Mancow for Governor

 I didn't know until reading this that Mancow is no longer on WLS-AM and it amazes me that Erich Muller would even consider a run for office. The premise of this post from the Capitol Fax is that Illinois couldn't be nuts enough to consider Mancow. But then again are we....

Thanks. I really needed that https://t.co/nM1UqGkDOb

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) December 2, 2020

Ben Shapiro: How to Debunk the Left's Claims on Income Inequality and Systemic Racism

[VIDEO] What you here discussed in this 10 minute clip is Black = poor or white = rich. There is really nothing new that you hear here. It's bee seen in the media on occasion for example on an episode of Fresh Prince Carlton Banks had to deal with a D.P. - Director of Pledges - for a fraternity that has a problem with Carlton's class.

Carlton Banks has a relatively well-to-do father - Uncle Phil played by the late James Avery - and his family lives in a wealthy L.A. neighborhood known as Bel-Air. Oh yeah the full title of the program is The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Basically this D.P. had a severe issue with Carlton's background and truth be told Carlton didn't help himself as he saw nothing wrong with his class - and reality is there is nothing wrong with it. The D.P. just thought poor = Black and if you're not poor as a Black person then you're a sell-out.

Anyway Ben Shapiro is the type that if you come for him you come ready. He will have an answer for any half-baked theory you will throw at him. So he addresses issues of income inequality or systemic racism. Both are issues that are set up to the point where there can be no possible solution for either. If the racism lives within the American system it's very hard to really solve the issue and it seems set up to state that we need to change the system.

Mancow on the sale of "The Loop"

The sale of the frequency for WLUP - The Loop at 97.9 FM - to a Christian broadcast company was a shock to many listeners who followed the long time rock station. Usually I would listen to Mancow in the mornings for roughly the last three years. That's the extent of my time as part of The Loop's audience.

Mancow Muller is a long time radio jock whom I've listened to since the 1990s. His show is enjoyable, but as I've also learned over the years this is a type or broadcast where you might need to put your feelings in your pocket. You may ascribe to some of his views, however, Mancow is outspoken and sometimes you may not always like his views.

And of course he's outspoken about what happened to The Loop and perhaps his future on the radio.  Mancow up until maybe 2010 or so had actually been off the air in Chicago since about 2006. You might have heard him on WLS-AM and then he had a simulcast show on WPWR 50 until 2014. He also formerly until 2006 worked for WKQX or Q101 which in his appearance on Windy City Live Mancow says could be gone soon also.

Q101 & The Loop were owned by the same company whom unfortunately are going into bankruptcy. Which is the main reason why WLUP is being sold. Below is Mancow on our local ABC affiliate program Windy City Live.

Just had to comment on Herman Cain's new career...

This is old news, but last week the official Morehouse College FB page posted the above picture with a note that Morehouse alum Herman Cain (c/o 1967) would take over for the retiring Neal Boortz who is retiring from his nationally syndicated radio program. Cain who is known as a businessman, conservative activist, and former Presidential Candidate was also formerly a member of Morehouse's Board of Trustees. A fact that I had little idea about.

In any case, the response to this news brought out people who are largely at odds with Cain's conservative political beliefs. The comments were disappointing although during the course of his brief Presidential campaign last year there were certainly more on Twitter and at that some levied attacks against even Cain's wife. That I felt was very awful in the worst way denigrating Cain's wife by talking about her alma mater Morris Brown College located nearby Morehouse College in the Atlanta University Center.

Anycase to whomever administers Morehouse's FB page great kudos for this comment:

Our graduates go out and make their marks in the world in business, athletics, finance, the liberal arts, media and politics. Our graduates' political stances or persuasions, whatever they may be, are their own personal decisions and/or beliefs. We are proud of the work that all Morehouse Men do in changing and influencing the world they live in. That is what makes a Morehouse Man a Morehouse Man.

That being said while I was certainly concerned that the comments there were trending towards the negative were going to negatively impact Morehouse College in the worst way. So I'm very happy with this response and hope that other Morehouse alum and supporters who consider their words in the future. There are certainly venues where airing out disagreements with a particular political stand are more appropriate. A page highlighting the accomplishments of alumni certainly isn't the venue.

Also some may say negative publicity can be good publicity. That comment is certainly directed at Herman Cain which means now those who know nothing of his future plans after leaving the presidential race will now find themselves tuning into to his new radio program. And talk radio isn't exciting unless you have some people with serious disagreements tuning into a particular program.

Taking the pulse of GOP voters in Illinois

[AUDIO] A segment of this morning's Eight Forty-Eight program on Chicago Public Radio where there is a discussion with political commentator Lenny McCallister, former IL Republican Gov. Jim Thompson and Republican pundit David Dring. If you have questions about what Illinois Republicans are going for in the current Presidential race then this is a must hear!

Also note the New Hampshire primaries are today!

Chicago Public Radio on a BBC documentary on Chicago corruption...

The Chicago Public Radio series, The Best Game in Town presents to us a BBC radio documentary about Chicago politics. I also found the documentary over at the BBC itself.

Interviewed are: Brian Doherty is the outgoing Alderman for the 41st Ward, and the only Republican on Chicago's city council; Dick Mell, Alderman of the 35th Ward and father-in-law to Ousted governor (Rod Blagojevich); James Laski former Chicago City Clerk who went to prison for political corruption; and finally there's Dick Simpson who was a former Alderman but currently a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The most interesting quotes are from Doherty who talks about attempted bribes given to him, Mell who talks about how his constituents are concerned about their garbage bins because they didn't follow the instructions of the precinct captains, and Laski who talks a little about what got him in trouble.

Noted are moments in Chicago history. They first mention the rise of Mayor Anton Cermak who was murdered in an incident that was often said to be an attempted assassination of then President-elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Chicago Democratic Machine as we know it today is credited to Mayor Cermak. If you don't believe this radio program look no further than this biography of Mayor Richard J. Daley entitled: American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley - His Battle for Chicago and the Nation.

Also there was mention of Harold Washington. A point was made in this piece (not certain by who so I should prolly listen again :P) that machine politics didn't serve Blacks very well. In fact Black Chicagoans were treated as nothing more than ballot fodder. Although one question should be asked, how does the modern version of the machine treat minorities (Blacks or Latinos) today!

Either way I hope you enjoy. Please offer your thoughts on this presentation in the comments here.

ALSO check out this BBC article from last year about Chicago...err Illinois politics.

Caller confronts Al Sharpton on his radio show...



Via Gateway Pundit:

An irritated caller confronted Rev. Al Sharpton yesterday on his program saying:“We’re tired of being abused by democrats.”

Agreed. We all are.

I would like to see that put into real action. Perhaps doing the unthinkable and supporting Republicans in our local communities. That or support 3rd party or independent candidates.

Lee Bey on "where the 'take back America' crowd lives"

Well the architecture blogger over at Chicago Public Radio makes a comparison between people like Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and Sean Hannity with Rachel Maddow, Jon Stewart, and of all people Keith Olbermann. Perhaps the housing choices of the right wing isn't much different than the housing choices of the progressive. I don't think he's really that impressed although he would have expected the "progressive" to live in more forward looking quarters. Besides some of those homes look very nice, but give me a Chicago bungalow any day whether I'm conservative or progressive. BTW, I don't consider myself a progressive! ;)

I've never read "Catcher in the Rye"

People are talking about the author of that book (click the pic for more information), JD Salinger, who died recently. Unfortunately I never had great exposure to that book.

In fact I was thinking about the interview on Chicago Now radio with Chicago TV host Garrard McClendon who said that as a high school teacher he introduced his students to this book. Apparently they loved it, but my only regret is that there was no such teacher in my life who could've introduced this book to me!

Of course that's not to say I wasn't introduced to good literature. You know my history, I went to one of the worst high schools in the city and I was introduced to William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet, MacBeth, and Hamlet. Although MacBeth and Hamlet only solidified my admiration for the "Bard".

For me I have to think about what other literary pieces I have read and there was very few. Starting in the 7th Grade my classmates had studied the contributions of "African-American" writers. I wasn't the biggest reader around but there are some that have kept my attention over the years.

If it wasn't for the textbook we used, African-American Literature (well not sure of the actual title), I may never have known Zora Neale Hurston or August Wilson. In fact a few years ago, I recorded the TV movie based on a play we read at school, The Piano Lesson, when it aired on CBS. If I recall correctly there may have been some African authors involved as well.

Well, that is my exposure to the world of literature and the authors who make it up. What is yours?

Listening to audio of Dan Proft and Kirk Dillard on WVON this week

You can listen here. Courtesy of the Dan Proft 2010 campaign.

Let me be honest here. I have flirted with outright declaring myself a Republican. You can go back far enough on this blog and there will be some evidence that I have attempted to align myself in that fashion.

It's very unlikely that you will find that these days. I may still hold views that are considered conservative or even libertarian. Most of the time I just attempt to be practical with a certain does of common sense. That's the way to tackle most issues but most look at it with an ideological viewpoint.

Perhaps the reason why I would never go through with being a member of the GOP is the fact that they aren't particularly aggressive in pursuing black supporters. They aren't in the community espousing their message and sometimes their message to the black community may leave a lot wanting. That is what could the Republican Party offer to blacks that the Democrats couldn't offer.

That message is missing. In fact I think I tried to explain that position on a mostly conservative board once and I got shouted down. I became a whiner and a supporter of welfare and I'm the last person who supports that.

Dan Proft is probably close to a message that should resonate with Blacks. His message of reforming the public schools (especially in terms of funding) or otherwise unfixing Illinois to allow for economic opportunity for everyone (especially for entrepreneurial efforts) is a good message for Blacks. The only question is whether or not the Black community could listen, especially to a Republican.

With all due respect to Kirk Dillard, I'm sure black school children are responsive to the history lesson. Ultimately it's their parents who are doing the voting and also whether or not they would listen to the fact that for many years Blacks voted for the party of Abraham Lincoln (who was a Republican). I have my doubts that they would and I would say that state Sen. Dillard and other Republicans should be very mindful of creating a message that will resonate with blacks.

This audio was very good because Dillard and Proft talked about a variety of issues. As I type this Proft & Dillard are talking about CTA, certainly an issue that many blacks are keeping an eye on if they don't drive. Either way the GOP should be talking about issues of concern to at least urban Blacks and go from there.

Yeah talk about all the history that is necessary, but also focus on the here and now! If the Republicans can ever do that and eventually gain a foothold in Black communities. Indeed even find ways to elect Blacks as Republicans to office in Illinois they can count me as a supporter one day. At this moment, it's very unlikely.

Also the other Republican candidates, especially Bill Brady who paid a visit to the nearby Chatham Market during the fall on a jobs tour, need to come to WVON and talk directly to the station's predominantly black listeners!

Blagojevich Name Still Towers Over Far South Side

CPR:

It's been more than two months since Rod Blagojevich was ousted from the governor's office. But his name remains in a prominent spot along a busy Illinois highway.

The grain elevators for the Illinois International Port District are visible from the Bishop Ford Freeway on Chicago's far South Side. Painted right up there along with Mayor Richard Daley's name is former Governor Rod Blagojevich's.

IANELLO: The largest cost, obviously, is scaffolding up to the roof line. To get to the sign, it's about $3,800. That's the price tag for a Blagojevich-free grain elevator, according to Tony Ianello, the port's director.

IANELLO: In [these] economic times, expenditures are expenditures. And at this juncture, we've got a program for next year, not this year.

And guess what? Over two years ago I got a mobile phone pic of these elevators. This wasn't too long after his re-election and inauguration and two years before his eventual removal.

Wild isn't it?

Oh no! He's a guest host?

I just saw this headline this morning on CBS2Chicago:

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has a new gig -- as a Chicago radio host.

WLS-AM program director Bob Shomper says Blagojevich will be on the air from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday, taking calls from listeners, telling stories and talking with guests.

Shomper says it's a one-time deal in the slot normally filled by the "Don Wade & Roma Morning Show." The regular hosts are off this week.

In January, WLS offered Blagojevich his own weekend radio show if he agreed to resign as governor. Blagojevich didn't take the station up on that offer, and he was later ousted from office by Illinois lawmakers.

Heh! I didn't have time to post this before I had to dart off to class this morning and I see that Rich Miller makes a simple statemen on his blog today, "WLS loses its mind". LOL!

Well this is certain to bring some ratings and hopefully a new career given the fact that he isn't likely to return to politics anytime soon. Although I hate to see what kind of calls he'll get, but he'll love this as this could get him some more attention. Almost as if he craves it and has no shame in how he got it!

That last paragraph in the excerpt. Well that had to be noted, but he was too stubborn to just give up the job he seemed to want to give up in the first place for a much more better paying gig. He ultimate was "fired" from that gig in Springfield. :P

StreetWise Changes Could Mean Extra Profits

Interesting:

Since its launch 16 years ago, StreetWise has always sold for a dollar. Publisher Michael Speer says that means a profit of 65 cents per paper for Streetwise vendors, many of whom are homeless.

SPEER: While all the cost of living has gone up around us, these individuals have never had an increase in the amount that they're making on the paper.

But soon they will, assuming they can sell as many papers. Streetwise is doubling its cover price, a move that will also double the profit for vendors. For the extra money, readers will get a glossier publication, with more content. The new Streetwise goes on sale mid-next week. 

For some reason I thought StreetWise was a ripoff and not just to those who buy these papers, but for the guys selling them as well. Perhaps a profit of 65 cents is better than begging for pennies or hustling on the streets for money or indeed better than nothing. How much would a person pay for a papers from StreetWise this article doesn't make clear, but what could be the profit 75 cents or a dollar assuing it goes up to close to two dollars.

Others things I've observed.

There used to be a Walgreen's on Randolph and State. I was leaving the store and some guy walks up to me, I would call it aggressive because of how he ended the convo. If you're going to be selling those papers the least one could do is make people comfortable buying from you. IMO that wasn't what he did.

Another time there was this guy selling papers. Assuming this was the same guy whom was yelling on the streets on that very same street corner Jackson & State, he sold a StreetWise paper to some guy who said something to him and this guy only nodded. That's another person who's not likely to get money from me or a number of people for a StreetWise.

Others have been more agressive but probably not in a bad way, but more annoying. I walked past one guy who was selling StreetWise and I had no intention of buying from him. This was near the Thompson Center. He didn't cut it off there as I was carrying a backpack at that time. He wondered if I have something to eat, like a cracker or what not. Hmm, not sure that's good!

Another time on State & Randolph another guy I walked past him but he was right behind me trying to get me to buy one of his papers. Somewhat playful I thought, but wasn't conducive to me making a purchase for his paper. I kept going because I wasn't interested.

Please don't think for a second that I'm putting down any StreetWise vendor.

West Siders Want Handgun Ban to Stay

From Chicago Public Radio also via The Capitol Fax morning shorts today. Interviewed are some people who resides in West Garfield Park about the possible overturning of the gun ban in Chicago:

WOMAN 1: I think it’s going to be more killings, more robberies, more drive-bys, more crime.

MAN 1: I think it’s going to be kind of crazy. If everybody has got a gun, it’s going to be wild, wild west.

WOMAN 2: I don’t think it’s going to change one bit the amount of gun violence in this community. The people that commit the gun violence, they don’t go and stand in line and send in their applications for gun permits. They obtain illegal weapons and they use them illegally.

MAN 2: I lost a son in 2002 due to handguns. With this law being changed, somebody else’s son is going to be killed .

I cross posted this onto my other blog, The Sixth Ward. I decided this was an important issue worth covering on those parts as well.

The only thing I didn't add was my two cents worth. I think in some respects that these individual's fears are unfounded, however, I understand where it's coming from. Assuming that these individuals come from high crime areas.

I certainly share their concerns, however, while there are those who will start shooting for any reason. Of course those individuals are probably ones who ought to go without a gun. Of course should this impact anyone else who won't shoot for any reason.

I just saw the comment of Woman 2. It's the most sensible quote amongst them all. She's got it right! It's one reason I would like to see the overturning of the gun ban. It's not effective.

You know something?

I really miss Mancow Muller I wish a radio station would take him on at some point in the near future. He's been off the air in Chicago for almost two years when his last station Q101 decided to make a change in the mornings. In lieu of a regular Chicago radio presences we can see him on this Channel 2 vid from this past Sunday.

I also want to bring to your attention another segment on Sunday from Channel 2 about Emmit Till. I've talked about that story overtime here. This segment is an interview with an actor who's playing the title role in a new play that is to be featured at The Goodman Theater.

A plant?

You know it's been in the news within the past month or so that Sen. Hillary Clinton has been planting friendly people in crowds during debates and such to help solidify her support. Well Todd Stroger seems to have picked up on that strategy and it doesn't seem to help him look any better. He can do sit down interviews but the least he can do is not have someone talk up his unpopular tax increases...

Stroger has been under siege for nearly three months for having proposed a highly unpopular 2-percentage-point hike in the county sales tax.

After taking a few calls from unhappy taxpayers, Williams said he had time for one more caller.

On came "Jonathan from Chicago."

Jonathan talked intelligently about the county’s budget mess last year and then went on to defend the tax hike and cite a national study comparing cities across the nation.

"The last 15 areas that raised their sales tax saw actually no less than 25 percent growth in the year after they did it," Jonathan said. "A lot of this is just gloom and doom, the world’s going to fall in. But when you look at what’s actually happened, the world’s never fallen in."

The random caller, of course, wasn’t so random. It was Stroger’s $100,000-a-year communications director, Andre Garner.

Confronted later, Garner declined to comment but said, "Well, you guys won’t put this stuff in the newspaper," referring to his on-air comments.

This article courtesy of Clout Street.

This American Life: Remembering Harold Washington

The 13th Floor Blog at Governing.com discusses a program that aired November 9th of last week on NPR . It was called This American Life and this episode was about the first black Mayor of Chicago, the late Harold Washington. This program actually aired back on November 21, 1997.

Wow, it'll be a decade next Wednesday that this program aired. Also it'll be 20 years since his death on November 25, 1987. Mayor Washington was re-elected earlier that year and was only 7 months into his second term as mayor. He had been Mayor of Chicago since 1983 and that election will be covered in this program.

I heard this program a while back and I'm so glad that I can hear this once again. And an addition that they talk about the presidential candidacy of US Senator Barack Obama. A famous black lawyer and judge, Eugene Pincham, mentioned that Dr. Martin Luther King was not a well liked man when he was alive but when he was murdered and couldn't lead anyone anymore, he got a holiday. Then Pincham says that Mayor Washington on the other hand is not going to get those same accolades because Washington is likely to inspire people from beyond the grave.

Roughly 25 years have passed since Harold Washington was elected Mayor of Chicago and the question could be begged that this program seemed to address in 1997 & 2007. Would a black candidate have a fair chance to be elected Mayor today? Would that candidate have suffered the same resistance that Harold Washington had in 1983?

The pic at the top left is of a Harold Washington memorial courtesy of YoChicago's Chatham neighborhood Flickr set. This memorial sitting on South Vernon Avenue was sponsored by the people of Vernon Avenue, from 83rd to 87th Streets. To YoChicago, it was more memorable of a tribute to Mayor Washington than the library named for him in downtown Chicago.

Also I still plan on digitizing the coverage I have of his funeral. I haven't figured out the logistics or the technology yet. I don't intend to wait too long on it either.

With some edits this post was cross-posted at Illinoize!!!

Ex-Imus producer calls Sharpton 'race-baiter' in TV debate over host's comments

Remember last night the debate between Imus producer Bernard McGuirk and Rev. Al Sharpton. I blogged about that last night and today it's made the Chicago Sun-Times. So let's see an excerpt...

McGuirk called Sharpton a ''crude ... opportunist, a race-baiter'' who campaigned against Imus to help his own career and raise his profile.

While McGuirk acknowledged that ''these words did hurt these girls,'' he added, ''until you, Reverend Al, got involved, they probably never would have heard of it. They would have probably never, quote unquote, got scarred for life until you got involved for your own self-serving interests.''

Sharpton said he wasn't looking for more attention -- ''if you have any recollection at all, I had been in the papers all year,'' he said. He said Imus and McGuirk may have apologized for the remark, but ''forgiveness is not the point. The question is the penalty.''

''Consumers have the right to say to advertisers, 'Are your standards going to be where people are attacked based on your gender and race?''' Sharpton said.

McGuirk countered that Sharpton ''terrorized these spineless, thumb-sucking executives'' into taking Imus off the air. In an earlier appearance on ''Hannity & Colmes,'' he said the executives ''were in a fetal position under their desks sucking their thumbs on their BlackBerrys, trying to coordinate their response.''

McGuirk said Imus ''made one small mistake. He ran a red light'' and shouldn't have been fired.

''Who elected you the p.c. police chief?'' he asked Sharpton. ''Who elected you to anything?''

Well I can say great points by McGuirk but Sharpton probably is still virtually unhurt by these statements.

An outrageous radio stunt!!!

Well stunt probably isn't the right word for it, but something happened on Milwaukee radio in the past week. Unfortunate but it seems radio is a bitter clash between different personalities and it can get person as it had in this incident...

MILWAUKEE -- A former alderman and controversial radio talk show host said he's happy the mother of his radio rival is dead.

Michael McGee Sr. made the comments during his radio show on WNOV-AM Thursday morning. Charlie Sykes is a radio talk show host on WTMJ-AM. Sykes' mother, Katherine B. Sykes, died in a house fire Tuesday. The Ozaukee County Coroner said Thursday that Sykes died of smoke inhalation.

McGee's words quickly spread on the Internet as bloggers picked up the story. At least one radio host talked about it on his show Thursday afternoon.

McGee and Sykes have been publicly battling for years, but even in the world of talk radio, some are saying the comments made are extreme.

"Mother Sykes, she dead. To me it's the vengeance of God. I ain't got no tears. Matter of fact a woman that would have a fool like that deserve whatever is coming her. She raised a sure enough idiot," McGee said on his radio show. "My instincts say Charlie Sykes killed his momma, cuz she live out in this big palace in Mequon all isolated. He got tired of waiting for her money."

McGee's comments came about 15 minutes into his show. He went on for about five minutes and then moved on to a different topic, but later in the show a caller asked about it.

"Mike McGee Senior," the caller began, "You really don't mean that, about your enemies families members being dead -- killed."

"Man, you don't think I mean that, man, you out of your mind," McGee replied.

You know I've only heard about Mancow Muller's bitter rivalry with Howard Stern with Howard actually calling in to Mancow's show with Howard hanging up after a maybe a minute. If I understand the story correctly Stern made some nasty comments about the death of Mancow's late father. This happened years before I ever started listening to the show.

Ironically Mancow is no longer on the air in Chicago but he can be heard in other markets around the country. Stern on the other hand can be heard on satellite radio instead of on broadcasting where he can get away with more riskier things than he was able to under a broadcast radio contract. Let's get back to Milwaukee.

I saw the video of this story. I was looking at the long beard and the dreads, and I was thinking that he looks crazy enough to make those comments. I probably just made a superficial comment right there, but that was my first though. What he said were very horrible comments that, whether serious or not, he probably should apologize for. I wonder though what's the basis for this bitter rivalry and prompted this verbal broadside on Sykes by McGee.

I haven't commented much on the Don Imus story...

I just have to point this article in your direction.

To start I have my opinions on this story and I find out how high passions are. Especially since Imus has lost his job over what was said on his radio show. On the one hand are those who are very much offended by what he said and now I suppose the fans of Imus disappointed that they will no longer hear him on the air.

But come on folks, he's just a radio personality who lost his job. Why are you going to threaten a person's life for speaking up against what offended him? It's almost pointless and it shows how out of control people like this are. This does Imus no good.

I mean he's already lost his job. If he ever wants to pursue another job in radio the last thing he needs is some crazy fan doing something crazy. What's done is done. Making threats doesn't change a thing and makes you feel and look dumb. Especially if it's found out who you are.

This story reminds me of what happened to the dentist although it wasn't exactly substantiated as far as I know. Whatever, people just need to slow down and stop.