April 2005

Dude, It Was Brilliant

ArchPundit April 18, 2005 No Comments

Uberweis somewhat apologized for the helicopter commercial during his announcement for his Gubernatorial Campaign.

One should never apologize for one of the best political commercials ever made, even if the reason it fits in the best category is it makes the candidate look like such a Goober that no one will ever forget about it.

Oberweis offered something of an apology for a widely criticized television commercial that ran during his last Senate campaign in which he talked about immigrants taking American jobs.

“I think the commercial was too harsh and didn’t communicate our position well,” he said of the spot in which he was seen in a helicopter flying over Soldier Field, saying enough illegal immigrants were arriving in the country to fill the stadium every week.

“Many people took the commercial to understand … that I am somehow opposed to immigration,” he said. “I’m not. I’m opposed to illegal immigration.”

Polis had the best take:

Those Oberweis copter commercials may be the funniest thing on tv these days (save Arrested Development). Forget the fact that his numbers are said to be way off, just having him spout off that anti-immigrant rhetoric over the noise of copter blades is high comedy. The only thing that would improve on this would be if he was flying over the Mexican border with a rifle picking off crossing illegals. “Even if I stay up here and shoot all day, I can’t make a dent out of the thousands who are stealing YOUR jobs!”

I’m looking for an archived copy of the commercial if anyone has it out there.

Meigs Isn’t A Scandal

ArchPundit April 18, 2005 5 Comments

Zorn rightly takes issue with Time ignoring the downside of Daley’s reign other than the fetishization of wrought iron, but Meigs isn’t a scandal!

Meigs was always planned to be closed going back to Burnham’s plan and the public discussion had gone on forever–Peter Fitzgerald blocked the compromise and so Daley closed it.

One might think Hired Trucks might have generated it’s own paragraph, but not Meigs.

Calling Steve Chapman…

ArchPundit April 18, 2005 No Comments

The City of Chicago is trying to take a bike shop that’s been in the neighborhood for 35 years to put up….

condos.

To no one’s surprise the Developer is pals with the Alderman.

What John Kerry Needs to Read if He Thinks He’ll Ever Run for President Again

ArchPundit April 18, 2005 No Comments

Read the whole thing, but do not drink liquids or be in a place where laughing so hard you cry is unaccepteable.

25 Least Influential People

ArchPundit April 18, 2005 No Comments

Over at Wonkette,

Sangamon State Grad Ward Churchill clocks in at #20. Leading ArchPundit to ask yet again, who the fuck is this guy and why the fuck is the conservative blogosphere bitching about such a loser?

In at #18 is Pat Sajack with no known Illinois ties, but raises the question of if a dork farts on his own web site–does he make any noise if no one is listening?

At #12 is departed Trib Columnist and emotional schlockmeister Bob Greene. Word is he is trying to get a gig as a college professor ensuring a steady supply of young women to hit on–and be rejected by as he ages.

At #9–Alan Keyes beats out fellow primaryist Steve Forbes. After all, Keyes was in Florida for the Schiavo fiasco, while Forbes was on The Apprentice looking dorky as ever.

The Wisdom of Nugent

ArchPundit April 18, 2005 No Comments

Apparently he’s for Enron accounting in increasing the roles of the NRA

Speaking at the NRA’s annual convention Saturday, Nugent said each NRA member should try to enroll 10 new members over the next year and associate only with other members.

Effing brilliant.

Lance Is Retiring

ArchPundit April 18, 2005 No Comments

After his attempt for a 7th Consecutive Win at the Tour de France.

Pretty good for a guy who is supposed to be dead.

I had a professor in grad school who used to hold annual, “I’m not Dead Yet” parties. He and Lance were kindred spirits.

In other news, a decision on Tyler Hamilton’s doping trial is scheduled for today. It doesn’t look good for Hamilton, though here is his defense

House of DeLay

ArchPundit April 18, 2005 No Comments

Frankly, the entire web is so confusing, most people confuse what DeLay scandal one is talking about. To solve that problem, the DCCC put together a fantastic primer, Tom DeLay’s House of Scandal will keep you up to date on why close DeLay associate Jack Abramoff appears ready to talk.

A description of the effort to keep him around is available at the New Yorker.

Cross Attacks Dunn’s Plan to Send Money to the Formula

ArchPundit April 18, 2005 No Comments

Tom Cross attacks Dunn’s position to send more money into the formula instead of into categorical assistance. Why? Because that is where suburban districts get most of their cash. Using the example of Palatine that I’ve been using for some time due to comments about the District–Palatine gets about 3% of its funding from the state under the general formula. It gets over 8% of its funding from categorical assistance which John Patterson’s article does a good job describing.

It’s hard to fault Cross for representing the concerns of relatively well off suburban districts, but frankly, the greatest need is in inner ring suburbs and rural areas where an increase in funding of the formula would help the most.

Over time categorical aid has become more significant for two reasons. First, and most legitimately, schools do a lot more than they used to including more special ed, more transportation and more special needs requirements mandated by the feds and state government. Second, relatively well off districts know they won’t get a ton from the general formula, have pushed state reps to put increases in categorical aid instead of the general fund formula.

Patterson’s article is good at pointing out the basic issues and much better than most school funding articles. Kudos for a good job.

A stain on the House

ArchPundit April 18, 2005 2 Comments

I personally want Tom DeLay around for the midterms, but it’s not looking good when the Republican Trib calls on him to step down and takes a shot at Denny for letting him stick around (of course, Denny doesn’t ‘let’ DeLay do anything–DeLay ‘lets’ Denny be Speaker since DeLay doesn’t have the votes.

But Republican leaders have to go beyond that. They can’t continue to aid the efforts by DeLay to dodge responsibility. The worst example is this: After the Ethics Committee rebuked DeLay for the third time, the GOP leadership neutered the Ethics Committee. The Republican chairman of the committee, Rep. Joel Hefley, was removed from his post over his objections, and the committee rules were changed so either party could block an investigation of a House member.

Republicans can argue that the committee chairmanship was due to rotate. But the rules change to block investigations was an incredibly blind and arrogant tactic. Don’t blame DeLay for that one. Blame House Speaker Dennis Hastert for letting it happen.

Hastert may be calculating that his friend DeLay can survive this ethics mess without doing too much damage to his party before the 2006 midterm elections. But the decision to stop the Ethics Committee from effectively doing its business stains the entire GOP leadership.

A Gallup poll released last week said only 38 percent of Americans approve of the way Congress is handling its job, while 54 percent disapprove. Mr. Speaker?

Republicans have enjoyed a good, decade-long run in control of the House. Maybe so good they’ve forgotten that they took power in large part because voters were fed up with the arrogant, ethically questionable practices of Washington. It would be ironic if the GOP lost power for the same reason.