There may be many adjectives to describe the 14 union-loving Wisconsin Democrats who hot dogged it to Illinois in order to prevent a quorum on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget bill. There is only one, truly accurate descriptor though: Elusive. (more)
More than one-fifth of House freshman have taken the “bring your work home with you” concept to another level by opting to sleep in their D.C. offices. (more)
Chicago-area police are undoubtedly feeling like a bunch of asses after an inadvertent cell phone “butt dial” sent more than 30 gun-toting SWAT team members storming into a middle school looking for a hostage situation. (more)
ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — A northern Illinois couple welcomed their new daughter to the world in the last minute of 2010 — and a twin son in the first minute of 2011. (more)
To many, the biggest question surrounding the 2012 presidential election remains: Will Sarah Palin run? (more)
1.) John Shadegg: House GOP is ‘on probation’ — After 16 years in the House, Rep. John Shadegg is retiring to Arizona. The Daily Caller’s Jon Ward caught up with the son of Barry Goldwater altar ego Stephen Shadegg on his way out the door. Ward asked him, for instance, what makes the Tea Party different from previous conservative waves, such as Newt Gingrich’s 1994 production, in which Shadegg had a walk-on part as a newly elected congressman. “When the Gingrich revolution happened, the Gingrich revolution collapsed,” Shadegg told Ward. “It had betrayed its supporters.” By “it” Shadegg means Republican detractors and other “old bulls” like Tom DeLay, who claimed in 2005 that the government could not cut its spending any further. Now the party is getting a second chance, Shadegg said. “What happens to this class? Does this class get turned by Washington? Does the class change or does this class actually change Washington? I personally think that’s the $64,000 question.” Or, you know, the $1.7 trillion question. (more)
Everybody can use a helping hand now and again, and the New York Jets are no exception. Neither are the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. (more)
As highlight clips go, Michael Vick’s performance for Woodbury Nissan can’t match his spree Sunday at the Meadowlands. (more)
1.) Establishment Republicans conflicted over whose back to pat for busted omnibus bill — Majority Leader Harry Reid folded during last night’s high-stakes po(r)ker game. Now Beltway types are racing to cement a narrative for exactly what made the GOP so bold. “The defeat of a pork-laden $1.1 trillion ‘omnibus’ spending bill in the Senate Thursday night was the first serious indication after the Nov. 2 election that the Tea Party movement has staying power and will be a force into 2011,” writes The Daily Caller’s Jon Ward. “Some Republicans on Capitol Hill said Thursday night that GOP leadership played a pivotal role as well. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was said to have pressured key GOP lawmakers to stand firm against the legislation, though some in leadership said the conference was fairly united against it from the beginning.” Less, uh, established folks, like Sen. Tom Coburn’s beard, were more willing to give all credit to the Tea Party: “It was 100 percent grassroots…The American people took it down,” said Coburn spokesman John Hart. Also, bitter Democrats, one of whom dejectedly chalked up the broke-down omnibus to Congressional Republicans being “a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tea Party.” (more)
1.) Inouye and other Senate dinosaurs make one last mad hobble for cash register — “In the waning days of the lame duck congressional session, Democrats controlling the Senate — in collaboration with a handful of old school Republicans — are pushing to wrap $1.27 trillion worth of unfinished budget work into a single ‘omnibus’ appropriations bill,” reports the AP. Sen. Jim DeMint hates this bill so much that he has threatened to read all 1,900 pages aloud if his colleagues do not make it smaller. To that end, a small contingent of fiscal guerillas are hoping to address the federal budget in the new year, when reinforcements will have arrived from Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Utah, and Kentucky. Until then, it’s DeMint, McCain, and Coburn attempting to hold back a red sea of pork. Their efforts are not completely futile. After requesting an earmark for the Kentucky National Guard to eradicate the most valuable cash crop in the United States, Sen. Mitch McConnell suddenly realized that he is not supposed to be spending other people’s money willy-nilly anymore, and had the earmark removed. “This is exactly what the American people said Nov. 2 they didn’t want us to do,” a chastened McConnell said. (more)
Barack Obama is a ball-busted man. To anyone who has seen how he acts whenever Michelle Obama is around — or even at the mere mention of her name — this is beyond dispute. The man lives in terror of his wife, who, unlike her husband, is actually from the streets of South Chicago. (more)
1.) Michael Steele decides that he has done enough damage to the RNC — It appears that RNC Chairman Michael Steele spent some time reviewing his contributions to the health and wealth of the Republican Party this past weekend. What else could have catalyzed his decision–forthcoming tonight, a little birdie told FOX News–to not run for a second term as RNC failman? According to FOX, Steele “sent an e-mail to committee members Saturday night with the subject line, ‘conference call,’ in which “he asked members to join him ‘for a private conference call’ Monday evening.” Perhaps Steele will review his greatest hits before bowing out? Or maybe he has plans to anoint a successor! All we know is that the field of Steele challengers (Reince Priebus, Ann Wagner, Maria Cino, Saul Anuzis, and Gentry Collins, oh my!) will all need to find new campaign slogans: “I’m NOT Michael Steele” isn’t going to cut it now! (more)
On the 19th day, the Eagles will rest. (more)
CHICAGO – A 23-year-old man died yesterday afternoon after he fell out of Soldier Field and landed on a rooftop on the west side of the stadium, officials said. (more)
CHICAGO – This loss unfolded in eerily familiar fashion. (more)
WASHINGTON – Mark Twain paid a surprise visit to the Kennedy Center on Tuesday night to honor Tina Fey with the nation’s top humor prize that bears his name. (more)
Gauntlet, meet the ground. (more)
Juan Uribe had a running joke with a couple of reporters toward the end of the regular season. The Giants were in Chicago, where Uribe helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series, and he said, “This is my town.” (more)
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