It's debate time.

First question:
Kerry: Sucking up the FLA and not answering the question. How will you prevent a 9-11 type attack it was not a question about the war in Iraq.

Bush: Bit tossed by the FLA suckup. Poiting out how we are going after Al Quida also talking about Iraq.


Second Question: Will electing Kerry increase the risks of a terrorist attack.
Bush: Interesting start (Kerry will not be elected) they know what I belive.. Not answering the question of is America less safe with Kerry. Not answering the question at all...

Kerry: Same thing, not really answering the question. Is Iraq going to be Kerrys 'lock box'. Talking about endorcements including Eisenhower's Son (what?)

Thrid Question: What colosal misjudgements did the President make

Kerry: Missed most of his answer, the humidifer started leaking.

Bush: His Kerry quotes back at Kerry seem effective, the Bush response (obviously rehearsed) very good.


Fourth: The Priority of going after Osama vs. Iraq.

Bush: We can do both.
Kerry: No plan for the peace in Iraq. We see 'Wepons of Mass Destruction'.
Bush: Kerry voted for it, also 'be steadfast'
Kerry: I will suceed for those trops, doesn't mean it wasn't a bad idea to go. Sorry I don't think the Allies stuff is going to play well.

Fifth: What would you do specificaly
Kerry: No real examples, examples of what he feels that bush is doing wrong. Again no specific examples. Finally one example about loose materials.
Bush: How are we going to pay for it. We trippled spending. Created dept of homeland security. More border control agents 3.1 Billion on fire and police. Best defence is a good offense.
Kerry: The unheard hours of tapes. Are we doing every thing we can to protect America. Another swipe at the tax cut.
Bush: Thats what I work on every day. We are hunting them down.

So far neither of them is doing real well.

OneMan

Eric Zorn has a column about the canidates for Cook County recorder of deeds.

I used to work in the Title Insurance business and did a lot of work on systems that recorded property transactions. Since I still have ties to the industry and I am going to keep my opinions to myself. I would recomend that you read the Zorn column however and will leave you with this thoughts.

Should a position be elected when it doesn't really have any policy role in government.

OneMan

Hiram offers up his thoughts on Medical Malpractice reform, and Rick offers up an Amen. I know Rick and I have met Hiram, they are nice guys. But on this one I have to totally disagree with them.

OneMan's family pays for Malpractice Insurance (for Mrs. OneMan) I have a different perspective on the issue.

The argument that the high cost is all about the fact that insurance companies are just greedy and/or have had a poor return on their investments is idiotic. If that were true then some enterprising insurance company could step into the medical malpractice insurance realm and make a killing.

If I could offer malpractice insurance at just a 10% discount vs. other carriers I would have doctors breaking down my door and I would make a fortune.

However the opposite is true. Firms are leaving the business in this state (last item). Do you think it is because they are making so much money? My wife's carrier (for Nurse Practioners (her premiums along with other NPs have nearly doubled in the last 3 years) no suits, no disciplinary actions) informed us that coverage may not be available in all states next year and coverage for part-time NPs may come to an end as well. Are these really the actions of a company making a killing selling insurance?

Some say putting price controls on malpractice premiums that is the solution. That will just drive more insurance companies out of writing malpractice insurance and help eliminate what price competition there is. Please show me a market where price controls have lead to lower costs and/or more options?

Why do some states have a problem in this area and not others, is it because doctors are really bad in Chicago or this example from DeKalb

In 1985, Dr. Roger Haab, now an internist with the DeKalb Clinic, was working in an emergency room—a high-risk environment. His malpractice insurance was $3,500 a year.

Today, as an internist with no claim or judgment in his entire career, his malpractice insurance is $35,000 a year. Than they are in other locations in the midwest?

For example, a neurosurgeon’s malpractice premium costs $58,020 in Wisconsin—and $228,396 in Illinois.

Are you trying to tell me that cost difference is because doctors are 4x worse in Illinois or that the insurance companies here are really bad with their investments? Perhaps the reason is that Wisconsin has caps on 'Pain and Suffering' and a state fund that covers large payouts?

By putting reasonable caps on 'Pain and Suffering' not caps on lost wages, not caps medical costs and not on continuing care you can create a much more predictable model that will make it less risky for insurance companies to write malpractice insurance.

For example in Madison County the average malpractice payout went from $276,000 to $495,000 between 2002 and 2003 do you think that was because the non-pain and suffering costs went up that much or were there bigger pain and suffering payouts.

The California cap law has resulted in slower premium growth and a reduction in pain and suffering payouts.

Are bad doctors part of the problem, yes. Are medical mistakes part of the problem, yes.

Ask Sen. Gary Forby (D-Benton) (3/4 of the way down) if there isn't a problem with malpractice insurance in this state.

The sad fact is doctors are leaving parts of this state and hospitals are dropping services because of malpractice insurance costs. Is it because doctors in some parts of the state are statistically that much worse? No. It's because Juries are.

Sorry this is vaugely ranty, it's late...

OneMan

A what a surprise yet another contract for firm tied to governor and the state lottery.

"A company with ties to Gov. Rod Blagojevich's 2002 election campaign has won a public relations contract with the Illinois State Lottery that could be worth up to $5.4 million.
Danielle Ashley Communications of Chicago produced advertising for Blagojevich that was used to attract minority voters.
However, a spokeswoman for the governor said Tuesday that neither that relationship nor a $5,000 campaign contribution from the company's president in May had any effect on the awarding of the lottery contract."

-- snip (Some emphasis mine)

Danielle Ashley and E. Morris were evaluated on a number of factors, including price, company credentials and "development of a public relations strategy and associated plan that effectively reaches non-playing African-American adults 18 years of age and older," according to the request for proposal. The plan must do this, the document states, "without targeting any specific ethnic group or economic class."

The public relations strategy was the most important part of the evaluation process, although price was also a factor. Hill declined to discuss how the selection committee rated the two bidders.

-- This isn't the first time there have been some questions about lottery media spending and Blagozo donors and as always the gov says there is no relationship with donations and state business.


The other thing about this is

"development of a public relations strategy and associated plan that effectively reaches non-playing African-American adults 18 years of age and older," according to the request for proposal. The plan must do this, the document states, "without targeting any specific ethnic group or economic class."

So let me get this right, you want to reach a group of people but you can't target them. Give me a break.

So you want to get a group to do something but you can't target them or any other specific group in any way. Am I the only one who thinks this is nuts? The two options as I seem them are (no targeting and minimal effectivness and therefore a poor value for the taxpayer) or (targeting a community to play the lottery more). Both of which stink.

If a Republican administration tried to pull this off people would be going after them, as well they should. The lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math. Thank you lottery players for helping to keep my taxes down thats nice of you, but I have a problem with the state targeting (without targeting) a group of people to place more 'bad bets'.

OneMan

MSNBC - U.S. draft dodgers to be honored in Nelson, B.C.: "USA - Artists and activists in Nelson, British Columbia, have announced plans for a monument and festival to honor U.S. draft dodgers who fled to Canada. The celebration, dubbed ``Our Way Home,'' is set for July 8th and 9th, 2006. Festival director Isaac Romano says the purpose is to recognize the ``legacy of Vietnam War resisters and the Canadians who helped them resettle in this country.

Dennis Klein, a sculptor and teacher at Kootenay School of the Arts, and artist Naomi Lewis have been chosen to make a bronze memorial depicting Canadians embracing the hands of American resisters."

-- Oh please.... Dr. King did not run away for his cause, he got arrested. These guys were not resisters.

OneMan

ArchPundit:

"Life as a Subcommittee Chair on Ways and Means is a nice retirement:
From National Journal's House Race Hotline.
National Public Radio's Marketplace in a report on privately-funded congressional travel, 'On a three-day, $5,500 trip to Boca Raton Florida,' Rep. Philip Crane (R) 'broke House travel rules twice.' He never disclosed who paid for his weekend in Boca and then, 'he allowed his unnamed host to pay $300 in golf fees.' While on an $8K trip to Antigua, 'Crane allowed a different host to pay $90 for his wife's spa treatment.' In 4 1/2 years, 'the Cranes accepted' $109K 'in free trips paid for by outside interests. A pro free-trade group footed the bill for his trip to Antigua. More Marketplace: 'Crane sits on the Ways and Means Committee, and as chair of its subcommittee on trade, is one of the most powerful policy makers in the country. He can dictate the trade agenda. Crane declined an interview request, but members of his staff said the ethics committee never contacted his office about any of these trips' (9/27). "

--- Well Lets take a look at all of the Illinois Deligation huh..

Well #2 was that well known right winger Jessie Jackson Jr. at 29 trips for a cost of $77,859.53 including a trip to Mississippi for three days that had $7,145.00 in travel expenses. Trips to Nassau, Israel, Qatar are part of the list of trips he took.

FYI -- More was spent on trips for Dems than the GOP

FromArchPundit: "What a Night!!
Join
Robin Williams
Stevie Wonder
and
Ramsey Lewis Trio
In support of U.S. Senate Candidate
Barack Obama
Friday, October 1st
7:30 PM
at Park West
322 West Armitage Avenue
Chicago
$500 per ticket
$350 per ticket
For details to purchase a ticket to the concert, please call (312) 427-2648
TICKETS ARE LIMITED
FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS"

-- Remember kids his blog slammed Ryan for having big money fundraisers. Now he is going all over the country raising BIG BIG MONEY for a non-race.

I didn't see anything about this fundraiser on his Blog or web site. I guess house parties are enough for the internet folks.
Pay no mind to the big money out-of-state fundraising he has done, it's all about YOU Illinois...

Funny how they slam Crain for raising so much out of state, but I hear boo about when it comes to Obama.

The mainstream update it looks like the New York Daily News and the Leader (yes I know lesss mainstream) seem to have picked up on the story. With the Post giving the tip to Wonkette and the leader still having it's forums closed.

OneMan

Go here Discussion Forum: Illinois Politics to enjoy a good game of 'lets nuke the postings about Keyes family'... They come, they go...

FYI, Chillinois has now also made Fark with the Keyes Stuff..

More thoughts on the fallout later.

Update: The forum is now locked down.

More Update: The Forum is back up, with an explanation of why it was shut down here.

OneMan

From the The Southern Illinoisan - Top Stories - COLE CONCERNED SOUTHERN ILLINOIS BEING LEFT OUT WHEN STATE DISTRIBUTES FUNDING TO ART PROGRAMS:

"CARBONDALE -- Lack of representation is an embedded sore spot in the American psyche.

Wars, revolutions and movements have been spurred by the desire to have input into a system that is meant to serve all.

When Gov. Rod Blagojevich reorganized the Illinois Arts Council this summer, he not only decreased the board's overall membership, but he also eliminated any representatives in Southern Illinois. While this certainly isn't reason to arm troops or send an armada to launch an attack on the capital, it adds to the Southern Illinois 'stepchild syndrome,' making some in the downstate area feel under-appreciated and hot under the collar.

The Illinois Arts Council sets the state's public arts policy and decides how grant dollars are distributed among programs statewide. Its members are appointed by the governor and serve four-year terms.

The council is funded by state tax dollars and the federal National Endowment for the Arts. In fiscal year 2005 the Illinois Arts Council has an overall budget of $19.6 million, which is $1 million more than was budgeted in fiscal year 2004, according to the state. "

-- Snip

Of the current 21 members who serve on the Illinois Arts Council, 12 members reside in Chicago, three are from the Chicago suburbs and the remaining seven members represent cities in northern and central Illinois.

-- I guess you need to get someone who is a spouse or close relative of a major state power player to live donwstate now don't ya. I suspect the Blagozo doesn't think there is any art down south of I-80.....

There is a reason he doesn't show you any respect, because he doesn't have any respect for you. The Republicans warned you about the Chicago bias of this crew, but did you listen... Noooooo.

OneMan

Chicagobusiness.com: " Illinois state Sen. Barack Obama came to Alan Keyes' home state Monday for a campaign fund-raiser at a waterfront hotel.
Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, invited Obama to the state from which Keyes ran two failed campaigns for the U.S. Senate. "

-- Fundraising out of state.... How very un-saintly of Obama. I am looking forward to reading the blog entry on this. Oh wait they have re-hash of his convention speech.

From Chicagobusiness.com:

"The top Illinois aide to Ralph Nader's presidential campaign sued Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan Monday, alleging Mr. Madigan violated the Freedom of Information Act.
Christina Tobin, Mr. Nader's Illinois state coordinator, and co-plaintiff Cal Skinner, a former state assemblyman-turned-freelance journalist, say Mr. Madigan's office has refused to divulge the time sheets of 12 state employees who were involved in a so-far successful effort to keep Mr. Nader off the state's ballot in November"

-- Discovery can be fun...

Teresa shares some thoughts and so do I from Kerry's wife brings energy, speaks on war - News - coloradoan.com: "'Day One of his presidency, every child in America will have health care. Period,' Heinz Kerry said of her husband"

-- Umm, that would requrie an act of congress.

"Tests should be a measure that is enabling, not disabling," Heinz Kerry said. "Tests that are a trap are sinful."

-- Ummm, I don't get this at all. Help?

OneMan

The Sun-Times has some labor news McCormick chief rips union tactics:

"The threat of a strike might not seem like a big deal when it's coming from nine union workers.
But it was enough to force McCormick Place managers to their knees recently.
Fearing a walkout by nine Teamster dock workers would sideline hundreds of sympathetic tradesmen, snowballing into the cancellation of one of McCormick Place's biggest and most lucrative events, the managers agreed to just about every union demand."

---I Love Chicago

Over at chillinois there is some stuff about Keyes family. I guess my question would be does this end up hurting him with some super-conservative voters (looking at his current poll numbers that seems all he has left).

OneMan

From the Leader:

"A new Chicago Tribune poll out today shows Republican U.S. Senate candidate Alan Keyes losing supporters as the latest numbers show Keyes at 17 percent and Barack Obama at 68 percent. Last month, a similar poll showed Keyes at 24 percent and Obama at 65 percent.
While Keyes and Bush hold similar conservative views on ideological issues, a third of the Republicans surveyed said they plan to vote for Obama while 44 percent plan to vote for Keyes. This is in stark contrast to 89 percent of the Republicans surveyed who said they plan to vote to re-elect President Bush."

-- Will Keyes end up getting getting fewer votes than the Libertarian. I suspect that Keyes will end up getting a lower percentage of the vote than the last poll shows. With poll numbers like this I understand why he wants to ban polls.

OneMan

From the Daily Herald:

"Gov. Rod Blagojevich's delay in naming a gaming board was cited Friday as a reason why Emerald Casino should be allowed to intervene in a lawsuit by Attorney General Lisa Madigan against the Illinois Gaming Board."

-- A private corporate entity now feels it has the right and duty to defend a state entity in litigation because the state entity is unable to defend it's self because the governor can't appoint enough members for said board to have a quorum.

Real economic victims because Blagozo has a hard time appointing boards.

OneMan

Rick offers his thoughs on my thoughts about tins ::: Rick Klau's weblog: Illinois Senate Race and the Internet:

"But as a practical matter, they don't need to. Not now. So while the zealot in me wants to see them exploit every advantage (and, for that matter, take a few risks in a race where they can afford to), I can understand the rationale that says you keep a few bullets in the gun for later."

-- Read all of Ricks thoughts... He's right Obama doesn't need to really work the internet that hard. I would argue it is a low cost was to build a lot of good will and/or use it to help down the ticket and down tickets down the road. If he builds a good powerful 'Dean Like' list and use it now to help people like Melissa Bean and use it once he gets in the Senate to help down the ticket... It makes sense to show the love and spend the effort now. If I was him (and I am not) I would be seeing how and doing what I could to help members of my 'Dean Dozen' and help Bean as much as posible.

Looking at it from the other side
Imagine how useful the Illinois Leader and/or Keyes list are going to be to someone in the GOP Gov. Primary in two years.


A big part of politics (mostly early in the cycle however) is the relationships that people have, most importantly the relationships between early adaptors or adoptors if you would of a canidate and the early adoptors cirlce of influence. I would argue the net helps more people feel that they are early adopters and therefore have a greater sense of ownership and will do more for you (both money wise as well as working in the field).

OneMan

Chicago Tribune | Obama would consider missile strikes on Iran: "Obama said the United States must first address Iran's attempt to gain nuclear capabilities by going before the United Nations Security Council and lobbying the international community to apply more pressure on Iran to cease nuclear activities. That pressure should come in the form of economic sanctions, he said.

But if those measures fall short, the United States should not rule out military strikes to destroy nuclear production sites in Iran, Obama said.

'The big question is going to be, if Iran is resistant to these pressures, including economic sanctions, which I hope will be imposed if they do not cooperate, at what point are we going to, if any, are we going to take military action?' Obama asked.

Given the continuing war in Iraq, the United States is not in a position to invade Iran, but missile strikes might be a viable option, he said. Obama conceded that such strikes might further strain relations between the U.S. and the Arab world."

-- He is definitly not acting like the 'Great Hope' of the American Liberal Movement.

OneMan

CBC News: New Ontario MRIs to shorten wait times: "A recent report suggested that patients in Ottawa and Cornwall can wait up to 72 weeks for an MRI. Those are the longest wait times in Ontario.
Health Minister George Smitherman said the plan would 'have a dramatic effect on wait times for this important diagnostic procedure in communities right across this province.' "

--Socialized Medicine, yeah..

Chicago Tribune | Obama opposes gay marriage: "'I'm a Christian, and so although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman,'' Obama said.

But the Democratic state senator added that he does not understand people who say gay marriage somehow threatens the sanctity of marriage as an institution."

-- snip --

Rick Garcia, political director for the gay rights group Equality Illinois, said it is disturbing that Obama gives such nuanced responses when he's far enough ahead in the polls that he could take a stand for gay marriage.

But Garcia said most gay and lesbian voters still support Obama, particularly because of his opponent's vehement stand against homosexuality.

-- Ummm, I sort of have to agree with Obama on this.

Interesting that they are kind of busting his chops on it. My next question is.. Will this hurt the perception of Obama as the 'Great Liberal Hope'? I think it would be easier for him just to come out in favor of it, unless he is thinking of something bigger down the road.

OneMan

Turns out John Kerry is droidSwimming through the Spin: These aren't the Droids I'm voting for:

"I've been under the weather for the past few days, and with all the political crap flowing through the news wires, conversations and my head, I'd thought I'd take time to check in on some old childhood friends--namely the Star War Trilogy which just came out on DVD. The old films never looked better. Yeah, Lucas has done some more digital tweaking here and there (Han and Greedo both shoot first now) but it's just good, old fashioned story telling, which is a switch from the countless remakes and sequels being churned out these days.

But as I tried to get into those stories again, my mind kept going back to the spin I'm faced with on a daily basis. Something was nagging me. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but then it dawned on me. Threepio, with his constant negativity and bitching, was starting to sound like John Kerry.

A whole lot like John Kerry.

I'm not kidding...check this out and see if this doesn't sound familar:

THREEPIO: We'll be destroyed for sure. This is madness!
We're doomed!
Secret mission? What plans? What are you talking about? I'm not getting in there!
Are you sure this things safe?
How did I get into this mess? I really don't know how.
No more adventures. I'm not going that way.
That malfunctioning little twerp. This is all his fault! He tricked me into going this way, but he'll do no better.
I'm only a droid and not very knowledgeable about such things. Not on this planet, anyways. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure which planet I'm on.
I told him not to go, but he's faulty, malfunctioning; kept babbling on about his mission.
And from The Empire Strikes Back:INTERIOR: MILLENNIUM FALCON -- C"

-- I think that about covers it. Also don't forget Threepio fought in the Clone Wars...

Chicagobusiness.com: "Glenn Poshard, tapped by Gov. Rod Blagojevich this week to oversee the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, says he'll inject a good dose of integrity into the scandal-plagued agency."

-- If anyone can inject some integrity it's Glenn Poshard. (See I can say nice things about Democrats besides Rick Klau). It's also good to see the Gov. Finally got off his duff and got a board together again. I guess we will have to wait and see how much the delay in all of this is going to have ended up costing the state economically.

SJ-R.COM - Thompson Center gets metal detector: "The portable detector, meanwhile, was installed late Tuesday in the state-owned James R. Thompson Center near a 16th-floor desk where a guard checks the identification of visitors to the governor's office.
It had yet to be activated Wednesday because the guards had yet to be trained to use it, according to state police Lt. Lincoln Hampton, who said the training shouldn't take long.
Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said state police had determined that the portable detector outside the governor's office was "an important precaution to take quickly."
The state police are responsible for security at the Thompson Center, while the Secretary of State's security force is responsible for the Capitol. "

-- Because the fact he has armed guards, he is still are more risk then folks down in Sprinfield with unarmed guards. Yeah right. I think it's to make sure people who are going to see him have hard curency to make later campaign donations and not just loose change.

SJ-R.COM - Few takers for job buyout: "A job-buyout program for state government employees is falling far short of its goal of luring 3,000 into giving up their positions.
With the deadline to participate one week away, just 418 employees have signed up for the alternative retirement cancellation payment plan. Employees could sign up beginning Aug. 16.
When the General Assembly approved the job-cutting program, representatives of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration said it would be limited to the first 3,000 qualified applicants. They insisted Wednesday that the initiative is not a failure."

-- Because nothing pushed by Blagozo is a failure, no matter what really happens. Remember the failure of theplan to mortgage the Thompson Center wasn't his fault and he was just trying to save you money, your kids however were screwed.

OneMan

If you ask me the Barack Obama 2004 Campaign Weblog has really gone downhill. It's has gone from a way of offering thoughts and insight and requesting feedback to just another place to put press-releases.

Think back to when they had the post about his speech at the convention looking for feedback and issues he should talk about. Brilliant.

Go look now, it is all press releases and things for BA-Rock the House II. Speaking of that it doesn't look like they hit 100 houses in Illinois.

OneMan

Metal detector installed outside governor's Chicago office: "CHICAGO Illinois State Police installed a portable metal detector outside the governor's Chicago office shortly after a deadly shooting at the Capitol this week. But the Capitol itself is still without metal detectors and its security guards remain unarmed."

-- Glad we got the priorities right.

From Joyce Morrison The taboo subjects of politics and religion.

Executive summary: environmentalism is paganism.

This week kiddies, a journey to Morrisonland involves the ties between the ideas of environmentalism and Gaia worship that comes to us via the gaia Hypothesis.

From Joyce
Ironically, these environmental groups believe we are overpopulating the earth and using all their resources. They believe abortion, homosexuality and euthanasia are forms of population control. They go into the pro-life Catholic Church in hopes of making reformation.

Yep that's right environmental groups whant to kill people and see people have fewer and/or no children. Who knew? Thank God we have Joyce to warn us of the hobgoblins around us.

I have said it before and I will say it again: Joyce's world is a very scary place.

That's the best I can do because she is all over the place in this one.

OneMan

Pantagraph.com - News - Keyes slams 'phony' polls 09/21/04: "BLOOMINGTON -- Political polls are 'phony' and should not just be disregarded, but banned, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Alan Keyes argued Monday.
'They (polls) are manipulative and degrading and damaging to our political system, and they should not be allowed when it comes to the actual time frame in which people are making up their minds,' Keyes said during a meeting with The Pantagraph's editorial board"

-- Via Arch BTW...

A) If I was doing that bad in the polls I would call them phony too
B) Isn't the banning of polls something the Canadians or French would do or something like that?
C) If you are manipulated by a poll or a poll result perhaps it's best if you don't vote.


OneMan

Pantagraph.com - News - Keyes slams 'phony' polls 09/21/04: "BLOOMINGTON -- Political polls are 'phony' and should not just be disregarded, but banned, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Alan Keyes argued Monday.
'They (polls) are manipulative and degrading and damaging to our political system, and they should not be allowed when it comes to the actual time frame in which people are making up their minds,' Keyes said during a meeting with The Pantagraph's editorial board"

-- Via Arch BTW...

A) If I was doing that bad in the polls I would call them phony too
B) Isn't the banning of polls something the Canadians or French would do or something like that?
C) If you are manipulated by a poll or a poll result perhaps it's best if you don't vote.


OneMan

Time for a off the topic moment.

When I was a kid all sorts of TV ads for cars used to show the cars with those little bike wheel things hanging off the back but now you never see that. Now however it appears that every car ad must show the car either on a salt flat or driving on a wet road.

Just a thought..

OneMan

Got this in an e-mail from Dr. Dean today...

"Jerry Falwell has a lot to say. Falwell is the fundamentalist who opened the Republican National Convention in 2000 (the GOP kept him under lock-and-key this time around). ....
-Snip-
Now he has started a law school. The purpose: to train fundamentalists to ignore laws they don't support and reinterpret others to enforce their radical agenda. The 'school' is only the latest move in a monumental power play by the extreme right wing. They have taken over the Republican Party - and have set their sights on every branch of our government."

-- Ummm, I doubt the goal is to 'ignore laws they don't support'.
That's right an army of attorneys with strong conservative values are out to take all of your rights away by any means nessesary Dr. Because if you feel the constitution has no 'right of privacy' you obviously are some sort of evil nut. I expect this kind of stuff from Joyce.

Because if an attorney is against 'gay marrage' he is obviously some sort of idiot. Oh wait, voters all over the US have voted to define marrage as being between one man and one woman. They myst be idiots too.


OneMan

One last thing this morning. I watched Kerry on Letterman last night and he had is 'Top Ten' list, one thing I did notice is he pronounce Teresa as Ter-ES-a (the European/Bond style) wonder if the networks are going to start doing the same.

OneMan

Got some e-mail from the Keyes team yesterday. It appears they have a plan for trying to get out the vote and will offer up prizes to those who help out (like a CD of Keyes' speeches and stuff). If nothing else it is providing a model of how to do this sort of thing for other Republican's down the road. It seems that the Keyes team is sort of getting the internet thing. I don't get e-mails from Obama (surprise) but they Keyes e-mails are well organized and filled with information.

It also will provide Keyes (and who knows who else, O'Malley perhaps assuming you can share that sort of information federal down to state) down the road with a good list of very strong social conservatives in Illinois that might be useful in some statewide primary down the road.

OneMan

Some South Suburban Politics from the Sneedster:

"Sneed hears former Cook County Board of Review commissioner Bob Shaw is plotting to run for mayor of South Holland.
*To wit: Shaw, who lost his seat by a close margin in the March primary to Larry Rogers Jr., a candidate backed by U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., moved to South Holland after he lost his 9th Ward aldermanic seat to another Jackson-endorsed candidate, Anthony Beale, in 1999.
*Word is Shaw will run in the April 2005 race against incumbent Don DeGraff in the demographically changing south suburban village.
*The big question: Will Shaw archrival Jesse Jr. back the conservative Republican DeGraff?"

-- I grew up near South Holland (Dolton) the idea of the Shaw brothers being Mayors of both Dolton and South Holland is scarry.

OneMan

SJ-R.COM - Wozniak mourned at the Capitol ...: "According to Secretary of State Jesse White's office, cards may be sent to the Wozniak family at R.R.2, Petersburg, IL 62675. Memorial contributions may be made to Porta Sports Boosters for a weight-room addition"

-- Just thought you would like to know.

MSNBC - S. Korean who met Kerry aides was a spy: "A South Korean embassy official who met with John Kerry fund-raisers to talk about creating a political group for Korean-Americans was in fact a spy for his country, raising concerns among U.S. officials that he or Seoul may have tried to influence the fall presidential election."

-- Did the Kerry guys know he was a consular offical? One way or the other this is awkward.

From Mairon: " While visiting Southern Illinois on a campaign trip, U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald, R-Illinois, weighed in on the growing medical malpractice crisis and the legal system."

-- Peter Fitzgerald was on a campaign trip? Now that's news... I thought he thought the party was all messed up.

SJ-R.COM - Fired IDOT workers file federal suit: "Seventeen former Illinois Department of Transportation workers alleged Monday in a federal lawsuit that they were illegally dismissed from their state jobs as part of a 'scheme' to clean out political opponents of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The Democratic administration has said the firings weren't based on politics, and a spokesman for IDOT said Monday the agency believes its actions will withstand a court challenge."

-- The discovery on this alone could be really interesting. Read the story and learn some more. But remember kids the governor isn't involved in such petty polticial things, he is all about governing.

Spears, Casanova tie the knot in first-crass ceremony: "The New York Daily News says that just after the couple placed platinum wedding bands on their Cheetos-stained fingers, Spears ditched her gown for a velour sweatsuit, the better to get down to Journey's Lights. The rest of the wedding party was outfitted with comfy loungewear, too, some emblazoned with the words 'Pimp' and 'Pimp Daddy.'"

-- Will someone explain to me how to guys in love getting married will destroy the institution of marrage, but two heteros getting married and then putting on velour sweatsuits with the word Pimp on the back is okey dokey...

If anyone was runined the 'instution of marrage' it is the idiot heteros' (see Spears, Britney and millions of others).

Some words of advice, if you ever wore anything with the word Pimp on it at the wedding of OneMan's little girl I have two words for you: Savage Beating.

OneMan

From my good pal...Michael Moore: "Dear Friends,
Enough of the handwringing! Enough of the doomsaying! Do I have to come there and personally calm you down? Stop with all the defeatism, OK? Bush IS a goner -- IF we all just quit our whining and bellyaching and stop shaking like a bunch of nervous ninnies. Geez, this is embarrassing! The Republicans are laughing at us. Do you ever see them cry"

--- I only see them cry in Illinois, that is part of our problem. It's time to start eating Democrats for lunch.

CNN.com - CBS producer called Kerry adviser - Sep 21, 2004: "A campaign adviser for John Kerry told CNN he spoke with retired Texas National Guard officer Bill Burkett -- the man who CBS said provided them with disputed documents -- days before the '60 Minutes' piece aired and after a call from a CBS news producer, but strongly denied any connection with the story.
The Bush-Cheney campaign quickly condemned the latest revelation in the reporting scandal, calling on the Kerry camp to 'come clean' on its involvement."

-- Yeah, right...

Judge strikes down campaign finance rules: "A judge has struck down several government rules on campaign fund-raising, ordering tougher restrictions on big political money in the long term while creating uncertainty about how candidates, parties and interest groups should proceed in the current election's final weeks."

-- So much for forming my 527 'Large Men for our version of the truth'.

Rich at CAPITOL FAX is providing good continuting coverage of the shooting at the capitol.

Some Poll numbers: "The poll of 800 likely voters puts Obama, currently a state senator from Chicago, ahead of Keyes, a nationally known conservative commentator from Maryland, 68 percent to 23 percent. They are running in the election Nov. 2 for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, R-Ill. "

-- Ouch...

Well OneMan was at the Hasstert Mega Event last night in DeKalb along with my now close personal friends Dick Cheney and Alan Keyes.

I'll have a lot more on the event from the 'Security Friendly' meal (no silverware) to getting my picture taken with Alan Keyes up to the response from the crowd to Judy Bar Topinka.

Ok, I will start on the 'security friendly' meal. A 'wrap' sandwich some 'vegtable crisps' that were not all that crisp, a brownie and a tiny (about the size of OneMan's thumb) Apple Pie. If I had paid $150 for that ticket I would have been pissed. I will go look up the actual description from the program of the meal (the 'security friendly' line is from the program). The description does not match the reality.

More to come on Keyes and Cheney's speech later.

OneMan

Update 1:
For some more on the event go here.

Update 2:
The crowd didn't seem nearly as warm to Judy as they were to Denny and the VP. There was no Booing or anything like that but it was a little more 'relaxed'. Keyes was not up on the dias with the local elected officals.

One other thought, I saw a gentleman I first got to know when I was working on a state rep race in DeKalb when I was a CR back in the day. I introduced my self and was very freindly and introduced me to several people with an ease and comfort that I could only dream about.

OneMan

From Crains Chicagobusiness.com: Sears, Roebuck and Co. has adopted a new logo, only the fourth in its 118-year history, to give it what it describes as a 'fresher, friendlier' look.

-- Sorry I am about to get all Tom Peters on ya.

I have an idea, how about selling better stuff and have sales people who don't seem like they are doing you a favor by helping you. Now that would be 'Fresh and Freindly'.

Here is OneMan's free piece of business advice for today
If you think a new logo is going to help solve your business issues, you don't understand your business issues.

OneMan

Chicago Tribune | Move over, Hummer: 7-ton pickup has 6-figure price:

"It looks like a Hummer on steroids and Viagra!

It stands 9 feet high, 8 feet wide and 21 feet long and tips the scales at around 15,000 pounds. That makes it 2 feet taller and 4 feet longer than the large Hummer H2 pickup.

It's the International CXT, short for Commercial Extreme Truck, a vehicle capable of hauling six tons of dirt in its cargo bed while towing a 20-ton yacht.

Or, it can tow the yacht and carry an H2 in the bed, said Nick Matich, vice president of severe-service trucks for International Truck and Engine Corp. 'It's a vehicle for anyone who wants to make a really bold statement,' Matich said. "

-- And that statement would be....
I have issues.
A H2 is not enough of a PE for me.
Look at me, Look at me, Look at me.
I am so compinsating.

Enjoy and Exciting!: "I only know of one conservative Chicago blog that's updated with any regularity. I'm sure there are more out there, but where I would find them is beyond me."

-- The link was to OneMan, am I the only Conservative blog in Chicagoland? Am I that conservative? For the blog world I guess I am, for the 'Leader World' I doubt it.

OneMan

Chicago Tribune | 2nd union relative quits his job as city inspector:

"In the second such incident in two days, the son of a senior union official resigned his $50,000-a-year city inspector's job after allegedly misrepresenting his credentials, City Hall sources said Thursday.

Kevin Sexton, 23, identified as the son of Carpenters Union President Mike Sexton, quit after city Buildings Commissioner Stan Kaderbek concluded he did not serve the required amount of time as an apprentice before obtaining his journeyman's card.

The departure followed by less than 24 hours the resignation of Andrew Ryan, the teenage son of Tom Ryan, business agent for Local 13 of the union."

-- Hope Keyes has something to say about this involving trolls and the 'slaveholder' position.

Yahoo! News - Heinz Kerry Visits Hurricane Aid Center: "NEW YORK - Teresa Heinz Kerry, encouraging volunteers as they busily packed supplies Wednesday for hurricane relief efforts in the Caribbean, said she was concerned the effort was too focused on sending clothes instead of essentials like water and electric generators.

'Clothing is wonderful, but let them go naked for a while, at least the kids,' said Heinz Kerry, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. 'Water is necessary, and then generators, and then food, and then clothes.' "

-- Who knew that she was a disaster relief expert..

Chicago Tribune | Gaming Board halt may aid casino bid:
Follow the link, however it is interesting since they can't appoint a Judge to hold a hearing on striping the Rosemont license (since they don't have a quorum).

The department of Revenue will not free up money to hire an attorney for the board to defend it's self from a lawsuit from Lisa Madigans office.

Blaogozo office says they will make appointments soon. However he was able to find people for the Racing Board and the racing board has no issues with having so few members that they can't even meet.

The end of business as usual... Yeah Right

SJ-R.COM - Judge rules Mongo trial will move forward:

"The owner of Mongo, the disqualified junior grand champion steer at the 2003 Illinois State Fair, will get her next day in court Oct. 29."
snip
Among witnesses Draper has subpoenaed is Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

-- That should be fun to watch

Report: Blagojevich overwhelmingly favors Dems in releasing grants:

"SPRINGFIELD, Ill. Three-quarters of the state money that Governor Rod Blagojevich has released for lawmakers' pet projects has gone to his fellow Democrats.
Blagojevich has released nearly 139 (m) million dollars for legislative projects under the 'Illinois FIRST' program.
A review by the Rockford Register Star found that 73-percent went to projects requested by Democrats, while only 27-percent went to Republicans.
The biggest chunk of that money went to Senate Democrats _ the group that has worked most closely with Blagojevich. Senate Republicans got the least."

-- The end of 'Business as Usual' yeah right.

Why is it that everyone gets freaked out about stuff in Swiftboat Vet ads but ignores it when MoveOn pulls shenanigans?

FactCheck.org A False Ad About Assault Weapons: "A new Moveon PAC ad implies machine-guns are becoming legal, which isn't true. And it blames Bush, even though Bush said he would have extended the ban on assault weapons."

-- Just Askin... OneMan

Also don't forget you might just win 100K from the guys who set up Hot or Not if you are registered to vote for details go here

Zorn asks I provide...

Some Upcoming Keyes Quotes:

Mayor Daley is the Troll keeping the Panama canal in the hands of the slave holders.

A careful study of Genesis reveals that Jesus would want me to retake the canal zone.

Jesus would refuse to vote for US Senate since he would want the state legislature to elect the senator instead.

OneMan

Chicago Tribune | Key Ryan aide pleads guilty: "political adviser and top aide for a decade, pleaded guilty Tuesday to mail fraud involving a bid-rigging scheme and agreed to cooperate in the government's ongoing corruption investigations."

snip
Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Blanche M. Manning to postpone Fawell's sentencing until Ryan's planned trial on racketeering conspiracy charges, expected to begin by March.

-- Perhaps it is time to send George Homer Ryan a copy of OZ on DVD.

Chicago Tribune | Key Ryan aide heading for unscheduled federal court hearing: "Scott Fawell, former Gov. George Ryan's closest political advisor and top aide for a decade, was headed to federal court Tuesday for a previously unscheduled hearing on the racketeering charges against him, a federal official announced."

-- All the little birdies on Jay Bird street are going to plotz when the Fawell birdy goes 'Tweet-Tweet-Tweet'

My good pal Sneed who never seems to mention OneMans' birthday (October 23rd) I will be 35 by the way Mike but if you want to call me priceless and ageless that's cool. Anyway she had a column on the 12th that contained a reader letter that rips into Michael Moore. Then Zorn offers in his Blog (you never link to me anymore Eric) his thoughts about if Sneed did any research on the the alligations in the letter. Zorn also points out he sent an e-mail to Moore asking for his side.

Well OneMan was there at Crackers appearance and also remembers the newsletter and has found it on line

TV NATION E-MAIL NEWSLETTER #6: The section of the newsletter quoted from below is from 'Crackers the Crime Fighting Chicken' not Mike Moore.

"I also stopped in a whole bunch of other cities this past month --
Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh,
and Decatur, Illinois. I met anywhere from a few hundred to several
thousand people in each city -- all of them with killer corporate
crime tips. In Chicago, where we had about 3,000 people, the crowd
was so enthusiastic in its anti-corporate fever, the city actually
called in riot police to shut us down. My chicken sense was telling
me to say 'Braackk the cops!' but alas, I am protected by several
layers of feathers, foam, and metal -- to say nothing of my giblets of
steel -- while the rest of you only have a few layers of skin to stop
those baton blows. I cut my Chicago visit short. (If your interested
in a really cool write-up about Chicago, check out the article,
'Tongue in Beak,' by Steve Johnson, in the Chicago Tribune on
August 14, 1995. You can find it on our web site on the Press
page)."

Since there is a charge to see into the Trib Archives back to August 14, 1995 I will leave that to others.

OneMan actually appears on Moores 'The Awful Truth' in episode 2, when he points out a 'Republican' in the audiance, I also have a copy of his first book signed to 'My favorite conservative in Chicago'.

Doing google searches so Sneed doesn't have to.

OneMan

I have an idea for the State Drink: "Under the proposal, the company would pay the state for the privilege of calling itself the 'official' state beverage and selling its products in about 1,300 vending machine at roughly 100 Illinois state parks, rest stops, offices and other government facilities."
-- Oberweis Milk to go with a run for Governor or something. A candidate with ads all over the state on state property.

OneMan

From Chicagobusiness.com:

"The governor's reluctance to replace members of the scandal-ridden Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board or disband it altogether leaves more than $1.25 billion of hospital construction projects and health care transactions in limbo.
More than 80 projects and business deals, ranging from the sale of nursing homes and surgery centers to complex hospital renovation, cannot proceed until Gov. Rod Blagojevich appoints new members to the board or seeks the Illinois General Assembly's approval to do away with it."

-- With that 1.25 Billion with a B in real economic growth sitting on the table. Real construction jobs, real health care jobs, real service jobs. Why aren't the trade unions (construction primarily) getting ticked off about this, it's their members who are suffering for the governor's incompetence.

Real incompetence has real impacts and real victims.

OneMan

One thing I have been meaning to blog for the last few days is... It appears there is a move afoot to write-in Oberweis for US Senate. It came up at recent meeting and I know other Republicans have been approached by people looking to do the same thing. Since I don't see Oberweis registering himself as a write-in candidate I don't know if we will ever find out if he got any votes or not.

I will be interesting to see if he does get votes and what if any counter the Keyes people are going to try and do.

OneMan

Lynn Sweet makes some of the same observations about Obama What's up with Obama secrecy?: that I have

"His own campaign blog, with one exception, covers only in-state activities. The calendars on Obama's Web site never put on non-Illinois events. But the reality is Obama is going out of state. It's not a crime. It's what big-time candidates do. Why bother to create and maintain a fiction that Obama's $9.8 million enterprise (as of June 30) is just an Illinois venture?"

-- Because hims rasing money all over the country hurts his 'Golly he is just like us' image. It also hurts the 'Dean Dozen' outsider image. It does however help his campaign fund. It's interesting I seem to recall this on the Obama Blog back on June 3rd..

You can help! While the Republicans are hosting $1,000 a plate fundraisers, we're going to be hosting hundreds of house parties for regular voters, all over the state. We are still looking for people to host a house party for Barack on June 29. You'll get a chance to talk with Barack, meet fellow supporters, and learn how to help ensure that we win in November.

Because we all know Obama would never raise money in $1,000 chunks like that in Chicago because he is all that is pure and right and would never want to take any money from people who can afford $1,000 fundraiser tickets. Like Sweet pointed out, the Obama folks are quick to point out the house party stuff, not so quick to point out raising money in Texas perahps as much as 200K at that one alone. It's really hard to find details on some of the other fundraisers even with my firend Mr. Google.

Is it wrong that he is raising big money out of state, no. Does it match the 'outsider' image he is trying to present, yep.

OneMan

The Sun Times has a nice 'toon today about Blagozo.

Chicago Tribune | No Rosemont mob, study says: "Despite assertions to the contrary by gambling regulators, the Illinois attorney general and other critics, Rosemont on Thursday released a report it commissioned that says the village and its mayor are not only free of mob influence, but also one of the few U.S. communities that can make that claim."

-- In other news a new study commissioned by OneMan reveals I am one 'Serious Studmuffin'

Chicago Tribune | Hurricane Ivan prompts evacuation of the Keys: Too bad it isn't "Hurricane Ivan prompts evacuation of Alan Keyes"

Over at the Leader they have some thoughts about JoinCross.com. I think he tries to read to much into a Beacon News story about the site. I also dobut if he has read the blog portion of the site at all, some of the Keyes stuff would drive 'Leader Heads' to plotz.

OneMan

Over at you can download various speaches from both conventions for free.

Edgar: Heart bypass gave me second chance: "BY JIM EDGAR
I had had heart trouble before, so I was sticking to a low-fat diet and exercising five or six days a week.
It was during my 30-minute workouts on the treadmill that I felt little chest pains. So I scheduled an appointment with my doctors at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove."

-- Mrs. OneMan was charge nurse in the Sugrical Heart Unit at Good Sam the night he was operated on so I have a connection and have hear the story via a different source. The one thing was they were worried that he needed a phone in his room for the budget negotiations and how he needed to make a call the next day a bit of a challenge when you have a breathing tube.

Read the whole thing it gives a interesting view on what President Clinton is going through.

OneMan

Great Editorial in the Pantagraph:

Opinion - Governor has funny way of saving by borrowing 09/08/04: "Governor has funny way of saving by borrowing
Now we know why Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been so intent on long-range borrowing for the state. He confuses borrowing with saving.
He tried to explain to the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board why the state spent more than $500,000 on legal bills and other fees in his attempt to lease the state's Thompson Center in Chicago.

-- snip

In defending his actions, the governor was quoted as telling the Sun-Times: 'You're talking about billions and billions of dollars in a state budget and a way you can save $200 million for taxpayers.'
Perhaps someone in Springfield -- oops, make that Chicago -- can tell the governor you don't save money by borrowing on real estate that you can't sell and then spending that money on day-to-day expenses. There comes a day when that money has to be paid back -- with interest."

-- I would say by 'savings' he means saving himself from having to say no to a special interest group. Remember Rod you have to pay back a home equity loan.

OneMan

Over at his Notebook Eric Zorn shares some thoughts on the concept of 'Graffiti Artist'

"As well written and thoroughly reported as it was, I recoiled at my colleague Bill Glauber's lenghty, front-page story today, 'Graffiti artist took risks to leave mark on a wall--Death sheds light on taggers' world,' concerning the death of 22-year-old Peter Berry, whose pastime was defacing property, both private and public.

I loathe the term 'graffiti artist' and want it banned from the lexicon or at least decent publications everywhere.

Talent of any sort applied in the service of illegal acts is not 'art.'

It's crime.

Peter Berry was no more an artist than the teens who engage in 'gooning,' the practice of beating up random strangers who are drunk, elderly or otherwise defenseless--are athletes, or the felons who cooked the books in corporate scandals are mathematicians.

His actions were a blight on society--literally"

-- Have to say I agree with Zorn on this one and he breaks in a law-and-order direction that surprised me. I am reminded of something Roeper wrote a few years back about 'AMERIKA' being put on some El Tracks high above the Ryan and how those letters stayed for years. I grew up in Dolton (SE suburb) and would see that everytime we went into the city, it took years for that to get cleaned up.

OneMan

Yet again if it is Wed it's time to take another journey into Joyce Land:

This week Joyce takes us from her Lake Woebegone upbringing when some boys put a frozen skunk in the vents at school and how they still grew up to be fine men.

She then rambles on into the classics, the government is out to get your land, to ban your religon, etc....

There is some extra special Joyce I want to focus on this week....

Many of our universities are teaching liberalism to the very highest degree. Family values are certainly not taught. Many of the professors have never gotten their hands dirty or learned about the "sweat of the brow" equity. Most of what they teach is their own misguided philosophy. Could they depend upon their own ability to raise food for their family, or could they only tell them about the theory of raising food? What about the generations of young people whose only guide to life is the liberalism they are being taught?

Yes Joyce often in my computer science classes my instructors would spew forth their liberal ideology forcing me to write programs designed to take wetlands from people. In my calculus class we would often skip the question that had to deal with the trajectory of a bullet since our professor was a anti-gun nut.

My secret dream is in a lab someplace the ideologies of Joyce and Alan Keyes mate and produce children.

Read it yourself, it's classic Joyce.

OneMan

Blogger seems to back up finally.

The Southern Illinoisan - Top Stories - MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR HOSPITAL EXPANSION STILL ON HOLD:

"If it weren't for bad luck, Herrin Hospital would have no luck at all. Its $16 million expansion project, which was supposed to get under way this summer, remains on hold with no movement in sight, said Phil Schaefer, vice president of business and strategic development for Southern Illinois Healthcare.

'As of last Friday, there was still no new Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board -- not since Governor (Rod) Blagojevich disbanded the old board,' Schaefer said. 'And because there is no new board, there have been no new meetings scheduled.' "

--- Again because Blagozo can't appoint a board there are real victims, local healthcare and local economies suffer.

NBC5.com - Politics - Keyes Says Christ Would Not Vote For Obama:

"According to a list of quotes put out by the Democratic candidate, Keyes said in a radio interview at the Republican National Convention that Jesus would not vote for Obama. The quote was part of a list Obama sent reporters of Keyes' accusations and epithets about him since Keyes became a candidate, NBC5 political editor Dick Kay said.
Kay also reported that Keyes called Obama a 'socialist and a liar' on a cable access news show on Monday. Obama said he wants to win big to give Keyes a spanking because Keyes wages a scorched earth campaign. Keyes then went into a very long analysis of the word 'spanking' and suggested it might be related to slavery and insulting to African- Americans. He would not answer when asked directly if he was insulted."

--- Man is he hung up on slavery... This has been your crazy Keyes quote for today...

OneMan

Are you registered to vote? If so go here and you can win 100K from the guys who created hot or not.

The Sun TimesDoctors blast state's dipping into infant fund finally catches up with OneMan (May 28th) about metabolic screening. The March of Dimes may also be getting involved.

From the The Southern Illinoisan - Top Stories - GOVERNOR DISCUSSES BUDGET, BRADLEY: BLAGOJEVICH SPENDS A WHIRLWIND WEEK IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

Lets look at what Blagozo had to say and what the reality is

Question: What would you label as your greatest accomplishment(s) during your first two years as governor?

Answer: I promised the people of Illinois that we were going to change the way business is done in Springfield and change the priorities in the budget and we've fought hard over the past two years to balance the budget deficit we inherited.

-- Yeah change the way business is done. He would never do stuff like have the state hire 22 year old sons of state legislators for jobs with the state, put people on state boards right after they make large donations. Or appoint state boards that are not riddled with scandal. Then again how people would get face time with you and then make donations. Blagozo you are the very definition of business as usual.

next we have this

Q: As a candidate for governor you made a campaign promise that you would "never balance the budget on the backs of working men and women." Yet as a budget-cutting measure you proposed closing Vandalia Correctional Center and you have also angered AFSCME union officials, who claim your administration has cut thousands of jobs. Do you feel like you have kept the campaign promise you made in 2001 concerning working men and women?

A: I do feel that I kept those promises; we fought very hard in the budget process to resist those who wanted to raise the income tax and the sales tax and use that as a way to dig ourselves out of the historic budget deficit that I inherited.

-- Umm wasn't it Republicans that kept the Democrats from raising taxes. Also all the fees you raised (on trucks that resulted in reduced truck registrations) or when you wanted to raise taxes on fuels used on vehicles that don't use roads (like trains) or when you wanted to raid all sorts of state funds that had money put into them by the hardworking folks of this state. The hardworking real estate agents, attorneys, nurses who all saw their state fees go up.

Next

Q: Despite the fact that there was a Democratic governor and both houses of the General Assembly are controlled by Democrats, it took a 54-day overtime session to come up with a budget. Many observers claim that the delay was the result of a test of wills between you and House Speaker Mike Madigan. Was it a battle of egos between you and Madigan as some lawmakers alleged or just a good old fashioned political standoff?

A: I would call it a good old-fashioned battle over priorities. My priority was to invest more money into schools and put more money into pre-school and a lot more money into health care and invest more money in helping our senior citizens have lower prescription drug costs. The Speaker (Madigan) was suggesting no new investments in those areas.

-- He was also proposing not getting us into any more debt. It's also obvious how much everyone trusted you in this process baised off the number of MOUS you had to sign. It seemed to me your biggest priority in this process was advancing your political career.

-- Next he talks about the strugles with the FDA (I am getting to the limits of fair use so I am going to stop quoting directly) for his drug plan.

Ummm I would be more worried about the fact that the companies in Ireland you would need to work with have no idea you are interested.

More to come on this article. Read the Original.

OneMan

Hey I have an idea lets dress up Timmy as Huggy Bear this year for Halloween. I also found a costume for little Britney.

The fact that the lil ho' costume is sold out right now really scares me.


OneMan

A happy Labor Day to all.

Walked the Naperville Last Fling/Labor Day parade. It's interesting to walk a parade that is put on by a 'group' vs one that is put on by a town. They had all sorts of restrictions, how many people in your group, only one candidate's signs per group, etc. Lots of 'control' over things, then again that's Naperville :-)


I was two groups ahead of Keyes (he had at leat 100 people with him if not more) he walked in front of his group in front of a large American Flag banner a very effective presentation if nothing else. We encountered some protestors to Keyes who started yelling at us, leading us and the crowd to chant '4 More years' even louder (I was with a local GOP/Bush group) so that was kind of fun too.

I saw at least two TV stations at the parade filimg Keyes, saw the guy from one station and said 'Keyes is right behind us behind the Ninja kids' he laughed and said he was here to film me, nice comeback.

I am starting to think that if the 'goal' the Keyes thing is an attempt to silence the right and bring the party to the center than that is going to fail. What I saw walking behind Keyes was a large group of people (including a lot of pro-lifers) who may feel empowered by the Keyes canidcy to take a larger role in the party and try to move it to the right.

Also as we finished the parade (I brought the kids) we watched the rest of it including the Keyes group and Keyes came over and shook my hand and said hi, have to admit he was rather engaging. Is he going to win, no. Is he going to end up having an impact on the party long after he is gone, yep.

Then again I finished next to last in the blog-bowl so what do I know.

music listening too right now... Some Lyle Mays off his self titled CD available on iTunes. Click on the link and buy some music so I can make $.05

OneMan

From the The So-Called "Austin Mayor" Blog:

"Barack Obama spoke to some of the sixteen hundred workers in Galesburg who will soon lose their jobs when Maytag shuts down their Galesburg plant and moves production to another country.
'How do I make sure a situation like what's happening in Galesburg does not happen again? How can I make sure ordinary folks get a decent shot at life?? says U.S. Senate Candidate Barack Obama to hundreds of cheering Galesburg residents.

***

?Because it took us 20 years to get in this hole, it's taking 20 years to get out, but its starts right here, it starts right now, and it starts with us,? says Obama."

-- Ok as it see it you have three options.

1 -- Raise tarrifs on imported products so that it is no longer cost effective for them to be purchased in the US. Odds are those counties will raise prices on US imports as well. Hello trade war

2 -- Increase taxes on companies that make products outside the US for sale within US markets, that would most likely lead to companies that can just leaving the US completely.

3 -- Promote truly militant style (see Germany) union activity within the US so that any plant closing is met by a huge labor response.

But wait you say Obama has a plan I saw it on his webiste

Reward companies that create quality jobs in America. Obama’s “REAL USA” Corporations Plan (Responsible, Accountable, Loyal USA Corporations) will reward companies that create quality jobs in America with tax incentives. Companies will be required to 1) locate in the United States 90% of its production and employment for the sales of goods and services that are consumed here; 2) invest at least 50% of its R&D budget here in the U.S; 3) make sure their workers have access to affordable health care by providing a standardized and portable health insurance plan and pay at least 70% of the cost; 4) make sure their workers have retirement security by contributing at least 5% of payroll to a portable, multi-employer pension fund and operating a profit-sharing plan for all full time employees; and 5) limit management compensation to 50 times the lowest-paid full-time worker.

Lets take a look at the 5 points.

1) When you say 90% of the production you seem to mean 90% of the labor force needed for that production. What if I outsouce my production, am I liable for my contractors labor pratcices? Lets say I make 100,000 widgets a year and employ 100 people 20 in the US and 80 in the UK, If I sell 50,000 units in the US and 50,000 in the UK do I have to have 90% of the labor force that makes the 50K for US consumption or 45 people in the US. How do I count my HQ people who support both locations?

2)If you are doing R&D for nothing but a tax break anyway you have problems. To maximize R&D results that money is going to be spent where it is the most effective and a tax break may or may not help that much.

3) Is that my full time people only? What about my part timers? Do I get to pick the plan or does the government? What do you mean by 'portable'

4) 5% to a pension plan? Does anyone really have traditional pension plans anymore? Do you mean a 401K type plan. So congratulations you just increased my labor costs 5% and more likely 6% when you take the costs of managing the plan into account? So by increasing the cost of labor in the US is going to make the US more competative with the parts of the world with lower health costs. Profit sharing, what business of government is it if I have profit sharing, do you specifiy how much I need to share? On what accounting basis do I base my 'profit' off of?

5) Your joking, right. The government is going to get into the executive pay business.

The five point are great, if you live in Canada. There is something called the free market system senator. I suggested you read up on it.

OneMan

State's corporate sponsor program looks like a dud:

" Last September, Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed off on a plan for state government to find corporate sponsors for programs, facilities or just about anything else that could secure money for its cash-strapped bank accounts.
Administration officials said the sponsorships could produce millions of dollars for the state. State agencies were asked for sponsorship ideas. A marketing firm was hired and paid more than $107,000 to work on the project.
A year later, the marketing firm has produced only one sponsorship deal, worth about $60,000. However, the administration contends the state is on the verge of making a significant sponsorship deal for a state beverage and that other deals, possibly including a state credit card, are in the works."

-- Thats cute one year later 60K in sponserships. However the state credit card is an interesting idea. How about the Blagozo credit card you don't have to pay interest until after he is governor, just like how he wants to state to borrow money. Don't worry tho' you still accumulate interestm, just don't pay it.

OneMan

Pantagraph.com - News - State still hiring during 'freeze' 09/04/04: "The 22-year-old son of a southern Illinois lawmaker has landed a $40,000-a-year job with the state fire marshal's office, becoming the latest well-connected Democrat to go on the state payroll during a hiring freeze.
Nicholas Reitz, the son of state Rep. Dan Reitz, D-Steeleville, began working for the state on July 16.
He is serving as a legislative liaison with the agency that oversees fire safety in Illinois.
His hiring comes as the Democratic administration continues to say it is operating under a hiring freeze imposed as part of a belt-tightening move in 2003. The administration also has been accused of targeting Republicans for job cuts.
The hiring freeze, however, has not stopped officials from employing a number of relatives, including the spouse of Blagojevich's communication's director, the daughter of the director of the Department of Public Aid and the aunt of a key downstate ally, state Rep. Jay Hoffman of Collinsville.
Reitz's hiring is unique because his mother also received a state job a year ago. Joyce Reitz began her $32,628-per-year position with the Department of Natural Resources in September."

-- Yeah because a 22 year old has the legislative experience needed for that sort of job. Business as usual from the Blagozo regime, say it ain't so Rod, say it aint so. Because we need things like legislative liaison's and Hispanic outreach people for the lottery by golly and hiring freeze be ignored.

Todays Alan Keyes tip: This is the sort of stuff you should hammer Obama with. Stuff the state is doing and make him respond. Obama may be able to get away with the 'Well Keyes is from Maryland' once or twice then he has to start to answer if he thinks the state hiring 22 year olds as legislative liaisons when the state has a hiring freeze.


OneMan

Remeber back when the Barack Obama 2004 Campaign Weblog talked about issues instead of just hyping his book or an upcoming or previous fundraising event?
It used to promote where you could go help Obama out, guess they feel like they don't really need your help anymore.

Also is it wrong (I am asking not judging with this) for a campaign site to hype his book since I suspect he sees the royalties from it?


OneMan

From Just The Facts About Obama

"Obama Introduced Legislation to Protect Consumers From Skyrocketing Insurance Premiums
SB1850 was introduced to help consumers deal with skyrocketing insurance premiums and determine whether insurance companies use discriminatory practices based on demographics and geography. The bill proposed a temporary one year interim rate freeze during which an insurer may not increase the premium charged for an insured for a policy of automobile insurance and created a bi-partisan task force to examine the existing statues and rules regulating automobile insurance and recommend whether the State should regulate premiums for automobile insurance."

--- Oh man where to start on this?

First price-controls no that's not a liberal thing to do at all. What do free markets know?

What about mutual insurance companies (like State Farm) so you then would force other mutual members in other states to pick up the slack since they couldn't raise rates on members in Illinois or if all of the people from Illinois are in a single mutual group make that group less financialy secure.


Discriminatory practices based on demographics and geography what does that even mean? Does he have a problem with risk being assesed baised off where you live, should someone in Collinsville pay as much as someone in Chicago? Is that the goal?

So basically it seems to me he is saying that free markets are bad for insurance and the way to create a market he feels is better (Cheeper insurance in Chicago more expensive elsewhere) is to increase regulation.

If you don't like how much you are paying for auto insurance get a different auto insurance company.

OneMan

Feminists Compare Bush's 2000 Election Victory to 'Savage Rape' -- 09/02/2004: " A featured performer at a National Organization for Women rally accused President Bush of having 'savagely raped ' women 'over and over' by allegedly stealing the 2000 presidential election.

Poet Molly Birnbaum read aloud to a crowd of feminists gathered in New York's Central Park on Wednesday night, as part of a NOW event dubbed 'Code Red: Stop the Bush Agenda Rally.'"

-- Yeah, that's just stupid.

OneMan

TIME.com: Campaign 2004: Bush Opens Double-Digit Lead:

"New York: For the first time since the Presidential race became a two person contest last spring, there is a clear leader, the latest TIME poll shows. If the 2004 election for President were held today, 52% of likely voters surveyed would vote for President George W. Bush, 41% would vote for Democratic nominee John Kerry, and 3% would vote for Ralph Nader, according to a new TIME poll conducted from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2. Poll results are available on TIME.com and will appear in the upcoming issue of TIME magazine, on newsstands Monday, Sept. 6. "

-- Interesting to see if other polls show it and if it holds up

Some Upcoming events from Keyes 2004 Update (9-01-04) :: Alan Keyes for Senate: "
Saturday, September 4, 2004

12:30 pm

Celebrity Paintball event with Mancow Muller & William Shatner
Challenge Park Xtreme, Joliet"

-- Please note: Keyes is not comitted to attend this event yet, however the idea of being able to play all three of them (Mancow, Shatner and Keyes) in paintball is almost to funtastic to ponder.

It would almost be worth heading down there to find out. Almost.

OneMan

Hope President Clinton's heart surgery goes well.

OneMan

SJ-R.COM - Republicans want job records:

"Springfield-area legislators said Thursday that they will file a request under the Freedom of Information Act with every state agency to determine whether partisan politics are playing a role in recent layoffs and hirings.
The Republican lawmakers charge that longtime GOP state workers are being laid off and replaced with Democrats under the pretense of reorganization. The Democratic administration of Gov. Rod Blagojevich denies that the personnel moves have been politically motivated."

-- Would St. Blagozo do such as thing, how dare anyone even suggest such hijinx. He thinks not of such things as politics, only how to make your life better with ill thought out drug plans.

OneMan

I was at a 'Party for the President' event (no not the Keyes one). They did a nice job with the event and I thought the President's address went well. Then again I have a bias, so we will see what America thinks in the next couple of days. At least the America that actually saw it. The soundbites should also be good and since that is the way most folks will 'experience' the address it should work out well.

OneMan

Review of IDOT layoffs suggests Republicans taking the brunt:

"Springfield, Ill. The administration of Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich seems to be sparing Democrats from layoffs at the Illinois Transportation Department.
The (Springfield) State Journal-Register got hold of a list of people being laid off.
It checked the voting records of 24 employees who lost their jobs and found that 22 had voted Republican in recent primary elections. Two hadn't voted.
None had voted Democrat."

-- Nothing to see here, go watch the crazy man running for Senate. Of course this is just a co-inc-i-dence. Blagozo is completely non-partisan.

One of the two people who I think will get more votes that Alan Keyes.

New Slogans
Alan Keyes -- He is the entertaining kind of crazy

Alan Keyes -- If you don't vote for him you are part of the conspiracy

Alan Keyes -- If you don't send him to Washington he might come back an run for governor.

Alan Keyes -- He really cares about how you use your naughty bits.

Alan Keyes -- Don't look at me I wanted to keep Jack

Alan Keyes -- What happens when JC Watts is away from the phone

Alan Keyes -- Now Jack didn't seem so bad did he.

Alan Keyes -- Were sorry.

One gaming board member to another: Watch your back:

"'When you're going down the road, watch your rearview mirror.'
That was a comment Wednesday from one member of the state's gambling-regulation board -- who supports a casino proposal for Rosemont -- to another, anti-Rosemont member during an early-morning public meeting.
After some nervous laughter from board staff, the anti-Rosemont member -- former La Salle County State's Attorney Gary Peterlin -- dismissed the remark from longtime labor leader William Dugan as 'advice.' Dugan was out of town and attended via speakerphone. Attempts to reach him afterward were unsuccessful."

-- Makes you proud of how Illinois works, don't it.

Don't let Alan Keyes win buy your own first edition of Dreams of My Father on ebay. Do it for America, do it for the Illinois GOP....

OneMan

I think Big Jim had it right when he said we had to suffer Keyes. CBS2 in Chicago has some great Keyes video on the subject you can go here to see it.

It's interesting to see everyone now in full sprint away from Keyes. I am starting to think Arch is right on this, I should just laugh along with everyone else.

OneMan

From Crains Chicagobusiness.com: Gaming Board says it's 'messed up' Remaining members call of guv to make agency whole

'So we can just about go on record that we're the most, most messed up state agency operation running,' member William Dugan said. 'Why the governor didn't keep Violet and Elzie is beyond me. It's a travesty to let those people go.' "

-- The most messed up state agnecy, just because you don't have a quorum? At least you have a couple of members, that's more than the Health Care Facilities board can say. The most messed up, that is a major accomplishment.

Hey Kids you too can be on a state board and get all of the 'crud' that comes with it. Of course it doesn't make any difference for your chances to getting appointed but you might as well send a check to Friends of Blagojevich.

OneMan

Do I just sit back and let the Keyes train wreck continue realizing there is nothing I can do about it and just try and relax or do I continue to comment on it even tho' the only thing it is accomplishing is saving me a little money on pepcid?

OneMan

Journal Gazette/Times-Courier Online: "While professionals look to technology, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he would soon make an announcement about tackling the medical malpractice crisis. Republicans have called for a special session of the General Assembly to solve the problem.
'The struggles of our doctors and the environment in Illinois are not a conducive environment for doctors to practice medicine in,' Blagojevich said last month after the legislature approved the state budget. 'We're not done with the issue of medical malpractice.'"

-- Is this before or after he find highly qualified donors (opps I mean people) to fill the open seats on the Healthcare facilities and gaming boards. Come join a board for Blagozo but do anything he or Emil disagree with and be hung out to dry...

OneMan