Todays Special on Barack Obama on Channel 7

Harry Porterfield did a special today on Barack Obama. What was most interesting was a comment made by both Timuel Black and Jesse Jackson Jr. As they spoke of Barack Obama in terms of his agressive pursuit of moving up the political ladder, they in essence said that many had felt Barack Obama was going too fast, he wasn't waiting his turn in line.

That is the problem that I see going on in the black community and is at the essence of why the black community is SOS (STUCK ON STUPID). If we have to allow those to get their "turns" then we will continue getting the same type of politician doing the same type of thing keeping us in the same time of situation.

Sorry folks, but I beleive in CHANGE. I don't vote for someone just because they wear the ASS on their label. I don't trust domeone just because they carry an elephant in their trunk.

If we continue to send messages to children that their future is limited to the next in line concept, we will always stay in trouble!


And that attitude is the exact reason that so many are supporting Roland Burris. He has been given his turn and we all are suppose to line up behing him and applaud. Sorry folks, there are some younger, smarter and better candidates in the line and I won't jump on the rah-rah bandwagon for Roland.

GOT THIS EMAIL AND I MUST RESPOND PUBLICALLY!

In my professional career I was an Editor, Account Manager and Columnist for the "world famous" Hollywood Gazette Newspaper before they closed their doors. I thought I saw it all but Illinois Political Corruption makes Bernard L. Madoff look like a MONK! Regardless of "selective" surveys that says Illinois not in the top corrupt states.

I checked out an "editorial page" by Publisher Hermene D. Hartman in the newspaper. Some of her points I agree on, some I do not. Let's visit a few of those delicious issues. She first discriminates [like most people do] about Republicans. She points out a truck load of reasons [in her opinion] why the Republicans want the seat and "they" are ONLY doing this and that to SENATOR Roland Burris because they want the seat. Yeah right, as if every body else in the Illinois Political "gutter" is not gunning for that historical seat too.

I am a proud REPUBLICAN and that will never change.

I support Roland Burris as a friend and from where I sit; the law is on his side. You only commit perjury if you "intentionally" make a misstatement under sworn oath during testimony. Senator Burris ONLY answered what he was asked. If Roland Burris was not fully and completely asked extensive, detailed, probative, grueling, direct questions with the 'any and all' inclusive directive; then the error lies within that body or official doing the questioning and the "finger should be pointed in that direction [hello Senator Durbin]" not at Senator Burris and say he is deceptive because he did not tell his life story on the stand and rattled on and on and on.

A very close friend of mine whom made his transition from this earth was a great historical lawyer and did what his client paid him to do [regardless of the outcome and the unintelligent client that did not have the common sense to learn he got the PASS of a lifetime and stay out of trouble] always said, "Race plays a part in everything you do." Here, it does--is--and will apply to Senator Burris.

In the Illinois 'tight' and ferocious political circle; you must be as well connect as Attorney Lisa Madigan to father Mike Madigan [Illinois Speaker of the House and classmate to most of the Illinois Supreme Court Justices]; Burris is not.Another lawyer in Illinois [EdwardVrdolyak who is White] did a lot of inappropriate things that cost him his law license and through years of litigation, he walked away with no pressure from the public or hounding by the media [unlike Burris who is Black]. That's just how things go in Illinois but that's also how things go in life too. The ONLY thing you can do when you are the underdog and the minority is to fight back legally and fight back hard.

I am disturbed but not surprised by another editorial opinion [by Arlene Jones of a free throw away local newspaper] whom attacked Senator Roland Burris' character without personal knowledge of all the facts. Summing up his appointment as "tarnished" because she believes he was deceptive in the process to his appointment. As righteous as this opinion is from this free throw away local newspaper; no one on this earth is God and able to judge anyone. Respectfully disagreeing [even in journalism would demonstrate perfection in your craft--a thing or two I learned in undergrad, grad school and at the newspaper].

From a realistic point of view, even the first Black United States President made a few errors [in appointments] and was accountable as stated so [he too is a lawyer and a Harvard man]. I do not believe that is the extent of the errors of appointments though [some transplanted from this corrupt state of Illinois]; however, that's the way life goes. First and foremost, everyone MUST stop pointing fingers and give EVERYONE the chance to defend themselves and put all the muddled slop on the tape for close scrutiny [OMG that won't happen . . . this is Illinois politics we're talking about].

-JANE


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First off, I must say, "hmmmm, must have hit a nerve!".

This woman Jane proclaims to be a proud republican. I can see from her personal attack on a newspaper that is serving a community free of charge is telling in her judgemental (remember she says no one should judge except God and then anoints herself a deity to judge. CAN WE ALL SAY HYPOCRITE????


It appears "JANE" doesn't agree with my viewpoint on Roland Burris slithering to get the senate seat. Sorry, but his actions are no better or different than his appointer. Plus, if his co-senators decide to ignore him, which I understand they did at President Obama's speech, Roland is in for a very lonely existence. A junior senator doesn't have any power especially when they are a junior and novice.

Will Roland's vote really be that important? Well time will tell. But will his be the courted voted or can they expect his vote regardless because in his being ineffective in the seat, what does he have to leverage with? He won't get elected to the seat in 2011. He doesn't have the support of the MAJORITY OF ILLINOIS VOTERS. What he offers will be a filler- something that just holds the space.

Roland Burris is a nice man. But his quest for his own glory is at our expense!

The Most Addictive Game Ever

The AJC use to publish this game once a week and every Friday I couldn't wait for it to appear. Now its published dailyed. Check it out and have fun.

BTW, I am getting very good at finding all five differences within the 45 seconds.


Find Five.

Tales of the New Post-Racial America - Yeah right!

Mayor who sent watermelon e-mail says he'll resign
1 hour ago

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. (AP) — The mayor of a small Southern California city says he will resign after being criticized for sharing an e-mail picture depicting the White House lawn planted with watermelons under the title "No Easter egg hunt this year."

Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose issued a statement Thursday saying he is sorry and will step down as mayor at Monday's City Council meeting.

Grose came under fire for sending the picture to what he called "a small group of friends." One of the recipients, a local businesswoman and city volunteer, publicly scolded the mayor for his actions.

Grose says he accepts that the e-mail was in poor taste and has affected his ability to lead the city. Grose said he didn't mean to offend anyone and claimed he was unaware of the racial stereotype linking black people with eating watermelons.

Located in Orange County, Los Alamitos is a 2 1/4-square-mile city of around 12,000 people.

Time to Take The Right Path In Responding To Critics

It is real easy to write about what is wrong. It is real easy to complain about what is wrong. It is real easy to overlook the positive and focus on the negative. I was starting to write this column and do just that. Focus on the negative because when so much of the world is raining down on you, it is hard to see dry land when all around you is a down pouring of rain.

We as a country are at our own fork in the road. Make the right turn and we can come out okay. The right road may be bumpy and it may look like a mountain is sitting in the middle of the path that we’ll have to take blocking our way, but it is the right way to go. The left turn looks good, smooth as ice but as we all know that left turn will take us off of a steep cliff.

This past week, another issue was placed before us where we had to decide which direction to take. A most disturbing cartoon was run in the New York Post Newspaper. It came on the heels of the news story of the woman whose chimp ran amok and was shot after tearing off the face of one of the woman’s friends. If you didn’t see the cartoon, it can be found all over the internet. To describe the cartoon, it involved two cops with their guns smoking and the chimp lying dead on the ground with two bullet holes in the chest. One police officer says to the other, “They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill".

Since President Barack Obama is considered the author of the idea for the stimulus package that just passed, many interpreted that the dead monkey on the ground was a metaphor for him. There was outrage, indignation and calls for the firing of the man who drew the cartoon as well as a boycott against the New York Post for printing it and the advertisers who bought ads in the paper. Originally the Post had declared it had the right to print what it printed. The Post defended the cartoonist and called the Rev. Al Sharpton who was one of the leading figures in the fight against the cartoon a media hound. Rev. Sharpton’s actions were so successful that a week later the owner of the paper issued an apology. So in the mist of bad news, we had the Rev. Sharpton and others doing the right things and their protest resulted in the right action.

Most interesting is that the media tried to paint the outrage over the cartoon as if only black people were upset. The last I looked, President Obama was elected by all of America and all of America should be upset. To many black Americans, we saw the lines connecting the dots immediately. To all of America, in a society where the numbers of guns purchased since the election of Barack Obama has gone thru the roof, to see a cartoon depicting dead the author of the stimulus bill is insulting. To have the author being a chimp had a double entendre meaning.

But another thought came to my mind once this controversy hit the fan. How will those of us who have put President Obama on a pedestal take it when he is attacked in effigy? When foreign nationals burn the U.S. flag and posters of the president, how will we take it when it’s President Obama’s face being used? How will we take it, the black America that says just the sight of a noose has traumatized some African Americans when others mad at the policies of this country hang the president from a noose? Or place his picture on an ape’s body?

President Obama so far has always taken the right turn. And those that have attacked him are finding out that people can see the right in what he is doing and are not easily swayed in the wrong direction. So far, President Obama has only been in office for thirty days and has taken all that has been thrust upon him with the greatest of ease. It will be an interesting and telling time as we begin the second thirty days of the presidency of Barack Obama.

John Legend's Open Letter to the New York Post

I received this after I wrote my column for the Austin Weekly News which I will post on Thursday.

***************************************

Open Letter to the New York Post

Dear Editor:

I'm trying to understand what possible motivation you may have had for publishing that vile cartoon depicting the shooting of the chimpanzee that went crazy. I guess you thought it would be funny to suggest that whomever was responsible for writing the Economic Recovery legislation must have the intelligence and judgment of a deranged, violent chimpanzee, and should be shot to protect the larger community. Really? Did it occur to you that this suggestion would imply a connection between President Barack Obama and the deranged chimpanzee? Did it occur to you that our President has been receiving death threats since early in his candidacy? Did it occur to you that blacks have historically been compared to various apes as a way of racist insult and mockery? Did you intend to invoke these painful themes when you printed the cartoon?

If that's not what you intended, then it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectable dots. If it is what you intended, then you obviously wanted to be grossly provocative, racist and offensive to the sensibilities of most reasonable Americans. Either way, you should not have printed this cartoon, and the fact that you did is truly reprehensible. I can't imagine what possible justification you have for this. I've read your lame statement in response to the outrage you provoked. Shame on you for dodging the real issue and then using the letter as an opportunity to attack Rev. Sharpton. This is not about Rev. Sharpton. It's about the cartoon being blatantly racist and offensive.

I believe in freedom of speech, and you have every right to print what you want. But freedom of speech still comes with responsibilities and consequences. You are responsible for printing this cartoon, and I hope you experience some real consequences for it. I'm personally boycotting your paper and won't do any interviews with any of your reporters, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the entertainment business to do so as well. I implore your advertisers to seriously reconsider their business relationships with you as well.

You should print an apology in your paper acknowledging that this cartoon was ignorant, offensive and racist and should not have been printed.

I'm well aware of our country's history of racism and violence, but I truly believe we are better than this filth. As we attempt to rise above our difficult past and look toward a better future, we don't need the New York Post to resurrect the images of Jim Crow to deride the new administration and put black folks in our place. Please feel free to criticize and honestly evaluate our new President, but do so without the incendiary images and rhetoric.

Sincerely,
John Legend

Black Ministers Silence on Burris is Blaring

I wondered where our clergy has been. No prayers in the home. No prayers ont he corner. Darn shame I had to go all the way to the International Herald Tribune to find this article.

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CHICAGO: A group of black ministers who supported U.S. Sen. Roland Burris as he fought to get his job now plan to ask for his resignation following revelations that he tried to raise money for the disgraced governor who appointed him to the Senate seat left vacant by President Barack Obama, one of the ministers told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Many of the city's influential black pastors supported Burris because of his scandal-free reputation — even though he was appointed by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich three weeks after the governor was arrested for allegedly trying to sell the Senate seat.

Now some of those pastors will ask Burris to resign, according to the minister, who spoke on condition of anonymity because a meeting with Burris had not yet been scheduled.

Clergy Speaks Interdenominational, an umbrella group that includes hundreds of Chicago's black churches, will meet Friday to discuss its support for Burris, spokeswoman Stephanie Gadlin said. For now, the group still supports him and its leaders are unaware of discussions about asking him to resign, she said.

Burris spokesman Jim O'Connor would not say whether the senator would meet with ministers, and referred to a statement from Burris asking that leaders "stop the rush to judgment."

Burris testified before the Illinois House committee that recommended Blagojevich's impeachment in January that he hadn't had contact with key Blagojevich staffers or offered anything in return for the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

Last weekend, however, Burris released an affidavit saying he had spoken to several Blagojevich advisers, including Robert Blagojevich, the former governor's brother and finance chairman, who Burris said called three times last fall asking for fundraising help. Burris, a former state attorney general, changed his story again this week when he admitted trying, unsuccessfully, to raise money for Blagojevich.

Illinois lawmakers have asked local prosecutors to look into perjury charges, and a preliminary U.S. Senate Ethics Committee inquiry is under way. Burris denies lying under oath and has resisted a growing chorus of calls for his resignation, including from within his own party.

Burris is the only black U.S. senator, as Obama was when he was in the Senate. Blacks were among his biggest defenders as Burris overcame Senate leaders' resistance to admitting a senator appointed by a man charged with trying to sell the office.

Current sentiment in the black community is not unanimous, but the clergy's silence as the maelstrom of criticism swells around Burris "speaks volumes," said another minister, Ira Acree, of the Greater St. John Bible Church.

"I'm a little disturbed, but because of his track record, don't want to rush to judgment," Acree said Thursday. "But neither will I attempt to defend his actions."

Burris' latest revelations are "making the black community just as suspicious of him as anyone else," said the Rev. Leonard Barr of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

But Burris deserves a chance to defend himself and should not step down, he said.

"I think he can do the job," Barr said. "He would be a good senator and a conscientious senator."

People who have supported Burris are torn between feelings of anger and betrayal and a desire to keep the only black senator in the country, said Laura S. Washington, a politics professor at DePaul University and columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times.

"They're disappointed, embarrassed and worried that the seat will be in jeopardy," Washington said.

Edward Bogan, a 58-year-old printer from Chicago, said he doesn't buy Burris' explanation for not telling the House impeachment committee about all his contacts with the Blagojevich administration.

"If your memory is that bad, why do we need you in there?" said Bogan, who is black. "... If you're only going to remember the part that benefits you, what good are you?"

But Chicago resident and real estate counselor Danyelle Hall, 37, says plenty of African-Americans still support Burris.

"I think that he would've been more forthcoming if the appropriate questions were asked," by the committee, said Hall. "That didn't happen and that's not his fault."

Time to Hold Roland Burris Accountable

Don't you just love Illinois politics? Just as I was enjoying keeping up with the television appearances of our ex-governor Rod "Superhairstar" Blagojevich, and his dropping of tidbits of information on current lawmakers, when another tiny bit of news made headlines over the weekend.

Anyone paying attention, and I called on all of Chicago to pay attention, had to see the news that our newly appointed junior senator Roland Burris had quietly filed an affidavit to clarify-embellish-explain-illuminate-spell out-shed light on-simplify, you pick the adjective, his testimony before the Illinois General Assembly impeachment panel.

Sen. Burris' response to those that question his expansion of his testimony were told that he didn't get a chance to fully elaborate during the time he was given with the impeachment panel, so like a good citizen he clarified those salient points later.

Now the cynic in me also noted that Burris also became more forthcoming after he found out that the government had taped phone conversations of some of those calls he had with the folks from Blagojevich's camp.

Its amazing how thoughtful and helpful people can become when they learned what they said was recorded by the feds. I am still waiting for the release of all those phone conversations. I have a feeling that they are going to shed more light than the average politician wants us to know about their behavior when out of the public eye.

When I learned of Burris' expanded testimony, I sent out an e-mail to the folks who had been filling my inbox with e-mails urging people to fight for Burris to get the seat. I asked them to comment on my blog on the Burris affidavit.

As I write this column, I've only gotten one response back. I checked my blog and the person responding there was a normal contributor. I find it very concerning that those who put their necks out to support Burris are either choosing to now be quiet or make up excuses for him. Why is that?

What I am curious to know is the level of integrity black people want out of politicians - white or black? Or is it permissible to have two sets of standards, one for those we don't like, where we hold their feet to the fire, and the other for ones we like, where we disregard their wrongdoings?

Should black politicians be given a pass on their less-than-stellar behaviors? If we give them a pass, then do they come to the table lying, knowing you won't get upset with the lies when they are found out?

If we are to look at the current low opinion people have of politics and politicians, what percentage of that view is directly attributable to the selfish willfulness of those in power or those whose every move promotes their legacy rather than what is correct and proper. Will Roland Burris' tombstone have etched "U.S. Senator" on it, but also have everyone who sees it remember it as being a tarnished appointment?

People desire may things in their lives. But the reality is that many of us don't always get what we want. But what price does one pay to get what he or she wants? Was Sen. Burris' willingness to be deceptive worth the end result of his getting the senate seat but now is hounded by the media?

Do you want to see your senator on TV running from the cameras because he doesn't like the questions being asked? Burris stated that he is a public servant. The name "public" in and of itself implies that it is for the people. The word servant means to serve. You can't do either hiding out.

Does Roland Burris' Admission Levelized The Playing Field?

Roland Burris admission that he was in essence asked to pay-to-play puts him in the same category as those who have already been identified on tape as being willing to do the same.

I was listening to WVON and the some of the usual callers called in with the
I'm-gonna-support-the-brother-no-matter-what mentality. Unfortunately, that is the exact reason Roland Burris stepped up to the plate with a less than honest response. He has played the black community better than anyone else.

If Burris remains in the senate, he will be ineffective and a joke. The problem is that the joke won't be funny.

Transscript of Roland Burris' testimoney

BY MARK BROWN Sun-Times Columnist
Sen. Roland Burris says the transcript of his Illinois House impeachment committee testimony proves he is not a lying little sneak.

It doesn't. But judge for yourself. Here's the excerpt Burris says exonerates him:

RELATED STORIESBurris backers not ready for real change Burris backers not ready for real change

Rep. Jim Durkin: "Did you talk to any members of the governor's staff or anyone closely related to the governor, including family members or any lobbyists connected with him, including, let me throw out some names -- John Harris, Rob Blagojevich, Doug Scofield, Bob Greenleaf, Lon Monk, John Wyma? Did you talk to anybody . . . associated with the governor about your desire to seek the appointment prior to the governor's arrest?"

Burris lawyer Timothy Wright: "Give us a moment." (Wright and Burris confer.)

Burris: "I talked to some friends about my desire to be appointed, yes."

Durkin: "I guess the point is I was trying to ask: Did you speak to anybody who was on the governor's staff prior to the governor's arrest or anybody, any of those individuals or anybody who is closely related to the governor?"

Burris: "I recall having a meeting with Lon Monk about my partner and I trying to get continued business, and I did bring it up -- it must have been in September or maybe it was in July of '08 that, you know, you're close to the governor, let him know that I am certainly interested in the seat."

From that exchange, Burris now says, we were to deduce that when he referred to "friends" and said "yes," he was confirming having been in contact with everyone named by Durkin except Greenleaf. He blames Durkin for then taking the questioning in another direction.

OK, that might be enough to save the senator from a perjury charge, even though he had previously submitted an affidavit claiming "there was not any contact" between him and Blagojevich's representatives concerning the Senate seat.

But here's what proves he is a lying little sneak.

While Durkin might not have asked Burris to clarify his reference to "friends," his fellow Republican, Rep. Jill Tracy of Quincy, did return to the subject.

Just watch Burris dance.

Tracy: "You said that you had visited friends perhaps in September of '08 or July of '08 concerning a desire to perhaps be appointed as a senator if our president-elect was elected. And could you give me the names of those friends?"

Burris: "I don't think I said in July. I said they were friends that I contacted after the election, but I was talking to people, I mean I don't know who you want as my friends that I consider as persons. For example, when I handled a press conference to express my interest in the seat, was the press conference -- I did hold a press conference, and some of my friends were there, for instance."

Tracy was temporarily sidetracked, then came back to the point.

Tracy: "But I think I earlier heard you today testify that in September '08 or perhaps as early as July '08, you had visited with some friends about your desire to seek the seat."

Burris: "No, I think I testified that that's when I began to express an interest in it. As I saw that --"

Tracy: "And I just was wondering who those friends were."

Burris: "One of them was my law partner."

Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, the committee chairman: "Is that when you talked about your interest with Lon Monk? I think that --"

Tracy: "Was it Lon Monk, was that the extent of it was Lon Monk?

Burris: "That came up in our conversation when we were talking about, you know, if he has some excess clients in the lobbying business, you know, as we try to see whether or not he had conflicts somewhere with some type of a client because of his previous relationship with government. That's what we were talking about then.

"And it just came up, and in fact I said, 'Now, Lon, I don't know what's going to happen, but I think I'm qualified to be appointed to the Senate seat.' And Lon said, 'Well, Roland, I think you are, too.' And that was the extent of it."

Tracy: "So you don't recall that there was anybody else besides Lon Monk that you expressed an interest to at that point?"

Burris: "No, I can't recall. Because people were coming to me saying, Roland, you should pursue that appointment, you're qualified, and this was --"

Tracy: "Is there anybody that comes to mind in that light that you can --"

Surely, here was one last chance for Burris to clear the air and mention his contacts with Harris, Wyma or the governor's brother. But who did he name?

Rich Barber, a friend of his from New Jersey.

Case closed.

Day Laborers Protest For Economic Stimulus -

Is this a case of doing in this country what they refused to do in their home countries?

February 16, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- A group of day laborers is calling on President Obama and Mayor Daley to create more employment in the Chicago area.
Workers and members of the Latino Union of Chicago rallied Monday at the intersection of Belmont and Milwaukee. They want to put a face on the unemployment statistics for day laborers, those who work construction, repair city streets, schools and infrastructure.
A local union leader says day laborers are averaging work about once every two months.
"Here, on a daily basis, you can see up to 200 workers, immigrants and Americans, looking for work," said Eric Rodriguez, Latino Union of Chicago director. "We are calling out to President Obama and Mayor Daley to make sure that the stimulus package that they are about to sign can generate work for the hundreds of people that are looking for work on a daily basis in Chicago."

Studies show day laborers in the US are mostly made up of immigrants and Latinos. Sixty-three percent have children to support.

Roland Burris' Newfound Clarification - What is your opinion?

Before Roland Burris was seated, many people filled my email box with emails to support him in becoming senator.

Now that Roland Burris has had a sudden recalling of memory - may have a lot to do with finding out one of his phone calls was recorded by the FBI- he is now admitting or clarifying something he wasn't so clear on in the past. I am curious as to your opinion on his new statement. Does it change anybody's opinion?


From The Sun-Times:

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris defiantly defended himself today against allegations he misled a state impeachment panel while under oath by not disclosing multiple contacts with former Gov. Blagojevich’s inner circle or being approached by the ex-governor’s brother for campaign cash before the appointment.


“Throughout my career, I’ve always conducted myself with honest and integrity,” Burris said during an emotional press conference about why he quietly filed paperwork to revise his testimony, which the Chicago Sun-Times was the first to report Saturday.

“I responded to all questions that were asked of me by the impeachment committee in the time allotted. At no time did I ever make any inconsistent statements,” Burris said, blaming the impeachment panel for not asking him the right questions and the media for misconstruing the facts.

Since the initial Sun-Times report, lawmakers have called for Burris’ resignation and for Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Schmidt, a Republican, to open a perjury investigation focusing on Burris’ Jan. 8 testimony before the House Special Investigative Committee.

During that sworn testimony, Burris indicated that former Blagojevich chief of staff and lobbyist Lon Monk was the only member of the ex-governor’s inner circle with whom he had consulted about a possible appointment to the Senate. Prior to that, Burris said he had had no contact with anyone in Blagojevich’s camp about the appointment prior to Dec. 26.


But in the latest account from Burris, submitted in a Feb. 5 letter to the committee’s chairwoman, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago), Burris said he had had three conversations with Robert Blagojevich, including a discussion by the governor’s brother and campaign fund chairman to raise money for the ex-governor. Burris also contradicted his earlier accounts by confirming he had discussed his interest in the appointment with former Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris, lobbyist John Wyma, campaign aide Doug Scofield and Blagojevich supporter Ed Smith - in addition to Monk.

House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) and Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), the ranking Republican on the impeachment panel, called today for Schmidt to investigate Burris for perjury.

But Schmidt told the Sun-Times he has not received a formal request from anyone to launch a Burris probe but did not rule out the possibility of launching an investigation.

“Should information be forwarded to our office, we’ll review it in the ordinary course of business just like we would any other report,” Schmidt said.

Aw....She broke her Nails!

SALT LAKE CITY - A Utah woman listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for her long fingernails has lost them in a car crash.

Lee Redmond of Salt Lake City sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries in the accident Tuesday.

Redmond's nails, which hadn't been cut since 1979, were broken in the crash. According to the Guinness Web site, her nails measured a total of more than 28 feet long in 2008, with the longest nail on her right thumb at 2 feet, 11 inches.

Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson says Redmond was ejected from an SUV in the crash and taken to the hospital in serious condition.

Redmond has been featured on TV in episodes of "Guinness Book of World Records" and "Ripley's Believe It or Not."

Encourage your Child to be a Page during the Obama Administration

To Counselors and Educators:

Please share this information with friends, family and potential US House of Representatives Page candidates. The honor of serving as a
Page during the Obama administration will be an invaluable experience.

Help identify students to participate in this enlightening educational Opportunity.

http://pageprogram.house.gov


Pages have been serving the House of Representatives for nearly two hundred years. Working as a team, Pages assist Members with their legislative duties, deliver correspondence and small packages within the congressional complex, answer phones in the Member cloakrooms, and prepare the House Floor for sessions.



High school juniors with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in core academic subjects may apply to work as Pages in the U.S. House of Representatives for a fall or spring appointment. There is no GPA requirement for Pages who work during the summer semester. While serving the House, Pages live in Washington D.C., at the Page Residence Hall, a few blocks away from the Capitol. During the academic year, Pages attend classes at the House Page School. Pages must be sponsored by a Member of Congress and be at least sixteen years old on the date they begin their term. All communication regarding the Page program must be made through the applicant¢s sponsoring Member.


GENERAL GUIDELINES

During the academic year, Pages are required to attend the Page School, in addition to their responsibilities as support staff to the Members of The House of Representatives. Pages live in the Page Residence Hall and Receive a monthly salary. The following guidelines apply to all Pages:


· Pages are required to maintain a neat appearance and a hairstyle that Is appropriate for a business environment.


· Pages must also wear ID Badges and uniforms at work and school.


· House Pages follow the House Calendar, which is subject to change. Plans and airline tickets may have to be changed or canceled if the House calendar dictates it. Never purchase non refundable tickets based on the tentative calendar in the Page Handbook.


· Pages are permitted to return home only on weekends when there are no Washington Seminars, except in cases of a family emergency.


· Pages will be unable to leave the Page Program to attend family, home school, or Community activities or functions if they occur during the school or Workweek.


· Pages earn $20,181.00 annually, with a monthly gross salary of $1,681.75. Automatic deductions are made for federal and state taxes, Social security and the Residence Hall fee.


· Pages are paid on the last working day of the month

Blago Wanted Burris To Pay For Senate Seat - Is Anyone Shocked By This?

From 2-14-09 Sun Times Story:


Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother solicited U.S. Sen. Roland Burris for up to $10,000 in campaign cash before Blagojevich named Burris to the coveted post -- something Burris initially failed to disclose under oath before an Illinois House impeachment panel, records and interviews show.

Burris acknowledges being hit up for the money in a new affidavit he has sent to the head of the House committee that recommended Blagojevich be removed from office.

» Click to enlarge image Rod Blagojevich introduces Sen. Roland Burris as his choice to fill Barack Obama's then-vacant Senate seat in December 2008. Burris acknowledges that Blagojevich sought $10,000 in campaign contributions from Burris.
(Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)



The affidavit is dated Feb. 5 -- three weeks after Burris was sworn in to replace President Obama in the Senate.

Burris -- who did not give money to the Blagojevich campaign fund in response to the previously undisclosed solicitation -- provided a copy of the sworn statement to the Chicago Sun-Times Friday in response to questions about his contacts with the Blagojevich camp about fund-raising.

Burris acknowledged having three conversations with Robert Blagojevich, who headed the Friends of Blagojevich campaign fund -- and one of those was likely recorded by the FBI.

Burris' statement offers the third version of events he has given about his discussions concerning the Senate seat, to which Blagojevich appointed him in late December, after Blagojevich was hit with federal corruption charges that included an allegation he tried to sell the Senate appointment.

Burris said he sent the new statement to House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) after he read the transcript of his testimony before the impeachment committee she headed and realized it was incomplete. "There were several facts that I was not given the opportunity to make during my testimony," Burris said. "I voluntarily submitted an affidavit so everything was transparent."

In October and again in November, Burris spoke with Robert Blagojevich, who initially asked him to host a fund-raiser. Burris said he'd get back to him after the election, sources with knowledge of the conversations said. The two later talked again, and Burris again was asked for campaign cash.

Burris said he refused to contribute and "made it unequivocally clear ... that it would be inappropriate and pose a major conflict because I was interested in the Senate vacancy."

A source with knowledge of the exchange said there was some discussion about Burris possibly getting others to give or raise money on his behalf. Not so, according to Burris: "I did not donate or help raise a single dollar for the governor from those conversations and would never consider making a donation through a third party."

In all, Burris expressed interest in the Senate seat to five people in Blagojevich's camp, documents obtained by the Sun-Times show. He disclosed just one of those contacts when asked Jan. 8 by state Rep. James Durkin (R-Western Springs) during the impeachment hearings to name any contact he had with Blagojevich's people about the seat.

"I'm very surprised he didn't make these disclosures," Durkin said. "I don't know if Mr. Burris was purposely being evasive during the committee or had selected memory issues."

In a sworn statement filed with the House panel Jan. 5, before he testified, Burris said he had no contact with Blagojevich's camp about the Senate seat aside from his appointment in late December. In testimony before the committee, he added that he spoke with Lon Monk, Blagojevich's former chief of staff. In his new affidavit, Burris confirms he also spoke of his interest in the Senate appointment with Blagojevich insiders John Harris, Doug Scofield and John Wyma.

The discussions with Robert Blagojevich about money came after Burris spoke with those people. Burris had told the House committee he was unaware of any quid pro quo dangled by Blagojevich's camp.

Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) said Burris' new statement regarding his contact with Blagojevich's emissaries represents a "fatal wound" to a potential 2010 Burris re-election bid. His new account contains "extraordinary detail" Burris should have disclosed to the impeachment panel when he testified and to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) before being seated, Radogno said.

"If it turns out this was some sort of attempt to avoid this coming out as part of the appointment process, then he doesn't deserve to be senator," Radogno said. "I think the whole thing stinks to high heaven."

Currie acknowledged receiving Burris' letter but said she was unfamiliar with its contents.

After being read Burris' account of his dealings with Robert Blagojevich, Currie said: "Very odd. I don't know there is anything actionable here, but I would like to check the record."

Scholarships for AA Females

Florida A & M University is providing an outstanding opportunity for Black women entering college in the fall of 2009. It is designed to address their absence in the field of computer technology. Dr. Jason Black is the Principal Investigator of a recently awarded $552,000 NSF Grant entitled African-American Women in Computer Science. The grant provides scholarships from $4000 to $10,000 per year for female African American students.

We need your help to get the word out about this great opportunity to build back up the enrollment of women in the CIS Department. Pass this information along to high school or community college students, their parents, and to guidance counselors you may know. The full text of the press release can be found at the link below:


http://www.famu.edu/index.cfm?a=headlines&p=display&news=602&archive

And Also Pay Attention to Blago

There is an old saying, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". That saying can now be updated to include "hell hath no fury like a politician impeached".

Blago has been going around telling some secrets. Like that some are "drunken politicians" and others who "cheat on their wifes".

Cam we get him to talk about daley and what he may be up to?

It's going to get very, very interestting!

PAY ATTENTION CHICAGO! PAY ATTENTION!

If you have never before in your life paid attention to what is going on in this city, now is the time more than ever. Why? Because not only is our economy in the tank but we have some double standards going on in our city. Last Thursday, Chicago police raided a condo on the southwest side. Inside, they found drugs and weapons. They arrested Casey Crawford, 28, who lives at the condo with a young woman. Guess who owns the condo? Asst. Supt. Beatrice Cuello, the No. 3 top cop in the Chicago Police Department and mother of the young woman living in the condo with guns and drugs.

How come this high-ranking police official and her daughter are now being given a pass for the guns and drugs found at the condo? Any other person in this city will see their property seized, their lives ruined and their jobs lost - but not if you help run the CPD. In less than 12 hours, the department allowed the daughter to go free and declared her innocent, having nothing to do with the drugs and guns in her condominium. We're not talking about some place with a basement or attic. We're talking about an apartment.

Did you pay attention to the City Council Police and Fire Committee hearing last Friday with Police Supt. Jody Weiss? They were questioning our very highly-compensated superintendent about how the department was scammed by a 14-year-old kid impersonating a police officer. Some of the aldermen's questions to Weiss were absolutely worthless. Ald. Sharon Dixon (24th), who was arrested a few weeks ago for intoxication, kept throwing out innuendos about good cops (the ones who work with her) and bad cops (the ones who arrested her). Adding nothing else to the questioning were Aldermen Ed Smith (28th) and Walter Burnett (27TH). But I must give kudos to Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th), who chairs the committee. He did an excellent job of ferreting out the facts. It went something like this:

How did the 14-year-old get in the building? Answer: through the back door. Does the door have a lock? Answer: yes. Was the lock broke? - no. So if the door has a lock and the lock wasn't broke, how did he get in? - the back door was open. Why was the door open? Answer: it was propped open to allow the police officers easy access (As well as the 14-year-old who came in through it.)

Supt. Weiss also attempted to place the blame for no one noticing he wasn't in full uniform on the officer who was assigned to work with the kid. Ald. Carothers made a very salient point. If the department is a paramilitary organization, then only a higher-level officer can question another officer about their uniform standards. In other words, a sergeant can question an officer; a lieutenant can question both the sergeant and officer. But police officers can't question one another about their dress. Weiss had to admit that was the truth.

We also got to learn that there has been a burglary at the 35th and Michigan headquarters of a laptop and possibly a desktop computer. Supt. Weiss works on the fifth floor, the same floor where the computers came up stolen. So, hopefully when the Secret Service comes in to check security at individual police stations, they will also take a look at Jody's own backyard to make sure things don't continue to come up missing from right under his nose.

A lot has been said about the officer who rode with the 14 year old in the police car. But let me be the first to say that many an officer will tell you that they ride with other officers all the time and never speak more than one or two words between them. The officer who rode with the kid is now suing the city, claiming that her life was endangered by being assigned to a car with a kid. We need to support that officer because just like at most jobs, you don't get to pick and choose your coworkers.

Lastly, by now you should have gotten the first installment of your 2008 property tax bill. As many of us struggle to pay the higher bill based on now incorrect assessments-as most neighborhoods houses have lost value-make sure to count the boarded up houses on your blocks or surrounding your home. I drive through the Marquette Park neighborhood several times a week. Every block has two to three boarded up homes and at least two vacant homes where the front porch covered in snow hasn't seen a footprint. All the while, your mayor sits around talking about an Olympic bid-which won't benefit black Chicago, mind you-as if we can afford such a luxury.

Pay attention Chicagoans and then get mad. Get angry and remember that those who sit at the head of these tables are elected and not permanently entitled to those jobs. If our country can change presidents every four to eight years, surely we can change one mayor and a bunch of aldermen too.

Is it Really That Easy To Spot A 14-Yr-Old?

Years ago I knew a young man who always acted as if he were the security person at Lafollette Park. He would in the summer wear fatigues, t-shirt and carry around his waist a belt that looked like he had some sort of pepper spray weapon. The point is that he was 14-yr-old but his mannerism always gave off the illusion that he was much older. At least 20-yrs-old.

Vicent Richardson fooled a lot of people because no one was looking for him to be other than what he appeared to be. If JFed and now the aldermen are going to go ballistic on what Vicent pulled off, we the citizens of Chicago need to make sure that those at the top, who are compensated the most are the first to take the blame.

Plus, just because two people sit in a car together, that doesn't mean they have to talk to each other. I wonder how many of our aldermen never speak to each other?

Nadya Suleman and Her 8 babies - Sell the naming rights

I watched her interview or what they've shown of it so far. All I can say is that the woman is a nut case. The "I will go to school in the fall" is already sounding like someone who has lost their reality.

California law says for newborn, the ratio of chldren to caretakers is 4:1. Nadya is already in violation of that law for a babysitter.

Since her children are currently named A thru H, she should sell the "naming rights" to the kids to take in money.

Where Is The Outrage Over This Child's Treatment?

Vincent Richardson is the 14 year old who two weeks ago walked into a police station on the South Side dressed in a real Chicago Police Department uniform and reported for duty.

Now anyone reading this column should be outraged right now. Why? Because as a 14-year-old child, the news outlets should have used their common sense and not have allowed his name to be made public.

But even more than his name, which I understand his mother released to the press (still doesn't mean that the press should have gone ahead and used it), but there is a photo of him taken while he sat in the lockup at the police department.

That photo was featured on the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times and is making the rounds over the Internet. Now that is a complete violation of a juvenile's right to privacy.

So I'm going to start of by asking several questions. Our activist ministers always seem to find the time to go pray with the politicians whose adult behavior has gotten themselves in trouble. Where are they now that a child - obviously one who has some problems - has had his face and name plastered all over while a Chicago police officer can commit any crime against a citizen, and we never even learn the officer's gender?

What about our politicians who staged a boycott and protest for more money for the Chicago Public Schools? Where are their voices in outrage when one of those students is being exploited?

If you want to know why young people see the older generation as hypocrites, one needs look no further than the case of Vincent Richardson. And I only use his name because it is already out there.

I don't condone what he did. He put himself in danger. He exposed a huge security flaw in the practices or lack thereof at the CPD. He put the life of the officer he was assigned to patrol with at risk.

There can be no sicker feeling for any on-duty officer than to find out that for five hours the person who was assigned to work with you and have your back was a kid with newspaper stuffed in a pretend bullet proof vest and an empty holster for a gun.

But to see the headlines in the newspapers is to believe that Vincent is on the same page with some of the teenage kids who go and shoot up a school. The outrage from JFed, the nickname given to Jody Weis, our ex-FBI, $300,000-a-year-plus police superintendent, who never patrolled a city street in his entire life, was predictable.

He declared that heads would roll. Our mayor? As usual he puts the blame on others to deflect from any of us having a Kodak moment and remembering that he put Jody Weis in as head of the police department.

But whose fault is it really? Right now the finger pointing is starting from the bottom. The officer who rode with Vincent should have noticed he was a kid. The commander who allowed him on the street should have done something. And on and on. But what of our highly compensated police superintendent as well as the mayor? Shouldn't the buck stop at the top?

After reading the latest news that Vincent is currently being held in a juvenile detention center, I couldn't help juxtaposing his situation with another story in the paper that day of someone else who is "locked up" as well.

That is Flor Crisostomo, the illegal alien who is currently avoiding a deportation order by refusing to leave Adalberto United Methodist Church on West Division.

When you look at their situations side-by-side, both of them just wanted to work. Both of them were doing a job most of us don't want to do. Both of them lied about their legal ability to work. Both of them don't have driver's licenses. Both of them are guilty of pretending to be something other than what they really are - one a CPD officer the other a U.S. citizen.

So why is one in custody and the other not? I thought Chicago is a sanctuary city - right?