Chicago - A message from the station manager

The [Monday] Papers

By Steve Rhodes

Chicago Today?
Just trying to imagine what the Tribune would look like under Gannett management.


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At loggerheads.
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DeLayed Gratification
“Attorneys for ex-speaker Dennis Hastert on Friday filed dozens of letters of support from former colleagues, constituents and friends, asking a federal judge to consider the former lawmaker’s decades of service when he is sentenced next week on bank fraud charge,” USA Today reports.
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) wrote that “We all have our flaws, but Dennis Hastert has very few. He is a good man that loves the Lord. He gets his integrity and values from Him. He doesn’t deserve what he is going through.”
A little history is in order. From Politico last June:
“What Hastert did do was protect his closest ally and mentor, Majority Leader Tom DeLay, from tough investigation of misconduct by intervening with the House ethics oversight committee . . .
“Apart from the Abramoff scandal, DeLay earlier faced other ethical challenges in which Hastert went to bat to help him. When three of DeLay’s political allies in Texas were indicted, Hastert helped engineer a rule change that would have permitted DeLay to remain Majority Leader should he too be indicted. Hastert also shuffled the leadership of the House Ethics Committee, which had been probing and exposing misconduct by DeLay.”
And then they went to Bible study.
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“Further underscoring Hastert’s insensitivity to ethical matters was the scandal sparked by Rep. Mark Foley when it was revealed in September 2006 that he was sending suggestive online messages to young male pages. In this case, Hastert’s failure to act was particularly awkward and confusing: Boehner and Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.) said they had alerted the Speaker to Foley’s escapades months before the news broke. Hastert lamely said he didn’t recall being told about Foley’s improprieties.”
Maybe he just pulled up a chair to watch.
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Also, a reminder:
“Hastert personally enriched himself by millions of dollars while Speaker in part by the shrewd use of an earmark. In early 2006, the Sunlight Foundation revealed that Hastert had made a little over $2 million on a complicated and unusual land transaction in Illinois. Working in tandem with rich political allies in Illinois, Hastert bought some land at a cheap price while his allies bought nearby land at a much steeper price. The adjacent properties were then consolidated and a trust was set up in which Hastert had a bigger share.
“Next, the Speaker deployed his muscle to push a transportation bill and he managed to attach an earmark that subsidized a highway interchange roughly a mile from the property – even though state authorities or neighbors did not desire it. The payoff from the earmark for Hastert: the property’s value soared. After a chunk of it was sold to a developer, Hastert had garnered a profit of over $2 million and he still had valuable land holdings.”
Yup, good ol’ Denny.
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See also: Wrestling Propelled Hastert’s Career, And Provided Opportunity For Abuse.
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The Cub Factor: Laughably Historic
The last time the Cubs were this good ye olde Ricketts family had just formed a Super PAC for Herbert Hoover.
The White Sox Report: Gifted
We would be remiss if we didn’t point out the generosity of the fellows providing the opposition.
SportsMonday: Game Seven
SportsMonday will appear on Tuesday so Jim Coffman can tell us what went wrong with the Blackhawks’ season – or how they came back to defeat the Blues in this series.
Obama Speaks No Evil
Won’t tell Congress how many innocent Americans he’s spying on.
Snapchatting The Environment
The Rainforest vs. the ability to send disappearing dick pics.
At The Art Insitute: The Modern Chair
Are you sitting comfortably?
The Weekend In Chicago Rock
Featuring: Bleached, Chris Spencer, Wild Belle, Elway, Sick/Tired, Sea of Shit, Hocico, Jay Idk, Freddie Gibbs, Lissie, and The Summer Set.
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BeachBook
This new embed code is still giving me fits. Bear with me until I find a solution.
Obama Has Deported More Immigrants Than Any Other President. Now He’s Running Up The Score.

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Jimmy Carter: The U.S. Is An “Oligarchy With Unlimited Political Bribery.”

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Final Illinois Primary Tally Shows Why Bernie Sanders Won’t Quit.

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America’s Long Misguided War To Control The Greater Middle East.

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Amazon Same-Day Delivery Basically Serves All Of Chicago Except South Side.

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Open The Cages!

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The Mobile Web Sucks.

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How Fusion Is Producing Investigative Journalism For The Jon Stewart Generation.

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Chicago Web Series Maybe Worth Checking Out.

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SIU Adds Degree In Brewing.

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La Margarita Restaurants Commercial, 1981.

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TweetWood
A sampling.


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The Beachwood Tip Line: Leisurely.

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Posted on April 25, 2016