YoungRighty's blog

With the end of the legislative session, the Puerto Rico primary, and the big delegate meeting it seems like a good time for a weekend open thread.

This is how petty comedy has become?

This Chicago Tribune columnist is upset that Saturday Night Live chose Fred Armisen to impersonate Barack Obama in SNL's opening sketch this weekend. I agree that Armisen could have been a little funnier playing Obama...but I think the sketch made its point. And I did laugh. But for those watching, did you really not realize it was the white Armisen? It took me about 3/4 of the sketch to figure out who was playing him. Cate Blanchett just got nominated for an Oscar playing Bob Dylan, a... gasp!...man! Its comedy! Its acting! I don't see the point of making the petty complaint.

Here's a link to the sketch if you didn't see it.

Happy Monday.

Not that I read World Net Daily that often, but when I saw a link to Pat Buchanan's column on who is still a viable contender for the GOP nomination, I had to read. And I saw this really interesting nugget:

The front-runner since spring, Rudy Giuliani, is close to toast.

By dropping out of the Iowa Straw Poll in August, Rudy ceded Iowa and the cornucopia of publicity the winner receives. He is running far behind in Iowa, sinking in New Hampshire and certain to be skunked twice by Jan. 9. If so, he will lose Michigan, then South Carolina, where he is already far behind, and Florida, his firewall, where he is now slipping behind both Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney.

If Rudy is 0-4 going into Florida, he loses Florida. If he is 0-5 going into the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday states, his national lead will be ancient history. In some national polls, it has already vanished.

He says the same for Fred Thompson.

His best guess:

If Mitt Romney wins New Hampshire, drop the curtain for Rudy, Thompson and McCain – and they know it. For if Mitt wins in New Hampshire, none of the three beats him in Michigan, they will not beat him in South Carolina, and they will not beat him in Florida.

Can McCain, who kicked away what seemed a near-certain nomination by embracing the Bush-Kennedy amnesty and stiffing the Iowa Straw Poll, win? Not impossible. If he can win New Hampshire and make himself the national alternative to Huckabee, a desperate GOP establishment might rally to him for lack of an alternative.

But McCain's fate is not entirely in his own hands. He needs an assist. He needs Huckabee to defeat Romney in Iowa, where McCain will be waxed, then to come back and beat Romney himself in New Hampshire. Two losses by Romney in states where he has invested millions would put his campaign on life support.

But if Romney wins Iowa, he will win New Hampshire and Michigan, and go into South Carolina 3-0. If Romney wins the first two, he is almost surely the nominee. For that would eliminate Rudy, McCain and Thompson, leaving the only man able to stop him in South Carolina, a twice-defeated Mike Huckabee and his Christian prayer warriors.

I'm wondering what has caused Rudy's decline and why Thompson has never gotten off the ground. Because Rudy (Gordy) and Fred (Mark) have strong supporters here, I want to see what they think as well. And what do you see as Huckabee's role in all of this. If he wins Iowa, can he really be the nominee?

Discuss.

The Savoy Village Board is scheduled tonight to vote on an annexation agreement with the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District. While I don't claim to be an expert on the details of the proposal, I understand it would exempt most residential areas from annexation for 25 years. The exeptions would be new development that asks for it and a corridor down Rt. 45. It would also annex some properties...like the grain elevator at Church & 45 into the MTD. Honestly, I don't think many farmers take a bus to a grain elevator. Its a safe statement to say most people in Savoy don't want the MTD service. Whether they wouldn't use it or don't want busses on the street or hate the taxes...those are their reasons. What do you think of the agreement?

As you may have heard by now, Governor Blagojevich has called the legislature back today for another in a long line of special sessions. The problem is, his call to special session only included a bailout for Chicago Area Mass Transit systems. I say that because numerous downstate lawmakers have said they won't support an RTA bailout without a capital plan. Without a capital plan mentioned in the Governor's proclaimation. So what's going to happen? Nothing probably. State government at its finest.

So I pose this question to you: What is more important, a capital bill or a mass transit bailout?

The floor is yours.

From the Politico:

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) formally submitted his resignation this afternoon to current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.  He will officially be stepping down from Congress at 11:59 p.m. EST tonight.

This may mean a special election on February 5th including Jim Oberweis, Chris Lauzen, and who knows who else.

Your thoughts on the Hastert legacy? Or his replacement?

This one's for Gordy.

Gordy's got a kid, give him a break.

Whats on your mind today?

What are you thinking?

I was trolling around on Facebook earlier today and I came across this event. Its not an event, really, as much as it is a notice from students at the University of Illinois to other students to sign up for the University's new text message alert system. Given the communication debacle that was the Virginia Tech debacle earlier this year, you have to applaud the University for attempting to streamline communication. And what better way to reach a college student than through his or her cell phone?

But as I continued reading the description for the event, I moved to the comment section, where I saw this little gem from our friend John Bambeneck:

"You mean the emergency panic inducement system that is a needless expense designed to produce the "appearance" of security, but do nothing to enhance it, and arguably make matters worse... sure, I'll pay to get that on my phone! Maybe I can get Herman's sermons sent to it too!"

Its shocking to me that a measure the University uses to try to keep students safe is being construed as a "big brother" scenario. And pleas, explain to me, John, how it makes matters worse? Frankly, if I'm sitting in a class in the ASL and somebody starts shooting up Altgeld, I would NEVER want to know.

Give me a break.

I just received a text message from Gordy/IP announcing he and Mrs. Hulten are the proud parents of a baby boy!

5:45 am, 7 lbs. 7 oz., 18 inches

No name yet.

Congratulations to the new parents!

Illinois football open thread.

I don't know whether this is REALLY creepy or REALLY funny. Maybe its a little of both, but this is what presidential politics are all about now, I suppose.

And hey, at least she's cute.

Happy Monday.

Apparently Gov. Blagojevich and Sen. Mike Jacobs (D-East Moline) had an interesting run-in at the Capitol today. Apparently the governor was trying to buy Sen. Jacobs' vote convince Sen. Jacobs to vote for his universial health care proposal. Things went downhill from there.

Then, Sen. Jacobs talked to the media. Download and listen to the whole thing.

(Hat Tip: Capitol Fax)

The Trib today is taking one of the more humorous shots at Governor Blagojevich today. An excerpt:

It appears, though, that the governor's denial isn't momentary. As the legislative session wanes, he has yet to offer a new proposal to replace his beloved gross receipts tax. His evident intransigence conjures up the dialogue after Arthur severs the Black Knight's other arm:

Arthur: "You are indeed brave, Sir Knight, but the fight is mine."

Knight: "Oh, had enough, eh?"

Arthur: "Look ... you've got no arms left. ..."

Knight: "Just a flesh wound."

I have to admit, comparing the Governor to the Black night in Monty Python and the Holy Grail gave me a real chuckle.

Any other good comparisons for our governor? 

Duncan Hunter this week.

Discuss.

Sen. Joe Biden on his cut-and-run policy for Iraq.

Enjoy.

Today by a vote of 34-23 the Illinois Senate passed a bill that would ban smoking in indoor public places statewide.

Somewhere, Matt Varble is dancing.

I think we've been through the whole debate locally...but let me ask you this. Now that Champaign and The People's Republic of Urbana have passed smoking bans, would a statewide ban help even the playing field?

Here's the text of the bill, just in case you're interested.

And, the three Senators that represent Champaign County. Mike Frerichs, Dale Righter, and Dan Rutherford, all voted "no."

This week it's Sen. John McCain discussing global warming.

Discuss.