By Steve Rhodes
For what it’s worth, aldermen Berny Stone and George Cardenas predicted last night on Chicago Tonight an overwhelming victory for the Children’s Museum at Wednesday’s city council meeting.
Brendan Reilly and Sandi Jackson, on the other hand, tepidly predicted a narrow win for their side.
Perhaps more interesting was the clear difference between Reilly/Jackson and Stone/Cardenas: one pair appeared smart, articulate and on-point, while the other pair looked like idiots. I’m sure you can figure out which was which.
Here’s a snippet of their discussion with some additional commentary from the Beachwood HQ Viewing Lounge.
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Moderator Elizabeth Brackett asked Reilly what his closing argument to aldermanic colleagues would be.
REILLY: . . . to remember their legacy.
Comment: That is just about the worst argument I can think of. Most of these aldermen won’t even have a “legacy.” Do you think the history books will care who George Cardenas is? I would go with “legal bills,” “angry constituents who may vote you out of office,” and “show some spine for once in your life.”
STONE (frothing): [That piece of land] has never been part of the legacy . . . the land was railroad yards right up until 1974 . . . everything that Montgomery Ward talked about was south of Madison Street.
Comment: I thought true Chicagoans never referred to Madison as a “street” or an “avenue.” It just is, right?
REILLY: The second Supreme Court decision specifically mentioned Randolph Street . . . it’s been part of the legacy since 1836.
Comment: Stone was on the council back then, I’m surprised he forgot that.
JACKSON: . . . other areas without as much opposition . . . if only they had been explored . . .
CARDENAS: I come at this from the perspective of a parent . . .
Comment: Oh please, don’t!
CARDENAS: . . . the location meets the expectations that I as a parent have . . .
Comment: For example, it’s not in Sandi Jackson’s ward.
CARDENAS: . . . the location fits that of the needs and wants of [people from my community] . . .
Comment: Who apparently don’t want the museum in their own backyard.
JACKSON: I have two small children too . . . the current location is absolutely perfect . . .
CARDENAS: [At Navy Pier] people are drinking in some of those bars . . .
Comment: Whereas in Grant Park the drinking will be confined to inside the museum.
Video of Mayor Daley: This is about children. It’s called the Children’s Museum.
Comment (head shaking): (Sigh.)
Brackett asks why Daley is so hellbent (not her word) on this.
REILLY: I scratch my head every day . . . I don’t understand where the passion’s coming from . . . they picked the only location in the City of Chicago that can be brought into court . . . we should teach children the rule of law.
Comment: Where does the mayor’s passion ever come from? The meat’s a-cookin’, Brendan!
STONE: The politics are simple: The mayor loves the City of Chicago.
Comment: Oh, now I get it!
STONE: This is a natural for the Children’s Museum . . . I don’t know who alderman Reilly is protecting . . .
Comment: The mob? I mean, what is Stone saying?
STONE: [The civic organizations opposing the move] haven’t been told the truth about the site . . .
Comment: The Metropolitan Planning Council has been lied to!
CARDENAS: The power lies in the people.
Comment: And the people are against it. This guy is such a tool.
REILLY Overwhelmingly, the public has said not in this park, not in our Grant Park, not in the city’s Grant Park.
Brackett asks them to predict the vote.
STONE: Overwhelmingly in favor.
CARDENAS: It’s not gonna be a close vote.
JACKSON: I think it will be a close vote. Down.
REILLY: A close vote, a good chance we can defeat this.
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Meanwhile, the utter deceit of the Children’s Museum continues.
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As always, more on the Children’s Museum and the rest of the day in politics over at Division Street.
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Benson Hedges
I don’t have any sympathy for Cedric Benson, but I’ve always wondered in cases like this if punishment should await actual conviction, rather than just arrest. Plus, as several commentators have noted, the Bears would be acting awfully different if Benson was, you know, good.
Bully Pulpit
The Bully of Toulon is dead. Bob Kurson wrote about him in Chicago magazine in September 2002, and if the magazine puts the story up on its website – an iffy proposition – it’s a must-read.
Daily Howler
Just a reminder that if you aren’t reading Bob Somerby every day you aren’t doing your duty. Especially you liberals and Obamaphiles allergic to the basic truth that your side does it too.
The Beachwood Tip Line: Howl.
Posted on June 10, 2008