By Citizen Kate
I bet you’re wondering.
Posted on November 11, 2008
Poll Daze
By Steve Rhodes
The conventional wisdom seems to be that each presidential candidate’s reaction to the country’s economic collapse was the key moment in the campaign when Barack Obama surged ahead. I’ve harbored suspicions myself that it was less the economic situation than the collective weight of attacks – some justified, some not – on Sarah Palin that cast doubt on the Republican ticket. Looking at this poll graphic by Pollster.com, John McCain seems to have actually inched ahead on or about Sept. 10. After that, it was all over.
Just what happened on Sept. 10 and the days to follow? I went back and took a look. Here are representative headlines from around the country at that time.
Posted on November 10, 2008
A Guide To Blue State Living
By The Beachwood Blue State Affairs Desk
We know it’s been awhile since some of you out there in the real America lived in a blue state, so we thought we’d help you through this transition time with some handy hints for blue state living. Feel free to adjust accordingly to your local needs.
1. When paying for your “latte” always pay with George Washington, Abe Lincoln or Andrew Jackson face down. This is our way of saying “We hate America.”
2. When you go “looking for your handout,” stake out your street corner bright and early. Remember, the early bird always gets someone else’s hard-earned pay first.
3. There’s no need to pull your kids out of private school to demonstrate your support of public schools. Public schools are to be pitied, not enrolled in.
Posted on November 7, 2008
Grant Park, USA
By Michelle Renee Perkins
We face neither East nor West; we face Forward
– Kwame Nkrumah
Posted on November 5, 2008
The Beachwood Election Guide For Change 2008
By Steve Rhodes
Remember, you can take this into the voting booth with you.
PRESIDENT: Except for a brief shining call for real reform coming out of the Republican convention, John McCain has run a lousy campaign that has just gotten worse as it has gone along. He’s not George W. Bush, he’s George H. W. Bush, reprising the 1988 spectacle that was built around flag factories and the Pledge of Allegiance. The assertion that Barack Obama is a radical with a secret radical plan is not only scurrilous, it’s ignorant.
On the other hand, how can any of us here in Chicago who have longed for an end to our thoroughly corrupt political system vote for a man whose political godfather was Tony Rezko and whose political mentor was Emil Jones? How much more do you need to know? That the Daleys are thrilled with the prospect of an Obama presidency? That Rahm Emanuel is licking his lips? Do you really think change is on the way?
Posted on November 3, 2008
McCain’s Infomercial
By The Beachwood Hail Mary Affairs Desk
Announcer: We interrupt our regular Halloween Night programming for a special 30-minute message from John McCain – 60 minutes on CBS, and two hours on closed-circuit systems in the nation’s nursing homes.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to present in conjunction with our sponsors the Old Country Buffett and Time-Life, John McCain.
McCain: Thank you, Joe the Plumber. My friends . . .
*
Amber waves of grain. Chuck Norris in a field singing a Mellencamp song. Gauzy images of white people in small town Ohio, Pennsylvania coal country, the condominiums of Miami Beach.
*
My friends, many of you have been wondering where the “real” John McCain has been during this campaign. Well, I’ll tell you. We’ve been keeping him here in this cryogenic chamber . . .
*
My friends, as I’ve traveled with Cindy across the country for these last many months, I’ve met so many Americans whom I couldn’t stand. I mean, really! These are the people I was tortured for? It’s all yours, Barack. I’m off to Georgia!
Posted on October 31, 2008
Meet Principal Stroger
By The Beachwood School Lunch Affairs Desk
“Cook County Board President Todd Stroger will serve as one of eight ‘Principals for a Day’ at Kenwood Academy in Chicago’s Hyde Park/Kenwood community on October 30, beginning at 8:30 AM.”
* A half-dozen teachers laid off and replaced by public relations specialists.
* VIP elevator installed.
* Renames nurse’s office Stroger RN, LLC, then closes it.
* School lunch contract outsourced to childhood friend.
Posted on October 30, 2008
Illinois’ Top Campaign Corrupters
By The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
TOP 10 DONORS TO LEGISLATIVE CONTESTS GAVE $4.3 MILLION
Same Donors Gave Another $440,000 to Anti-Con-Con Group
With a week to go before Election Day, many candidates for General Assembly are raising campaign money at a furious pace and just 10 contributors account for nearly 20 percent of all funds raised by legislative candidates in recent months.
A dozen legislative races are approaching or have passed the $1 million mark; all told, legislative candidates have raised more than $20 million since July 1.
The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform (ICPR) and the Sunshine Project examined campaign disclosure reports filed by incumbent legislators and candidates for the General Assembly to compile this list of top donors.
Posted on October 28, 2008
Illinois Pols’ Secret Economic Interests
By The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
REQUIRED ECONOMIC INTEREST STATEMENTS ARE WOEFULLY INADEQUATE
MOST POPULAR ANSWERS ON FORM: “NONE” AND “DOES NOT APPLY”
tate and local candidates on the November ballot are required to complete “Statements of Economic Interest,” but the government form requires so little information that most answers are of little to no value to voters, according to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.
Because the questions on the form seek minimal information about income, investments and potential conflicts of interest, 28 percent of all state legislators and their opponents in the 2008 election answered “none” to all eight questions on the Statement of Economic Interest.
Posted on October 24, 2008
Judging The Judges
By VoteForJudges.org
Chicago Appleseed Fund For Justice Aims To Educate Illinois Voters On This Year’s Judicial Candidates Running For Re-Election With VoteForJudges.org Campaign
VoteForJudges.org, a program run by Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice, is a non-partisan group dedicated to providing voter education for the upcoming judicial elections. On November 4, voters will be asked to decide whether or not over 70 judges running for re-election should remain on the bench. VoteForJudges.org makes it easier than ever to educate yourself on the qualifications of these judges by providing voters with over a dozen different bar associations’ evaluations and recommendations, as well as the recommendations from newspapers and other publications.
Posted on October 23, 2008