Pilling on where I left off with Dutch's post. Here are some more one-liners regarding Chicago, and what generations of straight-ticket party-line parrots will get you:

Sun Times: Sewer company linked to Daley's son closes with more than 2 years left on multimillion-dollar city deal

And if that story doesn't sound familiar:
NYT: Top City Officials Arrested in Chicago Hiring Fraud

And this, too:
Chicago Tribune: Inside Daley's machine
But you know, at least Daley deals in clout.

Where as Bag-O-Chips deals in actual cash:
Rezko trial spotlights Blagojevich, not Obama

This is low-hanging fruit that I cannot resist:
Real Clear Politics: Chicago's Misfire on Gun Violence
Chicago's annual murder rate maybe in decline, but it is still three times that of NY, in terms of population. But whatever, gun legislation does not fix social dysfunction. Ever. But we talked about that already.

Suffredin Unveils Ordinance to Reign in Gun Shops
Yeah, you know what we need? More space between the gun shops. If only they were ten miles apart and not near any schools kids would stop using their open periods to upgrade their personal arsenals. Gimme a fucking break.

Illinois enjoys a great heritage in hunting and trapping. Your support of our outdoor recreation programs is very important. All of us who enjoy spending time outdoors are aware of the key role sportsmen and women play in managing wildlife populations, conserving our natural resources, and protecting the environment. I look forward to working with you to expand outdoor opportunities in Illinois. -- Rod Blagojevich

This wonderfully shallow quote can be found on page one of the 2007-2008 Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations for the state of Illinois. I noticed it while browsing the digest this year, and while a similar (if not verbatim) declaration graces the handout every year, reading it this year filled me with a small flicker of rage not usually native to reading a hunting regulations manual. This year is different though.

This is the year that "Bag-o-Chips" as he is so often affectionately referred to on the Mint has proposed to cut one of the few state programs outside of infrastructure that I actually participate in. His office has decided to cut the controlled pheasant hunting program after this year which is the only opportunity many Illinois hunters get to get out and enjoy the activity they love... an activity many people have been doing their entire life. I'm not going to try to persuade anyone to adopt my views of the merits of hunting, the merits of this particular program, or even the merits of firearm ownership (A great shock probably to those that know me). I will simply express my disdain for the reasoning our esteemed governor gives for this cutback, an explanation which is simply an outright lie.

The governors office maintains that the program costs the state $1.3 million dollars a year to operate. The program consists of operations at three rookeries to raise the birds, and operations to transport and release the birds at a variety of state parks. What they don't disclose is that not one dollar of state money not collected directly from the hunters or sportsmen's pockets goes to fund the program. Not one cent.

Anywhere from thirty seven to forty thousand hunters buy permits in a given year at a cost of $15 a piece. All of this money goes directly to fund the program for a total of between $550,000 - $600,000. The remaining $700,000 to $750,000 needed to operate the program comes directly from excise taxes paid in the state when purchasing firearms, ammo, and other hunting equipment. Typically eleven percent. In order to make this cut palatable to taxpayers, the governor has run out the usual ruse that the program cut will save money for the state in these hard economic times. Another lie. The stated mandate of the program cut is that the employees will not be laid off, instead absorbed into other state programs... another win/win.

... Their salaries are paid for from the funds mentioned above, meaning that instead of turning the cutback into a surplus for the state (not possible to begin with) it actually turns into an extra shortfall. As the employees are absorbed into other programs, so do the costs of the employment including health care and salary.

I'm not that upset about the loss of the program. I will go out of state to hunt I guess... Just not as frequently. What really upsets me is that this is just another example from this administration of the worst in politics. Lies, misleading statements and double talk to further a personal or unstated agenda.

I marvel day after day watching the acts of this guy as he sleazes his way through my state and I wonder how people were duped into electing this confidence man in the first place.

We can do better than him. We need to do better. I don't know what else to say.

First, seed is right in his point about the effect of wiping out the electoral college in the US.

So long as you like NY, LA, Miami, Chicago, and Houston electing your next president exclusively, then ditching the electoral college is the way to go. I expect that very idea warms the hearts of people who like the policies on the coasts, but always remember this: in a democracy, you must always be willing to see the power you create in the hands of someone you disagree with. The primary fallacy of the Democrats is that Bush's failings are singular to him as an individual, ignoring the fact that they more generally represent what is possible in the role of the president. Having the "right" person, or being in temporary agreement with the views of some population, is a horrible reason to extend power.

But the article seed links to is even more troubling, as it points once again to the horrendous state of our journalist class.

Please, if you're going to report on political issues dealing with the electoral college, at least have the common fucking sense to know how it fucking works.

A simple read through Federalist Paper #68 should do. It is my fervent hope that the shame at such public idiocy will drive the reporter and the responsible editor from the profession forever. They have proven themselves wholly incapable of functioning in the one job they need to perform: writing down sentences that are as factual as possible, in a pleasing order.

They fail. To wit: "It's part of a push by a California-based advocacy group to get around the odd political math of the Electoral College and prevent a repeat of the messy 2000 presidential race."

Uh, no. The Electoral College has only one bit of math: each state is apportioned electors according to the number of senators for the state plus the number of representatives. The EC does not decide that number of representatives, so it is not responsible for the distribution of electors. The EC does not -- please, let's repeat this so it sinks in, it does not -- have any say in the allocation of the electors to the vote of the people.

Indeed, the whole "winner take all" system of elector allocation is not even Federally mandated. It is entirely a state-level decision. Know how I know? Maine and Nebraska don't work with winner-take-all elector allocation. Oh, yeah, and I know how to read.

Bag-O-Chips is just another idiot who wants to look like he's doing something without actually doing it. Nothing is holding the man back from saying "Know what, the whole winner-take-all system is screwy. Illinois is changing, no matter what anyone else does." You could then have a real argument about the merits and demerits of elector allocation. Otherwise, you're pandering.

We expect this of our politicians. We get the government we vote for. But journalists, who claim for themselves a status both unrecognized in law and clearly unearned in practice, are left to the whims of the market. Which is fine, save for the fact that it seems demand doesn't drop when the reporters prove themselves to be the intellectual equivalent of pudding.

Blagojevich Signs Bill to Bypass Electoral College for Popular Vote

It's funny that you never hear this argument come from a state like Rhode Island. I suppose Bag-O-Chips won't have much to worry about when the presidential campaigns focus on the top half-dozen metropolitan areas. If he's not in jail, he'll have a pretty good chance at catching the campaign.

If I'm going to make up silly honoraria like this, might as well do it at times that don't seem consistent...

Anyway, here's my nomination for Honorary Rider of the Week: Dr. Jonathan Shepherd. Dr. Shepherd was just awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to health and science. What did he do to win that award and our own notable HRW distinction?

"Professor Shepherd conducted the first field research comparing injuries from toughened glasses used in bar and nightclub fights to those of glass which becomes sharp-edged. His work prompted many bars to switch to tougher glass in the late 1990s, leading to a fall in injuries."

No one wants to spoil a good brawl with unnecessary cuts and broken glass in the eyes. Thanks, Doc!