(Right in time for today and tommorrow's House & Senate Committee hearings on CCW and AWB's....... what a coincidence)

Looking for the old Rod

Published March 7, 2005
Chicago Tribune

When he was a 22-year-old pizza deliveryman dropping off a pie in the Austin neighborhood, Rod Blagojevich got held up with a gun. It happened again in the mid-1980s when he and a date walked out of a Humboldt Park restaurant.

Those were oft-told stories when Blagojevich served in Congress, offered to explain his fervent support of gun-control measures. To the extent that Blagojevich made any name for himself in Washington, he did so on gun-control issues.

Yet no one hears those stories much anymore. In fact, even before he got the keys to the governor's mansion, Blagojevich lost his once seemingly genuine passion about the need to curb the availability of firearms in the wrong hands. Blagojevich apparently made a simple calculation: What had played well at home in Ravenswood wouldn't play well down in Rantoul.

We miss the old Rod.

Rep. Blagojevich proposed penalties for manufacturers, dealers and shipping companies that failed to report gun thefts. He pushed for requiring criminal background checks on employees of shipping companies handling firearms. He aggressively rallied support for a bill creating a national ballistics "fingerprinting" system of every gun manufactured in the country.

He criticized his own Democratic leaders, including then-House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, for not seeming "enthralled" about passing gun legislation and said they might be more concerned about winning the next election.

Blagojevich complained, in 2000, that the real problem in passing gun bills was the "old-school members, the old bulls" in his Democratic Party who stood in the way of such measures. He was so bold as to name names.

Who looks now to be worried about the next election?

Once again, a sweeping package of gun-control measures proposed by Mayor Richard Daley is moving through the General Assembly for consideration. Among those measures: a state ban on assault weapons; closure of the loophole that allows people to buy firearms at gun shows without a background check; a licensing requirement for gun dealers; a limit on handgun purchases to one a month per person.

Where is the governor? As in past years, his silence makes it hard to tell. That silence no doubt helped to defeat legislation on dealer licensing and handgun purchase limits in committee last week.

Earlier this month an aide to the governor said the public could expect Blagojevich to "enthusiastically support" that package of anti-gun measures. So far, he's done nothing. He's done no lobbying. His lobbyists have done no lobbying. He's even registered opposition to several gun measures. If that's what qualifies for enthusiasm, keep him away from the decaf.

Perhaps more than any other issue, gun control divides this state along geographic lines: Chicago and suburbs versus Downstate. Southern Illinoisians, where hunting is popular, want to preserve their right to firearms. Chicagoans understand that the ease of access helps to fuel violence and criminal gang activity.

Blagojevich is in perfect position to explain why these measures would fight crime without restricting the rights of hunters and others who wish to own firearms.

Instead, he's become the old bull.

So much for deeply held convictions.






Copyright © 2005, Chicago Tribune

Hey, ChicagoTribune,                    










WIZZO

Yeah, I read that too.  

Their stance on gun control , and they carry that molly ivins piece of shit, well zorn too , are the things that  piss me off about that paper,  but I love their crossword puzzle and John Kass.

Well, I think everyone can agree that Rod dances to the tune of the popular vote.  Sound like gun rights are starting to become a Top 10 hit in the last few weeks.

"Rod" is a friggin castrated Janissary for the Ottoman Empire as far as I'm concerned. He was taken away from his Serbian parents at a young age and trained to become an Islamo-fascist and traitor to his own people.

Well, maybe he just figured out that there are enough gun lovers in the state of IL that would make his life miserable, and moreover, things don't revolve around Crook County, Daley and Chicago.

themao

So because....

A. Blagojevich is stupid enough to hang out in Humboldt Park

                  and............

B. Because he is to much of a pussy to arrange a meeting with a Hispanic thug's maker......

I should have my constitutional rights stripped?

GO FUCK YOURSELF CHICAGO.

And one more thing.........

The Second Amendment was not written to protect the rights of hunters. It was written so that we may protect ourselves from Fascists like Daley and the Chicago government media propoganda machine.

I hope when our military is done liberating the Middle East, they liberate Chicago.

Quoted: And one more thing......... The Second Amendment was not written to protect the rights of hunters. It was written so that we may protect ourselves from Fascists like Daley and the Chicago government media propoganda machine. I hope when our military is done liberating the Middle East, they NUKE Chicago.

Fixed it for ya

WIZZO

Just make sure to give the ARfcommers warning so we can get the hell out of dodge. Nuclear fallout is a B*TCH

Screw the nuke, a nice Bayonet parade with the Libs being lead out and dumped into Lake Michigan.  

HIGH 5       to what PATRIOT said ! ! !

I hope when our military is done liberating the Middle East, they liberate Chicago.

Screw liberating Chicago, just push it and the rest of Krook County into lake michigan with the rest of the sewage. h

Quoted: Well, I think everyone can agree that Rod dances to the tune of the popular vote.  Sound like gun rights are starting to become a Top 10 hit in the last few weeks.

Rod is embattled enough that he might have to sit this one out if he hopes to keep any downstate support at all.

OK, so we're out of Committee - now what ?????

CKMorley

The recent change in gun-control politics by Rod Goblowabitch shold'nt be thought of as a good thing, he was never on our side, and he is'nt now.  He does'nt understand that he can't  pretent to stand for your 2nd rights, and still play Daly/Chicago Nazi politcs.

This whole CCW in IL is starting to leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

Don't get me wrong, I'm pro 2nd Amendment and I'd love to have IL become a CCW state, but what if this is a ploy by the "antis" to get us to register, then at a later date they come and knock down our doors when they repeal CCW (that's if they get it passed) and confiscate our toys??

If they repeal CCW, we would't be able to wear the pistol on our hips in a holster. It'd be back to putting it in a case for transport.

THEY WOULD NOT CONFISCATE ANYTHING IF CCW GOT OVERTURNED!!!

Besides, they already know where each and every one of us lives.....You got your FOID card don't ya???

WIZZO

More people will have FOID cards than CCW permits, so if anything happens like that, they'll start with the FOID

My thinking is that he won't get re-elected.

1.  Us

2. Dick Mell Problems

3. He is a liar

4. He is a crook

5. Us.

Did I mention us?

Quoted: So because.... A. Blagojevich is stupid enough to hang out in Humboldt Park                   and............ B. Because he is to much of a pussy to arrange a meeting with a Hispanic thug's maker...... I should have my constitutional rights stripped? GO FUCK YOURSELF CHICAGO.

Nice.  

Quoted: So because.... A. Blagojevich is stupid enough to hang out in Humboldt Park                   and............ B. Because he is to much of a pussy to arrange a meeting with a Hispanic thug's maker...... I should have my constitutional rights stripped? GO FUCK YOURSELF CHICAGO.

Blago is a moron.  He is an idiot.  Who cares what happened in Humboldt Pk. 20 years ago?

Quoted: This whole CCW in IL is starting to leaving a sour taste in my mouth. Don't get me wrong, I'm pro 2nd Amendment and I'd love to have IL become a CCW state, but what if this is a ploy by the "antis" to get us to register, then at a later date they come and knock down our doors when they repeal CCW (that's if they get it passed) and confiscate our toys??

Needing to have a FOID isn't already a form of quasi registration  

As an expatriate of Illinois I hope you guys get CCW passed and the AWB shot down!

Quoted: Quoted: So because.... A. Blagojevich is stupid enough to hang out in Humboldt Park                   and............ B. Because he is to much of a pussy to arrange a meeting with a Hispanic thug's maker...... I should have my constitutional rights stripped? GO FUCK YOURSELF CHICAGO. Blago is a moron.  He is an idiot.  Who cares what happened in Humboldt Pk. 20 years ago?

I don't care about what happened in Humboldt Park ten seconds ago. If that giant Puerto Rican flag statue that spans across Western Ave (or is it Division)? were to crash and shatter into a million pieces......my Redneck western Lake County ass would still sleep like a rock tonight.

Slightly O.t. but I wonder if there's some back room stuff going on ??

Like trading an IL AW law for CCW ?????

CKMorley

Hmmm... With all do respect I just do not think it is possible. Daley and the Chicago Dummycraps would rather chew their own arms off than see a CCW law. I can not see Daley "dealing" for any pro-gun laws, he would never compromise.

Quoted: Hmmm... With all do respect I just do not think it is possible. Daley and the Chicago Dummycraps would rather chew their own arms off than see a CCW law. I can not see Daley "dealing" for any pro-gun laws, he would never compromise.

+1

Quoted: Hmmm... With all do respect I just do not think it is possible. Daley and the Chicago Dummycraps would rather chew their own arms off than see a CCW law. I can not see Daley "dealing" for any pro-gun laws, he would never compromise.

+1