I hope when you pay your tax bill my fellow Chicagoans, you make sure to thank Mayor Daley and all the Chicago Politicians for providing City Workers to fill space at the Olympic rally. Mayor Daley wants the Olympics so bad he is willing to provide city workers so he can look like he is a big player. Of course many of the City Workers know Mayor Daley is breaking the rules that forbid politics on city time. I think the bosses that asked their underlings to participate in the Obama-Mayor Daley victory dance should be fired. The Inspector General was notified before as union workers were ordered to attend rallies with Rod Blagojevich and Mayor Daley. Many people were also not aware the courthouse at the rally encouraged many trials to shut down early because of safety concerns with Barack Obama. Daley does have power and clout, but asking trials in progress to shut down early? Please read Mark Browns take on the rally. Mayor Daley is very short, how tall is he? Obama is at least a foot taller that Daley, right? (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) . Patrick McDonough]]>Olympic fervor: From Beijing to Daley Plaza
Chicago and China might not be as far apart as we think
June 8, 2008Recommend (3)
BY MARK BROWN Sun-Times Columnist
A local radio station was carrying a network news story Friday morning about organizers for the Beijing Olympics trying to instruct the Chinese people on how to cheer properly during the upcoming Summer Games, including what to chant and how to clap.
The story was told from a predictable, but understandable, point of view along the lines of: Look at what those crazy, authoritarian commies are up to now; they even dictate how to show enthusiasm.
» Click to enlarge image Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown
Then, the station switched to its local news report, during which it later happened to mention Mayor Daley was back from Athens and would be attending a big pep rally at Daley Plaza to celebrate Chicago making the cut to remain in competition to host the 2016 Olympic Games.
And I thought, hmmm. Let's go see.
Does a city-orchestrated "pep rally" in the middle of the government office complex during the lunch hour have anything in common with the outpouring of support for, say, the Bulls in Grant Park after those championship runs of the Michael Jordan era, or is it more akin to what you'll see in Beijing this summer?
I suppose the question gives away my presupposed notion of the answer.
Obama packs them in
While I don't doubt that a majority of Chicagoans (me included) want to see the Olympics come here, as long as it doesn't cost them more in taxes, it's not as if they can hardly contain their excitement over making the list of four finalists.
I was already on my way out the door when an editor told me there was talk Barack Obama might be there, too. Now, that IS a way to fill a city block with people in a hurry.
Sure enough, half those who came to Daley Plaza were there to see Obama, which I deduce from the fact that half left as soon as he finished talking.
There's no way of quantifying how many of the rest were like the woman from the city's Department of Aging who told Sun-Times reporter Andrew Herrmann that workers in her office had been "invited" to attend by supervisors who "wanted a good crowd" there in support of the Olympics.
But it was apparent City Hall had stacked the deck as much as possible, even before enlisting Obama's star power.
Obama allowed as to how his own attendance was all very last-minute after he was "invited," too, his apparent willingness to jump at the mayor's request, benign as it was, doing little to dissuade those who argue the presidential hopeful is a Daley creation.
When Obama later helped unveil the new city Olympic logo, which replaced the words "Applicant City" with "Candidate City" in keeping with the anal-retentive International Olympic Committee rules, there was no indication anybody in charge saw the irony in this new designation for the hometown of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Subtle message to IOC
Certainly, it can't hurt Chicago's Olympic bid to convey the perception that this candidate for president is eager to help the mayor's effort in any way he can, part of our fully-integrated city.
When I say fully integrated, though, I don't mean that in a racial context — which I leave to your own powers of observation — but in terms of management control. International Olympic officials can have full confidence that this city's mayor has complete and total power to get the job done. Everything is wired.
This was demonstrated in a subtle, yet instructive way, by one of the main speakers for the event, Smita Shah, who chairs the city's Delhi Sister Cities Committee. The Sister Cities group was already celebrating its annual festival in Daley Plaza, which made it a perfect backdrop for the "impromptu" Olympics chest-thumping.
Dressed in traditional Indian garb, Shah could have easily been mistaken as just part of the local color demonstrating the city's diversity.
But she also happens to be the founder of an engineering firm that does loads of city business and contributes heavily to Democratic political candidates. Her father, Niranjan Shah, is an even bigger donor through his engineering company.
No. 1 in political game
Smita Shah is a supporter of Obama and was named to the Platform Committee for this year's Democratic National Convention. She also was a big donor to Gov. Blagojevich, who put her on the Illinois Arts Council.
The mayor put her on the city's Plan Commission, where last month she delivered one of the votes to allow the Children's Museum to make its controversial move to Grant Park — as Daley wishes.
I don't know about those other Olympic contenders, but in this city we've got all our bases covered.
Oh, I forgot to mention that when Obama was introduced, the folks in Daley Plaza started a cheer:
"Yes, we can. Yes, we can."
Unlike those Chinese control freaks, I'm sure it was totally spontaneous.
Obama shows up for 2016 games rally
(http://www.southtownstar.com/news/993081,060708oly.article)
June 7, 2008
By Andrew Herrmann, Sun-Times News Group
He called his book "The Audacity of Hope."
On Friday, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama was just audacious, telling a Loop rally that he was looking forward to ''wrapping up my second term as president'' by opening the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Chicago.
At a Daley Center Plaza event to mark the city's being named a finalist to host the games, Obama noted that his home is only a few blocks from the site of the proposed Olympic Stadium in Washington Park.
"In the interest of full disclosure, I have to let you know that in 2016, I'll be wrapping up my second term as president. So I can't think of a better way than to be marching into Washington Park alongside Mayor Daley … as president of the United States and announcing to the world, 'Let the games begin,' '' Obama said.
On a day that a CNN poll showed Obama leading the Republican presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. John McCain, 47 percent to 43 percent, he also compared himself to the first place White Sox and Cubs.
"Your senator, he's winning, too," Obama said, sparking wild cheers from a crowd that filled much of the plaza.
Obama said his stop at the rally was a last-minute decision. Back home to rest after a tough fight to win the Democratic nomination, he has no public appearances on his schedule this weekend.
Joining Daley and other dignitaries, including Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Obama said an Olympics here would be "a capstone of the success we've had during the past couple of decades in transforming Chicago into not just becoming a great American city but a great world city.''
Daley called the other 2016 finalists, Tokyo; Madrid, Spain and Rio de Janeiro "tough competition,'' but said, "what we have here is a spirit.''
The crowd included many city and county workers. One city employee said her department was "invited" to the rally by supervisors who "wanted a good crowd.''
Dianne McCollough, a lawyer with the Cook County state's attorney's office, said she came on her own. An Olympics here would "show the world something positive about Chicago,'' she said.
"So much (news coverage is of) violence and CTA trains derailing,'' McCollough said, adding that an Olympics "shows people at their best.''
In Athens on Friday, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said heads of state will be allowed to help candidate cities make their final pitch.
Obama filmed a greeting for Chicago's Olympic team in the early stages of the bid but called on President Bush to consider boycotting the opening ceremonies in Beijing in protest about Tibet.
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Obama shows up for 2016 games rally
(http://www.southtownstar.com/news/993081,060708oly.article)
June 7, 2008
By Andrew Herrmann, Sun-Times News Group
He called his book “The Audacity of Hope.”
On Friday, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama was just audacious, telling a Loop rally that he was looking forward to ”wrapping up my second term as president” by opening the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Chicago.
At a Daley Center Plaza event to mark the city’s being named a finalist to host the games, Obama noted that his home is only a few blocks from the site of the proposed Olympic Stadium in Washington Park.
“In the interest of full disclosure, I have to let you know that in 2016, I’ll be wrapping up my second term as president. So I can’t think of a better way than to be marching into Washington Park alongside Mayor Daley … as president of the United States and announcing to the world, ‘Let the games begin,’ ” Obama said.
On a day that a CNN poll showed Obama leading the Republican presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. John McCain, 47 percent to 43 percent, he also compared himself to the first place White Sox and Cubs.
“Your senator, he’s winning, too,” Obama said, sparking wild cheers from a crowd that filled much of the plaza.
Obama said his stop at the rally was a last-minute decision. Back home to rest after a tough fight to win the Democratic nomination, he has no public appearances on his schedule this weekend.
Joining Daley and other dignitaries, including Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Obama said an Olympics here would be “a capstone of the success we’ve had during the past couple of decades in transforming Chicago into not just becoming a great American city but a great world city.”
Daley called the other 2016 finalists, Tokyo; Madrid, Spain and Rio de Janeiro “tough competition,” but said, “what we have here is a spirit.”
The crowd included many city and county workers. One city employee said her department was “invited” to the rally by supervisors who “wanted a good crowd.”
Dianne McCollough, a lawyer with the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, said she came on her own. An Olympics here would “show the world something positive about Chicago,” she said.
“So much (news coverage is of) violence and CTA trains derailing,” McCollough said, adding that an Olympics “shows people at their best.”
In Athens on Friday, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said heads of state will be allowed to help candidate cities make their final pitch.
Obama filmed a greeting for Chicago’s Olympic team in the early stages of the bid but called on President Bush to consider boycotting the opening ceremonies in Beijing in protest about Tibet.
Who cares these jokers do nothing anyway!
Read and learn:
http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/
“We are not leaving the democrat party; the democrat party has left us.”
For that, my friends, is thee motto, of our current political time.
My friends Pat and Frank and Kevin and Frank and Tom and Mario and Mike, and many others, I’ve asked you over the years in our polite and civil arguments over religion and politics, to just, simply, switch parties. Simply switch from the democratic party to the republican party which OBVIOUSLY has a platform, that more–much more–conforms to your philosophy of life. OF LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
While I don’t think I succeeded in converting even one of you….yet, …I ask you again. I ask you now again…now that the criminal Daley has succeeded in poisoning the entire U.S. of A. with a marxist presidential candidate.
Look, I was a democrat until I got an education. I graduated college in the mid 80’s, during the Reagan years. I saw the American body-politic making a gradual, but enormous shift. So I simply changed parties. It is EASY to switch parties. You only have to realize that you love your God, love your family and that you love your country.
Next time you have to declare — March of 2010 — you simply request a Republican ballot. That’s all; there are no forms to fill out.
It’s easy. It’s not like switching from being Polish or German to being Russian or Greek. Those are impossible. It’s not like switching from male to female or female to male. Those are impossi….well, actually those have been actually somewhat achieved by extreme liberals represented in the democrat party philosophy.
Switching parties is easy. You just say “hey, this is the party that more closely identifies with me”. Your not stuck being in ANY party, just because your grandfather was in that party!
This is not your grandfather’s democrat party.
Don’t you agree ,now, it is finally time, to make the switch?!
Your party — OUR old party — has been hijacked in these postmodern liberal times by scumbags such as the Clintons and Kennedys, and by George Soros, Barney Frank, the Strogers, Jacksons, NYTimes, Hollywood, Sharptons, David Axlerod, Rahm Emmanuel, Durbin and Guitierez, the “homosexual mafia”, the fraudulent religious leaders including Catholic (which I am), protestant, muslim, Jew, Hindu, etc, Sen. Leahy, Feinstein, Boxer, academia, the political prostitute Daleys, Hollywood, and especially the corrupt American media.
Don’t you feel sorry for the people who think and say “I was born a democrat, I’ll die a democrat” ?
It MAKES NO SENSE!
Where does one draw the line?
How ridiculous of a party does it have to get, before one quits?
How close to the cliff does one get before jumping out of the car?
Please quit that ridiculous any-thing-goes party.
Try joining our party (which of course I know is not only not perfect but also has many crooked folks such as Jim Thompson)which is still a party that has critical thinking, and debates what is moral?
We have much problems in the Republican party and we must clean out the crooks before we can defeat the criminal lying democrat party. We need good old honest politically-concerned folks like you to join us in the Republican party to, in effect, save OUR NATION.
Today’s 2008 democrat party is not your grandfather’s democrat party. It is the party of liberals. It is the party of despicable cowards, elites, American-haters, emasculated liars———you get the picture.
So please consider our new mantra. Won’t you?
“We are not leaving the democrat party; the democrat party has left us.”
Sincerely,
Carl Segvich
11th Ward Republican Party
http://www.11thWard.US
P.S. Have you noticed that most people think ,like us…but that AMAZINGLY…HOWEVER, the country and our culture behaves differently than the way we all think? I know the answer (problem). (We think , and we take for granted, that our lives are ruled by the old axiom “Majority rules”). Here is the problem–> The minority now rules the majority because the majority refuses to speak up.
The world is indeed upside down ; the minority rules the majority.
P.P.S. Of course you are correct about your original point, “Mayor Daley orders City Workers to Olympic Rally With Obama” and politics and city time. The Daley liberal democrat party political mafia is utterly unfair to city workers and flagrantly abusive to All our city workers.
— May God Bless America —
Before you request that Republican Primary Ballot, think about how much more you could accomplish by voting in the Democratic Primary, applying the HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT voting formula, (see below), and using your votes to deny renomination, as the Democratic candidates in the General Election, to the Incumbent Democrats.
Think about how less difficult it would be for Challenger candidates to defeat their Democratic opponents, were those Democratic opponents, in whatever contest, be it city or county, NOT Incumbents.
Think about how the Democratic Party’s reputation for invincibility would be shattered, were few to none of their Incumbent officeholders to win renomination in their own Primary.
Think about the immense amount of money the Democrats would then have to spend, to garner anywhere near the name recognition for the non-Incumbent Democratic candidates they would be stuck with running in the General Election.
After considering the HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT voting strategy, think about the nature of those individuals who would be the Democratic candidates in the General Election, and the likelihood of few, if any, being authentic shills for the democratic Party.
Think about the inevitable debates that would arise, either publicly broadcast or privately engaged in amongst citizens and the politically active alike, all beginning with the question, “What the hell happened in the Democratic Primary? A shitload of Incumbents were rejected by the Democratic voters, and the Democratic Party of Cook County can’t explain why!”
We are at a crossroads here, certainly in this city and this county, let alone this state and this country, and zombie-like party loyalty is what has brought us to this point; political party loyalty isn’t going to produce anything but more of the same.
If there ever was a time to ‘think outside the box’ it’s now.
For your, and every citizen/voter’s, consideration:
REGISTER TO VOTE
VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION
In the Primary Election, cast your votes with the goal of ousting as many Incumbents as possible, by applying this formula:
If the Incumbent has only a single Challenger, VOTE FOR THAT CHALLENGER.
If the Incumbent has 2 or more Challengers, cast your vote according to the Ballot Position of the candidates listed, to wit:
If the Incumbent’s name is listed FIRST, then vote FOR the Challenger candidate whose name is listed LAST.
OR
If the Incumbent’s name is NOT listed first, then vote FOR the Challenger candidate’s name that IS LISTED FIRST.
Applying this strategy will concentrate the most votes for a single Challenger, thus having the potential of overcoming even the most egregious vote fraud the Democrats are capable of engaging in, should enough citizens choose to restore the power of their votes to our elections and, thus, to our governance.
In addition, whenever you, the voter, have the chance to oust an elected Incumbent by voting to NOT RETAIN, do so.
Merely trying to encourage life-long Democrats to switch party affiliation isn’t going to change anything, not in your or my lifetime.
Encouraging citizens to:
REGISTER TO VOTE
VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION
and to
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
just might.
Think about it.
Watch corner: Alderman found a job for political patron’s mother
June 12, 2008Recommended (8)
Ald. John Pope (10th) probably wouldn’t be an alderman today if not for the formidable campaign help provided by Mayor Daley’s indicted former Streets and Sanitation Department commissioner, Al Sanchez, also the longtime chief of the HDO Southeast political army. Pope ended up employing Sanchez’s mother for nearly nine years — even though Mary Sanchez lives in Indiana and the city generally requires city employees to live in Chicago — until her retirement in February. “She was a contract employee, so there was no city residency requirement,” says Pope. Her relationship to Al Sanchez had “no bearing whatsoever” on getting the 20-hour-a-week contract job, says Pope: “I just knew her from the neighborhood. She grew up in the neighborhood. She had a built-in knowledge of the community. She was a senior working directly with seniors and senior programs. … She was bilingual. She was very good at her job.”
Fran Spielman
Honesty.
If you believe in honesty and you are a Republican who believes in conservativism over liberalism, then take a Republican ballot.
If one is a democrat who believes in liberalism, one should request a democratic ballot.
Intellectual honesty.
In this American culture war, one must just ask oneself “Am I a liberal or am I a conservative?”
http://www.11thWard.US
No, carl, one must ask oneself “Am I casting my votes in such a way as to disrupt, impede, fragment and fracture the stranglehold both entrenched, corrupted, arrogant and dishonest political parties have become?”.
Since the Democrats are the largest group of political miscreants in the City of Chicago and Cook County, taking a Democratic ballot in the Primaries and utilizing the HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT strategies will do more to cripple the Democrats than any number of even the most attractive Republican candidates ever could.
First you cripple the opposition, knock their best players off the field, then you’ll have a chance of beating them in the General Election.
And, since this same Democratic political machine has polluted our state government, applying the HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT strategies in the Democratic Primaries will also go a long way towards eliminating Incumbent Democrats in the statewide contests.
The task of overcoming the recent history of Republican corruption in state government impedes your attempts to revive the corpse of the Republican Party of Illinois.
Focusing on ousting Incumbents, from whatever party, breaking the backs of both parties’ corrupt, entrenched political hustlers, is the most effective way to achieve the reformation of government in your lifetime.
These patterns of political wheeling and dealing are over a century old, you’re not going to make a dent in them by retaining most all of the Incumbents, who are proven political whores, almost 100% of the time.
You can’t change the turds in the toilet into anything other than what they are.
Flushing the toilet is the only way to have a fresh bowl.