1. - vole - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 5:46 am:

   Judging from all the road signs that are shot up in southern Illinois, I’d say all those kids who grew up without basketball in hicksville are celebrating the hell out of guns. Rod ought to spend another $50 million to keep these kids off the roads and give them something legitimate to shoot at.




2. - Chicagograssroots - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 6:12 am:

   “Had my dad immigrated to the southern part of the state…

   I probably would have married Paul Simon’s daughter instead of Alderman Mell’s — and there’s a good chance he would never have helped me get into politics. So I’d probably be an internet phisher, telling people I’m a Nigerian Prince and if they’ll just send me $10,000 to pay transaction fees, they can have millions in Royal Treasuries.




3. - annon. in the styks - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 6:19 am:

   God bless !! That’s one hell of an analogy !?? Social studies simplfied ala Bladgo!! ..Trying desperately to be “kool” I guess. He’s like one of the 2 cops on the old “Sanford & Son” TV show of years ago. One was from the neighborhood, really knew folks, had friends & knew the slang/ lingo. The other desperately wanted to fit in but couldn’t for a wide variety of reasons & always trying somehow to warm up with lingo, trying to be “kool” & unfortunately mis-pronouncing slang !! What is so bizarre and intrigueing about southern Illinois ?? It’s a beautiful place, wonderful people & a part of our state !! Bladgo …I guess, like some north of I–80, seem to think it’s another place and/ or the dark side of the moon !! I really hope this shooting complex works out !! Maybe it will employ some of the folks who lost their jobs from Maytag & others who have fled the state !! Jobs down south are getting to be a premium in places. Guess Bladgo didn’t keep his eye on the “clay pigeon” ?? “”Rightarm !” Bladgo my man !!




4. - Disgusted - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 6:51 am:

   This man is not funny, but extremely pathetic. Anyone notice that he doesn’t seem to fit “in” anywhere? The only people who have a relationship with him are his daughters and his contributors who give him money to purchase influence, jobs and contracts. So sad.

   It would be interesting to learn what his parents (if they are still with us) really think about his progression through life so far.




5. - Lovie's Leather - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 6:56 am:

   Jibjab… “You’ve got more waffles, than a house of pancakes. You offer flip flops, I offer tax breaks!” The only difference is Blago doesn’t have 3 purple hearts!




6. - Loop Lady - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 7:00 am:

   Rod’s just sucking up to the constituents whose votes he so deperately needs next year in Southern Illinois–hey do you think it worked?
   $50 million for a glorified shooting range while the State parks go to hell, knowlegeable career employees are sent packing, and low morale continues to afflict DNR–great leadership Rod!




7. - vole - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 7:06 am:

   Loop Lady, don’t ja know that the IDNR is now an affiliate of the NRA? What do Natural Resources got to do with it?




8. - RickG - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 7:21 am:

   Do I think it worked? No, I don’t.

   I think a lot of people in southern Illinois are smart enough to know that Sparta is basically a part of the Metro East, and I gotta tell ya, Rod, that the guy carrying a gun in the Metro East is just as dangerous as that ‘gang-banger’ you’ve made up for your stories.

   I really think that people in southern Illinois are sick of being patronized.

   What interested me most about the way the Governor presented himself when he came to the Sparta opening was that he treated the visit as though he were in a different country. “Where I come from”…”down here, things are different”…. I don’t know about the general reception, but I know that people I talked to wanted to know why the Governor felt they were so different from people elsewhere in the state.

   Southern Illinois is not a third-world country.

   Since I know people from the Gov’s campaign read this, I’d like to make a personal plea — when he gets on the campaign trail this time around (okay, he’s already there…but when it really heats up) PLEASE store the FOID card speech in a vault somewhere. We know you promised not to raise FOID fees. We’re grateful that you didn’t. Thanks. But that was the pledge last time around. How about something different this time around? Seems like every speech he made in southern Illinois for about 2, 3 years — even the speech at the groundbreaking for the Marion Baseball stadium — the Governor had to throw in something about the FOID card. The message got through. We’ve reached overkill.




9. - the Other Anonymous - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 7:23 am:

   You know, the sad part is that Rod actually makes a decent point about the complexity of the gun issue. Guns in an urban setting create an entirely different problem than guns in a rural setting.

   But both the context — the opening of a gun shooting complex — and the way he said it — “if I were born in Southern Illinois I’d be a redneck” — is simply inappropriate and offensive.

   Imagine if Blagojevich had actually thought through the types of regulations that we need to both reduce urban gun violence yet preserve the legitimate uses of guns in rural areas, and then used the occasion to make a bold policy initiative, or to start a dialogue on a complete reform of gun regulation?

   We Democrats have waited too long for a Governor from our party to put up with Blagojevich’s pandering — ineffective pandering, to boot.




10. - amazed - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 7:33 am:

    This Guy is really something….He truly considers the people down state to be idiots. Blago does not have a clue about the people who live south of 80…..you may be able to fool’em once but twice…don’t think so! I’m suprised no-one in the crowd in Sparta did’nt offer to take the Blago snipe hunting that evening with thier trusty .45,,,,,think he would have went?




11. - Snidely Whiplash - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 7:50 am:

    Hey, I agree that law abiding citizens should not be denied firearms while criminals who don’t follow laws anyway possess them. However, Blagojevic is a hypocryte with no morals or convictions at all who will say anything necessary to win. Let’s lose this piece of garbage!




12. - Leroy - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 7:58 am:

    If I were JBT, I’d immediately have one of my cronies form a ‘United Illinoisans Against Gun Violenece’ PAC, and start taking donations.

    Then I would use the money to have the PAC run ads on TV and radio in Chicago portraying Rod as a gun nut based on his speech here, and his support of using $50 million of the taxpayers money to promote weapons of personal destruction when so many of our schools are underfunded & teachers underpaid.

    Chicago & suburban soccer moms hate that stuff.

    The ads would be designed to keep them home come election day.




13. - DOWNSTATE - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:18 am:

    One this range is in a southern Democrat stronghold and two check who got the contract to construct this and how much they gave the Blago warchest.It might raise a few eyebrows.As far as his gun views he will do what ever he can to destroy gun rights.




14. - zatoichi - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:23 am:

    I had to get sumin to reed thys to me while I was chawin tobacky and loadin my gun. Dem moonshiners in the next county will be comin through over yonder.

    Rod, please leave the “that’s the Chicago Way” stuff to Sean Connery and the movies. You have to stop watching MTV or whatever smooth jazz station you listen to.

    How many international shooting contests are scheduled to be held at World Shooting and Recreational Complex? It’s a little far for the Olympics bid.




15. - Rico Shakman aka Wumpus - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:36 am:

    It is about legal vs illegal, that’s all.




16. - SouthernILRepub - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:39 am:

    I want to extend an invitation to Rod to come to Southern Illinois again to shoot at some sporting clays. This is the easiest way to get him out of office. He would likely make a stupid comment while firing at the clay and miss and shoot someone (instead of like Cheney) they would die. He could be charged with manslaughter instead of the usual boring corruption charges like mailfraud, conspiracy, and rackateering.




17. - chinman - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:45 am:

    rich I to am almost speechless. He has no shame. When is he going to get cornered? If I was you or pearson or whoever, I would go after the story. Not just these political slugs who get jobs they don’t deserve but the reason they are placed where they are. It is all about contracts, big ones. Same faces new patsy. You know all the faces I mean Rich, and you have for years. And for all you people with your face pressed up to a tree, back up and look around. The same people who always run the state are running the state. They just have a more complete patsy to steal from this time around. The crazy thing to me is that Blago himself doesn’t get it. The little people fight about r’s and d’s but at the top all that doesn’t mean a thing. All that matters is $$$$$$$$. In this blog I see some people taking shots at upper level R’s who are not elected officials. This only shows their stupidity. 100 million to Lon’s sister seems to be just fine. 100 million is small change. Look at anything 1 bill and up and you will find all those juicy names that only a few papers are brave enough to print. They are an even split of r and d.




18. - Anonymous - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:59 am:

    Rich, why do you hate the Governor so much? No one outside of Springfield has such an unhealthy obsession with the guy.

    And why do you not take Topinka to task for identical issues of political hiring in her state office?

    If you want to campaign for her, fine. But at least have the decency to put a Topinka legal disclaimer on your website.




19. - OneMan - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:12 am:

    Anonymous 8:59 AM,

    That’s the best you can come up with? You are picking on Rod? If that’s the case your guy is really screwed.




20. - VanillaMan - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:13 am:

    C’MON! He can do better than that!

    “Had my dad been a black man and immigrated to the southern part of the state, instead of being a steelworker, he’d have been a hard-working, gospel-singing coal miner! I probably would have grown up instead of shooting hoops at the playground, ah, shooting hoops with my bros while the po-pos harrassed us for being immigrant blacks from Serbia. And then theres rifles and hunting which is OK, uh, down here in fantastic downstate Illinois, (notice how I pronounce the “s”). Well anyway, a guy, or a bro, say, in my neighborhood with a gun, that’s a gang-banger, but it’s not his fault, and he “ain’t” hunting no deer or no quail or no po-po’s neither, by the way. That guy’s up to no good, but I love him for his wayward soul. It’s a lot different down here though for Serbian black young men like me, or, could’a been had my dad immigrated here to this wonderful happy land. Having a rifle, or as you might call it, a shootin’-stick, well, it’s law-abiding, it’s legitimate, and it ought to be celebrated regardless of how stupid you might look to Democrats.”

    “A funny thing happened on the way down here, I gotta tell ya! My car stopped at a stop light, and I rolled the window down for some fresh air, and when I did this, a little black girl saw me. She got all excited like she knew who I was, and she asked me, “Hey! Ain’t you one of us red neck hillbilly people?”

    “Man! She made me laugh so hard! Me? As if!”




21. - Anon - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:17 am:

    Rich why are you speechless.

    I was at the Grand Opening along with thousands of others. The Governor gave a great speech got the loudest applause and cheering, by far, and also two stanting ovations.

    After the speech he came out into the crowd and people crowded around him for autographs and pictures with themselves and their children. He stayed around for well over an hour.

    This shooting complex is great for not only Southern Illinois but all of Illinois.

    I know that this is not what you wanted to hear but that is the truth from someone who was there.




22. - anon - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:24 am:

    anon 9:17, which office do you work for?




23. - The Agitator - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:28 am:

    $50 million…geez.

    That is enough to buy a still and a new outhouse for every family in Fayette, Marion, Clay, and Wayne counties!




24. - Dorvy - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:31 am:

    Am I imagining things or did the Governor try to claim he lived in a gang infested neighborhood?

    A guy with a gun in his neighborhood is a security guard, Cop, or someone with political connections.




25. - ironman - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:33 am:

    Ok, lets put this into a prespective for a bit. The shooting complex is in Rep. Dan Reitz’s district. Now, when the gov. lived in springfield, he had two roomies “Reitz, former DNR dir-Joel B, R Blago”..D Reits is on the Blago budget committee….Then we might as well throw in Sam flood into the mix “JOBS, JOBS, JOBS”….Read between the lines….Pork barrel spending at its best………..




26. - Truthful James - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:34 am:

    Anon 8:59 a.m.

    Why is it that whenever the Governor or the machine is compomised with illegal activity, you and others rush to say === well let’s look at Judy B?

    Whatever she may be doing, that makes it all right for Blago? That’s the everyubody’s doing it approach, which has gotten us to wonderful position the State is in today. And Cook County, too.




27. - Little Egypt - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:44 am:

    Anon 9:17. No one says this shooting complex is not good for southern Illinois. It absolutely is good for anywhere in this state and I’m tickled to death to see the money come to southern Illinois to build it. But to say that this governor was well received is not telling the entire story. The audience was padded with Dem loyalists, he was in a very highly concentrated dem stronghold and the standing ovations were planned (and don’t think for one minute they were not). His PR men don’t walk into a minefield. The aren’t called advance men for nothing. You make me laugh when you say he stayed around for an hour. Was he on time? If so, it would be the first time in his career he showed up on time for an event. He couldn’t even make Vince DeMuzio’s funeral on time. He has no respect for anyone, including you. He just wants your vote and your money. And I suspect he will get both from you.

    This guy is a loser and I’m sick and tired of him patronizing my part of the state. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. A lot of us were born at night - NOT LAST NIGHT.

    And I can tell you that if his dad had immigrated to southern Illinois and ended up being a coal miner, then good for his father. There is a long and proud tradition of coal miners in this state, particularly southern Illinois. And this day and age, they are unemployed, they are angry, they don’t believe in “paying to play”, and they vote.




28. - Jaded - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:57 am:

    Hey Anon 9:17, are you sure those were autographs he was signing, or were they memos of understanding? I am sure he did get great applause and had people fawning over him, because any good political organization (and you guys are a good political organization) knows how to pack the place with their folks. Hell George Ryan had the same thing happening to him into his last year (mostly at Death Penalty events), and he had a 26% approval rating. I am glad he stayed around for over an hour. Did he shoot? Also, since the shooting complex is so great for all of Illinois, I am sure the Governor will begin referencing it in his speaches in Chicago, and the Suburbs, just like I am sure he referenced his gun ban legislation at some other point in this speach (which was probably followed by one of the standing ovations you referenced, or not).




29. - Anonymous - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:59 am:

    Truthful James, you miss the point entirely. Pete, the point is Topinka and Blagojevich are equally dirty on political hiring. I’m not the one saying it’s ok. YOU ARE in the case of Topinka. YOU ARE the one who’s willing to be a hypocrite and say the Repubs should be able to get away with what you want to stick Blago on. YOU ARE the one who still wants to keep the George Ryan culture alive. Pete, that’s worked really well for the GOP hasn’t it?

    At least Blagojevich had an Inspector General who would actually write and issue reports. Topinka put in a political hack and political contributor as her Inspector General. Topinka’s own Inspector General is a political hire!!

    That’s just for starters.




30. - SO ILL - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:01 am:

    VanillaMan…. I am crying. Brilliant.




31. - Chicagoland GunOwner - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:10 am:

    Hey,

    we got alot of folks who love to shoot around here in Chicagoland. A guy with a gun in my neighborhood owns his house, land, and is a productive members of society.

    And is tired of this gun control bunk Chicago is selling.




32. - Big Al - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:16 am:

    As an African American my stomach is turning. He’s against firearms when he’s trying to please Mayor Daley and the Black community, but when he’s out of site he promotes the right to bare arms. By the way, there aren’t anything close to gangbangers in Blago’s neighborhood, but there are yuppie politicos trying to play tough guys like himself. Funny I know plenty of honest great hunters from the south side where i grew up.
    another of Governor Soundbite




33. - Kaeghl - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:26 am:

    I will try again….I find it interesting that Daley let Blago get south of I-80 with out a leash. And to speak about eeeevvvillll g-g-gguns with out saying to ban/confiscate them? There must have been a small eruption in “Da Mayor’s” office when that was heard. Best thing for this state would be if Daley AND Blago were to go far far away and never return, in my hmble opinion.




34. - Truthful James - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:32 am:

    Anonymous - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:59 am

    I am sorry that you choose to stay under the white sheet, but you have covered up your eyeholes.

    You are jumping to contusions.

    I do not justify Judy B’s actions, I refer to the tendency of posters here to justify Blago’s activities based on whatever Judy B might be doing




35. - Mister Haney - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:39 am:

    The ‘my dad COULD have been a coal miner, and that hypothetical somehow translates to something positive in my own character’ speech is one Rod has been trying out down here on every occasion. No matter how unrelated it is to the event. It is as stupid and transparent an attempt at pandering as the famous “ignorant little black girl at my car window mistakes me for someone who can govern’ speech. Or the other one he always tells when within 50 miles of Sparta, about how the town was in the movie “In The Heat of The Night”, like nobody there already knew that… all to give him an excuse to do the Poitier quote: “They call me MISTER Tibbs!”. He tosses that one off, then stands back smiling expectantly, like he deserved some kind of ovation. Mister Tibbs? Dude, you aren’t even Mister Pibb. What the heck does that lame anecdote have to do with… well, ANYTHING relevant to Southern Illinois today? I really don’t get how he or his people think this line of bull gets them anywhere down south. And good call about the FOID card speech. It’s like going to a foreign country (which we are in Rod’s mind) and learning just one native phrase and using it for EVERYTHING. Governor, you are stereotyping the people doen here, turning them into a punchline. You must think we’re all like the people from “Green Acres” or “Hee Haw”.

    I say you are the real rube here.




36. - Paulie - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:55 am:

    This man is a disgrace. Bad enough he appoints an adviser to Louis Farrakhan to a commission on Hate Crimes, won’t fund state pensions and has made the state unfriendly for businesses, he also tells crowds whatever they want to hear simply for votes. Sadly, to many conservatives don’t realize that Topinka is 100 times better than this clown. Wake Up Republicans!




37. - Gregor - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:58 am:

    One thing the previous crook, er, Governor, got right was, he didn’t try to refer to S. Illinois as a separate place, but to remind everyone we are one great state, where all of Illinois benefits from revenues that come in from O’Hare, and all of Illinois gets a portion of their electricity from Southern coal, and everything is interconnected. More so every day. We all need each other and we need to work with each other. The success of one is the shared success of all.

    But that kind of thinking is alien to Blago. He is a zero-sum kind of guy.




38. - Anon 9:17 - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 11:28 am:

    Anon 9:24

    I work in the private sector where the vast majority of Illinois citizens work and that vast majority is glad that this Governor has not raised our taxes and has vowed to not raise our taxes when re-elected, unlike Topinka who has already stated that she will raise our income taxes. Are you a State employee?

    Little Egypt:

    First of all were you at the Grand Opening?

    The crowed was not padded with Democrats. You are wrong and don’t have a clue what you are talking about. The Standing ovations were not planned.You are wrong and are clueless. Yes the Governor was on time.

    You are commenting on something you know nothing about.

    Jaded

    I don’t work for the Governors political organization.




39. - Unreliable Sources - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 11:34 am:

    I heard Blago make those comments and they were actually among the better-received part of his remarks.

    The stuff about being the son of an immigrant is part of the Gov’s standard Southern Illinois schtick and has been since ‘02. It’s a little stale by now but still goes over well, especially with large crowds that haven’t heard it before. That’s what the Sparta event was.

    Rick G — “Sparta is bascially considered a part of Metro East?” You must be from Chicago. Gimme a break.




40. - Truthful James - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 11:39 am:

    - Anon 9:17 - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 11:28 am:

    Perhaps you might point out where Judy B has made an unqualified statement that she will raise our income taxes. I would appreciate it, and so would the voters of Illinois.




41. - DOWNSTATE - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 11:45 am:

    ANON 9:17 wake up and read the hand writing on the wall this state can not sustain itself with out a tax increase and who ever gets elected will have to raise them.That no tax crap is just like the crap he puts out about guns.Also the Sparta area has a lot of big Democrats and one of his big money people got the contract to biuld it.




42. - Anon 9:17 - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 12:03 pm:

    Truthful James:

    Read the Daily Hearld Friday, June 9, 2006 for your answer. (Topinka says she won’t sell tollway if elected) is the headline. Governor Blagojevich says he will not raise our taxes.

    Doewnstate:

    I strongly dissagree. We do not need to futher burden the working men and women of our state with higher taxes. We already pay more than our fair share. We should be able to keep our money that we work for and spend on our families as we see fit.

    In this election we will have one candidate for Governor who says he will not raise our taxes and one who says that they will. The people who pay taxes can decide weather they want to pay more taxes or not.




43. - Garp - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 12:15 pm:

    I would think the honest guy in the gangbanger neighborhood might want some protection but I guess with Super Blago around he can protect us all by taking away all the guns in the City. Of course, the gangbangers could never figure out how to drive a few miles from their neighborhood to aquire guns, bring them back to the their hoods and prey on the unarmed honest guys.

    The Governor is the most shameless human being on the planet.




44. - Truthful James - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 12:23 pm:

    Anon 9:17 - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 12:03 pm:

    The article is summarized below. It is a far cry from ‘wouldn’t rule out’ to ‘will’.

    And certainly not an unqualified statement.

    Of course it is the Democratic legislature which will pass the bills, and then override a veto, unless the Republicans were to come back from the dead and have enough strength to prevent an override.

    ****************************************
    Daily Herald 6/9/06
    Republican Judy Baar Topinka said Thursday she will not lease the tollway system if elected governor, but instead raised the potential for higher taxes if the state needs money. . “I’m not going to say it will be popular,” Topinka said of the tax increase option without elaborating on her state budgeting ideas.. Unlike her Democratic rival Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the three-term state treasurer has refused to take an election-year vow not to raise taxes….




45. - chinman - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 12:26 pm:

    I can’t believe I am going to type this.

    quinn for governor




46. - Gregor - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 12:33 pm:

    Anon-9:17, you’re deluding yourself on two counts. One is, the so called no-tax-increase promise was broken almost as soon as it was made. It was a semantics game, charging so-called “user fees” and raiding dedicated special funds as well as incurring massive new long-term debts, while cutting services to cities and towns, which had to jack up THEIR taxes to make up the difference. make no mistake: you have already paid more under blago, he’s just called it something else.

    Delusion two is, you believe any future promises from a guy with Blago’s track record.




47. - Matthew T. - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 12:50 pm:

    This is just the latest farce coming from Rod. He has nothing but contempt for law-abidng gun owners, and the fact he thinks he can buy off southern IL by showing up for a photo-op at a shooting range illustrates just how little he respects us.

    He has proudly supported every anti-gun owner initiative in Springfield since taking office. As a Congressman, 50% of the bills he sponsored were gun control related. He opposes concealed carry, he supports banning almost all semiautomic rifles in IL, he vetoed the Wilmette home defense bill, he vetoed a bill that would prevent the IL State Police from keeping an illegal database of gun purchasers, he vetoed a bill that would eliminate the pointless waiting period the state imposes when 1 firearm is traded for another, he vetoed a bill that would prevent municipalities from enacting gun control that is stricter (and often in contradiction) to the already strict state laws, he opposed allowing 18 year olds to get a FOID card without parental consent, and he advocated raising the cost of a FOID card to $500 in 1993.

    His disdain for the Second Amendment and those who support it cannot be overemphasized. He was able to fool enough people downstate in 2002 to worm his way into office, but let his record since then speak for itself.

    Shaking hands at Sparta is not enough to undo a lifetime of working to restrict people’s rights.




48. - Paul Simon Museum Guy - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 12:59 pm:

    Gregor @ 12:33 has it right… Gov. B kept his campaign pledge to not raise SALES or INCOME taxes. When I was on the city council my town got a $20,000 bill from IEPA for allowing us to continue to discharge our treated wastewater (NPDES). To pay it, we would have had to raise taxes…(it was later found illegal).

    Let’s face it: Illinois is over $5.5 billion in debt (according to Compt. Hynes) and instead of papering over our debt by taking away taxes collected for special purposes (fuel taxes, etc.) and Enron-ish accounting tactics, let’s deal with it in a truthful way.
    I’m still undecided who to support for Gov, but at least JBT recognizes the critical state our state is in. Blagojevich merely fiddles away saying everything’s fine.
    By the way, if either Rod or JBT pronounces the s in Illinois while below I-72 I’ll support the other!




49. - Sound Reasoning - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 1:43 pm:

    This is one of the most despicable cases of outright pandering to a voting segment in recent memory. Blago has spent his entire political career either promoting or sponsoring anti-gun legislation. Now four months before his election he makes a pro-gun speech and downstate is supposed to believe this man? This man has no morals whatsoever when it comes to getting someone’s vote.

    Let’s all remember he is already on record from his first campaign for governor stating that nothing he says while a candidate can be considered the truth. I believe the words that he used were anything he says while on the campaign trail is just ‘campaign puffery’.




50. - ANYBODYbutBLAGO - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 2:25 pm:

    He hasn’t raised income or sales taxes, but what he has done is raised user fees, cleaned out all special funds he could and will continue to do, his lying spokesmen(persons) say it is just excess funds,ALERTS raised their user fees by 50% right after BLAGO took $400,000 because they didn’t have the money to keep wireless police information system running, earlir this year they tried to raise it another 30% but that got stopped and now all police agencies involved have formed a non-profit group to run the system to stop BLAGO from getting at the funds.They say they have put in more money into pension system than any other GOV, oh yea, that is true when you count the 10 million you borrowed and that all state employees but in an addition 4 or 5.5% in ,to help pay for their pensions. Oh and the union employees were given the raises to make up for the difference and what did that do , yea you are right, it raised their salary and as a result raised their pension when they retire.




51. - One Man Can Make A Difference - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 2:48 pm:

    It’s business as usaul. “Go with what evers going….”




52. - Beowulf - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 4:14 pm:

    Had my dad been born a dwarf lesbian instead of a normal sized heterosexual , I am sure that I would have been born a dwarf lesbian too.
    A guy growing up in my neighborhood would have had a hard time growing up as a dwarf lesbian but as I stand here today before you, I realize that we should all be dwarf lesbians. It’s a lot different here at this gay & lesbian parade than in my neighborhood. It’s law-abiding, it’s legitimate, it’s non-fattening, and it ought to be celebrated.

    Okay, where is my staffer? Which group do we hit next on my campaign trail?




53. - BBishere2 - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 4:48 pm:

    If I’d been born rich instead of so darn good looking, I’d have the money to pay for all of the pork barrel spending anon 9:17. Yes, we’re going to get tax increases to pay for all of Hot Rod’s panderings - you count on it.




54. - Little Egypt - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 5:03 pm:

    Anon 9:17 - I could pick you out of the crowd at the dedication ceremony. You were the one with the “Everybody Sucks But Blogo” shirt on.

    It’s pretty clear from the postings that you are in the very small, itty bitty minority of Blogo supporters. As for being clueless, you really can’t be serious if you think this governor has not raised taxes. You are paying more for a lot of things, perhaps not directly, but indirectly, so here’s your CLUELESS sign. If you are having a trucker haul anything for you, you’re paying more - here’s your sign. If you have a credit card, you are paying more interest - here’s your sign. If you are having repairs done to your vehicles, you are paying more because your mechanic pays more to the state - here’s your sign. If you are buying a beer, you are paying more - here’s your sign. If you buy lottery tickets, get a clue because that is a tax - here’s your sign. If you file a legal document with your county, you are paying more because Blogo gets the increase - here’s your sign. So don’t go bragging about no tax increase. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck - Mr. Anon 9:17 - IT’S A TAX!!! You’re paying it and seem to be pretty happy about it. I’m not. I’d rather my state be on good financial ground than have Mr. Elvis Wannabe raid fund after fund until he has no recourse left but to raise taxes. He won’t be able to do that, thank God, because he won’t get a chance to. HE WON’T BE RE-ELECTED.




55. - just a guy - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 5:10 pm:

    One question that goes to the Gov’s character—when was the lasst time he used the word “aint” when giving a speech at a location above I-80?




56. - Rick G - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 5:12 pm:

    Sources (I know this is a late rebuttal),

    Sure, fine, I was born in a suburb. I’ve lived in southern Illinois for seven years. I’ve been to Sparta (Bulldog track!) and I understand that the people and landscape are more like southern Illinois than the Metro East. I was referring to two things — the location (you know how close you it is to STL) and more importantly the political topography of Randolph County. I apologize for being vague and admit it wasn’t my best analogy.

    You make an interesting point — that the Gov’s ’schtick’ has been around since ‘02 “and works with those who haven’t heard it.” (that’s a paraphrase).

    People who haven’t heard it? There are people who haven’t heard it? That tells me two things –

    1) They also didn’t vote, and likely won’t; and
    2) The reason they haven’t heard it is because the Governor does not spend a lot of time in southern Illinois.

    Now on the other hand, I [edited by moderator] Ray LaHood off a few months ago…at a presser he got on the Governor for never coming to southern Illinois and I responded “he was here on Monday” (this was one of my finer moments, thanks). But let’s be honest. The only time the Gov comes to southern Illinois is for a trumped-up event. There’s never any actual desire to hear what southern Illinoisans really think. I know why he does it, I don’t have to like it.

    But then we have Topinka. At least when Rod comes he goes someplace, for something. I don’t think Judy has made it past the airport in months.




57. - B Hicks - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 5:53 pm:

    Also, sometimes they’ll utilize the “Caps Lock” and yell at you. Example: BY GOD THAT GOSH DERN SCUM BAG GARBAGE SUCKING GOVERNOR NEEDS TO GO BECAUSE HE AINT GOOD FOR THE STATE AND HE IS WORTHLESS AND PLAYS POLITICS AND LETS OUR BOAT RAMPS AND STATE PARKS SIT IN RUIN AND WE NEED TO PUT THAT TOPINKER IN OFFICE BECAUSE SHE AINT GONNA PLAY THAT CRAP.

    All in one sentence.




58. - Anon 9:17 - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 5:56 pm:

    Little Egypt:

    Were you at the Grand Opening that you are commenting about? Yes or NO.

    If you were not you don’t have a clue about what you are talking about but from reading your bizarre rambling that would be nothing new. Is that simple enough for you?

    Blagojevich will be re-elected.




59. - Mr. Drucker - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 6:11 pm:

    So far Rod’s best Southern Illinois appearance has been spending over five thousand dollars to hire an out of state satellite truck from Missouri to videotape ten minutes worth of him running past the camera in his jogging shorts for the River-to-River Run. (SJ-R.com, Bernie story) Supposedly it was “to promote tourism”. But they showed no footage of the wineries down there, orchards, or the towns, or any pretty scenery, all of which Rod could have used his appearance to publicize. He didn’t even make any statement about the race itself, though ostensibly he was there to promote it. No, for our money we get mister poofy hair in baggy umbros running past a camera over and over for ten minutes and that’s it. For Five Grand of your tax dollars. If you see it in a campaign commercial, you can feel good about having paid for it.

    Well, I’M feeling renewed, aren’t you?

    Hey, maybe Illinois Channel will run it a few times on cable, so we can all enjoy the show.




60. - Little Egypt - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 6:16 pm:

    Anon 9:17 - Bizarre rambling???? You have GOT to be kidding. Every single person at that Grand Opening was a hard core democrat - just like you and me. Although, I certainly don’t classify myself as being a hardcore dem any longer. But you and all the others looked mighty silly sucking up to Blogo for an autograph now didn’t you? I looked for you in your spiffy “I’m Voting For Public Official A No Matter What Happens” shirt but must have missed you. Oh, and I have a clue - lots of them. But I shouldn’t be your target - Gov. Hairdo should be because he has not saved the Democrat party, he is running it into the ground and that makes an awful lot of dems very angry. We don’t forget all the betrayals, the lies, the out-of-state fundraisers, moving the capitol to Chicago, padding the payroll with your campaign contributors, abandoning the Executive Mansion, pretending to be governor, etc. We will remember on election day.




61. - Shootist - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 6:26 pm:

    Do you know how to spell “pander”? “My father could have been a coal miner” will say anything and do anything to get re-elected. I was transplanted from the Chicago suburbs 15 years ago. Down below I-80 where I live, gun control is using two hands.




62. - Ghost Buster - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:34 pm:

    Rod has got my vote. Any body with enough guts to go to Southern Il. with all those armed citizens,well I am glad for the south for a change.




63. - Old Yeller - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:39 pm:

    Little Egypt,

    Sorry you didn’t get that government job you were hoping for.

    As the 30 plus years of republican hacks were cleaned out, they weren’t all replaced (perhaps because they were not needed!).

    Vote for Judy this time around and maybe she will raise our taxes to give you a job with DOWNSTATE.




64. - There's Ole Uncle Joe - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:13 pm:

    Just wondering when the democrat party dumps Grod. It has to happen sooner or later else he damages the whole ticket. I’m telling you the guy stinks and indictments are just around the corner. All the folks at Hooterville can see that so why can’t you Yankees see it? I’m a die hard democrat who will not go down with this ship. Not sure where my vote is going but it is not going to this nut ball. It will be the first time in 40 years of elections that I have not voted for the Democrat for governor.




65. - Roy Slade - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:17 pm:

    B- your second posting was possibly the first honest, truthfull posting that you have written in years. (Btw, I have a masters degree in my field- and over 25 years experience. I actually *interviewed* for my last two positions, though the division chief had someone else “supposenly picked out”. Voted for the blago, because I was “ready for change”. Wow- I have learned my lesson). KEEP IT UP! I AM GLAD YOU FINALLY SEE THE LIGHT- AND ITS TOPINKA, NOT TOPINKER!




66. - Off by a mile - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:43 pm:

    I’m from northwestern Illinois. That’s “down south” to you Chicago people who apparently have never looked at a map. I enjoy competitive shooting and I am a hunter. I also drive a pick-up truck. What I am NOT is a redneck.

    What I am is a Democrat steadily turning Republican who is tired of hearing about how banning assault weapons is the only thing that will save our state. I don’t want Democrats to chase Rock River Arms, Armalite and other legitimate gun makers across the border to Iowa. I’m tired of having good laws on the books to deal with armed criminals but judges that cut these vermin breaks and seem to somehow feel sorry for bad guys. I’m also pretty tired of the property taxes I am paying. (Off topic, but I’m mad about it anyway!)

    This governor is not going to convince me that he is finally “getting the picture” on legal gun ownership.




67. - Buck Flagojevich - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 11:16 pm:

    Rich these anonymous posters are a real hoot. You deserve an award for letting them on your site as evidenced by this remark:

    “Anonymous - Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:59 am:

    Rich, why do you hate the Governor so much? No one outside of Springfield has such an unhealthy obsession with the guy.”

    I have been following your work for a couple of years now, and you are one of the most even handed journalists when it comes to Illinois politicians. Nothing but the facts. An equal opportunity “fact” presenter. Maybe Anonymous needs to read your work instead of posting unfounded, goofy comments.

    It is so incredibly obvious these people are Blago’s people. They sound just as challenged as the little boss they are trying to support with their dumb a** comments.

    My hat is off to you for letting the developmentally disabled post here.

    BTW Anonymous 8:59. I would bet that the majority of people on here are from north of I-80, just as yourself.




68. - Todd - Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 6:37 am:

    I was at the grand opening and the crowd was padded with CDB, and DNR personel. I would estimate that 100 of the people there were agency types, need I name off the ones I know, or should we just listen to the audio of Sam Flood naming all of them.

    then lets ad all the staff from the ATA who were on hand, the press corp, and all of the local elected officials from the town, and county board.

    After that, therre may have been 100 bodies. some shooters from out of state who just happened to be there. But is was not a big event by any means.

    Todd




69. - Little Egypt - Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 9:06 am:

    Todd, thank you for that TRUTHFUL account of the crowd at the Sparta shooting complex. I didn’t believe I was delusional about the excitement shown over Elvis but Anon 9:17 sure thought I was.




70. - aidanquinn - Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 10:21 am:

    Rep. Reitz wasn’t even in office when Blago was in the IL House. I believe he was in a coal mine somewhere in So. Il at that time. So unless he drove to Springfield daily during session it would have been difficult to “room” with Blago.

    What governor’s “budget” committee? Reitz is the chairman of the House revenue committee, appointed by the Speaker, who I doubt consulted with the guv prior to his appointment.

    Things are so political right now and the Guv has agitated everyone I suggest he move everything including his family to the Executive Mansion and start raising taxes for more workers, pensions, roads, airports, and lower taxes on millionaires and businesses making huge profits. Then he should never leave the mansion, make folks come to him. And buy lots of guns and put them in huge safes in the mansion, then lay off his personal protection staff.

    Todd, I hope you all have your guns and ammo while working at Bush’s $5.15/hr wage. Maybe unions should go in this state, at least let JBT give “right to work” so anyone can work on the new jobs created by raising taxes for our roads and airports.

    Spend real time in Springfield, for the most part they are all the same, just some better at it than others, and some dumber than others. When the party changes a few names change. And the ones who are “honest” are considered “kooks” and not worthy of their parties support.




71. - Todd - Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 8:52 pm:

    aidanquinn –

    I make a bit more than 5.15. As a matter of fact our Union scale right now is $40.00 plus an hour. Under the Bush admin we have done fine even with his NLRB appointees.

    I’ve been to the Board and fought cases, \Have you?

    So please don’t tell me about a $5.15 min wage cause I work for prevailing wage.

    You know those road jobs that that this governor stole 1.5 billion from….

    right to work is not goingto happen nationally, and it ain’t gonna happen here in IL either. Name me the last time a right to work bill came up when Pate had the senate?

    The last person to talk about right to work was Emil.

    I’ll be happy to keep all my guns, i’m buying 10 more as we speak/type. I’ve managed to beat back gun ban rod’s attacks and will do so again. And all the while be looking for a new governor who won’t steal from the road fund, steal pension funds and leave my guns alone.

    including beaing able to shoot a burglar in my own home since not all of us get state paid bodyguards for ourselves and to shouffer our wives around.

    todd




72. - Tom DeLay's Mom - Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 10:00 pm:

    What was that Rod said about Paul Vallas after he questioned Rod’s record on wanting to raise FOID card fees in Illinois?

    I believe the glib, pre-packaged soundbite suggested Vallas spoke like an anti-gun activist in Chicago and spoke like Charlton Heston in Southern Illinois.

    Hypocrisy in this administration?? Is anyone truly speechless or shocked by this…cripes, at least the guy’s consistent?! I think I need to go vomit now - I’m violently allergic to pandering.

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