“Gov. Blagojevich has said – repeatedly – he doesn’t view himself as a target in the ongoing federal corruption probe that has tarnished his tenure and left him with historically low voter-approval ratings,” the Sun-Timesreports.
“So why is he arguing for the same rights as a criminal defendant in a court bid to block the release of most of the federal subpoenas his administration has received?”
A) It’s part of a class project to earn a missing credit from law school.
B) The subpoeanas would reveal he is not only Public Official A but Public Official X, Y, and Z as well.
C) If he closes his eyes and screams “You can’t see me!” he can’t be a target.
D) Just a thought exercise.
“Mayor Richard Daley’s aides put off giving a full accounting of the city’s budget shortfall Wednesday, sparking concern among aldermen who said they are eager to know exactly how bad the situation will be,” the Tribunereports.
“For the first time since becoming mayor in 1989, Daley is declining to release a preliminary budget proposal by July 31. The release of that information could be delayed as long as two months.”
A) Or until after the next election.
B) Casino proposal back on the table!
C) Rush order put in for more red-light cameras.
D) Coming tomorrow: How will this affect the Olympic bid?
ICPR SAYS NO TO MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR SPENDING WITHOUT PAY-TO-PLAY REFORMS
CHICAGO – The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform (ICPR) on Wednesday urged legislative leaders to insist Gov. Blagojevich accept limitations on pay-to-play contracting as part of any new multibillion-dollar capital plan.
Gov. Blagojevich has called legislative leaders to a meeting Thursday to negotiate a capital construction program, reportedly in the range of $20 billion to $34 billion.
“House Bill 824, now sitting on the governor’s desk, would ban businesses with state contracts from making campaign contributions to the officeholder awarding the contract,” said Cynthia Canary, Director of ICPR. “The governor should sign HB 824 and give the public some confidence the billions of dollars in news spending would be done fairly and would not be directed at the wallets of the businesses contributing to his campaign fund.”
Among the ideas suggested by Chicagoist readers for ways to dispose of the ill-fated Cook County magazine: a gigantic papier-mache statue of Tony Peraica.
Another commenter says: “I love the fact that Stroger and his moronic staff are too incompetent to publish a magazine designed to create the illusion that they aren’t incompetent.”
Over at Chicagoland, commenter joelb writes: “From the day a flyer with nearly the entire Chicago Democratic lineup endorsing this guy sadly found its way into my mailbox, I knew we were in for years of comedy gold.”
Personally, I just love how spectacularly Cook County magazine reflects its subject matter: Bid out by secret contract to an incompetent vendor who delivers an embarrassing product, all on the taxpayers’ dime. Well-played!
“Senior aides to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales broke the law by using politics to guide their hiring decisions, a Justice Department’s report said,” the New York Times is reporting.
Mayor Daley complained that the report criminalized politics and suggested that Gonzales’ aides hold a fundraiser.
State Rep. Annazette Collins (D-Chicago, natch) will apologize for failing to disclose her campaign finances for three years running, according to an agreement reached with the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. Still pending: A similar case against Ald. Ed Smith.
Here is the press release announcing the agreement with Collins.
*
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2008
LEGISLATOR’S CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE TO PAY $20,000 FINE FOR FILING ERROR-RIDDEN FINANCE REPORTS
Rep. Annazette Collins to issue apology
CHICAGO – State Rep. Annazette Collins, D-Chicago, has agreed to issue an apology for filing inaccurate and incomplete disclosure of contributions to her election campaigns from 2005 through 2007, and her campaign committee will pay a fine of $20,000 to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
After the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform (ICPR) questioned why the Collins committee reported no contributions or expenditures for three years running, Collins acknowledged that her campaigns had received more than $110,000 in contributions and had spent more than $120,000 during those three years.
The public apology and fine are part of a settlement agreement between the Friends of Annazette Collins political action committee and ICPR, which lodged a complaint against the committee earlier this year. The State Board of Elections recently voted to accept the settlement agreement.
I’ve had a spirited debate with Chicagoland’s Whet Moser over the question of alleged fascist undertones in Barack Obama’s style and imagery – particularly on last week’s trip overseas. Please check it out.
“State residents will be more vulnerable to offenses like identity theft and mortgage fraud if significant cuts to her office budget are allowed to stand, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is warning, Crain’sreports.
“In a phone interview, the state’s chief legal officer said 25% cuts ordered by Gov. Rod Blagojevich ‘at best are irresponsible. At worst, it’s politically motivated’.”
Yes, but it’s hard to separate out Mike Madigan’s irresponsible and politically motivated actions, illustrating that her father is still as much a hindrance as a help to whatever ambitions she has. Can you imagine a Governor Madigan working with her father (presumably) to hammer out a budget that steamrolls over everyone else? Or would Mike Madigan step down if he can elect his daughter governor? Otherwise, the spectacle might be too much for even Illinoisans to stomach.
Then again, the specter of a Governor Bill Daley poses its own questions.
*
Paul Vallas campaign slogans:
- Nobody Sent Me!
- Not Related To Any Of ‘Em!
- Not My Family Business!
- End Family Reign!
- Change No One Is Related To!
While John McCain’s blunders on Iraq are far more disquieting, Barack Obama’s “misstatements” odd in that he often exaggerates his role in nearly everything he comes within a hundred yards of.
Here, for example, is Obama falsely claiming to be on the Senate Banking Committee. Says McClatchy Newspapers: “Perhaps Obama was thinking that as the presumptive leader of his party, all of the Senate committees are his, as President Lyndon Johnson once quipped, when told he was heading toward the wrong military helicopter, that they all were his.”
Division Street is NBC Chicago’s blog about Chicago news and politics from the perspective of Steve Rhodes, a 20-year veteran of the newspaper and magazine world and more recently, the proprietor of the Chicago news and culture review, The Beachwood Reporter.
State Rep. 
I’ve had a spirited debate with Chicagoland’s Whet Moser over the question of alleged fascist undertones in Barack Obama’s style and imagery – particularly on last week’s trip overseas. 
“State residents will be more vulnerable to offenses like identity theft and mortgage fraud if significant cuts to her office budget are allowed to stand, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is warning, Crain’s 
