By Steve Rhodes
A faithful reader sent me a note in response to this section of yesterday’s column:
Obama: “Boston is a tough and resilient town; so are its people.” Some
towns aren’t tough? If this happened in some places, would the president say, “Too bad this town isn’t tough enough to survive”? It’s just empty and narcissistic to me. Kandahar isn’t tough enough to survive?
The note:
I mean, what I wouldn’t give to see the POTUS on TV saying, “My fellow Americans, if only the terrorists hadn’t attacked our weakest spot. The wussies in [YOUR
TOWN HERE] just don’t have the spine, the gumption, or the balls to keep it together after the walloping the baddies delivered. So I’m going to call upon the good, strong people of [SOME OTHER TOWN] to help out the poor distraught bastards of [YOUR TOWN HERE], and hope that the Marines can take care of what we used to call justice.
My response back:
Exactly!
“Great cities survive, which is why it’s a good thing this happened in Boston. Can you imagine if this was in St. Louis? Game over!”
Just a lot of nonsense in our public discourse – starting from the president who was supposed to be above it all; the one who “talked to us like adults.”
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Oh dear lord, again, I just can’t read it.
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These gestures are pretty cool, though.
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Thank you NY Yankees for playing ‘Sweet Caroline’ for the people of Boston. You scored a home run in my heart. With respect, Neil #OneBoston
— Neil Diamond (@NeilDiamond) April 17, 2013
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“‘Sweet Caroline’ also was played at Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, Marlins Park, Safeco Field, O.co Coliseum, Great American Ball Park, and at Cleveland’s Progressive Field,” the Sporting News reports.
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At Wrigley:
Singing “Sweet Caroline” at the #Cubs game for #Boston. vine.co/v/bFEPZ9rPMMM
— Lauran Berta (@LauranBerta) April 17, 2013
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Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of support & the playing of “Sweet Caroline” across @mlb #BostonStrong
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) April 17, 2013
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CPS: Channeling Putrid Subterfuge
Could it get any worse for CPS flak Becky Carroll, whose reputation has been stained even worse through the school closings debacle than even Barbara Byrd-Bennett’s and Rahm Emanuel’s, whom we already knew were disingenuous operators?
.@chipubschools Communications Dir Becky Carroll told us #CPS was not taping #cpsclosings meetings. Not true. ow.ly/k98ma
— WBEZeducation (@WBEZeducation) April 17, 2013
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Taxpayers fork over $165,000 a year to Carroll. I wonder how much that is per lie.
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See also: School Closings Notebook I: Debt Truth Deficit. Starring Carroll’s double-speaking assistant.
Hollywood’s Mayor
“Now halfway into his four-year term, Mayor Rahm Emanuel again has been able to attract major campaign contributions from Hollywood stars, thanks to his super-agent brother Ari Emanuel,” the Sun-Times reports.
“More than 55 percent of contributions reported by the mayor’s political fund since the start of the year have come from out of state, according to documents filed this week with the Illinois State Board of Elections.”
See also: The item “Steven Spielberg Has More Votes Than You Do.”
That’s Pat!
Authored disastrous cutback amendment that reduced the state House by a third but wants to save the lieutenant governor’s office.
Fix Channel 11 . . .
. . . And Chicago’s Ugly Yards.
Chicago Pulp And Blues
Sterling Plumpp and Windy City Malaise.
Kool-Aid Man And Crackers
Oh no. Oh yeah.
The Arms Of April
Whose got ’em?
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Oh yeah.
Posted on April 17, 2013