Backpacking with Rep. Chapa LaVia, On Cable and Streaming.

State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia [D-Aurora], is the featured guest on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs tonight [8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 21]. You may also watch the show on your computer on PublicAffairsTV.com, along with such notables as Republican Presidential Candidates Giuliani and McCain, Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama, State Senator Chris Lauzen [R-Aurora], and many other famous pols.

It is looking more likely that Rep. Chapa LaVia will run in the 14th Cong. Dist. for the seat currently held by Cong. and former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, irrespective of whether Cong. Hastert should seek another term. If Hastert decides not to seek another term, 15 year State Senator and former small businessman Chris Lauzen [R-Aurora] and dairyman, money manager/entrepreneur Jim Oberweis [Sugar Grove] are both ready to jump into the race on the Republican side. State Rep. Tim Schmitz [R-Geneva] may join them.

Chapa LaVia seems to be seeking to broaden her profile. Last night she was on Bruce DuMont’s Beyond the Beltway nationally syndicated radio show. And, tonight, it is Public Affairs. It doesn’t get much bigger than that.

For more about Rep. Chapa LaVia, the show's topics and a partial transcript of the show, go here.

Another partial transcript of the show is included directly, below.
********************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: You take this backpack. Say we had 420,000 backpacks for the parents of the 420,000 kids in the City of Chicago schools. And, I don’t know how many kids we have in the Aurora schools, but say, we do the same thing there. In Chicago, we are spending $12,000 per kid per year and I don’t know what is being spent in the Aurora public schools, say $9,000 or so, there.

State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia [D-Aurora]: No, it is a lot less than that [in Aurora].

Jeff Berkowitz: Whatever. But, you see the concept. Give the backpack to the parents. Let them decide if they are happy with the public schools-- a lot of them are. Strap the backpack on the kid [with the prorata share of what is currently being spent on their kids public school being placed in the backpack]. If the kid stays in the public school, the cash stays there. But, if the parents want to send their kid to the private school of their choice, as you do, out goes the backpack, out goes the kid, out goes the cash. School vouchers-school choice. What could be more accountable? Because, if the schools aren’t performing, the parent decides. And, if the schools are performing, the parents say yes [to keeping the kid in the public school]. Isn’t that accountability?

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: I don’t know.

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you take that backpack? You would like to give the people that choice?

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: Some day, maybe.

Jeff Berkowitz: Not yet, not today?

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: Not at this point. Well, if you had a proposal for me.

Jeff Berkowitz: That’s a proposal. Let people take the money, whatever it is. Whatever we are spending [now in the public schools in each area], give the parents their pro rata share. If it $9,000 per kid, give them $9,000. In Chicago, it is $12,000. So, there is no change in political power; no redistribution. Spending is the same. No increase in taxes. What you get is instant accountability. How could you say no to that?

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: Well, it depends on all of the priorities of the different districts. You’re saying everything is local. As far as whether it is, the system itself, the taxpayers are saying, “Our money goes to Springfield, it doesn’t come back to us. When do we have control of things?” If I saw a program for vouchers, I would be willing to sit down and talk about it.

Jeff Berkowitz: You would take a lot at it? You are not going to dismiss it unequivocally?

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: I would take a look at it. I wouldn’t dismiss it. No, absolutely not.

Jeff Berkowitz: Charter schools are Okay? You’re okay with charter schools?

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: We don’t have any charter schools in Aurora.

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you like to see more?
*************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Parental notice on abortion, should we have it?

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: … John Fritchey’s bill?

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, that’s an amendment to it. But, the general idea—would you favor parents being advised if their minor daughter is going to have an abortion?

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: I would. I would.
*************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
******************

Giuliani, in the lead, Loop Lunch today

Mayor Giuliani, currently the frontrunner in the Republican Presidential primary, is in town today for what is billed as a private luncheon with America's Mayor in the Chicago Loop [only $2300 per person, cheap at twice the price which you could do if you wanted to pony up for the general election, too]. It appears that the Mayor will be parachuting in to the Union League Club of Chicago: speaking, picking up the cash and on his way. For once, Sneed seems to have had something first [See here ]

The latest Real Clear Politics averages have Rudy beating Hillary 48.8 to 44.5, but trailing slightly Illinois' favorite son candidate, Senator Obama, 43.5 to 44.3. [although, this was prior to Obama’s relatively poor performance, last week, in the South Carolina, eight candidate, Democratic Presidential Primary debate].

The latest RCP averages also have former Mayor Rudy Giuliani winning by 12.9 % over Senator McCain, by 21.7% over former Tennessee U. S. Senator and "Law and Order," star Fred Thompson [who has yet to enter the race] and by 23% over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney]. See RCP averages.

In short, Rudy should be feeling OK. Perhaps he will tell the press or the attendees a bit more than that.
***********************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
******************

Hillary Tops Obama in Round One

Revised significantly at 2:45 pm on Friday, including comments on Brian Williams' failure to ask appropriate follow-up questions, Obama's need to be psyched up and why was Gravel invited to the Party?
*********************************
Former Senator Mike Gravel [D-AK]: Who, Barack, do you want to nuke?

Senator Barack Obama [D-IL]: I am not planning to nuke anybody, right now, Mike, I promise you.

Gravel: Good, then we are safe for a while.
**********************************************
Give Hillary a win for last night’s Democratic Primary presidential debate. Put aside the technical scoring and ask yourself: if you were an undecided Democrat or independent, who won more of such votes? The answer is Hillary. She was strong, but not strident, and generally gave the “right” answer for her Democratic following. She was relaxed, confident and seemed Presidential.

Barack, on the other hand, had a slow start, seeming somewhat stiff and ill at ease. Obama seemed to loosen up in the middle of the debate and then warmed up to the challenge from Senator Gravel near the the end of the debate. By that time, Obama was pulling even with Hillary, but Obama clearly lost some voters early on.

John Edwards neither gained nor lost in the debate. He is treading water. Edwards seems unable to find his footing in the campaign-- and the debate was yet another manifestation of that. Richardson, with perhaps the most solid resume, was a disappointment. The New Mexico Governor seems to get lost in his answers. Richardson may want to stick around to show improvement--as a way of competing in the Veepstakes.

Senators Dodd [CT] and Biden [Del] have no chance of getting either the VP or Presidential nomination. Dodd is over the hill and Biden never made it to the hill [People like Biden who make up stories out of whole cloth are seldom trusted to be President]. Why Biden and Dodd are in this race—no one knows. An ego trip for both? Most likely.

That would leave former [35 years ago] Senator Mike Gravel [D-AK], who actually helped Obama by baiting him. The Gravel challenge gave Obama a chance to shine, helping him look better toward the end of the debate. Obama seems to need someone to hit him a few times to get his adrenalin going. His campaign might want to retain an intellectual sparring partner to psych him up in the hours preceding his next debate.

With Gravel going to the left of Cong. Kucinich [D-OH], that made Dennis redundant. Actually, both Gravel and Kucinich should be off the island by the next debate.

Gravel kind of reminds you of a senile grandfather who loves to rant to the family on Thanksgiving Day dinner. He one upped Kucinich on impeaching Cheney. Gravel would pass legislation making it a "felony," for Bush to refuse to order the troops home. Sure, why not. Perhaps Gravel would amend the Constitution by using some white-out to remove the phrase Commander-in-Chief from the President's Article II powers. . Who invited this guy to the Party? Couldn't we give him some kind of sobriety test?

Brian Williams, who handled most of the questioning, was way too easy on the candidates. If the candidate didn’t answer the question, Williams didn’t follow-up and didn't press for an answer. Senator Clinton was asked if she agreed with Senator Reid’s statement that the War already has been lost. Clinton simply ignored the question and talked about the importance of bringing the troops home.

Williams asked Obama, “What would Mission complete look like in Iraq.” Obama never answered that question, other than to say the War required a political solution. As with Hillary, Williams gave Obama a pass. Apparently, Brian Williams' rule is "you can answer my question or any question you damn well please." Another great moment in political journalism.

Indeed, why was it Williams and not Tim Russert who was asking the questions? Bad move on MSNBC's part. Russert has a little more experience in how to question pols.

Topics covered in the debate included the social utility of hedgefunds, climate change, partial birth abortion, stopping future gun shootings at public schools or colleges, civil unions and gay marriages, Bush Tax cuts [Edwards would repeal those tax cuts for people with incomes over $200,000], brain drain and teacher salaries [Biden says Japan, China and India pay their teachers as much as their engineers-- and he argued the U. S. should do so, too], the most important allies for the U. S., Israel-Palestinian issues. Healthcare and gun control, the desireability [or lack thereof]of Wal-Mart, the appropriate response by the Commander-in –Chief to another attack on two American cities by Al-Qaeda.
*********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
******************

Senator Barack Obama: The Presidential Phenom—Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

The guy is uncanny in either picking weak opponents or having people work behind the scenes to weaken or destroy them. Barack Obama runs for State Senate in 1996 and knocks all four of his opponents off the ballot in the Democratic Primary, which in his neck of the woods [South side of Chicago] was the same as the general election. Yet, he acquires a reputation as a different kind of pol. I’ll say.
****************************************************************
President Obama? In preparation for tonight’s Democratic Presidential candidate debate [MSNBC, 6:00 pm (CST), let’s review the bidding on Illinois’ favorite son candidate. First, let’s take a look at how Barack got here. Second, we’ll take a critical look at Obama’s foreign policy speech on Monday before the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. In future analyses, we will take a look at where Obama is going.
*****************************************************
Obama: Matching up to Presidents Reagan and Clinton

The political persona of Barack Obama, albeit with very limited national experience, has a great many positive attributes [See here and here] which make him a plausible, if somewhat surprising, candidate for President of the United States. Should Obama be elected President in 2008, it will be with the grand total of eight years experience as a state senator and four years as a U. S. Senator. It turns out a relatively small amount of national political experience, or at least not having spent one’s life in national politics, is not necessarily a detriment, in modern times, to a Presidential run. Indeed, it may be a plus.

Less baggage. More freshness. More flexibility in approaching problems could be Barack’s argument. And, he is still an outsider to the Washington, DC insider way of doing things. That is an appealing argument to many for Obama relative to frontrunner Hillary, who, in one form or another, has spent the last 15 years immersed in the Washington, DC political culture, and indeed, her initial DC experience goes back to the Watergate era, not to be confused with Whitewater issues.

Indeed, Barack might be smart to invoke the names of Presidents Reagan and Clinton, both lacking in substantial national political experience before becoming President. Most consider Ronald Reagan to have been a strong performer as President, notwithstanding the Iran Contra negative footnote to his otherwise strong legacy, which includes playing a major role in the fall of the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellites. Of course, much of Reagan’s run up to the Presidency was spent as an actor, although he also was the President of the Screen Actors Guild, a quasi political position-- before becoming a two term Governor of California and then President.

Bill Clinton had spent virtually all of his adult life prior to his presidency as a pol, but not in the national arena—and it was as an AG and more than two terms as Governor of the tiny state of Arkansas-- not a way to gain national prominence. Yet, Mr. Bill is also viewed as a strong President, notwithstanding his lifelong womanizing and weakness for the young White House intern, Monica, while President. Apparently, Clinton’s almost fatal attraction to Sex, Lies and Videotape did not interfere with his ability to articulate, and to a lesser extent, to accomplish domestic and foreign policy objectives.

Obama’s strength, perhaps more like Clinton than Reagan, is simply that he is one of the best of the recent Presidential candidates in terms of combining a solid understanding of public policy and politics.
*************************************
Obama: Just another Pol? How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see?

However, as is so often true with candidates, Obama’s political strength turns out to be a significant weakness, as well. As some of the seamier side of the Obama political connections has been revealed this past week, i.e., a much greater involvement of the now indicted Tony Rezko with Obama’s prior law firm and Obama himself than most had realized, we are reminded that one does not become a Presidential contender without bending a few ethical rules, or at least not always exercising very strong due diligence. [See here and here]

Obama may or may not be just another pol, but he is a pol [See here]. Nationally it may not mean much, but Illinois’ political junkies know Obama has turned his back on reform a few times in the last year, e.g., saying nice things about reformer and Obama friend Forrest Claypool but refusing to endorse the white Claypool over the ethically challenged, pay to play, but black, John Stroger for Cook County Board President in last March’s Democratic Primary.

Not only is Claypool a reformer, but he is an Obama supporter who has worked and is working for Obama in his role as GC and consultant to David Axelrod’s firm, with Axelrod being a longtime key media and message guru for Obama. Axelrod, as much as anybody, is running the strategic aspects of the Obama campaign. Yet, when the chips were down, Obama chose not to risk alienating his black base by endorsing the white Forrest Claypool, notwithstanding his preference for reformer Claypool’s politics to that of Todd Stroger.

Obama stuck his neck out in his flashy endorsement, in TV ads, for the underqualified Alexi Giannoulias in the primary and then general election race for Illinois State Treasurer as payback for the Giannoulias family’s early and substantial financial backing of the Obama U. S. Senate candidacy. Further, Giannoulias was never able to address, fully, the questions of loans made by Giannoulias family bank to mobbed up individuals and entities, and Alexi Giannoulias’ role in same. Again, no diligence by Obama, prompting many to ask of Barack, “How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see.”

Looking down instead of up, again, Obama supported whole-heartedly the extremely underqualified Todd Stroger for Cook County Board President in the November, 2006 general election. Todd, known even by his own supporters, as “the toddler,” can only be viewed as the antithesis of reform and the champion of the old Pay to Play, Friends and Family patronage way of doing business in Chicago.

Most recently, Obama surprised even his most faithful supporters,
by getting involved in a Chicago Aldermanc election, of all things, and supporting pay to play, employer of friends and family Ald. Dorothy Tillman because she had been an early supporter of Obama for U. S. Senate. Even Cong. Jackson, who stayed with Barack in staying neutral on the Claypool race, couldn’t stomach Dorothy and backed her Democratic opponent, Pat Dowell. Dowell, clearly much more of a reformer than the 23 year incumbent Tillman, won the race. Again, the appropriate question to Obama, who claims to be a different kind of pol, “How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see.”
**********************************************
Barack Obama, Blessed with weak or non-existent opponents.

The guy is uncanny in either picking weak opponents or having people work behind the scenes to weaken or destroy them. Barack Obama runs for State Senate in 1996 and knocks all four of his opponents off the ballot in the Democratic Primary, which in his neck of the woods [South side of Chicago] was the same as the general election. Yet, he acquires a reputation as a different kind of pol. I’ll say.

Yes, Obama loses to Cong. Bobby Rush [D- Chicago, 1st Cong. Dist.]
in 2000 [got spanked 2 to 1, as Barack put it] in the Democratic Primary. But, Bobby had a machine and Barack was not ready to take it on. Further, Obama’s charm and debating skills didn’t help him much in the 1st CD—voters were looking for different attributes. Oddly, it may have been easier for Obama to win a state-wide U. S. Senate race than to win a congressional race on Rush’s home turf.

So, Obama learns from his late start and lack of preparation for the 1st Cong. Dist. race and he gets into, unofficially, the U. S. Senate race at least two years before the election, forming a strong political/fund raising organization that brought in five million dollars for the primary and almost triple that for the general election.

His major opponents in the 2004 Senate Democratic Primary are three: (1) Gery Chico, who matches Obama’s intelligence, articulateness—but Chico had no base, to speak of; (2) Dan Hynes, the guy who became State Comptroller in 1998 due to his father’s name and machine organization; The Hynes persona is weak and unexciting-- clearly no match for Obama, and the Hynes family machine is on its last legs; Hynes finishes a distant second to Obama, barely winning over Obama even in the Hynes’ family’s 19th Ward political base (3) Blair Hull, who is ready to spend 40 million dollars of his 350 million dollar net worth; Hull is smart but he lacks the ability to speak or excite in a political or public forum, and no experience even trying to do so. Worse, Hull has a messy ex-wife problem that happens to come out in the last two weeks of the campaign. There is that Obama lucky political timing again. Or, was it bare knuckle politics by Obama's staffers and cronies that greased the road for the disclosure? In either case, Obama wins the primary easily [53% to 24%, over Hynes].

In the general election, Republican opponent Jack Ryan looks like a credible opponent to Obama. Ryan has the money, the looks and perhaps the smarts to take on Obama. Obama himself says “Jack Ryan may be prettier, but I have more depth.” Maybe, but we’ll never find out. Jack Ryan self destructs with a little help from enemies in his own party and some shadowy, flame-throwers outside his Party, as well as the Chicago Tribune. The Chicago Tribune spent a million dollars to unseal a child custody file in California, an act which the Tribune never did before, or since. Lucky Barack, again.

Jack Ryan had an ex-wife problem [she alleged in a divorce/child custody battle that he pressured her to go to sex clubs] that comes out with all the sordid details in June, 2004, causing Jack to announce by June 25, 2004 that he will withdraw. By early August, 2004, Jack Ryan drops out officially and the Republican Party in Illinois, if you can call it a Party, replaces Jack Ryan with Alan Keyes, one of the worst candidates, ever, to run for the U. S. Senate in a general election. The Keyes’ campaign is described derisively by Keyes’ own handlers as resembling more of a Pentecostal Revival meeting than a political campaign. Boy, is Obama lucky in the opponents he attracts.
****************************************************
Scroll Forward to today: Obama’s Utopian Foreign Policy

Obama is now running for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, primarily against a trial lawyer, John Edwards—and an Ex First Lady, Hillary.

Obama turns to media and message guru, David Axelrod, for advice.

Well, unless he can find an ex-spouse problem for Edwards or Hillary [her current spouse might do] that causes them to drop out of the race, Obama might actually have to win a race, a real honest to God general election, with real opponents. A very first for Barack Obama.

So, they figure they will set up tonight’s debate appearance by going to Obama’s strength. That is the other side of Obama. The good side. Depending on your political perspective, you may, of course, disagree with Obama’s public policy positions. However, few in the business are as well spoken, smart, thoughtful, knowledgeable and eloquent in their off the cuff and planned remarks about public policy, as is Obama. And, Barack is a big time charmer, which serves as a bridge between his public policy skills and his political skills.

Speaking to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs on Monday, Obama puts his foreign policy knowledge on display. However, as one partisan critic [Republican Campaign consultant and former Keyes handler Dan Proft] noted after the speech: Obama spoke well, but the content was basically on the level of an International Relations 101 college classroom discussion. Obama talks of accomplishing goals by “dissuading,” our opponents from taking actions we don’t like. But, how do we dissuade them, asks Proft?

Is Proft right? Did Obama fall short? Let’s take a look:

1. Double down on getting out of Iraq, says Obama. But for Bush’s crazy decision to go into Iraq [Barack, since October, 2002, has called this a “dumb war,” and in November, 2002, says he would not have voted to authorize Bush to take military action in Iraq], this Country would be much stronger as a world power, says Obama. Because the U. S. invasion in Iraq has made so many enemies, successful diplomacy has been impossible. Obama’s solution: Get mostly out of Iraq. Leave a “limited number of troops there to fight Al Qaeda and other terrorists.” This would seem to be a pretty lame idea, even to Obama’s Democratic activist supporters. What are these troops to do—hunker down until they see an Al Qaeda “uniform,” at which time the limited number of troops would say “OK, boys and girls, let’s go kill a few terrorists.”

2. Build a 21st Century military, says Obama. And, he tells us that means adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 marines. Really, that would be it? the U. S. could meet any eventuality in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran or North Korea or wherever, with another 92,000 troops. Moreover, this recommendation has already been made and accepted by President Bush. Yet, for that type of suggestion, Obama gets a standing ovation.

3. Let’s stop the spread of WMD. How, you ask? Easy, says Obama, create a fuel bank so countries like Iran will not have “an excuse,” to build their own enrichment plants. This is the utopian world of Barack Obama at his worst. Take away the “excuse,” and Iran will have to capitulate and stop its nuclear program? Obama has to be kidding.

4. Rebuild and construct alliances and partnerships necessary to meet common threats. How, you ask Obama? Easy, he says. Reform the UN and the World Bank. How, you say? Obama: Be more like Truman? What do you mean? Convince others they have a stake a change. You mean like convince Russia they should support strong economic sanctions on Iran? Obama: Stop interrupting and asking questions, Jeff. [Different circumstances, but Obama has used that line on Berkowitz, and effectively so, it should be noted]

5. Double U. S. Foreign aid from 25 billion to 50 billion dollars. That will ensure those who live in fear and want can live with dignity and opportunity, says Obama Really? If so, that would be cheap at twice the price. But, that clearly is not the case. As everyone [and especially World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz] knows, much if not the great majority of development aid is wasted because of the public corruption in the recipient nation. Why would doubling the aid remove the corruption and make sure it reaches the desired recipients? Obama: Stop asking questions, Jeff.

Welcome to the Utopian Foreign Policy of Barack Obama. Any questions? You have some? Sorry, says Obama, no press conference and in fact, no answers to press in general [See here].
*************************************
Here is a suggestion for Romney, McCain and/or Giuliani. Show up at the next one of these Obama International Relations 101 college lectures. Listen quietly. And, when Obama exits, you stand up and say, any questions, boys and girls? The media will flock to you and you can be on the network news that night. But, you better be smart enough to give good answers. At least, better than the ones given by Barack, above.

The best way for one of those Republicans to show why he is best to take on Obama, Edwards or Hillary is to do just that—take on Obama. Although not leading in the polls, Obama still has Big Mo. If any Republican wants to show his stuff, take on Big Mo, aka Barack Obama.

Heck, it might even work for Hillary or Edwards to do that. Don’t wait for a debate, such as tonight’s, where there will be little chance for follow-up with questions to each other. Hillary, with at least a five point edge in the national polls, might consider this ploy imprudent. For Edwards, on the other hand, down double digits, it might be a wise move. Maybe the U. S. can’t flush Osama out of Pakistan, but Obama’s opponents may be able to flush Obama out of his bubble.

In the words of Governor Blagojevich, one of Obama’s opponents might be wise to show some “testicular virility.” That’s Okay, Hillary, you can do it, too. The former Goldwater girl from Park Ridge, IL has more testicular virility than the rest of the field combined. I know that. Hillary knows that. And everybody reading this knows that. As Rudy told the country yesterday in a somewhat different context. You never win by playing defense. Politics, terrorism, its all the same. Go on offense, boys and girls. ***********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
******************

Dancing with State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, On cable and soon to be Streaming

Updated on Wednesday, April 25 at 12:15 pm: You can now watch The Public Affairs show with State Rep. and possible 14th CD candidate Linda Chapa LaVia[D-Aurora] by Going here.
***************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: …are you running for the 14th Cong. District seat? [Currently held by Cong. Hastert [R-Yorkville]].

State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia [D-Aurora]: We’ll have to see if the numbers are there.
***************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: You voted against drivers licenses, five or six years ago--

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: Right, five years ago.

Jeff Berkowitz: For, as you would put it, undocumented workers; as others would put it, illegal immigrants. You then voted for in-state tuition for undocumented children...
************************************************
This Week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," airing in the Chicago metro suburbs, features State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia [D-Aurora], the first Hispanic elected State Rep. to a single member district outside of Cook County, and that was in 2002 [See the end of this post for the suburban airing schedule of "Public Affairs."]

State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia [D-Aurora], a 5th generation Mexican-American with a business and military background --and an Italian-American husband-- is in her fifth year as a State Rep.

Rep. Chapa LaVia discusses and debates with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz the desireability, or lack thereof, of the Governor’s proposed Gross Receipts tax or the HB 750 tax swap; education reform [school vouchers-school choice and charter schools, a possible run in the 14th Cong. District [a seat currently held by Cong. Hastert] and much more. See, below, for a list of other topics discussed and for the Public Affairs suburban airing schedule. You may also [Go Here to watch this week's suburban show with State Rep. Chapa LaVia, as well as other shows with such notables as Obama, McCain, Giuliani, Senator Lauzen, John Filan, Sen. Syverson and many others on your computer; trouble accessing our cinema page on your computer? Try watching Public Affairs on I-Tunes].
******************************************
State Rep. Chapa LaVia will be the featured guest on the Monday, April 30, 2007 [8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV]]City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs."
*************************************************
The show with State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia [D-Aurora] will also air next Monday night at 7:30 pm in Aurora and some surrounding areas on Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10. The Aurora station reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
**************************************
The "Public Affairs," cinema page gives you a choice of more than twenty-five episodes of “Public Affairs," to watch on your computer including this week's suburban show State Rep. and possible 14th CD candidate Linda Chapa LaVia and last week's show with Sen. Chris Lauzen [R-Aurora], who is also a possible 14th CD candidate . The cinema page also has recent shows with State Rep. John Fritchey, State Rep. Paul Froehlich, as well as interviews, discussions or remarks with or by U. S. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and many, many more pols on our video podcast page[Go Here to Watch the Shows on your computer; you can drag the dial on the bottom of the screen to watch only portions of the thirty minute shows].
***************************************************
Topics discussed in this week's suburban edition of Public Affairs include Governor Blagojevich's proposed Gross Receipts Tax, the HB750 tax swap and the impact of the proposed taxes on customers; Drivers licenses or Drivers Certificates for illegal immigrants; children of illegal immigrants paying in-state tuition rates to attend Illinois public universities and colleges; comprehensive national immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for certain illegal immigrants currently in the country, increased interior control and border control of illegal immigration; the need for more accountability in education, school vouchers-school choice and charter schools, a possible expansion of the "Caps," on the expansion of charter schools; Gov. Blagojevich's proposal to expand eligibility for health insurance subsidies, a possible run in the 14th Cong. Dist. by State Rep. Linda Chapa Lavia [D] and much, much more.
*********************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: …are you running for the 14th Cong. District seat? [Currently held by Cong. Hastert].

State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia [D-Aurora]: We’ll have to see if the numbers are there.
**************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: See the numbers.

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: We have to see the numbers.

Jeff Berkowitz: If the numbers are good, then you run?

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: There is a possible chance.

Jeff Berkowitz: It doesn’t really matter whether Cong. Hastert seeks re-election or not, your decision is independent of that. It’s about numbers, right?

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: It’s about the numbers. It’s representing people. And, I think it’s really important that people in that [14th Cong.] District feel like they are being represented and not be taken for granted. And, I’ve seen a lot of that.
*****************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: You voted against drivers licenses [for illegal immigrants], five or six years ago--

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia: Right, five years ago.

Jeff Berkowitz: For, as you would put it, undocumented workers; as others would put it, illegal immigrants. You then voted for in-state tuition for undocumented children- some would say children of illegal immigrants, but then in this session…you voted, yes, give them [illegal immigrants] a driver certificate?

Rep. Chapa LaVia: Yes, for me, it is a Homeland Security issue, it is an American issue. It is knowing where the person is and making that individual pay into the system and start the process of making them become either a resident or asking them to remove themselves. There is also a stipulation in there that if they have a “record,” then they would be deported. So, there is a lot of good stuff in there.
************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: …the Governor calls it the Gross Receipts Tax. Everything is taxed, not just final sales—[but also] intermediate sales, expansion [of the tax to] services, e.g., haircuts, car repairs—there are a few exceptions, but they are few and far between…is there a seven billion dollar tax increase in store for your constituents and, heck, for all of those who live in Illinois?

Rep. Chapa LaVia: I am not on board—

Jeff Berkowitz: You are not signing on to the GRT, the Gross Receipts Tax?

Rep. Chapa LaVia: Not signing on to it right now. It affects my business. I have received those postcards and letters.

Jeff Berkowitz: Might you sometime support it?

Rep. Chapa LaVia: Not right now. Not in its current form, even though he has even raised the cap to two [million dollars, that is- businesses with revenue of less than two million dollars will not pay the GRT]. That’s still not enough… and people are naïve if they don’t think it is going to come down to the average person. Because if it gets put in place and we are going to have to pay these taxes—corporations—

Jeff Berkowitz: It gets passed on?

Rep. Chapa LaVia: It gets passed on right down to us.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, it is kind of like a take on the NRA. Individuals pay taxes, corporations don’t pay taxes?

Rep. Chapa LaVia: Yeah, there you go.

Jeff Berkowitz: Does that make sense to you? Individuals pay taxes, not corporations? Do you agree?

State Rep. Chapa LaVia [D-Aurora]: Eventually.
********************************
State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia [D-Aurora], as she is airing this week on Public Affairs in 35 Chicago Metro suburbs [See below for the suburban airing schedule] and as will be airing on Monday, April 30, 2007 [8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21, CANTV] on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs and at 7:30 pm on Aurora Community Television, on Comcast Cable Ch. 10 in Aurora and some surrounding areas. The show was recorded on April 22, 2007. You may also[watch the show with Rep. Chapa LaVia here].
***************************************************
In twenty-five North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the "Public Affairs," show airs every Tuesday night in the regular weekly Public Affairs slot, 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or 35, as indicated, below.

In ten North Shore suburbs, the Public Affairs show airs three times each week in its regular slots at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as indicated, below. ******************************************************
The suburban episode of Public Affairs with guest State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia [D-Aurora] airs Tonight :

at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

And at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

and this week on Monday night, Wednesday night and Friday night at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
***********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
******************

Better than the Sopranos: Sen. Lauzen/Rep. Chapa LaVia, Cable and Streaming

Sen. Lauzen is the featured guest tonight 8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] on the City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs." The show airs through-out the City of Chicago. Next Monday night's show features State Rep. and possible 14th CD candidate Linda Chapa LaVia.
*************************************************
The show with Senator Lauzen also airs tonight at 7:30 pm in Aurora and some surrounding areas on Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10. . The Aurora station reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery. Next Monday night's Public Affairs show in the Aurora area features State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia.
**************************************
The "Public Affairs," cinema page gives you a choice of more than twenty-five episodes of “Public Affairs," to watch on your computer including tonight's show with Sen. Lauzen . The cinema page also has recent shows with Cook County Commissioners Quigley and Peraica, State Rep. John Fritchey, State Rep. Paul Froehlich, as well as interviews, discussions or remarks with or by U. S. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and many, many more pols on our video podcast page[Go Here to Watch the Shows on your computer; you can drag the dial on the bottom of the screen to watch only portions of the thirty minute shows].
***************************************************
For more about tonight's show with Senator and potential 14th CD candidate Chris Lauzen, go here.
************************************************
This week's Suburban edition of Public Affairs features State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia [D-Aurora], a 5th year Rep. and 5th generation Mexican-American who is considering running in the Democratic Primary in the 14th CD-- for the seat currently held by Cong. J. Dennis Hastert. Chapa LaVia expects to make her decision on a 14th CD run by Memorial Day.

Will former Speaker Hastert make the current term his last? If so, on the Republican side, Lauzen is getting read to come out of the running blocks. As is Jim Oberweis. State Rep. Tim Schmitz? Maybe. A different establishment Republican candidate? Maybe.
***********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
******************

Good journalism: An alien concept for Michael Sneed of the Chicago Sun-Times? Misleading on Virginia Tech shooting.

Wanted: Someone to edit and fact check Michael Sneed’s copy. Intense work: must be able to correct frequent, substantive errors and remind Sneed that previously published items should be cited. Tenacity, attention to detail and integrity required.

On Tuesday of this Week, the print version of Michael Sneed’s Chicago Sun-Times column read:

Sneed hears authorities were investigating whether the gunman who killed 32 people in a rampage on the Virginia Tech campus was a Chinese national who arrived in the United States last year on a student visa.

The 25 year old man being investigated for the deadliest college carnage in U. S. history reportedly arrived in San Francisco on a United Airlines flight on Aug. 7, 2006 on a visa issued in Shanghai, the source said… [The original version of Sneed’s April 17, 2007 column has been replaced on the Chicago Sun-Times web site with a corrected version, but see here].

On Wednesday, after most of the world knew that the gunman at Virginia Tech was not the person on whom Sneed had shined her light, Sneed wrote in her Chicago Sun-Times column:

The question of who the suspected gunman was in the Virginia Tech shooting rampage was answered Tuesday: Cho Seung-Hui, a 23 year old South Korean who was a senior at the school.
**********************************
Sneed’s online report Monday afternoon stated the initial investigation led law enforcement authorities to a preliminary suspect, who was a man from China.

Details and a description of the preliminary suspect accompanied reports available to law enforcement agencies.

However, Sneed did not comment in her Wednesday print column about her Tuesday print column, which had cited to no source for her misleading, if not erroneous, statements. Apparently, Sneed’s attitude is “Why admit that you misled,” and apparently the Chicago Sun-Times managers and editors agree. Cover-up, rather than fess up, appears to be the order of the day at the Sun-Times.

Others took a different attitude about Sneed and some other media outlets:

There were three inaccurate media reports of the Virginia Tech massacre, one by several television networks, one by Chicago Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed, and one by NBC News. [See here].

Moreover, Sneed’s Tuesday Chicago Sun-Times column had additional problems. The Column stated:

Sneed is told Veep Dick Cheney’s plane, Air Force Two, hit a bird as it was landing in Chicago last Week. But, apparently no one aboard noticed…except for our source. [Sneed also reported about Cheney and his daughter doing some shopping at American Girl Place.] See here.

But, most would not call the above Cheney item newsworthy, at least not by the time Sneed “reported,” it on Tuesday, April 17. The above referenced Cheney plane-bird crash had already been well reported by AP [not to mention many other publications], and the AP report was carried in Sneed’s own paper, the Chicago Sun-Times, on April 13, four days before it appeared in Sneed’s column. See here.

Further, Sneed’s comment that no one aboard noticed the Cheney plane-bird crash, except for “our source,” is also a bit wacky as the previously published articles report that the plane was inspected for potential problems caused by the bird-plane collision, after it landed and this April 13th report discusses a passenger hearing a “tremendous bang,” from the bird-engine collision.

Do you think Sneed reads her own paper? Perhaps this could be the first assignment of Sneed’s new editor: remove those items from Sneed’s “News," that have previously appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times.

And, there was yet another problem with Sneed’s Tuesday column: Sneed referred to Valerie Jarrett as a member of the prestigious “Federal Reserve Board.” In fact, Jarrett is a member of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, not to be confused with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. [See here]. Yes, it is a nice honor to hold the former position, but it is not really on the same level with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

There are one hundred eight, or so, directors of the twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks, and Jarrett is one such director. She can appropriately be described as on the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago [See here].

There are seven members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, which, along with Presidents of certain of the regional Fed Banks, i.e. the Fed's Open Market Committee, controls monetary policy for the United States. Some may refer to the Board of Governors as the Federal Reserve Board, or more accurately, as the Board of Governors for the Fed. Neither description works for Jarrett.

Correcting all of the above-described mistakes made in one day by Michael Sneed would be pretty intense labor. Perhaps that would be a good punishment for Conrad Black. Make him Sneed’s editor and fact checker. That ought to keep Black out of trouble for quite some time, and as further punishment he would be viewed by his wife, by virtue of his being a staffer or reporter on the Sun-Times, as either vermin or a slut--- I am guessing the former.

Finally, none of this is really new for the Chicago Sun-Times' Michael Sneed. Indeed, taking from others without citation is almost a trademark of Michael Sneed's journalism career, at least in recent times. See here here and here.

Taking a page from Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica [R-Riverside]and Democratic Presidential Candidate and U. S. Senator Barack Obama [D-IL], have you had enough of Michael Sneed's journalism? Well, have you?
***********************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
******************

Dancing with the Stars: Sen. Lauzen on Cable and Streaming

Updated at 6:45 pm on April 18: The Public Affairs show with Senator Lauzen has now been posted on the Public Affairs video podcast page. Go here to watch the show with Sen. Lauzen on your computer.
*****************************************************
State Senator Chris Lauzen [R-Aurora]: According to the Associated Press, 58% of the new enrollments under All Kids... are not legal citizens, and the reverse of that is illegal immigrants.
******************************************
Sen. Chris Lauzen: House Bill 750, there may be some [Republicans] who support that.
****************************************
This Week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," airing in the Chicago metro suburbs, features State Senator Chris Lauzen [R-Aurora], one of the "Fab 5 Republican" state senators who burst on the Springfield political scene in 1992, each with business experience [mostly small business] and with the intent to infuse the government sector with private sector know how. [See the end of this post for the suburban airing schedule of "Public Affairs."]

Senator Lauzen discusses and debates the impact of the Governor’s proposed Gross Receipts tax or the HB 750 tax swap on employees, shareholders and customer prices; property tax relief, education reform [school vouchers-school choice, charter schools and other possible modifications in the operation of our K-12 schools], a run in the 14th Cong. District if Cong. Hastert does not, as is expected, seek another term, SB 600 and much, more with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz.See, below, for the Public Affairs suburban airing schedule. You may also [Go Here to watch this week's suburban show with Sen. Lauzen, as well as other shows with such notables as Obama, McCain, Giuliani, John Filan, MarySue Barrett, Sen. Syverson and many others on your computer; you can drag the dial on the bottom of the screen to watch only portions of the thirty minute shows; trouble accessing our cinema page on your computer? Try I-Tunes: the same Public Affairs shows are also available there].
******************************************
Sen. Lauzen will be the featured guest on the Monday, April 23, 2007 [8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV]] City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs."
*************************************************
The show with Senator Lauzen will also air next Monday night at 7:30 pm in Aurora and some surrounding areas on Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10.
**************************************
The "Public Affairs," cinema page gives you a choice of more than twenty-five episodes of “Public Affairs," to watch on your computer including this week's suburban show with Sen. Lauzen . The cinema page also has recent shows with Cook County Commissioners Quigley and Peraica, State Rep. John Fritchey, State Rep. Paul Froehlich, as well as interviews, discussions or remarks with or by U. S. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and many, many more pols on our video podcast page[Go Here to Watch the Shows on your computer; you can drag the dial on the bottom of the screen to watch only portions of the thirty minute shows].
***************************************************
State Senator Chris Lauzen [R-Aurora]: According to the Associated Press, 58% of the new enrollments under All Kids—you know one of the big things he [Gov. Blagojevich] points to when he says this is my healthcare initiative-- 58% are not legal citizens, and the reverse of that is illegal immigrants.

Jeff Berkowitz: And, you are saying that you would be opposed to that? You don’t think those folks should receive that.

Sen. Chris Lauzen: I am opposed to that. I don’t think that we should be giving incentives to people who break the law. We are going to all follow all the laws and if we don’t like a law, change it. Or, we are going to have chaos. And, we are going to build social resentment. You know, between people-- if I am getting away with something that you are not getting away with, eventually you are going to resent me and you are going to dig in your heels. And that’s, I think, a very unhealthy thing for our society.
**********************************************************
Sen. Chris Lauzen: On the Gross Receipts tax, I feel confident and I haven’t done a survey and no one is locked into this, but my sense of where we are going together is that on a Gross Receipts Tax, twenty-two people [all twenty two Republican senators] are going to say no.

Jeff Berkowitz: House Bill 750 [the so-called tax swap, which would be an increase in the income tax, with some reduction, its supporters argue, in property taxes, but altogether would result in a net tax increase in Illinois of about five to six billion dollars], how about that?

Sen. Chris Lauzen: House Bill 750, there may be some [Republicans] who support that.

Jeff Berkowitz: Who are those folks?

Sen. Chris Lauzen: No.

Jeff Berkowitz: You don’t want to tell us now?

Sen. Chris Lauzen: No.
******************************************
State Senator Chris Lauzen, as he is airing this week on Public Affairs in 35 Chicago Metro suburbs [See below for the suburban airing schedule] and as will be airing on Monday, April 23, 2007 [8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21, CANTV] on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs and at 7:30 pm on Aurora Community Television, on Comcast Cable Ch. 10 in Aurora and some surrounding areas. The show was recorded on April 15, 2007. You may also[watch the show with Sen. Lauzen here].
***************************************************
In twenty-five North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the "Public Affairs," show airs every Tuesday night in the regular weekly Public Affairs slot, 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or 35, as indicated, below.

In ten North Shore suburbs, the Public Affairs show airs three times each week in its regular slots at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as indicated, below. ******************************************************
The suburban episode of Public Affairs with guest Senator Chris Lauzen [R-Aurora] airs Tonight :

at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

And at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

and this week on Monday night, Wednesday night and Friday night at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
***********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
******************

Better than Scarborough, Hannity and King: Filan on Cable and Streaming

Jeff Berkowitz: Dramatic increase, instead of having 20,000 students, maybe half [a million], maybe a million students [across the state of Illinois] in Charter schools?

John Filan [Illinois' Chief Operating Officer]: I don’t know what the number is, but in the legislation that is being proposed is a requirement to increase the number of charter schools.
********************************************
Tonight’s City of Chicago edition of “Public Affairs,” features John Filan, currently Chief Operating Officer and previously Director of the Office of Management and Budget in Governor Blagojevich's Administration.

Tonight's City of Chicago edition airs through-out the City at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV]

You may also [Go Here to watch tonight's City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs and last week's show with 3rd Ward Aldermanic Candidate Pat Dowell and 43rd Ward Chicago Aldermanic Candidate Michele Smith as well as other shows with such notables as Obama, McCain, Giuliani, Barrett, Syverson and many others on your computer; you can drag the dial on the bottom of the screen to watch only portions of the thirty minute shows; trouble accessing our cinema page on your computer? Try I-Tunes: the same Public Affairs shows are also available there]

This week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," features State Senator Chris Lauzen [R-Aurora] in an episode that will also air in Aurora next Monday night on Aurora Community Television [ACTV], Ch. 10, at 7:30 pm.

A partial transcript of the John Filan show is included, below. For an additional partial transcript and more about the show's topics and key issues discussed, go here.
***************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: The Governor’s lobbying for more charter schools?

John Filan [Illinois’ Chief Operating Officer] : He is definitely going to support an increase in charter schools, without a doubt.

Jeff Berkowitz: Dramatic increase, instead of having 20,000 students, maybe half [a million], maybe a million students [across the state of Illinois] in Charter schools?

John Filan: I don’t know what the number is, but in the legislation that is being proposed is a requirement to increase the number of charter schools.

Jeff Berkowitz: Is he lobbying, too, that you change the compensation systems of the City of Chicago [schools] and the various local suburban public schools so people aren’t compensated simply by the number of years they have been teaching, but by the quality of their performance.

John Filan: Well, I think you get into very directly there a local control issue. We have 900 local school districts in this state. And, those local school boards…determine which teachers they hire, what they pay them. They have collective bargaining contracts with the unions generally—

Jeff Berkowitz: But, he is the Governor. He could exercise …moral suasion. He says he is doing the Lord’s work. If he is doing the Lord’s work, why not help those local school districts start doing it better in terms of compensation, which makes performance a factor in compensation. You’re right, he can’t go and set the law either for Springfield, Winnetka, Skokie, Burr Ridge or Chicago, but he can certainly speak out and when he speaks out, people listen
*********************************
Jeff Berkowitz: So, tell us, would you like to see a performance based compensation adopted by these various school districts?

John Filan: Look, I believe certainly that when people do a great job they should be recognized. I think the Governor believes that as well. On the other hand, he leads by performance himself. And, when you look at the last four years and what we’ve done with the level of spending in state government, the number of employees—how much we have constrained increases in salaries because of budget constraints—

Jeff Berkowitz: But, he moves people around based on performance. Becky Carroll, who has been an assistant to you and an assistant to the Governor, I don’t know what her position is, but she is moving up, and perhaps deservedly so, because she does well,

John Filan: I think that’s true—

Jeff Berkowitz: not because of the number of years that she is here.

John Filan: That’s correct.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, he should take that same attitude and say, “Look, see what I do, why aren’t you folks doing that?

John Filan: And, I think he did that. Just this last January, we announced for the first time in state history a performance based system for merit employees where they can be recognized both with an increase and a bonus if they are excellent or above average.
*********************************************
John Filan, as is airing tonight on Public Affairs [8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21, CANTV] on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs. The show was recorded on March 25, 2007. You may also[watch the show with Illinois COO John Filan here].
***************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
*****************************************

Roeser’s Political Shoot-out and Dellimore’s At Issue: Coming and Going

In case you missed Berkowitz’s quasi-debate last Sunday with Head of the Illinois Minutemen, Roseanna Pulido, re Immigration issues on Tom Roeser’s Sunday night, WLS 890 AM radio show, Political Shoot-Out, below is a, no doubt, fair and balanced assessment from the Host:

With all the odds against them…Easter Sunday which meant supposedly a diminished audience…an immigration issue which for more than three years had been talked to death…Jeff Berkowitz and Roseanna Pulido pulled off what in general audience ratings and call-ins was a standout performance. All ten lines were buzzing at the outset and people I have talked to since said… [See here]

Berkowitz would be blushing except for the fact that he is sure Roeser says that kind of thing about all of his guests.

By the Way, talking of Roeser’s guests, Roeser’s Political Shoot-Out call in show [312-591-8900] tonight [8:00 pm to 9:00 pm] features journalist and attorney Russ Stewart, who has forgotten more about Chicago aldermanic politics than most journalists could hope to know, along with always colorful, Berny Stone, the 34 year incumbent 50th Ward alderman who is in the race of his life with Naisy Dolar. Dolar, who was the runner-up to Stone in a tough, five-candidate race on February 27th, hopes to become the first Asian-American alderman in the Chicago City Council. The Jewish 79 year old Stone has argued, on Public Affairs, February 11, 2007, that he is facing anti-Semitism and ageism in the race.

Ald. Stone argued on Craig Dellimore’s At Issue [WBBM 780 AM Radio, Sundays, 9:30 am and 9:30 pm], last week, that the Asian-American community is supporting him over his Asian- American opponent. Dolar, for her part, argues that she has local Asian-American community support but also has the confidence of the 50th Ward “to be the representative for the entire community.” Stone countered on “At Issue,” that the “Jewish community [the largest minority group in the 50th] was told, ‘Hey, pack up, and get the Hell out of here.’ That’s what the newspapers have told them. The Jewish community will go unrepresented if she is elected… “

Stone-Stewart should be interesting. However, if Stone is calling in, Dolar should do so as well, and I would imagine Tom Roeser would give her equal time. When Berkowitz invited Stone, recently, to come back on Public Affairs, but this time to make it a joint appearance with his opponent, Naisy Dolar, Ald. Stone declined. Not very sporting and not very good for democracy. Perhaps, Roeser can correct that situation tonight.
******************************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
*****************************************

Mitt Romney: Good to go with the Illinois GOP Base, or is there a Kjellander issue?

In his first press conference with the Chicago media [held yesterday afternoon at the Hilton Suites Chicago in the Loop], Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney seemed at ease, disciplined and well spoken-- and he displayed a good sense of humor—an often undervalued virtue in politics. Romney is a Harvard MBA and Harvard Law School Graduate [cum laude, but unlike Barack Obama, not President of the Harvard Law Review]. He was a private sector entrepreneur, venture capitalist and turnaround artist who fixed the 2002 Olympics. After losing to Senator Teddy Kennedy in 1994, Romney found that the second time was the charm when he became Governor of Massachusetts in 2002, winning over the State Treasurer-- who Romney argued was somewhat responsible for the state's financial mess-- sound familiar?

Romney's short stint in Chicago included a late morning meeting with Mayor Daley on Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics and the problems of cities; a meeting with a half dozen or so potential donors followed by a 1:30 pm presser with about a half dozen cameras and a dozen members of the media; and then a 2:00 pm meeting with some "Republican Party activists." Then the Governor was on to St. Louis, Mo. Such is the life of a Presidential candidate. Fun, huh?

Mitt Romney began the presser with a three minute statement and then answered questions for about thirteen minutes on a wide range of topics. The questions related, but were not limited to, the Massachusetts universal healthcare insurance program that Romney promoted and passed [with some modifications by the legislature] during his 2002-06 gubernatorial tenure, the Iraq War and the emerging war funding impasse between the President and Congress, Romney’s reversal [or evolution] of positions on (a) abortion and (b) “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell,” the state of the Republican Party in Illinois and Romney’s leadership team in the Land of Lincoln. See generally here and here.

Toward the end of the presser, Mitt Romney’s traveling press secretary, Eric Fehrnstrom, gave the usual press conference version of a two minute warning, i.e., “One more question.” This was just after the Governor had said, “I don’t know if we have announced our [Leadership] team here [in Illinois]…”which kind of implied he had a team in place.

Since we had already covered some of the basic national issues with Massachusetts’ former Governor, this reporter’s last wish- or question—was to ask about Bob Kjellander, aka long-time friend of Karl Rove, being resurrected, so to speak, as Romney’s guy, as has been rumored. Kjellander, the arch-enemy of most of the base of the Illinois Republican Party and especially the Party’s activists, rejected a request from the Republican Party State Central Committee earlier this year to step down, due to some ethical [or worse] issues, as one of Illinois’ two Republican National Committeemen. [See here].

It is at times like this that the media can take the measure of a Presidential candidate. That is, faced with a bit of controversy, will the candidate punt? Should he punt? Is it a sloppy or well-executed punt? Did the candidate mean to say “we don’t have our Illinois leadership team chosen yet,” when he said “we have not announced our Illinois leadership team yet.” Does the candidate know much, if anything, about the controversy involving Kjellander? [See here for more about KJ] Should the candidate know about this stuff? Would Obama know about Texas Democratic Politics?

Alternatively, do Romney’s staffers know about Kjellander’s heavy baggage and have they briefed him? At least one staffer in the Romney campaign has indicated unfamiliarity on the staffer’s part with Kjellander. That is not terribly surprising . The campaign, although raising 21 million dollars in the first quarter, has officially been going for only two months. Thus, lack of knowledge of every state’s internal Republican Party politics is not too surprising or damning.

On the other hand, Romney should get some sense, soon, of what is happening with Kjellander and his critics. This is because it is not simply a matter of say, one ethical issue, with Committeeman Kjellander. The Party activists view KJ as the Republican Poster boy for “Pay to Play.” Pay to play denotes a bi-partisan requirement of many Illinois pols to require campaign contributions for the privilege of doing business with the state, or sometimes, for doing business at all.

Republican Party activists argue, as Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate Pat O'Malley first did in 2002, that the real schism in the Illinois Republican Party is not between social moderates and social conservatives, but between Reformers, who want to abolish Pay to Play, and non-reformers, who want to institutionalize, or already have institutionalized, Pay to Play.

Thus, a Romney association with Mr. Kjellander would almost surely be a deal breaker for the State GOP activists. That raises the ante a bit for the answer to Berkowitz’s question. What did presidential candidate Romney do with Berkowitz’s question and was Romney’s response, all things considered, the best decision? We discuss, you decide.
*******************************************
Another reporter: Governor, do you have a chairman for your campaign, here, in Illinois or are you shopping around for one and how can you or any Republican really hope to win Illinois based on the last couple of Presidential elections?

Mitt Romney: …I don’t know that we have announced our team here in Chicago…or in Illinois, so I am not going to announce that right now. I just don’t know whether we have put that out yet, but we will, at some stage—

Another reporter: Do you have a high-profile Republican who--

Mitt Romney: I do have some very significant leaders in the community here who are supporting my effort and have been helpful to me in my fundraising effort. Illinois is one of my most important fundraising states and I anticipate doing well here in the primaries.

Eric Fehrnstrom, Romney’s traveling press secretary: One more question. One more question.

Jeff Berkowitz [www.PublicAffairstv.com] There are rumors—there are rumors that it could be Bob Kjellander [Controversial Republican National committeeman from Illinois]. Is Bob Kjellander involved in your Illinois campaign?

Mitt Romney: [Romney pauses and then looks away from Berkowitz—not the first pol to do that-- and Governor Romney, to his credit, had answered, earlier in the presser, two other questions, with follow-ups from Berkowitz]

Jack Conaty [Fox News Chicago, WFLD, Chief Political Correspondent]: Governor, how important is a candidate’s personal life. Much has been made about the fact that other candidates in the Republican field have been divorced. Is that really a factor in this race. Is divorce in a candidate’s background a factor?

Mitt Romney: Well, it is up to the American people to determine what are the factors in the race. I am not going to suggest to people what they look at and what they don’t look at. They look at me-- they’ll get a full sense of who I am and some people have concerns with some parts of my history or my views and that’s their right to express their own views and make their own decision and so I am not going to tell people what they look at, what they don’t look at. Ultimately, I think what is going to determine this race is the fact that there is one candidate in this race who has a life-long experience in the private sector and a demonstrated record of executing change and making change for the good and the better in the private sector—then in the Olympics and then in a state—like Massachusetts. The Presidency of the United States is a responsibility for leadership and management of the greatest enterprise and the largest enterprise in the World. The government of the U. S. is perhaps the largest enterprise in the World, with trillions of dollars in the budget, millions of employees and frankly, the Presidency of the United States is not an internship job. This is a position which is designed for somebody who has experience in leading and in managing and in making things better. And if there has ever been a place that needs change, its Washington, DC.—and I look forward to--

Deanna Bellandi [AP]: Do you think CBS should fire Don Imus?

Mitt Romney: And, I look forward to being able to bring that kind of change to Washington, DC.

Deanna Bellandi [AP]: Do you think CBS should fire Don Imus?

Mike Flannery [Senior political correspondent, CBS-2 News]: As a Republican who got elected Governor in Massachusetts, can I ask you about Illinois. Not a single Republican statewide officeholder here. Even Illinois Republicans joke that if it were a stock, trading would be suspended in the Illinois Republican Party [See This stock analogy comes from Dan Proft, Republican campaign consultant, a partner in Urquhart Media and WLS 890 AM Radio weekly opinion contributor on Don and Roma]. It is just bankrupt of—it seems unable to win a thing here. As a Republican who got elected in Massachusetts, where the Party also has some problems, what advice would you give.

[Ed. Note:] Governor Romney concluded the press conference by answering Flannery’s question-- giving the Chicago media one more answer than his press secretary promised, but not an answer on Mr. Kjellander.
********************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
*****************************************

Breaking News: Corzine Injured and a Hypocritical Media Lynching of Imus?

Fox News Channel’s “Special Report,” anchor Brit Hume stated during the last ninety minutes that New Jersey Gov. Corzine had been injured in a hit and run accident while the Governor was apparently riding in a government owned van. The injury was said not to be “life-threatening,” but Hume commented that the visual of the accident scene had the look of a serious accident. [See here, also]

Shortly after the news of the Corzine accident, MSNBC News reported, in an on-air crawler displayed over tonight's previously recorded, 6:00 pm [CST] edition of Hardball [aka Softball, with David Gregory-- when Democrats and/or liberals are guests, that is], that Don Imus was on his way to New Jersey Governor Corzine's mansion to meet with the Rutgers University female basketball team, family members of the team and the team’s coach, a meeting that is occurring even as this post is being prepared.

Imus, who was fired during the last two days from both his radio slot at CBS and his TV slot on MSNBC, was thought to be ready to apologize personally to the ten female basketball players—for his characterization of some of the players as “nappy headed hos,” during his TV's show re-airing of clips of the Tennessee-Rutgers female NCAA basketball championship game. The Rutgers basketball team consists of eight African-Ameican and two white females.

In his last show this morning, the 66 year-old, cowboy hat wearing, Imus called the media “hypocritical in its coverage of the flap,” and Imus said he had “apologized enough for his remarks.” Nonetheless, Imus said he would apologize to the Rutgers team in person [See here].

In terms of hypocrisy, many pundits, reporters and opinion makers have taken note of the widespread use of the term “ho” in various entertainment contexts, e.g., rap, hip-hop and other music venues, including products of many African-American recording artists. Yet, Rev. Jackson and Rev. Sharpton, two individuals who have been leading the charge against Imus, have not been noted for leading any effort to boycott those entities that promote or sponsor recording artists who make heavy use of “ho” “bitch” and other derogatory terms about females, African-American or otherwise.

In a perhaps related comment, Rev. Jackson was reported by WTTW’s Chicago Tonight last night as having said [after the report of Imus being fired at MSNBC],“There must be more diversity of [television] hosts. We must desegregate the airwaves. We can’t stop here. [See here, also for more about Rev. Jackson using the Imus incident to promote Jackson as a "sponsor," of jobs in the best tradition of Chicago politics]. It will be interesting to see if Rev. Sharpton, Rev. Jackson or those they sponsor receive some consideration as replacements for Don Imus’ two previously held media spots.
*****************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
*****************************************

Breaking News: Cheney, Schakowsky, McCain and Romney

Update: Vice-President Dick Cheney will speak to the Heritage Foundation Annual Leadership Conference in the Chicago Loop this Friday morning at 10:30 am. Be there or Be Square, no Levis or Capris, please.

This just in:

1. Jan Schakowsky, Congresswoman [D-9th CD] and potential candidate to be appointed to the U. S. Senate-- should Barack Obama become the 44th President of the United States-- will be speaking today at 2:00 pm at an event sponsored by the American Constitution Society at the Chicago Kent Law School in Chicago, IL

2. The McCain campaign ratchets up its intensity. U. S. Senator [R-AZ] and Republican Primary Presidential Candidate John McCain will be:

--Holding a presser in West Bloomfield, MI on Thursday afternoon

--Speaking at a Reagan Memorial Dinner in West Bloomfield, MI on Thursday evening.

--Holding a presser in Holland, MI on Thursday evening

--Speaking at a Lincoln Day dinner in Holland, MI on Thursday evening

--Holding a presser in Kalamazoo, MI on Friday morning

--Speaking at a Lincoln Day lunch in Kalamazoo on Friday mid-day.

-- holding a press availability in Peoria, IL on Friday night [6:50 pm].

3. Mitt Romney, Republican Primary Presidential Candidate, former Governor of Massachusetts and collector of 21 million dollars [excluding a two million dollar loan to himself] in the first Quarter, will be holding a media availability and collecting money in Chicago tomorrow. The presser is scheduled for 1:25 pm in the Chicago Loop. Governor Romney announced his California Leadership Team today.
***************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
*****************************************

Rev. Jesse Jackson: Shaking Down Imus and MSNBC?

Rev. Jesse Jackson: …now the other side of it is that there is not one black or Latino host of a show on MSNBC... we must now get a look at MSNBC’s hosts and writers and producers and the breadth of its news coverage.
************************************
Rev. Jackson, of course, is upset with Don Imus’ bizarre, bigoted, bumbling characterization of the female Rutgers University basketball players. [See here] and here. But, look, Imus is a jerk who often makes dumb, stupid statements that reflect his various prejudices and broad-based lack of intelligence.

On the other hand, Rev. Jackson has, apparently, not been very upset about those prior statements that reflected, say, Imus’ anti-Semitism, e.g., Imus calling book publishers Simon & Schuster “thieving Jews” [See here]. Nor does Rev. Jackson see much of an analogy between his own anti-Semitic statements and the bigoted statements made by Imus this week. Apparently, bigoted statements by Jackson are okay, if there is less of a pattern, or if they can be put in “context.”

Today Show's Meredith Vieira: ...Rev. Jackson, I apologize... you were running for President and you referred to New York City as "Hymietown,"... [See here].

But, most important of all, is that Rev. Jackson seems to think that Imus’ statement is not so much a problem as an opportunity. An opportunity for Jackson to get guaranteed jobs at MSNBC and perhaps other media outlets for African- Americans and Latinos—all under the guidance of Rev. Jackson.

As any good Chicago pol knows [and at heart, Rev. Jackson, is as much a pol as a member of the clergy], it’s all about the jobs and contracts. Who cares about Imus. It is about Jackson having some leverage to determine who hosts, writes for and produces network “news,” programs. And, so far, Imus will be happy to oblige Jackson, at least nominally, for Imus’ own program [See here].
********************************************
Rev. Jesse Jackson: …now the other side of it is that there is not one black or Latino host of a show on MSNBC, so there is no sense of balance, no sense of diversity in the programming options and so we could not settle just for the two week cooling off period [MSNBC’s and CBS’ announced two week suspension of Imus], we must now get a look at MSNBC’s hosts and writers and producers and the breadth of its news coverage.

David Gregory [MSNBC]: Well, you say that there isn’t any diversity on MSNBC. I don’t know that that’s quite a fair charge. There is certainly—in other words, there is not somebody who has a program like his—

Rev. Jesse Jackson: Is there a show on MSNBC hosted by a black?

David Gregory: Alison Stewart is one of our hosts- during the day—yes.

Rev. Jesse Jackson: Uh, name one. [Jackson apparently is not listening to Gregory]. There is Scarborough and there is you and there is Chris [Matthews] and there is not a single show on either network, I might add—MSNBC, CNN—All Day, all Night, all white. It is not fair. We deserve wide access to broaden and diversify more points of view. So, beyond, the aim of the Imus pattern of rather bigoted statements, there is the issue of fair access and that is for all people [but especially for those sponsored by Jackson] .

David Gregory: All right, I just want to point out that Allison Stewart is an African-American anchor at MSNBC TV. I don’t want that to be overlooked by you or anybody else, but nevertheless I think you are trying to make a different point about diversity at MSNBC.

Rev. Jesse Jackson: I am. Does he [sic] host a show? A show host has writers, producers, guests, content, you know we had Arsenio Hall on a night-time comedy show fifteen years ago; we had Max Robinson, the anchor for NBC News about five years ago. That doesn’t exist today. So, it really is a cry-out, really, for participation and for diversity which represents America, a very diverse population.
************************************
Rev. Jesse Jackson interviewed by Host David Gregory, MSNBC’s Hardball, April 9, 2007
******************************************
What can Rev. Jackson get from MSNBC, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX? For Rev. Jackson, the sky is the limit. Thank you Don Imus, says Rev. Jackson. In honor of Don Imus, Jackson will call his new shakedown of media, the Imus Media Project [“IMP”], similar to his La Salle St. Project.

Oh yes, it is all about diversity. Not ideological. Not racial. Not religious. No, Rev. Jackson has just diversified the portfolio of Jackson financial assets.

The Rutgers University female basketball team? Not to worry. Rev. Jackson no doubt has something for them, too.

Diversity is fine: Racial, religious, ideological, gender, sexual orientation. You just have to wonder if Rev. Jackson’s shakedown route is the best avenue to get society there.
******************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
*****************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
*****************************************