Chicago Daily Observer

Pastor John Hagee sent a letter today [click here] to Catholic League president Bill Donohue that effectively ends the dispute the two men have had. Donohue comments as follows:

“After weeks of meeting with various Catholic leaders, and accessing scholarly literature on Catholic-Jewish relations, Pastor John Hagee has demonstrated an improved understanding of the Catholic Church and its history. In his letter to me, Hagee says, ‘I want to express my deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful.’ He specifically cites his emphasis of ‘the darkest chapters in the history of Catholic and Protestant relations with the Jews,’ and has pledged to provide a more complete and balanced portrayal going forward that will not reinforce mischaracterizations of the Catholic Church. And while he stresses that his invocation of terms like ‘apostate church’ and the ‘great whore’ were never meant by him to describe the Catholic Church, he ... Read More...

Money: Even though West Virginia was long expected to go big for Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Obama still outspent his opponent by more than 2–1 on television advertising, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group.

. . . your own opinion doesn’t count for much. A couple of weeks ago Barack Obama whomped Hillary Clinton in North Carolina and lost to her narrowly in Indiana, outcomes that were generally expected. Overnight, the media (and apparently the Democratic Party) decided that was that—Obama had wrapped up the nomination. The tone of the coverage underwent a sea change. Clinton was now an object of affection and indulgence:

My column on Wednesday argued for Clinton to gracefully exit the stage now that it looks like there are no more rabbits to pull out of her electoral hat. But readers—not all of them women—pushed back. Let her quit when she’s good and ready, many argued. She’s earned that right. Carol Marin, Sun-Times.

In a column that reads like a letter to the editor, Sun-Times woman Teresa Puente makes some very big assumptions about nuns’ image in the world about us:

Did Puente read the latest Salt, a quarterly from the BVM‘s (Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary), which is all about water as a diminishing resource – ”The Gift of Water: Precious, Endangered”? – and exudes the joy of activism?

The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) does not support the Chicago Children’s Museum’s proposal to relocate from Navy Pier to Grant Park. In a letter to the Chicago Plan Commission, MPC noted the absence of a “thoughtful planning process,” as well as a lack of public information about the Museum’s consideration of other locations, as central to its opposition.

(Full Story Opens in PDF File)

While Hillary Clinton and her strategists may publicly insist that it ain’t over until it’s over, her campaign is over.
Clinton must concoct an “exit strategy,” so as to minimize personal political damage, generate a modicum of goodwill, and maximize future political opportunity. In short, she must hope that Barack Obama loses the presidency, while avoiding blame for his loss.
So, too, must two prominent Illinois politicians who are poised on the brink of defeat and departure, respectively: Tony Peraica and Rod Blagojevich.
Peraica, Cook County commissioner and 2008 Republican candidate for state’s attorney, will not beat Democrat Anita Alvarez. If he expects to be a viable candidate for county board president in 2010, he can’t be obliterated in a landslide. In fact, he’ll be fortunate to get 35 percent. But the belligerent Peraica got into the race to win, so an exit strategy – and pre-election ... Read More...