Search Warrant For Chicago's Mayor Daley?
July 31, 2010 - Chicago police officers were overheard talking about both a search warrant and Mayor Daley at 9:43 p.m. tonight. The officers, whose names are unknown, did not know that one of their microphone keys was "open," or pressed down, which allowed their conversation to be overheard on police radio scanners. We overheard the conversation on frequency 460.050, which is used by CPD Zone 2, Districts 19 and 23 on the city's north side.
The female dispatcher frantically called out to all officers on that frequency to "Watch your keys, watch your keys, you're talking about a search warrant." Moments later, she said, "Watch your keys, you're talking about the mayor!"
The mayor does not approve search warrants. That requires a judge. So why were the officers discussing a search warrant and Mayor Daley? Is Daley the warrant's target?
Also See:
Chicago Police Frequencies ChicagoScanner.com
Live streaming Chicago Police frequencies ChicagoScanner.com
Humbolt Park Shooter Not Moved By Uptown Peace Vigil
July 31, 2010 - Golly, I guess the criminal who shot this guy didn't get the message from last night's peace vigil in Uptown, Chicago. Huh.
A 36-year-old man was shot and critically wounded this afternoon as he stood on a corner in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood, police said.
The man was in critical condition at Mount Sinai Hospital this evening, according to a police media release. More at Chicago Breaking News...
Also: At least 10 wounded in separate Chicago shootings, Aug. 2, 2010 Chicago Breaking News
(Video) Rep Jan Schakowsky Praises Charlie Rangel, Calls Him "My Leader"
July 30, 2010 - No surprise, really. Crooks of a feather flock together. Rep. Jan Schakowksy (D-IL) is married to convicted check kiting felon Robert Creamer, so she feels completely comfortable praising tax cheat Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) and admitting in the video below that she looks to him as a guide for how she should vote in Congress. She also thinks he's the greatest thing since sliced bagels.
Marathon Pundit wrote about this today with an interesting take on the affair:
In her speech to the National Black Leadership Commission, Schakowsky praised Rangel as "my leader, Charlie Rangel" and declared, "People may look to see how I vote, but that's 'cause I look first at how Charlie’s voting."
Hey Jan, why not listen to your constitutuents instead of sleazeballs like Rangel?In 2005, while the Republicans still controllled Congress, Schakowsky gushed in The American Prospect, "Think about what it would mean for progressives if Nancy Pelosi were House speaker and congressional committees were chaired by people like George Miller, John Conyers, Charlie Rangel, and Henry Waxman." More at Marathon Pundit...
Yes, well, we no longer need to imagine. Five years later we're deep into the Hope And Change Nightmare. Rangel is in deep trouble, and Democrats are in a panic about it now that it will embarrass them so close to the mid-term November elections. Many are calling for Rangel to resign, including Comrade Obama Himself. They're not calling for Rangel to resign out of any sense of what is morally correct. They want him as far away in the shadows as possible when his criminal trial begins. Meanwhile, Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) faces charges of misusing her office. What was it that Nancy Pelosi said about cleaning up Congress in 2006? Do you remember that?
RELATED:
More Calls for Rangel to Resign Wall Street Journal
Will the Rangel trial hurt Dems in November? The Hill
Anthony Weiner's rant captures Dem impotence The Plum Line
WaPo buries Dem fundraiser's fraud, highlights GOP fundraising scandal Washington Examiner
Pat Brady's Dangerous Behavior (Updated)
Many of you are aware that Jeremy Rose was recently fired - excuse me, he decided to "resign" - from the position of Executive Director of the Cook County Republican Party. However, Rose is still the Grand Poobah of the Chicago Young Republicans (CYRs).
This raises a lot of concerns and many questions, not only about Rose but also about Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady and Lee Roupas, Chairman of the Cook County Republican Party. (Again, apologies to some readers for the semi-insider nature of all of this.)
Jeremy Rose will remain an integral part of the Roupas-controlled Cook County GOP. I am told today that Beth Christie, a wealthy Republican donor, will kick in some dough to pay a consultancy fee to Rose on behalf of the Cook Co. party. So, Rose is out, yet he's still in. Ironically, it sounds like Rose comes out of the affair in a better position. The gig as Executive Director didn't pay much, you see, but he will retain influence and make a tidy profit to boot.
The situation at the Cook County GOP may be resolved for now, but you can believe that it will flare up again after November's general elections. Rose's removal as Exec. Dir., Cook County GOP does nothing to resolve the alleged sex scandal at Rose's CYR. It's an open, festering wound that will surely turn gangrenous soon if it is not triaged quickly.
Pat Brady has known about the CYR-Jeremy Rose sex scandal allegations for many weeks, probably for many months. Insiders tell me that his top aides received emails about it last year. By now, certainly, all of the Republican leadership in Illinois is aware of it. There is no longer any excuse for those leaders, including Pat Brady, to not insist on a full internal investigation of the allegations.
By having let it go for so long, with rumors and inuendo flying all the while, was but another example of poorly Republicans handle public relations. This particular PR problem, which may seem insignificant to some, has all the potential of blowing up the the GOP's face in mid-October as a PR bomb that the Democrats will happily use. Thanks to Pat Brady's initial hiding of - and from - the problem, and also to his window-dressing removal of Rose as Exec. Director of the Cook County Republican Party, the Democrats won't even have to light that PR bomb's fuse.
IN FACT, THE BOMB THROWING STARTED TODAY, with a press conference call by some Democrat women: MEDIA ADVISORY WHO: State Senator Iris Martinez, State Representative Karen Yarbrough, State Representative Sarah Feigenholtz, Melissa Widen, PersonalPAC Board of Directors Vice-Chairman
[Update: Feigenholtz was a no-show; see more below...]
WHAT: PRESS CONFERENCE: WOMEN DEMAND RESPONSE AFTER COVER UP OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS IN ILLINOIS GOP
WHEN: Friday, July 30th at 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: Democratic Party of Cook County, 134 N LaSalle Blvd, 14th Floor, Chicago
SUBJECT: WOMEN DEMAND RESPONSE AFTER COVER UP OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS IN ILLINOIS GOP CHICAGO
Illinois women are demanding the truth from GOP standard-bearer Senator Bill Brady after his party covered up allegations of sexual misconduct by a top GOP leader. After two governors who betrayed the public trust, Illinois cannot afford a repeat of the problems of the past. Women and all voters should be concerned that a cover up of this magnitude was perpetuated by Illinois Republicans. The press conference will be held at the Democratic Party of Cook County offices, 134 N LaSalle Blvd, 14th Floor, Chicago, IL
UPDATE, 10:10 PM: Cook County GOP Scandal: Bill Brady Takes Heat From Women Democrats Over 'Cover-Up' at Huffington Post. (Note that Sara Feigenholtz stayed away for reasons unknown.)
Hat tip to Rich Miller at Capital Fax for the heads up on the press release. Miller noted, accurately, the "The mainstream Chicago media has completely ignored these allegations. We’ll see what happens after the press conference." Indeed, Capital Fax seems to be the only outlet - mainstream or otherwise - to publish that press release so far.
What's to be done? The OTHER Brady, of course, stands to lose most of all. That's State Senator Bill Brady, of course, who is the Republican running for governor of Illinois. Sen. Brady has also been aware of the CYR sexual misconduct allegations for months. As one GOP insider said to me this morning, "Bill Brady should have come out front months ago with this and demanded an inquiry," and hinted that Sen. Brady should even have called for purge of all suspects. As feared, and as we all knew would happen, the Dems are trying to tie Bill Brady to the scandal. Although he had nothing to do with any of the alleged misconduct, Bill Brady is guilty of participating in the covering up of the scandal. The fact that Pat Brady forced the "resignation" of Jeremy Rose from the Cook County GOP is proof enough that the leadership acknowledges the public relations problem - even though they handled it like rank amateurs.
Bill Brady needs to insist that Pat Brady step down as chair of the Illinois Republican Party. He should then hold a press conference to say how horrified he is about the allegations and the way it's been handled, and assure everyone that this kind of behavior is not acceptable. He would need to be careful to say things such as "if true" and "allegedly," because none of the accusations have been tried in any court of law. Bill Brady, however, does not need a court of law to state his case any more than Pat Brady did to oust Rose. Bill Brady can't keep avoiding this by continuing to hide in his bus.
This raises a lot of concerns and many questions, not only about Rose but also about Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady and Lee Roupas, Chairman of the Cook County Republican Party. (Again, apologies to some readers for the semi-insider nature of all of this.)
Jeremy Rose will remain an integral part of the Roupas-controlled Cook County GOP. I am told today that Beth Christie, a wealthy Republican donor, will kick in some dough to pay a consultancy fee to Rose on behalf of the Cook Co. party. So, Rose is out, yet he's still in. Ironically, it sounds like Rose comes out of the affair in a better position. The gig as Executive Director didn't pay much, you see, but he will retain influence and make a tidy profit to boot.
The situation at the Cook County GOP may be resolved for now, but you can believe that it will flare up again after November's general elections. Rose's removal as Exec. Dir., Cook County GOP does nothing to resolve the alleged sex scandal at Rose's CYR. It's an open, festering wound that will surely turn gangrenous soon if it is not triaged quickly.
Pat Brady has known about the CYR-Jeremy Rose sex scandal allegations for many weeks, probably for many months. Insiders tell me that his top aides received emails about it last year. By now, certainly, all of the Republican leadership in Illinois is aware of it. There is no longer any excuse for those leaders, including Pat Brady, to not insist on a full internal investigation of the allegations.
By having let it go for so long, with rumors and inuendo flying all the while, was but another example of poorly Republicans handle public relations. This particular PR problem, which may seem insignificant to some, has all the potential of blowing up the the GOP's face in mid-October as a PR bomb that the Democrats will happily use. Thanks to Pat Brady's initial hiding of - and from - the problem, and also to his window-dressing removal of Rose as Exec. Director of the Cook County Republican Party, the Democrats won't even have to light that PR bomb's fuse.
IN FACT, THE BOMB THROWING STARTED TODAY, with a press conference call by some Democrat women: MEDIA ADVISORY WHO: State Senator Iris Martinez, State Representative Karen Yarbrough, State Representative Sarah Feigenholtz, Melissa Widen, PersonalPAC Board of Directors Vice-Chairman
[Update: Feigenholtz was a no-show; see more below...]
WHAT: PRESS CONFERENCE: WOMEN DEMAND RESPONSE AFTER COVER UP OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS IN ILLINOIS GOP
WHEN: Friday, July 30th at 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: Democratic Party of Cook County, 134 N LaSalle Blvd, 14th Floor, Chicago
SUBJECT: WOMEN DEMAND RESPONSE AFTER COVER UP OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS IN ILLINOIS GOP CHICAGO
Illinois women are demanding the truth from GOP standard-bearer Senator Bill Brady after his party covered up allegations of sexual misconduct by a top GOP leader. After two governors who betrayed the public trust, Illinois cannot afford a repeat of the problems of the past. Women and all voters should be concerned that a cover up of this magnitude was perpetuated by Illinois Republicans. The press conference will be held at the Democratic Party of Cook County offices, 134 N LaSalle Blvd, 14th Floor, Chicago, IL
UPDATE, 10:10 PM: Cook County GOP Scandal: Bill Brady Takes Heat From Women Democrats Over 'Cover-Up' at Huffington Post. (Note that Sara Feigenholtz stayed away for reasons unknown.)
Hat tip to Rich Miller at Capital Fax for the heads up on the press release. Miller noted, accurately, the "The mainstream Chicago media has completely ignored these allegations. We’ll see what happens after the press conference." Indeed, Capital Fax seems to be the only outlet - mainstream or otherwise - to publish that press release so far.
What's to be done? The OTHER Brady, of course, stands to lose most of all. That's State Senator Bill Brady, of course, who is the Republican running for governor of Illinois. Sen. Brady has also been aware of the CYR sexual misconduct allegations for months. As one GOP insider said to me this morning, "Bill Brady should have come out front months ago with this and demanded an inquiry," and hinted that Sen. Brady should even have called for purge of all suspects. As feared, and as we all knew would happen, the Dems are trying to tie Bill Brady to the scandal. Although he had nothing to do with any of the alleged misconduct, Bill Brady is guilty of participating in the covering up of the scandal. The fact that Pat Brady forced the "resignation" of Jeremy Rose from the Cook County GOP is proof enough that the leadership acknowledges the public relations problem - even though they handled it like rank amateurs.
Bill Brady needs to insist that Pat Brady step down as chair of the Illinois Republican Party. He should then hold a press conference to say how horrified he is about the allegations and the way it's been handled, and assure everyone that this kind of behavior is not acceptable. He would need to be careful to say things such as "if true" and "allegedly," because none of the accusations have been tried in any court of law. Bill Brady, however, does not need a court of law to state his case any more than Pat Brady did to oust Rose. Bill Brady can't keep avoiding this by continuing to hide in his bus.
Useless Uptown Peace Vigil Ends But Violence Will Continue
There was a candlelight anti-violence peace march in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood (a section called Sheridan Park), as reported here earlier. It was the production of Johnny King and his "Commissioned for the Community" group.
The event was oh-so-predictable. A crowd of 80 to 100 people gathered at the southwest corner of N. Magnolia and W. Wilson at 7:00 p.m., then moved to the middle of the 4500 block of N. Magnolia. That's where the two young men were shot on Wednesday.
A modest police presence was there to monitor the situation; some detectives and a few uniformed officers stood around, out of the way.
Politicians present: 46th Ward aldermanic candidates Michael Carroll, James Cappelman, Don Nowotny and Molly Phelan, as well as Adam Robinson, candidate for State Senate in the 7th District (photo right; click images to englarge them). The Critical Mass biker riders, by the way, did not pass through Wilson and Magnolia until 9:15 p.m., well after the vigil ended. It was feared earlier that they would get in the way of the vigil, which was a silly fear inasmuch as the vigil was a long half block off of that intersection.
Some of the speakers, including King (photo left), gave the usual speeches. Why is their such hate? they wondered aloud. Why do they shoot each other? they asked collectively. Now is the time to come together and do something about this, they vowed 60 years too late. We have a voice, the group muttered, and we have the ability to make a difference. We must come together.
Blah blah blah, talk talk talk, and meanwhile the code of silence in the Black community continues. I see more "Stop Snitching" than Che Guevara tee shirts in Uptown. The shooting is almost exclusively black-on-black violence, but the code of "the Black man's law" keeps many in the neighborhood from helping the police (The Man) from preventing the next black person from being gunned down. Nobody at this vigil had the guts to address this fully.
Look, these are nice, well meaning people. It's hard to fault them for their good intentions and their kind spirits. The fact that these are good people, who truly feel the pain of a community that is wrenched by violence in a society that gets number to it every year, just makes it all the more difficult to watch. Otherwise intelligent people who would laugh at the notion of superstition stood around on a sidewalk tonight and essentially appealed to the gods to intervene. I have nothing against prayer, but the real roots of the violence were not addressed.
Photo above, left: Molly Phelan Photo above, right: James Cappelman
Photo below, left: CFC members get the message out Photo below, right: The vigil on Magnolia.
At no time did we hear mention of the morally decaying influence of Hollywood over the decades, nor of the coddling of criminals by politicians and activist judges. At no point in the ritual tonight did anybody rant righteously against lazy parents, a justice system that lets the shooters go more often than not with minimal or no punishment, and at no time did anybody scold the ACLU for making it difficult for police officers to do their jobs. I did not hear anybody say anything about the sick culture of gangsta rap and the encouragement it gives to the animals and savages who so wantonly kill each other and the innocent bystanders who are rude enough to get in the way of their bullets.
Photo below, left: Discarded pizza box, empty juice and beer bottles.
Photo below, right: This dog's trick was as effective in fighting gang violence as were the tricks performed by the humans at the vigil.
What we did see was a repeat of what has happened thousands of times across America in the wake of some tragic and senseless murder. What we will see again, as surely as the sun will rise tomorrow, is another round of insane violence in Chicago. It might be tonight, tomorrow, or next week, but you can safely bet your mortgage that it will happen. In fact, as the vigil was still in progress, I crossed the street to stand with three CPD officers and a civilian.
"Gee," I said sarcastically to them, "I feel safer already knowing that this vigil has stopped all future violence in Uptown."
They laughed. "For now," one said, "I give it three days before there's another incident."
Another officer said, "I'm betting on two days."
Two days, three day, whatever: Somebody will die again. Perhaps there will be another vigil then, too. Perhaps next time we can build a big bonfire on the beach and sacrifice a cow or something. Perhaps State Senator Heather Steans, the Machine Democrat who Adam Robinson is running against, can hold another of her useless public safety meetings.
RELATED:
At least 10 wounded in separate Chicago shootings, Aug. 2, 2010 Chicago Breaking News
Cops ID Suspect in 13-Year-Old's Murder MyFoxChicago
'Scary' growth of gangs in war zones - Chicago Sun-Times
Street-Gang Mentality A Mosaic of Remorseless Violence and Relentless Loyalty FBI.gov
Prayer Vigil, Voodoo and Liberal Magic in Uptown, Chicago
July 30, 2010 - Two guys were shot in Uptown, one fatally, on Wednesday. On Chicago's south side, a 13-year old boy was riddled with 22 bullets. The shooting has been going on for many years, unabated by the now-defunct handgun ban in the city, and it continues. There is, frankly, no sign of it stopping soon. Also See: Useless Uptown Peace Vigil Ends But Violence Will Continue
This is odd and strange, because after hundreds and hundreds of prayer vigils, candlelight ceremonies and "take back the streets" marches, you'd think the gangsters would have slapped their foreheads and shouted collectively, "Daaaay-yam! Prayz and candalie and yuppies marshin?!? I have seen da light, pray Jeezuz! No mo crime fuh me!" (Lest you think me racist for the way I wrote that, let me remind you that none of the shooters thus far have been Japanese honor students.)
The gangstas haven't had a sudden change of heart, of course, but that won't stop a bunch of well-meaning fools from wasting their time tonight in yet another useless excercise in futility.
We are have a prayer vigil and peace march tomorrow at Magnolia and Wilson at 7pm for the two young men shoot yesterday. One of the young men passed on and the other is still in the hospital. Peace [sic] come out and unite in peace with us.
So wrote "Commissioned for the Community" (CFC) on their Facebook page yesterday. We wonder if wreaths of garlic will be handed out to help keep away evil spirits. I'm told that immediately after the event there will be a rain dance in Lincoln Park, and on Saturday a witch will be called in to CFC's offices to cast a spell on the gangsters. None of this will do a damn bit of good, of course, but I suppose it will at least make the peace marchers feel good. It's what liberal magic is best for.
(Yawn) Jeremy Rose "Resigns" From Cook County GOP; HuffPo Misses Key Element
July 29, 2010 - Jeez, this is getting old. No, wait, it already is old. Eight days ago we reported that Jeremy Rose, the embattled now-former Executive Director of the Cook County Republican Party, had a 50/50 chance of being shit-canned from that position. Turns out he was shit-canned, after all, and the Huffington Post sorta-kinda finally caught up to us today, almost... well, not exactly:
Jeremy Rose, the executive director of the Cook County GOP, resigned Tuesday night after word spread of a past allegation of sexual misconduct. According to documents obtained by Huffington Post Chicago, his boss -- Cook County GOP chairman Lee Roupas -- has known about the allegations for over a year, during which time he hired and promoted Rose. And when a whistleblower came forward about the complaint, Roupas organized a concerted effort to remove that person from her elected position within the party.That's interesting, but HuffPo's otherwise-good post mysteriously missed the key point that we made over a week ago when we wrote this:
...on the night of Tuesday, July 20 there was a conference call between Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady and state central committeemen, in which Brady told the committeemen that Jeremy Rose will be resigning from his position as Executive Director of the Cook County Republican Party "within three days." That would have been yesterday, July 23. Rose's position with the county GOP, according to our source, hinged on the outcome of "mediation by Gary MacDougal, a former state GOP chairman, between Eloise Gerson and Lee Roupas." That mediation was, so we were told, a power struggle within the ranks of Chicago area Republicans, and also has to do with allegations of sexual misconduct within the Chicago Young Republicans. The mediation was scheduled for Thursday, July 22.To our amazement, HuffPo did not mention Pat Brady even once in their post today. T'was GOP State Chairman Brady, after all, who forced the "resignation" of Jeremy Rose. (Score one big point for Eloise Gerson.) The question remains: When will the Pat Brady camp and others force the ouster of Jeremy Rose as the head of the Chicago Young Republicans? Remember this: "Others" includes a bunch of very pissed off and disgusted big-money donors -- and at least one incumbent Republican Congressman who happens to be running for U.S. Senate against a former banker to the mob.
More Shooting In Uptown, July 29; Retaliation For Magnolia Murder
Chicago - July 29 - Early this afternoon, gangsters were shooting at each other in the 4500 block of N. Sheridan near W. Sunnyside. Sources tell Chicago News Bench that the gunplay was between Gangster Disciples and Black P Stones and was in retaliation for the July 28 double shooting in the 4500 block of N. Magnolia. The same sources say they fear more violence tonight and possibly through the week. Watch your backs, Uptown, and be ready to duck.
Afternoon Shooting In Chicago's Uptown, Gang Related, Updated
PLEASE SEE UPDATE: One Dead In Uptown Shooting Today, Died On Scene (With Photos) Thank you...
Did Hillbuzz Have a Premature Ejaculation?
Did Hillbuzz screw up? Is Hillbuzz so eager to print sensationalistic rumor and innuendo from "Roxy Vanilla" that he couldn't see that the email address on a message he got is not from RV? Perhaps, but maybe not. Maybe Roxy Vanilla is just getting sloppy. Perhaps not.
On Monday, July 26 at 1:44 p.m., I posted here that Chicago News Bench received a mysterious email. I wrote this in the post "Roxy Vanilla, Time To Step Forward":
Today, another anonymous coward sent us an email. Their email was "theswordandtherose" and used the same anonymizing email service that Roxy Vanilla uses. The voice in which it was written is very similar to that of Roxy Vanilla. The sender signed the email as "Concerned CYRs." We call on this cowardly cyberinformant to step forward, too.
In other words, the sender did not claim to be Roxy Vanilla. That didn't prevent Hillbuzz from reporting that the email was "Latest email from “Roxy Vanilla”... Huh. I double checked and sho' nuff, the text that Hillbuzz presents as a Roxy Vanilla email is exactly, word for word, the same as the one I got by "Concerned CYRs," sent from "theswordandtherose@xxxxx.xxx." Roxy Vanilla uses the same anonymous email service, but of course, any coward afraid to put his/her name to an accusation can do that.
The only difference between what Hillbuzz claims to have received and what I got is the way the email was addressed.
Hillbuzz presented his version as being addressed this way:
FROM: Roxy Vanilla
TO: The Prophet
CC: Chicago Media
DATE: 7/25/10
The one I received was addressed as follows:
From: theswordandtherose@xxxxxx.xxx
To: [Jeremy Rose's email]
I was obviously blind copied (bcc'd). If anybody else received the email as a bcc, I have no way of knowing.
Since Roxy Vanilla has sent email to me directly, and therefore knows my email address, it seems unlikely that they (RV is a group) would send something to me under a different pseudonym and from a different email address. Additionally, why would someone calling themselves "Concerned CYRs" send out exactly the same email that, according to Hillbuzz, was sent by Roxy Vanilla? Doesn't make much sense.
If Hillbuzz would forward the email he claims to be from Roxy Vanilla to me, I'll be satisfied. I don't know if Hillbuzz even reads this blog, but if he reads this post he'll probably laugh this off and shout "F--- you, Mannis, you bug!" at his computer screen. Of course, he won't be able to hear you or me shouting "Prove it, Hillbuzz!" at our keyboards.
Robinson State Senate Campaign Driving Numbers in IL-7th
Adam Robinson's campaign for Illinois State Senate (7th) is driving a measurable shift in voter support in this traditionally unchallenged district. Robinson, a moderate Republican, is running against Machine Democrat Heather Steans. Steans and her husband Leo Smith were major enablers of Rod Blagojevich over the years.
In a recent survey, 55% of independent voters indicated that they would support Robinson in November.
PRLog (Press Release) – Jul 26, 2010 – Adam Robinson's State Senate campaign released results from their voter survey for the week-ending July 24th.
Results obtained through the Robinson campaign's internal poll show that his campaign is driving a measurable shift in voter support in this traditionally unchallenged State Senate district. When asked which candidate they were most likely to support in November, 55% of independent voters surveyed indicated that they would choose Adam Robinson over the incumbent. In a sign of voter dissatisfaction with the political status quo, 45% of Democrat primary voters surveyed indicated that they will support Robinson in November.
This sizable lead among independent voters and the strong support within base Democrats indicates that Robinson is well-positioned for the November 2nd general election.
For the seven day period of 7/18 through 7/24, the Robinson campaign made 37,426 calls to registered voters in the 7th district, setting a new 2010 record for the most outreach calls made by a candidate for the General Assembly by over 7,000 dials. These live-operator survey calls were made by campaign volunteers and were not "robo calls."
Adam Robinson, the independent-minded challenger to the Illinois State Senate's 7th district seat, commented on these latest survey results.
"These numbers are confirmation of what we've known for months - voters in the 7th district are tired of politicians who waste their money, cut the programs they care about, and punish taxpayers for their failure to govern effectively. Our support is a testament to our community and its willingness to stand up and say, 'enough is enough!' We're working hard earn the people's trust, and our message is clearly resonating."
Entrepreneur , small business owner and community advocate Adam Robinson is the challenger for Illinois State Senate, 7th District (far north Chicago). Adam's platform calls for policies that cut wasteful spending, increase jobs, improve public education, and deliver full transparency in government. Find out more at www.ElectAdamRobinson.com and visit Adam's Press Room.
RELATED:
Robinson Campaign Comments on Sen. Steans' Investment in Troubled Nursing Home
Madigan Calls for Full Steans Investigation, Alleges Corruption
Contractors Gave Blago $80,000 (Steans Gave Him $200,000)
Heather Steans Lies About Hubby's Blago Connections
Heather Steans' Husband Goes Nuts in a Gay Bar
Sen. Heather Steans Lied on Her Resume
Sen. Heather Steans, Money Whore
Roxy Vanilla, Time To Step Forward
Enough of the cowardly accusations, "Roxy Vanilla." You describe yourself as "a small group of disgusted current and former Chicago Young Republicans." You write wicked accusations about Jeremy Rose and Lee Roupas from behind the safe shadows of anonymity. Chicago News Bench, and other bloggers previously, have reported the allegations made by you. This blog has always referred to the accusations by you as "allegations" because none of the serious points presented have been proven to be true.
(I apologize to most readers for the insider nature of this post, which I realize is mysterious to most of you. For context, see Sex! Power! Coverups! The Imperial Cook County GOP and Is Jeremy Rose Out As Exec Dir of Cook County GOP?)
The accustions against Rose, Roupas, et. al. may be or may not be true; we don't know, but fairness obliges us to qualify the accusations as "allegations." I have offered Jeremy Rose a forum here to dispute the allegations against him, and thus far he has not stepped up. The point is, however, that he was offered. (I have also offered that opportunity to the Cook County committeemen, to no avail.) Roxy Vanilla seems to prefer the star chamber method of justice, convened secretly in a shadowy corner, perhaps, of a musty coffee shop in parts unknown.
For all we know, Roxy Vanilla is only one person. Or as he/she/they claim, a group. We don't know because RV is anonymous. Even the guilty have the right to face their accuser, but Roxy Vanilla is denying that right to Rose, Roupas and others. That is cowardly, and it does not nothing in the way of lending any credibility to Roxy Vanilla. So we call on Roxy Vanilla to grow a spine and step forward. Reveal your identity/ies.
Give credence (if there is any) to your claims of misconduct, "Roxy Vanilla," by attaching your real name/s to them.
Today, another anonymous coward sent us an email. Their email was "theswordandtherose" and used the same anonymizing email service that Roxy Vanilla uses. The voice in which it was written is very similar to that of Roxy Vanilla. The sender signed the email as "Concerned CYRs." We call on this cowardly cyberinformant to step forward, too. ALSO SEE: Did Hillbuzz Have a Premature Ejaculation?
Film 'The Soviet Story' Reveals The Horror of Communism
Once upon a time, the socialists in Europe were united. Hitler and Stalin, both socialists, were friendly toward each other. Before Hitler began his campaign of genocide, Stalin starved seven million people to death in Ukraine in the winter of 1932-33. During that genocide, Stalin exported confiscated Ukrainian wheat to Nazi Germany. Six years after the Ukraine horror, Hitler and Stalin signed a nonaggression treaty. NOTE: We now have this video permanently embedded beneath our bookstore below.
This is history that has been virtually purged from public school systems because it is "politically incorrect." It's disturbing, it's frightening, it is stark reality. The next time you see some ignorant fool wearing a Che Guevara tee-shirt, remember this film. The next time you hear somebody sing the praises of communism, remember this film. Watch the entire 86-minute movie uniterrupted at http://www.archive.org/details/TheSovietStory.
Hat tip to Moonbattery
Eventually, the eastern socialists and the western socialists of Europe split into two major camps: The Red camp and the Brown camp. The Reds were in Russia, under the hammer and sickle. The Browns were in Germany, under the swastika. Heresy? No, it's history ignored. "The Soviet Story" is a powerful film that everybody needs to watch. Released in 2008, it deserves more attention. |
Runaway Slave Movie Teaser 2010
Slavery still exists in America. The plantation masters are the Democrat Party. Black Man: Are YOU an economic and cultural slave to the Democrats? Have you thought about it? Runaway Slave - The Documentary, with Pastor C.L. Bryant. An honest discussion about black conservatives in America. "Run away from the slavery of tyranny towards the blessings of liberty!" The film is now in production and is a non-profit project. Look for newsletter sign up and more details coming soon at http://www.runawayslavemovie.com
Why Conservatives Should Care About the Cook County GOP Scandals
We've been touching on the simmering triangular sex-and-power scandals involving the Cook County Republican Party, the Chicago Young Republicans and the Chicago Republican Party.
Hillbuzz has been ahead of the curve, however, and yesterday posted "Anatomy of a Scandal: Why conservatives nationwide should care about what Lee Roupas has done to the Cook County GOP." It's a must-read.
Note: There is an "informer" call "Roxy Vanilla," which is actually a group. In one of their emails, they described themselves as "a small group of disgusted current and former Chicago Young Republicans." On July 25, Chicago News Bench received a comment from an imposter, posing as Roxy Vanilla. The real Roxy's email address is "roxyvanilla@xxxxxx.xxx," but the imposter added an extra "l" - "roxyvanillla@xxxxxx.xxx". You can see the imposter's comment at my post, "Is Jeremy Rose Still Exec Director? And Where Are Cook County GOP Committemen?"
They Keep Shooting In Chicago (Because Liberals Let Them)
The Chicago Sun-Times has a must-read article in their July 24 issue. It is the story, as staft reporters Mark J. Konkol and Frank Main write, "of why they won’t stop shooting in Chicago."
Konkol and Main deserve both credit and criticism for their article. Credit, of course, for reporting well on that which they did include in the story. Criticism, also, for what they did not include. The essence of the story is that the criminals have little incentive to stop, and Konkol and Main go right into the fact that the criminal justice system is soft on the criminals. What they omit, and shamefully, is why the justice system is so lax. Here's a clue: You will not find these words anywhere in the article: ACLU, liberals, leftists, legislators, judges. Inasmuch as those are five of the primary reasons that criminals get off so lightly, it is profoundly troubling that they were not mentioned at all. An excerpt from the article:
It’s told by the wounded, the accused and the officers who were on the street during a weekend in April 2008 when 40 people were shot, seven fatally. Two years later, the grim reality is this: Nearly all of the shooters from that weekend have escaped charges.
“You don’t go to jail for shooting people,” says Dontae Gamble, who took six bullets that weekend, only to see his alleged shooter walk free.
“That’s why m------------- think they can get back on the streets and kill again. You feel me?”
So far, not one accused shooter has been convicted of pulling the trigger during those deadly 59 hours from April 18-20 of that year, a Chicago Sun-Times investigation has found.
Shame on the two reporters and their editors for leaving out such critical parts of the story. They vaguely alluded to the problem, but just couldn't bring themselves to cite those who are to blame for the system's failures:
“The certainty of punishment is very, very low in Chicago, and that’s going to embolden people,” said defense attorney Thomas Needham, who was a top legal adviser to former police Supt. Terry Hillard. “It’s going to lead to less fear by the people who are going to consider shooting. That’s very alarming.”
The next time you hear any politician in Chicago or Springfield claim to be tough on crime, laugh bitterly and say, "You must be shitting me," immediately followed up with "What have you done to ensure the conviction of violent criminals?" You might also ask them when Governor George Ryan's moratorium on the death penalty will be trashed.
RELATED:
ACLU Favors Criminals (As Always) Stop The ACLU
The effects of Liberalism on the American justice system RepubliKid
Is Jeremy Rose Still Exec Director? And Where Are Cook County GOP Committemen?
Last Wednesday, we reported that Jeremy Rose, Executive Director of the Cook County Republican Party, might be ousted. His position there, we wrote, hinged on the outcome of a meeting between the county party's Chairman, Lee Roupas, and Eloise Gerson, chairman of the Chicago Republican Party. They've been feuding, you see, and it got ugly. Real ugly. Although Rose still seems to have retained that position, big questions remain.
One of those questions: Why were ALL Cook County GOP Central Committeemen's names purged from their website last week?
As we wrote on Wednesday, a source told us that on the night of Tuesday, July 20 there was a conference call between Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady and state central committeemen, in which Brady told the committeemen that Jeremy Rose will be resigning from his position as Executive Director of the Cook County Republican Party "within three days." That would have been yesterday, July 23. Rose's position with the county GOP, according to our source, hinged on the outcome of "mediation by Gary MacDougal, a former state GOP chairman, between Eloise Gerson and Lee Roupas." That mediation was, so we were told, a 
power struggle within the ranks of Chicago area Republicans, and also has to do with allegations of sexual misconduct within the Chicago Young Republicans. The mediation was scheduled for Thursday, July 22.
In the midst of all of this, the names of every Cook County GOP Central Committeeman was removed from their website. (Click image to see the before and after listings.) No public explanation has been offered, and it caught the committeemen themselves by surprise. The phone calls between them and Roupas, whose name is the only one remaining under the heading of "leadership" on that web page, would undoubtedly make for great cocktail conversation.
Both sides seem to have clammed up even tighter. They are avoiding calls from the likes of the Huffington Post, Hillbuzz, Chicago News Bench and others. (We have twice offered Jeremy Rose a "carte blanche" opportunity to respond on Chicago News Bench, but he has not responded to the offer.)
Another question: Is Rose really still the Executive Director of the Cook County GOP? Given the purging of the committeemen's names, can we trust the website? After all, we doubt that the committeemen themselves have been removed from their position, yet there's the now-incomplete "Leadership" list. Time for Lee Roupas and Jeremy Rose to start answering a lot of questions - not just from bloggers, but from their own "leadership." They could start with this question: "What the hell is going on over there?"
RELATED:
Anatomy of a Scandal: Why conservatives nationwide should care about what Lee Roupas has done to the Cook County GOP - Hillbuzz
power struggle within the ranks of Chicago area Republicans, and also has to do with allegations of sexual misconduct within the Chicago Young Republicans. The mediation was scheduled for Thursday, July 22.
In the midst of all of this, the names of every Cook County GOP Central Committeeman was removed from their website. (Click image to see the before and after listings.) No public explanation has been offered, and it caught the committeemen themselves by surprise. The phone calls between them and Roupas, whose name is the only one remaining under the heading of "leadership" on that web page, would undoubtedly make for great cocktail conversation.
Both sides seem to have clammed up even tighter. They are avoiding calls from the likes of the Huffington Post, Hillbuzz, Chicago News Bench and others. (We have twice offered Jeremy Rose a "carte blanche" opportunity to respond on Chicago News Bench, but he has not responded to the offer.)
Another question: Is Rose really still the Executive Director of the Cook County GOP? Given the purging of the committeemen's names, can we trust the website? After all, we doubt that the committeemen themselves have been removed from their position, yet there's the now-incomplete "Leadership" list. Time for Lee Roupas and Jeremy Rose to start answering a lot of questions - not just from bloggers, but from their own "leadership." They could start with this question: "What the hell is going on over there?"
RELATED:
Anatomy of a Scandal: Why conservatives nationwide should care about what Lee Roupas has done to the Cook County GOP - Hillbuzz
Loyola University Says No Political Speakers - Unless They Work for Obama (Updated)
by Michael Coyne - Former Bush advisor bad, current Obama advisor good: Will leftist/liberal hypocrisy on college campuses will ever cease?
Can a university block a conservative speaker and permit a liberal one? That, after all, is exactly what Loyola University Chicago has done recently.
The Young America's Foundation noted on July 22 that Loyola University Chicago squashed plans to host Karl Rove, former Deputy Chief of Staff and political strategist under President George W. Bush. Their stated grounds: Political speakers are not to be allowed on campus so close to an election, with November 2 not that far off.
This was, of course, an outright lie, since, as YAF noted:
University officials denied the request to host Karl Rove, arguing that due to their 501(c)(3) tax status, they cannot host a “political” speaker before the midterm elections. Those with even the faintest knowledge of tax law understand that is simply not the case... As if that weren’t egregious enough, Loyola University Chicago has a history of hosting partisan speakers on election years. On September 1, 2004, Howard Dean was allowed to speak on campus. Just a couple weeks later, third party candidate Ralph Nader not only spoke on campus, but it was also advertised as a campaign event and donations were solicitedToday, emails were sent out to Loyola students announcing the following (emphasis added):
Patel has spoken at Loyola previously. He and a number of other notable liberals was one of the speakers for their 140th annual commencement ceremonies in the Spring of 2010. Patel spoke at The Graduate School and Institute of Pastoral Studies. Other liberal speakers included Kevin Bales, PhD (President & Co-Founder, Free the Slaves), Susan Sher (Chief of Staff for Michelle Obama), and Clarence Page (Journalist, Syndicated Columnist). Source: Loyola Student Dispatch's Blog, April 27, 2010. What does Loyola have to say about this blatant hypocrisy? We can be sure more will follow soon. About Eboo Patel: A religion adviser to President Obama has close ties to the imam who wants to build a 13-story Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero. The two have been documented together discussing America as "the ideal place for a renewal of Islam," WND has learned. In February, Obama named a Chicago Muslim, Eboo Patel, to his Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Patel is the founder and executive director of Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core, which says it promotes pluralism by teaming people of different faiths on service projects. Full Article here... RELATED: Loyola University Refuses to Let Karl Rove Speak CNB Loyola to host interfaith leadership expert Loyola Student Dispatch The Real Jeremiah Wright, by Eboo Patel Washington Post Loyola Interfaith Youth Corps Facebook group Obama adviser: U.S. 'ideal place for renewal of Islam' World Net Daily Catholic Colleges and the Political Left CatholiCity Hindu puts Eboo Patel in his place Jihad Chat No Eboo, It Is About Fundamentalism NewsReal Blog Obama Adviser Eboo Patel: 'Van Jones, Faith Hero' NewsBusters Eboo Patel's Articles Muslim Voices
On Friday, August 27, Eboo Patel, PhD, the founder and executive director of Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core and a member of President Obama’s advisory council of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, will deliver a public lecture on the Lake Shore Campus. Patel will discuss “Interfaith Leadership and Transformative Education” at 7 p.m., in the Mundelein Center Auditorium.
Sex! Power! Coverups! The Imperial Cook County GOP
CNB Exclusive - Sex and Power often go together, but usually not this way. Allegations and whispers of sexual misconduct within the Chicago Young Republicans group are only complicating a long-standing attempt by Cook County Republican Party leadership to move in on the Chicago Republican Party like the Borg going after the Starship Enterprise.
Before proceeding, we want to be clear that there is no indication that Sen. Bill Brady is involved in any of this. He's running for governor in Illinois. Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady, however, has been briefed. Major party donors have heard the whispers for many months, and some are putting heavy pressure on GOP leadership at all levels to "clean this mess up."
AN EMAIL AND MEMO were obtained by us through one of our informers. THE EMAIL (click to view) was sent by Eloise Gerson, Chairman of the Chicago Republican Central Committee, to "GOP Leaders" on Monday, July 10, 2010. There is an ugly power struggle between the Cook County (IL) Republican Party and the Chicago Republican Party that's been brewing for at least 18 months, and it is essentially a conspiracy between Jeremy Rose, Executive Director of the Cook County Party and President of the Chicago Young Republicans, and Cook County Republican Chairman Lee Roupas. While we don't know who those "leaders" are (they seem to have been blind copied), but we can guess that IL GOP Chairman Pat Brady was included in the list. She addresses the "vicious" attempt to co-opt her organization by the Cook County Central Committee.
THE MEMO (click to view) is undated but obviously sent in late June, 2010, prior to the email and lends much context to the email of July 19. (The email is dated July 10, the other document refers to a then-future meeting on June 29, 2010.)
Roupas and Rose want, essentially, to take over and absorb the Chicago party into one larger entity. Meanwhile, a sex scandal is brewing within the Chicago Young Republicans, involving serious allegations against Rose. That scandal is on the verge of exploding, already getting scant coverage in the blogosphere. We haven't heard the last of this by a longshot. Like a pressure cooker that's been steaming too long, the lid is about to blow. Let's get it over with.
RELATED ALLEGATIONS:
Lee Roupas is lying: he claims to have only been made aware of the ... Hillbuzz
Is Jeremy Rose Out As Exec Director of Cook County GOP? (Updated) CNB
Who is Roxy Vanilla and what scandal is Lee Roupas covering up for the Chicago GOP? Hillbuzz
SHOTS FIRED, 6700 N CLARK STREET
Raw Notes from Chicago Police dispatcher: July 22, 2010, 5:39 PM - multiple shots fired, 6700 North Clark, 8-10 males shooting at each other.... blacks, hispanics, N. Clark & W. North Shore shooting at each other ... male hispanic, jersey with "14" on it ran west bound from above ... male black doing the shooting now standing in front of "the liquor store" ... male black described as "no shirt" with "a six pack"... male hispanic white shirt blue jeans long hair headed toward "el station", fired two shots in air ... 5:47 PM - A woman in the 1700 block of W. North Shore says a bullet from the above shooting went through her window. The liquor store owner has no security camera....
Wrap up, 6:52 PM: No reports of injuries via CPD radio frequencies. No mention of whether the guns used in this incident were legally registered, but we strongly suspect that they were not. We also suspect that the shooters didn't give a damn about either the old Chicago handgun ban, or about the new Chicago ordinance that makes legal possession of a handgun as difficult as possible.
Court Rules For Cedra Crenshaw, She's On The Ballot
The Democrat Machine tried to shut down the feisty mother, a Black, Republican, Tea Party-backed candidate, but Cedra Crenshaw fought back and is on the ballot.
On July 21, a Circuit Court in Will County, Illinois, put Cedra Crenshaw on the November ballot as the Republican nominee for State Senate, 43rd district. Like Illinois Green Party nominee Kenneth Williams, who won a somewhat similar ballot access lawsuit on the same day, Crenshaw had been chosen by party meeting after the primary was over. No one had run in the Republican primary for State Senate in the 43rd district. Illinois law lets qualified parties choose nominees after the primary by party meeting, if no one was nominated for that office in the primary. Source: Ballot Access News
Soon after the favorable ruling, Crenshaw posted this press release on her Citizens For Crenshaw page on Facebook:
“I am just one mom, and today is a victory for all moms, dads, and regular people vs. the Chicago Machine and their political games. I am delighted by the news that I am back on the ballot. Together, we will hold my opponent accountable for his horrific voting record,” said Cedra Crenshaw.
From the inception, Crenshaw had called on Sen. Arthur Wilhelmi to stop his party’s ballot challenge. Instead, Wilhelmi encouraged the specious, technical attack to restrict Crenshaw’s ballot access, as he repeatedly said, “the law needs to be followed.” Today, the court spoke and the Wilhelmi machine lost. Good government and the rule of law won the first battle.
Throughout Wilhelmi’s entire political career, he has been timid in the face of corruption. Wilhelmi could not even stand up to corrupt Gov. Rod Blagojevich. On the question, should the people of Illinois have the right to recall corrupt Gov. Rod Blagojevich- he voted “present”. Even as the Crenshaw challenge became a national news story, Wilhelmi refused to defend the most basic principle in our representative democracy: ballot access. Wilhelmi was again “present” while basic democratic principles were being trashed by the leadership of his party. The people of Illinois are weary of Wilhelmi- politicians.
“My team worked very hard to get on the ballot, collecting 2,100 petition signatures in only 19 days. It is evident that our work ethic needs to go to Springfield and reform Springfield!”, stated Crenshaw.
This is a leadership election and once elected to the state senate Crenshaw will introduce legislation to clarify election law and help make ballot access less complicated for everyone -- even independents and third parties. The people of Illinois need to hold their career politicians to account, and competition at the ballot box means accountability for lawmakers.
Crenshaw also posted the following on her campaign website:
State Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi has a fight on his hands, and his Democratic bosses have only made it worse.
Party leaders brought out the big guns to try to blow Republican challenger Cedra Crenshaw off the November ballot for the 43rd District seat. But a Will County judge ruled Wednesday that Crenshaw's ballot petitions are valid, rejecting the argument contrived by the Democrats who wanted Wilhelmi to coast to victory unopposed.
Grasping at the straw extended to them by the state Democratic Party's top elections attorney, Michael Kasper, the pliant Democratic majority on the Will County elections commission had swiftly thrown out Crenshaw's petitions based on a hypothetical — or shall we say imaginary — quandary. More at the Chicago Tribune...
RELATED:
Bill Kelly Interviews Cedra Crenshaw About Democrats' Attempts To Shut Her Out CNB
Cedra Crenshaw, Candidate Mom, Escapes Clutches of Chicago Machine Big Government
Judge Rules Black Tea Party Candidate's Petitions Valid Huffington Post
Tea Party Activist Cedra Crenshaw Wins Legal Battle... MyFoxChicago
Cedra Crenshaw to Chicago Democrats: THANK YOU! ChicagoNow
On July 21, a Circuit Court in Will County, Illinois, put Cedra Crenshaw on the November ballot as the Republican nominee for State Senate, 43rd district. Like Illinois Green Party nominee Kenneth Williams, who won a somewhat similar ballot access lawsuit on the same day, Crenshaw had been chosen by party meeting after the primary was over. No one had run in the Republican primary for State Senate in the 43rd district. Illinois law lets qualified parties choose nominees after the primary by party meeting, if no one was nominated for that office in the primary. Source: Ballot Access News
Soon after the favorable ruling, Crenshaw posted this press release on her Citizens For Crenshaw page on Facebook:
“I am just one mom, and today is a victory for all moms, dads, and regular people vs. the Chicago Machine and their political games. I am delighted by the news that I am back on the ballot. Together, we will hold my opponent accountable for his horrific voting record,” said Cedra Crenshaw.
From the inception, Crenshaw had called on Sen. Arthur Wilhelmi to stop his party’s ballot challenge. Instead, Wilhelmi encouraged the specious, technical attack to restrict Crenshaw’s ballot access, as he repeatedly said, “the law needs to be followed.” Today, the court spoke and the Wilhelmi machine lost. Good government and the rule of law won the first battle.
Throughout Wilhelmi’s entire political career, he has been timid in the face of corruption. Wilhelmi could not even stand up to corrupt Gov. Rod Blagojevich. On the question, should the people of Illinois have the right to recall corrupt Gov. Rod Blagojevich- he voted “present”. Even as the Crenshaw challenge became a national news story, Wilhelmi refused to defend the most basic principle in our representative democracy: ballot access. Wilhelmi was again “present” while basic democratic principles were being trashed by the leadership of his party. The people of Illinois are weary of Wilhelmi- politicians.
“My team worked very hard to get on the ballot, collecting 2,100 petition signatures in only 19 days. It is evident that our work ethic needs to go to Springfield and reform Springfield!”, stated Crenshaw.
This is a leadership election and once elected to the state senate Crenshaw will introduce legislation to clarify election law and help make ballot access less complicated for everyone -- even independents and third parties. The people of Illinois need to hold their career politicians to account, and competition at the ballot box means accountability for lawmakers.
Crenshaw also posted the following on her campaign website:
State Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi has a fight on his hands, and his Democratic bosses have only made it worse.
Party leaders brought out the big guns to try to blow Republican challenger Cedra Crenshaw off the November ballot for the 43rd District seat. But a Will County judge ruled Wednesday that Crenshaw's ballot petitions are valid, rejecting the argument contrived by the Democrats who wanted Wilhelmi to coast to victory unopposed.
Grasping at the straw extended to them by the state Democratic Party's top elections attorney, Michael Kasper, the pliant Democratic majority on the Will County elections commission had swiftly thrown out Crenshaw's petitions based on a hypothetical — or shall we say imaginary — quandary. More at the Chicago Tribune...
RELATED:
Bill Kelly Interviews Cedra Crenshaw About Democrats' Attempts To Shut Her Out CNB
Cedra Crenshaw, Candidate Mom, Escapes Clutches of Chicago Machine Big Government
Judge Rules Black Tea Party Candidate's Petitions Valid Huffington Post
Tea Party Activist Cedra Crenshaw Wins Legal Battle... MyFoxChicago
Cedra Crenshaw to Chicago Democrats: THANK YOU! ChicagoNow
Is Jeremy Rose Out As Exec Dir of Cook County GOP? (Updated x2)
Exclusive to Chicago News Bench: A trusted source tells us that on the night of Tuesday, July 20 there was a conference call between Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady and state central committeemen. In that phone call, Brady informed the committeemen that Jeremy Rose will be resigning from his position as Executive Director of the Cook County Republican Party "within three days." That would be this coming Friday, July 23. Our source claims that Brady did not specify why Rose would be resigning, nor whether it would be a forced or voluntary resignation. Stand by, as they say, for news. UPDATE, JULY 24: Is Jeremy Rose Still Exec Director? And Where Are Cook County GOP Committemen?
Rose's resignation may hang on the outcome, according to our source, "of mediation by Gary MacDougal, a former state GOP chairman, between Eloise Gerson and Lee Roupas." That mediation would be to settle, to be as brief as possible, a power struggle within the ranks of Chicago area Republicans, and also has to do with allegations of sexual misconduct within the Chicago Young Republicans. The mediation is scheduled for Thursday, July 22 "somewhere deep in the suburbs of Chicago."
Rose is also the head of the Chicago Young Republicans. (Hoo boy, stand by for news!)
Curiously, our source says, Pat Brady told the committeemen on the Tuesday night conference call that the battle between Roupas and Gerson will be left to them to settle - a weirdly astonishing statement, given that this involves a brewing scandal that could explode into the lame Mainstream Media at any moment. We will expand on this in the coming days. We have our own theories, as do other bloggers.
Jeremy Rose has not returned my phone call. Just after I posted, he sent me this email message: "Not true, who is your source?" I responded that I cannot reveal a source's name, and asked him how he would know if it's true or not, and whether he was involved in the conference call and/or if Pat Brady told him denied saying those things to the committeemen. UPDATE, July 22, 1:00 PM: No further response from Mr. Rose. (Me thinks he doth protest too little.)
P.S. - Why am I, a conservative blogger, posting this nasty stuff about Republicans? Because (a) if the blogosphere allegations of sexual misconduct against Jeremy Rose are true, they should be exposed (and these allegations are flying within the GOP itself) and (b) it the allegations are not true, that should be exposed. This story is not going away, and the sooner it gets out the better for everybody, and (c) Truth is Truth, and that's what I seek.
P.P.S. - Thanks for your recent email, Roxy. Please send more details.
Arizona Governor Using Obama Bucks For Border Security
Absolutely brilliant. Even as the Obama Regime tries to shut down Arizona's willingness to enforce existing immigration laws that the federal government allows to be violated, the governor of the embattled state makes a brilliant move: She's going to use Obama "stimulus" funds to help fight the border flood of illegal aliens. FoxNews reports:
Gov. Jan Brewer, claiming to "reject" the Obama administration's assertion that the border is more secure than ever, announced Monday that she's directing $10 million in federal stimulus dollars to tackle smuggling and illegal immigration.
On the same day the administration announced its plan to send 1,200 National Guard troops to the southwestern states, Brewer said she's sending the pot of stimulus money to more than a dozen border cities and counties -- as well as several tribes and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. She said the grant money would be targeted toward fighting drug trafficking, illegal immigration and human smuggling. More at FoxNews...
Loyola University Refuses to Let Karl Rove Speak (Updated)
July 21, 2010 - Chicago - While many college students are currently enjoying their time off, some are utilizing this summer to prepare for the upcoming school year. Conservative activists at Loyola University Chicago 
were planning to bring best-selling author and Young America’s Foundation lecturer Karl Rove to their campus for the fall semester. Administrators had other plans, however.
Update, July 24: The hypocrisy of Loyola University Chicago keeps getting thicker, with their announcement that Obama's religious advisor Eboo Patel will speak on campus in August. See Loyola University Says No Political Speakers - Unless They Work for Obama.
University officials denied the request to host Karl Rove, arguing that due to their 501(c)(3) tax status, they cannot host a “political” speaker before the midterm elections. Those with even the faintest knowledge of tax law understand that is simply not the case.
Kimberly A. Moore, director of student affairs and Greek affairs at Loyola University Chicago, told students in an email that, “The timing of this event is problematic given the campaign cycle. Loyola has to maintain impartiality in order to protect our tax-exempt status.” It is important to note that Karl Rove is not working for any campaign this season.
As if that weren’t egregious enough, Loyola University Chicago has a history of hosting partisan speakers on election years. On September 1, 2004, Howard Dean was allowed to speak on campus. Just a couple weeks later, third party candidate Ralph Nader not only spoke on campus, but it was also advertised as a campaign event and donations were solicited.
After long discussions, Loyola officials offered to host the event after the midterm elections, but given Karl Rove's busy schedule, that is simply not possible. Source: Young America's Foundation...
were planning to bring best-selling author and Young America’s Foundation lecturer Karl Rove to their campus for the fall semester. Administrators had other plans, however.
Update, July 24: The hypocrisy of Loyola University Chicago keeps getting thicker, with their announcement that Obama's religious advisor Eboo Patel will speak on campus in August. See Loyola University Says No Political Speakers - Unless They Work for Obama.
University officials denied the request to host Karl Rove, arguing that due to their 501(c)(3) tax status, they cannot host a “political” speaker before the midterm elections. Those with even the faintest knowledge of tax law understand that is simply not the case.
Kimberly A. Moore, director of student affairs and Greek affairs at Loyola University Chicago, told students in an email that, “The timing of this event is problematic given the campaign cycle. Loyola has to maintain impartiality in order to protect our tax-exempt status.” It is important to note that Karl Rove is not working for any campaign this season.
As if that weren’t egregious enough, Loyola University Chicago has a history of hosting partisan speakers on election years. On September 1, 2004, Howard Dean was allowed to speak on campus. Just a couple weeks later, third party candidate Ralph Nader not only spoke on campus, but it was also advertised as a campaign event and donations were solicited.
After long discussions, Loyola officials offered to host the event after the midterm elections, but given Karl Rove's busy schedule, that is simply not possible. Source: Young America's Foundation...
Farinas Quits 46th Ward Aldermanic Race
July 21, 2010 - The 46th Ward aldermanic race has one less contender today. Gerald Farinas, a self-described Republican, is out of the race. The 27-year old announced yesterday on his website (see below) and on his Twitter page that he was shutting down his campaign. (Nothing at his Facebook page as of 2:15 p.m., July 21.)
The still-crowed contest now has at least four (maybe five) people hoping to replace incumbent Helen Shiller (presumed to be running but she hasn't announced; and insider rumors are swirling that she may not).
1) James Cappleman ("life-long Democrat" who claims to be independent but kisses Machine butt by his own admission);
2) Michael Carroll (CPD officer with a very impressive background);
3) Molly Phelan (tax attorney who gained fame locally for her fight against Shiller's TIF funding of the Wilson Yard project; more about Phelan here and here);
4) Don Nowotny (Streets and Sanitation muckety-muck and Machine cog; see here and here);
5?) Jesse Wilson (Probably not really a candidate and has not filed, but rumors fly at online gossip trough Uptown Update).
From the Farinas campaign website:
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
WE'RE SORRY TO END OUR CAMPAIGN
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Dear friends and neighbors:
It is with deep regret that our campaign has come to an early end. Since Gerald’s October 11, 2009 announcement, his small but dedicated team has met with many wonderful people in our neighborhoods at bus benches, train platforms, school playgrounds, coffee stops with cops and firefighters, and picketing with construction and hotel workers. Thanks for the lunches and dinners, and the occasional ice cold glass of Dr. Pepper that Gerald loves so much! But he loved the conversations more! He absolutely loved meeting so many great neighbors like you!
We know there were many who had no confidence in what we were trying to do, some proclaiming our ship was sunk before it even launched. Still others have shared that this is the year for a dark horse. But the odds are against us. Our community is not ready for real, bold, innovative change that it needs. It looks like it won’t vote for something that’s too new to them. The field is too crowded and our good message is being drowned out by well-funded veterans of Chicago ward politics with massive appetites for the title of “Ward Boss” and deeply entrenched divisions among neighbors.
We have learned this, though. Gerald, nor any neighbor of our Ward, does not have to run for alderman to make the case for a new, strong and more efficient anti-crime program, education reform with uplifting after school programs for latchkey kids, greater senior citizen advocacy and safer senior living communities, and the roll-out of a more aggressive pro-small business and pro-main street campaign to pull our neighborhoods out of localized economic depression and put neighbors back to work.
(From http://geraldfarinas.com/) WARNING!!! If you visit Farinas's website, you'll see "Click here to continue reading" - DO NOT CLICK THAT LINK: IT GOES TO A PAGE THAT CONTAINS A VIRUS.
RELATED:
Letter From Gerald Farinas Lake Effect News (May 12, 2010)
Injured Dog Getting Better (Updated)
Happy Update! My friend's injured puppy, "Rock N Roll," is getting better. On July 16, the little guy was viciously attacked by a big dog and it looked grim for him. RNR's dad, Bill Morton, wrote this update to me:
Rock N Roll is recovering and taking his first steps. Due to an enlarged heart, spinal surgery was a decided to be a final option. Rock N Roll is currently on anti-inflammatory medication and antibiotics. Pain relievers will be available to him as soon as tomorrow. We have a check up this Wednesday [July 21] at the vet. Read more about this at Bill's own blog, "Rogers Park in 1000 Words."
Previously:
July 16, 2010 - Friend and fellow blogger Bill Morton makes an urgent plea for help:
This afternoon my dog Rock N Roll was attacked by a large German shepard. Rock N Roll was grabbed by the neck and shaken. After the attack, Rock N. Roll lost the movement of his legs and he needs to be treated by a specialist for spinal injuries immediately to walk again. The hospital stated that every hour counts in this kind of situation.
Rock N Roll is currently at: VCA Misener-Holley Animal Hospital 1545 W. Devon Avenue Chicago, IL. 60660 773 743-3322 under the care of Medical Director, Katie Baldwin, DVM. The current estimate is $450.00 for the initial emergency treatment and it is estimated that the neurologist will cost several thousand dollars. Please call me immediately or contact the Animal Hospital directly to save Rock N. Roll. 773 824-7400. Thank you, Bill
Mick Dumke Leaving The Chicago Reader
July 20, 2010 - I called Mick Dumke this morning just to say hello, and he shocked me.
"Today is my last day at the Reader," he said. I just about fell over. I didn't know.
It's a bittersweet day for Chicago journalism: Mick is moving over to the Chicago News Cooperative. The Reader's great loss will, undoubtedly, be CNC's great gain.
Mick has earned a reputation as a hard-hitting journalist on the Chicago news scene. Over his five-year run at the Reader, three of them full time, Mick has built up an impressive body of work. He's gone after the likes of Mayor Richard M. Daley with cool enthusiasm, capturing, dissecting and then displaying the facts for all to read.
Some Chicagoans first became aware of Mick recently, when Mayor Daley threatened him (jokingly?) with physical violence at a mayoral press conference on May 20. Mick asked Daley about the effectiveness of the old handgun ban (more recently ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court). He recalled the exchange this way:
“Oh!” Daley said. “It’s been very effective!”
He grabbed a rifle, held it up, and looked right at me. He was chuckling but there was no smile.
“If I put this up your—ha!—your butt—ha ha!—you’ll find out how effective this is!”
Mick Dumke's own writing stands strongly on its own, but he often collaborated with fellow Reader ace reporter Ben Joravsky. The two of them wrote well separately and as a team, on elections and other subjects, most notably Tax Increment Financing (TIFs) - a subject that most "journalists" are afraid of because they don't understand it - in a way that made it easy for the layman to understand. Mick has been, and will remain, a good all-around reporter, well versed in the good, bad and ugly of Chicago.
As fellow Reader reporter Mike Miner wrote on July 15, "This was a wrenching decision for Dumke, and it's a jolt to this newspaper. He's an awfully good reporter."
"Today is my last day at the Reader," he said. I just about fell over. I didn't know.
It's a bittersweet day for Chicago journalism: Mick is moving over to the Chicago News Cooperative. The Reader's great loss will, undoubtedly, be CNC's great gain.
Mick has earned a reputation as a hard-hitting journalist on the Chicago news scene. Over his five-year run at the Reader, three of them full time, Mick has built up an impressive body of work. He's gone after the likes of Mayor Richard M. Daley with cool enthusiasm, capturing, dissecting and then displaying the facts for all to read.
Some Chicagoans first became aware of Mick recently, when Mayor Daley threatened him (jokingly?) with physical violence at a mayoral press conference on May 20. Mick asked Daley about the effectiveness of the old handgun ban (more recently ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court). He recalled the exchange this way:
“Oh!” Daley said. “It’s been very effective!”
He grabbed a rifle, held it up, and looked right at me. He was chuckling but there was no smile.
“If I put this up your—ha!—your butt—ha ha!—you’ll find out how effective this is!”
Mick Dumke's own writing stands strongly on its own, but he often collaborated with fellow Reader ace reporter Ben Joravsky. The two of them wrote well separately and as a team, on elections and other subjects, most notably Tax Increment Financing (TIFs) - a subject that most "journalists" are afraid of because they don't understand it - in a way that made it easy for the layman to understand. Mick has been, and will remain, a good all-around reporter, well versed in the good, bad and ugly of Chicago.
As fellow Reader reporter Mike Miner wrote on July 15, "This was a wrenching decision for Dumke, and it's a jolt to this newspaper. He's an awfully good reporter."
7 Wounded, 1 Dead in Shootings on Chicago's South Side
July 20, 2010 - Last night, Chicago police were involved in four separate gunfights on the South Side and in the Little Village neighborhood (map). There were at least four shooting incidents (as you'll read below). All together, at least seven people were struck by gunfire (no police officers) with at least one dead.
A CPD officer who I know was involved with two of the incidents. He phoned me on his way home at 10:20 p.m. and said he was involved with the 9:00 p.m. incidents in the 6300 block of South Vernon (map) and the one in the Back of the Yards neighborhood (map). He said the police had to pull out their rifles for these. My friend told me that he personally saw five bad guys get shot, one of whom he saw die at the scene, not later in the hospital as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
Exclusive: My officer friend was involved with incidents One and Two, detailed below. What my officer friend told me, and what the Chicago Tribune story below does not tell you, is that police went to the 6300 block of South Vernon to quell a fight between two gangs, and the gangs then turned their fire on the police. So, with that extra tidbit from us exclusively, here's what the Trib reported late Monday night:
Incident #One, 9:00 PM:
In the most recent shooting, four men were shot in the West Woodlawn neighborhood, officials said. The shootings occurred on the 6300 block of South Vernon Avenue at about 9 p.m., said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Quention Curtis. (Editor's Note: My CPD officer friend said this happened in Englewood.)
Incident #Two, 9:00 PM:
In the Back of the Yards neighborhood, at about the same time, one person was reported shot on the 5100 block of South May Street, said Curtis. A spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office said they were notified of a shooting death at that address. The victim was taken in serious-to-critical condition to Stroger Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. (Editor's Note: My CPD officer friend was involved in this one, too, but he said he saw the victim die on the scene.)
Incident #Three, 10:30 PM:
About 10:30 p.m. in the Englewood neighborhood, a 17-year-old boy was shot in the 6800 block of South Justine Street. He was taken in serious-to-critical condition to Stroger Hospital, said Curtis. (Editor's Note: By this time, my CPD officer friend was pulling into his driveway at home.)
Incident #Four, 7:13 PM:
....two 18-year-old men were shot in the Little Village neighborhood.... [They were shot] on the street on the 2100 block of South Spaulding Avenue at 7:13 p.m. ....
Hey Chicago, how's that new restrictive handgun ordinance working out for ya? It sure has made the streets safer, hasn't it? That Mayor Daley and his City Clowncil are friggin' geniuses, ain't they?
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