Jim Dey: Is Biden's old age an asset or a hindrance?

Oct. 14—It's time once again to dive in to another round of quick takes on the people, places and events that were being talked about over the past week:

Trust me?

One of the most remarkable qualities that high-profile politicians — lawyers, too — possess is their ability to say virtually anything with a straight face.

They excel at making one of those, "Are you going to believe me or your lying-eyes?" type of arguments.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, recently speaking at a fundraiser for Wisconsin Democrats, provided a perfect example that was reported under a headline reading, "Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker tries to turn Biden's age into an asset."

He didn't actually go that far. But the governor made the case for Biden's age and wisdom being an asset by attacking Republicans who are younger than the octogenarian president.

"We need to stop dismissing concerns about the physical age of a candidate. Instead, what people are afraid of is the age of the candidates' ideas," he said.

NBC's Natasha Korecki, a veteran reporter from Chicago, said the Pritzker line of argument is "an indication as to how the Biden campaign will address the issue of age during the 2024 head-to-head match-up."

He said Democrats shouldn't be concerned that Biden is 80 because his ideas are youthful while much-younger Republicans support those that are "old and ugly."

In fact, Democrats should be concerned because Biden, even if a projected winner against potential GOP nominee Trump in 2024, is fading both mentally and physically.

Pritzker indirectly conceded that point by attacking Republicans as a worse alternative rather than arguing Biden is a vigorous senior statesmen. Too many people can see that he is sometimes confused and doddering.

The White House inadvertently reinforced that perspective this week when it released a picture of Biden meeting with his national security advisors in the White House Situation Room.

The group of 12 included Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. A close examination of the picture revealed that all their nameplates were turned to face Biden so that he would know who was speaking to him.

There are those in their dotage who are mentally and physically robust. But Biden is not one of them.

They brought it on themselves?

After the horrific Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israeli citizens, 17 Illinois legislators issued a three-paragraph statement that was widely interpreted as — and roundly criticized for — being supportive of the murderous, surprise attack.

The lead signer on the letter was Urbana state Rep. Carol Ammons. The other signers were state Reps. La Shawn Ford, Edgar Gonzalez, Sonya Harper, Norma Hernandez, Lilian Jimenez, Kevin Olickal, Aaron Ortiz, Abdelnasser Rashid, Anne Stava-Murray and Nabelela Syed. Also signing were state Sens. Lakesia Collins, Mike Porfirio, Robert Peters, Rachel Ventura, Karina Villa and Ram Villivalam.

The letter states:

"Many of us woke up to news yesterday about the most recent violence in Israel and Palestine. Hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed, and thousands injured. All loss of human life is tragic. This latest violence shows the urgent need for a lasting peace."

"There are people across Illinois, many of whom are our constituents, who are watching this situation unfold and experiencing deep pain as they worry for loved ones."

"We will not be able to achieve peace when millions of Palestinians are denied basic human rights. We urge the United States and the international community to work toward long-term solutions that end the inequality that is at the root cause of the violence."

Blowback from constituents has caused several signers to back off their statement. Peters explained he doesn't support the murder of civilians but released an opinion article blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for everything.

Stava-Murray also issued an additional statement on her Facebook page denouncing the Hamas killings.

One constituent wasn't buying her clarification.

"Nice try to put the toothpaste back in the tube. But no sale," he wrote.

What's meaning of life?

That's a question that has stunned and staggered even the brightest among us.

But U.S. Judge Steven Seeger posed another head-scratcher this week while presiding in another sentencing hearing for another in a long line of corrupt Chicago politicians.

James T. Weiss was convicted of trying to bribe two Illinois legislators in his effort to pass a bill legalizing "sweepstakes gambling."

Weiss is the son-in-law of former Cook County Democratic Party chairman and county assessor Joseph Berrios.

"Mr. Weiss, you added another star to Chicago's walk of shame on the sidewalk of corruption," he said before sentencing Weiss to 5 1/2 years in prison.

Then Seeger blindsided lawyers with a question that left them stammering.

"Why does public corruption keep happening?" he inquired.

Federal prosecutor Christine O'Neill said it was "hard to detect" and "difficult to root out." Defense lawyer Ilia Usharovich opined that "every major city has a problem with public corruption."

Needless to say, the judge's Socratic approach yielded no definitive answer as to why politics in Illinois and Chicago is so irredeemably rotten. That's because there is no definitive explanation, but plenty of speculation.

Corrupt politicians have offered insight.

The late Illinois Secretary of State Paul Powell, who left shoe boxes stuffed with cash in his closet after he died, once asserted that "the only thing worse than a defeated politician is a broke politician."

New York political boss George Washington Plunkitt attributed his corruption issues to temptation.

"I seen my opportunities, and I took 'em," he explained.

Those two explanations are as good as any. Here's another: too many of our selfless public servants are crooked.

Speaking of corruption

Facing a January sentencing after being convicted of lying to a grand jury, Timothy Mapes, former chief of staff to the former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, is looking for a few kind words.

He was convicted last summer in connection with the Commonwealth Edison bribery scandal. It was in all the papers.

That's apparently why Mapes was so vague about his situation in the letter he wrote asking friends to speak on his behalf.

"You may have heard that I was in federal court in August 2023. The result of that trial is that I likely will be sentenced in January 2024," he wrote. "I am asking if you will write a character letter to the judge on my behalf."

That succinct description of his current dilemma left out of all the dirty details. But no matter.

Here's a little advice for those taking up Mapes' cause.

Don't stress his honesty and fidelity to the truth. After all, he was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice.

Don't stress his kind, warmhearted character. After all, he was infamous for being abusive to underlings.

Don't stress his loyalty to his superiors. After all, he misled grand jurors to protect Madigan's alleged criminal activity.

Don't stress his dedication to honesty in government because, well, readers can figure that out.

No one is all bad or all good. Surely, there must be something good to say on Mapes' behalf. Maybe he's kind to animals and/or is a good husband/father.

Those who take up the challenge should send their letters to Andrew Porter, Mapes' lawyer.

Chief Illiniwek logo update

One of this week's columns focused on a legal battle between Vintage Brand and the University of Illinois.

Vintage claims that the UI has legally abandoned the logo of the longtime and one-time athletic symbol while the UI says that just ain't so.

The UI has hidden the logo, making it difficult for consumers to purchase Chief-related merchandise. But the UI contends that does not constitute abandonment under trademark law.

Chicago federal Judge John Blakely recently denied a "partial" summary judgment motion Vintage filed to declare the logo abandoned. He said additional facts need to be elicited in the civil trial discovery process to resolve the abandonment issue.

Vintage lawyer Theresa Wang of Seattle issued a statement in response to the judge's ruling that came too late to make the Wednesday deadline. But she sounded confident.

"Trademark rights are based on use of the trademark. The University of Illinois has publicly abandoned association with the Chief mark, and formally ceased its use. At the same time, the university attempts to keep the mark under glass through token 'use' by quietly licensing the Chief for extremely limited sales. Vintage Brand intends to persuade the court that the university cannot have it both ways — either it is publicly and openly associated with Chief Illiniwek, or it has legally abandoned its rights to that image," she said.

The UI has definitely disassociated itself from the logo featuring a Native American wearing a headdress. It has maintained legal control over the logo to limit sales of Chief merchandise it now considers politically incorrect.

It's a fig leaf of protection. Whether it's a legally protected one remains to be seen. One thing's for sure: The legal issue is a real hand-wringer for spineless UI administrators who fear a resurrection of the Chief Illiniwek issue if Chief merchandise becomes widely available again.