July 30, 2003
EMANUEL AIMS FOR DEMOCRATS' LEADERSHIP
A party’s House leaders must raise buckets of money to elect other members of their party, and to keep their incumbents in office. Democrat Nancy Pelosi, age 63, from a safely Democratic San Francisco seat, was elected Democratic minority leader in 2002 after more than a decade of prodigious fundraising for liberal and female Democratic candidates. Hoyer, age 64, is now minority whip. Normally, the “out” party wins congressional seats in the mid-term election of a president’s second term. The bottom line: Menendez, like Emanuel, is a House careerist. Full Article...
July 23, 2003
FITZGERAL IS "ANTIDOTE" TO DURBINS LIBERAL VOTES
The Republicans are glad that Fitzgerald’s vote is an antidote to Durbin’s. The Democrats are equally pleased that Durbin’s vote is an antidote to Fitzgerald’s. The repeal attempt failed, with 47 (of 48) Democrats voting against it, including Durbin. Time and again, on fiscal matters, Durbin voted to increase spending and taxes. Durbin’s attitude seems to be that Democratic warmongers are fine, but Republican warmongers aren’t. Fitzgerald supported Bush on Iraq. Fitzgerald voted the opposite. Full Article...
July 16, 2003
HASTERT'S SKILLS KEEP GOP IN HOUSE MAJORITY
Unlike Gingrich, Hastert understands that his job is to manage and maintain a Republican House majority – and not, as Gingrich sought, to “revolutionize” the federal government. Hastert, unlike Gingrich, understood that evolutionary fact. Democrats began attacking the Republicans as insensitive to seniors. Hastert, as speaker, has deftly given voters no reason to vote against his Republican majority – while having given voters a tangible reason to vote for congressional Republicans. Of Illinois’ 19-member congressional delegation, ten are Republicans. Full Article...
July 9, 2003
FISCAL "BLACK HOLE" DOGS GOV. BLAGOJEVICH
Blagojevich is acting atypically normal. Thompson’s fiscal 1978 budget, his first, was $10 billion. Thompson, Reagan’s state campaign chairman in 1980 and 1984, never even considered a tax cut. During his 2002 campaign, Blagojevich promised to increase state spending but not hike the income tax. The state’s fiscal 2004 budget is $53 billion, with state revenues up by just $800 million (to be offset by $650 in state tax refunds). A bad state economy is deemed to be the governor’s fault, and voters toss the governor. The spurt in state revenue means Blagojevich didn’t have to hike state taxes. Full Article...
July 2, 2003
LOCAL POLITICIANS LOOK TO OWN "JOBS CREATION"
Hey, Boss, where’s my state job? The 2003 election brought in a fresh crop of nine new aldermen, eight of whom are already plotting to run for Democratic ward committeeman in 2004. Dudycz won the 41st Ward. McGing is pondering a run for committeeman against Capparelli if he doesn’t run for judge. Full Article...
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