By Steve Rhodes
How is Obama like a wayward son? He only comes home when he needs money.
I stole (and adapted) that from somewhere lost to my memory, so don’t accuse me of plagiarism.
And Obama, we’ve already heard your joke wondering if anyone’s mowing the lawn at the Hyde Park mansion your self-described political godfather and convicted con man Tony Rezko helped you buy. Get some new material. Like maybe about how nobody’s looking out for civil liberties while you’re gone.
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“If you’re willing to work even harder in this election than you did in that last election, I promise you change will come,” he said.
Oh no you di’int!
“And If you want to end the cynicism and stop the game playing that passes for politics these days and you want to send a message about what is possible, then you can’t back down, not now.”
Then the president attended a $35,800 per couple fundraising dinner followed by a $7,500 per ticket fundraising reception held at the home of a Bear Stearns executive.
Super PAC Men
“President Obama raised more than $68 million for his re-election and the Democratic Party in the fourth quarter of 2011, his campaign announced this morning, capping off a lucrative fundraising year,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“[Campaign manager Jim] Messina pushed back against the widely-held expectation that Obama’s fundraising would top $1 billion this cycle. He also raised the specter of super PACs, the independent groups that can raise unlimited money and have already acted aggressively in the GOP primary.
“‘When we get an opponent, we’ll be facing down their fundraising operation, as well as all the outside groups already spending money for them,’ Messina said.
“Of course, Obama will not be without super PAC help of his own as the general election heats up. Former White House aides Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney launched the super PAC Priorities USA Action (as well as affiliated group Priorities USA, a 501(c)4 organization that does not need to disclose its donors) last April. Burton has said the groups hope to raise $100 million for the 2012 race.”
(This is the best Super Pac news of the day, though:
(“A super PAC supporting [Newt Gingrich] plans to spend $3.4 million in TV ads in South Carolina portraying Mr. Romney as Gordon Gekko without the social conscience,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The financing for these ads will come from a billionaire who made his money in the casino business, which Mr. Gingrich apparently considers morally superior to investing in companies in the hope of making a profit.”)
Change Range
“President Barack Obama and his White House minions may be pooh poohing New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor’s glitz & glam book The Obamas – but ousted former White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers is zipping her lip,” Sneed reports.
“The upshot: ‘Unfortunately, Desiree is not commenting on the book,” said Crystal Howard, a spokeswoman for Johnson Publishing Company – where Rogers is CEO.”
Why is that unfortunate? I mean, from her perspective? Because a publishing company CEO refuses to speak for publication?
“The buckshot: The book, which details life in the early days of the Obama White House, contends Desiree ‘hurt her own cause considerably’ when she appeared on the cover of the Wall Street Journal magazine wearing earrings which reportedly cost $110,000.
“The bigger buckshot: The book’s disclosure of the controversial 2009 White House Halloween party attended by costumed actor Johnny Depp, director Tim Burton and Chewbacca from Star Wars which also featured ‘vials of blood’ containing fruit juice – was also organized by Rogers.”
Way to protect Obama’s brand!
The flipside: Kantor also claims the change in Rogers’ status wasn’t entirely about her. First lady Michelle Obama had also changed.”
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All links mine.
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And bam! We have the first “Bill Daley for governor” meme later in Sneed’s column, just as I predicted. Not gonna happen but we’ll have to hear about it for the next three years.
It Just Keeps On Giving
“A large security perimeter will prevent motorists from driving and parking on some downtown streets during the NATO and G-8 summits, but the host committee agreed Wednesday to cover the cost of lost parking meter revenues.”
That’s Neil!
In a column about Rahm Emanuel’s plans to curtail free speech during the G8/NATO summits, Neil Steinberg wrote:
“While waiting to see if the mayor would talk to me on this subject, I checked to see what he has said publicly so far.
“‘Guys, it’s not a big deal,’ Emanuel said, trying to deflect questions about his preparations. ‘This is a one-time event.'”
Apparently Steinberg didn’t check very hard.
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Nonetheless, Steinberg scored this gem from the Rev. Phil Blackwell, who apparently was once the Loop’s only full-time resident, as “the minister of the First United Methodist Church, who lives in a three-story parsonage starting on the 22nd floor of the Chicago Temple, the quirky gothic structure south of Daley Plaza, with its ‘Chapel in the Sky’ on the 25th floor.”
From Steinberg:
“I got in touch with Rev. Blackwell to see if he could shed some light, but he had something beyond Loop demographics on his mind, and invited me by his office, its leaded glass windows overlooking Daley Plaza.
“He handed me a typed message:
“‘I have lived across the street from Daley Plaza for 10 years,’ it begins. ‘During that time I have seen and heard:
“‘Tea Party protesters. War in Iraq objectors. Halloween clowns, Whirling Dervishes, Blackhawks celebrators, World Cup spectators, Christmas ornament purchasers, 21-gun salutes, children sliding down the Picasso, wedding couples being photographed at the fountain, movie casts playing their roles, people who are homeless sleeping on benches, farmers selling produce, gun violence opponents bowing in silence, hundreds of bicyclists ready to command the streets, blues, country, gospel, and jazz musicians, workers sunning at lunchtime, Sox fans rejoicing, sister-city promoters, creches, menorahs, and crescents and stars, and placard-carrying/bullhorn-proclaiming/marching stalwarts for most everything.’
“Yet suddenly, he said, the city seems to be reconsidering if our rights will be respected.
“‘Daley Plaza is the public square in Chicago,’ Rev. Blackwell said. ‘As the mayor and the City Council discuss circumscribing the people’s use of the plaza during the summits coming in May and then extending the limitations indefinitely, the question is: Do they have any capacity for nuance? The first indication suggests that the answer is, No.'”
Chicagoans For Ron Paul
Rand, race and revolution.
Chicago’s Gift of Gospel
From Mahalia Jackson to Rev. James Meeks’ daughter.
How To Be Black
And a ninja.
Why It’s A Great Time To . . .
. . . Buy A Gold Coast Mansion!
John Lucas III vs. Caleb Hanie
Bulls smart, Bears dumb.
WGN’s Dirty Weather Maps
Cockadoodle do.
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Goodbye, Roufus
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Hum along.
Posted on January 12, 2012