Chicago Daily Observer

The mainstream media is not much interested in probing Barack Obama’s record before he arrived in the U.S. Senate in 2004. For example, they have studiously ignored the eminently well-researched book by David Freddoso, The Case Against Barack Obama. There is no shortage of material or information which might be relevant to voters. One aspect of Obama’s past in particular provides insight into Obama’s modus operandi in the world of Chicago politics: his service on the board of the Woods Fund.

The Woods Fund is a non-profit foundation which declares its goal to “increase opportunities for less advantaged people and communities by giving money primarily to not-for-profit groups involved in housing, the arts and other areas.” Obama joined the board of the Woods Fund in 1993 and remained until 2002. But Obama didn’t merely use the Woods Fund to help his fellow man — he used it to further his ... Read More...

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No big surprise, but the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District dumped a large amount of raw sewage into Lake Michigan yesterday. Per the Chicago Sun-Times, “the heavy rain prompted the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to open the North Shore Channel locks in Wilmette at 6:30 a.m. and Chicago River locks near Navy Pier at 10:15 a.m. A third gate at 130th and Torrence was opened at 5:15 p.m”.

The “Deep Tunnel”, the $3 Billion metropolitan drainage system, was full as of 7:30 AM on Saturday, prompting the MWRD to open the locks releasing 4 Billion gallons/hour of runoff mixed with raw sewage into Lake Michigan. The MWRD states that 1% of the liquid poured in the lake was raw sewage, still equating to a staggering 40 (ed. calculation corrected from 4) Million gallons/hour of raw sewage dumped into the lake.

The MWRD website notes a Confirmed ... Read More...

As a visiting fellow at Oxford’s Saint John’s College in 1978, I was given the opportunity to observe from behind a screen a student in final examination at tutorial. Stunningly for me, I had never before seen such a throwback to old medieval student-tutor relationship as the student sat deferentially on a chair before his don while the professor, glasses perched on the tip of his nose cracked not a smile and at least once where I was aware sought to trap his quarry in a nonsensical roundelay concerning John Milton. By this comparison the tutorial of Gov. Sarah Palin run by ABC’s Charles Gibson was benign. But we have the word of Charles Krauthammer who himself defined the so-called “Bush Doctrine” that there are four of them not one as tutor Gibson insisted-so by that Oxford measure the student who asked for clarification should be given full credit. ... Read More...

Illinois’ former Governor Jim Edgar on McCain-Palin: “That’s the ticket.”

Jeff Berkowitz: …people say that Sarah Palin energizes the base of the Republican Party. Do you agree and …what is it about her that energizes the base, if it does.

Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar (R-Charleston, 1990–1998): …Energy just kind of comes out of her…I don’t think it is an ideology thing, although… some from the far right might say, “Gee, this is good.” Republicans I have talked to, particularly women Republicans, who were for McCain, who are not ideologues—they maybe weren’t enthusiastic, they’re enthusiastic, now….I’ve learned a long time ago that in Illinois politics if you can get the Republican women motivated, you’re going to win.

Jeff Berkowitz: …one issue is…you’re known as a moderate Republican, you’re pro-choice; McCain is pro-life, Sara Pelin is pro-life; do you have any trouble with that? Do you think any of the pro-choice ... Read More...