By Steve Rhodes
I don’t think anyone believes this poll. Rod McCulloch isn’t exactly the most respected pollster in the business, and I haven’t found the methodology anywhere.
At least this post noted that “In yet another poll by We Ask America, reported Saturday by Fox Chicago, Kelly had an overwhelming lead over Halvorson- 37 percent to 19 percent – so recent polling in the race have varied significantly.”
Not really. The McCulloch poll is the outlier, as it so often is, and I would have ignored it completely if not for the NBC Chicago post.
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CBS News, Progress Illinois, Patch, UPI and the Kankakee Daily Journal also bit.
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Another reason to be against early voting: Those who already cast ballots for Toi Hutchinson are essentially disenfranchised.
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Hutchinson dropped out so late her name will still appear on the ballot. Bad form, Toi.
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I still suspect she dropped out because of this, not because she didn’t think she could withstand the barrage of Bloomberg ads coming her way. That makes no sense at all.
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There are also indications that Toni Preckwinkle may have advised her to bow out to avoid a bloodbath down the stretch. Any internal polling to share with us, Toni?
Governor Gumby . . .
. . . Gets The Message.
Exclusive: Chicago’s New Tourist Attractions!
We have the list.
Speak of the Medicaid Devil
In Monday’s column, I wrote about state Medicaid cuts.
Now comes this New York Times report:
“The Obama administration said Monday that states could cut Medicaid payments to many doctors and other health care providers to hold down costs in the program, which insures 60 million low-income people and will soon cover many more under the new health care law.
“The administration’s position, set forth in a federal appeals court in California, has broad national implications as it comes as the White House is trying to persuade states to expand Medicaid as part of the new law.
“The statement of federal policy infuriated health care providers and advocates for low-income people. But it may encourage wavering Republican governors to go along with the expansion because it gives them a tool to help control costs.”
Metropolitan Money Reclamation District
“Two top employees of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District have collected more than a combined $400,000 in salary while on leave during an internal investigation in their department, the Tribune has learned.
“The taxpayer-funded water and sewer agency moved to fire one official before he agreed to resign in a deal that will pay him an additional $250,000 in salary and other compensation without ever returning to the job.”
McMorrow Sorrow
I’m sorry to hear about the death of former state supreme court justice Mary Ann McMorrow, but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the coverage conveniently leaves out the way she engineered Anne Burke’s appointment to her vacated seat, though the Sun-Times has Burke noting that McMorrow was her “dearest friend.”
Quigley vs. Obama
“Predicting that sequestration will occur, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley, Illinois’ 5th District, said at the WPB SSA #33 Commission meeting on Feb. 20, ‘Sequestration will impact you big time. It is a horrible plan, ill conceived and poorly carried out.'”
You tell ’em, Mike.
Jean-Claude McCarthy
“Mayor Rahm Emanuel gave his top cop his full support Monday, but at the same time admitted his ‘impatience’ with bringing down the city’s murder rate,” DNAinfo Chicago reports, as do many other news organizations.
I would only be the billionth – well, the thousandth – person to point out that this is exactly what Rahm said not long before he fired schools chief J.C. Brizard, so let me add value by pointing out that the media seemed to accept Rahm’s dishonesty by declaring political diplomacy as an acceptable reason to be lied to, instead of just calling Rahm a liar.
Because Brizard’s exit, as many of us know, had been in the works for awhile. McCarthy? I’m not entirely sure. But there are problems, and it’s not just the murder rate per se.
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Ald. Howard Brookins, chairman of the city council’s Black Caucus, which is quite unhappy with McCarthy, said he’s “learned to believe what the mayor says.”
Not in a Chicago public school you didn’t!
Blago’s Burner
“After nearly two decades of pollution problems and financial woes, a tire incinerator in one of Illinois’ poorest communities will close permanently as part of a legal settlement announced Monday by federal authorities,” the Tribune reports.
“Still unresolved is a federal civil rights investigation into why former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration awarded a permit in 2005 to restart the controversial tire burner in Ford Heights, a south suburb where 95 percent of the population is black and per capita income is among the lowest in the state.”
Zip Code
“Nicole Harris, who has been locked up since the 2005 death of her son, walked out of an Illinois prison today after an appeals court threw out her murder conviction,” the Tribune reports.
“Harris emerged from Dwight Correctional Center in front of a gathering of news crews after being reunited with her other son.
“The Chicago woman was 23 when a jury found her guilty of killing her 4-year-old son Jaquari in their Northwest Side apartment following her confession to authorities.
“But Harris has long maintained that her confession was false and the result of threats and manipulation by police.”
She should totally snitch, though, first chance she gets.
What Researchers Learned About Gun Violence . . .
. . . Before Congress Cut Their Funding.
Streak Freaks
“The Hawks have won a boatload of games and it has been an awesome ride,” our very own Jim Coffman writes.
Jeff Tweedy, Chief Keef & a Pocketful of Soul
In our Local Music Notebook.
David Hernandez, Garry Wills & Pete Wentz
In Local Book Notes.
Reminiscing With Bobby Winkles
Former Sox coach was one of college baseball’s greatest managers.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Soulful.
Posted on February 26, 2013