Completely Unnecessary

For the national races, the NYT has a great interactive map that allows you to see the country as a snapshot to zoom in to states and counties.

Fivethirtyeight and electoral-vote are also updating regularly.

If you’re interested in local Chicago elections, the Tribune’s is down, but the Sun Times has results up as does ABC 7. Those are for IL House, but you can navigate to other areas.

I’m headed either to the bar or downtown to the festivities. See you in a bit - or at the end of the night!

Vaguely Related

• Stevens Loses Senate Seat
• Presidential-Elect Obama and We Wait for Results

[Editor's Note: Have tried to remove jinx factor...]

It’s a question that - I swear to god - didn’t occur to me until today.

With the race seemingly tightening up, it might be time to have a look.

In Illinois, the governor replaces the sitting Senator until the next Congressional election. This means that Rod Blagojevich (D) will fill Obama’s seat and that person will be up for re-election in 2010.

For those of you not from Illinois - here’s the political lay of the land:

Blagojevich essentially comes from the Chicago Machine, but has a weird relationship to it. He’s the son-in-law of Chicago boss Dick Mell, who put him in the governor’s office. Blago and Mell, however, more or less openly dislike each other.

Blagojevich’s other main problem is Illinois House Speaker and IL Democratic Party Leader Mike Madigan, who pretty much hates his guts. Madigan has done everything in his power to thwart Blagojevich over the last few years. Madigan’s daughter, Lisa Madigan, is the Attorney General and a likely candidate for governor in 2010.

Not that Blago has helped himself much. He’s almost certainly had some quite dirty dealings, and it most likely ‘Public Official A’ in Peter Fitzgerald’s most recent excursion into Illinois corruption. Between this and the Congressional gridlock he’s helped to create, Illinois voters are extremely pissed off.

Sure they returned him to office in 2006, but his opponent Judy Baar Topinka inspired a lot of nose-holding for downstate Republicans as well. The Green Party candidate got over 10% in that election, which is pretty unheard of for a third-party candidate in a gubernatorial election.

All caught up?

With this much hatred to spare, Blagojevich is likely to make a strategic appointment. He’s got enemies pretty much everywhere, but a couple of names stand out for consideration.

Lisa Madigan - she’s the Attorney General and well-liked. She’s likely to challenge him in 2010, so putting her in the Senate might keep her out the way. She’d have to choose between renewing her Senate seat or going for Blagojevich’s.

Any of the Chicago US House delegation - He’d get to make nice with the Machine, and appointing an African-American, like Davis, Rush or Jackson Jr., would give him support from the South Side in 2010.

Dan Hynes - Illinois Comptroller. Another likely candidate in 2010 - though one with less chance of beating Blagojevich in a primary. Would make Machine people happy though, and maybe get them off Blagojevich’s back.

Jim Oberweis - because it’s the only way Jim Oberweis is every going to get elected anything. Seriously, how freaking amazing would that be? I mean, aside from the reality of it.

Alan Keyes - is he still carpetbagging with us? He was Obama’s opponent in 2004, and… nah, can’t even write the end of that sentence seriously.

The Daily Herald also suggests Alexi Giannoulias, the State Treasurer, who Obama likes a lot. Bill Daley, the brother of Mayor Richard M. Daley. That seems over the top - I think people would be pretty up in arms about a Daley getting to the Senate without dead people voting for it or anything.

The DH also points out that Blagojevich could appoint himself and basically get the hell out of Illinois. The governor gig isn’t going so well, to be sure, but he’d be up again in 2010. I think once people picked their jaws up off the floor, they’d vote him straight out. Plus, the Democrats don’t need one of their senators dealing with corruption charges, which will almost certainly feature in Blago’s near future.

I’m not counting my chickens just yet, but it’s interesting to think about. And I know nothing about Arizona internal politics, so… yeah, who knows what happens if McCain wins?

God, you just know Jim Oberweis has thought about calling up Blago and offering his service.

Vaguely Related

• Stroger, the County Tax and the Fine
• Adventures in Reading: Illinois Terror Edition

These stories are a couple of days old at this point, but I couldn’t stop gritting my teeth long enough to post about them.

Cook County Democrats - led by their torpid President Todd Stroger - struck down a bill to repeal the 1% tax that gives Chicago the highest sales tax in the US.

All the Republicans voted to repeal the tax, joined by - we can all do this together right? - Chicago Democrats Forrest Claypool and Mike Quigley.

Stroger and co. accused Tony Peracia (R), who proposed the repeal and was Stroger’s 2006 opponent, of political machinations to help his campaign for State’s Attorney in November.

And Stroger knows corruption when he sees it! His 2006 campaign just got fined $27,000 for incomplete and missing reports on contributions of more than $500.

But there are likely to be more fines since they didn’t follow the rules in other ways, as well. Here’s a quote that makes me laugh:

Stroger spokesman Eugene Mullins also said he was working to better reflect that a $441,000 certificate of deposit obtained by the 8th Ward Democratic Organization fund, of which Mullins is treasurer, was used as collateral for a $500,000 loan that Stroger’s campaign received shortly before the 2006 election.

One commenter on one of the stories noted that a $27,000 one-time tax would probably be requested some time soon. I say, one time! Better make it permanent. I mean, the 8th Ward only has so much money…

As much as I loathe and disagree with nearly every decision President Bush has made, at least his Administration went in with a plan. All Stroger plans to do is absorb taxpayers money and hand out jobs to cronies. Give me grand (horrible) plans any day over sponge-like, fatuous greed.

Links:
Cook County Board rejects sales tax increase repeal [Chicago Tribune]
Cook County does it again [Chicago Tribune]
Todd Stroger campaign hit with nearly $27,000 state fine [Chicago Tribune]

Vaguely Related

• The Stroger is Dead; Long Live the Stroger
• Stroger at the City Club of Chicago

You have to give Obama credit for calling a spade a spade. I hate that job interview ‘what’s your biggest weakness’ question, but I especially hate it when people give crappy, crappy answers.

At the same event:

At the end of the event, a man yelled out to Obama that he will be a better president than George Bush. Obama responded, “So would you!”

Oh, I’m still conflicted! He’s very funny, but his answer to the debate question should have been, “I owe the Chicago Machine, and I’ll stump for its losers when necessary.”

Obama Jabs Opponents With a Little Humor [CBS News]

Vaguely Related

• The Endorsement You’ve Been Waiting For*
• Obama Reponds to Clinton Vice-Presidental Chatter

Somehow my reaction to John Stroger’s death is only to hate Daley more:

“He was an inspiration to all of us in politics,” Daley said. “He really believed government could make changes. His greatest legacy is building Cook County Hospital. When people told him that public hospitals had ended many years ago, he firmly believed people needed good, quality health care.”

Um, I believe we call that ‘Stroger Hospital.’ He cared so much about the people that he named it after himself.

The mayor also had this to say:

“After I lost the election, he supported Harold Washington,” Mayor Daley said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. That isn’t loyalty. Maybe he believed in someone. That isn’t disloyalty. It’s like after a game you shake someone’s hand.”

Um, I know we have to ask this a lot, but what in the hell are you talking about?

Meanwhile, Todd compared his father to Job, which is funny since overpaid and nepotist ‘jobs’ were what his father was all about.

This is, perhaps, unkind, and I do have sympathy for the grieving family as I would any family who lost a loved one. The number of people that sent me this news, however, belies somewhat the glowing obits run by both the Tribune and especially the Sun Times.

There is no doubt that Stroger broke a lot of barriers; he was the first African-American committeeman, a position of great power in the city. But that power went to his head, as well as the heads of the group that surrounded him. And, importantly, the group that still surrounds his son. Whatever one thinks about Stroger, he was at least a consummate politician. It’s a shame his de facto last act was to set the stage for that which currently occupies his chair.

Vaguely Related

• Stroger, the County Tax and the Fine
• Stroger at the City Club of Chicago

I know some of you are probably at a loss to explain my rampant disgust with Todd Stroger. He’s not as visible or as powerful as someone like George Bush. Nor, however, is he as articulate.

Eric Zorn posted a link to this clip of Stroger speaking to the City Club of Chicago. I’m going to post a transcript below, but it has to be heard to be believed.

In recent years, economic experts have coined the phrase “food dessert” to support their concern for a lack of quality grocery shopping options for people living in poor neighborhoods. Well, I’m concerned that without Provident Hospital and with Michael Reese and other hospitals having problems, Chicago’s South Side might become a hospital dessert. Ooops! I should say “desert.”

That’s why I reject calls for Provident to be closed, and favor the hospital’s continued focus in providing inpatient, acute, obsta… obsta… uh oh… obstatech… I’m gonna skip that word. [I think he's starting a new sentence here] Testify before committees and actively lobby for a brand new law to effecti… ifist… oh… afich… at… Thank you, Donna… effectuate that transfer.

I believe the first word he’s searching for is obstetrics, but it’s nearly impossible to tell because he doesn’t get very far into sounding it out before giving up. I think his effort there pretty much sums up Stroger in general.

The desire for violence I feel listening to that clip is matched only by Bush’s smirk, but honestly Bush gets through his talking points more effectively. These were prepared remarks. It’s clear, as Zorn points out, that Stroger never even bothered to read them over first. One of Zorn’s commenters points out the stupidity and arrogance inherent in this:

You’re delivering a major address before the heavy hitters at the City Club, you know that people across the county already view you as an intellectual lightweight (surely he has heard the “Toddler” nickname); and yet not only do you not have your policy address basically memorized, you haven’t even read the remarks ahead of time?

God, it’s just occurred to me that “Donna” must have pronounced the word for him. At first I thought she must be his speech writer, and he was sarcastically thanking her for putting in words he couldn’t pronounce. I can’t hear anyone say anything on the clip, but she must not have been within mic range.

At least three more years, and, given how effectively his handlers (Beavers, etc) organize the South Side, he’ll probably have a term longer than his father’s. Forest Claypool and Tony Peracia must just scream into their pillows every night.

h/t to Eric Zorn, who is also a great contra dance caller. He provided the first paragraph of the transcript; the second is mine.

also h/t for the story to my mother, who feels she deserves credit for suggesting to commissioners last week via email that they hold a tax revolt like the Boston Tea Party. They’re having one tomorrow at noon at Wacker and Michigan. She’s going, but feels stiffed.

So instead, here’s a shout out to ‘the crazy lady of Seeley Ave’ - her usage, not mine - possible idea woman behind the Chicago Revolution!

Vaguely Related

• The Stroger is Dead; Long Live the Stroger
• Stroger, the County Tax and the Fine

I was nearly blown into traffic today by a gust of wind. Millions upon millions are prone to the wrong-headed belief that “the Windy City” moniker comes from Chicago’s wind, but I’m here to tell you that Melbourne has some of the most ferocious wind I’ve every experienced. At one point, I was pedaling, but the headwind was so strong I nearly tipped over from lack of momentum. Can’t wait until winter!

Onto the media stuff. For my Conflict class, we’re looking this week at the ways in which the media frame public dissent and protests. Pretty interesting stuff. A study of a British riot mentioned the famous 1968 Democratic Convention riots, so I decided to have a look at the Tribune archives (thanks library card!).

Common wisdom now relates that Daley and the police wailed upon the hapless protesters, but in 1968 the situation was pretty different. Most references I found - before the system crashed - were about the poor, fatigued police just doing their best. An editorial hilariously sums up the Tribune’s (highly conservative wisdom) after the jump…

(more…)

Vaguely Related

• The Stroger is Dead; Long Live the Stroger
• Stroger, the County Tax and the Fine