July 2003

Hull’s Outreach and OUTreach

ArchPundit July 8, 2003 0 Comment

While whispers around the Hull campaign have painted him as a lot more savvy than people realize, there is always a bit of trepidation. Other multi-millionaires throwing their hat in the ring have been somewhat lacking such as the current Senator who shares a last name with Dave Corzine, lackluster center for the Bulls. John Corzine ran a somewhat tone deaf campaign in a Democratic state and pulled out a win, but only by spending tons of cash over what he expected.

Hull has shown some smart tactics and one is reported in Kristine McQueary’s column this week.

The loose cannon so far is Thornton Township, where Democratic Committeeman Frank Zuccarelli has yet to pick a side. He shared a long lunch recently with Hull ? the first in the field to reach out to Zuccarelli, surprisingly. That scored points.

Hull is white, and Thornton Township tends to pick black candidates in primaries (Roland Burris was an overwhelming favorite in the gubernatorial primary).

But if the "Z Team" busts it out for Hull, it could get interesting. The township churned out an impressive 30,000 votes during the gubernatorial primary and about 48,000 votes in the general ? 35,708 of which went to Blagojevich.

On the more adventurous side, Hull had a special appearance on his Pride Parade float,

Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Blair Hull was scheduled to host a special impersonator aboard his float in the Gay Pride Parade this weekend.

Hint: If she could turn back time, if she could find a way, she’d take back the words that hurt you, and you’d stay.

It’s all about coalitions. Give him some credit for going all the way and not just acting like a stuffed shirt. Now, if he can just promise to bring Trent Lott back for a parade–that would be worth just about anything to see.

Speaking of the Pride Parade, John Birch (kid never had a chance) seems to fit in well at the parade.

The Problem of Public School Choice: Transportation

ArchPundit July 8, 2003 0 Comment

As Wellston prepares to allow students to transfer to accredited schools, it dawns on many that there aren’t many place to go. U City will pick up several students, but the other districts are severely limited. Even harder, there are few transportation options besides U City. More on this later.

Bad News for the East Side

ArchPundit July 7, 2003 0 Comment

A recurrent theme in this blog is the consistent nature of corruption in Metro East St. Clair County. One of the few bright spots for the area was the appointment of Miriam Miquelon as US Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. It seems she is stepping down. No reason given yet, but it might be due to pressure or she planned to step down in the next year, but wanted Fitzgerald to have influence over her replacement before he left office. More later, I’m sure.

The George Ryan Diva Story

ArchPundit July 7, 2003 0 Comment

G-Ry was notoriously thin skinned and much of that was shown in his shots at people in his own party during 2002. He also believed strongly in loyalty and the premium may have kept Scott Falwell close to him even after being convicted–thus creating the one person who could blow the whistle on him as a loyal soldier who falls on the sword. During the campaign he took shots at Kris Cohn and especially Jim Ryan for running away from him and in a bizarre twist, chastised Lisa Madigan for saying she would investigate her own father.

The Sun-Times does a profile of The George Ryan Years: Tales of Clout with a hysterical anecdote,

SPRINGFIELD–Being blunt about how scandal had ruined George Ryan’s political fortunes almost cost state Sen. Wendell Jones $1.7 million.

In early 2001, after the Palatine Republican told the Chicago Sun-Times it would be a "good thing" if Ryan didn’t seek re-election, the former governor retaliated in private by halting Illinois FIRST construction projects in Jones’ district for three months.

Realizing he had ruffled Ryan’s feathers, the senator asked for and was granted a special audience with him. In a memo to the governor about the meeting, a Ryan aide attached the news article and wrote that Jones would "apologize for comments he made regarding your re-election chances. Senator Jones says he regrets the comments and did not want to offend you with them."

After the apology, Jones now recalls, "all of a sudden, my projects began to move. That’s the way George Ryan was."

Of course, the next anecdote points out Skip Saviano’s close ties,

"Mr. Duffy and Mr. Anderson will both have fund-raising checks for you on Friday, but they will give them to Skip Saviano before the meeting so that Skip can give them to you at a more appropriate time," Ryan’s legislative liaison Kraig Lounsberry wrote. "The coroners would like to thank you."

Saviano was one of the people Tom Cross selected to run the funds for the Republican House Caucus once they ‘decentralized’ the money control from simply the House Republican Leader. He also is from River Forest and, um, has other ties, let’s say.

One of the favorite punching bags of this blog makes an appearance in the Illinois First program,

At the time, Ryan denied politics was behind an announcement touting $795,000 in Illinois FIRST projects obtained by former state Rep. Tim Johnson (R-Sydney), who was in a bitter primary for an open congressional seat.

However, an internal memo prepping Ryan for the event indicates otherwise, noting prominently that "one of Johnson’s opponents has raised Illinois FIRST as a campaign issue." The memo also encouraged the governor to pad Johnson’s pork tally by bringing up a previously announced $285,000 grant for a sewer plant "since it is one of the major projects sponsored by Representative Johnson," staffer Laurence Msall wrote.

Johnson went on to win the congressional seat.

Against one of the most decent human beings to run for a Congressional Seat in the general election–Mike Kelleher. From talking to people who have worked for Kelleher he is the kind of guy who would be Mr. Smith goes to Washington, much like Jim Leach of Iowa. Tim Johnson is, well, a moron and well, I’ll stop after the cheap shot the other day.

Overall, the story paints an accurate picture of one of the most egregious abusers of the political system in Illinois. There certainly are others who are happy to game the system, but Ryan took it to another level out of personal arrogance and sense of entitlement that no politician should possess.

Chicago and Airlines Reach Deal On O’Hare

ArchPundit July 7, 2003 0 Comment

The only obstacle left is for Blagojevich to sign the bill ending state veto of portions of the project and fast condemnation powers.

It’s about time. Expanding O’Hare will not keep traffic efficiency stable while the state decides what to do about another facility. The great lie about Peotone was that it would solve the problem. It might be a needed facility over and above O’Hare, but it couldn’t have taken over the role of primary airport.

While the effects of O’Hare congestion have been lessened since 9-11, the slow increase in traffic indicates the same problems will be reappearing soon. By getting a start now, O’Hare will be close to solving the problem.

None of this means there shouldn’t be greater oversight of the contracting process.

How Is This Any Different From His Other Comments?

ArchPundit July 7, 2003 0 Comment

Michael Savage got canned from MSNBC for

"So you’re one of those sodomists. Are you a sodomite?" Savage asked.

The caller replied: "Yes, I am."

"Oh, you’re one of the sodomites," Savage said. "You should only get AIDS and die, you pig. How’s that? Why don’t you see if you can sue me, you pig. You got nothing better than to put me down, you piece of garbage. You have got nothing to do today, go eat a sausage and choke on it."

He asked for another phone caller who "didn’t have a nice night in the bathhouse who’s angry at me today."

These bums "mean nothing to me," he said.

While I admit to not listening in often, this seems to be very garden variety Savage–what did MSNBC think they would be getting?

Hamilton Finishes w/Broken Collarbone

ArchPundit July 7, 2003 0 Comment

Tyler Hamilton finished the second stage of the Tour de France despite breaking his collarbone yesterday.

It is hard to imagine Tyler can finish top five with the collarbone, but this is amazing enough. Of course, the chance for a podium of Americans pretty much ended with Leipheimer having to leave the race yesterday.

When the tour hits the mountains Saturday expect pretty much constant Tour blogging and unabashed Lance partisanship–unless Tyler pulls a miracle out. Then lots of vascillating.

And remember,
SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY (in loud Peoria Civic Center monster truck voice over tone) is L’Alpe d’Huez.

Dutch Sheets is Back and Praying for a Court Vacancy

ArchPundit July 3, 2003 0 Comment

You see, the national restoration won’t happen unless,

"In my heart and mind, this call for prayer is not to be for one week or one month," he said. "It’s the beginning of a long-term prayer siege in order to have a breakthrough in the court. It’s the paramount prayer issue in this nation right now."

The “So-Called Gay Agenda” roundup

ArchPundit July 2, 2003 0 Comment

Michael Kinsley has a generally good article up at Slate that suggests privatizing marriage. My only disagreement is that marriage does involve contracts to be enforced and the state should have a role in such enforcement–especially with children involved. I think Michael and I could find a happy medium.

Carol Marin reminds us of the most annoying phrase ever,
"God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!" Surely to be replaced tomorrow with my short attention span. Also a good column on the stupidity of stopping gay people from being married.

DCFS Muzzling Itself and Contractors

ArchPundit July 2, 2003 1 Comment

Jeff Trigg picks up on an important DCFS Story, but doesn’t go far enough in blasting them…

The Trib is reporting that DCFS is muzzling contractors from talking to the media.

Not only that, but they are threatening to renege on contracts,

DCFS imposed this sudden new condition on two child welfare experts appointed to monitor the beleaguered Maryville Academy’s Des Plaines campus. Both signed a contract with DCFS seven months ago upon taking responsibility for keeping tabs on whether the residential treatment home for adolescents was making progress after a handful of troubling incidents last year. Both had expected to get paid.

But according to Cook County Public Guardian Patrick Murphy, both were informed late last week that if they didn’t sign a fresh new contract sent to them by the end of the fiscal year–Monday–they wouldn’t get paid for the work already done.

The can be done the easy way–a call from the Governor asking what the hell they are thinking–or it can be done the hard way in DCFS losing a lawsuit,

The courts and the U.S. Constitution are fairly clear on the issue of workers’ and contractors’ rights to free speech on issues of public concern.

In 2001, a federal judge in Rhode Island threw out the Providence police chief’s new policy preventing officers from talking to the media without his prior approval, declaring it unconstitutional.

In 2002, a state-funded hospital in West Virginia lifted a similar policy imposed on its employees after the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit.

I’m all for the ACLU, but I’d rather state government not pick up their court costs on lost causes–especially when the state goverment is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Circumventing the normal chain of information is essential in many child endangerment cases and this sort of crap only endangers children.