Picking your battles

Warning: I do not approve of puppy mills. I do not hate dogs.

Tom Dart is the Cook County Sheriff. His mug was all over the place yesterday as he personally assisted in the public raid of a puppy mill on Chicago's south side. In all they hauled out 67 puppies.

Dart was on camera over and over again as part of the lead story on all Chicago TV stations. Why, he even upstaged Obama.

So, staff must be short at the Cook County Sheriff's Office if the Sheriff himself is called out on a non-violent case like this one. Well, let's just say it ain't Mayberry. This from the CCSO website: "The Cook County Sheriff's Office is the second largest Sheriff's Department in the United States, employing more than 6,800 officers, deputies and civilians..."

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? That Dart wanted to be at this photo op? And how did they get all that press there on a moment's notice to record the removal of all those animals?

And Dart himself told the reporters about the deplorable conditions on dogs in bird cages and stacked on top of one another so that when one eliminated, the dogs below were struck by falling "debris."

But Chicago Animal Control said this: The dogs have been taken to the city Department of Animal Care and Control, Sgt. Mark George said. He said it would be up to the department to evaluate the condition of the dogs, but he noted all seemed in fair condition.
He said while it was an unpleasant scene, it was "not as bad as other homes we've seen with less dogs." The house "was in bad shape, but not as bad as you'd think."

Indeed, all but two would be available today for adoption, and the other two were not far behind.

Now, Sheriff Dart missed this "trivial" event a day before (Monday). Congressman Mark Kirk held a press conference to roll out federal legislation to combat alien gangs. It turns out that Illinois has more gang members per capita than any other state in the nation.

Two Illinois Sheriffs stood beside Kirk at the news conference; Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran and Kendall County Sheriff Richard Randall.

Where was Sheriff Dart? Getting ready for his photo op with the puppies I presume. Sheriff Pat Perez of Kane County? AWOL as well.

Now Dart has a fine line to walk. Chicago and Cook County proudly wear the title of "Sanctuary." What's he going to say when reporters ask him how many illegal aliens are in custody in Cook County Jail? "I don't know," doesn't sound very professional, does it? Maybe it's best he stayed home.

One thing's for sure, Cook County is going to the dogs.

Kirk's press conference wasn't picked up by the press. ABC 7 TV did a short blurb on it, but that was it.

The media heaped coverage on Rep Gutierrez/Cardinal George and their rally in favor of illegal aliens. And, of course, the puppies. But they stayed away in droves when a Congressman talks about illegal alien gang members.

Here's Kirk's own coverage of the proposal: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/il10_kirk/Deport_illegal_alien_gang_members.html