Why all Chicago Aldermen, not just the Black Caucus, should reject Tom Ricketts insulting Cubs outreach efforts

By John V. Moore (@johnvmoore)

This morning in the Chicago Sun-Times Fran Spielman reports that Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts is reaching out to the Chicago City Council's African American members in an effort to breath life into his request for public funds to help finance Wrigley Field renovations.  Since the revelation that Joe Ricketts, patriarch of the family that owns the Cubs, was soliciting proposals to attack President Barack Obama, Tom Ricketts has been in damage control mode.  As the New York Times reported the plan presented to the Ricketts family (not just Joe, but Cubs shareholders Pete and Todd) used race in attempt to do political damage to the President.  To me this outreach to African American Alderman is insulting for the following reasons:

1. Both Dan Bernstein (@dan_bernstein) and Steve Rosenbloom (@stevenrosenbloom) have made the allegation, with compelling evidence, that the Ricketts family is misleading about their father's role in Cubs ownership.  If this allegation is true, why should anyone believe Tom Ricketts explanations and spin regarding the family backing of the racist attack on the Obama?  Hopefully reporters, Alderman, Mayor Emanuel and anyone else that Tom reaches out will challenge him to fully explain Joe's involvement in Cubs ownership.
2. The New York Times also reported that the race baiting proposal was presented to Cubs shareholders Pete and Todd Ricketts.  So while its great to separate Joe Ricketts from Cubs ownership, how does the family explain Pete and Todd's apparent participation in the solicitation of the racist proposal?  
3. Why is Tom Ricketts only reaching to African American Aldermen?  Is he of the belief that white and Hispanic Alderman weren't offended by his father's and brothers' efforts to launch a race based attack on President Obama?  Shouldn't his outreach be to all Alderman?

Tom Rickets must think the African American Aldermen and the people of Chicago are fools.  It is appalling that he is misleading everyone about his father's role in the ownership group, while at the same time ignoring the fact that his two brothers who are acknowledged Cubs shareholders were involved in this raced based plan to attack President Obama.

See also: Ricketts Tap-Dancing Around The Truth (Dan Bernstein)

Poll: Pill popping bigot Limbaugh more unpopular than Jeremiah Wright & William Ayers

Thank God for writers like Max Blumental who writes in the Daily Beast that according to a poll from October of 2008 pill popping bigot Rush Limbaugh had higher negative ratings than both Rev. Jeremiah Wright and professor William Ayers. As you recall both Wright and Ayers were dragged through the mud in attempt to taint Barack Obama. Limbaugh was one who led those efforts, oh the irony.

Rush Limbaugh Loses a Popularity Contest
Congressional Republicans have turned to Rush Limbaugh to lead the battle against Obama. One problem: A poll says he's less popular than Jeremiah Wright.

by Max Blumenthal

Republicans who have turned to Rush Limbaugh to lead the fight against President Obama may have backed the wrong horse. According to one recent poll, Limbaugh turns out to be one of the most unpopular political figures in the country.

An October 24, 2008, poll conducted by the Democratic research firm Greenberg-Quinlan-Rosner has Rush Limbaugh enjoying a public-approval rating of just 21 percent among likely voters, while 58 percent have “cold” feelings toward the right-wing radio-talk-show host. Limbaugh’s cold rating was higher than that of all the political figures the firm polled. It was seven points higher than Rev. Jeremiah “God Damn America” Wright and eight points higher than former Weather Underground domestic terrorist William Ayers. (As the firm points out in an email, it’s true that Wright and Ayers both had lower “warm” ratings than Limbaugh—as you’d expect for men who have virtually no constituencies.)

Limbaugh is so unpopular that only 44 percent of Republican voters reported “warm” feelings toward him, ten points less than those who felt the same way about Limbaugh’s top competitor, Fox News’ Sean Hannity, and a full 20 points lower than Fox News itself. Yet in spite of rock-bottom favorable numbers, Limbaugh confidently declared one week after Obama’s inauguration that his power far exceeded that of the Republican Party’s top two leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives. Obama, Limbaugh roared, is “obviously more frightened of me than he is Mitch McConnell. He's more frightened of me, than he is of, say, John Boehner, which doesn't say much about our party.”

Obama seems unfazed by El Rushbo. The president recently implored Republican leaders, “You can’t listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.”
-snip-

Max Blumenthal is a senior writer for The Daily Beast and writing fellow at The Nation Institute, whose book, Republican Gomorrah (Basic/Nation Books), is forthcoming in Spring 2009. Contact him at maxblumenthal3000@yahoo.com.