By Steve Rhodes
Xerography, Mitt, miracles and moles. In today’s QT: Innovations In Fact-Checking.
Patty Cake
I hope Patrick Fitzgerald’s new job in corporate investigations includes the corporate suite. Start with the banks, Pat.
Robo Jackson
The long strange trip of Jesse Jackson Jr. just got stranger: Here’s a robocall he made to constituents that hardly inspires confidence.
Remember when Sandi Jackson assured us he was ready to hit the campaign trail?
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To my way of thinking, this poll is hardly good news for Junior. After all, a no-name Republican with no resources still managing 27 percent in that district is fairly astonishing. (Jackson beat Debbie Halvorson in the Democratic primary last spring 71 percent to 29 percent.)
And when the pollster says “Clearly, Jackson enjoys the support of the voters he represents, and perhaps its time for those who continue to express incredulity to get over it” I feel compelled to point out that 45 percent of voters saying they are not happy with the candidates on the ballot is, again, not good news for Jackson.
After all, Derrick Smith, who has been indicted, is leading his race 47 percent to 9 percent.
I’m not saying Jackson is in danger of losing office, but his support has clearly eroded, which means he’ll have a lot of work to do to rebuild trust if he runs again in two years or that the Jackson name may not be a plus in a special election should Junior step down and Sandi try to step in.
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Meanwhile, it’s not clear whether Jackson will be returning to the Mayo Clinic because the media is supposedly hounding him on his daily walks to his doctor’s appointments – if so, where is the video, please? – or if he’ll merely be going back for a (regularly scheduled) check-up. Or even when he’ll be going. (“Soon,” says his father.) More obfuscation from Team Jackson.
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Finally, Jackson has raised $11,000 since July, which is important because his campaign is still paying his wife $5,000 a month as a consultant.
Today In Redflex
“A consultant for Chicago’s embattled red-light camera vendor – under scrutiny for his $570,000 in commissions and his relationship to the city manager who oversaw the contract – is also tied to another company deal investigated in an ongoing federal corruption probe in Louisiana, the Tribune has learned.”
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In Texas, Redflex is suing League City for putting a proposition on the ballot that would prohibit red-light cameras after their contract expires in 2014.
Debate Preview
Let the Tweet-A-Thon begin.
Trading Tumblers
“A nephew of Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios was hired by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White five weeks after Berrios put the son of longtime White chief of staff Thomas Benigno on his payroll last year, records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show.”
Oh, come on! Jesse White is just a nice old guy with that cute tumbling team! To suggest he’s just another hack would be like, oh, I dunno, a world-famous cyclist using the goodwill of a cancer foundation to shield his utter corruption.
Czar Of The Playbook
Take the Over and Matt Forte’s Belly.
The Weekend In Chicago Rock
A cornucopia of delight.
Zinn, Zombies, Ware And The Bears’ Comics Nerd
In Local Book Notes.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Roboticized.
Posted on October 22, 2012