Translation instructions: just replace all mentions of 'Gray Davis' with your favorite local Democratic candidate and every mention of "Republican" with 'ILGOP and the Chicago Tribune' (courtesy of Digby):

Frankly I'm happy that the GOP voted unanimously against the Stimulus Bill. If things go well, we get the credit and if things go badly, they do.

Them's the breaks -- but ideology has consequences and the GOPers have helpfully lined all their ducks so unambiguously.

UPDATE: Lipinski votes 'present'? Huh?

Because of this guy!

Digby reports:

California is in deep trouble. The state's bond rating is now the worst of all 50 states. They are furloughing workers. The place is coming apart at the seams.

I'm sorry but Don Rose lost my vote in his attempt to show why Tom Geoghegan is the best candidate for IL-05 the moment he laid the following egg:

Feigenholtz disappears when key reform votes come up, such as the bill to permit recall of public officials. (Fritchey voted "no.")

Warm news on an otherwise chilly day from Steve Benen:

It's way too early to know who might replace Daschle at HHS, but I've received quite a few emails about Howard Dean's availability.

From the party that gave us Joe McCarthy and Ken Starr, suddenly they're turning squeamish when it comes to investigations? They actually thought they could make the following a condition for approving designee (now Attorney General) Eric Holder in the U.S. Senate:

Shortly before the [confirmation] vote, the tone of the debate turned sharp as some Republicans pushed for a pledge from Mr. Holder not to prosecute intelligence agents for using harsh tactics during interrogations.

From the account in the Sun-Times of today's 5th Congressional Candidates Debate:

"Privatization of public assets is like selling off your furniture in order to pay your mortgage," Fritchey said to loud applause from the 500 observers who turned out on Super Bowl Sunday.

Actually it's more like selling off one of your bedrooms in order to pay your mortgage. Once you do it, it's kind of hard to get that bedroom back.

The article says the museum will "vacate its location in the Tribune Tower on Michigan Avenue and begin to operate a 'mobile museum' that will go to schools and Chicago neighborhoods".

It always seemed an unnatural mix.

Gov. Pat Quinn: "The ordeal is over".

One of the most frustrating things about Blagojevich's tenure as governor was just how little got done in Springfield. You'd think with Democratic majorities in the legislature and a Democratic governor, we'd be able to advance a progressive agenda a bit further. Instead what we got was constant bickering and stalemate.