McHenry County Blog

You know your congressman or state legislator has made the big time when he ends up on Chicago television.

Last night 16th district Congressman Don Manzullo was the point man for opponents to the financial bailout on WTTW's Chicago Tonight.

I was astounded that there were actually two opponents versus one who voted “Yes.”

Supporting the opposition to the bill was Democratic U.S. Representative Dan Lipinski. In support was Democrat Danny Davis.

Manzullo complained about the “dictatorial powers” being given to the Treasury Secretary, more than Alexandra Hamilton would have ever dreamed of.

And, without judicial review.

As Manzullo explained the bill, the types of checks and balances that keeps the United State government working just are not included.

As for bipartisanship, Manzullo said House Republicans were left out.

Manzullo suggested using the “same method as was used in the savings and loan bailout.”

He complained about the “take it or leave it” approach, as well as the complete lack of committee action. Manzullo serves on the Financial Services Committee chaired by Democrat Barney Frank, which supposedly has jurisdiction over the legislation.

“There was no oversight,” he complained.

Lipinski, a southwest side congressman said that the problem is “those on Wall Street don't understand the rest of America.” He pointed out that the average family would be saddled with a $10,000 burden had the legislation passed.

“The people who are saying congress doesn't understand Main Street are the ones who caused the problem,” Manzullo added.

He suggested immediately changing the “mark to market” rule for banks. As I understand it, that requires banks to mark down the value of their mortgages when the market value of the asset mortgaged decreases.

This suggestion is being hotly opposed by auditing firms.

“Before we spend $700 billion, we should exhaust every other possibility,” Manzullo asserted.

“Most of the constituents are opposed to (the bailout),” he revealed.

Manzullo's Democratic Party opponent Robert Abboud has not commented on the failed vote.

Labels: 16th Congressional District, Chicago Tonight, Dan Lipinski, Danny Davis, Don Manzullo, WTTW

In a fit of “equal time,” even though it’s not required by Federal law, Channel 11's "Chicago Tonight" will feature an interview with Republican United States Senate candidate Steve Sauerberg tonight at 7.

Incumbent United States Senator Dick Durbin was interviewed last night.

It will be rebroadcast at 1 and 4:30 AM, just in case you miss the 7 PM broadcast and want to record it or in case you have a hacking cough and can’t get to sleep, which happened to me Saturday night.

See story seeking volunteers below.

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The photo is of Steve Sauerberg attending the Pig Roast thrown by the Pro-Life Victory PAC at Woodstock's Resurrection Center this summer. He is seen talking to the Illinois Family Institute's Jim Finnegan.

Labels: Channel 11, Chicago Tonight, Steve Sauerberg, WTTW

Watching former State Comptroller Roland Burris, who defeated me in his re-election effort in 1982, on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight Monday reminded me why it was fun running against him.

He’s a tax hiker.

Monday night, Burris boldly went where few other than paid tax hike advocate Ralph Martire have dared go.

Burris wants the General Assembly to pass a budget with a tax hike, wait for Governor Rod Blagojevich to veto it and, then, override the expected veto.

To her credit Judy Barr Topinka did not agree with his suggestion.

After what I wrote about Blagojevich, I find it really exciting to be on his side on at least one issue.

Labels: Judy Baar Topinka, Ralph Martire, Roland Burris, Tax Hike, WTTW

8/28/6 - Carol Marin displayed palpable bias in her WTTW Chicago Tonight interview of three Cook County commissioners and an alderman on July 19th.

This is a woman, who is showing more and more of her organization Democratic Party bias.

You remember her.

She became a national media heroine by quitting WMAQ-TV when the station hired former Democratic Party Cincinnati Mayor and then and now TV shock show host Jerry Springer to do commentary.

Then, in 2000, she was given carte blanc to create the “liberal thinking woman’s” nightly news show by WBBM-TV, but bombed.

This summer, she didn’t utter a public peep when WTTW hired no-longer-on-Chicago schlock radio host Mancow for similar guest commentaries.

On Chicago Tonight, Marin had been questioning just-named interim Cook County Board President Bobbie Steele about the financial situation at county government when she turned to Republican Party nominee for Cook County Board President Tony Peraica.

On the panel were three Democrats (Alderman Todd Stroeger, named the day before by the Cook County Central Committee to replace his father on the fall ballot, Cook County Commission Forrest Claypool and Steele), plus Republican Party nominee for Cook County Board President Tony Peraica.

A pretty normal 3-1 WTTW bias against conservatives. (Despite, the odds, conservatives are able to hold their own on these WTTW panels).

I finally got her exact words. You can listen them to here. (7 minutes in.)

Here’s what I was able to transcribe.

After interviewing Steele on substantive governmental questions, Marin changes course in what had to be a pre-planned attempt to smear Peraica:

Commissioner Prisonni (she mispronounces Peraica’s name), let me jump to you and ask about a political question…

Peraica says, “Sure.”

…because there are plenty of Democrats out there who might want to protest by voting for you, but they see you as an anti-gay, pro-gun, anti-abortion (pause) guy in the bluest state and county in the state, so what do you have to say to them on the social issues that are going to make you attractive if they do decide to jump the traces?

Peraica then tries to follow up on what Steele had said about doing a quick study to figure out how to save money, pointing out that 30 years of studies are already on the shelf and gets in that he has taken a pledge against raising taxes before Marin charges back to her agenda of trying to frame the fall election in favor of Todd Stroger:

OK, but, but, to my question first.

What are you going to do on, on the pro-gun, anti-abortion, anti-gay kind of, you’re not a social liberal.

Peraica responds,

There’s not anti-gay anything. That’s, that’s a myth that was created by some to paint me as some kind of an extremist.

I am pro-life. I am pro-2nd amendment. I am anti-tax. I’m a fiscal conservative. And I think that these issues that you try to kind of raise as a division between myself and the Democratic electorate who voted for Forrest Claypool are really a myth.

People care about their pocket books….

He challenges Stroeger and Steele to tax a no tax hike pledge, but Marin, surprise, surprise, fails to follow up.

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Photo of Carol Marin, looking left, taken from the WTTW 7-19 interview of Peraica and others.

For more McHenry County Blog stories, click here.

Labels: Carol Marin, Tony Peraica, WTTW

Blogger Jim Bowman’s Chicago Newspapers ran my comment concerning the ignored aspect of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s All Kids program, specifically,

The only Chicago mention (or elsewhere, for that matter) that [Gov. Blagojevich’s] AllKids [health insurance program] includes for the first time those children in the US illegally was by Dick Kay on a WTTW show. Don't you think that ought to be at least part of the debate?

Dick Kays’ reply:

He has it exactly right! They will not apply under Kids Care because that is a federally funded program. All Kids is state-only and will cover illegal immigrants so long as they can pay the monthly premium and the co-pay. For that matter it would cover children of billionaires so long as they could pay the much higher premiums that would require. Our sister station, Telemundo, has done a couple of stories on the program.

Guess you have to understand Spanish to get the news in Chicagoland.

Jim has more about how the Governor will use All Kids in his re-election campaign.

Chicago Newspapers is the only place I have found that critiques Chicagoland media.

Labels: All Kids, Dick Kay, illegal aliens, Illegal Immigrants, Jim Bowman, Kids Care, WTTW