds, as she explains here.

According to Fox News, Georgia state legislator Mike Jacobs wants to see the Cynthia McKinney Parkway revert to its original name, Memorial Drive. The road runs through DeKalb County near Atlanta.

Jacobs explains:

If had I had to pick any road in the state of Georgia to strip the name from, this would be it. The original name of the road is Memorial Drive, which is named for the men and women who died protecting our freedom.

Who’s more deserving? I think the question answers itself.… [And] in light of the fact that her commitment to the state of Georgia is nil, we should re-double our efforts to remove her name from a state road.

More from Fox News:

McKinney, Georgia’s first black congresswoman, has long been known as an outspoken and controversial politician. In 2002, she lost her primary bid for re-election after she suggested that members of the Bush administration had advance notice of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. She won back her old seat in 2004, but she was defeated again in the Democratic primary in 2006.

That last defeat came five months after McKinney struck a Capitol police officer who asked to see her identification before she was allowed to enter a House building. McKinney said the officer, who was white, did it because she was "a female black congresswoman."

Lovely.

The proposal was originally introduced in the Georgia state legislature last year. At that time, Rep. Len Walker said about McKinney's time in Congress being "marked by controversies and rhetoric that has brought embarrassment to the state of Georgia."

In response, McKinney's campaign manager at the time, John Evans, dismissed Walker's claim that McKinney caused embarrassment to Georgia, saying:

He must be talking about white folks or uppity black folks.

You think that the Greens would be running away from McKinney, but that's not the case. Here's what one commenter said about my statement, "To the chagrin of many supporters of the Green Party, yesterday I pointed out McKinney's ties to the Greens."

Why would this be to the chagrin of Greens...? Most Greens that I've talked to are pretty enthusiastic about her campaign.

Troubling, very troubling.

Here's what Michelle Malkin has to say about the renaming proposal:

It takes a lot of cleanser to erase an unhinged legacy. Good luck, Georgia.

Related posts:

Police brutalizer Cynthia McKinney to lead protest of police brutality
Green Party makes political threat against Rep. Schakowsky
Uh-oh. Green Party candidates multiply in Illinois
Cynthia McKinney and the Greens
Massachusetts Green Party: Enough to make you puke
Still in the 1960s: 2008 Green Party convention coming to Chicago: UPDATED
Illinois gov race--Rich Whitney: What is Green once was Red

Technorati tags: Green Party Cynthia McKinney politics 2008 election democrats Georgia atlanta racism

Phelps' church seeks direct appeal to SCOTUS

Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist got a rock in its trick or treat bag on Halloween, courtesy of a federal jury that ordered the hate-church to pay $11 million for breaking a federal anti-funeral picketing law and invasion of privacy.

The church doesn't have the money to pay the plaintiff, the father of a soldier who was killed in Iraq--Phelps' church protested at the son's funeral.

From the Wichita Eagle:

Westboro Baptist Church has taken an unusual legal move by asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a Maryland lawsuit and a Nebraska criminal case to protect the church's right to protest at military funerals.

The Topeka church believes the war in Iraq is a punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality. The church argues the Supreme Court should step in because the pending lower court cases could inhibit its members' protests, which they consider an expression of their religious faith.

More...

And one of the church's leaders, Shirley Phelps-Roper, is facing criminal charges of flag mutilation and negligent child abuse tied to a protest at a Bellevue, Neb., soldier's funeral in June.

Ronald Collins, a scholar at the First Amendment Center, said the church's Supreme Court filing seems bizarre to him because no appellate courts have evaluated the lawsuit verdict and the criminal case has not even gone to trial. He said it's unusual to combine two different cases from different states and jurisdictions in one motion. "I can't imagine the Supreme Court doing anything with this," Collins said.

Related posts:

Slain Marine's father wants Westboro Baptist Church property

Phelps' church loses lawsuit, owes fallen Marine's family $2.9 million: UPDATED

My Kansas Kronikles: Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church

Technorati tags: Kansas gay military Fred Phelps westboro baptist church War on Terror Maryland Topeka law legal SCOTUS Nebraska

Ron Paul might not make it on to Illinois Primary ballot

Big hat tip to Billy Dennis at Peoria Pundits, whose done what I should be doing by signing up for e-mail alerts from each of the presidential candidates. Dennis made this post on November 11.

Illinois voters might still be asking "Who is Ron Paul" on February 5.

If we don’t get hundreds upon hundreds of signatures immediately in Illinois Ron Paul will have no delegates to send to the National Convention.

PLEASE HELP by doing the following:

1. We have delegates but many of those delegates HAVE NOT sent Jason Acebel their forms. If you are a delegate and HAVE NOT sent in your form contact Jason ASAP at ilpetitions@gmail.com and let him know when your form will be mailed.

2. If you can take time off work or give 2-5 full days to gathering hundreds of signatures email Jason at ilpetitions@gmail.com with your phone number and best time to call. THIS IS MISSION CRITICAL. Please DO NOT contact Jason if you cannot give this amount of time. Many of you are gathering a few signatures and that is fine. Please keep up the good work but unless we get some major help soon Ron Paul will not have delegates. Jason does not have time to respond to a lot of emails. We need at least 1 person in each of the 19 districts to give us 2-5 days to get the job in that district done.

3. If you can commit full time for 1-3 days to make phone calls for Jason Acebel to call our delegates please email Jason at ilpetitions@gmail.com

Mike McHugh
National Ballot Access Coordinator
Ron Paul 2008 Presidential Campaign Committee

Not a good sign. Paul has a core group of very dedicated supporters, but is that all he has?

Technorati tags: Ron Paul republican 2008 elections politics illinois Illinois Primary

Book review: Andrew Ferguson's "Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America"

Abraham Lincoln has shrunk over the years. Not his height of course, his physical size is one of the few things Lincoln buffs, Lincoln scholars, and Lincoln-haters agree on.

Author Andrew Ferguson set out to find the new and diminished 21st century Lincoln and writes what he found in Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America.

As he writes in his foreword:

From the enormous figure of the past he's been reduced to a hobbyist's eccentricity, a charming obsession shared by a self selected subculture, like quilting or Irish step dancing. He's been detached from the national patrimony, if we can have a national patrimony any longer. He's no longer our common possession. That earlier Lincoln, that larger Lincoln, seems to be slipping away, a misty figure, incapable of rousing a reaction from anyone but buffs.

But a newspaper headline caught Ferguson's eye, one about opposition to a Lincoln stature in Richmond. Lincoln mattered to these southerners.

And so the adventure begins. Ferguson makes a rendezvous with the the anti-Lincoln group in Richmond as the statue unveiling looms over the former Confederate capital. He also attends a couple of Lincoln conference, where Ferguson comes to the conclusion during a Lincoln symposium, one with a decided liberal bent, that the participants believed "If Lincoln had been born 125 years later, he could have been Bill Moyers."

When Ferguson reconnects with an anti-Lincolnite, he's sarcastically asked, "Did you learn about the greatness of the great man?"--Ferguson counters with, "They think he was a wimp."

"Jesus, even I don't think he was a wimp" was the reply he got.

Naturally Ferguson spends a lot of time in Springfield, and meets with Julie Cellini, secretary of the board of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation. The author doesn't overlook her powerful lobbyist husband, Bill, and his controversial business dealings with the Abraham Lincoln Hotel and downstate casino.

As it's hard to write about Illinois' state capital without bringing up politics, the corruption of sleaze is not overlooked either. And he doesn't stop there...

Ferguson recalls a conversation with a professor who specializes in the 16th president about the "impossibility" of getting jobs for his graduate students at Illinois Historic Preservation agency and the state library, saying "These are good scholars who would kill for these positions. But the jobs always went to the party hacks."

Ferguson was in attendance at the 2005 grand opening of the Lincoln Library, and goes behind to scene to tell the story of the story-tellers--and the dreaded "D" word--Disney--figures in prominently in this part of the tale.

Ferguson makes his way to New Salem, the Chicago Historical Society, a Chicago Thai restaurant with a Lincoln shrine, a Lincoln re-enactors convention, Lincoln's birthplace site in Kentucky, Gettysburg, and he even catches a musical rendition of Lincoln's life in southern Indiana.

Don't laugh: Each summer, Medora, North Dakota puts on a similar show for Theodore Roosevelt. David Soul, who appeared in the 1970s TV cop show "Starsky and Hutch," is an alumnus of that musical.

The author finds the resolve, something that I didn't do when I visited Springfield earlier this year, to stop in at the Museum of Funeral Customs--where there is of course a Lincoln exhibit.

"Death is only the beginning" is the museum's motto. Perhaps I'll drop by the next time I'm in Springfield. Or maybe the time after that...

If you've read this far, you've probably made it through at least one Lincoln book, this book should be your next.

And it's nice to know Lincoln still matters, despite the multi-front attempts to bring him down that will continue long past the sleep-aid drug Rozerem fades away.

Related posts:

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

Thanks for the link: The Abraham Lincoln Blog

Technorati tags: Abraham Lincoln history Americana Illinois books Kentucky Chicago Richmond virginia Springfield politics corruption

Marathon Pundit exclusive: Thomas Klocek case update

A little more than three years ago, former DePaul professor Thomas Klocek's professional life was turned upside down when the 15 year adjunct was essentially fired from the school after defending Israel from some spurious attacks by some Muslim students there.

Klocek, a Roman Catholic, had a exemplary record in his decade and a half teaching at the Chicago Catholic university.

Here's an update on the legal front of the Klocek case:

Six counts have survived motions to dismiss, four of them defamation claims, and two involving invasion of privacy. Klocek's legal team at Mauck and Baker is well stocked with evidence to substantiate those claims.

A trial date is expected to be assigned at the end of this month, with the trial expected to last two weeks. From what I hear, Cook County courts are backlogged, but depending on the judge's calendar, the trial should begin within six months.

DePaul is playing hardball with Klocek and his legal team, making the ridiculous request to submit the former professor to three days of psychological testing.

To me, well, that's nuts. But we're talking about academics here, so no one should be surprised.

From Andy Norman, one of Klocek's attorneys:

We have a motion to dismiss two of the four affirmative defenses defendants have raised. Affirmative defenses are legal statements made by the defendants that say, in effect, that even if we prove our case against the defendants for defamation and invasion of privacy that there are reasons that the defendants still should prevail and we should lose.

In short, their affirmative defenses are (1) DePaul is not responsible for the DePaulia, which is independently run by students; (2) DePaul was permitted to defame Prof. Klocek because it was part of defendants' respective jobs to inform DePaul administrators, professors and students about the event of September 15, 2004; and DePaul's efforts to remedy the problem Prof. Klocek caused; (3) We made Prof. Klocek a public figure in March 2005 when we had the protest on the Lincoln Park campus and that the defendants cannot be responsible for defaming Prof. Klocek after that time because we caused him to be a public figure; (4) All the statements the defendants made about Prof. Klocek were substantially true and, therefore, not defamatory or invasion of privacy. We have moved to dismiss ## (1) and (2) on the grounds that the defenses are not plead clearly enough to allow us to answer, and a hearing on our motion is set for 12/18/07 at 9:30 am. We have answered ## (3) and (4) with denials.

Oh, and please don't forget to sign the Reinstate Professor Thomas Klocek at DePaul University petition. Just 17 signatures are needed to reach the goal of 2000.

Related posts:

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

Thanks for the links:

The Bench

Technorati tags: Chicago illinois college education news DePaul Thomas Klocek Catholic free speech law

Green Party makes political threat against Rep. Schakowsky

Tom Mannis has an a great video up at The Bench where some of my congresscritter Jan Schakowsky's fellow travelers on the Left, in Mannis' words, got together at "a reunion in Chicago of some aging S.D.S. alumni, socialists, and self-proclaimed communists."

And Green Party members.

They have targeted the Evanston Democrat for defeat in the November general election--which is a good thing. The Greens are a menacing and nasty group, and they're flying under the radar wrapped in their cuddly, "Save the Whales" image they've cultivated over the years.

Anyway, in Tom's video, there's a guy speaking who perfectly exemplifies the Greens. His long gray hair is turned up into a bun--like his party, he's hiding something.

Because anti-war Schakowksy isn't anti-war enough for them, this grey-Greenie urges the other people in the room, including the fidgeting moderator, to choose a Green Party ballot in the February primary, and then says, "This is not a vote against Jan Schakowsky--it's a threat."

It's enjoyable to see Schakowsky feel some heat from people other than Republicans. She needs to go, but it'll take a lot of money--and a couple of election cycles--to topple her. And word needs to spread through Illinois' Ninth Congressional District that this self proclaimed "Fighter for families" is a Leftist extremist.

Certified loon Cynthia McKinney will also be on that February 5 Green Party ballot in Illinois--as a candidate for president.

Related posts:

Liberals laud book by ex-con husband of Rep. Jan Schakowsky

Police brutalizer Cynthia McKinney to lead protest of police brutality

Uh-oh. Green Party candidates multiply in Illinois

Cynthia McKinney and the Greens

Massachusetts Green Party: Enough to make you puke

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

Illinois gov race--Rich Whitney: What is Green once was Red

Technorati tags: Green Party Cynthia McKinney politics 2008 election Illinois Schakowsky Jan Schakowsky Congress democrats

CORRECTED: Paris Hilton draws attention to drunken elephant problem

With the memory of a jail stay that resulted from a drunken driving incident to fresh in her fertile mind, the socialite is doing what she does best--draw attention to herself--and this time, drunken elephants as well.

It's a big problem in India. Last month, six naughty elephants broke into a farm in India, and quenched their thirst by guzzling some home-made rice beer. Acting like college students on a Saturday night, the pachyderms raised hell for a while, until they uprooted an electrical pole--which electrocuted the elephants.

Here's what Hilton says, courtesy of AP:

The elephants get drunk all the time. It is becoming really dangerous. We need to stop making alcohol available to them.

More...

There would have been more casualties if the villagers hadn't chased them away. And four elephants died in a similar way three years ago. It is just so sad.

And here is an incident in 2002 where six people were trampled to death by intoxicated elephants.

CORRECTION Nov. 14 9:19 PM Drunken elephants are indeed a problem, but apparently Paris Hilton has never spoken out against drunken pachyderms.

Thanks for the link: Pajamas Media

Technorati tags: भारत elephants India nature wildlife Paris Hilton rice beer

Ethanol backlash in the Midwest

The nearest cornfield from my home is probably twenty miles away--such farms are in a holding pattern until the right price is reached to turn the land into a town home development.

But if corn prices keep going up maybe keeping those farms up and running makes sense--that is if the ethanol boom continues. It may not.

The arguments for ethanol are that it decreases our demand for foreign oil, it saves marginal farms from going under by increasing corn prices, which trickles over to other crops, and best of all, it offers to save dying small towns with the construction of ethanol refineries nearby.

The negatives are clear: The net energy gain received from ethanol are minimal, refining corn to get to the end product takes a lot of energy--some scientists even claim ethanol is a net energy loser--in short, it takes more energy to produce ethanol than we get out of it.

Marginal land, such as this sandy cornfield in western Kansas which would be better off producing wheat--or nothing at all--require massive amounts of irrigated water to be viable. Increased corn prices have driven up food costs for people, and animals--cattle feed is more expensive now--which drives up beef prices. Beef tallow is an important ingredient in soap, and guess what, that's driving up soap prices. Palm oil is being imported as a substitute...which effects our balance of trade.

Farm land is pricier now, because, well you know....

But what about those ethanol refineries? When I was in Kansas this summer, I heard a local radio station broadcasting a speech from a chamber of commerce type explaining when an ethanol refinery is built near a small town, that means that a restaurant that closed a few years ago can re-open, high school kids have reason to stay in town when they graduate, town services improve....that sort of thing.

Well, according to a Tuesday New York Times article, those rural plants aren't so popular any more.

"It's like the dot-com industry," said Anne Yoder, who is pressing to stop plans for an ethanol plant outside Topeka, Kan., and describes herself
"not at all" as an activist but as "an ordinary soccer mom."

"When ethanol first came along there was so much promise," she said. "Maybe that's starting to trickle off."

This spring, when Ms. Yoder first began going door to door to her neighbors to describe her worries about a proposed facility, she expected to be dismissed by the many farmers in her rural county, who presumably would benefit from having a plant nearby to sell their corn.

"But I was shocked by what I heard," she said. "They don’t want it here either. Farmers have been in the business for hundreds of years and what they told me is that they don’t have a limitless supply of water to produce more corn anyway. This isn't as pretty a picture as everyone wants to make it out to be."

And via e-mail, Yoder communicates with other anti-ethanol activists.

Although it has to smell better than a meat processing plant, ethanol facilities also emit an odor, described by Wisconsinites as "like beer but with a metal smell mixed in."

Back to that farm in the picture. I took that photograph just north of the Oklahoma pandhandle--in the heart of the area that was devastated by the Dust Bowl in the 1930s.

Such a catastrophe could happen again--especially if greed takes hold in the dry Great Plains.

Related posts:

My Kansas Kronikles, a 39 Post Series

Corn, ethanol, toilet paper, and Sheryl Crow

Technorati tags: ethanol biofuels corn palm oil Kansas energy farming dust bowl irrigation Great Plains

Unhappy Veterans Day in Illinois part two

Anne Brophy is a former McHenry County, Illinois assistant state's attorney who served last year on a humanitarian mission in her role as an Army captain in the reserves.

But when she got back from that mission, she discovered that she had been demoted from that position.

From the Daily Herald:

But her status took a significant hit, going from a high-ranking felony prosecutor's post when she left in July 2006 to that of a "backup" prosecutor in the office's juvenile division when she returned.

"It's an entry-level job," said Brophy, now practicing with a private firm in Crystal Lake.

"I was not offered my position back," she said. "I believe that because of my time in the military, I was put in a position where I had to leave the office."

The McHenry County state's attorney's office disputes those claims, saying Brophy's job assignment had nothing to do with her military commitment

Technorati tags: Veterans Day military illinois jobs armed forces McHenry County law government army

Unhappy Veterans Day as Illinois lays off 17 vets

Veterans Day is being observed today. However, 17 veterans are not in a celebratory mood, they are looking for work in the same month that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich proclaimed November "Hire a Vet Month."

Lt. Governor Pat Quinn, who has been at odds of late with his boss, had this to say yesterday:

The governor proclaimed this "Hire a Veteran Month." He didn't say "Fire a Veteran."

A Democrat, Blagojevich has approval ratings that are so low, even President Bush polls better in this Democratic state. He's been particularly inept in fiscal matters, so it should be taken with a grain of salt that "Blago" blames federal cutbacks for being forced to lay off 17 security guards charged with protecting state National Guard facilities. A Swedish firm will keep an eye on those sites instead.

The Chicago "free registration" Tribune has more.

State officials said the displaced veterans have been offered other state jobs, and 12 have accepted. But one of the affected vets said the job he was offered paid $600 less per month, so he turned it down.

Army Lt. Col. Alicia Tate-Nadeau, a spokeswoman for the Illinois National Guard, adds that security guards didn't meet federal requirements to carry firearms, which one vet who lost his job, National Guard Staff Sgt. Bob Clingen, to say, "It's ludicrous that they would even say that, when you're talking about veterans."

Lt. Governor Quinn is a strong supporter of Illinois veterans.

Thanks for the link: Third Wave Dave

Technorati tags: Veterans Day military politics Blagojevich illinois jobs armed forces National Guard

Liberals laud book by ex-con husband of Rep. Jan Schakowsky

This delicious morsel came to me via e-mail from a great American who prefers to remain anonymous.

Robert Creamer, not to be confused with the famed baseball writer, is now also going by the name of Bob, which I'm sure greatly pleases the more famous Creamer.

About Creamer the Lesser: For many years, he was the executive director of the Illinois Public Action Council. His wife, Jan Schakowsky, now a Democratic Illinois congresswoman who nominally represents me in Washington, was on the board of directors of the self-appointed consumer advocacy group. Creamer got caught kiting checks while running the group--he had done it before and was warned by federal authorities not to do it again. He didn't listen, and got nabbed by the Feds again, which got him a trip to a Federal Prison Camp for five months last year.

Rep. Schakowsky has not been accused of any wrong doing.

Click here for a good explanation of how check-kiting works, and how it undermines the integrity of our financical system.

Creamer has written a book, Listen to Your Mother. Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win. Amazon lists it under "Robert Creamer," but the promotional hoopla mostly refers to him as "Bob."

Hey, I have no problem with an ex-con writing a book or trying to make a living. But I find it quite humorous that a whole bunch of big-time liberals, such as Sen. Dick Durbin, Jim Hightower, Rep. Jim McGovern, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, and a whole bunch of others fawn over Creamer in their endorsements of his book--and none of them mention his five months in prison last year, nor is that part of his life included in the summary of his public life below.

About those five months in the joint. Federal prosecutors had asked for a three year sentence, but US District Judge James B. Moran took mercy on Creamer. Coincidentally, Moran is the father-in-law of Peter Giangreco, a longtime Illinois Democratic insider who like Creamer, worked on Rod Blagojevich's successful 2002 gubernatorial campaign. Giangreco's endorsement is the first one I list.

To his credit, Creamer writes in his book, "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."

Oh, Lynn Sweet, presumably the politically neutral Washington correspondent for the Chicago Sun-Times, gives an endorsement too.

Bob Creamer has been a consultant to Americans United since its inception in 2005 to successfully fend off the president's plan to privatize Social Security. Bob is one of the top political strategists in the country and he has spent four decades influencing the political and issues debates in America from Springfield, IL to Washington, DC. He has served as a consultant to some of the country's leading politicians and he has helped lead some of the most important issue fights in our nation's history.

Bob has taken all he has learned from his decades of public service and chronicled them in the definitive how-to-manual for how progressives can fight the right wing machine and win. Listen to Your Mother. Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win is the Bible for progressive activists and politicians who want to and are willing to go toe-to-toe with the right over the future of the country. Please join Bob, his wife Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and a host of Senators, Representatives and leading progressive figures for a reception on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 (see details below)

Celebrating the publication of Listen to Your Mother. Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win. Comments appearing in the book (can be found below). Credentialed media will receive one complementary copy of the book. (Note, if you want you are credentialed media, leave your e-mail in the comments section, and I'll give you the e-mail address where you can RSVP.)

You Are Invited
To a Reception Celebrating the Publication of Bob Creamer’s New Book
Listen to Your Mother. Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win

Tuesday November 13, 2007
The Mott House
122 Maryland Ave. NE, Washington
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

New Book Says Progressives Must "Stand Up Straight" to Win

Washington, DC. A new book by veteran political organizer and strategist Robert Creamer says that progressives have an historic opportunity over the next two years to create long-term political realignment in the United States. But to be successful, he argues, progressives must forcefully reassert their commitment to fundamental progressive values and vision for the future.

"Some people think that in order to win, Democrats need to move to the political center by adopting conservative values and splitting the difference between progressive and conservatives positions," says Creamer. "History shows they are wrong. To win the next election and to win in the long term, we need to redefine the political center."

The book, titled Listen to Your Mother: Stand Up Straight. How Progressive Can Win, lays out a broad strategy for progressive victory and describes the tactics needed to win real-world political battles one at a time. In the book’s foreword, "Progressive today need to take direct responsibility for winning." This book lays out a game plan for victory.

As an organizer and strategist, Bob Creamer has won all kinds of improbable victories for progressive causes. This book is must-reading for his fellow progressives who seek to do the same, and to build a more decent world. Pete Giangreco, Democratic Political Consultant, Partner, The Strategy Group

Even before the book’s publication it has received wide acclaim.
If Progressives are ready to move beyond the "Age of W" into a winning era, they can start with Stand Up Straight. This is more than a call to arms. This is a battle plan from one of the best campaign minds in America. Bob Creamer takes his readers from values to votes with practical tactics and insight gathered over decades of experience. This book is for player...spectators need not apply.
Senate Democratic Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL)

If every activist in America read Listen to Your Mother: Stand Up Straight, we could change our country. This book will help bring on the New Progressive Era. It's that good." Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)

Creamer’s book is a one-stop shop for political junkies, from a novice to a know-it-all…While Creamer writes from the progressive Democratic perspective, his chapters on organizing, messaging, demographics and constituency groups comprise a how-to political manual.Chicago Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief, Lynn Sweet

Stand Up Straight is nothing less than the bible for progressive political activists." Brad Woodhouse, President of Americans United for Change

Stand up Straight is a one-stop, nuts-and-bolts manual on how to run a winning campaign – and, in the process, return America to its progressive roots. Filled with learned-in-the-trenches lessons, Creamer's book is a master's class in electoral politics. Ariana Huffington, The Huffington Post

Stand Up Straight is a straight up shot in the arm for progressives. Robert Creamer has successfully turned decades of campaign and organizing skills into an essential handbook for understanding political power, activism, and progressive values. Creamer rightly argues that progressives should embrace their core principles and fight for the real political center in American politics today -- issues like universal health care and pre-K, energy independence, redeployment from Iraq, and a return to sane and sensible national security policies. John Podesta, President and CEO, Center for American Progress and former Chief of Staff to President William J. Clinton

Progress takes more than passion, it requires planning. This book is a blueprint for victory." Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)

Bob Creamer's welcome book rightly instructs progressives to say and fight for what they believe. To Hell with the politics of timidity - a long-term progressive majority is within our reach." Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA)

Creamer's classroom has been (on) the frontlines and trenches of progressive organizing, from the Civil Rights Movement to the battle for children's health care. Here, he shows us how to replace fear with hope, to renew the call to commitment, and to create our society's next historical movement. Congressman John Lewis (D-GA)

A stand-up book from a stand-up guy, showing us how to put progress back into "progressive." From broad vision to minute details, Creamer offers an invaluable manual for those who want to reassert our country's historic egalitarian values of fairness, justice, and opportunity for all. Jim Hightower, best selling author, radio commentator and editor of the Hightower Lowdown.

In Stand Up Straight, Bob Creamer gives citizens an owners manual for Democracy. With a practical eye from his decades of experience, Bob shows how to do the real work of political organizing and win, by promoting deep progressive values. With hundreds of real world examples and step-by-step advice, Stand Up Straight is both inspirational and a serious tool. Thanks, Bob. Wes Boyd, Founder of MoveOn.org

This book is so important because it focuses like a laser on the one element that is essential to progressive victory: courage. With out exception, all of our historic victories have required that people had the courage to act -- and stand up straight. The lessons in Stand up Straight were learned the hard way by generations of Americans fighting for civil rights, women’s rights and important social change. It's a must read for anyone who is passionate about changing America – now. Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, President, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition

Jim Hightower's comment is my favorite. "A stand up book from a stand up guy..."

Try running that one past some bankers who had to deal with Creamers kited checks.

Also, considering the skeleton in her closet known as her husband, it's understandable why Schakowsky wants to bring back the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" to the public airwaves.

Related posts:

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

Leftist congresswoman wants to reinstate "Fairness Doctrine"

Thanks for the links:

Reverse Spin
The Bench

Technorati tags: Schakowsky Jan Schakowsky Congress democrats banking politics books liberal Illinois Lloyd Doggett Jim McGovern Robert Creamer Jim Hightower Durbin corruption crime Sherrod Brown John Lewis fairness doctrine

Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo on Andrea Shea King Show

Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo, a Republican congressman from Colorado, was way ahead of the curve on the issue of illegal immigration--scroll down to the Pajamas Media BWIR post--will be the guest tonight on Andrea Shea King's radio show on WDBO 580 AM in Orlando.

You don't live around there? No problem. You can listen in live on the internet. If you can handle more fun, then join the crowd in the chat room.

The show begins at 9pm EST, 8pm Central.

H/T to Third Wave Dave.

Technorati tags: elections 2008 immigration Tom Tancredo Republican Florida Colorado

Blagojevich fundraiser accused of shaking down pharmacist

The stream of corruption charges against the administration of Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Chicago Democrat, continues.

From AP:

Illinois State Police have reopened an investigation into whether a fundraiser illegally pressured a pharmacy owner to donate $25,000 to the campaign fund of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, according to published reports.

State Police spokesman Lt. Scott Compton told the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times that the matter is now an ongoing investigation.

Chicago pharmacy owner Jatin Patel has claimed that fundraiser Harish Bhatt encouraged him in 2005 to make a campaign contribution so his pharmacy would be treated fairly in a Medicaid fraud dispute.

Bhatt's attorney denies the charges, calling them "absolutely false" and "defamatory."
More...

(The Blagojevich) administration has been accused of trading state jobs, appointments and contracts for political contributions. And federal prosecutors have acknowledged they're investigating "serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" under Blagojevich.

The Associated Press story draws heavily from today's Chicago Tribune report, but free registration is required for the article.

Technorati tags: Illinois Chicago Blagojevich corruption graft Democrats real estate politics

Homeland Security sues Illinois over E-Verify

E-Verify is a federal program that allows companies to check the employment eligibility at no charge to them to check the employment eligibility of job applicants.

In short, it's a check to see if a potential employee is in the country legally.

From WorldNet Daily:

Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff recently told a congressional committee he didn't intend to "tolerate interference" by sanctuary cities that would block companies from participating in such programs as "E-Verify," which allows workers' IDs to be checked before hiring.

Chertoff also told Congress that, "I intend to take as vigorous legal actions as the law allows to prevent that from happening, prevent that kind of interference."

And guess who Chertoff has his eyes on? Illinois.

More from WorldNet:

Within days, the first fruits of that promised were revealed, with a lawsuit against the state of Illinois over a legislative proposal signed into law by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

According to published reports Illinois is "complicating" efforts by federal agents with a state law that virtually blocks corporations from participating in the program that was set up to verify if new employees have legal standing to work in the United States.

"The state of Illinois has now made it illegal to comply with federal law," Chertoff told reporters when the action was filed. "That's not acceptable as a matter of the Constitution."

Scroll down one post for more on how illegal immigration has become a major issue among ordinary Americans.

Hat tip to Third Wave Dave and Andrea Shea King for the story.

Technorati tags: illegal immigration immigration crime Illinois Blagojevich Homeland Security Chertoff dhs E-verify business

Pajamas Media BWIR with Heather Mac Donald and Steven Malanga

The immigration issue, or really, the illegal immigration issue took Sen. Hillary Clinton by surprise at last month's Democratic presidential debate. The week's guests of moderator Austin Bay on Pajamas Blog Week in Review are writers Heather Mac Donald and Steven Malanga of the Manhattan Institute.

Malanga and Mac Donald mention in the podcast that other presidential candidates, with the exception of Republican Tom Tancredo, also haven't fully realized the importance of this issues, as it has arisen not from Washington of the media centers, but from the ground up.

Along with Pajamas Media's Victor Davis Hanson, Malanga and Mac Donald are the authors of The Immigration Solution: A Better Plan Than Today's and this new book is one that our presidential candidates should add to their Christmas wish list.

A friend-of-the-blog was kind enough to send me an earlier Heather Mac Donald book, The Burden of Bad Ideas: How Modern Intellectuals Misshape Our Society, it was a great gift and a great read.

Listen to or download the podcast here.

Or do what I do and subscribe for free via iTunes.

As always, the podcast is produced by Ed Driscoll.

Technorati tags: iPod itunes podcast blog Pajamas Media books illegal immigration Hillary Clinton Hillary elections 2008 immigration Tom Tancredo Manhattan Institute

Veterans Day Weekend

I took this photograph of a Morton Grove businessman, whose name I don't know, Friday evening on Lincoln Avenue. Yes it's Veterans Day Weekend, but the blonde-gentleman with is large US flag on his Harley, is a common site here.

Thanks for the link: It's My Mind

Technorati tags: illinois Morton Grove photography photos Veterans Day flag Harley

Illini beat top-ranked Ohio State

In one of their biggest football wins ever, the University of Illinois, my alma mater, defeated the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in front of over 100,000 stunned fans in Columbus.

The Fighting Illini's Juice Williams threw four touchdown passes. The Illini are now 8-3 for the season; they're coming off three successive two win seasons.

It was the first time Illinois had ever beaten a Number One.

UPDATE 8:00PM: In addition to winning the game and ruining Ohio State's perfect season, the Fighting Illini have taken possession of the Illibuck Wooden Turtle. Many Big 10 football games award trophies to the victor, for instance Iowa defeated Minnesota to win back the Floyd of Rosedale trophy.

Next Saturday the Illini hope to bring the politically incorrect Sweet Sioux Tohamawk back to Champaign, currenty the Northwestern Wildcats diplay it in Evanston.

UPDATE 8:15PM: Commenter Illini Fan points out that this was the first Illinois victory over a top-ranked team on the road. The Fighting Illini defeated number-one ranked Michigan State in Champaign on Oct. 27, 1956.

Related post: College football: The odds get even

Technorati tags: Illini illinois university of illinois uiuc college sports ncaa ohio state

UK Muslim leader to Brits: We're okay, you are not

The Muslim Council of Britain is the United Kingdom's counterpart, and that's not meant to be a compliment, to CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations.

MCB's leader is Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, a special needs teacher who can easily relate to his pupils--he acts like a child. The Muslims are right, British society is wrong.

It is Britain, not the Muslims who make up a small percentage of the country, who should adapt and change, Bari reasons.

However, in just the past week, a twenty three year-old Muslim woman was convicted of violating a new anti-terror law, she wrote poems about beheading non-Muslims, and according to the Guardian, she had files on her computer labeled "The Mujaheddin Poisoner's Handbook, Encyclopaedia Jihad, How to Win in Hand-to-Hand Combat, and How to Make Bombs."

Meanwhile, the head of the British equivalent of the FBI said in a speech that 2,000 British residents are terrorism supporters--up from 400 last year--and this group poses a threat to the nation.

Bari was interviewed by London's Telegraph newspaper, and although he carefully chose his words, he made some frightening comments.

First, Bari denies that "Islamic terrorism" exists, saying:

Terrorists are terrorists, they may use religion but we shouldn't say Muslim terrorists, it stigmatises the whole community. We never called the IRA Catholic terrorists.

The Irish Republican Army to my knowledge never used a Biblical verse to justify their bombings. Belfast priests weren't issuing a Catholic version of a fatwa to justify killing Protestant infidels.

On Salman Rushdie, who Bari thinks should have not been knighted:

He caused a huge amount of distress and discordance with his book, it should have been pulped.

Uh, Dr. Bari, if you and your community doesn't like a book, don't read it. Is anyone--any where--forcing Muslims to read The Satanic Verses? Just how many Muslims have read it--cover to cover?

Recently it was reported that many British mosques are selling books that spew hate.

Not my problem, says man-child Bari:

The bookshops are independent businesses. We can't just go in and tell them what to sell … I will see what books they keep, if they have one book which looks like it is inciting hatred, do they have counter books on the same shelf?

What if the bookshop wanted to sell the Bible? Or The Satanic Verses?

As I've heard before from Muslims, suicide bombing is prohibited by Islam.

However....

Criminal people have used that as a weapon to encourage young people, those who don't have any anchor in themselves, [to become suicide bombers]. Iraq has been a disaster, the country has been destroyed for no reason, that had an impact on the Muslim psyche.

There is always a "But..."

Bari thinks arranged marriages, which he prefers to call "assisted marriages," can benefit Britain.

Marriage should not be forced on people but parents can be a catalyst … Young people are emotional, they want idealism. Older people have gone through all sorts of things and become a bit more experienced. A child will always want to eat chocolate but if he does then he will become fat. He needs to be given things that are good for him too.

Uh, no. For starters, many of the Muslim arranged marriages in the West involve first cousins, and are often utilized by imams to get more Muslims in the country.

Stoning as a punishment: What does Dr. Bari think?

It depends what sort of stoning and what circumstances. When our prophet talked about stoning for adultery he said there should be four [witnesses] - in realistic terms that's impossible. It's a metaphor for disapproval.

What about stoning for other crimes? Let me repeat Bari's words, "It depends what sort of stoning and what circumstances." And what if the four witnesses are lying?

There is room for moderate Islam in Britain, but Bari, and the Muslim Council of Britain, are not moderates.

Related post:

Two Western countries, one faith, lots of extremism

Technorati tags: current affairs UK muslims المملكة Islam UK Britain Salman Rushdie sharia muslim