By Steve Rhodes
1. Tweets from Roland Hedley:
Torn between surge and withdrawal, Obama announces both. After speech, confused cadets mill about, seeking clear orders. 1:58 PM Dec 2nd
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Per @spincharge, POTUS to troops: “Forward, moonwalk!” 2:16 PM Dec 2nd
2. Bill Kurtis should never anchor the news again.
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Daley The Petty Dictator On Display Again.
3. “[Desiree] Rogers, a one-time Republican once considered as a running mate for former Gov. George Ryan, is no stranger to controversy or adversity,” the Tribune reports.
“When Rogers was president of Peoples from 2004 to 2008, the utility was sued by the city and state for ‘massive fraud’ linked to the Enron scandal that allegedly led to widespread customer overcharges. The scheme predated Rogers’ term at the company’s helm, but stonewalling of the investigation allegedly continued after she took over. Peoples agreed to a record $196 million in refunds.”
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The Trib also reports that “In 1992, Desiree Rogers was an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention.”
In 1992, the Sun-Times reported that “Although she is an independent-turned-Republican and he is a registered Republican with ties to Chicago Democrats, Desiree and John Rogers say it has made little difference in their four-year marriage.
“‘It’s not an issue for us, although it seems to be an issue for other people,’ said Desiree Rogers , 33, director of the Illinois State Lottery and member of the Edgar administration. ‘Our politics are separate from our relationship. We respect each other’s individual choices,’ she said.
“‘I am a registered Republican, but as the years have gone on, I’ve become more and more a person who has started to pick his candidates and not been tied so directly to one party or another,’ said John Rogers , 34, president of Ariel Capital Management, a money management firm.”
After all, why make social climbing tougher than it has to be?
4. Facebook Feed:
Matt Farmer wonders whether Hennessy cognac replenishes lost electrolytes.
5. Obama on acid.
6. This Chicago News Cooperative piece about Todd Stroger is not uninteresting, but how in the world is it an “exclusive?”
Stroger’s comments about Daley appear to be new, but that doesn’t make an interview exclusive. In fact, I’ve seen Stroger say almost everything he said here – and what was related by reporter Don Terry about the interview on Chicago Tonight last night – about a half dozen times in the last year.
7. Mark Potash of the Sun-Times comes up with another great column on the Bears woes – this time looking at the poor leadership of team captain Brian Urlacher.
8. From a campaign memo written to Democratic Senate candidate Jacob Meister from his pollster (via Capitol Fax):
“Meister holds 11% name recognition and earns 1% in the initial trial heat of the election, indicating significant growth potential.”
Jacob Meister is the acorn who grows into the oak. Who has more potential for growth than he?
9. From Popular Science: The Year’s Most Amazing Scientific Images.
10. Is putting a voice mail message from Tiger Woods to one of his paramours online – as both the Tribune and Sun-Times did – really ethical journalism? Or, more like, is it really journalism?
11. These days everybody is going rogue. Our very own Nancy Simon takes a look.
12. The Most Absurd Ballot Challenge Yet.
13. Take Back Illinois!
14. Our very own college football guru Mike Luce writes goodbye notes to the dearly departed.
15. Mister Ed likes Rachel Alexandra over Zenyatta.
16. How you’ll know the Bears have hit rock bottom.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: One and all.
Posted on December 4, 2009