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Madigan Channels Daley
He doesn’t talk often, but in this case, it’s like he’s channeling Daley:
“He’s got a personal relationship with me. So when he calls, I take his call,” Madigan said of Scott before the election.
“If I get a call from the mayor of Peoria, I may not take it; I may not return it. I don’t even know who he is, the mayor of Peoria. I don’t know his name. I don’t know who the mayor of Champaign is. I don’t know the mayor of Rock Island. I don’t know the mayor of Kankakee. I don’t know the mayor of Carbondale or Edwardsville. I know Doug Scott. I know a lot of mayors in the southwest suburbs of Chicago; that’s my neighborhood.”
But on Tuesday, as Madigan exited a luncheon in downtown Springfield, he volunteered that he had talked to Larry Morrissey, Rockford’s new mayor.
“We’ll work together,” Madigan said.
But we all know, Steve Brown knows who these guys are….
Combative Congressional Staff
On Friday, April 29th, I was battered, twice, by Peggy Cowman, a staff
member employed by Congressman Jerry Weller while attending a public meeting on social security at Kankakee Community College. I exercised my first
amendment right to free speech and brought a sign expressing my thoughts on
social security on one side of the poster board and my shock at Weller?s
support of his Guatemalan father-in-law, on the other side. The
father-in-law is an ex-dictator General who is responsible for genocide and
human rights violations in the tens of thousands during his coup of that
countries? government in 1982 – 83.
I understand that we can?t pick our in-laws but Weller chose to marry the
dictator?s daughter in Guatemala – at the home of this murderous dictator
-and even had him lead part of the religious ceremony! Weller?s wife
supports and even campaigned for her father?s failed presidential bid in
2003. She is also a prominent Senator representing the Guatemalan Republic
Front, a political party founded by her father.
I followed Weller?s entourage out of the auditorium after the meeting. I had
one question unrelated to social security I wanted to ask him. There were
many opportunities for him to answer my question as we stood outside the
auditorium and he answered other?s peoples questions, and as I followed the
entourage through the college and out into a private parking lot. I kept
asking my question, he just ignored me.
As we were all standing in the parking lot Peggy Cowman came up from behind
me, grabbed and squeezed my arm while yanking me backwards. I yelled at her
?do not touch me? and pointed out that was battery. A college security card,
probably at the order of the KCC College president who was standing right
there, came over and glared at me, while Ms. Cowman scurried away. I then
walked around the group, from the back of a van to the front of the van that
Weller?s entourage was getting into, to hold up my sign and try to ask my
question one last time. Suddenly Cowman comes charging up to me again and
begins trying to yank the sign from my hands! The security guard came up
again and Cowman jumped into the van, again the security guard glared at me!
And the college president, in a very rude and demeaning tone yelled at me to
?get off the grass!? I had been pushed back into the bushes by Cowman trying
to yank the sign from my hands. I went and filed a police report, with a
witness who was nice enough to come with me. I hope Congressman Weller and
his staff will keep their countries straight in the future ? this is America
where, so far, we still have freedom of speech and it is illegal to be
battered by politicians? staff members just because they don?t like what
someone has to say. This is NOT Guatemala – where dictator?s batter, abuse
and murder people who do not agree with them.
Oh yes, my question? ?Why does Weller support a dictator responsible for
genocide and human rights abuses of tens of thousands of people but always
votes against women?s reproductive rights and right to privacy and control
over women?s bodies based on his religious beliefs??
Karie Ellison
Sun-Times Weighs in
“Sort of like a prizefight between accountants.” That’s how Gov. Blagojevich characterized the differences between the state auditor and the Department of Central Management Services after the former laid into the latter for mismanagement and waste. It’s a cute image for a newspaper cartoonist or skit writer to work with, but in making light of the allegations, the governor was disappointingly cavalier.
He may not want to hear, or have taxpayers hear, that CMS can’t document its claim of having saved them $600 million by cutting government costs. He may want to protect the reputation of Paul Campbell, the CMS executive he named as its next director. If revelations about him dining out on taxpayers don’t do him in, Campbell next month will replace Michael Rumman, who unexpectedly resigned after receiving a draft of the auditor’s report.
Trib Not So Liked on Urban Coverage
I think the Trib lost a lot when John McCarron left, but his regular (semi-regular) column helps. Otis White of Civic Strategies tracks the quality of urban reporting and while the Trib does poorly overall, Gary Washburn performs well.
So I’ll just take the chance to plug the idea of adding the local and state reporters with easy links to their stories….
Trib: Blogger Friendly Now!
Really, the new design is quickly taking what used to be (before the recent versions) one of the worst web sites to explore to one of the easiest and friendly for bloggers.
New features include a list of national and foreign correspondents with a link to their recent stories.
Bloggers have been added to the Editorial Page List along with easy access to the non-Trib columnists (thank you) and letters to the editor.
Much, much easier to use and helps me find the stories I’m most interested.
It’d be nice to do the same thing with the local/state correspondents as well–though I imagine this is a work in progress. A further feature that can probably be automated and is really helpful is to link the writer’s name to their page of articles.
And get Middle East correspondent Joel Greenberg a pic that doesn’t look like he is a hostage.
The only bad news from the Trib appears to be that Bonnie DeSimone has left and is writing for other outlets–she was the single best cycling newspaper writer in the country.
Honorable Police
Despite scumbags like former Chicago Police Commander John Burge, there are many honorable police officers out there trying to do the right thing and the victory in a civil suit for Mike Callahan over Illinois State Police superiors is a great thing. Despite facing significant career sanctions he continued to investigate a murder investigation where it’s pretty apparent those convicted are innocent of the crime. In somewhat limited dealings, I’ve always been impressed with the professionalism of Illinois State Troopers and Callahan only increases that impression.
Without people like Callahan we’d have more people in prison who don’t deserve it–which is as much of a crime as was what they were accused.
After the verdict, Callahan, standing next to his wife Lily, called the verdict a vindication of his work.
“Obviously, I’m glad. Now that it’s over, it’s a big relief,” Callahan said. “The last five years have been rough; it was like a roller coaster going up and down.”
Callahan was assigned in 2000 to take a second look at the July 5, 1986, slayings of Karen and Dyke Rhoads in the eastern Illinois city of Paris.
But when his investigation focused on a Paris businessman who had donated thousands of dollars to the re-election campaigns of former Gov. George Ryan and former Atty. Gen. Jim Ryan, he was transferred, Callahan alleged. The Tribune is not naming the businessman because he has not been charged.
Two years ago, Callahan began raising questions about the men convicted in the murder, Gordon “Randy” Steidl and Herbert Whitlock. Steidl, who was sentenced to death, was released last May after prosecutors dropped his charges.
An Edgar County judge will decide if Whitlock merits a new trial.
Whether the man he was investigating has anything to do with the murders is a completely different issue.
The Harold Stassen of Illinois Award
Eric Zorn just gave it to Jim Oberweis on WBEZ’s 848. “How do we miss you if you won’t go away”.
Heh.
Another Reason for LaHood to Do Well
He’s really good at the sound bite–as boring as the guy is, he’s got a talent for summing up the state of a debate and even more talent at reflecting what the average person on the street thinks. Despite being in DC for a long time, he’s especially attuned to chatter of constituents more than chatter of the chattering class and that’s tough when you are surrounded by the chattering class–he cuts through it far better than most. Today’s example:
“The problem is that the country doesn’t think Social Security is in a crisis,” said Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) “I don’t think the president’s message of `Social Security in a crisis’ resonates.”
The president has been conducting a 60-day national road show, with dozens of appearances across the country to promote his plan. Almost all of those forums, however, are attended only by strong supporters of the president.
The failure to connect effectively with younger voters on the issue, especially when Bush contends that he wants to change the system to protect them, is a strong measure of his challenge, LaHood said.
“Unfortunately, the audience the president really has to try to engage and energize hasn’t been engaged or energized,” he said.
If Bush has a tough sell on Social Security, his challenge in addressing rising anger over gasoline prices is even greater. He conceded as much, saying there was no “quick fix” other than jawboning major oil producers into increasing supply.
He had little to offer other than sympathy to consumers in the near term and a pledge to pass a more complete energy plan in the long term.
LaHood named high gasoline prices as the No. 1 issue he hears about in his home district, which includes Peoria.
“I don’t know if they really see a connection between the president cozying up to the Saudi Arabians [and the prospect of lower gas prices],” LaHood said of the photo opportunity this week that showed Bush holding hands with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. “I don’t know if that picture was that helpful.”