Among the nice things about vacationing in Canada is seeing the Globe & Mail. Two fragments from Friday’s (5 September) issue:
Marcus Gee: “For years, the LDP [Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party] has been less a political party than a machine for distributing patronage, rewarding supporters with subsidies, contracts, and other pork.” And how does this differ from the RDO?
John Ibbitson writes of the US election: “Karl Rove… got his former boss, President George W. Bush, re-elected in 2004 by persuading enough Americans that their nation was divided into two camps: Decent folks with conservative values and plenty of common sense; and dangerous, urban liberals who would impose Big Brother at home and expose the country to danger from abroad.” The choice in this election could not be clearer for America’s cities.
west north 
An echo by Robert Reed, writing in Chicago magazine:
“Throughout his campaign, Obama has positioned himself as a champion of cities, vowing to launch a massive agenda aimed at pumping economic vitality, business, and jobs into urban centers. It’s uncertain exactly how his plan would work—and whether he could enact it…
“On the city’s West and South sides, where Obama was a community organizer before entering politics, activists and residents can’t wait to see some action. They anticipate Chicago will be at the front of the line for federal dollars designated to spruce up and rebuild viaducts, streets, and public housing units. ‘I’m looking for the Obama administration to immediately address the long-standing improvement needs of the community,’ says Alderman Pat Dowell, who represents the Third Ward.
“There’s scuttlebutt that Chicago would be among the first cities to get one of Obama’s proposed “urban infrastructure banks,” a government-sanctioned lender designed to help jump-start small businesses in blighted areas. ‘I find a plan like that compelling and encouraging,’ says Cheryle Jackson, president of the Chicago Urban League…
“Backers suggest that an Obama administration would push Congress to invest millions more in federal dollars for urban transit, including funding for some everyday operations—money that would literally keep the trains and buses running. If it happened, Chicago could expect to be a major recipient, especially since Obama would likely draw on the expertise of Jarrett, a member of the city’s Olympic bid committee and Chicago Transit Authority chairman from 1995 to 2003. ‘She’ll help enable him to get the right answers,’ says John Rogers, a friend and adviser to Obama who is chairman of the investment house Ariel Capital Management.”