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Posted on 11.30.07 by dancurry @ 3:07 pm
The Illinois Republican Party cleverly started a “Governor for a Day” contest to keep the spotlight shined on Rod “Skates” Blagojevich’s public relations gem of attending a pro hockey game while legislators were in Springfield trying to rescue his failed state budget.
These additional agenda haven’t been approved yet by the State Party:
I hope the State Party spices up their promotion with these additions, eh, Lance?
Technorati Tags: corruption, Illinois, journalism, Rod Blagojevich |
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Posted on 11.29.07 by dancurry @ 11:09 pm
One line in Mike Flannery’s story about Governor “Skates” Blagojevich made me scratch my head.
I’ve been on a lot of conference calls, but none before dawn. Who’s Rod calling—campaign contributors in Serbia?
Technorati Tags: Chicago media, corruption, Illinois, journalism, mystery, Rod Blagojevich |
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Posted on 11.29.07 by dancurry @ 10:57 pm
….a gift idea sure to be a hit in the Clinton dirty tricks office. Technorati Tags: 2008 election, corruption, Hillary Clinton, mystery |
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Posted on 11.29.07 by dancurry @ 1:27 pm
Henry Hyde was the perfect prototype of a Congressman: smart, articulate, distinguished, polite. I wrote that once at the Daily Herald when I covered one of his races in the 1980s. Later, I moved into his district and have been there since. Upon his passing today, the national and local media will focus today on his legislative accomplishments, his abortion position and his role in the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton. They will give scant notice of one of his greatest attributes—his ability, as a conservative, to counteract the mostly liberal press. Until the impeachment mess, which turned the national media against him, Hyde was treated with much more respect by the media than the average conservative. I’d say in some cases his coverage was in the vicinity of fair. Hyde was served well by capable aides—Patrick Durante and Sam Stratman—among them. But his good press largely flowed from Henry’s combination of smarts and disarming style. I have had conservative clients listen to Hyde’s radio interviews to pick up a few pointers. When the media invariably asked their pointed questions on abortion or another social issue, Hyde never demonized his opponents or the media. He acknowledged their point of view and treated them with respect. He always never pandered, standing firm on his principles but expressing them in non-aggressive language. He was always more informed than his interviewer or adversary so he came out ahead on both substance and style. He was without peer, among conservatives, in dealing with the press. His frequent appearances throughout his career on the WBBM AM 780’s half-hour public affairs show “At Issue†should be required listening for conservative candidates. His successor, Peter Roskam, has watched Hyde closely over the years and displays some of the same rare skills. He also never wavers on his principles but communicates in a dignified, soothing, thoughtful manner. Henry Hyde, the great disarmer. That is what I’ll remember most about my congressman.
Technorati Tags: Chicago media, Illinois, journalism, pr |
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Posted on 11.28.07 by dancurry @ 11:34 pm
CBS 2 Chicago’s Mike Flannery did a long piece tonight about our work-at-home governor, who apparently believes they built those majestic multi-story state buildings in Springfield and Chicago for someone other than the state’s chief executive. Apparently, that middle-finger salute to us wasn’t enough for Governor “Skates” Blagojevich, who picked this evening to attend the Chicago Blackhawks hockey game at the exact time the Legislature was debating and ultimately defeating a transit bail-out bill. Then, a third middle finger gesture topped off the report in the form of a horrendously overplayed statement from Skates’ Minister of Disinformation, Abby Ottenhoff, who had the cold steel to describe the report as sleazy journalism. I bet even George Ryan cringed.
Technorati Tags: Chicago media, journalism, Rod Blagojevich |
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Posted on 11.28.07 by dancurry @ 12:28 pm
Blogger John Ruberry at Marathon Pundit has been instrumental in making sure that the University of Illinois honors its pledge to award scholarships to veterans. Pat Quinn is now following Ruberry’s lead. Quinn should have been this vocal when his running mate, Rod Blagojevich, was bypassing veteran’s preference rules to hire his political cronies. Of course at that time Quinn had to keep quiet because he wanted to be the beneficiary of Rod’s dirty money to get re-elected. Technorati Tags: blogs, corruption, Illinois, Rod Blagojevich |
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Posted on 11.27.07 by dancurry @ 10:01 pm
We finally are going to find out what our Governor does all day. CBS 2 Chicago is promising to tell us (h/t Rich Miller) what Rod Blagojevich is doing when he’s not answering federal subpoenas, raising campaign funds from state contractors, counting his wife’s real estate commissions from state contractors, or cashing $1,500 checks from the spouses of state workers. To prime viewers for the Mike Flannery news report, here’s an encore showing of a Jim Ryan 2002 campaign commercial that questioned Rod’s work ethic. [youtube]Kz7ovwakPRE[/youtube]
Technorati Tags: Chicago media, corruption, Illinois, journalism, Rod Blagojevich |
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Posted on 11.26.07 by dancurry @ 10:01 am
Florida’s largest newspaper, the Miami Herald, gave major treatment to the story of fraud complaints against the controversial business consulting firm International Profit Associates and noted that the Florida Attorney General has turned over the information to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
That was Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum’s first mistake—if he wants anything done about IPA. Madigan, a Democrat, has been investigating IPA, a political donor, for more than four years without producing any results. And the Democratic Attorneys General Association, the political action committee of Democratic AGs, took one of its largest campaign donations, $50,000, from IPA last year in the midst of Madigan’s “probe.†Getting anyone in Illinois interested in IPA fraud complaints will be difficult. The New York Times and now the Miami Herald have delved deeply into the IPA matter but not the Chicago media. That is puzzling to say the least considering that IPA is headquartered in suburban Buffalo Grove and it has showered Illinois politicians with hundreds of thousands in campaign donations. IPA also has given Hillary Clinton more than $150,000. For all my posts on IPA, go here. There are active communities of victims who vent their frustrations with IPA here, here and now at the bottom of the Miami Herald story. A friend recently asked me if the Illinois media freeze on IPA was related to the IPA radio and TV ads that seem to air constantly on Chicago stations. Seems like a fair question.
Technorati Tags: 2008 election, Chicago media, corruption, Hillary Clinton, International profit associates, journalism, mystery |
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Posted on 11.23.07 by dancurry @ 10:07 pm
Another bad week for the Illinois press. The publisher, editor and managing editor of one of the best downstate newspapers, the State Journal-Register in Springfield, resigned on the same day, presumably part of more cost-cutting by New York-based parent GateHouse Media Inc. And, just a little while ago, the suburban Daily Herald posted a story telling readers it can’t shoot photographs of the state high school football championship games in Champaign this weekend because of a dispute with the Illinois High School Athletic Association. The Herald is left to solicit photographs from its readers.
Sadly, the Daily Herald’s plight this weekend appears to be the future of journalism: fewer photographers, reporters and editors.
Technorati Tags: Chicago media, Illinois, journalism |
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Posted on 11.21.07 by dancurry @ 8:48 pm
He’s the best politician I’ve seen at deflecting and turning around tough questions in a natural, relaxed and non-defensive manner. Nobody does it better than Rudy. Listen to how easily he swats away ABC reporter Andy’s Shaw’s question about Bernie Kerik. This skill will serve him well if he faces Hillary Clinton in the general election. He ought to engage the press often in these forums and challenge Hillary to do the same. [youtube]a9aE_lueHIM&e[/youtube]
Technorati Tags: 2008 election, Chicago media, Hillary Clinton, Illinois, journalism, Rudy Giuliani |
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