The Stonecipher Report

Election Day Update – 3 Races to Watch (Plus, Predictions!) (UPDATED 11-04, With Results)

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Nov. 3, 2009

Just a quick (well, kinda quick, anyway – it ended up expanding) piece on this off-off-Election Day, summing up the three most interesting races to watch today…

As Tyler and I covered fairly extensively on the radio show yesterday, it looks like the Republican Bob McDonnell will (fairly easily) win as VA Governor…NJ Governor Jon Corzine – after starting off in a fairly deep, unpopular hole – may well pull off a close comeback win over challenger Chris Christie…and, in the most fascinating, potentially-far-reaching election today – ironically, since it is a "mere" local race – no matter WHO wins in the NY 23rd District special election, it may signal an important victory (with perhaps ongoing national repercussions) for Democrats…A little more on each of these below...

Andy McKenna to Seek to Lose the 2010 IL Governor’s Race…

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Oct. 28, 2009

Andy McKenna is a loser…

Oh, he may actually end up winning the 2010 Illinois Republican Gubernatorial primary – mostly out of some vague, "Eh?" shadow of name recognition versus such unknown and undistinguished competition as Bill Brady, Dan Proft, and Andy Andrzejezewejrzski (uh…OK, I may have – accidentally – tossed an extra "Z" or "J" or something in his name (or, heck – maybe I even left one out [shrugs]), but, c’mon, nobody but the "Would be lucky to break 15% in the primary!" candidate himself is even likely to notice…). But I can guarantee you this: Short of some kind of bizarre, joint Pat Quinn-Dan Hynes sex / bribery / murder scandal erupting between now and Nov. 2, 2010, McKenna will NOT become the next Governor of "The Land of Lincoln, Butkus, and Obama."

The Latest From Some Smart, Progressive Voices You Have All Heard Of…

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Oct. 26, 2009

There are so many different, often-swirling and -conflicting opinions available online that it can be hard to keep up with what is being said and by who. So much of it all can float by, even if offered by well-known, even world-famous figures. (Not that WE here at The Stonecipher Report view ourselves as necessarily being such a leading opinion destination, but…we DO greatly appreciate your readership…and we keep on trying to be both a valuable source of original information AND to share what we’ve come across elsewhere with our valued readers – AND our radio broadcast listeners.)

With that in mind, I wanted to share some important, recent online content from two of the most important Progressive, Liberal voices available on the Internet – one of them quite thoughtful, long espousing open-minded, populist political views (with the added perspective on the healthcare debate of having had to suffer through some recent severe health difficulties)…and the other having become a bit of a right-wing lightning rod for his filmed and written crusades during the Bush-Cheney era. I present to you some excellent, very readable recent content from Roger Ebert and Michael Moore…

Oh. My. God. NFL RedZone…

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Oct. 18, 2009

A quick non-politics-related post here…it’s late on Sunday afternoon as I write this, and my (pretty decent; currently second-place) Fantasy Football team is behind its opponent (because he has Tom Brady and Maurice Jones-Drew well into the 30-plus-point range of FF scoring) – but my discovery today that hit me like a jolt of extra-caffeinated (hell, extra-cocained) coffee was the NFL RedZone channel on my cable system.

I’d heard of it, but understood it to be an extra-fee feature. On the other hand, I already pay Comcast a ton to be able to get just about every available channel on my system, so…when I curiously looked into it today, there it was up in the upper reaches of my available channels – the Fantasy Football promised land…

Check Out 538.com’s Great Piece on Joe Lieberman (Perhaps Fatally) Shooting Himself in the Foot…

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Oct. 17, 2009

Anyone who has caught any of the many disgusted references that Tyler and I have made on our radio show (plug: coming Monday, at 3PM Central to WHPK and www.whpk.org) to the "Independent Democrat" Senator from Connecticut know that we hold a special place – Hell, mostly – for Joe Lieberman, I actually shared an elevator ride in a Senate office building with the sawed-off whiner a few years back…and, to this day, I still regret not unleashing a good, doubling-him-over kidney punch to the bitter little in-it-only-for-himself bastard…

Well, now it looks as if the healthcare-reform-rejecting Sen, "Palpatine" (as I always like to refer to him, since I swear he looks so much like the "Star Wars" wimpy and weasel-y looking Chancellor character (before he got Force-melted into the shriveled Emperor look)) might go down of his own accord – no violent fisticuffs needed. Check out this great piece over at Nate Silver’s excellent 538.com site (which I HIGHLY recommend to political junkies for their multiple cogent – and highly readable –daily posts for wonks like us), available directly via this link.

WHO IS CRAZIER??? Sarah Palin vs. Michele Bachmann

 

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Oct. 15, 2009

  

  

Hey, it’s time once again to sort out a couple of loose public wingnuts to see just which one is looser and nuttier. Yep, it’s the return of The Stonecipher Report’s popular (and oh-so-sarcastic) feature: WHO IS CRAZIER???

We use this fun feature to occasionally take a look at a couple of semi-outrageous, at-least-somewhat-connected figures in the public eye, comparing and contrasting them, their words, and their behavior until we can determine just which one of them is the nuttier, more insane, and just plain crazier individual. As you would expect, we’ll be plucking examples from the world of politics…but also from media, pop culture, sports – whatever floats to the surface of obvious madness. Party labels, network, publication, or team affiliations, or even poll or box office numbers won’t necessarily matter – if they seem unhinged, we’ll call them on it…

So, for the latest fun-fest with this sharpened-rhetorical-daggers-ready feature, let’s take a current look at a pair of prominent female GOP politicians (past and present public officeholders) and try to determine just WHO IS CRAZIER – Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann???

Republicans Embarrass Themselves Over Decrying the Obama Nobel Prize

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Oct. 12, 2009

As regular readers may have noted, I usually – at the bottom of my entries – promote my twice-weekly e-mail column, "And, in the News…" Occasionally, I also share an adapted version of the contents of those issues out here. The Monday issues are when I cover politics – via my regular "Political Soap Box" feature (Friday’s issues are usually more pop-culture-, sports-, or random-thoughts-oriented)…and I wanted to share the issue I sent out this morning, covering the confusing, idiotic (if – duh! – completely expected) Republican reaction to President Obama winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

Illinois GOP Mess May Lead to (Somewhat of) a Career Resurrection For One of the State's Republican Ryans…

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Oct. 10, 2009

The last name "Ryan" – a classic old Irish surname – has been associated with several Illinois Republican politicians over the past decade or so…mostly, however, to notable political FAILURES. Let’s check the list: First and foremost, there was Governor George Ryan (1999 – 2003), the Kankakee pharmacist who buddied and corrupted his way up through state government (including a notorious stint as Secretary of State, collecting bribes and contributions in trade for favors, licenses, and contracts) before being sent to prison after his mostly unaccomplished (except for his brave stand against unwarranted capital punishment) single term in the Governor’s mansion.

The ’09 Cubs (Finally) Reach the (Less-Than-Thrilling) End of the Road…

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Oct. 6, 2009

Considering how cool – and windy and even rainy – it had been here in Chicago the end of last week, I made sure I was overly prepared on Sunday. My old friend Frank – the head guy over at Time Out Chicago magazine – invited me to join him and his verging-on-6-year-old son Nick at the final Cubs game of the season. Thanks to Frank’s planning, generosity, and (no doubt) patience and acceptance, I’ve been able to catch 4, 5, maybe a half-dozen games with him this season…this disappointing, winning-record, but second-place (and a DISTANT second behind the (damned) Cards at that) season…

Special Guest on The Stonecipher Report Radio Program – Monday, 10-05

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Oct. 5, 2009

You’ll really want to tune in to a very special edition of The Stonecipher Report radio show this afternoon, Monday, October 5 – it could be something news-making to hear!. We will be broadcasting over the air as well as via the Internet live today from 3:00 to 4:00 PM Chicago time on WHPK-FM. You can tune us in locally (mostly on Chicago’s South Side…but, in cars, also as far north as about Navy Pier) at 88.5 FM…and, of course, you can also hear the show online at WHPK.org, streaming live by just clicking the "Listen" tab or the "We are STREAMING" window on the station's website.

Today’s show will feature a very special guest, as, early in the hour, Andy Martin, a 2010 candidate for the US Senate seat from IL (the one formerly held by President Obama) is scheduled to do an interview with Tyler and me. He has already posted a few comments out here on our site…and he doesn’t shy away from speaking his (fairly one-of-a-kind, to say the least!) mind…so, it should definitely make for some interesting radio. We sure hope you get a chance to listen to us today – it may be a bumpy and fascinating ride!