By Steve Rhodes
The biggest inconvenience of the NATO summit this weekend to me personally is that I’m too tied up this week to properly digest the coverage along with the rest of the news; it may be a light week here depending on productivity gains in other pressing areas. Unfortunately, the news doesn’t wait for me.
1. Democrats Form Third Party To Challenge Derrick Smith.
It’s called the Not Indicted Wing Of The Democratic Party.
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“People interested in the new 10th District Unity Party can go to www.10thdistrictunityparty.com according to David Druker, spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White. Forty-seven questions are asked, ranging from whether a person has committed a crime to what potential candidates’ legislative priorities would be.”
Including: Have you now or have you ever been shown the money?
2. “Police officers from Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C. will assist the Chicago Police Department in handling thousands of protesters expected to descend on Chicago for this weekend’s NATO summit,” the Sun-Times reports.
Good. Spread the cost of the inevitable brutality lawsuits around.
3. “Cook County commissioners agreed Monday to pay $600,000 to settle the county’s portion of a lawsuit brought by a freed prison inmate whose allegations of police torture have shined a spotlight on former Mayor Richard Daley,” the Tribune reports.
“By voting to settle, commissioners removed county government as a defendant in the case brought by Michael Tillman, who alleges that detectives working for then-Chicago police Lt. Jon Burge tortured a confession out of him in a 1986 rape and murder case.”
Good for Tillman, bad for us. Why?
“According to Tillman’s lawsuit, former Assistant State’s Attorney Timothy Frenzer was in a South Side police station during most of Tillman’s interrogation and knew Tillman was ‘being subjected to torture and abuse,’ the lawsuit alleged.
“The settlement removed Frenzer as a defendant.”
Now we will never know; Frenzer won’t be deposed – if he hasn’t yet – and will never have to testify. Silence has been bought in reverse.
4. Rahm Emanuel Most Popular Among Rich White Men.
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Other true Tribune poll findings:
* 140 of 700 Chicago voters asked had no opinion of Rahm’s job performance.
* Only 16 percent of those polled thought the city was better off under Rahm’s reign; 17 percent thought the city wasn’t.
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And:
“After taking office, Emanuel pledged that he wouldn’t ‘nickel-and-dime’ taxpayers for budget fixes. But Emanuel has raised water and sewer rates, city vehicle stickers and instituted other fine increases.
“The poll found that 44 percent of city voters said Emanuel has not lived up to his pledge versus 38 percent who said he has.”
5. Matt Spiegel singing on The Score this morning: Tony, Tony Campana/The fastest Cub north of Urbana.
6. NATO’s endless wars.
7. Courage Watch.
8. Bush vs. Obama: A National Security Quiz.
9. The White Sox are the least shifting team in the majors.
10. A faithful Beachwood reader notes:
Dear Annie: For the past 20 years, I have sent my nieces and nephews birthday cards with $50 checks – until they graduated college.I have also sent high school and college graduation, shower, wedding and baby gifts.
My kids are in their early teens. This practice is no longer reciprocated by one sister-in-law. The kids will say, “Auntie forgot my birthday again.” I tell them it’s nice to get a gift, but they shouldn’t expect one. But it makes me furious that this particular sister-in-law has stopped sending gifts. Money is not an issue for her. She is just rude and thoughtless.
If it were my own sister, I would say something, but I don’t feel it is my place to address my husband’s sister. How do I get over feeling slighted and hurt for my kids? – Nicer Aunt
vs.
Dear Margo: I have been sending my nieces and nephews birthday gifts for the past 20 years. They are now in their 20s and early 30s. I sent the gifts until they graduated college, and now I just send a card. The problem is that my children are young teens, and this practice is not reciprocated by one s-i-l. Money is not an issue for her. My children say, “Auntie forgot my birthday again,” and I tell them they should not expect people to send gifts, but it is nice when they do.
I am ticked and feel slighted for my children. I have sent the offending aunt’s kids presents for birthdays, high school and college graduations, showers, weddings, and new babies. I feel she is rude and thoughtless. Am I wrong to feel this way? I find myself upset and obsessing about this. Should she be confronted in some way? – Feeling Slighted
11. Catching up with Quentin Young joining activists opposing Rahm’s closing of six city mental health clinics.
12. NATO Tours.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Boxed and briefed.
Posted on May 15, 2012