Illinois

Latest news on illinois

Why is the NY Times continuing to ignore McCain's "own Bill Ayers"?

On October 4, The New York Times published a 2,140-word front-page article about Sen. Barack Obama's association with former Weather Underground member William Ayers -- at least the 18th Times article this year mentioning that association. But the Times has yet to mention, let alone devote an entire article to, Sen. John McCain's relationship with radio host and convicted Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy. Indeed, in its October 4 article, the Times quoted Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman denouncing Obama's association with Ayers but did not note that Chapman has described Liddy as McCain's "own Bill Ayers" and has written that "[i]f Obama needs to answer questions about Ayers, McCain has the same obligation regarding Liddy." The Times, moreover, quoted McCain criticizing Obama for his association with Ayers without noting that Chapman has faulted McCain for what Chapman described as McCain's "howling hypocrisy on the subject." As Media Matters for America has noted, Liddy served four and a half years in prison in connection with his conviction for his role in the Watergate break-in and the break-in at the office of the psychiatrist of Daniel Ellsberg, the military analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers. Liddy has acknowledged preparing to kill someone during the Ellsberg break-in "if necessary"; plotting to murder journalist Jack Anderson; plotting with a "gangland figure" to murder Howard Hunt to stop him from cooperating with investigators; plotting to firebomb the Brookings Institution; and plotting to kidnap "leftist guerillas" at the 1972 Republican National Convention -- a plan he outlined to the Nixon administration using terminology borrowed from the Nazis. (The murder, firebombing, and kidnapping plots were never carried out; the break-ins were.) During the 1990s, Liddy reportedly instructed his radio audience on multiple occasions on how to shoot Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents and also reportedly said he had named his shooting targets after Bill and Hillary Clinton. Liddy has donated $5,000 to McCain's campaigns since 1998, including $1,000 in February 2008. In addition, McCain has appeared on Liddy's radio show during the presidential campaign, including as recently as May. An online video labeled "John McCain On The G. Gordon Liddy Show 11/8/07" includes a discussion between Liddy and McCain, whom Liddy described as an "old friend." During the segment, McCain praised Liddy's "adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great," said he was "proud" of Liddy, and said that "it's always a pleasure for me to come on your program." Additionally, in 1998, Liddy reportedly held a fundraiser at his home for McCain. Liddy was reportedly scheduled to speak at another fundraiser for McCain in 2000. The Charlotte Observer reported on January 23, 2000, that McCain's campaign vouched for Liddy's "character": His [McCain's] campaign officials said Liddy's character will appeal to many voters because he was following orders from President Nixon and kept silent afterward. "His (Liddy's) judgment might be in question, but I don't think his character is," said Ed Walker, the York County chairman of McCain's campaign. "He was following orders just like any good soldier, and he didn't tell on anybody. He felt like he was on a mission and kept his silence." Liddy's 2000 speech was reportedly canceled due to bad weather. Media Matters has documented that as of September 19, the Times had published 15 news articles and four opinion pieces referencing Obama's ties to Ayers. Since then, in addition to the October 4 article, the Times has published two more articles mentioning the association. But despite having apparently judged Chapman's opinions on the candidates' controversial associations as being newsworthy, the Times has ignored entirely McCain's relationship with Liddy, according to a search of the Nexis database from January 1 through October 4*. In his May 4 Tribune column, Chapman wrote: What McCain didn't mention is that he has his own Bill Ayers -- in the form of G. Gordon Liddy. Now a conservative radio talk-show host, Liddy spent more than 4 years in prison for his role in the 1972 Watergate burglary. That was just one element of what Liddy did, and proposed to do, in a secret White House effort to subvert the Constitution. Far from repudiating him, McCain has embraced him. How close are McCain and Liddy? At least as close as Obama and Ayers appear to be. In 1998, Liddy's home was the site of a McCain fundraiser. Over the years, he has made at least four contributions totaling $5,000 to the senator's campaigns -- including $1,000 this year. Last November, McCain went on his radio show. Liddy greeted him as "an old friend," and McCain sounded like one. "I'm proud of you, I'm proud of your family," he gushed. "It's always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon, and congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great." Which principles would those be? The ones that told Liddy it was fine to break into the office of the Democratic National Committee to plant bugs and photograph documents? The ones that made him propose to kidnap anti-war activists so they couldn't disrupt the 1972 Republican National Convention? The ones that inspired him to plan the murder (never carried out) of an unfriendly newspaper columnist? Liddy was in the thick of the biggest political scandal in American history -- and one of the greatest threats to the rule of law. He has said he has no regrets about what he did, insisting that he went to jail as "a prisoner of war." All this may sound like ancient history. But it's from the same era as the bombings Ayers helped carry out as a member of the Weather Underground. And Liddy's penchant for extreme solutions has not abated. [...] Given Liddy's record, it's hard to see why McCain would touch him with a 10-foot pole. On the contrary, he should be returning his donations and shunning his show. Yet the senator shows no qualms about associating with Liddy -- or celebrating his service to their common cause. How does McCain explain his howling hypocrisy on the subject? He doesn't. I made repeated inquiries to his campaign aides, which they refused to acknowledge, much less answer. On this topic, the pilot of the Straight Talk Express would rather stay parked in the garage. That's an odd policy for someone who is so forthright about his rival's responsibility. McCain thinks Obama should apologize for associating with a criminal extremist. To which Obama might reply: After you. And in an August 22 blog post about an anti-Obama ad highlighting Obama's association with Ayers, Chapman wrote: But conservatives may not want to draw attention to the issue of ties to violent radicals -- since John McCain is longtime pals with convicted Watergate burglar Gordon Liddy, who once plotted a journalist's murder (which was never carried out) and has advocated the shooting of federal law enforcement agents. If Obama needs to answer questions about Ayers, McCain has the same obligation regarding Liddy. How about they both get started? From The New York Times' October 4 article "Obama and '60s Bomber: A Look Into Crossed Paths": Their relationship has become a touchstone for opponents of Mr. Obama, the Democratic senator, in his bid for the presidency. Video clips on YouTube, including a new advertisement that was broadcast on Friday, juxtapose Mr. Obama's face with the young Mr. Ayers or grainy shots of the bombings. In a televised interview last spring, Senator John McCain, Mr. Obama's Republican rival, asked, "How can you countenance someone who was engaged in bombings that could have or did kill innocent people?" [...] Since earning a doctorate in education at Columbia in 1987, Mr. Ayers has been a professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the author or editor of 15 books, and an advocate of school reform. "He's done a lot of good in this city and nationally," Mayor Richard M. Daley said in an interview this week, explaining that he has long consulted Mr. Ayers on school issues. Mr. Daley, whose father was Chicago's mayor during the street violence accompanying the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the so-called Days of Rage the following year, said he saw the bombings of that time in the context of a polarized and turbulent era. "This is 2008," Mr. Daley said. "People make mistakes. You judge a person by his whole life." That attitude is widely shared in Chicago, but it is not universal. Steve Chapman, a columnist for The Chicago Tribune, defended Mr. Obama's relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., his longtime pastor, whose black liberation theology and "God damn America" sermon became notorious last spring. But he denounced Mr. Obama for associating with Mr. Ayers, whom he said the University of Illinois should never have hired. "I don't think there's a statute of limitations on terrorist bombings," Mr. Chapman said in an interview, speaking not of the law but of political and moral implications. "If you're in public life, you ought to say, 'I don't want to be associated with this guy,' " Mr. Chapman said. "If John McCain had a long association with a guy who'd bombed abortion clinics, I don't think people would say, 'That's ancient history.' "

Restaurant features "wireless service bell button" to summon waiters at your command

Yesterday, David and I enjoyed fine lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Urbana, Illinois. The experience was made even more pleasant because of this "wireless service bell button" at our table. Note its four buttons: Waiter, Drink, Money (bill), and Chopsticks (food). Each button produced a different tone, which emanated from a speaker in the kitchen. When I pressed the drink button, the waiter appeared in seconds holding a pitcher of ice water. When I pressed the Money button, he came right out with the check. If Sarah Palin can promise in tonight's debate that -- if elected -- she'll sign legislation requiring all restaurants in the country to install tabletop wireless service bell button systems, she gets my vote....

Hewitt did not challenge Palin falsehood about Obama's "extreme position" on abortion

During an interview on the September 30 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Hugh Hewitt did not challenge Gov. Sarah Palin's claim that the "extreme position" on abortion Sen. Barack Obama took in the Illinois state Senate included "not even supporting a measure that would during a -- after a botched abortion and that baby's born alive -- allowing medical care to cease and allowing that baby to die." Palin's claim was based on Obama's opposition to a bill amending the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975, which, as Media Matters for America has repeatedly noted, Obama and other opponents said posed a threat to abortion rights and was unnecessary because Illinois law already prohibited the conduct being addressed by the bill. Indeed, as Media Matters noted, when tasked by the Illinois attorney general's office with investigating allegations that fetuses born alive at an Illinois hospital were abandoned without treatment, the Illinois Department of Public Health reportedly said it was unable to substantiate the allegations but said that if the allegations had proved true, the conduct alleged would have been a violation of then-existing Illinois law. Obama himself has cited specific provisions of the Illinois Compiled Statutes in stating that the "born alive principle was already the law in Illinois." Palin went on to assert of her characterization of Obama's position: "That, to me, is extreme. That's so far, far left. It's out -- certainly out of the mainstream of America. To me, that is the extreme position, not my position of just wanting that culture of life to be respected and not wanting government to sanction the idea of ending life." In response, Hewitt asked, "Do you think the mainstream media and the left understand your religious faith?" From the September 30 broadcast of Salem Radio Network's The Hugh Hewitt Show: HEWITT: Governor, let's turn to a couple of issues that the MSM's not going to pick up. You're pro-life, and how much of the virulent opposition to you on the left do you attribute to your pro-life position, and maybe even to the birth of -- your decision -- your and Todd's decision to have Trig? PALIN: Yeah, you know, I think that that's been probably the most hurtful and nonsensical slap that we've been taking is our position that we have taken -- pro-life, me personally, and saying that you know, even though I knew that 13 weeks along that Trig would be born with Down syndrome, and I said, you know, he's still going to be a most precious ingredient in this sometimes messed-up world that we live in. I know that my son is going to provide a lot of hope and a lot of promise in this world, and I'm so thankful of course that I've had the opportunity to give him life and to bring him into this world. But I think, yeah, truly that that's been a hurtful slap that we have taken, because people just don't understand. Ironic, too, Hugh, that some would consider my position on life and trying to usher in a culture of life, respecting the sanctity of life in America, that that is seen as an extreme position, when, to me, an extreme position is one that Barack Obama took when he was in the Illinois state Senate, not even supporting a measure that would ban partial-birth abortion, not even supporting a measure that would, during a -- after a botched abortion and that baby's born alive -- allowing medical care to cease and allowing that baby to die. That, to me, is extreme. That's so far, far left. It's out -- certainly out of the mainstream of America. To me, that is the extreme position, not my position of just wanting that culture of life to be respected and not wanting government to sanction the idea of ending life. HEWITT: Do you think the mainstream media and the left understand your religious faith, Governor Palin?

More from the Munsters

Just stole this from our P.R. department, hehehe. Feel free to take and adapt for your own use.***The Munsters TV Show Celebrates 40 Years TV?s The Munsters celebrate 40 years at 1313 Mockingbird Lane this September with the introduction of the first-everHalloween village with The Munsters theme and a model of Grandpa Munster?s "Dragula" dragster.Niles, Illinois August 31, 2004? The Munsters, America?s most frighteningly funny family, have continued to attract some of the most loyal television program fans over the past 40 years, a pretty impressive feat considering the show only ran for 38 episodes. Similar to the characters on The Munsters, these fans aren?t your normal fans who are satisfied merely watching the syndicated programs on television. Oleg Krylov who grew up with The Munsters says, "We Munsters fans are nearly as wacky as the characters themselves". The term enthusiastic is an understatement for The Munsters fans, some of whom have even gone to the great lengths of building homes that are exact replicas of the Munsters house as well as cars that look exactly like the Grandpa?s coffin shaped "Dragula" dragster.Fans celebrate The Munsters 40th year at 1313 Mockingbird Lane this September, with the introduction of the first ever, The Munsters Halloween collectible village. Authorized by Universal Studios and available only from Hawthorne Village, this new Munsters collectible is one of the most anticipated items for avid Munster fans everywhere. Friends will be as green as Herman when they catch a glimpse of The Munsters Halloween Village that features character figurines, spooky sound effects, and eerie glowing lights. Free highly collectible character figurines of Herman, Lily, Grandpa and Eddie, are included along with a 6- piece jack-o?-lantern lamplight set, a $65.00 value.Not all of The Munsters fans have room for a life-size version of Grandpa?s "Dragula" dragster, the ghoulish car designed by George Barris. However they can still show their loyalty with an Ertl die-cast collectible version by Hamilton Authenticated. The 1:18 scale model features a "coffin" body on a tube chassis, radiator, tombstone grille, bat-shaped forced air scoops, and metal organ exhaust pipes just like those on Grandpa?s original "Dragula" dragster.Exclusivity only increases the desirability and potential value of The Munsters collectibles. The first-ever, limited edition The Munsters Halloween Village mentioned here is a exclusive acquisition of collectiblestoday.com and its affiliates, the leading international provider for limited-edition collectibles, through an exclusive arrangement and officially authorized by Universal Studios. The Munsters collectible village,Grandpa?s "Dragula" dragster and more movie and TV -themed collectibles are available at Collectibles Today, The Bradford Exchange?s online marketing arm.Collectibles Today is the premier Internet shopping site for unique, quality collectibles and giftware from the finest companies worldwide, offering collecting expertise, excellence and excitement for collectors as they pursue their passion for collecting. Collectibles Today is the online marketing arm of The Bradford Exchange and its affiliates, the leading international provider of fine limited-edition collectibles. This founding relationship endows Collectibles Today with a heritage of almost three decades of experience in the collectibles market, with a sterling reputation for superior quality and exceptional customer service unparalleled in the industry. No other online collectibles company sells to more collectors with more fine products than Collectibles Today; and no other online collectibles company has the resources and industry knowledge to consistently identify, encourage and spearhead new trends in collecting. Just as The Bradford Exchange laid the first cornerstone for the present day collectibles market, so now Collectibles Today is leading the collectibles industry and collectors into an exciting new future.###

Principal, student punished for plagiarism

Ah, the memories the Naperville Central High class of 2008 will have. The school in Illinois has had the Principal fired and the class Valedictorian punished. Why? Because they both got caught plagiarizing.The Naperville Sun reported, "Naperville Central High School Principal Jim Caudill isn?t the only one Naperville School District 203 is punishing for plagiarism. During a Thursday afternoon press conference in which District 203 officials announced that Caudill would likely be 'reassigned' due to his admitted transgression, Superintendent Alan Leis revealed that portions of the commencement address delivered by Central?s valedictorian also appear to be plagiarized. Leis would not identify the valedictorian by name, but, in covering Central?s May 21 graduation ceremony, Central administrators reported that Steven ?Hankong? Su was the valedictorian for Central?s class of 2008."I am not sure of what either case of plagiarism is but the video of the commencement is being edited to remove some segments. That probably is a clue as to what happened. I am afraid plagiarism in commencements is fairly common. How many ways can you say basically the same thing? This probably just does not get caught very often.

Call for Authors: The Published Librarian: Successful Professional and Personal Writing

Seeking Submissions from Practicing Librarians (U.S. and Canada) for ALA Editions The Published Librarian: Successful Professional and Personal Writing (American Library Association)Foreword: Bob Blanchard, Adult Services Librarian, Des Plaines Public Library. Contributor to Illinois Librarians; Thinking Outside the Book: Essays for Innovative Librarians (McFarland, 2008)Introductory Note: Wayne Jones, Head of Central Technical Services, Queen?s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Ed., Ontario Library Association, Access; Ed., E-Journals Access and Management (Routledge, 2008)Afterword: Dr. Ann Riedling, LIS Faculty, Mansfield University. Learning to Learn: A Guide to Becoming Information Literate in the 21st Century (Neal-Schuman, 2006)Practical, concise, how-to articles. No previously published, simultaneously submitted, co-authored material. Two articles sharing your publishing experiences: 1900-2100 words total; for example, one article could be 1000 words, another 900-1100 words on another topic. Librarians with ethnic backgrounds serving diverse cultures are encouraged.Editor Carol Smallwood, M.L.S., has written, co-authored, edited 19 books such as Educators as Writers for Scarecrow, Libraries Unlimited, Peter Lang, and others. Her work has appeared in English Journal, Clackamas Literary Review, The Detroit News, Poesia, and several others including anthologies. Pudding House Publications published her chapbook, 2008; Words and Images of Belonging co-edited with Aurorean editor is with an agent; a recent book ishttp://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3575-3.Possible topics: marketing, online publishing, where to send reviews, research skills for historical novels, using editing a library newsletter to edit books, diversity in publication, ideas from students for YA books, using tools like BIP to locate publishers for your books, storytellers turned picture book authors, blogs and author web sites, interviewing, writing groups, networking, using a technology edge, promoting your books at conferences. Using issues librarians face such as censorship in poetry, essays, memoir, short stories, columns.Deadline July 30, 2008Please send more than 2 topics with annotations for feedback; a sample article may be requested. Compensation: a complimentary copy, discount on additional copies. Please submit topics for consideration with a 65-70 word bio. Place LIBRARIANS/your name on the subject line to: smallwood at tm.netSample bio:Suzanne Doe, a subject bibliographer at Central Michigan University, obtained her M.L.I.S. from the University of North Texas. She has been published in American Libraries, Beloit Poetry Journal, Library Trends. Her recent books include: The Mystery Woman (Random House, 2006); Adagio Sunset Candle (Poetry Press, 2008); Midwest Library Organizations (McFarland, forthcoming). She received the Kitty Maize Fiction Award, 2008. An avid skier, Suzanne organizes writing workshops for Pine Arts Council.

Chicago, Largest City In Illinois, Among Top 10 Worst Polluted Cities In The Nation (AHN)

(AHN) - Chicago, the largest city in Illinois, is one of the 10 worst polluted cities in the U.S. - Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:03:38 GMT

NY Post baselessly claimed that Obama "broke his promise" to military family "when he mentioned" soldier's name during debate

In a September 29 article, the New York Post reported that "Barack Obama apparently broke his promise to the family of a fallen Wisconsin soldier when he mentioned the slain sergeant's name in his Friday debate with Sen. John McCain." The article added that "Brian Jopek, the father of the late Ryan David Jopek, told National Public Radio in March that the family asked Obama to stop wearing his son's bracelet, but the Illinois senator continued to do so." However, the Post provided no evidence that Obama ever "promise[d]" the Jopek family that he would "stop wearing" Ryan Jopek's bracelet. In fact, during the March 20 interview with Wisconsin Public Radio, Brian Jopek made no such claim. Further, according to the Associated Press, "After Tracy Jopek gave Sen. Barack Obama a bracelet in honor of her son who was killed in Iraq," she "e-mailed the Obama campaign through its Web site asking that he not mention it during debates or speeches" but "never got a reply." Moreover, the Post did not mention until the eighth paragraph that Tracy Jopek and her daughter -- Ryan's sister -- were reportedly not upset over Obama's mention of Ryan Jopek's bracelet: "Tracy, who has been divorced from [Brian] Jopek for six years, said Obama's mention of her son in the debate was OK because he was responding to McCain, who first brought up that he was wearing a soldier's 'hero bracelet.' Tracy, who backs Obama, said she was 'ecstatic' that the Illinois senator had used her son's name and did not believe he was doing so for political purposes." During the September 26 debate, McCain asserted that in August 2007 at "a town hall meeting in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, ... a woman stood up and she said, 'Senator McCain, I want you to do me the honor of wearing a bracelet with my son's name on it.' ... And then she said, 'But, Senator McCain, I want you to do everything -- promise me one thing, that you'll do everything in your power to make sure that my son's death was not in vain.' " McCain added: "That means that that mission succeeds, just like those young people who re-enlisted in Baghdad, just like the mother I met at the airport the other day whose son was killed. And they all say to me that we don't want defeat." In response, Obama stated: I've got a bracelet, too, from Sergeant -- from the mother of Sergeant Ryan David Jopek, given to me in Green Bay. She asked me, can you please make sure another mother is not going through what I'm going through. No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they're carrying out the missions of their commander in chief. And we honor all the service that they've provided. Our troops have performed brilliantly. The question is for the next president, are we making good judgments about how to keep America safe precisely because sending our military into battle is such an enormous step. The AP reported on September 28 that Tracy Jopek "gave Obama the bracelet at a Green Bay rally in February." But a "few days" later, she "had a change of heart" and "realized it could be interpreted as a protest against the war, a statement that made her uncomfortable because other military families who suffered losses still supported the conflict." The article added: "So she e-mailed the Obama campaign through its Web site asking that he not mention it during debates or speeches. She never got a reply but said she didn't hear of him mentioning it after that -- until Friday, when Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain appeared in their first debate." The AP reported further: "Obama's comment sparked a number of angry comments from bloggers who suggested Obama was exploiting her son's death to score political points. Jopek said those bloggers might have heard comments that her son's father made on Wisconsin Public Radio on March 20." During the interview, Brian Jopek, who is a staff sergeant in the National Guard, reportedly claimed that "his ex-wife asked Obama not to wear the bracelet at any further public appearances. But Obama was still apparently wearing it, he said." However, according to the AP, "Tracy Jopek said she didn't hear the interview but that her ex-husband, who is currently stationed in Cuba, mischaracterized her viewpoint.' ... I think he knew my intention, he understands it was a gesture between me and Sen. Obama,' she said. 'It was just little piece of peace for us. I don't understand how people can take that and turn it into some garbage on the Internet.' " Also, the subhead of the Post article read "GI's Kin Irked Over Bracelet." But other than citing Brian Jopek's March 20 remarks, the article provided no evidence that Jopek family members had been "irked" by Obama's mention of Ryan Jopek. Indeed, the Post reported that Brian "Jopek could not be reached for comment. His stepdaughter, Morgan, said he is with the military in Cuba," and cited Tracey and Jessica Jopek's support of Obama's actions. From the September 29 New York Post article, headlined "Bam's Bangle Bungle: GI's Kin Irked Over Bracelet": Barack Obama apparently broke his promise to the family of a fallen Wisconsin soldier when he mentioned the slain sergeant's name in his Friday debate with John McCain. Brian Jopek, the father of the late Ryan David Jopek, told National Public Radio in March that the family asked Obama to stop wearing his son's bracelet, but the Illinois senator continued to do so. Jopek said his ex-wife, Tracy, was upset that Obama had made her son's death a campaign issue. In the March 20 NPR interview, Jopek, who lives in Madison, said his ex-wife had e-mailed Obama, asking him not to wear the bracelet. "She has turned down any subsequent interviews with the media because she just didn't want it to get turned into something that it wasn't. She had told me in an e-mail that she had asked, actually asked Mr. Obama to not wear the bracelet any more at any of his public appearances," he said. "But, the other night, I was watching the news, and he was on, uh, speaking somewhere, and he was still wearing it on his right wrist. I could see it on his right wrist. So . . . that's a choice that he continues to wear it despite Tracy asking him not to." Jopek could not be reached for comment. His stepdaughter, Morgan, said he is with the military in Cuba. But Tracy, who has been divorced from Jopek for six years, said Obama's mention of her son in the debate was OK because he was responding to McCain, who first brought up that he was wearing a soldier's "hero bracelet." Tracy, who backs Obama, said she was "ecstatic" that the Illinois senator had used her son's name and did not believe he was doing so for political purposes. Her daughter, Jessica, who is Ryan's sister, told The Post: "When Obama used it after McCain mentioned it, that was fine. We're very happy with his response. It was the perfect response."

Partisan contractors to count votes in Illinois, Colorado and Kentucky

In Illinois, Colorado and Kentucky, contractors with partisan ties to the GOP will be counting the 2008 vote.