Morning Shorts
Thursday, Sep 4, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning
* Editorial…
Illinoisans might have trouble following Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s proclamation to observe National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month by “encouraging those struggling with substance abuse to seek treatment.”
That’s because the governor is “celebrating” by cutting the legs out from under those who provide such treatment.
His statewide budget cuts chopped $55 million out of the substance abuse treatment system - that’s $55 million out of $200 million devoted to non-Medicaid substance-abuse treatment programs.
Factor in the $55 million in federal matching funds that will be lost if this goes through and the impact is truly devastating.
* State aims to recover $1 mil. Loop Lab School grant
A private school that mistakenly was awarded a $1 million grant by Gov. Blagojevich’s administration is being banned from opening its doors to students because of a wave of building code violations, Chicago buildings officials said today. […]
The state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity “intends to recover the full grant amount,” said Lucio Guerrero, a spokesman for Gov. Blagojevich. The school, Guerrero said, has until Friday to resolve several problems the department has found with the grant. If those aren’t resolved, “DCEO will proceed to formal grant recovery.”
* New fumble for governor’s million-dollar giveaway
“Wow. I’m disappointed. I’ll look into it,” Blagojevich told a Tribune reporter. “I don’t know a lot about that, but thank you.”
* 11th Congressional Candidate Debate
…the Kankakee County Farm Bureau has posted the following videos from their forum/debate with candidates in the 11th Congressional District. This portion seems to be asking the candidates’ positions on foreign trade agreements.
* Sneed…
Here today, gone tomorrow? Antoine Members, the African-American Republican who is running against U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, was crazy about being a Republican on Tuesday but is now thinking about leaving the party!
• • Translation: He feels his trip to the Republican National Convention has been unsuccessful because he can’t get the GOPers to cough up the campaign cash.
• • To wit: “I’ve been thinking about pulling out and running as an Independent,” said Members. “I talked to top Illinois party leaders here, but I’m not getting any funding promises. I love the principles of the Republican Party, but the brand has been destroyed by George Bush. I’ll make a decision when I return to Chicago,” Members told Sneed.
* New GOP leader wants to ‘clean up’ Illinois
* State Republicans bash Blagojevich…
“She has an 80-percent approval rating in her state,” U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) said of Palin. “Can you imagine the state we would have if we had a governor with an 80 percent approval rating rather than an 8 percent approval rating?”
* CBS 2…
“Anyone that has an 80 percent favorable rating in a state, I don’t think means that they’re considered a kook. They do their job,” said Ill. Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford).
* Rasmussen…
However, in Alaska, the 44-year old Governor and hockey mom earns good or excellent ratings from 64% of voters statewide.
* Smoking bans lead to litter problem
* Cook County Board Approves Vendor Database
* Coming soon to the Web: Cook County Board meetings
* Former city plumbing inspector admits lying in bribery probe
Eric Reyes, 41, admitted to U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle that he knowingly made false statements. He could be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison at a hearing scheduled for Novembe
* Cook County Board President Todd Stroger says patronage is over, but hiring monitor begs to differ
* Cook Co. considers $3.2 million hiring settlement
* Jesse Jackson hospitalized for stomach pains
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 9:03 am:
The selection of Palin on the GOP ticket will help Halvorson in the 11th as more voters see a woman as a national leader. Ozinga needs to ensure that he does not copy what the Democrats or the MSM have done to Palin or he will end up being mocked too.
- Wumpus - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 9:05 am:
Mr. Members. Have you seen the historical voting results for the City races? You will be lucky to break 10%.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 9:06 am:
==“Wow. I’m disappointed. I’ll look into it,” Blagojevich told a Tribune reporter. “I don’t know a lot about that, but thank you.”==
With his chubby cheeks and fluffy hair, Blagojevich can come off as cute as an Easter bunny - with rabies.
- Ghost - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 9:15 am:
SO Palin has an approval rating of 64% or 80% depending on whose report you are flowing with. Alaska has a total population of around 626000. Thus with an 80% approval rating she is supported by a whopping 500,000 at best.
Illinois has a paopulation of 12,831,970. With a 12% approval rating the Gov of Illinois is supported by 1,539,836 people. So the most unpopular Gov is supported in his state by over 3 times the number of persons who support Palin in her State, and almost two and a half times the population of Alaska.
The idea that her popularity in such a small state, with no income tax, a State that pays its citizens to live there, and popularity after she dishes out millions in pork to her home town, really creats a comporable measure of how good she is as a leader.
If Blago had millions in oil and gold money paid to the State such that State income allowed him to pay folks to live in IL, it would be much easier to be “popular”.
- Ghost - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 9:29 am:
I am curious to see the post convention numbers, So far Palin has helped to bump Obama back into the 50% support arena and spread his lead over McCain to 5 to 6 points.
- Anon - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 9:31 am:
Ok, so most Alaskans like Palin - after last night’s speech it is easy to see why. She is just what McCain needed.
- Cassandra - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 9:37 am:
That patronage fine is so modest that the county board should agree to it posthaste, secure in the knowledge that they can continue patronage hiring apace knowing that the worst case scenario is…they have to pay out a few more pennies if somebody even bothers to complain again.
I wonder why the don’t put qualified (and everybody is qualified for a county job if they have the right connections) people at the top of the list for the next available vacancy as well.
These lifetime government jobs are gold—worth far more than this tiny settlement offer. Why would the rejected applicants take a few thousands when they could get jobs worth potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars over decades of County employment. County hiring is expanding again, I hear, meaning there are plenty of job spoils for all–relatives, cronies, and litigants.
- Wumpus - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 9:42 am:
Rod is just trying to help people quit Cold Turkey.
Ghost, your agument is silly. What is Rod running for? The only thing he is running from is the feds. IL pays some of its citizens to live here as well. Rod has tried (Free rides for Seniors, health care, etc.) and his popularity has increased.
- Ghost - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 9:42 am:
According to the AP, the Reverend Jesse Jackson is being treated at Northwestern memorial in Chicago after experiencing stomach pains.
- The Doc - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 9:44 am:
Moreover, why should Stroger and the Cook Co. board toadies give a hoot about paying out any monetary figure as a result of illegal patronage hiring? It’s not coming from their collective pockets, at least not directly.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 9:46 am:
Ghost!
You sound spooked!
Please don’t compare Palin to Blagojevich, it just makes you sound even sillier.
- Honest Abe - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 10:05 am:
I am sorry for Antoine Members, but the reason that donors are not lining up to contribute to his campaign is correlated to the fact that the 1st Congressional District has not had a Republican representative since Oscar De Priest was defeated for re-election almost seventy-five years ago.
- GOP'er - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 10:07 am:
So Mr. Antoine Members has the cash to go to the convention in Minnesota, but not enough to campaign in his district, which is geographically very compact?
Just the gas or air fare alone would pay for a lot of campaign flyers at Kinkos.
Surely Mr. Members realized going in that winning that race is a near impossibility for any Republican, no matter how much is spent. Surely Mr. Members realized he was fighting a rear guard action and showing the flag, taking one for the team so to speak.
I read a little about this Members guy, and thought maybe he had some potential. But now I see how he’s playing the blame game and pointing fingers at President Bush.
Meanwhile he schmoozes up in St. Paul with the Illinois GOP’s old guard. THEY are the ones who have truly destroyed the brand in IL and guaranteed that most races in the state are a joke, especially in Cook County. But Mr. Members appearently won’t say a peep about them. He goes for the easy cop-put.
Farewell Mr. Members. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Memo to Andy McKenna, Jr. You only had MAYBE four African Americans at your state convention in Decatur. Mr. Members is wrong here, but you obviously aren’t doing your job either.
- Bill - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 10:08 am:
VanMan,
You are right for a change.It is silly to compare the two. Blagojevich has far more experience and would be a much better VP than Palin, not that she’ll ever get elected. Rod’s extensive legislative experience coupled with his six years as the governor of the sixth largest state in terms of population puts him head and shoulders above Palin. They both have some ethical problems and are both under investigation so they would trump each other in that regard and our governor has never advocated Illinois suceeding from the USA. Unfortunately for McCain, Governor Blagojevich is a democrat. I guess Palin is the best and the brightest that the republicans have to offer. As the guy always says, Very Very Sad!As for our future President and his camapign, I don’t think we have anything to be spooked about. By the way, has McCain said anything of substance about his economic program yet? I didn’t think so. Did you know he was a POW?
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 10:20 am:
I hope all the Dems on this blog are not taking this Pres race for granted. Obama will win Illinois but the election is up for grabs. I would strongly suggest donating time or money because this is crunch time and it ain’t a lock.
- Ghost - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 10:27 am:
VM, you appear to have missed the flavor of the day for the IL gop.
It was not I comparing Palin to Blago, it was the local GOP folks, aka Roskam and company.
I agree the GOP was very silly to compare a 600k State with huge amounts of income from oil companies to IL. Thus my comment on why the comparison made by the GOP was not apt.
- Bill - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 10:37 am:
===I would strongly suggest donating time or money ===
Phinney, thousands of Americans are doing just that in record numbers, but it is hardly “crunch time.” The best is yet to come. Nobody is taking anything for granted. Lots of Illinoisians are in the battle grounds as we speak working for the people’s candidate, Barack Obama, the next President of the United states. By the way, did you know McCain was a pow?
- The Doc - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 10:58 am:
“…our governor has never advocated Illinois suceeding…”.
Priceless, Bill. Truly priceless. I second the notion!
- Wumpus - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 10:59 am:
Bill, I learned McCain was a POW a day after I learned Barack is an AfAm and a day before I learned Palin is a woman. Seems like Joe Biden is the only one people can talk about without any reprocussions of being called racist/sexist/unpatriotic.
But Biden is a tool, so talking about him is okay by me.
- Wumpus - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 11:00 am:
Good pick up Doc
- Bill - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 11:02 am:
Whoops, Freudian slip!
- Bill - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 11:04 am:
Wumpus,
Biden is kind of a tool but at least he can find the EOB without mapquest.
Has anyone told Sarah what the VP does and filled her in about the Iraq war yet?
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 11:22 am:
Billy Boy, I hope you are right because the great John McCain is old and taking on the toughest job in the world at 72 might not be the best thing for his health, which means we could very well end up with the Mayor of Cicely as our President. What’s next, Maurice Minnifield as Secratary of State. Aaahh.
- Wumpus - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 2:46 pm:
Phinneas, she is a governor. Obama has been running for President since being a back bencher in IL senate. I agree that Palin is not the most experienced, but Obama’s experience is nothing to brag about.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 2:46 pm:
Bill you are so delightfully demented.
“the people’s candidate”
You are so Che!
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 4:11 pm:
I think Obama supporters ought to take his lead and lay off with the small town and experience cracks about Palin. Her record speaks for itself — why pile on?
Every time you talk about Palin’s thin resume it invites comparisons to Obama’s. And geez, the Hilary fanatics have been tagging Obama as sexist.
Obama’s going to need some of those small town supporters in Ohio, PA, Michigan, CO, Minn and Iowa. Be careful, if they think they’re being talked down to, they’ll stop clinging to their guns long enough to pull the GOP lever.
Some Democrats never learn. Urbane snobbishness might make you feel superior, but it doesn’t get you 270 electoral votes.
And yes, Biil, McCain was a POW. A hero, in fact, who refused an early release ahead of those that had been there longer. That sort of valor resonates in those small towns, too.
- Enough to make you sick - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 5:02 pm:
Jesse must have watched Palin’s introduction to America last night. I was feeling a little queasy myself.
- Bill - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 5:22 pm:
Wordslinger,
Sorry, but I don’t see how getting caught makes the guy a hero. To me the heroes were the men like Muhammad Ali who resisted the draft and refused to fight an immoral and probably illegal war to protect the interests of the oil companies. To make matters even worse, we lost.
But for argument’s sake let’s say old John is a hero. Does that make him the best candidate for president? Should the reward for his “heroism” 40 years ago be the US Presidency? He appears to advocate making the same mistakes Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon did in an attempt to nation build only instead of the devil being communism, now it is terrorism.
Here is the real question. Do you like the way things are now in America? If yes, then go ahead and vote for Old John because you’ll get four more years of the same thing only worse. If you want to change the way things are vote for Obama.As the rich get richer by the day they probably like the way things are now. As the rest of us get poorer we will probably want to try something different.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 5:39 pm:
Bill, you’re entitled to your opinion and interpretation of history of course. My original point was that Obama supporters should be as wise as he is and not reveal their off-putting urbane snobbishness and alienate groups that they will need to reach 270.
To your question, for the most part, I like the way things are in America. There’s certainly work to be done in a number of areas, but that’s the case always. But pick a time or place in history that you’d rather be. I’m good in the here and now and happily will be a part of the amazing progressive evolution that has been the hallmark of this country.
McCain or Obama. I think it’s probably the best choice Americans have had since Eisenhower/Stevenson. They both have the potential to be good presidents. But I don’t think either one of them is going to wave a magic wand and make everything “better.” It’ll take work by everyone no matter who it is.
- Snidely Whiplash - Thursday, Sep 4, 08 @ 10:48 pm:
Members could quite appropriately drop the “s” from the end of his name …
- Antoine Member Supporter - Wednesday, Sep 17, 08 @ 7:30 pm:
I just wanted to correct some of our fellow GOP supporters who were beguiled by Michael Sneed of the Suntimes. For the record, at no time has Mr. Members contemplated leaving the party nor bowing out of the campaign. Bobby Rush has done nothing in 16 years and needs to be sent home packing
I would encourage each of us to please check with future candidates before we make negative comments that give the impression that people didn’t care to support the campaign in the first place.
Finally, next time let’s contac the campaign and offer our help and expertise instead of criticism on blogs to give opposing candidates ammunition.