This buck is not at all troubled by the today's snowstorm that is sweeping through the Midwest. Once a supporter of gay rights, GOP Senate candidate Mark Kirk has abandoned his principles in an effort to endear himself to the conservative faction of his caucus. Back in the fall, a spokesperson for Kirk's campaign said that his boss "opposes gay marriage, supports the Defense of Marriage Act, and agrees with" [...]
A few days ago, Rachel Humphrey Fleet started a blog called The Compelling Brief Blog, which was apparently going to be all about writing legal briefs. Her first post was called "Tweeting the Judge: How Legal Writing is Like Social Media." (For the moment, it's available in the Google cache [...]
The Cook County Board signed off on a short-term borrowing plan today to cover $104 million owed to one of its employee pension funds. Under the deal, the notes will be paid off by 2013 (at 2.75 percent interest) and [...]
Citizens in other cities may want to take note of the recent news about parking around here because it’s increasingly clear that the architects of Chicago’s parking meter privatization are spreading their gospel around the country.
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[...]by Mark Silva
One of the hottest Senate races on the horizon - the Florida Republican primary fight between Gov. Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami -- could be heading for spring training in March with a televised debate.
Rubio, a Miami Republican and [...]
If you think Barack Obama has learned his lesson with the health care debacle and is humbled and ready to work with fellow Republicans, you're a fool. He's bigger and better than ever, if only in his own eyes. Proof? When addressing his "Organizing for America" groupie rally last week,' [...]
by Christi Parsons
Not long after emerging from a meeting with congressional leaders this afternoon, President Barack Obama unexpectedly took over his press secretary's daily briefing for reporters to give his own view of the state of bipartisanship -- declaring that he would set aside some Democratic "preferences" on [...]
by Christi Parsons
Not long after emerging from a meeting with congressional leaders this afternoon, President Barack Obama unexpectedly took over his press secretary's daily briefing for reporters to give his own view of the state of bipartisanship -- declaring that he would set aside some Democratic "preferences" on [...]
It's not just social service providers that are getting the shaft from a deadbeat state government; state universities are owed $735 million in state payments. Officials at some Illinois campuses have already been forced to implement unpaid furlough days, [...]
Fred Barnes calls it the McConnell Plan. Bringing a measure of certainty to encourage job creation.by Mark Silva
"Talk to the hand.''
That could be the big one-liner of the next presidential debate, the way the political body language is working lately.
Taking a palm-cue from Republican Sarah Palin, who penned the talking points of her address to the TEA Party convention on" [...]
Okay, this is just stupid. And funny. So I’m putting it here for you to watch and laugh for almost a minute-and-a-half.
Enjoy.
[...]by Kathy Bergen, Chicago Tribune
The dwindling SuperComm telecommunications trade show is canceling its 2010 exhibition at McCormick Place, which had been set for October.
The cancellation comes after the show's manager, Reed Exhibitions, pulled out, citing financial projections for the show. The move does not reflect [...]
Introducing his turnaround plan which ran locally in a Super Bowl ad: One Tough Nerd. Republican Rick Snyder, running for governor.
Even though troubled candidate Scott Lee Cohen has been forced off the general election ballot, Illinois Democrats still have to contend with a controversial nominee, Alexi Giannoulias.You should read Mick Dumke's full post on Mayor Daley's newfound appetite for reform over at the Reader website. But we just have to reprint this excerpt in which he lists the various reasons why Chicagoans might have lost confidence in City Hall:
Daley's complete co-opting of the City [...]
As anyone who has ever passed through town knows, Chicagoans like to eat. In 2008, during the height of the recession, the region's food service industry still generated $12.7 billion in gross domestic product. As a result, while employers in Illinois are shedding jobs at a rapid pace, restaurants are holding steady. The sector' [...]
Thanks to reader Parker Rumsey for sending this great photo. Although many flights have been canceled at O'Hare International Airport because of heavy snow today, the snow removal must go on. Parker took this picture neare Runway 32 at 10:30 this morning. Click on the photo' [...]
A resident sends in the following heads up for those parking on Irving between the cemeteries:As the recession lingers, food stamps have been a saving grace for Illinois families struggling to get back on their feet. But because of the state budget crisis, Illinois is still failing to extend food aid to families who need it most. In 2007 alone, $85 million worth of [...]
WASHINGTON--In a surprise move, President Obama made a very rare briefing room appearence on Tuesday afternoon, taking the podium usually occupied by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs to report bi-partisan meeting with the House and Senate leaders.
He is also took several questions from the press, the first time he [...]
Medicaid spending eats up 30 percent of Illinois’s budgetary pie. Not only is Medicaid gobbling up a good chunk of the budget, its girth is expanding. Between 2003 and 2008, Medicaid enrollment grew at an average rate of 7.8 percent a year while Illinois's population [...]
Ever wished you could learn basic design principles for making stuff like posters, zines, business cards, CD art, books, brochures, or newspapers?
The Public i is holding a series of layout workshops this Spring, with our very own Dave P!
All sessions are held at the Independent Media Center at 202 S. [...]
Thanks to Isaac Carothers, citizens are losing faith in city government.
"I think after the Carothers issue, people are losing confidence in government," Mayor Daley said yesterday, according to the Tribune. "It broke the camel's back."
The camel was apparently in fine health before Carothers pleaded guilty to [...]
Under Cook County's ethics law, anyone who holds or wants to hold a county contract is not supposed to give more than $1,500 a year to a candidate for county office.
The idea is to make sure that contracts are awarded strictly on the basis [...]
It has taken a little time to process what I observed at the Illinois State Board of Elections. To the uninitiated---which may be everyone other than the handful of people who regularly work at the Board or appear before it---I think it’s fair to say it was a looking glass [...]
Last fall, when a controversy arose concerning the automated red light camera in a busy Schaumburg intersection, State Senator Dan Duffy (R) introduced legislation to ban automated traffic citations. Since then, studies have differed on how the cameras increase public safety. There is, however, little argument that those automated tickets [...]
Rasmussen Reports has been keeping track of the Tea Party's popularity. Today, Democrats creep back up to most favored in a three-way generic ballot, with Republicans next and Tea Party candidates third:
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of likely voters finds that in a three-way congressional contest [...]
If the Republicans have one functioning brain cell in their collective craniums, they will avoid the phony health care “summit” that B. Hussein pitched during his annoying pre-Super Bowl appearance like Keith Olbermann avoids any semblance of sanity.
After a year of back room [...]
With the primary election in the rearview mirror, Illinois lawmakers have found yet another excuse for punting on the state's budget crisis: the general election. Mind you, there's no shortage of academics, lawmakers, journalists, or policy wonks making the case that a tax hike is neccessary and inevitable. Still, [...]
Below, from the White House......
THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON - First Lady Michelle Obama today announced an ambitious national goal of solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight and unveiled a nationwide campaign [...]
by Michael Muskal
That billboard in Mnnesota picturing former President George W. Bush asks the world: "Miss me yet?''
Well, now we have the world's answer: Not so much.
President Barack Obama has had a tough first year dealing with domestic issues, but according to the latest" [...]
If Barack Obama and the Democrats really want to add millions of new jobs this year, then they have to stop nominating people with jobs-killing agendas such as Craig Becker.
Remarks of First Lady Michelle Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Let's Move Launch
Washington, DC
February 9, 2010
Hello everyone, thank you so much. It is such a pleasure to be here with all of you today.
Tammy, thank you for that [...]
DeWayne Bartels says John Vespa is not ‘annoying’. His wife Diane, on the other hand …
Heh.
Original post by Billy Dennis
[...]
(Springfield, IL) — February 9, 2010. State Senator Iris Martinez (D-Chicago) yesterday introduced legislation to require retroactive sex offender registration in Illinois.
The measure, House Bill 3084, would mandate a person to register as a sex offender who was not [...] [...]
Belly Dancer
I really hope this guy doesn’t find himself in electoral trouble over this.
Via the Associated Press:
Democratic (Ohio) state Rep. Robert Hagan said he was assaulted Sunday the Lemon Grove Cafe. Hagan said a man asked him to step out of the way of his view of belly [...]
According to the Illinois Policy Institute, state Senator James Meeks has proposed SB2494, a bill to bring vouchers to some students in Illinois. Meeks was the keynote speaker at an education summit sponsored by the Illinois Policy Institute. He explained why it is he thinks so many legislators have been against the voucher [...]
First Lady Michelle Obama is leading "a national public awareness effort to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity," says the presidential memo President Obama signed Tuesday morning. Her kick off event is at noon eastern time, but the web site associated with the drive is already live: letsmove.gov
[...]
In their Tribune article on the process of replacing the Democratic lieutenant governor candidate, Rick Pearson and Ray Long write: "The unusual selection process is fraught with peril for Democrats. They are essentially substituting their judgment for those of the voters." That's exactly right -- and all the more reason [...]
The Illinois Policy Institute, along with Citizens Against Government Waste have released the 2010 Illinois Piglet Book, which profiles over $350 million in wasteful spending. Highlights include:
$6,500 for a tub of live bass. The state paid for fishing seminars and demonstrations using a 4,000 gallon, [...]Via Publius Forum:
In issue number 602 of Captain America, a new story line has begun called “Two Americas.” In it the current Captain (there have been a few of them, apparently) is on the trail of a faux Captain America that is mentally deranged and getting chummy with some [...]
by Mark Silva and updated again at 4 pm EST
The billboard sitting along I-35 near Wyoming, Minn., displaying a photo of former president George W. Bush and this question: "Miss Me Yet?" apparently is a sign in search of an author. Though a Minnesotan friend is getting near [...]
by Mark Silva
The billboard sitting along I-35 near Wyoming, Minn., displaying a photo of former president George W. Bush and this question: "Miss Me Yet?" apparently is a sign in search of an author.
At National Public Radio[...]
Via the Peoria Journal Star:
School District 150’s number two in charge is the finalist for another administrative job in Bloomington.
The District 87 School Board is voting on a three-year contract with current District 150 Associate Superintendent Herschel Hannah Jr. to become Bloomington’s assistant superintendent for human resources, District [...]
The snowstorms that have already dumped over two feet of snow on the nation's Capitol and that are threatening to dump another 12 to 16 inches, have ground the legislative process to a halt. But that might not be such a bad thing. Senate Democrats had hoped they could pass [...]
In California, the belly-up state, what will they blank up next? At least the whole country isn't stuck with this kind of care. Yet. The Sacramento Bee:
The Department of Health Care Services said Monday it has breached the privacy of 49,352 people who receive adult day-care' [...]
Another big snow storm - do you have your camera with you? Here in Chicago we might get up to 15 inches of global warming falling on us by noon tomorrow. Send us one or two of your best snow photos today. We can accept the [...]
The State Journal-Register's Chris Wetterich makes an interesting point in a new blog post: "[Scott Lee] Cohen ought to be livid at whomever was advising him for letting him think, apparently from the start, that he could weather such a storm." Those advisers would be the consulting firm Grainger Terry. ' [...]
In 2004, Republican U.S. Senate primary nominee Jack Ryan was "forced" off the ballot when it became clear to him and party officials that his candidacy was badly compromised by information that had come out about him after the election-- information about his sexual predilections that was far less disquieting [...]
by Ghost of John Brown
Earlier in the week, I wrote a post about the possibility of the Republicans taking control of the US Senate. I thought it would be a hopeful piece and encourage fellow conservatives to feel better about voting for Mark Kirk. I think [...]
by Mark Silva
The "party of no'' is sounding today like the party of maybe - or maybe not.
With the White House planning a Feb. 25 summit of bipartisan congressional leaders to discuss health-care legislation, the House's Republican leaders have warned the administration that they may not be able to'" [...]
Over the past decade, Illinois has gradually shifted more of the cost of caring for the elderly, disabled, and vulnerable onto non-profit agencies. But when the going got tough for these social service providers, there was often room to appeal to local lawmakers for a little extra support. Since the [...]
The storm is dumping snow in the Midwest is headed to Washington. Amidst of this meteorological mayhem, the Washington Times is reporting that the White House will create a new office, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Service. THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release February 9, 2010
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT SIGNING OF MEMORANDUM ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY
Oval Office
9:16 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. I am so proud of the work that the First Lady, along with [...]
Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed reports today that Gov. Quinn wants former Illinois veterans chief Tammy Duckworth to join him on the gubernatorial ticket. Duckworth is currently serving as the assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs for [...]
Capitol Fax is reporting (subscriber only) that Illinois' public institutions of higher education are considering selling bonds to fix short-term cash flow problems caused by the State not providing their funding on time (or at all). The plan is to use the promised revenue as the security for the' [...]
This week the General Assembly will attempt to address the state's egregious backlog of DNA "rape kits" through a bill introduced at the behest of Attorney General Lisa Madigan. The measure would require police to turn evidence of sexual assault over to' [...]
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and a union representing some of the agency's employees have reached a tentative agreement that will keep 38 maintenance workers on the job in exchange for concessions. ' [...]
A judge removed one of the final impediments to an expansion of O'Hare International Airport by awarding the City of Chicago possession of a 161-year-old cemetery that lies in the path of a future runway. Yesterday's ruling clears the way for [...]
My to-do list for today:
Update LinkedIn profile.
Send a bunch of emails.
Finalize that TellPeoria pitch for new publishers.
Work on those Freedom of Information Act Requests I’ve been threatening to do for weeks.
Original post by Billy Dennis
[...]THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2010
DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010
In the morning, the President will sign a memorandum on childhood obesity in the Oval Office as part of the First Lady's nationwide campaign to combat childhood obesity. [...]
From my inbox:
Date: February 9, 2010
Released by: Alma Brown, Communications Manager
Subject: CITY CREW UPDATE
City crews continue to plow primary streets and maintain primary hills with salt. The same type of maintenance is expected to continue during the day today with additional snow in the forecast. Residential [...]
by Mark Silva and updated at 9:35 am EST
The first lady has embarked on a cause, as anyone near a television set today will see: Michelle Obama will appear on Good Morning America and a run of other shows through PBS' Newshour tonight with a wake-up call for' [...]
by Mark Rhoads
Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women (NOW) told the Los Angeles Times on Monday that the Tim Tebow Super Bowl commercial "glorified violence against women."
"I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it," she said. "That's what comes across to me'" [...]
Mayor Richard Daley today proposed expanding the powers of the city's inspector general to include investigating aldermen -- an idea long opposed by City Council -- as well as taking away the [...]
