January 2011
23 posts
Doubling dipping Illinois pensions - and Hank... →
For those who no longer find their news on the (feature-laden) front page of the Chicago Tribune, today’s analysis of the double-dipping superintendents is truly appalling. Note that New Trier’s Hank Bangser and Winnetka’s Becky Vanderbogert are mentioned prominently
The party's (beginning to be) over for public... →
Check out Gov. Chris Christie’s latest lambaste of the unions, including New Jersey teachers unions. The Wall Street Journal (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703555804576102500885699830.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_AboveLEFTTop) editorializes today against seniority-based teacher lay-offs as public school districts reduce staff. The (virtually insolvent) Wilmette District...
Who asked Meghan McCain . . . anything?
The McCain family teeny-bopper took to the airwaves after the SOTU to slam Rep. Michele Bachmann’s video response, saying that “Bachmann is the poor man’s Sarah Palin.” That would be Michele Bachmann, the attorney and U.S. representative from Minnesota, who has shown leadership in the Tea Party movement that happens to have changed the face of our government. And Meghan...
Obama dragged (kicking) into the fray to address...
It only took a week of violent street turmoil in Egypt for President Obama to relinquish his squishy balancing act between the protesters and the 30-year-old tyrannical regime in Cairo; seems as though solar panels and high speed rail (aka solutions to the American economic crisis) will give way for the moment to … well, a thinking moment for the O. Presser Gibbs reported a few minutes ago...
MSNBC playground bully's mouth overfoams in a...
Chris Matthews was beside himself tonight, extrapolating against Rep. Bachmann’s mis-speak moment concerning efforts by some founding fathers to abolish slavery. She had a point - the writers of the Constitution wanted slavery out, but had to compromise with the guys across the aisle (18th Century, that is) to get the votes to approve. Bachmann did get ahead of herself in a speech,...
Memo to Kirk: we need conservative leadership in...
“Paul Gigot asked [House Budget Committee Chairman Paul] Ryan why he thinks...”
– John McCormack, weeklystandard.com
"Hungry for a different kind of representation"
Brand new Rep. Joe Walsh (R-8) underlined his Tea Party campaign message today (1/6/11) on Fox News, immediately following a businesslike, commonsense press conference featuring Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Notwithstanding Rep. Walsh’s wife’s pre-existing medical condition, their family is choosing to give up his government health (and pension) benefits, opting...
Mayor candidates on schools - Emanuel goes for the... →
Check out cyber-journalist Fran Eaton’s excellent article on the Chicago public school issues that will challenge the next mayor. Looks like Gery Chico may be the least awful candidate - fulfilling even many Democrats’ pledge to support “anyone but Rahm Emanuel.”
“No matter how you rearrange President Obama’s inner circle, it still looks,...”
– Michelle Malkin at National Review on line (http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/256344/chicago-potomac-michelle-malkin)
Congressman Bob Dold is official
Sworn in this Wednesday morning, January 5, 2011, 10th District Congressman Bob Dold can be contacted as follows:
212 Cannon HOB, Washington, D.C., (212) 225-4835
650 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL, (847) 940-0202
"It's Still Just Me" - John Boehner, Speaker of...
Today’s ceremony to swear in the new Speaker of the House and new, mostly Republican, House members, represents one more moment to wonder at the peaceful way power is transferred in America. We can all cut Nancy Pelosi some slack - she ran on and on saying farewell, well beyond her just desserts. But John Boehner truly does represent a breath of fresh air with his humble demeanor and air of...
Congressional Republicans want balanced budget...
Peeps are twittering that the new Republicans in Congress are looking for a deal on extending the debt ceiling that must include a balanced budget amendment. Since that would be tough for Obama to veto, and probably almost anyone would want to be on board for it, the prospects might be good. Watch for all the GOP guys to pretend that they are thinking about the debt ceiling increase to get some...