Archive for the ‘Government, Politics, Law and Order’ Category

Erstwhile radio personality J.C. Corcoran picked up on the recent story bout conservative commentator Glenn Beck’s apology of having referred to Chi Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher as a neo-Nazi.  J.C. said, “Now that Glenn Beck has indicated he might be going blind, it sets up the possibility he’ll team up with Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin for the deaf, dumb and blind tour.”

About Newt Gingrich’s aspiration to run for U.S. president, Bill Clay, Sr., said, “He was the worst speaker of the house and he closed down Congress twice. A lot of people suffered. The Tea Party is ruining the Republican Party.”  Seated at the historic Sunset C.C. in south county for the 25th annual William Clay Scholarship and Research Fund golf tourney and dinner, Clay, the first African-American congressman, who previously served as 26th ward alderman, ticked off some achievements including how he helped the late Robert Kennedy get blacks to register in an election.  “Jack Dwyer of the Democratic Central Committee didn’t want them to register,” he recalled. “Kennedy got 28 people to town to help with the registration and they fell in line.  After his brother, Jack became president and Bob became attorney general, he helped me in an attempt to revive the small arms plant. We didn’t get it, but we remained friends.”  Of today’s pols, Clay lauded Cong. Russ Carnahan as being “a great legislator” and of his sister, Mo. Secretary of State Robin Carnahan – “You’re not going to corner me on that,!” Clay exclaimed.
Then, the 80 year-old Clay turned to the barbs he got from the old, conservative Globe-Democrat. He recalled, “One night, I got a phone call, that the paper’s publisher was hauled into the police station for
soliciting sex from a prostitute in the area of Enright and Euclid.  I ran to the station and confronted him and said, ‘You don’t like black people, but you sure love black whores!” Clay heaped praise on his wife, Carol, with whom he’s been married for 51 years, and his son, U.S.Cong. William Lacy Clay, Jr., who arrived with his sister, Michelle and his nephew, Clay. Lacy opined, “Newt has a following and he’d be great competition to Palin and Romney. He’d be a front-runner. However, President Obama will make mincemeat out of him. No one can campaign like Obama.” As to his take on the 13th and final casino license in Missouri, Lacy said,”I’m supporting a casino in north county, because that region sorely needs an infusion of jobs. Cape Girardeau is ultra-conservative and its religious right will be up in arms against it.”

L to R - Tim Drury, Ed Martin, Gene McNary

Give Gene McNary a pat on his ego!  The yesteryear St. Louis county exec, INS chief and Missouri lottery czar told the columnist, “My wife has encouraged me to run for a statewide office.  Perhaps I might consider that.”  McNary appeared Wednesday night at Bartolino’s South for an Ed Martin for Congress fundraiser billed as, “Welcome Home, Gene McNary.” (Read that as a welcome to McNary’s roots in south county.)  Jabs by  McNary  toward incumbent Cong. Russ Carnahan prevailed.  “Maybe Jeff Smith’s friends will not be happy with Carnahan.  Ed is not going to get a Post-Dispatch endorsement, but he will get Bill McClellan’s (as Martin stared at the skilled P-D columnist). This is a Republican year. The coalition Obama put together will sit on their hands.”  Martin said free trade with China is not working.  Turning again to Carnahan, Martin noted, “He and his wife have traveled the world on tax payer-funded dollars to study climate change and watch fireworks in New Zealand as well as evidence of ocean acidification.”

While Gov. Jay Nixon refers to the rash of media zings over his use of state cars for political trips, Fox 2’s Elliott Davis has kindled another kind of fireworks heading for the guv to be aired on tonight’s news segment of “You Paid For It.” Meanwhile, Nixon has referred to the violation of state law as “highly inflated hyperbole.”

The columnist doesn’t think guv Jay will ride in a state car to the July 31 commissioning of the USS Missouri submarine in New Groton, Connecticut. . . Quondom P-D scribe Ellen Sweets has completed her biography on columnist and best-selling author of Molly Ivins, which is heading to the publisher from Sweets’ homebase in Austin, TX., where Ivins died in 2007. Ivins will be remembered as a George W. Busch-basher. . . Jarrett Medlin has been upped to editor-in-chief of St. Louis magazine, succeeding Stephen Schenkenberg, who is relocating to Berlin. . . Longtime Tony’s maitre d’ Herb Cray has been discharged from rehab at Delmar Gardens West.

A lawsuit against Demo Cong. Russ Carnahan and his wife, Debra, filed by Barnhart, Mo.,-based American Exteriors (and roofers) for unpaid roof repairs to the tune of $17,000 has been settled for an undisclosed amount. The work, according to the suit, the non-union American Exteriors had a signed contract with the Carnahans to reset copper finials and paint the dormers on the family’s house, between Grand Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue.

Keith Kitsis and his wife, Gail, who own 10 Crazy Bowls & Wraps here and two in the San Diego area along with one going up in Edwardsville, Ill., said franchising is in the works.  Quinoa is now being rolled out at the eateries.  (Quinoa is high-protein food, that comes from a grain-like crop and is closely related to beets and spinach.)  Keith discussed the ingredient with his pal,  primary care physician Dr. Hashim S. Raza, upon Raza’s return from a meeting with four other docs and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in her Beltway office.  Invited by the Democratic National Campaign Committee, Dr. Raza said she talked about how TARP and bailouts helped to stabilize the economy, her proposal for no cuts in Medicare for 19 months and more priority to primary care physicians, who practice preventative medicine. Dr. Raza also noted how little money is reimbursed by Medicare to doctors, compared to fees for lawyers.  He said, “I can be on the phone for 20 minutes with patients discussing their prescriptions and if I were a lawyer, I’d charge for the phone advice. I work about 80 hours a week, including hospital visits. The lawyer would charge for every minute.” Kitsis chimed in, “I’m a libertarian.”

Mo. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder got high-fives from a gaggle of the 71,000 participants in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  Kinder, a Republican, ran in the 5K section.  Overdupois Mo. Gov. Jay Nixon also competed.  (Maybe his weight gain can be attributed to his recent visit at Sweetie Pie’s.)  Slim Mayor Francis Slay kicked off the ceremonies in his Polo shirt – sans his usual natty suit.  Juan Carlos Antolinez was on hand as was his wife, Mo. Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, a breast cancer survivor, who tagged along.  Her bro, Cong. Russ Carnahan, made a cameo. Some women oggled over State Rep Chris Carter’s buffed torso as he made it through the finish line with his adorable Naomi West. Martin Casas, prez of the Young Democrats, was raced, while his soul mate, Katie Casas cooled her jets at home with their newborn Sophie Ann.

With his wife, Susan, close at hand in the ballroom of the Sheraton Westport, Urban League chief Jim Buford
exuded over his recent trip to Israel when he opined, “Israel needs to exist and there are 22 Arab countries that are determined not to allow it to do so.”  Turning to the immigration bill, he said that he is opposed to it, because it’s profiling and “we shouldn’t judge how people appear. And, besides, the national Urban League office is also in opposition to it.” Buford, the $220,000 a-year president and CEO of the St. Louis league, confided he was a Republican, while working for former Gov. Kit Bond in the 1980s, but has since switched to become a stalwart Democrat. “I once worked with President Obama, since the league also covers St. Clair (Illinois), and I feel he’s making a change and people don’t like change,” he said.  Buford has raised the current budget to $20 million from $1.75 million when he was appointed to his post 25 years ago.

Seen here ‘n there were: civil rights lawyer, the 93 year-old beloved Frankie M. Freeman with her daughter and son-in-law, Shelbe and Ellis Bullock; Bryan Thomas, president of the Urban League Professionals; mistress of ceremonies Darlynn Bosley, wife of former mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr,; Rebecca M. Barnes, guild president; Brenda Clayton-Davis, brunch chairwoman.

Musical chores before and during the brunch were capably handled by “Lady Jazz” Mae Wheeler, the Hazelwood High Jazz ensemble and The Jazz Edge group.

Yes, yes. The columnist has heard all of the arguments being offered about why Charlie Dooley elected to drive a stake through the heart of a proposed North County casino near the Confluence of the Rivers.  He is an environmentalist. He is protecting the county’s revenue from its existing casinos.  He is getting back at retiring Gaming Commissioner Gene McNary, a Dooley critic who seemed to support the project.  He is making a deal with St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay whose city is losing a gaming license.  Blah, blah.  The real reason is that St. Louis County Economic Council topper Denny Coleman advised his boss that quantitative analysis shows that a new casino in north county lacked the popular public support to make it a strong success, while its mere existence would siphon dollars from existing county restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. Hats off to Chaz!

In a meeting just held by the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners, an unprecedented move took place: a vote to oust its prez Todd Epstein.  At that point Epstein steamed and stormed out of the meeting.

“I’m working on the 35th anniversary documentary of ‘Saturday Night Live’ for the NBC network, which will air in November,” said documentary director Ken Bowser at the splashy, gland opera gala on Saturday night to launch the 35th anniversary season of Opera Theatre of St. Louis (OTSL).  With him was his spouse/actress Amy Irving, who will appear in the upcoming “A Little Night Music.”  She admitted she doesn’t sing, but will do the cameo.  Irving appeared ageless and spectacular.  Why not?  Upon her divorce from director Steven Spielberg, she got an estimated $100 million settlement.  Irving, who was an Oscar nominee for her role in the movie, “Yentl,” also earned The Worst Supporting Actress Award for her role in “Honeysuckle Rose,” which featured Willie Nelson, whom she dated for some time. The columnist plunged into the crowd-cruncher on the top floor of the majestic Centene Tower, designed to overwhelm the tenants. Isaac Mizrahi, the Egyptian-Jewish, acclaimed master of couture collections, who has gained international praise, was on hand to chat about his work for the upcoming “A Little Night Music,” which he will direct.  He promulgated, “Clothes will become more ladylike and demur and not so trashy.”  Carol Walker, wife of GOPer and former Ambassador to Hungary Bert Walker, confided that she remains a Democrat, but “Shhh.