How Embarassing

Lynn Sweet covers Washington for the Sun Times, though perhaps it should be Hollywood:

Sharon Stone, the sexy star of the sizzler "Basic Instinct 2,'' which opens today, hits Chicago next month to headline a fund-raiser for Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).

Stone will be featured at Schakowsky's "Ultimate Women's Power Lunch'' at the Chicago Hilton. Some 1,500 attended last year, when Jane Fonda was the marquee draw.

Stone and Schakowsky became friends during the 2004 presidential campaign, when they were part of a "Women on the Move'' drive for Sen. John Kerry that paired female pols and stars.

Schakowsky gushed:
"We got a chance to really bond and become friends.''

Yes, this is that movie that is forgettable except for one scene. The Independent Women's Forum:

One hopes for her sake that the distinctly older and now nearly unrecognizable (from her former self) Ms. Stone won’t be reprising that particular scene as she reprises her role as the Stanford-educated icepick murderer Catherine Trammell who can’t afford to buy underwear despite her fancy degree--but, judging from the publicity for the film, she will!.....

Here’s the news report, linked courtesy of The Anchoress:
"[Stone] said the film, which promises even more nudity and ’kinky stuff’ than the 1992 original, proves that women over 40 can be sexy.

What can Stone and Schakowsky possibly have in common? Unless it is embarassing themselves in public.

Topinka leads Blago

Latest Rasmussen poll on Illinois Governor race, flipping back Judy's way, via RCP here. Very narrow lead. Assuming he runs, what will a 3rd party run by Meeks do? Presumably it would pull from Governor Blagojevich's support, and from some social conservatives, but there is also another party candidate who has declared, who may pull from Topinka--Randy Stufflebeam of the Constitution party. More here from Thoughts of a Regular Guy.

There is little enough to be enthused about it in Illinois politics, but it might be a more interesting election season than usual.

Wilmette Contamination

Unconfirmed report from State Fire Marshall that there was contamination. We do have confirmation there was no permit. At least one tank with sludge remains in the ground. At least one Wilmette official lied about a permit having been approved and state inspectors being present.

Also there were local reports of public urination by workers on site in full view of mothers and children by the bike shop on the street and near the library as no port-a-potties were provided by the developer.

More details to come. Earlier post here.

UPDATE: I called Mr. Kellogg of the Beth Corporation, part of the development group Wilmette Village Center LLC, for the answer to why his group had not obtained a permit before digging at the old Ford dealership, but, having given my name and town, the receptionist said unfortunately he had "just stepped out". I was directed to his voicemail.

According to local sources the machines which were measuring the level of vibrations at the site in order to protect the integrity of surrounding buildings were ordered removed by the developer just prior to major digging by large equipment on Tuesday.

The State Fire Marshall has now confirmed there are at least 3 tanks in the ground. The digging uncovered the tops. There are large holes and piled-up dirt and other materials. It is not clear whether other older tanks were actually removed. In my initial call to the Wilmette Community Development Dept.'s Plumbing Inspector on Wednesday morning, he indicated that tanks had been removed on Tuesday, that the sewer pipes had been disconnected so the systems were totally separate and that permits were obtained for the removal, which contradicts other reports. But if they were disconnected, it would seem they knew about the tanks in advance of the digging. And as you will see below, they also knew about the tanks being at least uncovered 2 days before the Fire Dept. contacted them. Why didn't the Wilmette Community Development Dept. contact the State Fire Marshall or tell the developer to do so immediately? Because they had claimed they already had???!!!

There is contamination in the location and an official incident report has now been filed with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEAMA, incident #2006-0342). The State Fire Marshall has just received a permit today, Friday, which was sent in Wed. or Thursday by the new removal contractor R.W. Collins just hired by Mr. Keith A. Pochter of the development group.

The Wilmette Fire Dept. was first contacted by the developer about the tanks on Thursday, 2 days after the initial digging, and when they were at the site noted at least two 300 gallon fuel oil tanks, soil contamination and odors, and they contacted the State Fire Marshall, the Illinois EPA and the Wilmette Community Development Dept. The Fire Dept. spokesman said older communities such as Wilmette often have buried fuel oil tanks.

The Fire Dept. report for Tuesday during the day and evening, when they were called on 2 separate occasions with reports of hissing sounds, concerned leaky oxygen valves. After the contractor supposedly drained it the first time, apparently it was not completely done, so on the second call the Fire Dept. completely drained the tank.

I have a call in to Mr. Silvus of the Community Development Dept. I will let you know what he says when he calls me back. I have also left a message with Mr. Keith Pochter to confirm the details of the incident report he filed with the Illinois EPA, which will be following up. In the meantime the dug-up soil and materials remain uncovered, even though, according to the EPA it should be covered until removed for clean-up.

The Immigration Debate

The Tribune has a good roundup of opinion today on its commentary page. Both commentators are from California. Ruben Navarette here. Victor Davis Hanson here. Also survey story in the Tribune here.

And the Wall St. Journal:

The breadth of new immigration, legal and illegal, in recent years has literally changed the face of America. Our own view is that this has been mostly for the better -- in revitalized inner cities, a younger workforce to fuel a dynamic economy, and in general helping America avoid the senescent future of other industrial nations.

But there have also been costs, and parts of America have borne more than have others. The border states in particular have experienced more crime and social disruption, as well as the cost to local taxpayers of "free" health care and education for illegal immigrants. To the extent they work and pay rent, illegals do pay for those government services. But we don't dismiss lightly the anxiety that many Americans feel at this rapid pace of demographic change. Well meaning politicians, such as Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, who feel obliged to respond to that anxiety in this election year are not part of the nativist brigades.

The issue is the form and message that response takes. For Republicans in the House especially, the approach has been to send the most punitive message possible to both illegals and anyone who assists or hires them, no matter how innocently. They're backed by a small but vocal band of "conservative" media who denounce any rational idea for legalizing the 11 million illegals already in the U.S. as "amnesty."

Never mind that even under the most liberal proposals now in Congress, current illegals would have to pay a fine, learn English, and wait upward of a decade to qualify for citizenship. And no matter that these pseudo-conservatives have no alternative policy, other than to arrest and deport millions in a way that would cause far more social and economic disruption than we have now.

Such a punitive policy would alienate business owners and religious conservatives among the GOP base. But because the policy is aimed largely at Hispanic immigrants, it will also rightly be seen as a specific ethnic rebuke.....

First as Texas Governor and then in the White House, Mr. Bush has wisely tried to change this anti-immigration image of the GOP. Among Hispanics in particular, he has made enormous progress.

We do need to know who is in our country. We do need to be able to deport criminals without being accused of being racist for checking documents. We should have requirements for photo ID from everyone when they vote. Employers do need to be responsible for not hiring people who have come here illegally. We do need to effectively monitor the levels of immigration we allow for skilled and unskilled labor.

We do need to secure our borders. Even Democrat governors of the border states of Arizona and New Mexico have sent their National Guard to protect their borders. Governor Richardson has called for more border guards and a high-tech virtual wall, which the pending Senate bill includes. He also pointed out that there is an emerging labor shortage in some parts of the Mexican countryside.

And perhaps the mere threat of a physical wall has caused Mexican President Vicente Fox to view the issue now as a two-way street, recently offering to extradite accused drug dealers to the US for trial.

Ronald Reagan spoke of America as a "shining city on a hill" where people come in search of freedom and know if they work hard they can achieve the American dream. Let's not forget that.

Business as Usual

Democrats in Springfield, led by Sen. Rickey "Hollywood" Hendon, on Thursday voted to confirm IDOT head Timothy Martin, whose agency is currently under investigation for mismanagement in handling contracts. The Tribune:

Timothy Martin won confirmation on a 31-18 vote--one more than the minimum--after a partisan debate that centered on state Auditor General William Holland's decision to turn over his findings to state and federal authorities.

"It's a questionable message that we send to confirm an individual when he is under this cloud," said Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson (R-Greenville).

Democrats, led by Sen. Rickey Hendon of Chicago, dismissed the Republican complaints as partisan grumbling.

"Everything the governor does, they're trying to charge that it's some criminal, underhanded thing going on, when I don't believe that's the case," said Hendon, co-chairman of the Executive Appointments Committee.

Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) said Martin "hasn't been accused of anything." Asked whether he believed Martin has done a good job since Blagojevich appointed him in 2003, Jones said: "Sometimes yes, sometimes no. So I voted for him."

The Democratic caucus supplied all but one vote for Martin, who was confirmed shortly after his 2003 appointment but has been the acting secretary for months while awaiting the typically routine approval for the second half of his tenure in the administration.

Sen. Adeline Geo-Karis, a Zion Republican who co-chairs the appointments committee, voted for Martin.

"He's not a thief," she said. "He should be given a chance to clean up his department."

One of the recipients of questionable contracts was a former legislator. Geo-Karis was defeated in the Republican primary last week, so she's on her way out. A few days ago, Democrats had suggested the Illinois Beach state park should be named after her. Guess she likes the idea. Republican voters scored one against business as usual. We've got a long way to go.

Campus Conservatives Battle Quacks

Attention Conservative College Students, Parents and Grandparents!

Yalie Daniel Gelertner, son of NRO contributor David, has started a blog to connect conservative students on college campuses. Here is his initial announcement, via Powerline:

The renaissance of American culture will be the work of conservative students now on college campuses. We have seen religion in America grow weak and we want to make it strong again. We have seen Americans forget the meaning of good and evil, and of man and woman; we want to remind them. We have seen teachers politicize literature, art, and history; we want to restore art for art’s sake, and for the sake of truth and beauty – not for politics or "social justice." We want history professors to teach us the truth – not feminism, multiculturalism, or the latest revisionist fads.

There are some of us on every campus, but on most we are outnumbered. No single college has the critical mass of conservative student intellectuals we need in order to resuscitate this country and prepare its next Great Awakening.

The Critical Mass blog will unite conservatives on campuses across the country. It is a stream of information flowing through American colleges, growing with each new contributor and contribution, turning gradually into a river of conservative thought. The Critical Mass blog carries the ideas of today’s young conservatives.

National Review also has started a college blog, Phi Beta Cons, and the Independent Women's Forum has sought to connect conservative women on campus as well as men at their Campus Corner.

Also, David Horowitz was in town to promote his new book, The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America.

Horowitz will be debating Ward Churchill next Thursday and Friday, April 6-7 at the First National Academic Freedom Conference in DC. Details here. It should be carried on C-span so look for it.

If you're college shopping you need to check out this book! If you're a parent you'll want to know if you're getting your money's worth, and if you're an alum, let your college know you are reconsidering your contribution. There are too many academic quacks on campus!

Wilmette No Permit?

Here's the update on the developer's removal of fuel tanks from the old Ford dealership on Wilmette's Green Bay Rd. Tuesday morning. I still do not have a report from the Wilmette Fire Dept. on their call Tuesday night along with Nicor to inspect the site. See earlier post Fumes Reported at Wilmette Site. The developer on this project is Wilmette Village Center LLC. Story in Wilmette Life here, quoting Brooks Kellogg of the consortium, whose firm also manages the Chase bank building.

I called the State Fire Marshall, Bill Alderson, to ask for the facts and left a message, as he was on the phone and is following up locally. In the meantime I was able to reach Illinois EPA Emergency Inspector Jim Clark, based in Des Plaines. He had spoken to Mr. Alderson and confirmed that there was no permit issued for the fuel tank or tanks removal. The State Fire Marshall, according to the law, needs to issue a permit and be present on-site at the removal to certify no contamination or supervise any cleanup of contamination if necessary. Mr. Clark also said that it would be unlikely there was no contamination as this was an older facility and pre-1998 tanks were constructed in such a way that it was difficult to avoid some spillage as they were being filled. He said if there was contamination at a site there is a lengthy process that the EPA must supervise to be sure the site is clean.

I asked Mr. Alderson about the possibility that the fuel could have leaked into the sewer line. He said that sewer pipes are put in a trench with gravel and are designed to have water migrate to it, they are not designed to be waterproof. He said if there was a spillage the fuel would normally travel along the trench until it could find a place to migrate in, and as it floats on top of the water it would flow in fairly easily. Depending on whether it was gas or diesel would affect flammability.

If anyone saw these tanks being removed Tuesday morning, please comment or email me at backyardconservative@gmail.com.

I would point out though, who had a great view of this illegal activity---Wilmette Village Hall, right across the street. (Pix is front view, back faces Green Bay Rd.)

UPDATE: I just spoke with Bill Alderson of the State Fire Marshall's office and he confirmed they have no record of a permit for tank removal. He is sending an inspector over in the morning.

Intelligence and Results

American journalist Jill Carroll has been released. Best roundup here by the Jawa Report, via RCP. I found these comments interesting:

Some are speculating that Carroll's release comes because of increased efforts to free hostages by Iraqi and Coallition troops. Her release comes only a week after American troops rescued three peace activists.

Apparently, Carroll's captors turned her over to the Islamic Party office in western Baghdad. The Islamic Party is the major Sunni party in Iraq and is a Salaafist organization (wants Sharia and return of Caliphate) with links to the insurgency.

Here is an update:

Now the NYT (via Bad Hair Blog) reports that one of the leaders of the Islamic party, Dr. Tariq Al-hashmi, is claiming responsibility for winning Jill Carroll's release. This is very interesting, indeed. Especially after the last few days in which many see a change in the political atmosphere in Iraq, with reports of Sunnis now seeing the Americans as allies to protect them from Shia militias and Shias--the traditional U.S. allies in Iraq--becoming suspect of the Coalition.

The Kurds are the swing group here in forming a new government and are the most steadfast allies of the US. The key point is that the three factions are still talking to each other, and all three are working with the US as it suits their interests. Our troops were perhaps on the verge of rescuing Carroll anyway so one of the parties took credit for the release. It looks like our intelligence is improving and our results.

UPDATE: Local connection, Jill Carroll's mom lives in Evanston and family has Wilmette ties, WBBM here.

Chirac on the Spot

French President Jacques Chirac kisses Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's hand after a meeting at the Elysee Palace. Reuters photo here.

Perhaps he is wishing she were his protege instead of Dominique de Villepin, to save him from the consequences of his failed policies of years. French courts have ruled that the new labor law, which makes it easier to hire and fire French youth is constitutional, so the buck stops with Chirac to drag France into the modern world of market-based economies. AP:

France's Constitutional Council upheld a new law Thursday making it easier to fire young workers, a measure that sparked nationwide strikes by labor unions and violent protests by students.

The council's decision puts the onus on President Jacques Chirac to either implement the law as is at the risk of further unrest or negotiate a compromise, perhaps by sending the law back to parliament or by proposing modifications.

As Theodore Dalrymple points out in the London Times, "The Striking Idiocy of Youth":

THE SIGHT OF MILLIONS of Frenchmen, predominantly young, demonstrating in deep sympathy and solidarity with themselves, is one that will cause amusement and satisfaction on the English side of the Channel.

Dalrymple points out British Labor policies foster some of the same promises from the State that it will be unable to keep. In any event, elite naval-gazing French youth are totally ignoring their poor cohorts in the suburbs:

Whether they know it or not, the people on the streets in France were demonstrating to keep the youth of the banlieues — who recently so amused the world for an entire fortnight with their arsonist antics — exactly where they are, namely hopeless, unemployed and feeling betrayed. For unless the French labour market is liberalised, they will never find employment and therefore integration into French society. You have only to speak to a few small businessmen or artisans in France — the petits bourgeois so vehemently despised by the snobbish intellectuals — to find out why this should be so. The French labour regulations make employment of untried persons completely uneconomic for them.

So Jacques Chirac is on the spot with French youth, and a little hand-kissing won't get him out of it.

Wanted: Honest and Responsible Leadership

"Save us from ourselves!!" Illinois legislators, prodded by Cook County Assessor James Houlihan, enact a property tax cap for Cook County homeowners so they don't have to enact tax reform, or hold the line on spending. Three years later Houlihan wants another one. Tribune says it's a bad idea with perverse consequences here.

Meanwhile, the shift in the tax burden is driving small businesses out of Cook County or out of business. And municipalities look for other ways to squeeze revenue to finance their bloated administrative staffs, pursuing development even when it squeezes out longtime small businesses and homeowners. This has extended in Chicago to underhandedly trying to seize church land (See Mary Mitchell here), or in Evanston a few years ago to denying a thriving church use of purchased property because their tax-exempt status would "cost" the city some revenue. (The city lost and had to pay the church damages.)

Then we read of the misuse of resources. An IDOT audit shows $700,000 of taxpayer dollars unaccounted for or spent on clearly questionable activities. The Sun Times:

State road money went to purchase health insurance for an ex-state lawmaker, promotional tattoos that were delivered to a Chicago alderman, a float in the Bud Billiken parade and a consultant's time at a dinner honoring the agency's former chief of staff.

Those were among dozens of questionable state expenditures that largely involved a public relations company hired by the state to promote the massive reconstruction of the Dan Ryan and Kingery expressways.

This after the story of motorists with questions about Dan Ryan construction being incorrectly given a hotline to a sex chat line:

Three of six informational signs were planted Thursday along the 11-mile stretch of roadway that will be rebuilt during the next two years, IDOT spokesman Matt Vanover said. An IDOT worker commuting to work Thursday morning recognized the incorrect number and alerted officials, he said.

"We apologize to anyone who may have called that number and did not get the information that they were looking for," Vanover said.

This is only the latest in a series of investigations of state agencies under Governor Blagojevich. Story on Illinois Auditor General William Holland's findings in the Tribune :

Holland's audit comes days before the massive $600 million Dan Ryan reconstruction is scheduled to begin on Friday. His findings have raised concerns about whether motorists will be adequately prepared to adjust to the sharply scaled back highway during construction.

Holland's decision to turn over the audit findings to state and federal investigators also represents another blow to Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration. Coupled with earlier damaging audits of the state lottery and the Department of Central Management Services, the IDOT audit marks the third review of the Democratic governor's administration that Holland has turned over for further investigation.

And all this with state and municipal unfunded pension laibilities hanging over us, which officials are not talking about.

"Save us from ourselves"? Enough! Is honest and responsible leadership too much to ask for? Vote the rascals out!

More Bias against Boys

More Bias against boys in Title IX, adding insult to injury, per the Independent Women's Forum:

It seems a convenient coincidence that officials are examining discrepancies in hard sciences like engineering, where men outnumber women 4 to 1, while ignoring the many areas in which women are outpacing men. Overall, women earn 58 percent of bachelor’s degrees. Why aren’t officials examining potential discrimination against boys that is leading to this inequity? Quotas aren’t the answer, but it is telling that the government is doing the feminists bidding by trying to boost enrollment of women in select areas while ignore the crisis in men’s education.

Not True

Blagojevich caught out:

"Mr. Governor, your comment stating that you were unaware of my religious affiliation and the fact that I was a top aide to Minister Farrakhan is not true," wrote Muhammad.

Latest on Hate Crime Commission at Marathon Pundit here.

SI on the SOX

Opening Day for Sox fans this Sunday. And the Trib with a few comments on the crosstown rivalry, as Sports Illustrated picks the Sox to win it all again!

Another Close Call at O'Hare

Third close call at O'Hare in a week. Statistically significant? I don't know, but who wants to be a statistic. What is going on at O'Hare? AP story here.

Totalitarian Islamism

In the wake of the Muhammad cartoon threats, twelve writers and intellectuals issued a manifesto this month condemning the "new totalitarianism" of Islamism. Christopher Orlet in the American Spectator:

The Manifesto 12 are quick to point out that the threat is not from Islam per se, but from what they call "Islamism," defined as a "reactionary ideology which kills equality, freedom and secularism." Countering Islamism means rejecting "cultural relativism, which consists of accepting that Muslim men and women should be deprived of their right to equality and freedom in the name of their cultural traditions," an extraordinary admission from mostly liberal intellectuals and scholars, who have for so long tolerated intolerance and endorsed a radical multiculturalism that refused to condemn any evil save that committed by one's own country (i.e., America).

If I have one problem with the Manifesto it is the Twelve's contention that the world is undergoing a "global struggle between democrats and theocrats," instead of a conflict of civilizations. Theocracies are not by definition anti-modern nor anti-Western. There are many and have been many benign theocracies, i.e., Tibet before the Chinese communist invasion. The Twelve also suggest that "despair" is the rationale for totalitarian states like Iran and Afghanistan under the Taliban, which is a bit like saying despair was rational for the Holocaust.

TO NO ONE'S SURPRISE Muslim assassins have begun mobilizing, drawing up and disseminating a hit list containing the names of the Manifesto 12, even though many of them are already marked men (and women).

As we know, it's not just Salman Rushdie any more. The more people who stand up to these terrorists the more difficult it will be for them to attack us all. Abdul Rahman is now safe in Italy, but in the meantime more Christians have been arrested for their faith in Afghanistan. Michelle Malkin here. And Investor's Business Daily has some tough questions for CAIR here. (Via Michelle Malkin) A must read.

Fumes Reported at Wilmette Site

Preparation for the 5 story building in Wilmette's downtown is continuing. Tuesday the developers removed fuel tanks from the former Ford dealership property. At least 3 surrounding businesses reported smelling fumes that day or the next morning when they opened their shops. One person smelled strong fumes this morning and was briefly dizzy. This morning I went by the local businesses there and could still smell fumes in two of them.

When one business smelled the fumes yesterday, coming from near their sewer line, one of the main lines for the block which runs under their building to the street, they called the village. Wilmette Plumbing Inspector Bob Silvus told them that the odor would be around for "3 or 4 days", to put water in their floor drains, open their doors and windows and run fans.

I called Mr. Silvus this morning and asked him why businesses were reporting fumes coming from their sewer system right after the old fuel tanks had been removed from the old property. He said the two systems were completely disconnected. I asked him why then, did he advise the business to pour water down their floor drains? He said it was just to be on the safe side in case of a sewer smell. He said the fuel smell would have been airborne. I asked him weren't their specific regs for removing fuel tanks? He said yes, that was under the state fire marshall. I said were they and the state EPA there? He said yes. Pending response from the EPA I will post that.

Last night one owner heard hissing sounds from the construction site adjoining a parking lot, and alarmed, called Nicor. According to 2 owners Nicor checked its lines for leaks but found none, and the smell was not natural gas.

The Wilmette Fire Dept. was also called. When I get their report I will update the site.

Additionally yet another business reported hearing hissing sounds a couple of weeks ago and called the police. Apparently it was a leaky oxygen valve, which may also have been the source of last night's hissing. Note the picture, taken this morning, from a parking lot between the library and post office.

Meeks Seeks GOP Support

Very interesting! Sun Times, "Meeks seeking GOP support in bid for gov":

State Sen. James Meeks asked a former Republican gubernatorial candidate to back his possible bid for governor Tuesday, while Mayor Daley defended Gov. Blagojevich's record on behalf of African Americans after an ultimatum from several black aldermen.

Flirting with a third-party run for governor, the South Side pastor approached conservative state Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) about supporting his potential campaign, but he got a thumbs-down from the third-place finisher in last week's GOP primary.

"I've already committed my support to Judy in writing, and I'm a man of my words," Brady said, referring to Republican gubernatorial nominee Judy Baar Topinka.

Brady predicted his mainly Downstate backers would not embrace a Meeks candidacy, not because of racial considerations but because of distrust of Chicago politicians eager to steer state resources the city's way.

Brady also said he believes Meeks is trying to leverage legislation and funding commitments from the Blagojevich administration, even though Meeks seems convincing about challenging the incumbent governor.

"He sounds serious," Brady said. "But I think at the end of the day, it's about playing the game.

Meeks does not rule out talking with defeated GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Oberweis to ask for his support. Mayor Daley appears to be trying to mediate, citing tight budget times, and the governor's team has been meeting with Meeks and the Black Caucus behind closed doors. Meeks wants $6 billion in school funding from the governor over the next few years.

Given that the state is essentially bankrupt, billions more is irresponsible. That said, the state will need to set priorities, and education is an important one.

School choice would be an excellent way to ensure quality at a reasonable price---let schools compete for students, with public monies tied to the individual students. Give the power to the parents to choose the education that suits their child's best interests.

In this day and age, why should anyone have to put up with a one-size-fits-all education?

Illinois Pension Debt

From the Illinois Republican Project, sobering post on the huge financial overhang Illinois faces, which has only become worse under our feckless Governor Blagojevich, who continues to propose yet more programs to buy votes.

The Intolerant Secularists

The Catholic church, which runs adoption agencies who place special needs children as a priority, have been targeted by a Massachusetts law mandating adoptions to same-sex couples, forcing them to totally shut down, and have been the recipient of intolerant remarks by San Francisco officials. The church is not opposed to other organisations' placing children with same-sex couples, but church teaching precludes it for Catholic organizations. My earlier post here.

The Catholic church also has been unfairly characterized as anti-gay. Tolerance is a two-way street. A religion or a person can have respect for other religions or lifestyles but can not be expected to embrace them themselves. Paul, Thoughts of a Regular Guy, has posted the entire statement by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, which includes this excerpt:

The church should not suffer intolerance or discrimination because of its religious beliefs. Moreover, the church is not anti-gay. It teaches respect for the dignity of every human being, and love for all our brothers and sisters.

What would be the point of a religion which did not believe in anything? And how should we view secularists on the left who are intolerant of other views?

The Marching Orders Were Clear

(AP) LOS ANGELES

The marching orders were clear: Carry American flags and pack the kids, pick up your trash and wear white for peace and for effect.

Many of the 500,000 people who crammed downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to protest legislation that would make criminals out of illegal immigrants learned where, when and even how to demonstrate from the Spanish-language media.

For English-speaking America, the mass protests in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities over the past few days have been surprising for their size and seeming spontaneity.

But they were organized, promoted or publicized for weeks by Spanish-language radio hosts and TV anchors as a demonstration of Hispanic pride and power.

Iran Suicidal

News from Iran. Iran Focus:

Iran’s Foreign Minister has expressed “concern” over “human rights abuses” in the United States and called on the United Nations to investigate the matter.

Oh, well, we have nothing to worry about. The UN....if it hit it in the face. Is Iran on the UN Human Rights commission?

Another Iranian plane crash. Remember this? It's Not Vegas:

Aircraft regularly fall out of the sky because Iranians are unable to reverse-engineer spare parts.

Finally, David R. Francis, via RCP:

For Iran, the use of its own oil as a bargaining chip has limited value. Iran gets 90 percent of its government revenues from oil. Its exports of about 2.5 million b.p.d. amount to 80 percent of its total exports. Oil provides some 40 percent of Iran's gross domestic product.

Yet Iran is the only major producer of oil to suffer from a budget deficit. The Iranian public, notes Alhajji, is heavily dependent on government subsidies for staple goods and fuels. From 1980 to 2005, Iran's population grew by 22.4 million and now stands at 68 million. Its daily oil output during that period rose by only 600,000 barrels.

So a cut in oil exports by Iran would be risky at home. "If they are willing to commit suicide, they could do it," says Alhajji.

Give it up Iran.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!!

Unbelievable!!! New Cook County election machines, that performed so badly this election, (See Chicago Machines), are produced by the same company that flipped the recall election results to keep marxist-Castro-loving Cesar Chavez in power!!!
Story by Richard Brand, via RCP:

The greater threat to our nation's security comes not from Dubai and its pro-Western government, but from Venezuela, where software engineers with links to the leftist, anti-American regime of Hugo Chávez are programming electronic voting machines that will soon power U.S. elections.

Congress spent two weeks overreacting to news that Dubai Ports World would operate several American ports, including Miami's, but a better target for their hysteria would be the acquisition by Smartmatic International of California-based Sequoia Voting Systems, whose machines serve millions of U.S. voters. That Smartmatic -- which has been accused by Venezuela's opposition of helping Chávez rig elections in his favor -- now controls a major U.S. e-voting firm should give pause to anybody who thinks that replacing our antiquated butterfly ballots and hanging chads will restore Americans' faith in our electoral process.

More here from John McIntyre, RCP blog.

And Chavez is ambitious. He has been tossing his petro-dollars around in Chicago as well as Latin America (See Banana Republics), decrying the US "empire", calling President Bush a terrorist and playing kissy face with Cindy Sheehan. Recently he has been cozying up to Iran, the terror state, and whipping up anti-American sentiment by claiming we are going to invade Venezuela. (Reuters, from their Oddly Enough, apparently Reuters finds thuggish dictators amusing):

With an audience of ministers, army officers and local officials chuckling, Chavez remarked on how he would target U.S. soldiers with arrows covered with curare, an Amazon Indian poison made from plants.

"I am going to practice with a bow and arrow. If we have to put a few arrows into any invading gringo, then you'll be done in 30 seconds, my dear gringo," Chavez said pointing to his neck during his regular Sunday television broadcast.

In the best tradition of humorless dictator humor, this is confirmation that Chavez is a nasty guy.

Cancel those voting machine contracts now!

A Secure Undisclosed Location

I know I shouldn't make a joke about this, but I couldn't resist. Maybe I can say part of it is the relief he is free. Abdul Rahman is safe. He is in a secure, undisclosed location. (Insert Cheney joke here.) He may need Cheney to protect him, as the UN is apparently one of the protectors. Michelle Malkin here.

The Threat was Real

You need to get your hands on the latest issue of National Review, or subscribe online. The April 10th cover story, "The Threat Saddam Posed" has great detail about Saddam's WMD capabilities right up to the eve of the war. One document, undated, describes a conversation in which Saddam refers to the 15th as when the action could happen anytime, and he wants the chem-bio to be prepared.

Remember this story about the Russians' tipping off Saddam before the war? Houston Chronicle:

In the end, one piece of Russian intelligence actually contributed to an important U.S. military deception effort. By telling Saddam that the main attack on Baghdad would not begin until the Army's 4th Infantry Division arrived around April 15, the Russians reinforced an impression that U.S. commanders were trying to catch the Iraqis by surprise.

The attack on Baghdad began well before the 4th Infantry arrived, and the government collapsed quickly.

So our quick advance may have saved our soldiers from a chem-bio attack.

We are Winning in Iraq

The MSM here has predictably been trying to spin this latest gun fight as the US attacking worshippers at a mosque. According to the US military, corroborated by local police and witnesses, (Reuters, I guess they don't know which side to be on so they have to tell the truth), Iraqi forces were involved, they were going to break up a Shiite kidnapping terror cell and were fired upon from an ordinary building. The hostage was a dental technician. (They wanted $20,000 from him or they would kidnap his daughter.) (A dental technician!!!)

Jack Kelly, via RCP on Sunday's gunfight in Iraq:

If the Shia militias have become the number one security problem in Iraq, it is less because the threat they pose has grown than because that posed by Sunni "insurgents" has receded.

If Sunday's moves marked a concerted campaign against radical militias, "this indicates the U.S. and Iraqi army are calculating there is enough space to open a second front," said military blogger Bill Roggio.

Back on March 18th, StrategyPage reported that: "the U.S. has told Iran that the Iraqi Shia militias being supported by Iran (the Badr and Sadr organizations) are going to get taken apart soon, and Iran is well advised to back off when this happens."

"Al Qaida is beaten, and running for cover," StrategyPage said Sunday. "The Sunni Arab groups that financed thousands of attacks against the government and coalition groups are now battling al Qaida, each other, and Shia death squads."

We are winning in Iraq.

Ryan Trial to Resume

Tribune:

A federal judge announced this afternoon that she had rejected a defense request for a mistrial, added two alternates to the jury and planned to restart the deliberations in former Gov. George Ryan's trial.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer stressed that she could reconsider her decision if she felt deliberations were unfair and "circumstances warrant."

"I have not shut the door on this possibility," the judge said of granting a mistrial, picking a new jury and holding a retrial.

Open Seat in Illinois 17th

Rep. Lane Evans, (D-Il), 17th congressional district announced he is retiring. The congressman has been suffering from Parkinson's disease for some years. Tribune:

Evans, who was hospitalized for a brief period in February, had not cast a vote in the House since Feb. 14 and had not reported to work in his Washington office for more than a month......

An open seat in the district, which includes Moline and Rock Island, could set off a competitive battle among Democrats. Andrea Zinga, a Republican who challenged Evans two years ago for his seat, won a three-way primary last week.

Yes, it's the year of the woman! Yeah! Right Rahm? Oh...wrong party.

Looks like Rahm will have to rework his Big Plan for winning back the House.

Susan Garrett Defends Sexist

Illustrating that feminism is usually trumped by their allegiance to the Democrat party, state Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest) defended her colleague, state Sen. Rickey Hendon after he made sexist remarks publicly to a freshman legislator, state Sen. Cheryl Axley (R-Mt. Prospect). Tribune:

SPRINGFIELD -- A Democratic senator from Chicago who was participating in ritual hazing of a freshman senator during Senate debate Monday suggested that he and the rookie lawmaker meet for a drive down a township road after the session that evening.

The remark by Sen. Rickey Hendon prompted uncomfortable laughter from colleagues in the chamber, followed by comments of outrage from some as word of the comment traveled through political circles later.

Hendon asked freshman Sen. Cheryl Axley (R-Mt. Prospect) if she was "a true blonde" during the debate over her bill, which dealt with township roads. Then he asked if she would "mind going on a township road with me later on tonight."

When the presiding lawmaker told him his question was out of line, Hendon jokingly responded by saying, "Madame President, don't deny me my opportunity here. I mean, she looks like she's only 16 or 17. I might be able to trick her or something."

Some senators--including the 46-year-old Axley--laughed off Hendon's comments, but others said his remarks were inappropriate.

"This is the very kind of thing we try to teach our daughters not to put up with," said Sen. Christine Radogno (R-Lemont), a candidate for state treasurer. "We had several young people visiting because it's spring break. ... Even though it was said in jest, I don't know that they understood that. I thought it was a horrible example."

Supposedly this is a tradition to razz new legislators when introducing their first bill, but apparently the state senator is referred to as "Hollywood Hendon" to his colleagues for good reason. Defending him was state Senator Susan Garrett:

Several colleagues defended Hendon, one of the most liberal members of the Senate and a supporter of many progressive causes for women.

"Comments on the first bill are never meant to be taken literally," said Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest), who was off the floor when Hendon spoke. "Now, should there be a line drawn about how far you can go? Probably you should use your best judgment. Maybe Sen. Hendon could have used different phrases to get that point across. But anybody who knows Rickey Hendon knows he's very colorful in his choice of words."

Democrats, always making excuses for themselves, standards of behavior don't apply to them. A poor choice of words all around.

Meeks Seeks Support

Pro-life Illinois state Sen. James Meeks continues to explore the possibility of running as a 3rd party candidate for governor. Meeks, who is also a Baptist minister, won in his first run for public office as an independent, upsetting the Democrat incumbent. He is an interesting candidate and poses possibilities. As I said in my earlier post, The Moral Center, if Meeks comes out in favor of real school choice he will have my vote. Sun Times:

The Chicago City Council's black caucus met with state Sen. James Meeks on Monday and agreed to back Meeks' possible third-party gubernatorial bid unless Gov. Blagojevich commits as much as $4 billion during the next four years to African-American causes.....

Ald. Beale said he expects Blagojevich to deliver on the $1 billion-a-year funding commitment for schools, job training, help for released prisoners and building needs by May 31, or the wheels will be set in motion to get Meeks and a slate of third-party candidates on the fall ballot.

Here's the mayor:

Mayor Daley, meanwhile, weighed in on the potentially devastating threat Meeks poses to Blagojevich.

When asked if Meeks had the ability to torpedo Blagojevich and perhaps the rest of the Democratic ticket in the fall, the mayor said, "Sure. Sure, that's happened before. That's a reality."

And in the Tribune, Chicago alderman Howard Brookins:

Rather than being a spoiler who would hurt Blagojevich in his contest against Republican Judy Baar Topinka, the anti-abortion rights Meeks could win in a three-way race, Brookins said.

"He stands in stark contrast to the two nominated candidates, especially with regard to abortion rights," he said.

A huge pro-Meeks turnout in the African-American community would mean that he could win with less than 40 percent of the rest of the vote, Brookins said.

Interesting times in Illinois.

Judicial Hellholes

Belleville News Democrat, via Capitol Fax: Chamber of Commerce Rankings:

The Chamber released its annual "legal fairness" ranking of the states. The survey of 1,400 attorneys by Harris Interactive ranked Delaware, Nebraska, Virginia, Iowa and Connecticut at the top of the list. The bottom five: West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Hawaii. Illinois ranks sixth from the bottom.

American Tort Reform Association, Judicial Hellholes (from last December) Illinois has the dubious distinction of 3 of the top 5 worst:

Judicial Hellholes are places that have a disproportionately harmful impact on civil litigation. Litigation tourists, guided by their personal injury lawyers seek out these places because they know they will produce a positive outcome - an excessive verdict or settlement, a favorable precedent, or both.

Illinois can boast of Cook County (#2), Madison County (#4, formerly #1) and St. Clair County (#5, formerly #2). We are in unenlightened company. Diane from downstate Respublica has more on this story.

And who is one of the trial lawyers' best friends? Our own Senator Dick Durbin:
Tribune:

Durbin's federal PAC, Prairie PAC, which is also his vehicle for supporting local candidates, includes among its contributors such Washington interests as power lobbyist Tommy Boggs and the trial lawyers lobby.

Red Queen or Taliban?

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, after signing an order last year, continues to target pharmacists who, as a matter of conscience, object to being forced to fill prescriptions for contraceptives, including the morning after pill: (Earlier post here.)

Blagojevich warned Illinois pharmacists in April to dispense the abortifacient morning-after pill or face legal backlash – despite a state statute that exempts pharmacists from participating in practices contrary to their religious views.

Here are his allies who of course put their wants and beliefs over everyone else's :

“The Governor has been out in front of women’s issues, and this is one more way he is working toward equality for women. It is unconscionable that a pharmacist, who is a licensed health care professional, would even consider his or her personal beliefs over the needs of a patient and the decision she has made with her medical provider,” said Shelley A. Davis, Director of Programs and Advocacy for the Chicago Foundation for Women.

The governor's latest scheme, Tribune:

Each of the state's roughly 2,700 pharmacies would be required to post a sign with Gov. Rod Blagojevich's name on it that details what options customers have in buying contraceptives under a proposal the governor announced Monday.

Blagojevich's plan comes during an election year in which he is pushing health-care issues, and it follows a controversial order he put into place last year requiring pharmacies that sell contraceptives--including the morning-after pill--to dispense them without delay.

Freedom of conscience has been in the news lately, though it's usually not an issue in this part of the world:

Some pharmacists have said they believe that forcing them to fill such prescriptions violates their religious principles. But Blagojevich said the measures he is putting into place will prevent pharmacists from "trying to make a political statement" when they are supposed to be doing their jobs.

Governor Rod Blagojevich.......Red Queen or Taliban?



Off with their heads!!!!

Can the Ryan Trial Continue?

With the dismissal of 2 jurors at a key point in the proceedings, after jurors had been deliberating for 2 weeks, the question is whether the trial can continue. Tribune here, Sun Times here. And here's the Tribune, who found the information on the 2 jurors, on what did they know and when did they know it. Zorn's column here. Marathon Pundit here. UPDATE: and here.

Bush is NOT a Liar

(A Guest Essay by my astute friend Eva Sorock)

GOP candidates have their slogan for the 2006 election. Here’s a reprise of the headline above: Bush is NOT a liar. These five words need to be repeated often so that they finally sink into the jellyfish-like American consciousness. I calculate that it will take about 13,765,450 iterations of the slogan to counteract the brain washing the American public has undergone since the Mediocrats moved on from fuming about chads shortly after September 11, 2001. Actually, I admit that number is made up, but for the last 2000 or so days I have heard that Bush lied at least twice a day from mushy, fair-weather Republican friends; about 10 times per day from ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN (and I don’t watch the main-stream media regularly); five times more per day in newspapers or the 6^th grade level news magazines (Time and Newsweek – which I view only at doctor or dental appointments of course), and at least once per day from a person in my family (who can be defined as someone currently experiencing mental torture at an American university.)

Lest we forget what he is said to have misled us about, it comes down to two big (boring at this point, but that does not stop them) lies: 1) WMDs and 2) the connection between Saddam Hussein and terrorists. Blah, blah, blah. After all, those were never the only reasons the U.S. initiated a pre-emptive strike on Iraq. Paul Wolfowitz explained it way back before he joined the Bush administration. The strategy always was, and still is, to attempt to build a viable democracy in the Middle East that will inspire citizens living under despots and insane dictators to rise up and fight for their independence. Why? Because democracies tend to be more stable and peace loving than dictatorships. Why Iraq? It has always been the likeliest candidate for democracy: a country with an educated, secular, well-to-do middle class – unlike most of its neighbors. Case closed and hard to refute – but then it turned out to be easier to argue that Bush lied about WMDs and the terrorist connection.

Something remarkable has happened during the last few weeks; the U.S. government has finally begun releasing documents our GIs captured in Iraq and posting these documents on an Army website. (See Laurie Mylroie’s op.ed. in the Wall Street Journal on March 27, 2006.) The documents chronicle nothing less than Saddam Hussein’s contacts with the Taliban and Al Qaeda beginning in the 1990s and provide evidence that he made and stored anthrax and mustard gas – small amounts, but enough to supply terrorists heading out on a field trip to attack innocent civilians. It’s still very early in the process of translating and analyzing the Iraqi documents, but it looks like Republicans, if they take the initiative, maybe able to make some political hay in 2006.

Danish Imams Caught on Tape

The anti-Denmark campaign continues. Henrik Bering in the Weekly Standard. The Danish imams go to Bahrain:

This time around, they were in Bahrain at the International Conference for Supporting the Prophet, ostensibly on a mission to persuade their fellow imams to end the boycott of Denmark. But their image as conciliators was badly shaken when, at the same time they were in Bahrain, a French documentary aired showing a spokesman for the traveling imams, Ahmed Akkari, on camera suggesting that the leader of Denmark's Democratic Muslims organization, a moderate member of parliament named Naser Khader, should be blown up if he enters the government.

"If he becomes Foreign or Integration Minister, we should send a couple of guys to blow up both him and the ministry," Akkari said, not knowing he was on camera. Danish police are now trying to decide whether the threats were made "in jest," as Akkari subsequently claimed. A tiny man with a scraggly beard and a high-pitched voice, Akkari had not previously been known as a great comedian.

Fortunately for Naser Khader, French journalist Mohamed Sifaoui was a fair, and apparently unobtrusive, man:

"We came to Denmark without preconceived ideas and found that you cannot call a country racist when it gives its minorities all rights and chooses three Muslims to parliament."

All this has finally shut up the leftists in Denmark, who were pressing their version of "Why do they hate us?" And Danish prosecutors are finally acting to charge a spokesman for a terrorist group with making specific death threats. It looks like the US has a staunch ally in Denmark.

For continued Hitchens' site visitors PIX OF PRO-DENMARK Demonstration Chicago here and here.

The Gravitas of Secretary Rice

Iran Focus, Rice to Paris to discuss Iran:

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet with French President Jacques Chirac in Paris during a European swing this week focusing on the Iranian nuclear crisis, the State Department said Monday.

She will also meet with Germany's Angela Merkel.

And regarding recent revelations of Russian treachery in sharing intelligence on US military plans with Saddam Hussein's Iraq before the war, Secretary of State Rice said she will "take a hard look at the reports", and will raise it with them this week. This and more on the secrets revealed by the Saddam documents from Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard, who had been pushing for their release for months. Information keeps coming illustrating ties between Saddam and Osama bin Laden:

Another captured document details the plan of the Iraqi Intelligence Service to invigorate its relations with Saudi opposition groups, including one headed by Osama bin Laden. According to that document, which a Pentagon task force determined "appears authentic," bin Laden requested assistance from the Iraqi regime on its anti-Saudi propaganda efforts and with attacks on U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia. The documents indicate that Iraq agreed to rebroadcast al Qaeda propaganda and left open the possibility of working with al Qaeda on attacks.

Secretary Rice also stated on NBC's Meet the Press that she expects "We're going to find some important and surprising things in these documents."

Perhaps the MSM will say there is "nothing new" in the documents, that we need to "move on", but based on what has come out so far they may actually have to acknowledge the truth.

Naah.

Deeply Shocked in France

Widespread strikes are set for tomorrow, now called Black Tuesday, in France. President Jacques Chirac's pet, hand-picked successor, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, a noted poet and Napoleonic scholar, proposed a new jobs contract to allow employers to fire unproductive youthful workers within their first 2 years on the job. The impetus was to slightly move France's sclerotic economy toward a market-based one and bring down youth unemployment, which is stuck at over 23%, and near 50% for the largely Muslim immigrants segregated in the suburbs. Larry Kudlow, RCP:

Indeed, at the heart of the French problem is a statist-run socialist economy that is massively overtaxed and overregulated. France's public government sector, for instance, accounts for more than 50 percent of GDP. In other words, private business in France is in the minority.

Added to this, France's top personal tax rate is 48 percent, with a VAT tax of nearly 20 percent. So that means French laborers face a combined 68 percent tax rate on consumption and investment. No wonder France has created less than 3 million jobs over the past twenty years, compared to 31 million in the United States. Economic growth in "cowboy capitalist" America has exceeded that of France's worker paradise by nearly 50 percent.

No Paseran has more here and here. De Villepin's rival Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, an immigrant himself, has proposed an alternate plan, in the Financial Times:

Last night the interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy – Mr de Villepin’s main rightwing rival for the presidency – took a fresh swipe at him over his handling of the crisis. Mr Sarkozy used a speech in Douai to criticise Mr de Villepin for not negotiating with unions before launching the CPE, which would let companies fire people aged under 26 relatively easily during a two-year trial.

Mr Sarkozy said: “Social dialogue is essential for successful reform.” Instead he proposed a more ambitious policy: a single contract for all ages, with phased protection according to the length of time at a company.

Meanwhile, French President Jacques Chirac was last seen flouncing out of an EU meeting in a huff, as a prominent French businessman chose to make his speech in English, as it is "the language of business". Per the BBC, Le President was "deeply shocked" to hear a Frenchman speak English, as the French have been "fighting for a long time to establish the presence of the French language at the....Olympic Games, where it was contested for a while.

France....exceptionally silly, deeply shocked.

Democrats Embrace False Promise, Junk Science

Now the Tribune has done a story on the Democrats' plan to use embryonic stem cell research as an issue in the fall campaigns. But this research has yet to cure anyone, unlike other cells that are already being used, but don't intentionally kill embryos to achieve it. Related posts: Hucksters of Human Life, and here.

Wal-Mart Goes Green

Continuing its usual savvy marketing, better products at lower cost, Wal-Mart may give a big boost to organic products. Perhaps it has read about the Crunchy Cons, as well as the usual greenies. Tribune:

Wal-Mart plans to double its organic grocery offerings in the next month and continue looking for more products to offer in such areas as grocery, apparel, paper and electronics.

Stephen Quinn, vice president of marketing, told an analysts' conference this month that stores would have 400 organic food items this summer "at the Wal-Mart price."

Some Wal-Mart critics call the effort just a public relations job. But others say Wal-Mart could make a real difference if the retailer brings a critical mass of organic products to market and pushes enough suppliers to adopt green practices.

Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope, who is a board member of the union-backed group Wal-Mart Watch that criticizes the retailer, said it is too soon to tell if Wal-Mart will deliver but that the impact could be good for the environment.

This may complicate continued Democrat efforts to use Wal-Mart as a campaign issue.

Hillary Spins and Grins

Hillary has been crying crocodile tears about how President Bush has neglected the troops by not providing enough body armor. What do the troops in the field have to say about it?
Yahoo News via GOP Bloggers: Bulky Body Armor: Good for politics, Bad for battle.

Extra body armor — the lack of which caused a political storm in the United States — has flooded in to Iraq, but many Marines here promptly stuck it in lockers or under bunks. Too heavy and cumbersome, many say. Marines already carry loads as heavy as 70 pounds when they patrol the dangerous streets in towns and villages in restive Anbar province. The new armor plates, while only about five pounds per set, are not worth carrying for the additional safety they are said to provide, some say.

And does anyone besides me think Hillary's public face is usually inappropriate for the occasion? There is something unseemly about smirking when speaking about illegal immigration, and grinning when taking Jesus' name in vain. Jesus would not lead people into the desert and leave them to die. Targetting gangs who profit from cross-border human smuggling was one of the points of the house bill, not soup-kitchen volunteers. The Catholic church is misinformed.