The Hound remains stunned this morning following John McCain's masterstroke in naming Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin his running mate. He also signaled to his Democratic opponents they're in for the fight of the new millennium.
McCain plucked Palin out of that hockey team her son must have played for in Mystery, Alaska. Or is this a miracle on ice? It's not that the 40-something pro-life, gun-toting mom brings a lot of Electoral College votes --- three, exactly what gray-haired, 65-year-old Joe Biden brings from Delaware --- to the table.
What she does bring is 13 years in public office, albeit in Alaska. Lake County has more skunks than Alaska has people, right? But her folksy, straight-talking manner certainly is a striking difference to Biden's used-car salesman look. Plus, she's got five kids, one handicapped and one heading to a war zone. That sort of stuff plays in Pennsylvannia, which Barack Obama kissed off in the primaries. It also plays in small-town America.
If Obama's choice of Biden raised the ante, McCain just checked. And, it took away Obama's convention bounce. Let's see what the Republicans have to say when they convene Monday in Minnesota, a state known to have lots of hockey moms.
Oxygen depravation must have overtaken Gov. Rod Blagojevich the other day at the Democratic National Convention in the Mile High City when he actually bragged to an Associated Press reporter he's "a great governor". Ah, The Hound sees another Illinois pol as a legend in his own mind. If The Hound could text message the gov, it would be: LOL.
This is the governor who has reigned over play-for-play to do business with the state; who is referred to as "Official A" in a federal indictment; this is the governor who invited a Mr. Rezko to be one of his advisers (attention, Barack Obama); this is the governor who can't get along with his fellow Democrats (except for Emil Jones Jr. and Emil Jones III); this is the governor who thinks Elvis Presley is the greatest singer in the world.
Despite that kumbaya hugfest led by U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. during the Illinois caucus session Wednesday, his fellow Dems don't trust him. For that matter, Blago doesn't trust Illinois voters. He's impaled them for the past six years, except when he's giddy on a Rocky Mountain high.
The Hound isn't so sure those orchestrating the Democratic National Convention in Denver were wise to showcase so many Illinois elected officials. The rest of the nation might get a bad impression of from where presidential candidate Barack Obama hails. After all, this is a motley crew state Dems have sent to the Mile High City.
Obama mentor, Senate President Emil Jones Jr., who anointed his son, Emil Jones III take his Senate seat, already has gotten into a spat with a Clinton delegate when he called her either an "Uncle Tom" or a "Doubting Thomas". Everyone knows she would be an Uncle Tomette or a Doubting Thomasina.
The entire roster of statewide Democratic elected officials will speak before the Denver delegates, except fellow Chicagoan Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The Hugho Chavez of the Midwest is being punished for sparring too often with his Dem friends. Who wants a party pooper at a political party?
So here's the stellar lineup of those Chicagoans who will grace the podium in the Pepsi Center in no particular order: Congressmen Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Rahm Emanuel; Comptroller Daniel Hynes; Attorney General Lisa Madigan; City Clerk Miguel de Valle; and Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias.
This alone makes The Hound proud to be an Illinoisan. Hope the rest of the nation doesn't think this is just a bunch of Illinois political dons.
After all the suspense, the text message promise, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama picks Joe Biden of Delaware. Now that's change you can believe in. Isn't this the guy who said during the primary season that the junior senator from Illinois didn't have the experience to be president? Maybe that was another Joe Biden. The one without hair plugs.
As The Hound predicted, the press corps knew before the text message nation did. Somebody leaked the Biden pick and most newspapers, even with old media deadlines, either called it or intimated the Delaware Democrat was Obama's choice for running mate.
But this is presidential politics and while Dems party this week with a Rocky Mountain high, The Hound has to question this old pol choice of a running mate. Obama has given Republican John McCain a pretty good opening when it comes to experience. Obama might as well tabbed former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn for his veep, although he might be the secretary of defense in an Obama administration.
Biden is a Washington insider who doesn't bring many electoral votes to the ticket. Is this a baby boomer choice on Obama's part, to lure the largest voting bloc into thinking he's one of theirs with Biden's gray hair flowing. Bet Biden even knows the words to David Crosby's "Almost Cut My Hair."
McCain can't do worse in his veep choice because it appears Obama once again relies on the establishment pols, whether they be Chicago machine regulars or inside the Beltway establishment to help him in his quest. The Hound forecasts this is one of many changes Obama will be making on the road to the White House.
There must be sheriffs all over the United States cursing Mark Curran since Lake County's top cop checked himself into a suite at the county jail in downtown Waukegan. You know somebody's going to see the story about Lake County's sheriff and ask their sheriff: "When you going to jail?"
The Hound isn't sure what the sheriff will find on this week-long fact-finding mission about what it's like in jail and how the jail is run, but it sounds like he's going to be a regular inmate without one of those cellmates seen on "Prison Break" or "Oz". Yet, it certainly doesn't sound like a summer camp jaunt.
Inmates might be warned, though, that Curran could find the place too soft and start doing what Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County, Arizona sheriff has done. Known as "America's toughest sheriff", Arpaiio has served inmates bologna sandwiches, limited meals to twice daily, banned coffee, smoking, porn magazines and weightlifting gear. You want TV in his jail? You get Animal Planet, Disney Channel, The Weather Channel, A&E, CNN and the local government access channel.
Inmates there wear black-and-white jail uniforms, get issued pink underwear and some are sent to tents. So inmates might want to be careful what they say.
The Hound understands one of the CDs Curran has in jail is "Live at Folsom" by Johnny Cash. What, no "Jailhouse Rock" by the King?
The Hound all of a sudden is feeling sorry for Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He hasn't been given a chance to strut his stuff at the Democratic National Convention next week in Denver. Also missing, though, is Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, the guv's buddy and mentor to presidential hopeful Barack Obama. This is the least of Blago's problems.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan will speak at the national party convention in the Mile High City. So will Comptroller Daniel Hynes. So will state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulis, as will Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. But not Blagojevich. Guess that's what happens when you become the Hugo Chavez of the Midwest. Nobody wants to be your play pal.
Yet, The Hound thinks it's not so much Blago's unpopularity with Illinois Democrats, let alone voters, it's more the baggage he might carry onto the convention floor. Such as a 7.3 percent unemployment rate in July. That's the state's highest rate since September 1993. Wasn't a Republican in office then?
The national unemployment rate was 5.7 percent, a five-year high. But it's not even close to the Illinois rate, which translates into 491,300 people unemployed in the Land of Lincoln. In July alone, the state lost nearly 10,000 jobs. Heaviest hit were jobs in the construction industry.
Now do we see why Blago has pushed for his capital improvement plan? Outside of the teachers' unions and public service unions, trade unions account for lots of jobs and campaign funds for Illinois Democrats. You build things and they will come --- jobs and union campaign funds.
So the guv heads to the Centennial State with a ticket, but not a date. Sounds like he's a loner to The Hound. Like going to the prom without a date.
Has the sloppy gathering of petition signatures cost state Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, a shot at being president of the Illinois Senate? Time will tell, but odds are Democratic senators don't want anybody with baggage taking over as one of the "four tops."
Link's name has been bandied about as a replace for Senate President Emil Jones who is expected to announce his retirement plans today. The Chicago Democrat, a strong ally of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has been in the Legislature since 1973 and has been Senate president since 2003.
Apparently, Jones, 72, is tired of Springfield after not getting his way trying to ram a legislative pay hike down taxpayers' throats.
Besides Link, who is one of Jones' floor leaders in the Senate and doubles as Lake County Democratic Party chairman, others mentioned for the Senate president post include John Cullerton and Rickey Hendon, both of Chicago; Jeff Schoenberg of Evanston and James Clayborne of Belleville. Of course, it could be short tenure as Senate president if Democrats fail to hold on to the upper chamber next year.
But back to Link's hiring of two individuals to collect signatures for petitions of candidacy for his and other county Democratic candidates. The two were indicted by a grand jury last week after investigators discovered dead people on the petitions. If Republicans were smart, they'd push for a quick trial for these two to help Link's November opponent, Waukegan businessman Keith Gray of Mettawa.
While Link has some baggage, Jones' financial dealings didn't hurt him in becoming Senate president. Jones, a former city sewer inspector, endured criticism for taking tens of thousands of dollars in interest-free loans from his campaign fund and for multimillion-dollar, no-bid government contracts steered to a technology firm headed by his stepson, John Sterling.
Jones is on the Nov. 4 ballot, making it likely he will turn over his seat to a hand-picked successor. The Hound would expect no less.
Looks like state Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, is going to let his two petition-gathering associates twist slowing in the wind. Link is standing pat that he had "no involvement" in the gathering of tainted petitions and authorities back him up on that. But what's missing here?
Link's campaign workers, Kenneth Davison of Waukegan and Jerry Knight of Zion, were indicted this week on charges of perjury and forgery after the pair allegedly gathered petition signatures which included fake names and dead people. As Link says, "It's very unfortunate that this happened, but it was a mistake." Perhaps they might have accidentally copied signatures from candidate petitions from previous campaigns?
The senator, who also is Lake County Democratic Party chairman and Senate President Emil Jones' caucus leader in Springfield, is making this whole affair one of nugacity. Indeed, from Link's excuse he might not have been in the same state during the collection of signatures on his behalf by the petition-gathering duo.
Who hired these guys to collect signatures, not only for Link, but for several other Democratic candidates on the November ballot? Doesn't a petition circulator have to live in the district in which he is passing petitions? If Knight lives in Zion, he doesn't live in the 30th Senate District, which Link is defending against Republican Keith Gray, a Waukegan businessman and Mettawa resident, come November.
How much do petition collectors earn and how much did Link pay out to not only Knight and Davison, but the other 18 or so circulators the senator used to gather the more than 3,300 signatures he filed for re-election. Did they get paid extra for collecting for the other Democratic candidates?
One more observation from The Hound: If he's pretty lax when it comes to watching over his legal petitions, what other things in Springfield is Link lackadaisical about?
Like Sammy Hagar, The Hound can't drive 55. Nor can most Americans which is why they sell radar dectectors. Now along comes Gov. Rod "The Impaler" Blagojevich who wants to install speed cameras on interstates across Illinois. This move would be for safety reasons and has nothing to do with the dismal state of the Land of Lincoln's finances. Right.
We sat by idly as they put up red-light cameras at various intersections in Waukegan. Red-light cameras have now spread to Gurnee and Libertyville will be the next community. Once again, these are installed for safety reasons, although drivers are liable for a fine, but not a ticket that shows up on one's driving record. And these aren't moneymakers because?
Blagojevich, the Hugo Chavez of the Midwest, believes speed cameras will raise $50 million a year, enough to hire 500 more state troopers to help Chicago battle its war of insurgency going on in some city neighborhoods where 35 school children have been gunned down by gang violence. No wonder parents want their kids enrolled at New Trier.
Arizona currently is installing speed cameras on its interstates, an idea which Rod the Mod obviously has copped from that desert hell. Illinois uses speed cameras in construction zones mainly because motorists are too dumb to understand people are working inches from speeding vehicles.
The guv's plan, merely in the planning stages, would send tickets to drivers clocked at 15 miles over the speed limit. At least that's what he says but, really, who can believe this guy? One more thing: There's no money budgeted and the Legislature would have to approve installation of the speed cameras in the 20 State Police districts throughout Illinois.
Is North Chicago Unit School District 187 board member Charles Shipley the only one who is outraged over Gloria Harper's insistence on hanging on to her seat on the school board? Apparently, like Mr. Smith who went to Washington, Shipley is a lone voice crying in the wilderness.
Harper, who continues to hide behind legalese that she is not guilty of anything, after she and Tyrone Pipkin, a Gurnee resident on paid leave from his high-paying job as District 187's director of technology, authorized their attorneys to have the companies they owned cop a plea in federal court.
Trust The Hound on this one: If these companies --- Computer Training and Associates Inc., and Global Networking Technology Inc. --- were publicly traded, like Enron, and Harper's name happened to be Ken Lay and Pipkin's was Jeffrey Skilling, they would be in jail instead of trumpeting their non-guilt. These two were small fish and the feds cut the deal to get money back to the North Dakota school district the firms were accused of scamming and pay for the taxpayers' legal fees.
North Chicago taxpayers just keep taking it on the chin. Keeping Harper on the board and Pipkin employed on the taxpayers' dime sends a weird message to students the district is supposed to educate. District taxpayers complain about high taxes but continue to re-elect the same, tired pols.
Shipley so far has the gumption to speak out. Where's the rest of you? Perhaps waiting until April 2009 when, The Hound has been told, Harper will be on the ballot. Taxpayers, the ball will be in your court.
The Hound often wondered what the attraction was at New Trier High School, outside knowing that nearly 100 percent of the student body will go on to college and not normally state school. Usually Ivy League places. State Sen James Meeks, D-Chicago, wants Chicago high school students to find what the attraction is by enrolling them there. This could get interesting Sept. 2 when Meeks wants to bus thousands of Chicago Public School high schoolers to Winnetka.
Especially considering Chicagoans don't pay taxes to the New Trier school district, nor do the students reside in the district. Meeks wants to sidestep the residency requirement by introducing a bill barring school district residency requirements across the state. Just in time for the Woodland District 50 educators in Gurnee who are holding a proof-of-residency during back-to-skool registration this month.
Meeks complains that the way schools are funded in Illinois is unfair to poor school districts, of which he considers Chicago Public Schools. The senator laments that New Trier spends $17,000 annually per student, while CPS spends around $10,000 a year per student. He overlooks the fact that New Trier taxpayers also pay a high property tax rate to make their school one of the top in the nation, let alone Illinois. And, $10,000 per student isn't chopped liver.
Meeks equates spending money to the difference between getting a "good" education versus an "inferior" education. There's more to that, especially considering one study which found charter schools in Chicago did a better job educating students versus the usual publick school. Besides, bet New Trier doesn't spend as much on security, which would go toward educational studies there.
New Trier officials are having lawyers study the legality of enrolling Chicago students. The Hound suggests they enroll all of them and have their parents and Sen. Meeks figure out they'll get to class every day. Meanwhile, the CPS will miss out on state aid money. That's a trade-off for any skool, which New Trier would get which could mean a cheaper tax rate for taxpayers.
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