Planning a run for Mayor?

It has been brought to my attention recently that Ward 1 Alderman, Frank Edwards, is laying the groundwork now for a possible mayoral bid in 3 1/2 years. Despite having the ability to run for what would be a guaranteed reelection as alderman (Edwards could serve one more term beyond his current term), it appears that he has his sights set a little higher.

Could Frank be planning a jump to Mayor and then onto the Governors mansion?

Thoughts from the Deck

I was sitting on my deck late last night and was pondering about the state of politics today. Idaho Senator Larry Craig is in deep trouble; and maybe the Republicans in the Senate have returned to their roots. Despite the protestations to the contrary, Craig plead guilty to engaging in what I will call unsavory behaviour. If you believe him, and I do not, he was not smart enough to hire an attorney to handle the matter for him; instead, he plead guilty in hopes that it would just all go away.

I would consider Craig a man of reasonable intelligence and as any man with a reasonable amount of brain would tell you - YOU NEVER HANDLE A LEGAL MATTER WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH AN ATTORNEY - and you do not plead guilty to a crime you did not commit. Craig of all people should have realized that sooner or later the story was going to break and it would spin endlessly out of control.

The Senator has two-stepped this issue faster than a 20 year old couple on a Country & Western dance floor.

Of course that also brings us to the Republican leadership, who almost immediately asked the Ethics Committee to open an investigation into his actions and determine if any Senate Rules have been violated. They moved a few nano-seconds shy of the speed of light in doing so, which of course was the RIGHT thing to do. Now, there are distant calls from within the Republican Party for Craig to resign.

Now that I am thinking about it, Craig is not a man of reasonable intelligence, if he were he would have first not engaged in the behaviour, second he would have hired an attorney immediately, and third he would have already resigned.

Two hats off for the Republican Leadership and a pair of dirty trousers for the Senator.

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I find it amusing that when a Democratic fundraiser is accused of malfeasance, there is one excuse after another from the left (as has been the case with Norman Hsu - a fundraiser for the Clinton campaign) yet let even a moderate Republican be caught up in a mess like this and the Democrats pull out the rope and call for a 1880's hanging.

I am a Republican through and through, and make no apologies for that; but I also call 'em like I see 'em and when a Republican engages in behaviour that I believe is detrimental to the party or country I call for them to go; likewise when someone accepts contributions from a thief who is on the run, I call on them to return every dime immediately.

So, Senator Craig - I call upon you to resign your seat immediately and Hillary I call upon you to return every dime you have received from Hsu.

I will not bet the mortgage that either will listen to me.

Governor goes to Court

This almost feels like a nightmare. The Gov really does think he is G-d and has the right to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants and for whatever purpose he wants. Instead of actually sitting down and working with the House and Senate to craft a budget that all could agree to, he throws temper tantrums, calls people names, and basically acts like a three year old.

Hot Rod is hot under the collar, and for what? Because Mike Madigan ran the House as he saw fit, which by the way - as Speaker of the House he has the right to do, and without consulting the Governor on each step.

It is a well defined matter of law that the Speaker of the House sets the agenda and the time it is in session, not the Governor; however, that matters little to the Gov, he wants total control.

We are in for a fun summer as these two square off in court over who has the authority to actually set the times of the House sessions and whether or not the Governor has the authority to redistribute budgetary money for purposes not included in the budget.

Watch closely, the punches and body blocks are just beginning.

Correction on Gonzales

Apparently my facts were a bit off in the post about Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. He has officially resigned as Attorney General but will not be stepping down until September 17th.

I am not suprised by the news, Gonzales was being dogged by the Democrats at every turn, despite the fact that they have not uncovered any illegal activity on the part of the AG; what I am suprised with, is that he held out this long.

Congress has become like a part of my family, Packer fans who on Monday morning talk and act as though they could always do a better job than the current staff. Unfortunately we will have to endure another year and a half of partisan investigations that in the end will produce nothing; Gonzales though, will be able to sit back and smile knowing that he will no longer have to put up with the moronic diabtribes of 535 wannabes.

Gonzales said to have resigned

The word out of Washington this morning is that Attorney General Gonzales has officially resigned as Attorney General.

His resignation is said to be effectively immediately.

More to follow I am sure.......

Davlin a "MINI" Thompson?

Anne with an "E"'s father compared Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin to former Governor Jim Thompson this morning; going to far as to compare him to Jim Thompson.

I just about fell off my chair. Davlin may be charismatic, he may even be likeable, but this comparison borders on the insane.

I kow Jim Thompson, Jim Thompson is a friend of mine, and Tim, you are NO JIM THOMPSON.

Thompson knew how to work with the legislature, you have not been able to work with a single Republican on the city council.

Thompson knew how to get things done, you have not had a single one of your own initiatives pass.

Anne with an "E"'s father needs to pay more attention to the details before making such a laughable and completely ignorant comment.

A heartfelt thank you

To all of you that sent condolences to my family, I want to thank you very much....it was appreciated.

Thank you.....

D.W.

No Posts this week

Due to a death in the family, there will be no posts this week.

Anti-semitism is no trivial matter

I have refused to be dragged into this whole debate, and will only make this comment in response to a couple of emails I have received.

Anti-Semitism is no trivial matter, it is a serious issue and making jokes about it serves no useful purpose, and at worst is a disgrace to the entire debate.

I will not give the blog the satisfaction of mentioning their name, but their attempt to trivialize the issue is reason enough for any Jew or a supporter of Israel to boycott their site until such time as an apology is issued.

I can only suspect that since they have never been on the receiving end of this type of behaviour they have no clue how damaging it is.

"Consider the source" is appropriate in this case.

Boots a Farmer does not Make

Governor Rod Blagojevich did not attend last nights Governor's Sales of Champions; supposedly he was working on budget matters. Instead, he sent his wife in her brand, spanking new cowboy boots.

Now, if Patti Blagojevich wants to purchase cowboy boots, that is her business; but to make a point so say she did it to support state agriculture was the most laughable statement I have heard out of the Blagojevich's this year.

I have news for you Patti, a pair of cowboy boots does not a farmer make, nor does it show any support for the State of Illinois agriculture. It shows how contemptable you find this part of the state fair. I would venture to say those boots will be relegated to the back of the closet for a few months before they find their way into the used boot bin at the Salvation Army Thrift store.

If you really wanted to show your support, you would have donned a pair of WORK boots, a pair of ratty jeans, and a t-shirt and gone down to the cattle barn and actually helped some of those kids clean out stalls and fit their animals for the show. Now, that would be showing support.

How about spending a couple of days on a farm actually doing the work Patti? Oh, I am sorry such work is beneath someone of your elegance and grace.

Making an issue out the boots only made Patti Blagojevich look more like the idiot who is Governor, instead of Illinois' First Lady showing support for the kids and our great agriculture heritage.

Father of Anne with an "E" Perfects Softball Interview Style

Ever since I was a little boy, I have been fascinated with interviews, especially those that ask a question, wait for a response and then ask follow up questions based upon the answers given.

It appears that is a dying art. Of the last four interviews I have heard Anne with an "E"'s father have, he has not asked a single follow up question to an answer given; regardless of how evasive or ridiculous the answer is. He simply allows those he is interviewing to spin their answer like a cotton gin would spin a ball of thread and then hit it out of the ball park like a Hank Aaron home run.

Slow pitch underhanded softball is for grade school kids, not a radio stations' interviews.

Anne with an "E", you seem to be the smart one in your family, maybe your dad would be willing to retire and allow you to conduct all future interviews.

I am no fan of Chris Matthews, and he is anything but hardball, but his interview style is far more informative than Anne with an "E"'s father ever thought of being.

Rove Departure Nothing New

The mainstream media is making political hay out of the resignation of Karl Rove, effective August 31, 2007, as though it is some major political event. The truth is, with only 526 days in office remaining Rove's departure was to be expected.

There will be more in the coming days. Since 1960, the only administration that did not lose a substantial number of the staff was Johnson's when he took over for Kennedy. High level staff members know the end is near and will be making career changes, aligning themselves with potential presidential candiates, and taking time off from the constant grind of governmental work.

Yes, Rove is a very close friend and advisor of the President, and yes not having him there on a daily basis will leave a void, but nobody is beyond replacement; especially in politics and we can be assured that despite Rove's departure, he will only be a phone call away. Nobody refuses a call from the President, regardless of party or positions.

Iraqi Tet - Would the outcome be the same as '68

On January 30, 1968, the Viet Cong launched a series of offensives that were designed to shake American support for the Vietnam war. Speaking from a military standpoint, the tet offensive was a horrendeous loss for the Viet Cong, but from a political and press standpoint it turned the war on its head and ultimately led to the United States withdrawing from Vietnam.

There is a concern within the administration that Al Qaeda may be planning a series of offensives as were executed in 1968. The administration is worried, because such an offensive could have a tremendous influence on support for the war, regardless of the outcome militarily.

History sometimes repeats itself, and the likelihood of a "tet" in Iraq is probably better than 50%; the aftermath is where history could change course. The President for all of his faults, has refused to give up on this war and truly believes it is winnable, and is more than willing to stake his entire legacy on that belief. Such a move would be directly opposite of President Johnson, who after the Tet Offensive, began the slow withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam.

Al Qaeda may plan and execute such an offensive, but absent a huge loss militarily, I do not see this President changing course. Good, bad or otherwise - he will ride the Iraq war to its ultimate end.

Cindy vs. Nancy (War of the Century)

In the left corner is Cindy "I hate Bush" Sheehan, and in the right corner comes Nancy "I hate Bush" Pelosi.......this could shape up to be one of the most exciting House races we have seen in a century. You have two extremely liberal, far outside the mainstream, candidates who have built their political careers on the backs of others.

I cannot wait to see which of the two draws blood first!

As an amatuer oddsmakers, I am laying 4 to 3 for Pelosi.

Comparing two of the same

Mark Erickson blasted Barry Bonds in his article today, comparing him to of all players Cal Ripken. Bonds is a jerk, he is an egotistical, pompous ass; whereas, Cal Ripken does come across as a very likable fella and there has not been as much as a sliver of a hint that he used steroids in any fashion.

However, this infatuation with Ripken over his 2,632 consecutive starts is dubious at best. Was he a durable player? Absolutely and he showed up for work, every single day. Let us be honest though, there were more than one occasion where the Orioles put him in the lineup long enough to get credit for a game and then pulled him; for no other reason than to push his consecutive streak along. At best, it was padded; at worst one could say the Orioles helped him cheat his to a record he did not deserve.

I still like Ripken and would call him one of if not the most durable baseball player in history; Bonds? He's still a jerk and should be stripped of the home run title. Comparing these two players is like the pot calling the kettle blac, neither of them deserve their respective titles.

Blame Game

In in the wake of the Minnesota bridge collapse, we have several pundits, and many bloggers blaming the Bush Adminsitration for this catastrophe; it seems that no matter what horrendous event occurs, its always something the Bush Administration and more precisely, the President Himself could have prevented.

The divide between the right and left is at its widest point in my recollection, there is no longer civility between the sides and it seems many want to make everything politics personal.

If you stand on principle and those principles are rooted in fact, I have no issue; if not, then your message is not worth listening to regardless of which side of the isle you stand.

The Minnesota tragedy is not the fault of the President or the Bush Administration; actually, at this point we have NO IDEA who or what is at fault and until we get the facts playing the blame game serves no valuable purpose.

Anne with an "E"

Anne Madonia appeared on her fathers radio show this morning and wanted to make sure that if any bloggers mentioned her name, they would spell it correctly.

There ya go Anne with an "E" Madonia, we got it right!

Anne with an "E" seems like a very likeable and charming lady and I wish her and her child the very best in the future.

Mayor Davlin Challenged

Tuesday evening the Springfield City Council approved an ordinance that would give alderman access to personnel records as it pertains to their jobs funding the various departments. This ordinance past over the objections of the Mayor and the two legal hacks from the CWLP and police unions.

With the new makup of the council, the Mayor no longer will be allowed to operate unchallenged and it appears that there is not a single alderman that is going to take their marching orders from the Mayor blindly; which is a far cry from the likes of Chuck Redpath.

Speaking of Redpath, he was on 1450 WFMB this morning blabbering away that the council needs to know their place. Well I have news for Chuck Redpath, the council apparently knows their place a lot better than you did; they so far refuse to stick their head in the sand and just take whatever the Mayor says as gospel.

Now we will see if the Mayor has the wherewithal to actuall veto the ordinance, I would give 3 to 1 odds he just signs the ordinance.

It is time

I have been waiting for months now with anticipation for Senator Fred Dalton Thompson to announce his decision on whether to seek the Republican nomination for President. So far, the Senator has only formed an exploratory committee and gave a few speeches.

Considering the field of Republicans who have already announced, Thompson would be the hands down choice for conservatives, and yet, we still wait.

Time is running out on the Senator, staffers will only wait so long for a candidate to make his/her decision and the available funds is also dwindling; a fact that I am sure the Democrats have not missed. Recently, the LA Times made an attempt to paint Thompson as an abortion flip flopper - the question is why? Are they scared that Thompson represents the best chance the Republicans have next fall? Are they afraid that Thompson has face recognition with his portrayal of District Attorney Arthur Branch on the NBC series Law and Order? Or are they just afraid that a fresh face will shake this race up and turn it on its head?

Only the LA Times knows, but this much I do know - it is time for the Senator to either get in or get out.

Smelling like a rose in a barn.

It is now Monday night, and with the deadline of Wednesday (as per Dan Hynes) for a new budget looming large, its time for Mr. Madigan to call the Governors bluff.

The illustrious Governor of Illinois has threatened to shutdown the state government if he does not get his way with the budget, despite the fact that he has come up with nada ways of paying for his spending packages; unless of course you count the ill-fated GRT (Gross Receipts Tax) which has already been shot down by the legislature.

I could be proven wrong, but I just do not think this Governor has the cojones to actually receive a budget passed by the two chambers and just sit on it for 60 days and then veto it. Even if he did, I believe its time for Madigan to call him on it and force him to actually shut everything down.......the ball is in Madigans court at this point.

Hanging in the balance of course is the Illinois State Fair, which is scheduled to begin Wednesday with the 4H cattle and showmanship shows that evening. It would be a real shame if this hairdo Governor put his political showmanship above that of these kids who have worked their tails off all year to get this point.

Come on Madigan, if you handle this right you really could come out of the barn smelling like a rose.