Sen. John McCain Makes Arlington Heights Mayoral Race Endorsement

Imagine my surprise today when I opened up my Chicago Tribune (online) during lunch, while I was attempting to eat, and discovered that Senator John McCain (R-AZ) had endorsed a candidate in the upcoming Arlington Heights mayoral race.

If you imagine that I was unable to stomach my lunch, you'd be right.

You'll recall that I grew up in Arlington Heights. I lived there from 1974 through 1989 and then, again as an adult, from 2000 to 2011. That's 26 years. 26 of my almost 42 years of life have been spent in Arlington Heights. For the 11 years I lived there as an adult,  I worked and ran my business in Arlington Heights, and was a member of the Chamber of Commerce where I served on the Board of Directors for three years. Additionally, my mom still lives there, as do a number of my friends. I still have significant interests in the goings-on in Arlington Heights.

I'm not a fan of John McCain. Yes, he served his country nobly in Vietnam. He suffered horribly as a prisoner of war. He came home and decided to become a public servant. I don't deny that he has given the majority of his adult life in service of his country in one way or another. That is to be applauded.

The biggest thing that trips me up about John McCain is the legacy that I believe spoils the rest of what he's done in his career: Sarah Palin.

John McCain gave us Sarah Palin. John McCain's first presidential act as a candidate for the highest office in the land in 2008 was to select less than one-term governor of Alaska Sarah Palin as his running mate. He failed to vet her. Now I know, he relied on his staff to do that, but they failed to do it and the buck stops with him. Ultimately, it was his decision and he chose a woman who was horribly unqualified to hold the second highest office in the land and be a heartbeat away from running the country.

And now, John McCain wants to tell the people of Arlington Heights who to vote for on April 9th. He recommends a buddy of his who served as the mayor of an Arizona town from 2000 to 2006 and who has only lived in Arlington Heights since 2007.

Given John McCain's reputation for endorsing wholly unqualified candidates, I will tell my mom to vote for anyone but John McCain's buddy.

Blago vs. Jon Stewart

In case you missed it last night, here's the complete unedited interview former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (Convicted Felon Party) did with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. It's worth your 12 minutes.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Rod Blagojevich Extended Interview Pt. 1
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Rod Blagojevich Extended Interview Pt. 2
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Happy Unindepedence Day!

Most Americans around the country are celebrating Independence Day today. They are gathering at the steps of the National Archives to hear the Town Crier read aloud the Declaration of Independence. They are going to parades, town festivals, bar-b-ques, family gatherings, and watching fireworks. All in all, today is a day of celebration.

We recall that day in 1776 when a small group of thoughtful men stood up for what they believed in, declared us free from taxation without representation, and that each of us is born equal and with the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But not thousands of citizens of the State of Illinois who rely on human services for their survival. In the State of Illinois, they are unequal and without these rights we all hold so dear.

At the hands of selfish, egotistical legislators, who have failed to do the jobs to which they were elected, the most vulnerable citizens of our state have had their rights ripped from them in the cruelest of ways. In case you're unaware, on Tuesday, the Illinois General Assembly failed to pass a full budget that would, among other things, guarantee full funding of human services programs. On Wednesday, Governor Quinn vetoed the 50% budget passed by the General Assembly that would allow some, but not all funding, and all the politicians fled Springfield on vacation until July 14th when they'll return for yet another special session. Really.

Well, except that not everyone went on vacation. Thousands of social service workers across the state went to work on Wednesday morning committed to their causes, yet unsure whether or not they had jobs and could provide the lifelines to the state's most vulnerable citizens. Governor Quinn issued a statement giving them the option of continuing to provide services with no guarantee they'd ever get paid or shut down. Many agencies are now operating with a skeleton staff, but many more, already grossly underpaid by the State, were forced to shut down leaving their clients with no jobs, no assistance, no way to get to doctor appointments, and wondering how long they'll have a roof over their heads.

As I prepare to march in the Arlington Heights 4th of July parade in just a few hours, I know I'll see quite a few politicians in attendance. Parade participation is a favorite politician pastime and today will be no different. I don't know which politicians I'll see, but there's a huge part of me that's tempted to walk up to them and let them know that if they want my vote in the next election, they'll decline to participate in the parade and get back to Springfield and do the job they were elected to do: represent all the people, not just the healthy ones.

It's Not a Democrat or Republican Issue. It's a HUMAN Issue.

The State of Illinois is currently operating without a budget because the General Assembly failed to pass one that Governor Quinn would sign. In fact, he vetoed the partial budget they sent him and so as of yesterday, social service agencies across the state were without funding. Many of them have given their employees notice that their jobs will be cut in the next few weeks and others laid people off yesterday.

People who rely on the services provided by many of these agencies - already operating on a shoestring budget given the work they do - will be going without services. That may not seem like a big deal to you or me, but the help developmentally disabled and mentally disabled people receive through these agencies is truly their life line. With assistance, a lot of people are able to live to the fullest of their abilities, have a sense of self-worth and accomplishment, socialize, work, and not be confined to a nursing home or lost in their own brains.

Private agencies that rely on state money in order to provide service had to choose between staying open and providing services and hoping they eventually getting paid by the State (which may never happen) or to shut down and eliminate services. What a horrific choice.

The General Assembly will come back into special session on July 14th to possibly consider overriding Governor Quinn's veto, but that's two weeks away. That's a disgrace. Why should they get to take a two week vacation while thousands of people across the State are suffering because of the lack of action by our lawmakers?

Lawmakers should get back to work and fix this mess they created. Stop holding the most vulnerable citizens of Illinois hostage.

This isn't a Democratic or Republican issue. It's a HUMAN issue.



Related blog posts:
We Must Have Human Services in Illinois
What You Do To The Least Of These, You Do To Me

What You Do To The Least of These, You Do To Me

Do you know who is credited with the phrase in the title of this post? I'll give you a hint. The exact quote is "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Jesus Christ is said to have made that statement in the parable about The Judgment of Nations. I'm not a religious person, but what this statement says to me is that the way we treat the least among us (both the good and bad ways we treat people), those who are unable to help themselves, says more about us as a human race than anything else.

If you live in Illinois, you are undoubtedly aware of the debate in Springfield about the state's budget woes. Governor Quinn, like many other governors before him, is threatening to cut the state's human services programs by 50% unless the state legislators approve the 50% increase in state income taxes. Currently, Illinois taxes residents a flat 3% income tax. Under Governor Quinn's plan, that income tax would increase to 4 1/2% for two years and then revert back to the 3% tax rate.

What are human services? Many people mistakenly think of human services simply as welfare for poor people who don't pay taxes. That would be a far too simplistic explanation of it. Yes, human services includes programs for the poor (and by poor, I mean people who live further below the poverty line than you can possibly imagine), but it also includes programs for the disabled including special education, tutors, rehabilitative services, personal assistants (not someone to come take dictation, but someone to come in and assist the client with everyday living activities like getting dressed, bathing, etc.), respite care, residential services, drug and alcohol programs, programs for the elderly, day care, foster care services, and many other programs that anyone at any time could need.

The Republican legislators, while saying they do not want to cut these services, refuse to support Governor Quinn's tax increase plan. They say that cuts are necessary in other areas of the State budget. Democrats also do not want to cut human services and are generally supporting the Governor's tax plan. And that's where the impasse lies.

Human services programs are at the core of who we are. Any of us could become disabled or have a child with severe disabilities. With any luck, we will all live to a ripe old age and the elderly programs will make our lives a bit better. In this economy, we never know when we will lose our job and need assistance from some of the state run jobs programs. How we treat the least among us speaks volumes about us as a society. Illinois needs all the human services we have. They simply are not optional. Holding them hostage in these budget wars is despicable.

I took a look at the state-by-state comparison of income taxes for 2008 by the Federation of Tax Administrators (they are not doing this comparison again until 2010). State income taxes range from no income tax in Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming to up to 9.5% in Vermont. At 3%, Illinois is right in the middle. Furthermore, income taxes have not been raised in Illinois in 20 years.

As much as I don't like the idea of paying more in the way of taxes and as much as I believe there are certainly areas in the State that could be run more efficiently and with less money, I also believe that we must take care of the least among us and the best way to do that is to protect human services. For those reasons, I encourage all of the legislators to quit balancing the budget on the poor and disabled and to vote for the tax increase and then get to work on finding areas to trim.

Bad News for Blago and Illinois

In spite of my obviously compelling plea and the Tribune's Eric Zorn hopping on my bandwagon in his column today, U.S. District Judge James Zagel today refused to allow former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to participate in the upcoming NBC reality show "I'm A Celebrity . . . Get me Out of Here!"

To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement. As both Eric Zorn and I argued, participating in this show would allow Governor Blagojevich not only an opportunity to earn money to pay for his defense (saving the State of Illinois money) and there's a chance (albeit a small one) that Governor Blagojevich might not return (saving the State of Illinois even more money).

Oh, well, I can't have everything I want in life.

If You Build It, They Will Come

Whenever I think of that famous line from The Field of Dreams, I'm reminded that by simply putting my wants, dreams, and desires out into the universe, they are more likely to come to fruition.

When I was a senior in college in 1993, I decided I wanted to move to Washington DC. I knew no one and had no potential job connections, but knew that if I got a hotel room for spring break and pounded the pavement, I'd create an opportunity. On the first day of my Spring Break, I got on a plane with a huge stack of resumes, my only business suit, comfy walking shoes, and a DC guidebook. I knocked on every door in Washington and made everyone speak to me until I found a job. Well, not a job, exactly, but an unpaid summer internship at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. As August in DC rolled around, I realized I still was without full-time employment and would have to return to Chicago if I didn't have a job by Labor Day (per the deal I'd made with my parents). This was the last thing I wanted and I kept talking about the job I wanted in DC. Through the miracle of a blind want ad in the Washington Post, I landed my dream job the day after Labor Day and only had to return to Chicago long enough to pick up my winter clothes and drive back to DC. I had put my dreams out to the universe of being in DC, worked to make my dream come true, and I had seven of the best years of my life.

Fast forward to late 1999 when I was talking to a friend of mine and he asked if I'd ever return to Chicago. The truth was that as much as I loved DC, I missed my family and being able to attend the spontaneous family get-togethers. I told my friend that I might move back after President Clinton was out of office in January 2001. Much to my surprise, three months later, in March 2000, the universe presented me with the opportunity to return to my hometown and I took it.

Two years later, in the Spring of 2002, I was working for a company I wasn't terribly happy with. On two separate occasions over a two-week period, friends familiar with my work situation asked me what I'd do if I could create my dream job. I told them both that I'd be working in politics. Although I had volunteered on numerous political campaigns, I really wanted the opportunity to work in a paid capacity on a campaign. I had previously been offered a job in fundraising on a state-wide primary campaign, but something about it hadn't felt right and I had turned it down. About 10 days after my second conversation, my phone rang and I was offered a second opportunity to work in fundraising on a different state-wide campaign. Because opportunity doesn't often knock twice, much less more than that, I took the job. Again, I had spoken my desire to the universe and the universe answered.

I have two other dreams that are beginning to come to fruition. I can't talk about them yet, but they're both dreams I've had for years. I've slowly built the foundation for these dreams becoming reality and now that they seem to be happening, I couldn't be happier. And don't worry, when I can speak about them, Little Merry Sunshine is where I will break the news.

I know that many of you reading this will think it sounds hokey that I could simply speak my wishes and poof they came to fruition. Let's be clear, that's not exactly how things happened. I did verbalize my dreams into the universe, but I also worked to make my dreams come true by building up my qualifications or knocking on doors so that when my desires came true, I was ready. Sometimes it's a matter of unknowingly speaking my desires to the right person who can help me turn them into reality. But no matter what, putting my dreams into the universe is an important step in turning them into reality.

Just for fun and to remind you and me that it's not hokey to put your dreams out into the universe, take a minute to read the lyrics to "When You Wish Upon A Star" the famous Disney song. I know we all remember it from childhood, but until a friend pointed it out to me today, I hadn't ever really listened to or read the words.

When You Wish Upon A Star

Music by Leigh Harline / Lyrics by Ned Washington
Performed by Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards)

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you

If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do

Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing

Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true

So get out there and start speaking your dreams and then get to work. If you build it, they will come.

The Rod Blagojevich-Roland Burris Saga Continues

I'm confused.

Although Governor Rod Blagojevich has been charged with crimes related to attempting to sell the senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, he has not been indicted, impeached, nor tried and found guilty of any crimes.

Now I'm no fan of Rod Blagojevich. In fact, I think that he's pretty much an abismal failure and blowhard. But he's still the Governor of Illinois.

Since he was arrested on December 9th, he's been doing his job. He's signed bills into law, most notably a bill requiring insurance companies to cover autism. He also set a date for a special election for the vacated 5th Congressional Seat vacated by Rahm Emmanuel when Rep. Emmanuel was appointed to be President-elect Barack Obama's Chief of Staff. Next week, he will preside over the swearing in of new State Senators and Representatives in the 96th General Assembly.

No one has questioned Governor Blagojevich's ability to perform these duties. In fact, many people are quite happy about them. I, for one, think the autism law was long overdue. But why are people so loudly protesting the Governor's ability to appoint a Senator? If Governor Blagojevich is capable of performing some duties (e.g., signing bills into law, presiding over the Illinois Legislature, and setting dates for special election), why isn't he capable of performing other duties? Why isn't there an uproar over every action he takes? Why are people selectively questioning his legal standing to do his job?

I don't buy the argument that since he's been charged with trying to sell the senate seat, there's no way he can appoint anyone without people thinking there was some pay to play involved. It is unfathomable to me that anyone would say that Roland Burris in not qualified to be a U.S. Senator. He's been elected to statewide office four times.

When Mr. Burris arrived at the Senate door this morning, he was turned away because his credentials were not in order, but it's been reported that even if Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White certifies his credentials, which is what is currently lacking, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that Mr. Burris will still not be seated. What? Even if he has the proper credentials, Roland Burris will not be seated? Why not?

Mr. Burris is meeting with Senate Leadership tomorrow because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants to "negotiate." What? What is there to negotiate?

Why is the Senate, made up of 99 mostly white men and women, telling 1 black man that he is not welcome?

How Is It Different?

I have watched, somewhat quietly, over the last four weeks since Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested, the unfolding drama of picking new senators for both New York and Illinois.

As a bit of background, Illinois needs a new senator because Senator Barack Obama is about to be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States (yep, I just like saying that). New York is in this same pickle because President-elect Obama has chosen Senator Hillary Clinton as the new Secretary of State.

Even before the November 4th election, there was great speculation about who would replace Senator Obama should he win. Familiar names including Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan were among the most talked about.

Personally, I hoped that Governor Blagojevich would name someone quickly as that person would have more seniority than the new senators elected November 4th and sworn in on January 6th. Unfortunately, he did not.

As we all now know, Governor Blagojevich is alleged to have tried to sell the senate seat to the highest bidder - the person who would raise $1 million for his own personal campaign fund. And that is what led U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to arrest Blago on December 9, 2008.

Now I'm not going to get into whether Blago is guilty or not. That's ultimately for a court to decide. Certainly, in the Court of Public Opinion, Blago is the most corrupt politician ever and should share a cell with former Governor George Ryan.

Last week, in a move that surprised everyone I know including many politicos, Governor Blagojevich named former 3 term Illinois Comptroller and 1 term Attorney General Roland Burris to fill the vacant senate seat. Immediately, a firestorm erupted with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid saying he would not seat Mr. Burris. Sure, Mr. Burris lost in his bids to be elected senator against Paul Simon in 1984, mayor of Chicago in 1995 against Mayor for Life Richard M. Daley and multiple runs for Governor, but the fact remains he won 4 terms to statewide office.

Looking at New York's situation, within minutes of Senator Clinton being nominated to be Secretary of State, Caroline Kennedy (of the Hyannis Port Kennedy's) tossed her name into the ring to replace Senator Clinton in a seat once held by her uncle, Senator Robert F. Kennedy. For the most part, the media and the public have loved this. Everyone is very eager for Caroline to breath life back into Camelot and take her seemingly rightful place in the Senate.

But what has Caroline Kennedy done to prove herself worthy of this senate seat? Since I questioned Sarah Palin's qualifications to be Vice President, I feel it would be unfair of me to ignore the fact that other than being a Kennedy, writing some nice books about public service and patriotism, and serving on some boards, Caroline Kennedy has no actual qualifications to be the next Senator from New York. She has never held any elected office, for example. It's recently been revealed that she failed to vote in a number of elections, which is a bit ironic since she claims public service and patriotism are part of her DNA. Obviously, she's over 30, a resident of New York, and a citizen of the United States, which are the only requirements laid out in the Constitution, but many people meet those requirements and remain unqualified to be a Senator.

Aside from the the nostalgia of Camelot, I think the only two things Caroline Kennedy does have, however, is instant name recognition and the ability to raise a significant amount of money to run again in 2010 and, should she win that special election, to run again in 2012 when her seat would normally be up for reelection. She also has the ability to raise a significant amount of money for New York Governor David Patterson in his 2010 gubernatorial campaign. He is probably going to need all the help he can get since he wasn't actually elected to his position. Of course, David Patterson is thinking of which candidate will best help his own political aspirations. To suggest he's not would simply by naive.

What I don't understand is how these situations are all that different. Isn't it always understood that politicians help each other out? It seems to me that the only differences between the New York and Illinois situations are that (1) Caroline Kennedy is a Kennedy, (2) no one likes Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and (3) Blago wants his payment upfront and guaranteed, while Patterson will take an IOU. Democratic Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid obviously wants to keep both seats in the Democratic column in 2010 and Roland Burris won't easily win re-election and certainly doesn't have the name recognition to easily raise money. But, at the end of the day, isn't palm greasing palm greasing no matter how or when it's done? Why is one blindly accepted and the other a federal crime?

I Love The Onion!

The Onion never fails to be timely or funny and often gets it right years in advance.

Today's American Voices is a perfect example of both timely and funny . . .

llinois Governor Arrested
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on corruption charges stemming from an alleged conspiracy to sell or trade the Senate seat left vacant by Barack Obama. What do you think?

Ethan Strouth, Mailroom Worker

"I was moved by the governor's heartfelt plea that he be given his fucking money back."

Denise Simmonds, Dog Groomer
"I should have never had those 'Spitzer-Blagojevich 2012' lawn signs printed up back in February."


John Edwards, Lawyer
"How much are Senate seats going for these days? I only paid $75,000 for mine back in ’98."

Piece of History

This is the actual letter of resignation submitted by Senator Barack Obama to Governor Blagovich.

My Congressman Speaks! Just Not To Me.

As I turned onto my street about an hour ago, I discovered both sides were lined with cars and Mark Kirk (R-IL) for Congress signs and flags in most lawns. My across the street neighbor was having a tea. Oh goody. Hopefully, my Dan Seals (D) for Congress sign would still be in my yard, but it's been known to disappear before.

Pulling closer to my house, I noticed him standing in my neighbor's driveway and I realized there was no place for me (the homeowning taxpayer) to park. Normally, this would not be a problem because I would simply park in my driveway. Unfortunately, my town is in the middle of replacing my street and they started on the curbs on my side of the street, just poured the concrete yesterday, and we have not been given the clearance to park in our own driveways yet. Given how much stuff I had to bring into my house (I had been meeting with some clients), I wasn't about to park a block away just because all the GOPers were having a party. I pulled right into my driveway figuring if someone says something to me, I'll blame my violation of the rules on my Congressman.

Settled into my driveway, one of my neighbors walked across the street to greet me. She said "Congressman Kirk is across the street to meet with all the neighbors. Everyone's invited . . . except you because you have a Dan Seals sign in your yard."

To be honest, I'm not sure I remember the last time someone spoke to me that way. It made my blood boil. It's not that I want to be invited to a GOP coffee because let's face it, if I was there, I would have to point out all of his lies, but no one needs to speak to me in such a condescending manner. You can be certain that I told her exactly why I'm not voting for Kirk and am voting for Dan Seals.

Since I am obviously not going to be given the opportunity to speak to my Congressman, here's what I would have told him.

1. You don't really care what your constituents think. I hate that you call at 6:30pm (or other random times) with a recorded message that says "We're having a town hall meeting via conference call NOW and if you'd like to participate press 1." I have, in fact, pressed one a few times only to discover that I am not allowed to ask questions. What's up with that? Other times, the calls come at completely bad times and I've just hung up. These calls completely irritate me. I'd like to participate. I'd like to hear what my Congressman has to say. I want to ask him questions. And if I knew about the calls IN ADVANCE, I would be able to plan an evening around them. I've called his office numerous times about this and never get an answer to my complaint.

2. I am troubled by your hypocrisy. Mark Kirk, although being a member of the Naval Reserve, did not go to Iraq when his unit was called up during this war. Instead, he served his time at the Pentagon. It must be nice to have that option. His reason was that he would put his unit at risk by being there. I hate to burst his obviously inflated ego, but I don't think anyone in Iraq cares about him. But it's a nice message to send to the folks back home: "I'm in the Reserves, but am too important to serve."

3. Judgement matters and you don't have it. Mark Kirk supported the War in Iraq. In fact, he authored the resolution to go to war and has voted 12 times against a withdrawal. He also took money from Halliburton and then voted to protect Halliburton's Iraq contracts.

4. Off-shore drilling isn't going to lower gas prices for at least 10 years, if at all. Mark Kirk loves off-shore drilling and takes money from oil companies.

5. You're too much of a "yes man." Mark Kirk has voted in line with President Bush's wishes 88% of the time.

6. Uninsured Americans cost us all more and aren't uninsured because they're lazy or don't want health insurance. He voted AGAINST SCHIP which would give healthcare coverage to impoverished kids.

7. No Child Left Behind isn't working. Ask any teacher. He supports President Bush's "No Child Left Behind," but refuses to fund it.

8. Gas costs too much. When Mark Kirk was running for office in 2000, gas was under $2 per gallon. At my neighborhood gas station, it's $3.95 today. Why is that? Why doesn't he do anything about this?

9. You're out of touch. He voted against extending unemployment insurance and refused to support any measures that would help homeowners facing foreclosure due to predatory lending because we live in a very high income district.

10. Why do you hate women? Finally, as a woman, I cannot ever support someone who opposed the Paycheck Fairness Act and Lilly Ledbetter Act which would have ensured pay equity for women. He was worried it would create lawsuits. How dare we want to enforce laws and get equal pay for equal work, when we're currently making $0.77 for every $1 a man earns.

When I see Mark Kirk, I see President Bush's lackey. He's a significant part of the problem in Washington these days. I want my Congressman to have a clue what goes on in our district. I want him to be someone who listens to members of the district, rather than telling us what he wants us to hear.

I'm voting for Dan Seals, who will work to end this debacle in Iraq, support my right to control my body and support a real energy policy that will include alternative forms of energy.

Oh, my yard sign is still there and I'm loving the fact that my car is parked squarely in my driveway with 4 Obama, Dan Seals, and anti-war stickers on it! But if my yard sign disappears, you bet I know who will get my first call of anger.

Sources: Mark Kirk's Congressional Website, Kirk Facts, Where Was Mark Kirk?, Dan Seals for Congress, Ellen of the 10th, and Progress Illinois.

Do You Need a Sweater? Hell Froze Over Today.

Are you a bit cold tonight? You may be because Hell officially froze over today. Now we KNOW that the Cubs will win the World Series in October.

It's truly a day of miracles. Who would have ever thought Mike Madigan and Rod Blagovich would kiss and make up? Not me. In fact, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.



Read about it in the Chicago Sun-Times here.

Let's just hope that this isn't just some PR stunt and things actually start happening in Springfield.