By Steve Rhodes
Dick Durbin, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Democratically-controlled United States Senate, tells WBEZ that the president’s tax cut bill “doesn’t help the economy. It adds to the deficit, and it basically says the people who are the most well-off in America don’t have to share any kind of sacrifice in these tough times.”
So naturally, he’s voting for it.
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On the re-election trail in 2015:
REPORTER: Senator Durbin, have you ever voted for a bill that you thought was just plain wrong?
DURBIN: Yes.
REPORTER: Why?
DURBIN: Because it was the right thing to do.
REPORTER: But you thought the bill was wrong.
DURBIN: Yes.
REPORTER: So you thought the right thing to do was to vote for a bill that was wrong.
DURBIN: Yes.
REPORTER: Why?
DURBIN: Compromise?
REPORTER: But you could’ve voted against it or at least tried to improve it.
DURBIN: That would’ve been wrong.
REPORTER: Why?
DURBIN: Because sometimes voting for a bill that is wrong is right.
REPORTER: Like when?
DURBIN: Like when you forget that there’s a deadline coming up and you haven’t acted in two years despite impassioned campaign pledges and you want to get home for Christmas and you’re scared and your friend is the president and you’re a Democrat.
REPORTER: And then you vote for a bill that you think doesn’t help the economy, adds to the deficit and tells our nation’s richest people that they didn’t have to sacrifice during tough times the way everybody else does.
DURBIN: Precisely.
REPORTER: Terrific. Now is it true you’ve changed your mind and you will seat Roland Burris as Mark Kirk’s replacement in the Senate?
Forum Decorum
“It was the largest crowd for a mayoral forum of any yet seen – well over 2,000 people – but for some reason, you won’t hear much about it in the city’s mainstream media,” Curtis Black reports for the Community Media Workshop.
“So far Mike Flannery at Fox News Chicago seems to be the only exception, though his report manages to focus on a candidate who wasn’t there; Progress Illinois has some video clips.”
Here’s my favorite part:
“Gery Chico drew boos when was asked about food deserts and started talking about Walmart. He and Meeks left early.”
And this:
“In his opening statement, Del Valle drew the clearest line between his campaign and Emanuel’s, telling the audience, ‘You understand the need for a neighborhood agenda, not a downtown agenda, not a big business agenda, but a neighborhood agenda.'”
Chicago Election Board Now Regulating The Media
Tells Fox News pundit to scram.
Corruption Tax
“A federal watchdog on Wednesday awarded nearly $556,000 to job applicants and workers harmed by illegal political favoritism in hiring at the Cook County Forest Preserve District,” the Tribune reports.
New Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle decried the political culture left behind by Todd Stroger and promised a brand new day before scooting off to meet Joe Berrios for lunch.
Coming To Theaters Soon
“A pastry chef who runs a Chicago area business has bought a home in Evanston from a finance executive.”
Meeks’ Minority Report
“On Wednesday, Chicago mayoral candidate James Meeks said that only African-Americans should be able to participate in affirmative action programs – and that Hispanics, Asians, and women should be excluded. Later, he tried to clarify his remarks,” Flannery reports.
“‘I think that the word ‘minority,’ from our standpoint, should mean African-American,’ Meeks said. ‘I don’t think women, Asians and Hispanics should be able to use that title. That’s why our numbers cannot improve, because we use women, Asians and Hispanics, who are not people of color, who are not people who have been discriminated against. We fought for these laws based on discrimination. Now, groups that have not been discriminated against are the chief beneficiaries.'”
Well, he’s got a point: Women are not minorities. That’s why set-aside programs are called “Women and Minority Business Enterprise” programs.
But Flannery oddly focuses on the women part of Meeks’ statement instead of the even more egregious and warped notion that Asians and Hispanics are not minorities and have not been discriminated against.
So add women, Asians and Hispanics to non-Christians, gays and liberals comprising those Meeks has offended.
The Spirit of Randy Michaels Lives
Speaking of offending women – and men – the boys at WGN-TV’s wacky morning show crossed one off their bucket list this week when they saw grown women in bikinis.
Obama Buys CEOs Lunch
“Hoping to mend fences with business leaders and spur more hiring, President Obama spent more than four hours with chief executives of 20 major companies in a ‘working meeting’ that both sides said paved the way for better cooperation,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Mend fences? Cutting their taxes wasn’t enough?
“They skipped a planned break and, at Obama’s urging, decided to work through a buffet lunch of chicken, fish, pasta and salad.”
Which I’m sure they persuaded Obama to put on his taxpayer-reimbursed expense report.
Working Stiffs
Paying their own way with more grace than Obama’s pals.
To Be Worn By Next Mayor
Chicago scientists invent brain-controlled Iron Man suit.
Inmate Returns!
“A Linn County inmate has returned to jail two days after authorities expected him back from leave to attend his grandfather’s funeral in Chicago,” AP reports.
“Cedar Rapids television station KCRG says 29-year-old Jamal Baylis called the station Wednesday to explain that he thought he was supposed to be back by next Monday after being freed on Friday for the funeral.”
Bears Actually Have Momentum
“We lost the first half badly, but adjusted well and took the second half in a squeaker.”
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The Czar of the Playbook’s Bears-Vikings Preview.
We’re All Gonna Die
Sybris spreads rock and roll holiday cheer.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Like your favorite crawl space.
Posted on December 16, 2010