By The Beachwood Bureau of Experts

1. From Sue Fisher Yellen:
Chicago Politics As Usual
I watch TV, ad after ad, politicians smiling, showing their shiny white teeth…
Especially the dentist who wants to be something else…
The White man, naming all the Black men who, he says, love him most…
The young Greek, trying to look old, patting blue collars, promising new jobs…
The ubiquitous Irish machine-made man, grinning his Irish grin…
And some lady who has stolen a statue of a beautiful slave-woman in chains with deep scars on her bare back, trying to look like a hero…
Blaming, claiming, shaming…
Buying time so we can see these smiling faces,
all the white teeth,
all the promises…
Selling us hope…
Teaching us cynicism.

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Posted on February 2, 2010

By Steve Rhodes

On the trail ahead of Tuesday’s primary voting.
GIANNOULIAS: No wonder his handlers continue to try to keep him away from reporters. Every time he opens his mouth to answer a question – or to not answer a question – he illustrates why he is ill-prepared and undeserving of being a United States senator.
“Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias refused to provide details Thursday about whether his decisions contributed to his family bank’s financial problems, saying five days before the election that those questions can wait for another time,” Politico reports.
“‘If I’m fortunate enough to make it out of the primary, we can have that conversation,’ the Chicago Democrat told reporters.”
Party leaders must be wondering if that’s a promise or a threat.

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Posted on February 1, 2010