IL-11 Jerry Stands by His Man
ArchPundit
When asked if he was supporting Tom DeLay, the gentleman from Morri….Chicago/Guatemala City says yes.
Gotta give it to Jerry for taking a stand–even when it’s wrong.
ArchPundit
But that’s not the point.
Charles Madigan offers up one of the better and understated analysis of the Tom DeLay scandals.
Thus far, DeLay has been cheered by the House Republicans who love him and the largesse he has spread around, sort of backed by a timid White House, and resolute in claiming this is all a conspiracy cobbled together by the Democrats and the vile liberal media who love them.
Perhaps.
The problem is that the record of unsavory behavior in the House has shifted across party lines many times. Wright and Rostenkowski are just two modern examples of Democrats who stepped over the line. That Gingrich and DeLay are Republicans may well be immaterial. These things, it seems, are about power and how it may corrupt the people it embraces, not at all about political ideology.
It’s why Manius Curius Dentatus stuck to his turnips.
The defense that many of DeLay’s supporters are echoing these days is that nothing he has done was illegal and it all fell within the boundaries of House ethical rules, apparently a shifting set of standards frequently adapted to the times and maintained by a shifting set of House members, recently adjusted to include DeLay supporters.
But that’s not the point.
The point is how it looks to those who live outside the U.S. House. There are no fat cats in their lives to finance anything. They pay as they go, generally with their own money.
People don’t sympathize with people who defend themselves with the letter of the law:
The question is how much of this kind of stuff does it take before the House Republicans, despite their affection for DeLay’s efforts and the role they played in building the Republican House majority, say, “That’s enough” and send the majority leader packing?
DeLay’s problems take on more weight when they are viewed in light of the kind of trouble that preceded him in the House.
Rostenkowski must stand as an exception because he was brought down not by House members who tired of shenanigans but by a federal prosecutor with a big staff and a passion for measuring how House money was spent.
Jim Wright and Newt Gingrich provide better bad-behavior models.
In his explanation to the International Academy of Trial Lawyers of his role in leading the Wright investigation, Richard Phelan (now a Chicago litigator) noted that ethical standards are what makes a professional a real professional.
“Political ethics serve much the same purpose by preserving the politician’s independence from improper influence. … At the most basic level, political ethics prohibit the blatant purchase and sale of influence,” Phelan wrote.
Sounds like Dentatus, doesn’t it?
Welcome To St. Louis Jamison
A student at Homewood Flossmoor is coming out today and he’s attending Wash U in the fall. You’ll be entirely welcome at Wash U Jamison so just hang in there pal.
In what will amount to a schoolyard battle of messages, a couple hundred other students are expected to wear shirts citing “crimes against God,” namely “discrimination against … my 10 Commandments, my prayers, my values, my faith, my God.”
I’m not sure how their 10 commandments are being discriminated against, but hey, that’s free speech. You can say what you want no matter how nonsensical it is.
do know that Christian students, their right to pray has been taken from them,” Jacobs said. “Their right to believe in their values has become an offense to many people. The Bible has become an offense.”
Right to pray taken away? Uh, no. Actually no such law or rule is in place. The second part appears to be a bit of pot-kettle issues where they are criticizing another’s values, but they are being the victim…
Fundaising Already
Okay, I’ve set up an ACT Blue Account for the five races I’m currently suggesting people send money.
Bean, Cegelis, Lane Evans, Missouri Democratic Senate Race, and the DCCC.
Bean, Cegelis and the DCCC will be there for the cycle. Lane will be on until I determine he doesn’t have a serious challenger and the Missouri Senate race will be on as long as a real candidate shows up sooner or later. I’m also keeping an eye on IL-18, but I’m not raising money unless there is a serious Democratic candidate.
Teachers Overpaid
Oops. Jim Oberweis targets the wrong group and OneMan points it out.
It’s fine to run against educrats and make a lot of noise about making the system more efficient and such (see Blagojevich. R.), but don’t attack teachers. Remember, most people like the teachers who teach their kids and so it just comes off wrong.
I’m sure FTN and Oberweis staffer Joe Weigand planted this nugget, but really, even if you think it is true, say it differently.
I can already here the Blagorgeous if Jim were to win
“Balancing the budget on the back of teachers”
You’d think a perennial candidate would learn. Oh, wait, that’s why he’s a perennial.
Just wait for the commercial. He’ll be in a balloon over a school track talking about teachers making too much.
Christine Cegelis on Kos!
She discusses today’s announcement in a Kos Diary
You can donate to her through ACT Blue where she has set up an account
Aren’t There Sanctions for Scurrilous Complaints?
In a fascinating Washington Post article, records of allegations of abuse my Michael Schiavo are reported.
In at least one case, the caller found the evidence of Terri Schiavo’s alleged abuse on the Internet. In January 2004, a female caller reported that Terri Schiavo had an infection on her stomach, at the site of her feeding tube, that was not being treated. But, when questioned, she said she had no first-hand knowledge. She “stated that her information on current infections and lack of treatment was from Yahoo chatline,” the report said.
I’m pretty sure if I were to try this on 911, on a slow night I might get a visit from a police officer who would explain the purpose of 911 to me in a not too polite way.
What strikes me as well is that Michael Schiavo has the material for several thousand libel lawsuits if he so wished.
Organizing Home Child Care Workers
Ramsin has a great piece up on the SEIU’s efforts to organize home child care providers. I have some reservations about giving home child care workers too much leverage given the most recent work suggests that stable Center based care is superior, but anyone who understands the industry knows that home child care providers will be around for some time as states rely on them to provide adequate slots.
Roughly 83 percent of the workers chose SEIU Local 880 as their union. Childcare providers were now union workers. We had crossed a threshold ? no going back. Those tens of thousands of providers, dedicated over the last decade, sacrificing time and resources, had helped change the definition of work forever.
SEUI deserves credit for it’s early work on this issue. Providing adqequate and safe child care is essential to getting people off of welfare and providing children the ability to grow up with productive parents. Home child care providers provide a large number of necessary slots for the state to pull off moving welfare recipients to work.
In Illinois, SEIU’s early work paid off for child care providers.
Below is a picture of the difference in the state reimbursement rate for infant care per day (infants cost more to take care of due to being labor intensive). It comes from the Missouri Department of Social Services:
Illinois’ rate of reimbursement is probably high enough to actually cover costs. One of the dirty secrets well known within in the industry is that most states pay such low rates, providers come in and out of existence rapidly. This exacerbates the problem of providing quality care because stability is a big determinant of that. SEIU worked to increase that reimbursement early on and achieved it before even formally representing workers. That is to be commended.
Illinois still has issues in that those with relatively low incomes aren’t covered as much as in other states, creating a gap of coverage for those who work, but can’t afford care.
The American Prospect covered the subject here
The Nation also weighed in on what is considered a resounding success for organized labor.
And because I lost some e-mail, I lost an update from someone else from the SEIU, if they could contact me again, I’d greatly appreciate it.
UPDATE: Okay, found the e-mail which included some more background
SEIU’s United To Win Blog has a home child care provider discussing what the win meant for them. More from them on the general issue
Nathan Newman offers up a big picture take on the issue
Bitch. PhD offers up a personal story I can relate to given I was in a home child care setting through 2nd grade. One setting that was very good–one setting that wasn’t.
For those wondering if it is a good investment, two researchers at the Minneapolis Fed have been doing some very strong research on the subject which is overwhelmingly positive
As a disclaimer, I’ve done some evaluation research that addresses some minor issues of providers in Metro East, though most of it centered in Missouri.