Monday, March 31, 2008

Better than the Final four: Berkowitz with Lang on Obama and Blagojevich, cable and streaming

State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie): I think it is a momentary dip [for Obama] and I think he’ll come back. [So far, Rep. Lang appears right, see the current national polls favoring Obama; Obama is down in PA, but he was down in PA prior to the Pastor disaster; Of course, Hillary’s Snipergate arose after the Lang show was taped, and that may be offsetting, for the moment, Pastorgate].
*************************************
Rep. Lou Lang: I think we would have no trouble passing a capital bill if we knew first where the money was going—in other words, what are the projects—and second, how to make sure that the Governor of the state of Illinois, one Rod Blagojevich, who nobody trusts...
*************************************************************
Tonight's City of Chicago and City of Aurora edition of "Public Affairs," features State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie). The show with Rep. Lang airs throughout the City of Chicago tonight at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 (CANTV) and in Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV, Cable Ch. 10. The Aurora station, Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.

Turn on, Tune in and
watch discussions about Senator Obama and his Pastor- Jeremiah Wright; Obama’s judgment and leadership capabilities; Obama’s diversity and the Presidential race; Knee-Jerk liberals; the State's capital and operating budgets, and much, much more [See here for a more detailed list of topics discussed on the show and a partial transcript of the show].
*************************
This week’s suburban edition of Public Affairs features the second of two consecutive shows we taped with Rep. Lang (D-Skokie) on March 23, 2008 [Lang, Part 2]-- again focusing on Obama's Presidential campaign--but,this time, with particular focus on the judgment issues raised by Obama's relationship, over the years, with Tony Rezko. Also to be discussed are a variety of state legislative issues. You may also watch that program (Lang, Part 2) here.
*************************************************************
Tonight's show in the Cities of Chicago and Aurora with Rep. Lang (Part 1), taped on March 23, 2008, is now available 24/7 on your computer.
*************************************************
A partial transcript of Tonight's City of Chicago and City of Aurora edition of Public Affairs [Lang, Part 1] is included, below:
*******************************************
Impact of Wrightgate on Super-Delegates and remaining primaries?

Jeff Berkowitz: Those super-delegates. They are going to look at whose electable, after Rezko, after Pastor Jeremiah Wright…the thing about it—[Pastor Wright] is not just an issue, [he’s] a visual issue. You know those clips people are watching the last two weeks: national polls that generally had Barack Obama up by five points over Hillary Clinton now have him down by five points.

State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie): I think it is a momentary dip and I think he’ll come back. [So far, Rep. Lang appears right, see the current national polls favoring Obama; Obama is down in PA, but he was down prior to the Pastor disaster; Of course, Hillary’s snipergate arose after the Lang show was taped, and that may be offsetting, for the moment, Pastor Wright].

Jeff Berkowitz: But, we’ll see those [Pastor Wright] clips again. It will be more of a visual issue. It will be in May. It will be in April. It will be in June. If he is in the general election, it will be then. You know, visuals are important.

Rep. Lou Lang: They are. But, my view is any damage this will do to Barack Obama will be more in the red states than the blue states. And, so people who are not going to vote for Barack because they are Republican, people who are not going to vote for Barack because they are not going to vote for anyone who is black, people who are not going to vote for Barack because he is tall, people who are not going to vote for Barack because he is bi-racial, those people from red states simply are not going to vote for Barack.

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, you know what Barack said—red states have people who have gay friends, too; blue states have people who play baseball, little league—you know that speech (Obama’s keynote speech to the Democratic National Convention, July 27, 2004)

Rep. Lou Lang: That’s all true. But, the premise of your conversation was that this will hurt him in the election and I simply don’t believe it will.

Jeff Berkowitz: In the general election or the [Democratic] nomination?

Rep. Lou Lang: I don’t believe it will hurt him in either process.
******************************************************

Capital Bill blocked by everybody's distrust of Blagojevich?

Rep. Lou Lang: I think we would have no trouble passing a capital bill if we knew first where the money was going—in other words, what are the projects—and second, how to make sure that the Governor of the state of Illinois, one Rod Blagojevich, who nobody trusts in Springfield, will actually spend those dollars where we’ve asked him to spend them. And, so there is an effort being made to figure out how to pass a capital bill, but put somebody else in charge of the money.
*****************************************************
Rep. Lou Lang: We’ll get the 10th [casino license] replaced [effectively adding a casino’s worth of revenue to the State]. We’ll get one or two more [casinos].

Jeff Berkowitz: One or two more?

Rep. Lou Lang: We’ll get gaming in the City of Chicago in a land-based kind of facility. There will be slot machines at racetracks.

Jeff Berkowitz: Racinos, as they call them.
***************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz:. …These additional casinos, what does that give you [the State] in additional revenue to finance [the capital budget]? About a billion dollars a year?

Rep. Lou Lang: About a billion…
********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search,
can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Obama and McCain, former Presidential candidate Richardson-- and many other pols, including tonight's show with Rep. Lang in the City and last week's show with Rep. Lang in the suburbs and last week's show in the City of Chicago and Aurora with WGN Political Pundit and Professor Paul Green at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
*********************************************
Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs Youtube page include this week's show in the Chicago Metro suburbs with Rep. Lang (Part 2), tonight's show in the Cities of Chicago and Aurora and last week's show in the suburbs with Rep. Lang (Part 1) , last week's show in Chicago and Aurora with WGN Radio political pundit Paul Green, last week's show with Senator and likely 2010 Illinois Gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady,our show with former Sen. Rauschenberger, assessing Barack Obama, our prior show with Republican U.S. Senate Republican nominee Dr. Steve Sauerberg, discussing his Democratic opponent--Senator Durbin-- and domestic, cultural and foreign policy issues, our prior show featuring State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston,IL), discussing Barack Obama, as well as various Illinois Budget issues (spending, mass transit, capital budget, education, gaming and taxes) and possible 2010 Illinois gubernatorial candidates and 2010 U. S. Senate candidates (assuming Obama moves up to President in 2008) , a discussion with State's Attorney for Cook County Republican nominee Tony Peraica; and Anita Alvarez, Chief Deputy to current State's Attorney for Cook County Dick Devine and now the Democratic nominee for State's Attorney of Cook County.