Change of Subject

It's awfully late in the game to be appointing a senator

Campaigns tend to start early these days. For example, Gery Chico, former chief of staff for Mayor Richard J. Daley, filed papers with the Federal Elections Commission on May 16, 2002, making him the first official candidate in an election...

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Meter mania -- $2/hour by 2013?

So drivers in Chicago are looking at a 400 percent increase -- from 25 cents an hour to $1 an hour -- at most parking meters in the city starting next year, and an 800 percent increase over current rates...

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On the `politics as usual' watch

I agree with Lynn Sweet's commentary today -- Barack Obama's dismissal yesterday of the strong criticisms he'd leveled at Hillary Clinton during their primary battle --they were simply "quotes that were generated during....the heat of a campaign," Obama said, and...

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Unscientific but compelling survey results

A little before 11 a.m. Tuesday:Tribune click survey --Should President Bush set former Gov. George Ryan free?Yes -18%No -82%(1940 responses)Sun-Times click survey --Should George Ryan go free?Yes -- 19%No - 80% ( 2268 responses)

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Paul runs the Anka leg in "Most Embarrassing Song" contest

Here are the results of WGN AM 720 host John Williams' bracket challenge to choose the pop song we are most embarrassed about once having loved: To read or leave comments on this idea, click here.Meanwhile, set the wayback machine...

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Northwest Side gas-price mystery a head-scratcher

I set out Monday to solve the great gas-price mystery on the Northwest Side.Since the middle of the summer, those who've driven through the intersection of Irving Park and Pulaski Roads regularly, as I do, have probably been struck by...

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Why George Ryan should serve his time

Imprisoned former Gov. George Ryan's ailing wife misses him terribly.He has lost his good reputation and his pension.He has "paid a significant price" for the corrupt acts he was convicted of committing in office, as Sen. Dick Durbin wrote in...

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Happy New Month

My wife thinks I'm crazy, but I find something bracingly portentous about a month that begins on a Monday, particularly a Monday that follows a long holiday weekend; particularly a month as variously busy as December.Today feels like a day...

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Danny Davis and guilt by coronation

Gov. Rod Blagojevich made news Thursday when he said veteran West Side Congressman Danny Davis is “certainly a strong candidate and under serious consideration," to be his pick to replace president-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.Davis has been promoting...

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Colbert and Stewart sing about Hanukah and Christmas

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30cA Colbert Christmas: Jon StewartColbert at ChristmasColbert Christmas DVDGreen ScreenBill O'Reilly Interview

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`Black Friday' ---why and when?

First, a question: Do you consider the adjective "black" in the term "Black Friday" as used to describe today, the day after Thanksgiving, to be positive or negative? Here's the gut response of readers to a Change of Subject click...

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Ex-Gov Thompson issues news release 'on the issues of remorse and apology' related to ex-Gov. Ryan

Former Ill. Gov. James Thompson, chairman of the law firm that provided a pricey defense team for former Ill. Gov. George Ryan, issued a Thanksgiving Day news release that contests the central thesis of my column this morning -- that...

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Durbin puts clemency on the table, then takes off

Dick Durbin wouldn't come to the phone Wednesday or even give me a short statement."He's already off for his Thanksgiving weekend," said Christina Angarola, a spokeswoman for Illinois' senior U.S. senator, via e-mail.. "He'll be available again on Monday."I wanted...

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Audio: Now it's no joke-- John Williams really is the king

For years, WGN AM 720 afternoon host John Williams has been talking about what he'd do if he were the king, and some of his listeners have played along by addressing him as "King John."Now he's got the throne. Not...

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Memo to high-school sports videographers: Get up to the press box!

A pet peeve of mine is that TV news stations too often send cameras to big high school football games and then place the camera operators on the field of play. There's almost no worse place to watch a football...

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Does Sean Hannity have the guts to partner with a big-league liberal?

Associated Press ---Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity is losing his liberal half. Alan Colmes of the network's "Hannity & Colmes" said Monday that he'll be leaving the prime-time show after 12 years.Good. I've long felt that Colmes was to Hannity...

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Keep Ryan and his `conscience' locked up

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin said Tuesday he is considering asking President George W. Bush to commute the prison sentence of George Ryan, contending the former Republican governor convicted on federal corruption charges "has paid a price for his wrongdoing."... Tribune...

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Senatorial tea leaves

On WTTW-Ch. 11's "Chicago Tonight" this evening, interviewer Eddie Arruza asked U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Chicago) if he had spoken with Gov. Rod Blagojevich about his interest in assuming the U.S. Senate seat of president-elect Barack Obama:I spoke to him...

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Z-Mail -- Drew Peterson's lawyer on Drew Peterson's Law

Joel A. Brodsky --It was nice to see that someone in the news media actually took the time to sit down and analyze the new “hearsay law” in somewhat the same manner that Drew’s legal team has (Zorn column Tuesday)....

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Wattle our governor do for Thanksgiving?

By now, many of you have seen the classic Sarah Palin/turkey slaughter video (below) in which the Alaska governor, having just issued a ceremonial holiday pardon to a turkey, answers reporters' questions as a farm worker in the background dutifully...

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Peterson's Law is no silver bullet

This print column is a version of a blog entry from Friday. That entry has source documentation and a longer discussion of the legal issues.Last week, the General Assembly passed a law aimed squarely at one man: Drew Peterson.Senate Bill...

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This joke rocked

On "30 Rock" the other night (summary), Tracy Jordan (played by Tracy Morgan) introduced his two sons, Tracy Jr. and George Foreman.Why is this funny?Also, there was this bit of dialogue:Liz: I’m still tired from that dinner. And meeting someone...

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The Obama name-o-rama

That's just ridiculous. Let the man take office and accomplish a few things before we start naming schools, parks, streets, bridges, holidays -- and for that matter, babies -- after him.... Richard Roeper, responding today to the news (posted Friday...

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`Hypermiling' as word of the year? Meh.

New Oxford American Dictionary has named "hypermiling" as its word of the year for 2008:“Hypermiling” was coined in 2004 by Wayne Gerdes, who runs this web site. “Hypermiling” or “to hypermile” is to attempt to maximize gas mileage by making...

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Yet I like `but.'

In this week's "On The Media," Vanity Fair writer Seth Mnookin explained to host Brooke Gladstone why writers for Bloomberg News were once prohibited from using the words "but" or "however" in their copy: Because it presented readers with conflicting...

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