By Steve Rhodes
1. Bears Win Doesn’t Totally Suck.
2. Obama finally does something right.
3. “Convicted political fixer Tony Rezko gave U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez free upgrades on a riverfront town house after the congressman asked for them, Gutierrez told the FBI, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.”
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“Convicted political fixer Tony Rezko will be sentenced in January for his crimes under Rod Blagojevich, a federal judge in Chicago said Thursday – which makes it unlikely he’ll testify at the former governor’s retrial on corruption charges in April,” the Sun-Times also reports.
So much for the pundits.
4. Um, no, Pat, your election wasn’t a mandate for an income tax increase – even if I believe in one (at least at the top end). It was a mandate for being slightly less sucky than Bill Brady. An income tax increase was not on the ballot.
5. It was just last Thursday that I wrote this:
“Yes, every election we’re disappointed that bad judges get retained; certainly the media could be louder about who to vote against. But isn’t the real story how these judges got on the bench in the first place and who keeps them there, rather than who fails to remove them? After all, aren’t they the beneficiaries of political organizations that for some reason are rewarding them or want them to be judges?”
I added that Joe Birkett had just been named to replace Jack O’Malley on the bench.
Well, now comes this:
“The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Chicago Alderman Thomas R. Allen (D-38) to the countywide vacancy that will be created next month by the elevation of Cook County Circuit Court Judge (and former Circuit Court Clerk) Aurelia Pucinski to the Illinois Appellate Court.”
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“Wanna Be A Judge?”
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Yes, by all means my liberal readers, keep pretending the Democratic Party is the party of sunshine and light.
6. “The city is paying a Chicago public relations firm $72,000 to teach it how to communicate with the public through Twitter, Facebook and other interactive forms of social media,” the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel reports.
“‘We don’t have a person (in house) who can do this,’ Deputy Mayor Beth Malloy said, noting that the elimination late last year of two of the city’s four neighborhood advocates has made it more difficult to communicate effectively with the community. Carolyn Grisko & Associates will also train city employees to continue the communications program once the one-time contract expires.”
Huh. That’s weird. I’ll do it for half!
Oh, wait.
“Malloy is a former chief information officer for the city of Chicago.”
Uh-huh.
“Carolyn [Grisko] devoted five years to local government work, serving as deputy press secretary, mayoral aide and campaign manager for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.”
Yep. Democrats.
7. “Day after day, thousands of commuters are breathing high levels of toxic diesel pollution trapped in Chicago’s two major rail stations and even inside the trains they ride, a Tribune investigation has found,” the paper’s excellent environmental reporter Michael Hawthorne reports.
8. “Obama: Political Price Of Health Care More Than He Expected.”
A) Didn’t read newspapers between appearances on Letterman, Ellen, ESPN.
B) Budget price too.
C) A McRib in every pot!
9. Sun-Times’ new strategy: Hyperlocal micro meta news.
10. The Political Odds have changed.
11. Happy Birthday, Mr. Expressway: The Kennedy At 50.
12. The Cubs’ Crappy Undercover Boss.
13. The Weekend in Chicago Rock!
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Bartender Journalism
Once again I’ll be behind the bar at the Beachwood Inn tonight for Monday Night Beachwood! Old Style for $2.50 if you name your favorite federal corruption investigation; $1 off well drinks if you explain why. Pool for a buck; Dr. Dude pinball for 50 cents. Free pizza for all Beachwood readers and writers. Just tell me I sent you.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Visionary.
Posted on November 8, 2010