tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55482832011-04-21T22:09:57.828-05:00patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.comBlogger1371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1149116556451254042006-05-31T18:01:00.000-05:002006-05-31T18:02:36.463-05:00

This blog can be found at it's new home at: http://www.modernvertebrate.com/blog

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1124936250608767922005-08-24T21:12:00.000-05:002005-08-24T21:17:30.613-05:00

I received a phone call tonight asking if I would like to have Oberweis Dairy delivered to my door. Actually, as objectionable Oberweis' politics, nothing beats good, high-quality dairy...and delivered to your door, no less!

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1124861304003907132005-08-23T22:37:00.000-05:002005-08-24T00:28:24.066-05:00

It's been, what, almost a month? I figure I'd better post something or the legions of Vertebratiacs will lose all hope. So hmmm...what's in the news. I don't know if I've mentioned this on the ol' blog, but the wife and I are expecting our first child in December. His name will be M.V. Jr. (and yes, he is a boy). He's just now starting to kick. When not thinking about or talking about my future

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1122340925183620522005-07-25T19:46:00.000-05:002005-07-25T20:22:05.243-05:00

j^3 is asking supporters to choose the best among four ads touting his Peotone patronage grab. Think I'm being cynical about j^3? Just read the ads... http://jessejacksonjr.org/choose See, for j^3, the impetus for building an airport has little to do with "reducing flight delays" or "close-to-home convenience." It's all about creating patronage jobs -- that he would control. I personally

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1121835530123906822005-07-19T23:51:00.000-05:002005-07-20T00:15:55.506-05:00

...Patrick Fitzgerald is the shiznit. This man has a passion for taking out the trash, first in NY, then in IL and now in DC.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1121835085906466712005-07-19T23:42:00.000-05:002005-07-20T00:14:51.893-05:00

Bush's Supreme Court nominee John C. Roberts apparently grew up along Lake Michigan in NW Indiana. On NBC-5 news tonight, they interviewed a 7th grade classmate of Roberts. The classmate's one recollection of him was that in an assignment in which they had to generate an idea for an invention, Roberts came up with a brilliant idea: to create a self rotating fork that will automatically wind up

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1121232018995788892005-07-13T00:15:00.000-05:002005-07-13T00:20:19.003-05:00

Ditka, in testifying before Chicago City Council on their proposed bar and restaurant smoking ban: “Now, I drove down Michigan Avenue yesterday, and I bring this up as a point. I got behind a CTA bus, and I thought I would be asphyxiated,” Ditka said. “Are we going to outlaw CTA buses?” Damn straight, man. Something needs to be done about those old busses. I thought they were supposed to have

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1121227667953575002005-07-12T22:58:00.000-05:002005-07-13T00:01:56.426-05:00

...for a change. Yes, I'm as stunned as you, but I found myself agreeing with the gist of her latest column, which is basically a book review of Redevelopment: The Unknown Government, by Chris Norby, apparently an elected official in Orange County California. I haven't read the book, but I gather from Morrison's article that the "unknown government" refers to influential real estate developers

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1120509426317880972005-07-04T15:05:00.000-05:002005-07-04T15:44:30.216-05:00

Yesterday's Sun-Times article on a Jesse Jackson Jr. pretty much confirmed my suspicions: He is trying to position himself as the "pro-patronage" candidate for the 2007 mayoral race, accusing Daley of handing out the jobs to the wrong people: In discussing Daley and his father, the late Richard J. Daley, Jackson said the elder Daley's political machine was built on organized labor and city

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1120414570117404582005-07-03T13:02:00.000-05:002005-07-03T13:16:10.140-05:00

I'm about 100 pages into Thomas Frank's What's the Matter With Kansas?. So far, it's kind of an ethnography of the state located smack dab in the middle of America. He also spends considerable time derailing the myth that Kansas is home to the most normal, average people there are, pointing to Kansas' history of political extremism. Really interesting.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1120356432438318862005-07-02T20:43:00.000-05:002005-07-02T21:14:52.140-05:00

The Tribune has a piece on how Jesse Jackson Jr. plans to start registering 150,000 of the estimated 650,000 unregistered voters in Chicago. This is the mark of a lousy, self-serving elected official. Apparently, the fact that there are 650,000 unregistered voters was of little consequence to him all these years, that is until he is ready to run for a new job. Now all the sudden, he's all about

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1120346729630230872005-07-02T18:21:00.000-05:002005-07-02T18:29:19.093-05:00

Just in case you ever thought venerable conservative columnist Bob Novak had a clue, you should read his column on the Daley/Durbin feud. Prepare to laugh out loud. "Daley sees Durbin as typical of today's negative, Washington-oriented Democratic Party. Daley, a born and bred loyal Democrat, is a builder rather than a political hit man. … "Daley seldom speaks out publicly about his party. He

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1119936219036609112005-06-27T23:56:00.000-05:002005-06-28T00:23:39.076-05:00

Topinka fluff in Crains -- Tells us nothing new, really, just an FYI for those Topinka completists out there. Also in Crain's, an article about how Illinois could/should focus on being a leader in alternative energy. It makes a hell of a lot more sense than Blagojevich's idea of making Illinois a leader in the Homeland Security industry. It comes down to: do you stake your future in fear, or do

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1119848954882189722005-06-27T00:00:00.000-05:002005-06-27T00:09:14.890-05:00

Apparently state Sen. Kathleen "Kay" Wojcik (R) of Schaumburg, who will retire soon, pushed a law to curb "drive through" baby deliveries -- where a mother is sent home shortly after childbirth, mostly at the behest of insurance companies. With Wojcik's law, doctors and patients make the decision how long of a stay is necessary. On behalf of expecting parents everywhere, thank you Sen. Wojcik!

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1119846193255501162005-06-26T23:16:00.000-05:002005-06-26T23:23:13.260-05:00

From the AP: WASHINGTON - Some farmers are worried that a federal court ruling requiring that the Agriculture Department must come up with stricter standards for organic food will slow the fast-growing industry. Consumers advocates say the decision it will help ensure that people get higher-quality food when they buy products with the organic label. The U.S. District Court in Maine finalized

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1119843001663923972005-06-26T20:47:00.000-05:002005-06-26T22:30:01.720-05:00

This from today's Chicago Sun-Times: A Chicago Republican seeking the governor's seat said Friday he is the target of a political attack about a low-income housing complex he partially owns that Joliet officials call a "hellhole." Ron Gidwitz, former head of the State Board of Education, contends the 356-unit complex called Evergreen Terrace is not a slum. "What we have here is essentially a

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1118808592508207342005-06-14T23:01:00.000-05:002005-06-14T23:09:52.513-05:00

I almost missed it in today's Chicago Tribune. It was a mere photo caption in the Metro section — not front page material, I guess. But Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley is going to run for County Board President. This means that should he run, current President John Stroger will have some competition in the primary. Quigley, if you don't know, has led a band of insurgent Democratic

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1117686043423525272005-06-01T23:08:00.000-05:002005-06-01T23:20:43.426-05:00

Quick, who said this quote (from today's Sun-Times): "How am I supposed to know the money was tainted? I don't know who gives the money. I didn't know. I still don't know how it got there, where it came from and how it ended up in my campaign. I don't know any of them." ...I know what you're thinking. That's gotta be Daley. I mean who else talks like that. Well, apparently Daley-speak is

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1117399969552664092005-05-29T15:40:00.000-05:002005-05-29T15:52:49.556-05:00

I was combing through this bill yesterday to figure out how it will help/hurt third parties and indepenents. Dan Johnson-Weinberger breaks it down nicely. First of all, early voting is a great idea. This is good for democracy all around. The biggest help to the Green Party specifically will be the simplification of the deputy registrar/voter registration process. This, along with some other

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1117398302269270422005-05-29T14:39:00.000-05:002005-05-29T15:34:19.036-05:00

Democrats in Springfield struck a deal to plug the CTA's budget gap for one year. But the deal does nothing to make fundamental changes in how the CTA is funded and operated to prevent future shortfalls. It doesn't sound like the CTA will get what it wanted, which was a change in the "outdated" funding formula, which would have provided at least some long-term stability. And no, it won't get

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1116910757808282552005-05-23T23:48:00.000-05:002005-05-23T23:59:17.816-05:00

It's good to see the moderate Republicans assert themselves in the U.S. Senate by brokering a compromise on Bush's judicial nominees. But those 7 Republican moderates must know the Club for Growth and other conservative extremist organizations will come hunting for them. In fact, they're already slandering Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), who was one of the 7, and he is not up for re-election until

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1115692607885840552005-05-09T21:11:00.000-05:002005-05-09T21:36:47.973-05:00

That's the question I've been asking all along. But now, it looks like the issue will be studied (From the Sun-Times: State leaders are ordering the CTA to open its books for a budget review while lawmakers consider a transit bailout, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. Illinois Transportation Secretary Tim Martin called for the independent audit to make sure the CTA really is $55 million in the

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1114447894182476032005-04-25T11:17:00.000-05:002005-04-25T11:51:34.183-05:00

Finally, a breather. I'm taking a day off work today after an exhausting weekend. Saturday was spent cleaning. Sunday, in addition to running errands, my wife and I ran the Ravenswood Run. It was freezing cold. I ran a little more than two of the three miles (my wife, of course, ran the whole race). It was the first race I'd run since last May when I ran 5.5 miles in San Francisco "Bay to

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1113971387531238442005-04-19T23:23:00.000-05:002005-04-19T23:29:47.533-05:00

Retired coal miner and LaRouche supporter Vic Roberts (D) says on his Web site that he's running for Congress in 19th. In 2003, Roberts, you may remember, dropped his bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate for health reasons. Do visit Vic Roberts' Web site.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1113967286802673732005-04-19T22:12:00.000-05:002005-04-19T22:21:58.300-05:00

From the Time article, naming Mayor Daley in the "Top 5 Big City Mayors": The Setup He wields near imperial power, and most of Chicago would have it no other way. Two years ago, Richard Daley was re-elected to his fifth term with 79% of the vote. His annual budgets are routinely passed with only token opposition. He controls public housing, public schools and the city council. He is cozy with Big

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1113966573829089652005-04-19T21:32:00.000-05:002005-04-19T22:09:33.830-05:00

From today's the Washington Post: John R. Bolton's nomination to be ambassador to the United Nations suffered a setback yesterday when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unexpectedly decided to spend three more weeks investigating allegations that he mistreated subordinates, threatened a female government contractor and misled the committee about his handling of classified materials. [...]

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1113547599990112642005-04-15T01:22:00.000-05:002005-04-15T01:46:39.990-05:00

I was watching a Chicago TV newscast and their coverage of the proposed CTA service cuts and was struck by something the reporter said. To paraphrase: "The service could be cut as early as July if the state does not fund the CTA" Now, we know the media is supposed to report facts. This however is CTA propaganda. They say the same thing in announcements on the bus! Notice the reporter did not say

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1113545375365864572005-04-15T00:54:00.000-05:002005-04-15T01:09:35.366-05:00

More from the Green Party newsletter (it's packed with info): MARYLAND Popular blogger and Democrat Jim Leftwich is urging other Dems to join him in a mass exodus to the Green Party and has proposed June 21 as a 'Moving Day'. The Maryland Green Party is currently considering ways to support and promote this effort. Maryland Greens Moving Day Blog ...or you can continue supporting the likes

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1113544473434303582005-04-15T00:39:00.000-05:002005-04-15T00:54:33.436-05:00

From the Green Party e-newsletter. Congrats to Illinois' first two elected Greens. May many more follow: ILLINOIS Over 45,000 voters voted for a Green in Illinois's general election on April 5, 2005. Seven candidates ran for office all over the state. Both Scott Summers, an attorney from Harvard, Illinois, and Anna Lempart, a student from Urbana, Illinois won their elections. Scott was

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1113536091859395712005-04-14T21:20:00.000-05:002005-04-14T22:34:51.860-05:00

Most people think of the Beatle's "Tax Man" as the ultimate Tax Day song. But for my money, I'll be cranking up "Sunny Afternoon" by the Kinks. But then again, I also like to call my friends on their birthdays and play "Back in the USSR" to them over the phone (you get the joke, don't you?) But back to Tax Day, I've been tormented every April 15 for the past four years because, for some reason,

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1113531598572156422005-04-14T21:18:00.000-05:002005-05-29T14:37:55.940-05:00

From the Libertarians... Tax day is upon us. The Libertarian Party of Chicago is organizing a tax protest on Friday, April 15, at the Main Post Office in Chicago, 433 W. Harrison St., starting at 5:30 PM. LPC urges all Libertarians to attend. Contact Jason Briggeman for more information at 773-339-3465. Two LPI officers, Jason Briggeman and Kenneth Prazak, present different outlooks on Tax

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1111458725904466182005-03-21T20:30:00.000-06:002005-03-21T20:32:05.906-06:00

...this one from the DCCC is quite amusing. http://www.democraticaction.org/madness/index.php You know DeLay's got game.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1110943771421204502005-03-15T20:21:00.000-06:002005-03-15T21:29:31.426-06:00

The Democrats are looking to change the primary schedule. Howard Dean was right: the current system of Iowa and New Hampshire deciding the nominees does hand the electoral system over to a few special interests. I don't know what the system should be, but other states need to have greater influence in the process. Besides, Iowa seems to pick shitty candidates. Observe: Democrats 2004 Say what

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1110939650717448642005-03-15T20:16:00.000-06:002005-03-15T20:21:15.560-06:00

I'm glad to see the idea of DC getting representation in Congress is gaining steam. DC currently has a non-voting representative and no senators.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1110938307545815692005-03-15T19:47:00.000-06:002005-03-15T19:58:27.546-06:00

WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers was found guilty on nine counts of accounting fraud to the tune of $11 billion. I hope he gets the maximum of 85 years sentence.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1110331770091913452005-03-08T19:16:00.000-06:002005-03-08T19:29:30.093-06:00

The Chicago Tribune reports that state Sen. Dan Cronin (R) won't run for veteran lawmaker Rep. Henry Hyde's seat, should Hyde decide not to run for re-election in 2006. From the Tribune: Cronin, who has four young children, said the timing in his family life was not right to consider an office that would require an extended amount of time in Washington. "I can't in good conscience go to

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1109568644791061872005-02-27T23:08:00.000-06:002005-02-27T23:30:44.793-06:00

If you live in the Chicago area, you've probably already heard the big news: In last week's election, we saw Cicero Mayor Ramiro Gonzalez toppled by challenger Larry Dominick. For those of you who don't know, Cicero basically is god's gift to patronage, corruption, mob rule. this victory was Illinois politics' most unlikely upset in recent memory because Dominick ran on the campaign promise to

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1109042572694133612005-02-21T20:56:00.000-06:002005-02-21T21:22:52.696-06:00

From the Associated Press: Fifteen houses are all that remain of Fort Trumbull, a once vibrant immigrant neighborhood flattened into expanses of rutted grass and gravel. The homes stand in defiance of New London's plan to pave the way for a riverfront hotel and convention center, offices and upscale condominiums. Refusing the city's efforts to get them to leave, seven families are going

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1108965028095120112005-02-20T23:42:00.000-06:002005-02-20T23:50:28.096-06:00

I'm so bummed (from the Chicago Sun-Times): ASPEN, Colo. -- Hunter S. Thompson, the acerbic counterculture writer who popularized a new form of fictional journalism in books like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," fatally shot himself Sunday night at his home, his son said. He was 67.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1108964198311662702005-02-20T22:53:00.000-06:002005-02-20T23:36:38.313-06:00

The Chicago Tribune has an article on Cook County Board President John Stroger's (D) name-calling streak in which he's called insurgent Commissioner Forrest Claypool (D) "phony." He also called Commissioner Larry Suffredin (D) "cheesy" (although, there I think he was just hungry). Strogers attacks were bipartisen. He called the Republican commissioners "five losers." That reminds me, I've been

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1108961485137708302005-02-20T20:13:00.000-06:002005-02-20T22:51:25.136-06:00

Blagojevich turns on yet another ally in Springfield (perhaps his last). As if that's news. But I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if Blagojevich had a cozy relationship with the state legislature or the political machine in Chicago, we'd be in serious trouble. Remember George Ryan?

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1108951648170682912005-02-20T20:01:00.000-06:002005-02-20T20:07:28.170-06:00

The New York Times reported on Bush conversations that secretly taped by Bush's friend Don Wead. Even though it sounds like he did it legally, that's a pretty low thing to do to someone. That's beyond low.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1108939740583327142005-02-20T16:47:00.000-06:002005-02-20T18:30:38.136-06:00

The federal government's subsidizing of Amtrak has been a massive failure. This year's Amtrak handout is $1.2 billion. That's billion, with a b. The number of actual riders is 24 million per year. That's million with an m. I was reading Amtrak's five year strategic plan, and I was struck by something I found under the heading of 'Amtrak myths.' Apparently, one of the myths is that Amtrak is

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1108538860152293192005-02-16T01:20:00.000-06:002005-02-16T01:27:40.153-06:00

Here's the latest Illinois Leader version of the whole Maya Keyes blog thing that happened before the election (my bold): The issue of Maya Keyes' sexuality came up during the 2004 U.S. Senate race in Illinois when Capitol Fax publisher Rich Miller discovered a blog apparently populated by Maya that discussed her family and her sexuality and included pictures of her kissing another girl. That's

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1108359022706620652005-02-13T23:24:00.000-06:002005-02-14T00:13:39.143-06:00

Well, if you ever want to know what Modern Vertebrate said about the 2006 senate races a couple of months ago, you could always go here: http://www.bobanddonna.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=48 I came across this site in a search for information about a related topic and found it quite familiar. There is no mention of where they copied it from, which makes it outright

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1108352244137040002005-02-13T20:58:00.000-06:002005-02-14T16:54:42.980-06:00

A little news on the parasite in the water in downstate East St. Louis. I found the last two paragraph's particularly interesting: Casino operators say they have been more than good stewards. Shortly before Christmas, 3,800 elementary school pupils came to the casino to greet Santa Claus and receive a bag filled with Christmas goodies. "These kids wouldn't even have Christmas if it wasn't for

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1108346340843625712005-02-13T19:36:00.000-06:002005-02-13T19:59:00.846-06:00

...ahead of her speaking appearance at a LGBT event tomorrow. I thought this was moment in the piece is especially interesting: Still, when I asked Maya whether she is glad her father lost the election, she stopped short. "Should you really be asking that question? I mean, I suppose there is a conflict, but I'm not sure I wanted him to lose. I disagree with nearly all his views, but he's very

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1108342163349095052005-02-13T18:39:00.000-06:002005-02-13T18:49:23.350-06:00

The Chicago Sun-Times has this interesting piece on how evangelicals don't seem to have much clout in Illinois politics. It mentions that new GOP party chair Andy McKenna will try to tap into the evangelical community here just as the Bush campaign did on a national level in the last two presidential elections. I'm sure this topic will only come up more and more as we approach the 2006 GOP

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1108341030956837612005-02-13T17:35:00.000-06:002005-02-13T18:30:30.956-06:00

By naming former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean as its chair, the Democratic Party is finally moving in the right direction. I think Dean will do a great job reinvigorating the party, helping define the issues and raising money. I think he can do that without selling out to conservatives. Most importantly, I think Dean will steer the party away from candidates who come across as elitist and

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1107908909688565132005-02-08T18:20:00.000-06:002005-02-08T18:28:29.686-06:00

Two major developments in the federal investigation of Chicago's Hired Truck program: 1. State Sen. Antonio Munoz is cooperating with investigators. Munoz, known in court documents as State Senator A, is connected to Angelo Torres, who ran the Hired Truck program, but is apparently not the target of the investigation. 2. Daley scraps Hired Truck program and bans his campaign contributors

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1107832630979306652005-02-07T21:00:00.000-06:002005-02-07T21:17:10.980-06:00

I would just like to note the passing of my beloved uncle Ian, who died this evening after battling cancer for a little more than a year. And though he had cancer and doctors had essentially given up on him, he continued to hold his head up high and remained engaged in life until the very end. I will always remember him at my wedding in late Oct., and though he knew he was dying, he still was,

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1107757639145035892005-02-07T01:01:00.000-06:002005-02-07T00:27:19.146-06:00

Just saw the movie "Ray"...one of those strange situations where I could see the Jamie Foxx getting the Oscar for best actor, but it would be an outrage if Ray were named best picture. So many gaping holes. Like in the first half of the movie, Charles twice freaks out while having hallucinations of the dead body of his brother and water. But then after the incident with his brother is revealed in

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1107755970759217192005-02-06T23:48:00.000-06:002005-02-06T23:59:30.760-06:00

It sounds like there will be pressure on Bush from power companies (aka his best friends) to make the final decision on where to put nuclear waste from the nation's nuclear power plants. Since we own Iraq, is that totally out of the question? Maybe if we send it there, it will cease to exist.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1107754603212022362005-02-06T23:24:00.000-06:002005-02-06T23:36:43.213-06:00

Great article in today's Chicago Tribune about Mayor Daley and the recent scandals that have plagued City Hall -- the article provides a nice overview of what's been happening, for those who haven't been following the blow-by-blow coverage in the daily editions. I think the problem is complete voter apathy. What else could it be? If Daley or any of the Chicago aldermen thought they might lose

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1107753656099534842005-02-06T23:17:00.000-06:002005-02-06T23:20:56.100-06:00

Former Illinois Gov. Jim Thompson (R) underwent surgery today to remove a blood clot in his brain. He's expected to make a full recovery. See Chicago Tribune story Best wishes to Big Jim on a speedy recovery.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1107216771127693392005-01-31T18:04:00.000-06:002005-01-31T18:12:51.126-06:00

Someone named Shiva in the comments area of my last post mentioned that Maya Keyes is "out on the streets." It sounds like Maya attended the counter-inaugural protests -- angering her father, who fired her from her job. Now it sounds like she's out of money and rent is due. http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Xmisled0youthX Absolutely heartbreaking.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1107150900539641732005-01-30T23:41:00.000-06:002005-01-30T23:55:00.540-06:00

When President Bush declared the Iraqi election a success I became very alarmed -- is this a sign that turmoil is on the way? And how does he really know that voters "firmly rejected the antidemocratic ideology" of terrorists. What if some fundamentalist radical is elected president? If that's the case, I guess that wouldn't be all that different from our own political process. But still, we

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1107149499250898802005-01-30T22:34:00.001-06:002005-01-30T23:31:39.250-06:00

Possible gubernatorial candidate Rep. Ray LaHood really needs to lose the John Deere photo in the upper right-hand corner of his site, www.raylahood.com -- given the fact that Deere rival Caterpillar Inc. is actually headquartered in his district and employs thousands of people in the Peoria area alone. There are, after all, better ways of demonstrating your commitment to agriculture than posing

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1106421855782423242005-01-22T13:20:00.000-06:002005-01-22T13:24:15.783-06:00

Yesterday in court, former Gov. George Ryan made his best puppy-dog eyes for the judge of his corruption trial and won a six-month delay in the start of the trial. The reason he needed the delay, Ryan argued, is that his lawyer Dan Webb will be too busy in March with a big tobacco trial to defend Ryan. By granting this delay, the judge is essentially acknowledged that the wheels of justice

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1105510409630008032005-01-12T01:05:00.000-06:002005-01-12T00:14:34.183-06:00

Zorn gets petty on the Blagojevich/Mell situation. He writes as if he doesn't know that if the Tribune, for instance, had investigated the dump and saw illegal waste being hauled in, they would be sure to note that the owner is family to Mell and second cousin to the governor’s wife. So let’s not pretend for a moment that the dump had no potential to reflect badly on Blagojevich and give the

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1105420501398754652005-01-10T22:58:00.000-06:002005-01-10T23:15:01.396-06:00

Posted today on Politics1.com is site creator Ron Gunzburger's fond farewell to blogging. Apparently, he's not going to continue to update Politics1, a most invaluable online resource. In fact, for my money, Politics1.com was the resource for who's running for office and who's not. What made Politics1 so unique is that Ron went out of his way to track down and list all of the potential

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1105412667406205062005-01-10T20:36:00.000-06:002005-01-10T21:04:27.406-06:00

The rumor now is that the Blagojevich/Mell spat is staged. There's no way. I do agree that Blagojevich busted his wife's second cousin's landfill in part to look good and independent. But, then, he was also nipping a serious PR threat in the bud, not to mention the threat of a corruption probe. You have to give him credit for doing whatever it takes to be squeaky clean. On the other side of

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1105410999710032252005-01-10T20:29:00.000-06:002005-01-10T20:36:39.710-06:00

Did anyone see the front page of Saturday's Sun-Times with the Bush family photo? For those that didn't, Bush was seated in the center of his family. Off to the side was a close up of the President's "shit kickers," which apparently featured a large presidential seal. The headline: "Nice Boots" Look for them in the gift shop of the Bush Presidential Library in about 8 years.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1105405733927418662005-01-10T18:55:00.000-06:002005-01-10T19:08:53.926-06:00

Illinois delegation becomes even more powerful in Washington D.C. Not only was Emanuel named to the powerful Ways & Means Committee recently, but he has now been tapped to head the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the national fundraising organization for Democratic congressional candidates.   The media reports that he will be aggressive -- he does have a certain intensity

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1105404825177349722005-01-10T18:52:00.000-06:002005-01-10T18:53:45.176-06:00

...I only ask, because I heard on talk radio that that’s what people who criticize the president are (from the AP): Despite his criticism of Bremer, Gingrich said the official should not be a scapegoat for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vice President Dick Cheney and Bush. "Whatever mistakes Bremer made were not corrected by his bosses, who were

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1104977433969599222005-01-05T19:57:00.000-06:002005-01-05T20:10:33.970-06:00

It looks like Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) is looking for a senator to sponser a challenge the Electoral College vote, citing allegations of fraud in Ohio that need to be investigated. Of course, no senator is going to go along with this and risk being accused of creating a constitutional crisis.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1104975577877847892005-01-05T19:35:00.000-06:002005-01-05T19:39:37.876-06:00

From the AP: Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales is promising senators that he will abide by treaties prohibiting the torture of prisoners, despite deriding the restraints as relics in 2002. Don't worry Alberto, your flip-flops are in the mail.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1104802466758316012005-01-03T19:16:00.000-06:002005-01-03T19:34:26.756-06:00

Sounds like a deal was made between Republican moderates, led by Rep. Mark Kirk (R) and conservatives, led by Minority Leader DeLay and Speaker Hastert. Mark Kirk was one of the Republicans who broke with the conservative majority and voted no to a rule change that would allow a congressman to retain his/her leadership post if indicted. The rule change was meant to protect DeLay, whose

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1104467008447737312004-12-30T21:34:00.000-06:002004-12-30T22:23:28.446-06:00

1. Third parties demand second Ohio recount (AP) This is brilliant. There were so many irregularities in the Ohio recount that they should be forced to go through the frivolous act of recounting the ballots as a punishment for their disregard for the letter of the law. To my mind, it would be sweet revenge for every third party petition signature that was challenged by the GOP or Dems on the

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1104463728148281502004-12-30T21:07:00.000-06:002005-01-01T21:56:48.056-06:00

The IllinoisLeader's Joyce Morrison says the tsunami is God's warning to environmentalists to stop taking away people's property rights, damn it! At least she didn't blame this natural disaster on radio waves from Alaska in a plot by environmentalists to create heritage corridors. She gives a lot of tsunami facts, throws in the usual paragraph about abortion and a few other random gripes, then

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1104104327830453042004-12-26T15:49:00.000-06:002004-12-26T17:41:29.926-06:00

Some delightful cud from various news sources: Federal investigation of GOP lobbiest, tribal gaming, Congressmen and, yes, the obligitory gangland slaying (Washington Post) Little number on Lipinski's career and legacy (Chicago Tribune) College GOP fundraising scrutinized (Washington Post) Exit polls show Yuschenko ahead (but we know from experience there is no accounting for vote

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1103839703485223252004-12-23T16:00:00.000-06:002004-12-23T16:08:23.486-06:00

This sounds like an excellent way to predict elections...you don't have to do a telephone survey, just call the local video store.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1103770607112042542004-12-22T20:37:00.000-06:002004-12-22T20:56:47.113-06:00

My two favorite IL Republican congressmen seem split on the issue of Social Security Reform...well maybe not so much as to the merits of reform, but how politically damaging the issue could be (from the AP): "To be crassly political, there's nothing in it for members of Congress," said Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., predicting that supportive lawmakers would face television ads accusing them of

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1103769455195022592004-12-22T20:30:00.000-06:002004-12-22T20:37:35.196-06:00

I was reading an article in the liberal media about the Washington govenor's recount, and came across this obvious lie: "GOP officials have said they were likely to take the matter to court in the event of a Gregoire win." I know it's a lie because I've heard conservatives grousing for years that liberals will just sue if they don't get what they want. I'd hate to think that the glorious

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1103768539767280832004-12-22T19:09:00.000-06:002004-12-22T21:37:05.706-06:00

Hillbilly couture, for those not in the know. It's kind of funny, I was driving around yesterday and tuned into nazi radio...I guess Rush Limbaugh was out so he had some replacement hosting his show. So the host laid this story out in a very head-shaking tone. Usually, I'd say it's conservatives applauding the cracking down on outrageous garb in high schools, but somehow this was made out to

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1103088533605304952004-12-14T22:38:00.000-06:002004-12-14T23:28:53.606-06:00

I think someone needs to start a draft campaign to find a superstar opponent to John Stroger for Cook County Board President. Has to be someone with a Chicago/Cook County connection. I found a list of famous people born in Chicago, and no one was jumping out at me. Of course, the list is very much incomplete. So I thought about it a little more and here are a few people who come to mind:

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1102922367563114802004-12-13T01:37:00.000-06:002004-12-13T13:09:54.076-06:00

It's getting near the end of the year, and that means time to reflect. It's probably the one time I write in an actual diary, just to scribble out a few noteworthy things that happened over the course of the year. One of the things I like to do every year is list my twenty favorite albums...not of the year, but of all time. Of course, it changes from year to year. So this year, since I

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1102576048598143782004-12-09T01:45:00.000-06:002004-12-09T01:07:28.600-06:00

It's long overdue, but I added the CTA Tattler to the list of links. One of my favorites. When I read it, fondly reflect on my years of voyages to and from the West Side, and all the characters I met along the way. For instance, when I first started riding the CTA in 2000, within a month, I saw two different people who were not shy about snorting coke on the train -- but after that I never saw

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1102571855291690242004-12-08T23:19:00.000-06:002004-12-08T23:57:35.290-06:00

I always wonder, does Russ Stewart really have the goods, or is he just incredibly good at interpolating the Illinois/Chicago political scene? Whatever the situation, he's got some fascinating analysis of the 2006 Illinois elections, centered on the impending decision of Cook County Board President Port-a-John Stroger on whether or not to run for re-election. Stroger is such a contemptible

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1102568746463553962004-12-08T22:05:00.000-06:002004-12-08T23:05:46.463-06:00

To date, this is probably the most disturbed and convoluted article I've read on the IllinoisLeader.com. And that is really saying something. Kellmeyer argues that it's okay to kill Muslims, that doing so is an act of love. He makes the argument that Islam is a brutal religion, and that Osama bin Laden is a "good Muslim" because he supposedly closely follows the teachings. Though Kellmeyer

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1102466037229239862004-12-07T18:30:00.000-06:002004-12-07T18:33:57.230-06:00

Really dig the new design. Dig the cool Statue of Liberty structural designs in the background. In other Lib news, the party reported today that membership rose 23% this year. On a related front, the Illinois Green Party is working on a new site, but it will be a rather standard Plone design for now.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1102445551616738142004-12-07T13:50:00.000-06:002004-12-07T12:52:31.616-06:00

Today's Trib reports: “The CTA board last month approved the purchase of 265 new buses for $95 million, and it will soon seek bids on new rail cars. A long list of projects include repairs to track and signals, communications and security systems and the rehabilitation of viaducts and facilities.”   Now, this may be a stupid question, but why is the CTA buying $95 million in bus and trains

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1102174383489448982004-12-04T09:30:00.000-06:002004-12-04T09:33:03.490-06:00

Here's what Tommy Thompson said on the occasion of his resignation: "For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do," Thompson said. "We are importing a lot of food from the Middle East, and it would be easy to tamper with that." Good job, dumb ass. Now that you've brought it to the terrorists' attention, I'm sure

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1101014351024465922004-11-20T23:03:00.000-06:002004-11-20T23:19:11.023-06:00

Got to like this guy...Rep. Mark Kirk this week took a leadership post with the House Republican Mainstream Tuesday Group, a group that, as reported by Thursday's Chicago Tribune, "pushes for stronger environmental regulation and tends to be less conservative on social issues." The 35-member group is, obviously, at odds with the House's hardcore conservative leaders, like Speaker Denny Hastert

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1100672064250569852004-11-17T01:06:00.000-06:002004-11-17T00:14:24.250-06:00

City Hall is now hoping to cash in on dog owners.   The argument for it is, well, other cities charge a lot more for dog permits. But that's beside the point. What the hell do we need dog permits for anyway??? Again, I will state my belief that a city should not be so obsessed with generating revenue off of its constituents. In fact, the city should concern itself with generating as little

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1100671566716624452004-11-16T23:19:00.000-06:002004-11-17T00:16:07.603-06:00

I’d seen this Moseley guy a lot in the news since 2003 and was wondering if he was going to run for alderman in 2007. He seemed to be styled as a starter Rev. Jesse Jackson (although the article notes that he sought to make a name for himself by protesting Jackson). Apparently he's more Jacksonesque than I thought. In that light, it’s no surprise that Moseley would get caught up in trouble,

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1100582090898131052004-11-15T23:00:00.000-06:002004-11-15T23:14:50.896-06:00

Great article in the Chicago Reader by Ben Joravsky this week. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it online (do they ever post their articles online???). Anyway, it's about why Daley isn't following that great Chicago tradition of energizing Democratic voters to go to the polls. Joravsky explains: "[Daley] probably remembers what happened in 1982, when Alderman Edward Vrdolyak, then the Democratic

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1100464322210754812004-11-14T14:24:00.000-06:002004-11-14T14:32:02.210-06:00

Interesting article in today's Daily Herald about the GOP slipping in the collar counties in which state Rep. Tom Cross ponders the 2006 governor's race. In light of the Keyes debacle, I found this somewhat amusing: "We're going to need somebody who's moderately conservative. I don't think we can have somebody who's too far to the right. We certainly don't want somebody to the left of center,"

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1100389711343993782004-11-13T16:18:00.000-06:002004-11-13T17:48:47.843-06:00

The Tribune reports same mild, mild anger among members of the Chicago Rubber Stamp about the city's budget and the corruption investigating du jour. From today's Chicago Tribune: Aldermen called for changes in the city's vehicle-towing program Frida as the City Council began scrutinizing the long list of tax and fee increases in Mayor Richard Daley's $5.1 billion budget proposal for 2005.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1100384179247526552004-11-13T16:02:00.000-06:002004-11-13T16:16:19.246-06:00

Congressman Mark Kirk scored a $13 million federal grant for the North Chicago VA Hospital, part of a $160 million in planned improvements for the hospital, which include a new surgical area and emergency room. In addition to treating some 25,000 North Shore veterans a year, the hospital also serves the nearby Great Lakes Naval Reserve. It's good to see a Republican working to improve

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1100240523685973102004-11-11T23:59:00.000-06:002004-11-12T00:22:03.686-06:00

Who are the people who really believe every vote should be counted? Interestingly enough, it's not the two top vote-getters on Nov. 2. Thus, it appears "also-ran" presidential candidates Ralph Nader (I), David Cobb (G) and Michael Badnarik (L) are doing what Kerry doesn't have the matzah balls to do: Call for a recount in several states, including Ohio, where the results are quite questionable.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1100237768705017532004-11-11T18:43:00.000-06:002004-11-11T23:36:08.706-06:00

As much as I would have loved to blog during the election, alas, I was doing something much, much better. I got married on Oct. 30, and we left for the honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta right after that. I was completely cut off from election news except for my one lifeline: CNN Worldwide, a mostly British channel, which was kind enough to switch to U.S. coverage as the polls began to close on Nov. 2.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1098424198417353182004-10-22T01:35:00.000-05:002004-10-22T00:49:58.416-05:00

From the Brad Blog (via Kos), it appears that the White House is removing a huge amount of archived Bush speeches and other statements. I have to say, I'm for it. I think this is a positive first step in ridding ourselves of many a bad memory of the Bush Administration. In fact, why not send a little "thank you" note to the White House Web development team for all of their hard work.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1098412830082832562004-10-21T21:24:00.000-05:002004-10-21T21:40:30.083-05:00

...but they endorsed Brady anyway in the race for the 88th state representative district. Their reasons were understandable: Brady, the Republican, has more experience, has more contacts, has a lot of enthusiasm. They did heap praise on the Green Party's Huckelberry, admiring his knowledge and balanced outlook on the issues, but at age 27, Huckelberry, they said, would be great for a lower office

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1098338692856376952004-10-21T01:56:00.000-05:002004-10-21T01:04:52.856-05:00

6th district: Cegelis President Bush said it: You can run, but you can’t Hyde. It’s always hard to tell, but I think he means Hyde has been in Congress too long. Thirty years, in fact. It’s time for new blood. Cegelis is a smart, motivated, successful person who can take a fresh approach and start doing the work of the next 30 years. Cegelis is endorsed. 7th district: Davis Davis does an

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1098333619701934642004-10-20T23:34:00.000-05:002004-10-20T23:52:50.246-05:00

I'm talking about baseball, not politics. How about them Red Sox. A tip of me cap to ye. I'd love to see a Cardinals/Red Sox series...wouldn't it be eerie if the Astros and Red Sox played? Let me reiterate...the Houston Astros vs. the Boston Red Sox. But I'm still rooting for the Cardinals to go to the Series. That would be a great match-up.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1098246168106823812004-10-19T22:15:00.000-05:002004-10-19T23:22:48.106-05:00

2nd district: Stephanie Kennedy Sailor Jesse Jackson Jr. seems to be making a big power play lately. He's running around pretending we need this proposed third Chicago airport in Peotone, which is out in the middle of nowhere -- and the people of Peotone have been fighting to keep it that way. He says it's about jobs, but what it's really about is handing out big contracts. Not only that, Jr. is

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1098168625226524722004-10-19T01:04:00.000-05:002004-10-19T01:52:44.286-05:00

Seein' as I got my absentee ballot in the mail today, what better time to contemplate who I'll be voting for in the Nov. 2 elections. And what better time to make my endorsements for all to ponder and enjoy. Unlike the newspapers, I don't pretend to be objective or measured about this in any way. But I think you'll find my political leanings rather sporadic and unpredictable. I chalk it up to the

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1098050475602725612004-10-17T16:49:00.000-05:002004-10-17T17:01:15.603-05:00

This thread on the IllinoisLeader board is most amusing. It starts out asking why Fran Eaton and Jill Stanek -- two of the Leader's highly ranked employees -- departed just a few weeks before the election. The post by RealGOP sums up the flap: I know there are a lot of Fran Eaton fans out there.  But consider this.  What is the true measure of a person who joins in the "good fight" and then

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548283.post-1098048437138313272004-10-17T16:24:00.000-05:002004-10-17T16:28:54.790-05:00

Dazzling response to the accusation that Keyes and the Obama defamation group are coordinated (via CNN.com): Keyes campaign manager Bill Pascoe dismissed the accusation as "poppycock," saying "To suggest otherwise is to treat the truth as a harlot." Well said, my good man.

patrickfkellynoreply@blogger.com0