By Steve Rhodes
“Does anybody really think Kerry meant to insult the troops by implying that if you’re not educated, you’ll end up as a soldier in Iraq?” Richard Roeper asks this morning (second item). “Does anybody believe Republicans were really offended?”
Yes. Mayor Richard M. Daley and the Sun-Times.
The Dimmer Twins
“Reporter” Fran Spielman’s original story posted on the Web last night was even worse. Note how it presumes the Republican spin as fact. Has Spielman seen the video? Read the transcript? Followed the coverage? No serious political analyst – and I watched and read a bunch of them yesterday – believes that George w. Bush & Co. actually think John Kerry maligned U.S. troops. Be a reporter, Fran, not a shill. Be a man, Mr. Mayor, not a child.
This is your media and your mayor. They’re not very bright, and we all pay the price.
Bush League
Keith Olbermann, American hero.
Dick Joke
“He was for the joke before he was against it,” the vice president joked about Kerry yesterday.
That’s funny, because George W. Bush was for Vietnam before he was against personally attending it.
Dick “Dick” Cheney
Cheney avoided Vietnam with five deferments. “I had other priorities in the ’60s other than military service,” he said in 1989.
Someone should ask the mayor if that offends him.
Poll Dance
Which poll doesn’t fit? It appears to be the Trib’s.
Obamacide
John Kass returns to city and state politics from his foolish flight of John Kerry fancy, and, therefore, to sanity and reason, weighing in on The Audacity of Obama’s Fence. Eric Zorn catches on to Obama’s politics-as-usual, which anyone bothering to look at his record could have seen all along, in the next President of the United States of America’s indefensible defense of Todd Stroger, whom he claims was a “strong voice” as a legislator in Springfield, among other ridiculousnesses.
One synonym of audacity is effrontery, from the French word for shameless.
Fence Fiasco
See for yourself by clicking on the image in this story.
Fence Post
I’m not sure, but it looks like Obama voted against the fence before voting for it.
Planet Sun-Times
“Remember the old Saturday Night Live skits where several mistachioed Mike Ditka look-alikes would predict Bears victories in preposterous hypothetical scenarios over beer, polish sausages and an occasional heart attack?” the “newspaper” wonders this morning.
Why no, I don’t! Please refresh my memory!
Zwecker’s World
If Zwecker worked for the Tribune – or the Bears – this would probably be on the Sun-Times‘s front page today in excruciating detail.
I smell a Chicago magazine story coming.
Tax Cap
“The IRS dispute is being worked out, Zwecker said, adding that the agency will end up owing him money.”
Zwecker said that before the defense he was planning to use took a blow in another case.
O’Rahma
I think the formidable Lynn Sweet gives Rahm Emanuel a little too much credit this morning for what appears to be a coming Democratic tidal wave in U.S. House races.
“Emanuel, working from a national perspective, decided from the start to devote resources to the most viable candidates,” Sweet writes.
Gee, what a novel idea!
Meanwhile, it’s really Howard Dean, who fought with Emanuel over strategy, who will be vindicated – not just next week but two years and four years from now. It was Dean who brought the new idea of spending money to compete in all 50 states and who will probably steal a few seats not previously thought competitive as a result of it, not to mention the benefits down the road of establishing his party’s presence in places Realpolitik Democrats like Emanuel had previously abandoned.
Governing
What’s not to like?
Chicagoist: If you are elected governor, what would be your top three priorities for the State?
Rich Whitney: First, budgetary and education reform. Passing House Bill 750, including the Tax Swap. I’m the only candidate that is talking about fully funding education in a real way, a way that works for people.
Second, changing the rules of campaign finance. Ending pay-to-play, ending corporate donations. If you want to do business with the state, you can’t be involved in politics. If you want to be involved in politics, you can’t do business with the state.
Third, clean energy and sustainable transportation. Solar power, wind power, ending nuclear power in Illinois. I think this state is one of the largest producers and consumers of nuclear power. That must end. I would put a strong emphasis on smart urban planning, building cities that work for other forms of transportation, and putting a strong emphasis on public transit that works, that is affordable, and is sensible in the long-term.
You can read the full interview here.
Paper Houses
A few months from now both major Chicago dailies might be under different ownership – as well as the Cubs, WGN-TV and radio, and the Bears mini-footballs promotion. It’s kind of a big deal.
Opportunity Knocks
Worried that your message is reaching a smaller and increasingly stupider segment of daily newspaper readers? Advertise with The Beachwood Reporter, Chicago’s fastest-growing news source! And easily worth the 50 cents a day you’re spending to read those other sinking ships. Spend with us instead.
The End of Halloween
Today is Media Notebook day over at Rick Kaempfer’s, and true enough he’s got Dr. Laura talking action figures and video of David Letterman’s latest tilt with Bill O’Reilly. But I was most amused catching up with Halloween Butt.
(Also from Kaempfer: Why did the vampire subscribe to The Wall Street Journal? He heard it had great circulation . . . )
Piniella Resigns
“I truly believe this move will give me a better opportunity to win.”
The Beachwood Tip Line: Pipeline to freedom.
Posted on November 2, 2006