By Steve Rhodes
“Who is the man in the powder blue suit who could be a cheese salesman from Wisconsin?”
Why, it’s Frank Calabrese Sr., reputed Outfit hit man!
Change Agent
“Voters in Aledo, Ill., might applaud Sen. Barack Obama’s attempt to bring home $750,000 to replace two aging water towers, but taxpayers in South Carolina might look askance at sharing the tab.”
The only greater enemy we have than cynicism is aging water towers.
Agent Cheney
“For four years, Vice President Dick Cheney has resisted routine oversight of his office’s handling of classified information, and when the National Archives unit that monitors classification in the executive branch objected, the vice president’s office released yesterday by a Democratic congressman.”
Cheney said he is not bound by the U.S. Constitution, only the constitution of his home planet.
Agency Secrets
“The CIA will make public next week long-secret documents compiled in 1974 that detail domestic spying, assassination plots and other CIA misdeeds in the 1960s and early 1970s, agency Director Michael Hayden said Thursday.”
In 2040, the agency will release secret documents on domestic spying, assassination plots and other CIA misdeeds occurring now.
Secret Olympics
“Jiang Xiaoyu, the executive vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee, ticks off the long list of extraordinary accomplishments that have been necessary for China to fulfill its commitments to the International Olympic Committee for the 2008 games. Huge industrial operations, including a steel mill, have been moved from Beijing to reduce air pollution; construction is forging ahead on a new railway line, airport terminal and too many world-class sports facililities to count. Everything seems to be either on or ahead of of schedule – with one exception. China may, says Mr. Jiang, have to go back to the IOC to discuss its pledge to have a ‘third generation’ mobile-phone network available in time for the games.”
We have no idea what we might be getting into.
Stroger’s Secret
Commenting on Todd Stroger’s secret prostate surgery this week, Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele said last night on Chicago Tonight that the “public trust” and “good government” were important.
You know, this Robert Steele.
Secret Message
Recalling the disingenuous handling of John Stroger’s illness and Todd Stroger’s secret prostate surgery, Better Government Association executive director Jay Stewart said: “No lessons were learned.”
School Secret
“A Wilmette middle school spends more than $14,000 per kid; Chicago gets ready to dole out $65 million to developers.”
Compare and contrast.
Music Secret
“A ‘music guy’ is not the type of person that takes a programmer to a hockey game, steak dinners, and strip clubs in order to ‘persuade‘ him to play the new hot track from the new hot artist.”
Sell-Out Secrets
The Reader’s Miles Raymer writes “In Praise of Selling Out,” but it’s just a rationalization for something rarely acceptable. Sonic Youth doesn’t have to record for Starbucks and Wilco doesn’t have to license its songs to Volkswagen to reach larger audiences. They could use their imaginations instead. Buy Google ads. Play surprise free shows on rooftops of major American buildings. Hold a radio station hostage like the dudes in Airheads. License songs to commercials for causes you believe in. Sponsor an episode of Family Guy. Or just admit you’re in it for the money. But don’t bullshit your fans. I mean, why not just go on American Idol next season and be done with it?
Secret Staff
“Despite often lofty rhetoric that he plans to bring the nation a ‘new kind of politics,’ Sen. Barack Obama has surrounded himself with operatives skilled in the old-school art of the political backstab,” the Tribune finally gets around to reporting.
“When Obama assembled his crew early this year, he brought together a team with a long track record of the sort of caustic rhetoric he has pledged to avoid . . . [including] a communications director who once worked for a group that ran a controversial ad that used an image of Osama bin Laden to attack Howard Dean.”
And then defended it. But then, it’s not like Obama could have hired, oh, say, just about anyone to be his friggin’ communications director.
“Obama’s research director, Devorah Adler, for example, was tied to a controversial 2005 Democratic National Committee research memo distributed to reporters on a not-for-attribution basis about then-Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.”
The Tribune doesn’t say it, but the memo intimated that Alito, who is of Italian heritage, was sympathetic, if not tied to, the mob.
Yet, “when Obama was criticized this past week for opposition research memos critical of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s ties to India and Indian-Americans, he was quick to blame his staff,” the Trib notes. “That is starting to sound familiar. It was at least the third time since February that the Illinois Democrat has blamed his staff for a glitch.”
A candidate’s campaign staff is an early glimpse of what their administration would look like.
“Obama’s campaign declined to say whether Adler had seen the India documents before their release or whether she is part of the senior staff. ”
How very Cheney of him.
“‘We’re not going to get into the internal machinations,’ spokesman Bill Burton said.”
Transparency and accountability? Stop being so cynical.
Secret Blown
“Observers were surprised at Obama playing the outsourcing card as he himself is trying to court the Indian-American constituency with moves afoot to promote ‘South Asians for Obama‘ chapters across the country.”
The Beachwood Tip Line: B to the A.
Posted on June 22, 2007