http://www.turningleft.net On the Liberal Front Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:19:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en It's off the deep end and off to la-la land with State Sen. James Meeks.  Meeks is struggling to find support for his grand plan to encourage kids to stay home from school at the start of the school year. From the Chicago Sun-Times: State Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago) met privately with ... http://www.turningleft.net/2008/08/13/sen-meeks-tells-kids-to-stay-out-of-school/ I just hung up the phone with India. I received a phone call regarding a bill I received for emergency room services in February at St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights.  When I returned the call, I was greeted by a kind person with a slight accent.  I couldn't quite place ... http://www.turningleft.net/2008/08/13/calling-dr-bombay-st-james-emergency-docs-outsource-billing/ Certainly one of the strangest comments in recent Illinois politics escaped the mouth of Gov. Rod Blagojevich today. According to our friend Gregory Tejeda at the Chicag Argus, Blago described himself Monday as a "homeboy" and "possibly the first African-American governor of Illinois.” Just try and find a context for that one. Meanwhile, ... http://www.turningleft.net/2008/08/11/oy-blago-thinks-hes-black-as-pat-quinn-protests/ Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass reported Friday that Chicago's airport operations boss Dave "Pool Boy" Ochal threw his political weight around last week when his neighborhood faced a power outage: Ochal's Far Northwest Side neighborhood was without power for two days in the summer heat. Neighbors dug into their own pockets ... http://www.turningleft.net/2008/08/09/mayor-daley-needs-a-news-pool-boy/ Shocking news from Northwestern Memorial Hospital today: Bernie Mac, comedian and actor, died Saturday. His publicist, Danica Smith, said he died as a result of complications from pneumonia. From the Chicago Sun-Times: Mac suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but ... http://www.turningleft.net/2008/08/09/south-chicagoland-comedianactor-bernie-mac-dies/ Ever wonder who in Park Forest is contributing to the presidential campaigns? Wondering if a celebrity is playing both sides of the fence? Whether that new guy or gal you've just met is actually a Republican or a Democrat? Wondering if your boss maxed out at that fundraiser ... http://www.turningleft.net/2008/08/07/turning-left-election-watch-who-is-giving-the-big-bucks/ Will Chicago's City Council scream for justice this week when they reflect on the sad news from Garfield Park? From the Sun-Times: A man and teenage boy were fatally shot in the West Side’s Garfield Park neighborhood Saturday afternoon. The victims were found at 54 N. Lotus Ave. and 5449 W. Washington Blvd., ... http://www.turningleft.net/2008/08/03/two-shot-in-garfield-park-will-daley-and-council-scream/ Here we go. Johnny M. is playing it -- or accusing Barack O. of playing it. The race card. The dreaded race card. When all chips are down, when a black man or woman is in danger of succeeding, there you have it. The race card again. It ... http://www.turningleft.net/2008/08/01/white-man-accuses-black-man-of-playing-race-card/ Really, I was not planning on writing about Todd Stroger anytime soon.  I hadn't read much recently, and thought, perhaps, that he was simply doing the work of the people.  Perhaps he had found his stride. From the Chicago Sun-Times: Tired of getting "pummeled by the newspapers every day," Cook County Board ... http://www.turningleft.net/2008/07/28/todd-strogers-25000-publicity-pyramid/ Drew Peterson claims he had an affair with Paula Stark, wife of Len Wawczak, according to a TV reporter who contacted Stark. The Bolingbrook couple said this week that for seven months they wore a wire on Peterson, their neighbor and former friend. At first, Stark and Wawczak laughed about it, ... http://www.turningleft.net/2008/07/26/did-drew-peterson-sleep-with-your-wife-too/