Fair Enough: Thanks and Compliments and Responses to this Blog’s Readers.

Fran Eaton, over at www.illinoisreview.com has a very poignant and heart-felt take on the Willis couple who lost six children in the fiery crash that pinpointed George Ryan’s sleazy commercial license for bribes scandal. Nobody can write with more heart than Fran. Now, as poignant as the Willis case is, there were others who died as result of the corrupt practice. Who are they? They should get notice too now that Ryan has been sent away.

My Catholic squishy tendencies are taken to task by a good responder. Bill Watson comments on my George Ryan piece saying I should have mentioned that the trucker involved in the Willis accident did not only get his commercial license through a bribe but was an illegal. I should have mentioned this. Bill continues by zinging me for having “taught these people English”—a swipe at my volunteering to teach English to Hispanics at two community centers, The Port (a Catholic group) and Erie House, a public center. Perhaps I am a bleeding heart, Bill which is news to many of you but had somebody taught the trucker English he could have responded to the furtive shouts that the load on his truck was coming loose. At any rate, your views are always welcome, William.

Jason A. has a good point: I mis-led him for which I apologize. In categorizing Sen. Norm Coleman as an outstanding legislator, my finger slipped and I identified him wrongly as D-Minnesota. He is R-Minnesota, which I knew full well having lived up there for a long time. My error caused Jason to be detoured on an earlier point of view. He would also move up Brownback and Cornyn on the good-guy list. I didn’t put the good guys in any particular order, Jason: just listed them.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) whom I slammed as one of the worst lawmakers is praised by JBD because he is one of the few Senators to zero in on high gasoline prices. JBD asks: “and for this he is called a liberal?” For many, many other things, JBD but keep the criticisms coming: they keep me on the beam.

A good number of you send zingers about this Blog being too concerned with Catholic doings: theology, philosophy et al. You know, I understand your vexation but it’s part of me so I hope when they appear you grit your teeth, scroll down and read other items. For those bored about my remembrances in Flash Back—although I haven’t heard any criticisms—I have to continue it because I want to leave a record for my kids and grandkids. You might suggest other topics to be covered. One commentator chafes that I don’t do enough on Illinois economics. Any others?

John Powers, a very thoughtful contributor, has written in the past to suggest that I was unfair some weeks ago to Bill Brady when I pinned blame on Topinka’s win due to Brady’s not stepping out to solidify the conservative vote; he asks isn’t it just as fair to ask why Oberweis didn’t step out? But Oberweis was leading and Brady was down the list. On another issue, John points out a somewhat overlooked failing of Dick Durbin, that his support of sugar tariffs has cost over 10,000 Chicago union jobs with at least two firms moving due to the high cost of sugar. Durbin wrecked a big union and his votes hiked the cost of candy, renewable cane and ethanol, an answer to JBD.

Bob says that Peter Fitzgerald should not be sanctified in the George Ryan piece because he supported the assault weapons ban which makes him a Combine member. Really? Do the rest of you believe that? I always thought Combine membership meant support for big government-big industry-big law firm, big construction programs that benefit players from both parties. Your views?

Al Harris will not forgive me for being a Neo-Con. But Liam, responding to him says I am a long way from being a Neo-Con. Fascinating: what do you think? As you read this stuff, am I in with the Weekly Standard crowd or the paleos?

Frederich March says both Meredith Viera and Katie Couric are beauts. I must say after I discovered that Viera is 55 instead of 52 as her promotion says, she looks older to me? Does she look too old to be a baby boomer type on “Today”?

Carla is totally fed up with my constant reference to pro-life, saying that this is pandering to the Christian conservatives to-wit: “If I hear another man talking about abortion, I’ll scream! Men should not decide the right of women to have abortions!”

More Later.