Okay, So I'm A Very Bad Person...

From Robert Feder:

There won't be a VH1 special on Chicago's wedding of the year after all: Sun-Times nightlife columnist Susanna Homan and free-lance photographer Eric Sawitoski have called off their engagement and canceled their August nuptials.

I bet on under, but it only paid even odds.

Curse You Media! Why Won't You Leave That Obviously Shy Girl Alone?

"With the media, it's like, 'You really
just have to leave me alone right now.'"
-- Britney Spears in OK! Magazine

Dreamy "Man's Man" to Attent Gay Games

After this Sun-Times article, what will Peter LaBarbera think of Ozzie "a man's man" Guillen:

Going to the Gay Games "is something Ozzie would do for fun. It's something he would want to see and do, to go out with friends," said Guillen's friend and hairdresser Edwin Quiros, who is gay.

"He just wants to do things like that. He's a cool guy. It's what I expect Ozzie to do."

Gay Games VII spokesman Kevin Boyer said -- gay slur not withstanding -- that Guillen should expect a warm welcome.

"We're glad to hear he'll be attending because it demonstrates how the gay games brings people together -- whether straight or gay -- through competition. There's no hurt feelings. He's apologized . . . he won't do it again," he said.

"It's cool that Ozzie will be at the center of two events that unite the city. The Gay Games on one hand and the World Series on the other."

With or without Ozzie, I am sure that we can count on Petey and his videocamera to document each and every moment of the gay games for "future use."

Lemons into Lemonade

Despite their thorough coverage, the Capital Fax and Archpundit have overlooked one noteworthy aspect of the notorious Fitzgerald letter (pdf):

We are also sensitive to ensuring the maximum recovery of possible State of Illinois losses from the alleged criminal conduct we are investigating. I assure you that we will vigorously seek to protect the State’s interest in this regard, as we would for any victim of an alleged crime. In particular, should there be a federal indictment resulting from our investigation, under the federal Mandatory Victim Restitution Act (MVRA) any defendants convicted in any such case must ordered to pay full restitution to any victim.

Furthermore, should the United States seek the forfeiture of assets, we would likely agree to equitably remit any forfeited assets to any victim of the crimes charged to the extendt necessary to make the crime victim whole. And we can assure you that if, through our investigation and any subsequent trial, we are able to demonstate that the State of Illinois was such a victim, we would pursue whatever remedies are available through restitution or forfeiture to return any losses sustained by Illinois to the state’s coffers.

They say that the Chinese have a single word for "crisis" and "opportunity" -- People of Illinois, this is our "cris-itunity"!

The governors' office should be soliciting parties who wish to bid for the right to future revenues due Illinois in the form of forfeitures and restitution. Much like the Skyway lease, a bidder would pay an up-front sum in exchange for any money that comes into the state's coffers as the result of this federal prosecution. And if bidders expect the degree of fraud that the feds will uncover in Illinois government to be high, they will bid accordingly.

The value of fraud in governmental hiring in Illinois likely exceeds the value of the lottery and Thompson Center combined.

Finally, government corruption that pays off for the citizens of Illinois!

It's a Fixer-Upper

In your Chicago Sun-Times, columnist Andy Ihnatko explains why your blog sucks.

Mr. Ihnatko featured my personal pet peeve -- "You feel as though rules of grammar, punctuation and sentence structure are just chains that the man uses to keep you down."

But he did not include the failing of particularly evident in "The So-Called 'Austin Mayor' blog": an offensive appearance due to a repulsive color scheme coupled with a mishmash of sidebar buttons.

Although it is always better to chose substance over style, it is evident that substance is the winner here by default. And fortunately, the RSS feeds strip away most of this blog's many design shortcomings.

Huzzah! Chicago's MSM Bloggers

I have little doubt that someone in the Chicago contingent of the Washington press corps will write something to annoy me by sundown, but I just have to take a moment to post my appreciation of Lynn Sweet of your Chicago Sun-Times and the denizens of The Swamp at your Chicago Tribune for regularly posting raw information on their blogs.

Yesterday, as I watched numerous bloggers pontificate about Sen. Obama's speech about religion and politics, I realized that most were commenting on the media coverage of the speech and not the actual speech itself.

Yes, the same bloggers who cry to high heaven that the main stream media produces biased stories treated the wire service version of the speech, i.e. Obama "chastised" secular Democrats, as gospel truth. Like the prisoners in Plato's cave, those bloggers presumed to fully understand the nature of Sen. Obama's entire speech when they only saw its shadow -- the AP account of the speech.

But some of us, were able to look at the entire speech and place Sen. Obama's remarks about embracing evangelicals into a larger context. And we were able to do that because Lynn Sweet posted the entire speech on her blog. The full text is now available at Sen. Obama's site, but for much of the day Ms. Sweet's blog was the only source for bloggers and others who wanted to see what was behind the press coverage.

And today in The Swamp, Mark Silva has posted the data from a new Los Angeles Tiimes/Bloomberg poll on Mr. Bush's performance and the high price of gasoline.

While some complain about the awkward format created by so many columns of numbers in a blog, I for one am pleased that the raw data is out there for regular citizens to analyze if we chose to. Personally, I would rather post an Obama speech exegisis than delve into the possible meaning poll numbers but this kind of democratization of information is vital and appreciated.

So hats off to the Sun-Times and Tribune D.C. bloggers for this valuable -- but too often unheralded -- service to their readers.

Visit Lombard, Illinois: The Lilac Village!

USA TODAY/Gallup Poll: High Gas Prices Are Crimping Vacations.

Only 39.8% of consumers plan to take a vacation within the next six months, a 28-year low, the Conference Board said Tuesday.

That's the fourth consecutive decline measured by the organization, which asks the question every other month. ***

One-third of respondents in the survey of 1,000 adults taken Friday through Sunday said they are changing summer vacation plans because of higher gas prices.

Of those changing plans, 37% said they would reduce the number of trips normally taken, while 26% said they're canceling plans or simply can't afford to vacation. Some 23% will take shorter trips.

In addition to Lombard, it's my understanding there is something happening in Naperville.

Sen. Obama: The Connection Between Religion and Politics

Lynn Sweet, Washington collumnist for your Chicago Sun-Times, has posted the full text of Sen. Barack Obama's remarks to Call to Renewal’s Building a Covenant for a New America conference:

Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God’s will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.

This may be difficult for those who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, as many evangelicals do. But in a pluralistic democracy, we have no choice. Politics depends on our ability to persuade each other of common aims based on a common reality. It involves the compromise, the art of the possible. At some fundamental level, religion does not allow for compromise. It insists on the impossible. If God has spoken, then followers are expected to live up to God’s edicts, regardless of the consequences. To base one’s life on such uncompromising commitments may be sublime; to base our policy making on such commitments would be a dangerous thing.

Sen. Obama's speeches never fail to inspire and this one is no exception.

And as I said, you can read the whole speech here.

If You Love America, You'll Go.

Everyone knows that real Americans celebrate our national birthday with bottlerockets. But in our politically correct age, how can you properly celebrate our nation's birth and stay out of the clutches of the trial lawyers?¹

By seeing The Bottle Rockets at Naperville's Ribfest.

The Bottle Rockets -- the finest rock and roll combo in these United States -- perform on the Brian R. Schultz Rock & Roll Stage at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, July 3rd.

You know what I think, but what do the critics say about The Bottle Rockets?

"No other band personifies the hard-working, low-key mystique of the insurgent country/alt-country scene better than The Bottle Rockets." - The Onion, June 7, 2006

"Frontman Brian Henneman may cry in his beer, wrestle with romance or rail at a highway cop, the Mississippi River or even his motor vehicles, but he has always sung about something bigger: perseverance, tolerance, real values, character." -- Barry Gilbert, St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

What's more American than "perseverance, tolerance, real values and character"?

Nothin'.

You may say there's a better way to get in the spirit on Independence Eve than The Bottle Rockets and ribs -- but then, you sir, are a liar or a fool.

The Bottle Rockets at Naperville's Ribfest -- you better be there.

¹If you found yourself agreeing with this sarcastic sentence, you should probably consider attending the performance by The Charlie Daniels Band on July 4th.

Charlie Daniels: It's country music without the thinkin'.

Setting the Record Straight

Via Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Mariotti's daddy says everyone picks on Jay because he is courageous -- not because he is an a--hole.

Bender: Get Your Gore On!

A Terrifying Message from Al Gore

Also -- From the New York Post:

The quirky animated show from "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening was canceled by Fox about two years ago, but will return with at least 13 new episodes on Comedy Central by 2008.

This is only the second time in television history that a show sent to TV's trash heap has been resurrected. Curiously, the first was "Family Guy," also an animated Fox show. ***

The show stars voice-over megastar Billy West (whose elastic vocal chords have provided the voices for nearly 120 different cartoons) as Philip J. Fry, a bumbling slacker from the 20th century who is accidentally cryogenically frozen in 1999 and wakes up 1,000 years later.

It is believed that the new episodes will also be released on DVD.

"Futurama" star Katey Sagal confirmed the return of the show on Comedy Central Tuesday night during an appearance on Craig Ferguson's "Late Late Show."

On Fox, "Futurama" never developed the same buzz or following of its sister show, "The Simpsons," but has since become one of the biggest shows on Adult Swim.

Fox may also have the option to air the new episodes, although it is highly unlikely to do so, according to industry sources.'

Ultimately, will Bender or his pal, Al Gore, win the title of comeback kid?

DuPage Democrats Rally to Support Pate Phillip

No, not the infamous GOP strongman.

Rob Bisceglie's team is supporting the state park in DuPage County that bears the name of the notorious Mr. Phillip.

:: Rally to Save our State Park ::
Saturday, June 24, Starting at 1:00 PM

Fight together with Rob to protect and promote the only state park in our region- Pate Philip State Park. Last year, the State and DuPage County managed to keep the park open only after public pressure lead them to find funding in last minute closed-door negotiations. Next week, that money will run out. Bring friends, family, and signs as we draw attention to the plight of our local state park.

Where: 2050 W. Stearns Rd, Bartlett
More info: As always, all are welcome. Feel free to call the Bisceglie campaign at 630.523-5748 with any questions.

If you can imagine a Republican candidate working to support an "Emil Jones, Jr. State Park," then your imagination is far superior to mine.

UPDATE: Is Rob Bisceglie
already successfully fighting for his neighbors in Springfield? It sure looks like it?

James "Pate" Philip State Park--located where DuPage, Cook and Kane Counties converge--will expand services under a new funding agreement, the state's Department of Natural Resources announced Friday.

The agreement came just a week before last year's funding arrangement was due to expire--and it followed a year in which the west-suburban park--one of the nearest state parks to downtown Chicago--saw visitation drop sharply as it ran on bare-bones staffing and with both programming and hours reduced.

Will Rob Bisceglie win for you?

Hell yes -- he already has.

Caliban the Bomb!

From the inbox: DuPage Against War Now (DAWN) will host a special performance of Wild Bill Shakespeare's The Tempest on Friday, June 23rd in Oak Brook.

The event -- which will be performed under the stars on the grounds of the Peabody Estate in Oak Brook, Illinois -- will raise funds to support DAWN's "Bring Troops Home" referendum on the November '06 ballot in DuPage County.

A tailgate-style reception will take place prior to the event outside the grounds of the mansion starting at 6 pm, where a variety of drinks and nibbles will be served. The performance starts at 8:15 pm.

Tickets are $30.

For more information visit www.d-a-w-n.org or call 630-469-4931.

Midlife Crisis to Solve Recruitment Crisis?

Are you looking for something to fill your empty days
now that the kids have graduated and moved out of the house?



Join the Army!

Roskam: "Stop Me Before I Sue Again!"

Zorn Gets Results!

Welcome to the Library

I love libraries and librarians.

The persons responsible for this will burn in hell:

New restrictions on library access mean homeless children can no longer borrow books from the Porter County (Indiana) library system. ***

In a letter dated May 11, the library informed Porter County shelters their residents will face restrictions after the library claims it lost more than $4,000 worth of books and audio-visual materials in the last four to five years because of temporary shelter residents who failed to return the items.

The policy allows adults residing in the temporary shelters to receive a renewable library card on a three-month basis. Those adults will be allowed to check out no more that three print or audio-visual items.

Children 17 and under who live in the shelters will not be eligible for a library card, the policy states.

Porter County Public Library assistant director James Cline said library records showed a number of people with addresses of local shelters had failed to return materials over the last four to five years. The result, Cline said, was a loss of about $4,200.

It’s not clear what percentage of the library’s losses the dollar figure represents. ***

Porter County policy for anyone other than shelter residents allows for children to check out materials as long as they have permission from a parent or guardian.

Donald C. Johnson, the Porter County library director can be reached here: djohnson@pcpls.lib.in.us and James D. Cline, the asst. director, can be reached here: jcline@pcpls.lib.in.us You can reach the Porter County library by phone here: (219) 462-0524

And the heroes at the American Library Association, 50 E. Huron Chicago, IL 60611, will take your toll free call at this number: 1-800-545-2433

via Bookslut

Destination Universe

Your Chicago Tribune's Mark Caro remembers the brilliant Jim Ellison:

Suicide is always shocking, whether it’s a singer who has written a song called “I Hate Myself and Want To Die” (Kurt Cobain) or someone whose work and apparent attitude toward life showed few signs of such deep despair.

I still remember all too vividly my stomach-in-throat feeling upon hearing that Jim Ellison, the irrepressible lead singer/songwriter of the Chicago-gone-national band Material Issue, had been found dead at age 31 of carbon monoxide poisoning in his garage, a suicide note left near his body.

That was 10 years ago today (Tuesday), which seems incredible in itself.

more...

If there were any justice in the world, Chicago's flags would be flying at half-staff today.

African School To Be Named After Obama

From WBBM 780:

A school in Mali is being built for Illinois Senator Barack Obama. The junior senator was told the news Monday morning at a breakfast that encourages community service.

"Building With Books" is a worldwide program that is designed to empower young people through community service. The money raised through tutoring, helping the homeless and at soup kitchens is then used to build schools in remote villages of developing countries.

more...

Maybe that will convince Tom Roeser.

Zorn: Kick Me!

Eric Zorn is begging you to take your best shot.

And if you can't think of something insulting to say to a guy enjoys square-dancing, you need to take a long look in the mirror.

Questions About Denny's Drive-Thru

I don't know Denny Hastert's spokesman Ron Bonjean, so I can't tell you whether he holds the public in contempt or if he thinks we are all fools. But this story from your Chicago Tribune about Denny's windfall profit for flipping land near his Prairie Parkway indicates it is one or the other:

Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert and two partners turned a profit of more than $3 million on property they accumulated and sold in just over three years near the route of a proposed controversial freeway on the western fringe of suburban Chicago, according to land records and financial disclosure reports released Wednesday.

Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean rejected the notion that the land, located 5 1/2 miles from the proposed Prairie Parkway route, rose in value because of the highway project. The speaker long has been an aggressive proponent of the highway and helped secure more than $200 million in federal funding through an earmark in federal transportation legislation.

Of course he has. But the question is not whether the Prairie Parkway was a new idea. The question is whether Denny's personal profit of more than a million dollars was due to some abuse of his position as speaker.

The property near Plano, Ill., was sold three months after the transportation bill was signed into law. It was purchased by a real estate developer who is planning to build more than 1,500 homes on the land.

Kendall County, where the land is located, has one of the fastest-growing housing markets in the nation, and there has been a corollary rapid rise in land values. ***

Hastert received five-eighths of the proceeds from the land sale, said Dallas Ingemunson, one of his partners. That indicates a profit of more than $1.5 million for Hastert. ***

Bonjean said the speaker had fully complied with financial disclosure rules for members of Congress and had simply profited from a well-timed real estate investment.

"For 26 years, the speaker has been a proponent of the Prairie Parkway to address the transportation challenges in northeast Illinois," Bonjean said. "None of the properties purchased by the speaker are near enough to the Prairie Parkway to be affected by the proposed highway."

That's right. Mr. Bonjean thinks you will believe that having an expressway built five miles away has no effect on a property's value. As I said above, I don't know if he thinks you are stupid enough to believe that load of bull or if he doesn't give a damn if you believe it or not.

Kendall County land records show the 138-acre parcel was transferred to a real estate developer in a sale valued at $4,989,000 in December 2005, about three months after the highway legislation was signed into law.

The land had been accumulated in phases. The first 69-acre parcel was part of the purchase of a larger 196-acre farm made under the name of the speaker's wife, Jean Hastert, in August 2002. According to land records, she paid $2,125,000 for the property. On a per-acre basis, the original prorated cost to Hastert of the parcel included in the later deal was $868,000.

The remainder sold to the developer was purchased by a land trust in which Hastert shared a quarter-interest in February 2004. The partnership paid $1,033,000 for the parcel, according to land records. In addition to Ingemunson, the other partner was Thomas Klatt, a local trucking company owner who also has been a long-time supporter and campaign contributor to Hastert, Bonjean said.

Bonjean said he could not immediately determine how the partnership divided the proceeds. He added that the value of the two parcels was enhanced by combining them because the land purchased by the partnership gave the property direct access to a roadway.

So Mr. Bonjean apparently understands that transportation availablity enhanced the value of Denny's property -- but doesn't seem to understand that the transportation opportunities offered by a 200 million dollar expressway would also enhance the value of that property.

The developer who purchased the land said the proposed Prairie Parkway was not a deciding factor in making the deal.

"We would have done the transaction whether it [the parkway] was proposed or not," said Arthur Zwemke, a partner in Robert Arthur Land Co. who also has been a donor over the years to Hastert's campaigns.

Once again, this misses the point. I don't doubt that Mr. Zwemke might have purchased the property even if the Pairie Parkway had not been funded. The question that needs to be asked is, "Would he have paid as much if Denny hadn't secured federal funds to put in the nearby expressway?"

More important than the planned freeway are the land's location in the fast-growing western exurban Chicago corridor, a favorable political climate for growth, and the availability of good infrastructure like water and sewer, he said.

Again, he might have purchased it, but would that purchase -- without the expressway -- have resulted in such a windfall profit for Denny?

Zwemke said he inherited the financial terms for all of the land in contracts acquired from another developer, who decided not to pursue the project.

He acknowledged that he paid a price well above what Hastert and his Little Rock partners paid in assembling the property in less than four years, but said, "We have a fair deal. Everything was market value."

But what would the property's market value have been if Denny had not seen to it that an $200M expressway was built nearby?

The site is attractive, Zwemke said, because the land for it was assembled in just two transactions, the one with Little Rock and another concluded last August with the owners of an adjacent 589-acre farm.

Say it with me: The question isn't whether the site is attractive or if the parcels of land would have been sold if Hastert's Prairie Porkway had not been federally funded.

The question is: Could the Speaker of the House and his partners have flipped the property for such a huge profit, in such a short time, if not for Denny's using his power as Speaker to earmark $200 million dollars of taxpayer money to build a freeway nearby?

Unlike Mr. Bonjean, I think you are smart enough to figure out the answer.

UPDATE: Think Progress has a "graphic timeline explaining how House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) used a federal earmark to turn a $1.5 million profit"

2,500 Troops

From your Chicago Tribune's Swamp:

The White House today was asked for the president's reaction to news that the 2,500th member of the American military had died in Iraq.

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"It's a number," said Tony Snow, the White House press secretary.

Obama: Progressives Know What They Stand For

Art Levine of Mojo Blog says Obama gets it:

On the final day of a largely inspiring Take Back America progressive conference, Sen. Barack Obama offered in a powerful, well-received speech a searing critique of Bush administration policies, borrowing from Newt Gingrich's recommended attack phrase, "Had enough?," yet at the same time providing reassurance and hope for progressives.

He told us that we know who we are and we stand for goals that appeal to the best in Americans:

The time for our identity crisis as progressives is over. Don't let anybody tell you that we don't know what we stand for. ***

We understand that we get a three-for: We can save our economy, our environment and stop funding both sides of the war on terror if we actually get serious about doing something about energy. We understand that.

We understand as progressives that we need a tough foreign policy. But we know the other side has a monopoly on the tough and dumb strategy. We're looking for the tough and smart strategy one that battles the forces of terrorism and fundamentalism, but understands that it's not just a matter of military might alone, but we've got to match it with the power of our diplomacy and the strength of alliances and the power of our ideals; and that when we do go to war, we should be honest with the American people about why we're there and how we expect to win.

We understand as progressives that we believe in open and honest government that doesn't peddle the agenda of which ever lobbyist or special interest can write the biggest check.

And if we believe on all these things and if we act on it, then I guarantee you America is looking for us to lead. And if we do it, it's not going to be a Democratic agenda or a liberal agenda or a progressive agenda, it's going to be an American agenda.

If we act on it...

That's where D.C. Democrats so often fall short.

Obama Obsessing

According to his 2005 financial disclosure statement, Barack Obama has a sweet Gibson Les Paul Guitar and over $100K in his checking account.

Prairie Porkway: Denny Hastert's Retirement Plan

TPMmuckraker reveals Rep. Denny Hastert's sure-fire investment strategy: Buy Low, Earmark Funds to Build Nearby Highway, Sell High

Over at the Sunlight Foundation, they've found Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) taking a page from Rep. Ken Calvert's (R-CA) investment playbook.

For years, Hastert has been pushing the construction of a highway called the Prairie Parkway in Illinois. He secured $207 million in earmarks to support the project. But what he didn't tell constituents was that he owned a huge plot of farmland just a few miles from where the road would run. And now that the project's gone through, the land has been tranferred to a real estate development firm with plans to build a 1,600 home community. The land has already improved in value by millions of dollars.

I wonder how much Hastert will ultimately make on the deal?

More at the Sunlight Foundation.

"The Most Exclusive Club"

From The Hill:

DiversityInc, a magazine that focuses on race in the workplace, found that only 6 percent of the of 4,100 Senate employees nationwide belong to a racial minority.

The article in the magazine’s June 2006 issue says, “People of color are virtually nonexistent when it comes to the most influential Washington, D.C.-based Senate aides.”

Racial minorities account for 7.6 percent of some 1,000 senior positions, whereas 24 percent of corporate managers are minorities. ***

Illinois Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama were cited as examples of senators who successfully hire minorities.

Successfully hire minorities?

What does that mean?

Does that mean that other senators are trying to hire minorities but they just aren't as good at that task? Does it mean that Illinois' senators actively recruit minority employees? Or does it simply mean that Sens. Durbin and Obama, unlike the majority of their colleagues, hire minorities?

In any event, congratulations to Richard Durbin and Barack Obama on their success.

D@W: "Quotes from President Bush's Surprise Visit to Iraq"

From Francesco Marciuliano, the Baghdad bureau chief for Drink at Work:

"The last time I visited Iraq was for Thanksgiving in 2003. But apparently this country celebrates it on a different day than we do."

"What happens in Baghdad stays in Baghdad. Seriously. I want a single shared camera for the press pool and a 45-minute broadcast delay on all news coverage."

"Now that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has filled the final positions in his government I believe we have enough support to finally overturn Roe v. Wade."

more...

A Headline that Demands More Specificity

"Kennedy Pleads Guilty to DUI"

Fish Tales

In the Beachwood Reporter, Steve Rhodes sums up the drama of the Cook County presidency in two sentences:

If John Stroger is as lucid as his supporters say he is, his performance during this soap opera proves him unworthy of retaining his position. If he is as sick as the media seems to think he is, those who are secretly colluding to take his job while publicly propping Stroger up are unworthy of the position.

Rhodes singles out Ald. William Beavers for talking "out of his ass." And this Sun-Times report certainly supports Rhodes contention:

Beavers said he knows Stroger is getting better because on Thursday, "he wanted a friend of mine to bring him some fish to eat. A person ordering these kinds of things, that means his mind is competent and he knows what he wants to eat," Beavers said.

It reminds me of that ages-old aphorism:

If you give a man a fish,
then he'll eat for a day.
If the man orders fish,
then he is clearly capable
of directing the administrative
functions of Cook County government.

Or something like that.

Sen. Durbin Neutral on Internet Neutrality

Joshua Micah Marshall of Talking Points Memo reports that Sen. Durbin is "in the Finger in the Wind (FIW) category on Net Neutrality," i.e. he either refuses to say where he stands or is "studying the issue."

You can tell Sen. Durbin you want him to support Internet Neutrality and keep companies like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast from deciding which Web sites work best for you via the internet here

And he can also be reached at the following 20th Century addresses and numbers:

Washington, DC
332 Dirksen Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-2152
(202) 228-0400 - fax

Chicago
(312) 353-4952
(312) 353-0150 - fax

Springfield
(217 ) 492-4062
(217) 492-4382 - fax

Marion
(618) 998-8812
(618) 997-0176 - fax

TPM reports that Sen. Obama is in favor of Net Neutrality.

UPDATE: Sen. Obama addressed Net Neutrality in his podcast.

It is because the Internet is a neutral platform that I can put out this podcast and transmit it over the Internet without having to go through any corporate media middleman. I can say what I want without censorship or without having to pay a special charge.

But the big telephone and cable companies want to change the Internet as we know it. They say that they want to create high speed lanes on the Internet and strike exclusive contractual agreements with Internet content providers for access to those high speed lanes.

Everyone who cannot pony up the cash will be relegated to the slow lanes.

Thanks Annonymous

The Hideous Truth — Tom Roeser is Grotesque

If the Sun-Times has ever regretted letting the wit and wisdom of Tom Roeser slip away, today's posting -- The Hideous Truth—the Obama Phenomenon is All About Good Caucasian-Like Looks -- should put such concerns to rest:

Obama, a mulatto, has a white mother and black father: thus he looks vaguely more representatively white than black and as such is white liberal America’s idea as the first black president. He could play one on “West Wing.”
Edward Brooke, the liberal Republican Senator from Massachusetts, who had far more experience than Obama (having been state attorney general and a two-term Senator) was never regarded as a presidential contender: reason, he could not be mistaken for a white man. He was also Republican but that was of less importance than his looks.
This article will be cited as horrendous by the political correctionists -- but the writer is too old to be dismayed by the cosmetician obfuscators.
You read it here first: The reason Obama is mentioned so often by the media for president is that he is half white and visibly so -- and liberals who are nothing if not hypocritical, deem him easier to accept and elect than were he fulsomely black.

At the risk of being labeled a "political correctionist," I must ask: Why is it that conservatives like Mr. Roeser are unable to accept the idea that a black man like Sen. Obama is appealing because of his ideas, his eloquence and his charm? I would submit that it is because some conservatives are simply incapable of attributing the success of a black politician like Sen. Obama to his merit rather than his race.

For years, conservatives have asserted that most blacks only reached positions of power due to affirmative action or racial cliquishness. So if a black man graduates from Harvard, it must be because of racial quotas. And if a black woman gets elected, it must be because black voters (and some guilt-wracked white liberals) voted for her skin color.

Then along comes Barack Obama. And Mr. Roeser, apparently unable consider a black politician's advancement in any terms other than ones racially-based, asserts that serious consideration of Sen. Obama as a presidential candidate is -- surprise, surprise -- due to his race. But that doesn't go far enough for Mr. Roeser. Instead, he claims, without any support whatever, that hypocritical white liberals only like the idea of Obama for president because he... looks white?!?

First of all, Sen. Obama could not be "mistaken for a white man." The man is black. His wife is black. His kids are -- say it with me -- black. He wrote and speaks often of visiting his father's grave in AFRICA. And no one in the nation has ever asked himself, "Why is that white man's father buried in Africa?" Barack Obama is a black man and he looks like a black man.

Perhaps Mr. Roeser, "too old to be dismayed by the cosmetician obfuscators," has simply transposed "good Caucasian-like looks" for "handsome enough to challenge a straight white male's heterosexuality."

It's okay, Tom. We all think it.

Secondly, by stating that "the Obama phenomenon is all about" the senator's "good Caucasian-like looks," Mr. Roeser denies the significance of every other aspect of Sen. Obama and his accomplishments. It casts aside the values that Sen. Obama demonstrated as a community organizer and as a civil rights attorney. It belittles Sen. Obama's academic accomplishments. And it trivializes Sen. Obama's unparalleled skills as a communicator.

Mr. Roeser's post attempts to reduce a man who is a graduate of Harvard law, an instructor at the University of Chicago and a United States Senator to "a mulatto."

But the only man diminished by Mr. Roeser's grotesque commentary is Mr. Roeser.

The Four Crazy Horsemen of the Apocalypse

A new Bottle Rockets compact disc on 06/06/06?

Well, I'll be damned.

Their eighth album and second release on Bloodshot Records, Zoysia is the latest sample of The Bottle Rockets' tenaciousness. Produced by Jeff Powell (Afghan Whigs, 16 Horsepower) at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis (Al Green, Big Star) and captured largely in two or three takes, Zoysia represents the city where it was recorded; honeydew sweet with it’s own unique groove.

On the heels of a litany of knee-jerking changes measuring 4 years deep, this album finds the band (Brian Henneman--guitar/ vocals, Mark Ortmann--drums, John Horton--guitar, and newest and final member, Keith Voegele--bass/vocals) the proudest they've ever been of any other recorded works.

With Zoysia, the Bottle Rockets nail the scruffy romantic, dirty fingernail rock of the Midwest and soak up the soulful vibes that ooze from the historic walls of Ardent Studios, all the while channeling some serious cascading Crazy Horse squall. Lyrically, the band's underdog outlook finds the optimism on the other side of the screen door. Add it all up and what you get is something that's all its own, something that is pure Bottle Rockets.

Full of ambition and a palpable sense of renewed determination, Zoysia leaps from the speakers and takes you on that long, strange trip. Like the hardy, creeping grass after which it's named, Zoysia takes hold and won't let go--its roots run deep and wide, reminding you why you fell in love with the band in the first place.

"He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name." -- Rev. 13:16

You can buy Zoysia at the Bloodshot Records site, the Undertow Records site, or you can pick the disc up at the Bottle Rocket's record release show this Saturday at the Beast Kitchen Beat Kitchen.

Tuesday, June 6, 2006: "Devilish"

Anton Szandor LaVey -- founder of the Church
of Satan -- was born in Chicago, IL in 1930.

Gor-Al: Last Son of Earth?

Elliot S. Maggin, the main Superman scribe during my youth, ponders planetary-scale heroism for the El-A Times:

I have often thought that doctors and scientists, trained to concern themselves with truth and human values, would be more suitable candidates to set public policy than those schooled in law, economics and management who commonly populate our public servants' talent pool.

But on Krypton, either the essential nature of scientists diverged from that of the open-minded and collaborative types with whom we are familiar here on Earth, or generations of "scientific" rule had befouled the Kryptonian leaders to the degree that they became as shortsighted and starchy as those who traditionally administer our own public affairs.

Like the Science Council, our leaders reacted with guffaws when one of our own rose to sound an earthshaking alarm. As a professional fabulist, by contrast, my reaction to Al Gore's 1992 book, "Earth in the Balance," was one of enormous excitement. It had pathos and drama, and extraordinary ideas expressed clearly and simply: a proposal for a new paradigm for the relationship between humanity and the planet.

Now comes "An Inconvenient Truth," with Al Gore as Jor-El.

more...

People, we could have had Superman's dad as president instead of the half-wit supervillain currently occupying the Whitehouse.

Douglas Edwards, Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, Bob Schieffer...

Katie Couric's first broadcast as anchor of the
CBS Evening News will be Tuesday, September 5, 2006.

NOTICE: This Blog Post Was NOT Written by Sen. Barack Obama

From Journal Inquirer:

A Hartford lawyer says the FBI has agreed to investigate postings promoting Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman's re-election on a popular Connecticut-based Internet "blog" in the names of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

Bruce D. Rubenstein, a former finance chairman for the Democratic State Central Committee and a Lieberman critic, said Wednesday that an agent in the FBI's Meriden office told him the agency would probe the postings on the "Connecticut Local Politics" Web log run by an Enfield man, Chris Bigelow. ***

Meanwhile, a spokesman in Obama's Washington, D.C., office, Tommy Vietor, said Wednesday that he could state "unequivocally" that "there is no way" the Illinois senator sent any messages to the Connecticut blog.

He added that "whoever" posted one of the messages, which he said appeared to be based on reports of Obama's comments at the Connecticut Democrats' annual fundraising dinner, had spelled his first name incorrectly, dropping the "c." ***

Rubenstein said such messages stopped within a few days of the party's nominating convention after he had sent messages to both Reid and Obama in a bid to determine their authenticity.

The lawyer formally requested that the FBI probe the postings on May 10, writing that he strongly suspected they were not made by either of the high-profile politicians.

Connecticut Democrats are truly blessed to have someone with such sharp political instincts.

It's Hard Out Here...

From your Chicago Sun-Times:

A pimp who dreamed of one day airing his exploits on cable TV was instead sentenced Wednesday to more than 17 years in federal prison for adding two underage girls to his stable of south suburban trailer-park prostitutes.

If your reading this just for laughs, turn back now.

For the rest of you, just try to keep up with the instances of failed parenting in this story:

"I'm not a menace to society," David "Super Dave" Phillips stammered before he was slapped with the 210-month term. ***

Phillips, 38, admitted the two runaways from Aunt Martha's Group Home for Troubled Youth in Glenwood -- ages 14 and 16 -- joined another half-dozen prostitutes he kept in mobile homes in Lynwood and Sauk Village. Soon afterward, they were sent across the state line to turn tricks in Indiana. ***

Phillips ultimately pleaded guilty to juvenile sex-trafficking charges, and admitted that he had sex with the girls himself. According to court papers, the six older prostitutes all had a version of "David" tattooed on their bodies, and three said they were pregnant by him. ***

Phillips' mother, called to testify as a character witness, insisted her son is a "really good person." She knew about his prostitutes, but not that one was 14.

Under cross-examination, Frankie Phillips said she also was aware her son beat his prostitutes -- and explained to the incredulous prosecutor that she wasn't particularly bothered by it.

"I didn't see anyone who looked hurt, and they still talked about how much they loved him," Frankie Phillips said.

Stories like this make me wonder why Creationists would ever blame the existence of humanity on their God.