Deadbeat Barack Owes Chicago, Philly

While Chicago waits for Obama's socialist stimulus money to pour in, the City of Chicago is begging Barack Obama's campaign to make good on its promise to pay for the election night victory party in Grant Park. The bill: $1.74 million, past due and deliquent. The Chicago Sun-Times reports: Chicago has yet to recoup the $1.74 million cost of President Obama's victory celebration in Grant Park -- despite a burgeoning $50.5 million budget shortfall that threatens more layoffs and union concessions. "The Democratic National Committee has not yet paid us,'' Peter Scales, a spokesman for the city's Office of Budget and Management, said Thursday after questions from the Chicago Sun-Times. "We're reaching out to them this week." Full Story... Meanwhile, Philadelphia has also been stiffed by Obama. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, "Obama for America, still owes Philadelphia nearly $24,000 for several pre-election events, and the cash-strapped city hasn't given up its collection efforts." Full Story... It's pretty easy for folks like Barack Obama to lecture the rest of us about responsibility and sacrifice, then turn around and promise to distribute nearly $787 Billion of other folks' money. But when it comes to paying his own bills, Barack Obama just ain't all that. "Change," anybody? Spare change? RELATED: City still owed $1.7M for Obama rally ABC7Chicago.com Chicago awaits pay for Obama victory rally MarketWatch (press release) Obama victory bill totals $1.74 million Belleville News Democrat Graphic from Doug Ross @ Journal CNB RSS Feed

Flashback: Joe Moore's Burning Pants

Like a psychopathic liar with no conscience, 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore just can't help telling falsehoods. He bends the truth, he rewrites history. This is Revolutionary Truth, it is, and badly practiced at that. After lying through 17 years as a member of the Chicago City Council, you'd think that a man like Democrat Joe Moore could apply his law degree to a perfected level of non-truthfulness. Nope, not our Joe. He's a serial liar. Thank goodness he's a clumsy serial liar. Let's dissect Moore's lie-packed email blast of August 5, 2008: Gale Community Center Now Open; Boys and Girls Club Still Looking for a Rogers Park Home Dear Neighbor, The Gale Community Center at Howard and Marshfield is now open. The 18,000-sqaure-foot Chicago Park District facility comes complete with a full-size gym, a fitness center and a large club room, which can be subdivided into two smaller rooms. "Now open," Moore writes. It opened last Sunday, August 3. It is weird for Moore to write this two days after the fact, given his fetish for ribbon cutting ceremonies. Why no ribbon cutting for this one? And why did this email suddenly appear within hours of The Broken Heart and then The Bench criticizing Moore's silence on the official opening of the embattled community center. The center will be open Monday through Friday from 12 Noon to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center will be closed on Sundays. The Community Center will be staffed and operated exclusively by the Park District. Moore writes that the center "will be open…" Unconscious slip? "Will be" is future tense. The correct phrasing should be "is open." Moore writes that the center "will be staffed…" but it should really say that the "Community Center is staffed…" Present tense should be used here, not future tense. The opening is the culmination of a twelve-year effort to bring to our neighborhood a community center that began when I secured a $500,000 commitment from the original developer of the Gateway Centre. Initially, many in the neighborhood envisioned the future Community Center as a Boys and Girls Club. When it became apparent that sufficient funds were not available to build and operate the center as a Boys and Girls Club, we turned our attention to the Park District, which agreed to underwrite a portion of the construction cost and operate the building as a Park District field house. Let's concentrate only on Moore's big lies here; there are too many in this bizarre Moore email to deal with in less than 20 pages, single spaced. A well-informed and trusted friend emailed this to The Bench today: "It seems Joe thinks he can write history to come out however he wants….Eva McAnn was part of a group that has been working for this Center for years and much of that work was started without the support of the Alderman’s office. In fact, it wasn’t until the group actually started to make things happen that Moore’s office got on board." Part of the above is such a fantastic falsehood that it bears repeating: "When it became apparent that sufficient funds were not available to build and operate the center as a Boys and Girls Club, we turned our attention to the Park District, which agreed to underwrite a portion of the construction cost and operate the building as a Park District field house." Wow! According to Moore's hastily written email, there was not enough money "to build and operate" the Gale center "as a Boys and Girls Club" (even though the concept, the designs and the construction contracts were already locked up before the Boys and Girls Club entered the picture). Consider this: Ben Jarovsky wrote that The Boys and Girls Club would have been paid $100,000 to operate the Gale Community Center. How would that have helped the budget problems that Moore alleges? (Moore and the Park District, by the way, were seemingly ready to allow that even though Park District contracts over $10,000 are requred to be open for bidding. There was no bidding process in this case.) The clincher, from my friend: "If Joe had [really] secured $500,000 for a Boys and Girls Club...why didn’t he mention that during the last campaign?" Excellent question, and in fact Joe Moore himself has said that this is not so. He has written and said publicly that it was not until former aldermanic challenger Jim Ginderske lost last year's election in February that Moore considered the Boys and Girls Club. Ginderske mentioned it a number of times during his campaign, and Moore has said that Ginderske came to him - after February 2007 - and proposed the Boys and Girls Club. As my friend wrote, "With Ginderske waving the Boys and Girls banner at nearly every debate there was plenty of opportunity for Joe to accuse him of stealing ideas and tell [Rogers Park voters] that efforts were already in place to bring a Boys and Girls Club here. Had he done that, he probably could have avoided a runoff." Moore never did so, of course, because he couldn't. So, once again is trying to rewrite history like an old school Soviet propagandist. Moore's email continues: There were times when it appeared the City and Park District were about to back away from their pledge to build the community center. But thanks to the efforts of my office and a coalition of community groups, we were able to hold the City and the Park District to their commitment. Is Moore accusing the City and Park District of backing out of a commitment made long before the Boys and Girls Club entered the picture? Moore repeats the lie about the origin of his involvement: The idea of the Gale Community Center as home to a Boys and Girls Club came full circle when the Cotter Boys and Girls Club mentioned to me last April that they were looking for a new home. Given that the Community Center had yet to be fully staffed and occupied, and given earlier public support for a Boys and Girls Club in Rogers Park, I believed it was an idea worth exploring. I raised the idea with Park District Superintendent Tim Mitchell, who expressed strong interest. Moore claims that "the Cotter Boys and Girls Club mentioned to me last April" that "they were looking for a new home." That may be so, but it would have happened only after Ginderske put the idea into Moore's head. As for the phrase "last April," I believe Moore's hastily written email should have said "two Aprils ago" or "April of 2007." To say "last April" in August means four months ago. I also shared the proposal with numerous residents and the leading community organizations in the area, nearly all of whom expressed strong support for the idea, including Neighbors for a Healthy Rogers Park, Dev Corp North, Gale Academy Principal Richard Glass, Family Matters Director Kim Delong, State Senator Heather Steans, and my former aldermanic opponent Jim Ginderske. They all agreed the Boys and Girls Club would bring to our local youth expanded programming and other enrichment activities, which the Park District currently does not provide. Gale Principal Glass, a Boys and Girls Club alumnus, was so excited about the proposal he offered Gale Academy as a satellite location to the Community Center. True to form, Moore keeps lying. "I also shared the proposal with….my former aldermanic opponent Jim Ginderske." It is well established that it was the other way around. Ginderske put the idea of a Boys and Girls Club into Moore's head after February, 2007. Under the shared-use proposal, the Park District and the Boys and Girls Club would have jointly operated the Community Center Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Center would have also been open on both Saturdays and Sundays. Programming for adults, as well as children, would have been offered. "Jointly operated," perhaps, but as noted above, it would have cost tax payers $100,000 a year for the contract with the Boys and Girls Club. (It's interesting to note, by the way, that the "non-profit" Boys and Girls Club's top executive is paid nearly a million dollars a year. Roxanne Spillett's compensation for doing "charity work" is listed at $972,908. Source: CharityReports.bbb.org. Does that sound like a "non-profit" to you?) In addition to expanding the Gale Center hours and staffing, the Boys and Girls Club would have brought to Rogers Park some of their renowned character building and leadership programs, such as the Keystone Teen Leadership Club, which takes teens on trips to cities as varied as Atlanta, Orlando, and Washington, D.C. The Boys and Girls Club also would have brought to Rogers Park mentoring and tutoring programs, such as their partnership with WGN-TV in which school age children and teens are paired with responsible caring adults who commit time each week to meet and work with the young people on school projects and homework assignments. As a result of these and other programs, nearly 90% of Cotter Boys and Girls Club members graduate from high school, a remarkable fete in a school system with a 50% graduation rate. Pants on fire. Ginderske, Moore's former opponent turned loyal lap dog, has been trotting out old and misleading information about the Boys and Girls Club, which Moore has been casually recycling. Ginderske has been pumping out trash information filtered through his tiny Neighbors for a Healthy Rogers Park (NHRP). NHRP presents itself as a legitimate non-profit, but it is neither. It has no official standing whatsoever, unless you consider that it was officially dissolved by the Illinois Secretary of State in May, 2008 for failure to file an annual report. NHRP, and Moore, are fond of repeating "an alumni survey conducted by Louis Harris and Associates for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America," which claims that "52 percent of respondents" said the clubs saved their lives, and several other minor miracles were cited as well. But it's fluff. Neither Ginderske nor Moore bothers to tell that the Harris survey was done in 1999, nearly a decade ago. NHRP and Moore will tell us that "an alumni survey by Lou Harris & Associates they determined that there are about 3.5 million Boys and Girls Club or Boys and Girls Club alumni in the United States" according to the Boys and Girls Club of Mount Vernon, NY. (See: "Ginderske: Sit Down, Shut Up") Okay, but of those 3.5 million alumni, Louis Harris and Associates polled only 1,592 Boys and Girls Club alumni." [Source] In other words, a miniscule 0.0455 percent (less than one half of one percent) of the 3.5 million BGCA alumni were polled! Ridiculous, especially when you consider that we are not told by Ginderske or anybody else where those alumni were living when they were polled a decade ago. Despite the benefits a Boys and Girls Club would bring to the neighborhood, a few vocal people began organizing against the Boys and Girls Club idea even before a formal proposal was presented to the neighborhood. A few of the skeptics had thoughtful concerns about the proposal, including concerns about the precedent of turning over the Community Center to a private entity. The supporters of the proposal and I attempted to address those concerns by amending the proposal to ensure the building would continue to be owned by the Park District and staffed by Park District employees. Blah blah blah. Moore is deliberately giving the false impression that the brand new Gale Community Center was the only option offered to the Boys and Girls Club. In fact, use of the Gale School was offered. They turned it down. However, as Chicago Reader reporter Ben Joravsky noted in his article, "Endless War," most of the opposition to the Boys and Girls Club appeared to be politically motivated. The opponents said they were not against a Boys and Girls Club in Rogers Park. Yet, they opposed the only plan with a funding source that made it possible for a Boys and Girls Club to locate here. In fairness to Joravsky, he also pointed out in his excellent Chicago Reader article that a lot of Moore's obfuscation and delays were politically motivated as well. As for Moore's statement that the community center was the "only plan with a funding source that made it possible for a Boys and Girls Club to locate here," well, those keeping score should now add another tally mark in the "Lies by Joe Moore" column. In the end, Park District officials simply did not have the stomach for a fight and decided instead to pursue a significantly scaled down version of the original Boys and Girls Club proposal. Rather than subsidize a permanent year-round Boys and Girls Club presence in Rogers Park, the Park District now says it may be willing to subsidize a summer program in 2009. In the end, actually, the SEIU and union types sympathetic to them pressured Moore and the Park District to back down. SEIU and other labor organizations have given Moore enormous campaign donations over the years, and the idea of Moore and the Park District bringin in non-union staff at the community center must have infuriated them. Furthermore, it would not be at all surprising if Moore got a late night phone call from Howard Dean at the DNC, during which Moore was told to back off and stop making an ass of himself if he still wants a job in Washington under the hoped-for administration of fellow Chicago Machine Democrat Barack Obama. I certainly support any kind of Boys and Girls Club presence in Rogers Park, even a limited summer program. But I'm extremely disappointed that our children will miss out on all the many benefits and opportunities that a year-round club would bring. Boo frikkin' hoo. There are several free libraries within walking distance of Rogers Park residents. The wonderful beaches nearby are free. Board games and hopscotch and television are accessible to all. To be bored in Chicago is to be totally lacking in imagination. To tell us that The Children Will Now Suffer because there will be no Boys and Girls Club in the Gale Community Center is to insult all of us with a cynical, exaggerated, callous, politically motivated lie. It's a miracle that Moore hasn't resorted yet to calling opponents to installing the Boys and Girls Club in the community center racists (as Mayor Daley has called opponents to the ongoing effort to ram the Children's Museum into Grant Park). In the coming months, I will redouble my efforts to bring a full-time Boys and Girls Club to the 49th Ward, and I invite everyone, including those who opposed the Boys and Girls Club at the Community Center, to work with me to identify a funding source and location for such a club. So, as with all the man hours Joe Moore has wasted on (a) drafting the foie gras ordinance and then (b) defending the foie gras ordinance, Moore now pledges to waste more man hours in order to "redouble" his efforts to bring in the Boys and Girls Club. He's been in office for 17 years. He was in office for 15-16 years, apparently, before he ever gave serious consideration to a Boys and Girls Club. We pay this schmuck over a hundred grand a year for this crap. Why the belated interest? Why the "redoubling" of effort? What's really in it for Joe Moore? Moore signed off with "sincerely." You think he's sincere? SEIU no longer does, nor do other attentive brothers and sisters in the labor community. Many Rogers Park residents have had their eyes opened by this experience and now regret voting Moore into another term last year. The DNC is sincerely looking at Moore with growing skepticism, wondering whether it's worth all the effort and expense to keep picking up after his messes.

BIDEN'S OWN REZKO: JOSEPH CARI, "THE FIXER"

Scandals are poppin' all over Mondo Democrato. First Rezko, now Joseph Cari, Jr., former DNC National Finance Chair. Worse yet for the Democrats, many of their own rank and file are gleefully pointing them out. Those rank and file are the bitterly disappointed Hillary Clinton supporters, PUMA (Party Unity My Ass). On their web site, Monday, Aug. 25: Just in case you missed all the above, here’s a summarized version: Obama has a convicted fixer (Rezko) raising money for him throughout most (if not all) of his political career, Biden on his own part has an admitted and convicted extortionist running part of his 1988 campaign, and advising him on this one. Only the delegates can save the Democratic Party from this spectacle in Denver, we PUMAs hope they vote based in their conscience and not the effects of Obama’s Rezko tainted Kool-Aid. YOW! READ THE WHOLE THING...

Fun: DNC Press Release

Have fun with this, fellow bloggers. Of special interest is the section of the press release for "a list of services available to renters." It's amusing to see the types of large-carbon-footprint, elitist, anti-proletariate stuff the Democrats will be demanding in Denver. Of course, the services are available in conjunction with "luxury lofts, condos and homes" and, of course, "all properties come fully furnished with plush amenities." Ah, plush amenities. The Party of the Common Man needs plush amenities. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Matt Conway For Reservations: Phone: 303-571-5280 Fax: 970-477-0952 mconway@denverconventionhousing.com www.DenverConventionHousing.com DENVER COMPANY PROVIDES AN ACCOMMODATING SOLUTION FOR THE LODGING SHORTAGE FACING THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION. Denver, CO - DenverConventionHousing.com recognizes the lodging shortage Denver will be facing in August and has taken steps to help remedy the issue. "We have been aggressively working with property managers, development firms and other lodging facilities around the city to amass a strong and viable inventory that will help ease this shortage. Additionally, we have created the most user friendly web site, www.DemocraticConventionHousing.com, specifically for the DNC. With one of the largest inventories of homes, condos, apartments, and hotel rooms around the Denver Metro Area, we have the power to book both large and small parties for the 2008 Democratic National Convention," states Director of Operations, Mark Cervantes. Property owners wanting to take advantage of this financial opportunity may contact DenverConventionHousing.com at 1-877-571-5280. All properties are available for short and long term rentals (5 night minimum). Most properties are within walking distance of the Pepsi Center/ DNC site and the Colorado Convention Center. These luxury lofts, condos and homes are capable of housing small to large groups. Prices range from top scale to moderate, and all properties come fully furnished with plush amenities. Here is a list of services available to renters: · Personal Concierge Services · Private Transportation Services · Private Chef · Denver International Airport (DIA) pick-up and drop off · Maid/ Cleaning Services "We are currently working with individual homeowners, travelers, small to large groups, travel agents, Democratic Executives, and corporate groups," explains Reservations Manager Matt Conway. For more information on lodging options for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado please refer to www.DemocraticConventionHousing.com or call 1-877-571-5280. About Denver Convention Housing, LLC - Denver Convention Housing, LLC is a leading corporate housing provider for the Denver Metro Area, with over 25 years of collaborative experience in industries such as lodging, real estate, resorts, and vacation rentals. Denver Convention Housing proprietor Tommy Z. Hoffman also has offices in Vail, CO that offer vacation rental, concierge, real estate, and mortgage services. For more information please refer to www.VailSkiVacations.com. www.DemocraticConventionHousing.com Email: info@democraticconventionhousing.com

FLASH: FLORIDA DELEGATES SUING OVER VOTES

"DISENFRANCHISED! DISENFRANCHISED! DISENFRANCHISED!" came the parrot screeches in 2000. The screeches came from Florida, where Democrats claimed that the legal maneuvers that helped put George W. Bush into the White House had "disenfranchised" voters.

Just days before the DNC rules committee meets to take up the issue of what to do about seating the Florida and Michigan delegations, Democrats in Florida have filed suit against the DNC for allegedly violating the Voting Rights Act: (Full Post at Real Clear Politics...)

Man, this is rich. The Democrats are disenfranchising their own, in Florida, Michigan and elsewhere. How ironic that the party that calls itself "Democratic" is so very un-democratic. Hillary Clinton is leading in the popular vote, yet Barack Obama has more delegates pledged to him.

The delegates and Super Delegates, in so many cases, do not care a whit about the people or their votes. One weird example is Senator Robert "KKK" Byrd of West Virginia. A former KKK member, Byrd is a Democrat super delegate and has pledged his support to Barack Obama, despite the fact that Hillary Clinton recently won an overwhelming victory in that state. THIS STORY IS BREAKING AND DEVELOPING...

RELATED: Florida delegates sue DNC over primary votes Shocker: Florida Delegates Sue DNC Over Votes 3/5 Human?

To: Jan and Andy - Re: Joe Moore

Dear Jan and Andy,

You are both strong supporters of Chicago's 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore. On the political food chain, an alderman (city council member) is pretty low. So why the big support for Moore?

Congressman Schakowsky (can I call you "Jan"?), we understand that you and Joe's ex-wife go way back, and your convicted felon of a husband Robert "Mr. Kite" Creamer and Joe have done business together. He has supported your candidacy, you support his. Okay, personal loyalty. But there's more...

Andy Sharp (can I call you "Asshole"? No?), you are a big-time, ruthless political consultant. The only reason you back a schmuck like Joe Moore, as far as I can figure, is the Schakowsky connection and for the big bucks you get out of the work. I mean, a big shot like you, Andy, flying in from D.C. to help a lowly alderman? Okay, yes, the money, the favors to Schakowsky and the Democrat National Committee (DNC). But there's more...

I've postulated this before: If Barack Obama becomes our next president, Jan would likely get bumped up to fill his vacated U.S. Senate seat. Joe Moore, the theory goes, would be appointed to fill Jan's vacated Congressional seat. A new theory is that Joe's live-in girlfriend Barbara would be appointed to fill the vacated 49th Ward alderman position. (There will be more on this in the future.)

Jan, you're a consummate professional. I disagree with much of your politics, but you do what you do well. Moore is a boob, a fool, a laughing stock who is not capable of dealing with the local press, let alone the intensity of a national press that would suddenly be breathing down his neck. If you and the DNC think Moore will be able to conduct himself on a national level any better than he does in his 2-square mile 49th Ward, you're mistaken.

For some reason, Jan and Andy, you and the DNC have given disproportionate support to city councilman. Many of us in Moore's 49th Ward know that he would much rather be a U.S. Congressman. He hates his current job, that's obvious. But why in hell would you support a rank amateur like Moore, who after 17 years in elected office could only win reelection last year with your high powered assistance, big bucks, and alleged voting fraud? Why would the DNC put so much effort behind a putz like Moore?

Alderman Moore can't even get a pile of gravel picked up by Chicago Streets and Sanitation on Morse Avenue in Rogers Park. It's been for there for a year. Moore is a prissy fool when dealing with the media. He loves to complain to city desk editors all over Chicago. He has flunkies harass bloggers who, regardless of how you feel about blogs, are media and information outlets. Rather than engage them, he set himself as adversarial from the start. So much so, that last night the fool 49th Ward Democrat Committeeman and Moore had a flunky attempt to intimidate this blogger by - gasp! - photographing me. Or attempting to, I dunno.

Will Joe Moore bring his Rogers Park Gang to Washington? Will he have them intimidate the media there, as he does here? Will Joe Moore attempt to ban foie gras sales in restaurants nationwide?

Jan, time to rethink your alliance with the Fool Moore.

Andy, your just a mercenary. But Andy, please note that if we get Congressman Moore in Washington, you won't be able to chase his critics along the Potomac screaming "You're a loser!" at them. That shit didn't work well in Rogers Park. It sure as hell won't work in D.C.

RELATED:
Fear and Loathing in Chicago's 49th Ward
The Bench: BIZARRE ENCOUNTER WITH ANDREW SHARP
The Bench: JOE MOORE'S MAGINOT LINE

DNC Summit of Confusion, August 2007

Confusion in Las Vegas, August 2007: The Democratic National Committee will meet in Las Vegas from August, 23-25th at Paris and Bally's Las Vegas hotels. But the DNC's online registration form is as confusing as their vision for America. They can't get the location/s quite right, and they get typically nutty with demographic into. To wit:

The DNC is calling the gathering the "DNC American Majority Partnership Summit," but registrants are instructed to ask for a "DNC Joint Summit" room block. Well, which is it? The "Partnership Summit" or the "Joint Summit?"

Location confusion abounds, too. In one paragraph, the DNC tells us that the location will be at "Las Vegas Bally's and Paris Hotel, 3645 Las Vegas Blvd South." One address? The following paragraph

Event Date & Location: August 23-25th, 2007 Las Vegas Bally's and Paris Hotel, 3645 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (877) 603-4390

Paris and Bally's are separate hotels, but they refer to them as "Bally's and Paris Hotel," as though they are one. Paris is located at 3655 Las Vegas Blvd South. Bally's is located at 3645 Las Vegas Blvd South. Okay, they're next to each other. But they have separate addresses.

Hotel Room Block is located at both Paris and Bally's Las Vegas hotel. Call 888-266-5687 and ask for "DNC Joint Summit" room block. The room rate is $159 per night.

Ah, "both Paris and Bally's Las Vegas hotel." This acknowledges that they are separate, but someone needs to turn on the grammar check function of their word processor and make "hotel" plural.

IS "LGBT" AN ETHNICITY?

The DNC seems to think so. The online registration form includes the following question: Demographic Information (select all that apply):

African American

Hispanic

Asian American or Pacific Islander

LGBT

Caucasian

Native American

Other

Shouldn't it be "Pacfic Islander American?" (What if you're from an island in the Atlantic Ocean or Indian Ocean?) Or "Caucasian American?" Why is LGBT in there? Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgendered is not an ethnicity. Nevertheless, if they're going to include it, shouldn't it be "LGBT American?" How about "Other American?"

Apparently nobody has informed the DNC that "there's no such thing as race."

The next question asks registrants whether they are "Male" or "Female." Wow, that's exclusionary. I'm sure that some of the "T" folks in the LGBT category might want to check "Other" for this question. And shouldn't it really be "Male American," "Female American?"

DNC's form also asks registrants (Registrant Americans) to select which events they will attend. For example, on Friday morning and afternoon, do you plan to attend:

AAPI Leadership Summit

African American Leadership Summit

Hispanic Leadership Summit

LGBT Leadership Summit

Where is the "Caucasian American Summit?" Or the "Native American Summit?" Or the "Asian American/Pacific Islander American Summit?" Or the "Atlantic Islander American Summit?" Won't those folks feel left out, disenfranchised, shunned? On Thursday, by the way, there will be a "Women's Leadership Summit Caucus," but shouldn't that really be called the "Gyno American Leadership Summit Caucus," and why is there no "Andro American Leadership Summit Caucus" for Democrats who are poisoned by testosterone? What about the "T" folks, who are neither? Shouldn't there be a "Transgendered American Leadership Summit Caucus?" More disenfranchisement, more exclusion, more division. More confusion.

Then there is the problem with "leadership." Those attending the conference who just foot soldiers for the Democratic Party will certainly feel excluded and belittled by the fact that they are not "leaders." Isn't "leader" an elitist term? Will these leaders be elected or appointed? If they are elected, will it be by the membership? If so, then that would actually be a form of republican governance.

How ironic. A truly democratic body would have no "leaders." Everything would be decided by a vote of the full body. Self esteem is challenged, as well, since those who are not "leaders" will likely feel inferior. Do the Democrats really want to risk disenfranchising members who have been made to feel that they are somehow not as good as others?

Perhaps some smart ass attendee will raise these questions in Las Vegas. Perhaps they will get good answers before they are ejected from the event.

Will Ginderske Appointment Make A Difference?

I doubt it. I doubt it seriously. I'll pretend you care about my opinion and explain why I don't think that Joe Moore's appointment of Jim Ginderske to 49th Ward Zoning and Land Use Advisory Committee will make any real difference in the outcome of the run-off election on Tuesday, April 17. Here are ten reasons why Joe Moore will probably win on April 17: 1) Joe Moore will probably win regardless of whatever small effect this will have on voters. (I'm not saying I want this, but the reality is that incumbents always have the greater advantage, even in run-offs); Ginderske's former supporters are generally well educated and will not - repeat, NOT - be significantly influenced by Jim Ginderske's actions. Rather, they will make up their own minds, and a number of them are already working actively on Gordon's campaign; 2) Not all of the 50.67 percent of the non-Moore vote that was split by Adams, Ginderske and Gordon will vote for Gordon. To assume that all of those voters will vote against Joe Moore is foolish. This is statistical probability, so much so that you would probably make a lot of money if you bet this way; 3) Over 90 percent of those who voted for Moore will vote for him again; 4) Don Gordon does not have the Democratic National Committee (DNC) or the local political Machine behind him, whereas Joe Moore does; 5) Don Gordon has far less money in his war chest than Joe Moore has in his; 6) Chicago Cubs play the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, April 17, 2007 at 1:20 P.M. This will distract a number of voters from the election. Don't laugh, I'm serious. 7) Chicago White Sox play the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, April 17 at 07:11 P.M. at U.S. Cellular Field. This will distract a number of voters from the election. Don't laugh, I'm serious. 8) Joe Moore has proven that he is not above employing unethical campaign methods; 9) Joe Moore still has great name recognition than Don Gordon; Don't laugh, I'm serious. 10) Some voters will be bored or burned out by the election process, or will have forgotten about local politics because they are distracted by national politics. Don't laugh, I'm serious

Who Are These Guys?

(click to view larger images)

On Saturday, March 10 there was a gathering at Joe Moore's aldermanic campaign office at W. Greenview and N. Ravenswood. You know, next to the vacant commercial space. Regular folks gathered to support Joe Moore. They came in at 10:00 a.m. Nobody got a special, personal reception from Joe.

Except these guys, shown above. And you can believe that they did not go out knocking on doors or slipping fliers under doors.

Nobody I know recognizes them. But they clearly got the personally schmoozy greeting from Joe Moore, who all but licked their boots as they came through the door that he graciously held open for them. Joe was eagerly waiting for these suits to arrive. Who are they? Top campaign guns from the DNC? From Washington? Former Schakowsky workers?

Obama: Just Another Good Ol' Boy

Joe Moore and Todd Stroger and Barack Obama are buddies. And they have so much in common: Each other's support.

Both Moore and Obama are beholden to their master, the Howard Dean-controlled Democrat National Committee (DNC). The DNC has become everything it once criticized: An ingrown, self-absorbed, self-centered special interest group that has taken over the Democratic Party like some kind of body snatcher.

Barack Obama has shown himself to be nothing more than just another good ol' boy, part of the network that looks out for its own elite members, and the People are just tools to help them achieve their personal goals of power. So in a creepy way, the blind support that Obama has given to Moore is understandable: They both belong to the same country club, the DNC.

Moore's reelection campaign employs, among others, ex-Schakowsky minion Alex Armour, as well as Schakowsky's convicted felon husband. Incest makes for strange bedfellows.

Barack Obama, the guy who promised us he would serve out his full term as a Senator and not run for president in 2008, is running for president and - if elected - will not serve out his full term as Senator. Strike one.

But Obama's support of Todd Stroger's candidacy for Cook County PResident is hard to understand until you connect the dots back to the DNC. As far as I know, Todd is not a DNC member. If I'm wrong let me know, please. Why would Barack Obama back Stroger? The question is inescapable: Did he support Stroger just because Stroger is nominally a Democrat, or because Stroger is black?

In either case, why would a U.S. Senator, getting ready to run for president, bother with a county board presidential race? Again, the DNC. The DNC told - ordered - Barack to support Stroger. Just as they told him to back Moore, a freekin' alderman for God's sake. You think Hillary or Rudy are going to lend their support to aldermanic candidates in New York?

Barack Obama, who loves you and wants the best for you, endorsed Todd Stroger in his bid for Cook County President. Strike Two.

So Barack Obama, who claims to be different, a breath of fresh air, a guy who takes us in a new direction, has endorsed Chicago alderman Joe Moore (49th Ward). It seems more like a case of uncontrollable flatulence than a breath of fresh air. Strike Three.

Chicago Alderman Joe Moore, 49th Ward, is so proud of his recent endorsement from U.S. Senator cum presidential candidate Barack Obama. So proud. BFD. Obama would have endorsed a toaster oven had the DNC told him to.

Disappointing but so predictable. Barack Obama has shown beyond doubt that he is no different than any other hack. He takes orders from the Party. He supports fools just because they have a heartbeat and call themselves Democrats. Obama is a tool. Don't be fooled.