Early Monday morning, I spoke on the phone with Jim Houlihan, whom I interviewed in person last Wednesday. I wanted an update on the Senate race in light of the closing of the Giannoulias family’s Broadway Bank on Friday. Houlihan was in Washington for the wedding of a friend, but he got a chance to see his pals, David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel…
MAN OF LETTERS: The former Chicago Cub and ESPN baseball analyst with the Ivy League pedigree is playing a new position: author of a thinking man’s book about baseball
Click the thumbnails for larger images. RELATED STORY: On Doug Glanville and his book, "The Game from Where I Stand" »
TALK ON THE HILL: Durbin is said to be lining up support
The Cook County Assessor has his eyes on the office—whether or not Daley runs
On Wednesday, I met with outgoing Cook County Assessor James Houlihan at his spacious downtown County Building office. The last time I interviewed him was in July 2006, when I was writing about Bill Clinton’s post-presidency. (The two men are golfing buddies.) Houlihan is a big man with an open face and manner—a great talker who has the natural gift of remembering…
In May’s letters: New light on old relatives and blogger backlash
May 2010: Jonathan Eig, Tom Corbett, Esther Kang, Penny Pollack, Rachel Wolff
So Alexi Giannoulias demands that Mark Kirk, his Republican opponent in U.S. Senate race, return the thousands he has received from Goldman Sachs. The firm was just charged with civil fraud for allegedly misleading investors on a mortgage instrument that went south with the housing market…
I made my first visit of the season to Wrigley Field on Sunday, and everyone sent me off with the obvious question: How are they? Of course, the reference wasn’t to the Cubs—the standard collection of mismatched pieces destined to continue on the path of mediocrity that nonetheless disappoints. No, the world wants to know about the revamped men’s restrooms!…
If I ever land another interview with Rod Blagojevich—I suppose I could wait until next Sunday and call his weekly WLS-AM talk show—I’d ask him why he didn’t just serve his terms as governor in a reasonably honest manner and then do what legions of retired legislators do: grab a job at a law firm and rake in a seven-figure salary…
