October 31, 2009

BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist

Dawn Clark Netsch, the venerable voice of Illinois political reform, called early Friday morning even though it was going to make her late for a dentist's appointment. She was concerned I was going to get it wrong. That I was going to blast the Legislature for once again passing a watered-down, weak-kneed bill on campaign finance reform that they would hail as progress.

October 28, 2009

BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist

Scott Turow, the prolific, best-selling Chicago author, had a message for Illinois lawmakers the other day.

"Don't come home without it," he warned.

The "it" is campaign finance reform.

October 24, 2009

BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist

'Illinois Republicans eat their own," one of my breakfast companions said Wednesday morning at a GOP candidate forum.

Meaning?
» Click to enlarge image
Carol Marin

October 18, 2009

BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist

How come Gov. Pat Quinn, in the wake of a clout scandal at the state's premier university, can sweep out the University of Illinois' board of trustees (with two notable exceptions) but can't do the same for our most beleaguered university?

I'm talking about Chicago State University, the mostly African-American school on the Far South Side with a horrifically low 16.2 percent graduation rate.