School Daze

Found this nugget in a Rich Miller column about the political machinations behind the lagging capital bill and gubernatorial politics:

“Daley has turned thumbs down on the capital package because: 1) The price the city would have to pay for a casino license was way higher than what Daley agreed to; and 2) The governor inserted language giving himself control of all Chicago school construction projects against Daley’s wishes.”

A) So he can name all the schools after himself? Or . . .
B) So he can throw some contracts to Chris Kelly while he awaits trial?

Odds & Ends

* Phil Kadner has more on Tony Rezko’s meeting with Jesse Jackson Jr. to discuss the proposed Peotone airport.

* Rich Miller has a dispatch about a state legislator angry about the governor’s slow response to downstate flooding.

* Media Matters has more about that “terrorist fist jab” that Barack and Michelle Obama apparently use to activate secret cells the world over.

* Ben Joravsky has more on Greg Hinz’s story this week about another Daley Special.

* CTA Tattler has more on that too.

Thank God – Or Not

State Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) has apologized to atheist Rob Sherman for her embarrasing tirade during a House committee hearing that landed her on Keith Olbermann’s “Worst Person In The World” list, Rich Miller of Capitol Fax reports.

Davis, you might recall, is the same legislator who said, while promoting a school prayer bill disguised as a moment of silence bill, that students might use that moment to “listen to the rustling of leaves, to listen to the chirping of a bird.”

(To which I replied on the Beachwood: Is school funding so dire that classes are now meeting in the woods?)