By Steve Rhodes
“As former Deputy Gov. Robert Greenlee explained it, Blagojevich spent most of his time at home and showed up no more than two to eight hours a week at his government headquarters,” the Tribune reports. “When there, Greenlee said, the governor was known to hide in the bathroom or his office to avoid confronting those who tried to discuss difficult policy problems such as the state budget.”
And you wanna be my latex salesman? I don’t think so.
“Greenlee said he would often have to ‘capture’ Blagojevich in a car or plane so he could be pinned down ‘when he had nothing else to do,’ Greenlee said.
Like when he wasn’t at the gym, tanning or doing laundry?
“Once, Greenlee said, he had to impose himself on a Blagojevich family dinner at Southport Lanes in order to get the governor to make needed decisions on bills that had passed the General Assembly and were awaiting his veto or signature. At that dinner, with the governor’s wife and children in tow, Greenlee said he forced Blagojevich to sit still to review 20 pending measures.”
Was Blago wearing designer bowling shoes?
“Bradley Tusk, who was hired on as deputy governor shortly after Blagojevich assumed office in 2003, said Blagojevich quickly grew detached from his duties and was rarely around to make crucial decisions – and that Tusk once had to hunt down the governor at his tailor. Tusk said the call was often left to him on whether to sign or veto legislation.”
So, really, it was Bradley Tusk who had a 13 percent approval rating.
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And none of these aides said a thing. They served their own careers instead of the public who was paying their salaries. And they aided and abetted the man’s re-election. They should all go to jail together.
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Question for Pat Quinn: We understand you were essentially estranged from the governor, but were you completely oblivious to his work habits? Word never drifted back to you?
The same question could – and should – be asked of many others in and around state government. Knowledge of this kind of behavior is generally not tightly held.
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See also: Blago Hid In Bathroom.
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PLUS: If you don’t listen to anything else all day, listen to this recording of former Sun-Times reporter Lucio Guerrero in his role as Blago spokescreature telling the boss that the Tribune is about to run a story about federal wiretaps.
Make It A Leinie’s
“There’s no greater pairing to celebrate summer than an ice cold beer and brat,” according to the Chicago Marriott.
“On Wednesday July 21, 2010, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Chicagoans and hotel guests alike will be able to enjoy the house-made sausages by localvore hotel, Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile, and summer’s favorite beverage companion, Leinenkugel beers. The Leinenkugel brothers, John and Jake will be participating in the event which will be held in the lobby of the downtown Chicago, Illinois hotel.”
Rumor has it the Leinenkugel brothers may then stop in to the Beachwood Inn, which serves their fine brew. Maybe that will be the night the Stanley Cup stops in too.
Or maybe that will be tonight.
Austin’s Jewel
“In the heart of Austin lives one of its many treasures: a 70-year-old woman who fights crime, helps the less fortunate and provides assistance to the elderly,” Maya Ferdynus writes at AustinTalks.
“In the nearly four decades Mary Brown has lived in Austin, she’s helped hundreds of people find jobs, put clothes on their backs and made them feel safer in their community by getting thugs locked up in jail. She’s even given money out of her own pocket to children and families in need.”
Not LeBron’s Kind Of Town
“It might have made for agonizingly contrived television, but America apparently couldn’t quit LeBron James’ ‘Decision,'” Matt O’Brien writes at SBNation.
“According to ESPN’s Josh Krulewitz, LeBron’s one-hour made-for-TV melodrama drew a 7.3 overnight rating for ESPN, including a 26 rating in Cleveland,12.8 in Miami, 10.7 in Chicago and 10.4 in New York (Seattle was the last market with a 2.4; having your NBA franchise stolen unsurprisingly makes people not care about the NBA).”
Facebook Feed
Matt Farmer is starting to think that a lot of NBA players may not want to live in a “one registered gun per month” town like Chicago.
Taking Flight
“Looks like the party’s on at gate 34B,” our very own Andrew Reilly writes at The A.V. Club of Chicago.
“I don’t know if you heard, but our esteemed mayor Richard M. Daley has proposed granting liquor licenses to special alcohol carts at both O’Hare and Midway airports, and I have to admit I (for once) am totally on board with one of Daley’s get-out-of-the-hole-quick schemes. Yes, this is a great opportunity for the city to rake in some much-needed extra cash, but just imagine the beauty of pre-flight cocktails away from the grizzled flyers passing through the Halsted St. Tap at Midway, almost offensive in its cartoonish depiction of life in our fair city, or sipping a cold one without having to belly up alongside the herds gathered at any of the O’Hare Chili’s outposts.
“We may all be travelers on our way out of town, but now, thanks to the glory of booze on wheels, I’ll already be miles ahead, off to a magical place far, far away – a place whose beauty none of those strangers will ever know.”
Congrats, CAN TV
Executive Director Barbara Popovic – my friend who also happens to be my landlord – wins a national award.
Horses Not Slots
Saving racing from the two-armed bandits by our man on the rail, Thomas Chambers.
The Week in WTF
Starring the Sun-Times, Blago pundits, and Lake County prosecutors.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Giving them what for.
Posted on July 9, 2010