Chicago Daily Observer

Illinois Republican Party leaders recommended Friday that consultant and former state’s attorney Pat Brady of St. Charles be named the new national committeeman at the Republican National Convention.

Brady, cousin to state Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, still must be elected by the Illinois Republican Convention in Decatur today to officially take the spot.

The national committeeman represents the Illinois Republican Party to the national party. If elected, Brady would succeed committeeman Bob Kjellander, who has announced he will step down at the end of his term, following the 2008 elections.

Forget Sex and the City and its extravagant women. Haven’t you heard? Thrift is in vogue.

Every cloud has a silver lining, they say, and if there’s a silver lining to problems like the subprime mortgage crisis and escalating gas and food prices, it’s that some Americans are waking up to the old-fashioned idea of thrift.

Out of the blue, and out of Washington D.C. (not a place known for controlled spending) comes a multi-year, national campaign to confront the debt culture. It’s called “Confronting the Debt Culture” and a report, released in May, called “For a New Thrift: Confronting the Debt Culture,” outlines ways in which to confront the debt culture.

I know all about thrift. I was a music student, after all, and lived on Ramen noodles (10 for $1 at Jewel) throughout my early years in Chicago while my MBA friends dined at Charlie Trotter’s. I ... Read More...