Yesterday I stopped at a local lunch counter for a quick bite and on the counter sat a copy of the Chicago Tribune’s new tabloid edition. After scanning the pages, I suspect that longtime publisher Col. Robert McCormack must be turning in his grave because it is a sad representation of a once renowned broadsheet.
Deep in the paper, I was shocked to see an alarming full-page investigative report with a headline “ROLAND BURRIS RECEIVED ABOUT $1.2 MILLION IN LOANS FROM BUSINESSMAN DURING GUBERNATORIAL BID”. We just lived through the tragic tale of now impeached Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his appointment of Roland Burris to the vacant Barack Obama’s US Senate seat.
It has now been disclosed that back in 2002 Burris received an initial campaign contribution loan of $800,000.00 from Joseph Stroud, a Chicago area independent television station owner and businessman, and that sum ended up totaling $1.57 million in Burris’ failed run for the Governor’s office. It is further disclosed that Burris has only repaid $6,000.00 of the large loan. The Stroud contribution represented more than 70% of Burris’ campaign fund, and it remains the biggest single gubernatorial contribution since records went online in 1994.
It is reported that Burris, after loosing the Governor’s election, made telephone calls to urge prosecution of an ex-Stroud employee. Burris claims to have met Stroud at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and we know that organization under Rev. Jesse Jackson’s leadership has long been accused of playing fast and loose with government grant funds.
With this story of questionable political contribution, I would suspect that the Illinois Republican Party has a golden opportunity to recapture the Governorship. It will be interesting to see if they come up with a qualified, electible candidate, have the organization, and can raise the funds to finance the campaign.
I have waited to post this report a full twenty-four hours and am most surprised to not find this story in any other newspaper. Additionally, I have not heard any reference to it on any cable or network television stations. Surely you, too, must wonder why the National Media has not jumped on this story. The stench of political corruption is reaching deep into Washington again, and I predict that we will witness continuing erosion in voter support for the administration of CHANGE. The Chicago/Illinois political influence runs deep in the White House with the strong influence of Presidential Chief of Staff, ex-Chicago Congressman Rahm Emanuel and his latest move to bring the U.S. Census out of the Commerce Department into the White House. That smells to high heaven if you ask me!
Soon we will all be wearing masks to eliminate the political stench permeating our Government.
COMMANDER GRANGER
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I am happy to report that home-delivery customers still receive the full-size format of the Chicago Tribune. It's obviously a cost-saving measure to reduce the size of the paper to this new tabloid style. However, there are some who like that it's easier to read while commuting to and from work...which would never be an issue for me because you know what would happen if I tried to read while riding in any sort of moving vehichle, don't you Commander?
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