Dennis Byrne - The Instincts of a Newsman and the Heart of a Voter
I miss the real newsmen of Chicago - Ray Coffey, Nick Von Hoffman, Jack Mabley and Bill Gleason. These were the reporters who had real instincts for where the story would surface.
Ray Coffey is the only journalist who reported from Khe Sahn who actually stayed at Khe Sahn and he is a member of the Khe Sahn Society. Ray went there because he knew something was up. Self effacing and professional - never a swash-buckling blow-hard, like Mike Royko, Ray Coffey broke the news and moved on; in fact, Ray Coffey once confronted Mr. Royko after being Hectored by the later day Hecht and Mr. Royko's bowels turned to water. True story - it's in a current Royko biography.
Another great one, Dennis Byrne still keeps his oars in the water over at the
Chicago Tribune . Today, Mr. Byrne breaks the story on the very long and obnoxious Campaigns by a group of political activists in Rahm Emanuel's stable. They have been applying their talents and treasure to various campaigns outside of Chicago. Mr. Byrne, great news work! Ray and the other giants are missed. Nice to still have you around.
Hey, Remember when Chicago had a newspaper?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0610300224oct30,0,1845121.story?coll=chi-newsopinioncommentary-hed
28 comments:
Did you actually READ the story? It makes no sense.
In the column, he demonstrated once again that I may be the only one reading his work. His work is fascinating for its internal logical inconsistency. The column is a ramble about how Democrats from Chicago are becoming involved in suburban races.
In the column, Byrne claims to be a suburban resident.
However, in the same column that he blasts the involvement of these damn city types in his suburban races, he also takes shots at Chicago politics, claiming that Democrats have screwed up Chicago schools, made crime worse, and overall have lousy government.
You read that right:
According to Byrne:
Chicago Democrats should not get involved in suburban races; BUT
Cranky Dennis is free to get involved in Chicago races.
The column was an amazingly poor work of journalism. A decent editor never would have allowed it.
Skeeter,
The light goes out when you close the fridge - really, honor bright.
Are you one of the light-weights Mr. Byrne is calling out? I thought you were busy doing the gremlin for one ER's aldermanic candidates. Well, stay busy.
Pat,
If you are going to toss out insults, at least toss out insults that makes some sense. I couldn't figure out your last one.
Let's get back to Byrne though:
1. Byrne is deeply offended that people from Chicago want to be involved in suburban races.
2. HOWEVER, Byrne, a suburban resident, wants to tell Chicago how to vote.
That makes sense to you?
By the way, who in the world is "ER"?
Skeeter,
You can't be insulted. You are the twerp who took my defense of a friend ( Bishop Imesch who was blind-sided by Jeff Anderson in a deposition and one later released the nervous responses of Imesch to the press in order to bankrupt another in a string of Catholic Dioceses) as an appeal to child molestors - no one else read it that way.
You do not read well. Mr. Byrne states his case clearly.
ER is a misprint - it should be RE: Rahm Emanuel - nice guy - radical stable.
If you are insulted - stay that way.
Bishop Imesch in his deposition admitted that he knew about conduct and did nothing. He wasn't blindsided. He answered questions and admitted that he knew but thought it was acceptable. He was part of the problem. As a Catholic I despise him.
I don't understand why you stand up for him. However, I am content to move on from that issue. I don't hold grudges, even against those who want to destroy my Church.
With regard to Byrne:
"States his case clearly"?
He wants to talk about Chicago races but he doesn't want Chicago people talking about his.
Is that true or not? What does the column say?
That is clear, but internally inconsistent.
Maybe you are right. Maybe it is clear. Contradictory, but clear.
With regard to Rahm: I am currently involved in a very limited way in one Aldermanic race. I don't believe that Rahm is involved at all, particularly since it would mean opposing a sitting Alderman and Committeeman. That's not really his style.
Skeeter,
I do hold grudges - closely and as lovingly - as I hold in high regard people who have acted with kindness.
Your opening sentences are consistantly snotty:
Did you actually READ the story? It makes no sense.
I respond in kind. I take good hearted ribbing 24/7 with all manner of person and account some very high quality people among my closest friends and I account my behavior and intentions to the high place I value that condition.
However, you crossed the line on my moral map sometime ago - behave accordingly.
Pat,
Two things:
1. The Bishop did know. He admitted it. He thought there was nothing wrong with it.
Don't blame me for that. Blame the Bishop.
2. Snotty?
Fine. But I'm still right on the column and you know it. Otherwise you would have pointed out where I am wrong.
Hold a grudge. Despise those who disagree with you. Ultimately I really don't care.
Skeeter,
You do live up to expectation.
Hey Pat--how about dealing with the accuracy of the column. The meet up point isn't even in the 44th Ward. Nothing has been deleted on the calendar--Byrne is simply too stupid to understand the internets. The group isn't run by Rahm or anyone else, it's mostly an outgrowth of Illinois for Kerry e-mail groups on Yahoo! It doesn't have an funding because all it revolves around is Leo doing it as a web site and then a bunch of people coordinating from there.
Beyond that, Leo never received an e-mail. Perhaps SPAM filters caught it or something, but Leo isn't hard to get a hold of.
There should be serious consequences for getting these basic facts wrong. Byrne is hardly a journalist. He's a lazy hack who couldn't be bothered to actually get his facts straight or talk to anyone with knowledge of the group.
Arch,
Nice response. I have to tell you that muh of what Dennis Byrne reported on has been varified by my in-laws in Wheaton -both Democrats - and they confirmed the doorbell ringers and the chat they had with them about the chances of the Cubbies next year, as the bell-ringers were from Lakeview and Evanston and my in-laws (God Help Them) are Cub fans.
Until the ILDEMNET pulls down Mr. Byrne's journalistic britches I must agree; Roskan and the GOP do similar nonsense I know that; what bothers me is the proliferation of erzatz - Grassroots political activisim: it attracts too many lighweights and losers who can't cut it in a Regular Democratic Organization.
Political pros, like professional trades union people - go through an apprecticeship and learn the trade and work at their apropriate skill level.
This mass appeal 'every man a king and every girl a queen' mass movement nonsense will really be the undoing of an effective political organization ( one that gets people elected and helps serve the general public) and will contaminate some races down the road.
BTW - I saw that the Saloon Democrats are having a 'toast Byrne' party at Z's Lounge; my case in point - this stuff attracts lightweights and losers.
Hey, disagree with Byrne. Respond to what he wrote, like you did with me - as a person of talent and dignity.
Nice response Pat.
I note your failure to defend the merits of the column.
Don't bother trying. There is no defense. It was shoddy journalism.
Skeetker,
You still here? Why, I hardly notice. You may go now. Get to Z's early and tell tales of daring-do.
Not everyone can be a tired, gullible gasbag like you, Pat. Some folks actually like to get off their butts, away from the computer, and do something to help change the direction of this country.
We are blessed!
Still here.
Still waiting for a defense of the merits of the column.
You are right. I shouldn't bother.
The column has no defense and we both know it.
Now that you've gotten around to reading the column, you feel the same way, right?
I'm still not holding a grudge. Don't see the point. When you can make an argument, then I might take your opinions seriously.
Bundle up; its chilly out there.
First, why didn't Byrne contact Leo?
Second, what evidence is there that their meet-up point is at Rahm's office?
Third, what evidence is there that there is any money being distributed to them from candidates?
Fourth, what evidence is there that they pulled down something from the web site--go look at the calendar itself.
It's a breach of journalistic ethics that you are celebrating.
The RNCC and DCCC sends out staffers to races all over the country. The RNCC developed a system that the DCCC copied--I have no problem with that so I find his paranoid drivel bizarre. That's not the issue. He didn't follow basic journalistic practices here. That's the issue.
Seems like there might be some fire to the smoke ARCH as I just glanced at ILDEMNET and witnessed the flurry of Byrne activity.
If Byrne is wrong and also out of bounds, I am sure that Zorn and others will devote some paragraphs to that imbroglio. Should be interesting.
44th, 43rd, & I get nose bleeds North of Madison, but I do know that the old Lakefront has a transient population of young folks and some old fashioned store-front radicals here and there.
Yep, I'll stay with my opinion on Byrne's piece; We will see what we will see. BTW - I misnamed Frank Z's as Z's lounge & etc. I multi-task- I am filling in Campaign Leo Contributions -resting my old eyes with a glance at the post and snap the towel at Skeeter when whnes too much.
Arch, Nice posts on the Obama/Rezko non-story.
And I will keep pointing out that snapping a towel is pretty your limit.
If you ever feel up to making and supporting an argument, you should post something.
For instance, if you have any support for Byrne's work, you should post it.
Until then, I am content in my knowledge that Dennis Byrne is a rambling incoherent coot, and his supporters lack intellectual fortitude.
Gee, Skeet, I hope the kids at the malt-shop won't think I'm a creep, after that dressing down.
Whose campaign are you screwing up?
I read Byrne's column. It just another example of Byrne setting up a straw man to knock him down. Just because a group of volunteers -- and, trust me, these are volunteers rather than patronage workers -- meet up in the 5th Congressional district, Byrne connects them to Rahm Emmanuel. Therefore, and without any facts, these volunteers are considered the same as city patronage workers invading the suburbs.
Please.
IlDemNet is a netroots group of volunteer activists that want to volunteer for competitive races to change the majority in the House. I am certain that Emmanuel appreciates their efforts and wants their support, but these people are just plain old political junkies, not a machine. If Byrne was any sort of journalist, he'd know that. His only "investigation" is that he sent an e-mail somewhere with an accusation, and didn't get a response. Btw, the web site has an "About Us" section that's fairly detailed, and there is an explicit statement that the group is not connected to the Democratic Party, other than supporting it.
What kills me is that there are real life examples of machine/patronage workers going to the suburbs. Byrne's point -- which, I guess, is that scummy city folks should stay out of the suburbs -- would be stronger if he used that example.
Pat,
I don't think you are a creep. Dumb? Yes. Incapable of debate? Sure. Lacking analytical ability? Obviously. But not a creep. I never said that about you.
However, your Bishop friend sure is a creep, but we both know that.
Skeeter,
Whose campaign are you screwing up?
You would rather have white yuppie volunteers in Wheaton rather than the apprenticed job holders from Victor "Big Pig" Reyes, Big Donny Tomczak, HDO, Katalanic or the other "professional" political crews that helped elect Rahm Emmanuel.
Those hacks wouldn't do well in Wheaton, Glenn Ellyn, or even Naperville--some culture clash.
Angelo, my friend, I would take the political pros over the clowns who saw 'The Strawberry Statement' and want to 'change the direction of the country.' How about 'win the specific election,' Sally?
Real Genuine Artificially Grown Elsewhere Grassroots brought to you by the busload of Cranky Loser Life-Support Teams of the RNC and the DNC, perhaps?
No thanks, I'll take the McCoy -people who have committed to the Regular Democratic or Republican Organizations.
It is the "crews" of Richie Pope, and formerly Jerry Joyce, and your friend Skinny Sheehan sending Sheriff's and 19th warders to help Quigley against Schiller.
These are the real outsiders patronage hacks trying to ram a candidate down their throats like in Bensenville.
'The Fiends! Preserve this Republic, Lads! -Shoulders to the cheese wheel and damn the Chateau Haut Brion Pessac-Lognan 1982 - we'll make do with some good old reformers Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 1996' - It is not the labor, so much as the laborers.
Go Loyola!
We'll get to the mountain - Tracey Robinson ought to have a good year - the key is playing the fast game inside and still geting some play from our big man outside.
Stay warm in Fargo - but you know that by now . . . . 0X0X0X0X
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