I just read that The Bonnie Hunt Show "is not expected to continue" for a third season. I am a big fan of Bonnie's and have met her on two occasions and she couldn't be nicer. I've had a huge crush on her since I met her in Woolworth's in [...]
Mayor Daley today cracked the door open to providing a government subsidy for cash-strapped McCormick Place, but only if the convention center cleans its own house first and ends price gouging that has triggered a trade show exodus.
“If it [...]
Two years ago, Barack Obama was an obscure Illinois official who some people argued should not be considered a legitimate candidate for the presidency of the United States.As I expected, Lynne Strathman was picked by Winnebago County Board Republicans Tuesday night to be a District 1 board member. She’ll be sworn in at Thursday’s board meeting.
Strathman will replace Randy Olson, who exited the board to work for the county as a helicopter pilot in the multi-county LEAC [...]
Gay marriage is not inevitable. Legalized marijuana is probably inevitable. But not gay marriage.
Maggie Gallagher at the National Review gives us seven reasons that gay marriage is not inevitable. Here are the top five:
1. Nothing is inevitable.
We are talking about the future here. It’s weird to have “reporting” that [...]
Alert: On the morning of December 9 there was an amazing "spiral UFO" seen in Norway (see "Videos of Bizarre 'Star Gate' Light Over Norway: Spiral UFO"). But we found a video (below) of a virtually identical incident in China. We also found a fascinating [...]
If you can bear Chris Matthews spinning out loud, always trying to be the smartest guy in the room, enjoy Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson of Florida telling former Vice-President Dick Cheney to, "Shut the f*** up."
Yup. Enjoy.
[...]I just want to keep some of these quotes accessible for our readers throughout the holiday season.
Here’s another great quote from the movie Elf:
(Phone Ringing) Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?
Enjoy the audio:
Buddy the Elf What’s Your Favorite Color sound bite Will Ferrell sound bites
[...]
Congress decided to subpoena the White House gate-crashers to testify about how they got into a state dinner without an invitation.
Lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee voted Wednesday to authorize issuance of subpoenas to compel the attention-hungry couple to answer questions about the Nov. 24 [...]
The feds paid a visit to Rod's house to take him in to custody...I think I’ve seen Elf three times so far this almost-holiday season, and I love it.
Every time I see it, I laugh harder.
Enjoy Buddy the Elf singing:
Buddy: "I’m singing. I’m in a store and I’m singing! I’m in a store and I’m singing!"
Gimbel’s Manager: "Hey! There’s no [...]
Peoria Pundit will be down briefly tomorrow due to a billing issue. It’s just a matter of not being able to send money to my host until sometime after 2 p.m. No worries.
Original post by Billy Dennis
[...]Yes, I know that sex scandals aren’t exclusive to the GOP. Bill Clinton and his cigar fetish proved that. But it does seem like the Republicans are overdoing it a bit of late bit:
Rod Jetton, the former Missouri House Speaker, fired a state lawmaker from his committee chairmanship in [...]
The city of Peoria is gearing up to approve a multi-million dollar package to renovate a hotel that cannot manage to profit despite being located next door to the Peoria Civic Center. Meanwhile, a famous Peoria hotel is closing its doors:
The Peoria Castle Lodge, 117 N. Western Ave., once [...]
Various organizations and elected officials are throwing their weight behind candidates in the race to replace Rep. Mark Kirk in the 10th Congressional District. That includes former governor Jim Edgar, who formally endorsed State Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) in the crowded Republican primary.
On the other side of the aisle, the New Trier [...]
WASHINGTON--The couple accused of crashing the Obama state dinner was slapped Wednesday with a subpoena to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Ms.), the chairman, wants them to appear before his panel on Jan. 20. The Salahis declined an invitation to testify last week how [...]
by Mark Silva
It's one thing, perhaps, to challenge the White House -- as FOX News Channel's Glenn Beck has been doing -- for inviting an "ex-con" to a State Dinner: Robert Creamer, the former Illinois Public Action Fund director who did some prison time for check kiting and tax [...]
by Mark Silva
It's one thing, perhaps, to challenge the White House -- as FOX News Channel's Glenn Beck has been doing -- for inviting an "ex-con" to a State Dinner: Robert Creamer, the former Illinois Public Action Fund director who did some prison time for check kiting and tax [...]
This is good news for fans of the Woodruff High School football team.
The Mid-State 6 Conference school hired Woodruff coach Tim Thornton as its newest head coach, notified when principal Randy Simmons called him hours ago.
“We put an emphasis on building a program and not a team at [...]
My condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Decatur Herald-Review reporter Ron Ingram.
Original post by Billy Dennis
[...]Now I get to officially write another reason why I'm inviting people to Robin Kelly's reception in Springfield Monday, December 14. Below is the full text of the press release from Illinois Sierra Club Director Jack Darin.
SIERRA CLUB ENDORSES ROBIN KELLY
FOR ILLINOIS TREASURER
Sierra Club today announced' [...]
...and add a white-tailed deer in Bunker Hill Woods to the herd. Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
Shedding Light On The Shadow Budget
The full TIF budget recently acquired by the Reader reveals drastic inequities in how the public funds are spent.
Federalism And Its Discontents
State
governments are drowning in debt. Greg [...]
Thomas Franks outlines a Chicago Way SNAFU, but doesn't complete the Loop. Those donations that come back to the Dems. Privatizing public assets for private gain, then back to the pols. The Chicago Way.U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias today released his second TV ad. The new spot ties his advocacy this year on the part of the embattled Hartmarx workers to his economic plan (which he is still in the process of unveiling). Watch it:
Also, Democratic candidate Jacob Meister posted a [...]
I'm going out running amidst the snowflakes. While I'm doing that, I'll be thinking about an article in today's New York Times:
by Mark Silva
On his way to Oslo tonight to collect the Nobel Prize for Peace, President Barack Obama certainly has considered these words as he prepares to deliver his own:
"We must ever bear in mind that the great end in view is righteousness, justice as between man" [...]
While much of the current local coverage is being devoted to the anniversary of Rod Blagojevich's arrest, this week also marks one year since the historic sit-in by the employees of Chicago-based Republic Windows and Doors. The occupation of the factory began on December 5 after owner Richard Gillman abruptly attempted to close' [...]
Statement from Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady on Quinn signing 'ethics legislation' on the anniversary of Blagojevich's arrest
"Today Governor Quinn will sign into law legislation claiming to be a significant victory for ethics reform in the State of Illinois. However, the reality is quite different. Notwithstanding the laudable efforts" [...]
In January, the Justice Department filed [...]
President Obama on Wednesday was upbeat about the progress the Senate was making on health care legislation. He praised the "creative framework" that may let a deal be cut.
With the public option health insurance plan not going anywhere, a group of Senate moderates and liberals [...]
Yesterday morning I listened in on a bloggers' conference call with Sen. John Thune (R-SD), who was discussing the Democrats' health care plans, or what Thune called "the $2.5 trillion expansion of the federal government." Interestingly, while I'm writing this post, I'm watching President Obama on Fox [...]
On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a long-anticipated ruling that greenhouse gases threaten public health and the environment. Environmentalists have praised the decision, which will allow the agency to finally place limits on carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act if Congress fails to curb emissions. Not surprisingly, GOP Rep. John Shimkus [...]
by Michael Muskal
President Barack Obama today praised Senate efforts to find a compromise on the public-option portion of the healthcare overhaul, calling it a creative approach that he supported.
Obama announced more than $500 million in Recovery Act funds to go to 85 community health centers across the country. [...]
below, release.....
Statement from Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady on Quinn signing 'ethics legislation' on the anniversary of Blagojevich's arrest
"Today Governor Quinn will sign into law legislation claiming to be a significant victory for ethics reform in the State of Illinois. However, the reality is quite different. Notwithstanding" [...]
The Justice Department made clear Wednesday it won't tolerate "idle curiosity" from State Department workers snooping into the passport files of celebrities, sentencing a contractor to 100 hours of community service.
...In pleading guilty, Young admitted that between March 11, 2003, and Dec. 21, 2005, he logged onto the' [...]
Rasmussen Reports just released a poll that finds 53 percent of Americans are against the Environmental Protection Agency regulating greenhouse gases without the approval of Congress. Expect that number to soar when Americans discover that EPA intrusion will lead to much higher electricity rates, fewer jobs, [...]
The 6th ward alderman's meeting and 8000/8100 S. Calumet block club. Both meet tonight at 6:30pm. See links for details.
It's hard to believe that one year ago today, federal FBI agents arrested Rod Blagojevich at his Ravenswood home for engaging in what U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald would call a "staggering" level of corruption. To mark the occasion, the Capitol Fax's Rich Miller drudged up an entertaining (and infuriating) string of old [...]
Nate Beeler. In Copenhagen: The Tip of the Climategate Iceberg. The global-warming scandal is bigger than one email leak. Watts Up With That? How bout skip Copenhagen, Mr. President. (never happen, in thrall to his loony luddite, faith-based base)by Mark Silva
It's the holiday season at the White House, decked out for the winter holidays with an array of recycled ornaments from years past as a nod to the need for conservation.
But that doesn't mean that anyone at the punch bowl is holding back any punch' [...]
In his Wall Street Journal column today, Tom Frank contrasts Washington Republicans' kvetching about the so-called "Chicago Way" with the fact that the city has become ground zero for the conservatives' beloved privatization movement. After recalling the parking meter fiasco in all its frustrating glory, Frank concludes:
It may not [...]
David Headley had a U.S. passport. He changed his name from Daood Gilani, and lived in an apartment in Chicago registered under the name of a dead man.
This was not on First Lady Michelle Obama's schedule, but this does seem like official business: she met Tuesday with Ermine Erdogan, wife of the Prime Minister of Turkey, in the Yellow Oval Room [...]
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Rachel Maddow has been following reporting on the passage of Uganda’s hateful new legislation which essentially makes homosexuality a capital offense. In the video above, she shows a connection between self-proclaimed ex-gay Richard Cohen’s "pray the [...]
by Mark Silva
Al Gore, star of the Oscar Award-winning An Inconvenient Truth and Nobel Peace Prize-winner for his advocacy of averting climate change, says he cannot control the "noise machine'' of global-warming "deniers,'' but dismisses the emails that have cranked up the noise.
The former vice president discussed the controversy [...]
A reader sends in the following info and link:by Mark Silva
They've already had the lecture on "Telomeres and Telomerase: The Means to the End,'' by Elizabeth Blackburn, one of the Nobel Prize winners in medicine.
And they've already heard the lecture on "Decoding the Genetic Message,'' by Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, one of the prize winners in chemistry.
And the ones [...]
Rep. Barney Frank and Sarah Palin at the winter Gridiron Club dinner. (photo by Lynn Sweet)
That's Sarah Palin's otter purse (photo by Lynn Sweet)
Below, Todd Palin's cummerbund is modeled after the [...]
[...]
