April 28, 2004
HYNES' WHITE HOUSE PLAN DIMMED BY LOSS
Powerful Democratic Committeeman Tom Hynes, from Chicago's far Southwest Side 19th Ward, had a Joseph Kennedy-like dream. He wanted to put his son, Dan Hynes, in the White House. And, when young Dan, at age 29, became Illinois Comptroller in 1998, that fantasy became a possibility. But the election of Democrats for governor and attorney general in 2002 clogged Dan's path to the State House, so the Clan decided to run Dan for senator in 2004 instead. Bad decision. Dan ran a lackluster and unfocused campaign, and got obliterated, drawing an embarrassing 23.7 percent to Barack Obama's 52.7 percent -- and daddy Tom barely won his own ward for his son. Dan can stay as Comptroller as long as he likes, but his White House hopes are back to the fantasy stage. Full Article...
April 21, 2004
MCGING'S "JUDICIAL RESTRAINT" CLEARS PATH TO PUCINSKI WIN
When does political opportunity (or perhaps necessity) defer to judicial restraint? In the Northwest Side Chicago/Park Ridge/Des Plaines 10th judicial subcircuit, it did, as slated Democratic candidate Jim McGing ignored Aurie Pucinski's prodigious political baggage, only tepidly attacking her for her Democrat-to-Republican-to-Democrat party switching, and not attacking her at all for her judicial temperament (or lack of it). McGing lost to Pucinski by 1,277 votes. The race was a contest of bases: McGing ran well in the 41st and 45th wards; Pucinski ran well among Polish ethnic voters and older women; Judge Carolyn Quinn, appointed to the seat, ran well in the district's east end, and among liberals and singles. The question is: If McGing had ripped Pucinski, would it have helped him, hurt her, or helped Quinn? Expect McGing and Quinn to run for judge again in 2006. Full Article...
April 14, 2004
LYONS, LAURINO "MACHINES" CRANK OUT BIG VICTORIES
The Lyons Machine and the Laurino Machine in, respectively, Chicago's 45th and 39th Wards, are both alive and well, but the 45th Ward's is much weller, being more aggressive at squelching opposition, and having more city, county and state patronage jobs. Barack Obama carried both wards in the 2004 primary, even though both organizations endorsed Dan Hynes. But in the key local primaries, both machines prevailed. In the 45th, Committeeman Tom Lyons (also the Democratic county chairman) pulverized his opponent with 72.8%, and State Representative Joe Lyons crushed his foe with 70.2%. In the 39th, where Laurino legacy John D'Amico (grandson of the former alderman, and nephew of the current alderman) ran for state representative, he won the ward with 69.3%, which boosted him to the Democratic nomination in the 15th House District. Full Article...
April 7, 2004
STONE, DUDYCZ RANK AS BIG PRIMARY LOSERS
Astute politicians choose their battles wisely. On March 16, two veteran politicians, Alderman Berny Stone (50th) and former state senator Wally Dudycz, chose very unwisely. Stone chose to field a candidate (Mike Moses) against 17-year State Representative Lou Lang (D-16), of Skokie. Lang was backed by State Senator Ira Silverstein (D-8), a longtime Stone protege out of the 50th Ward. Stone "guaranteed" that Moses would win the West Rogers Park ward by 2-1. Instead, due largely to Silverstein's efforts, Moses won the ward by just 78 votes. Lang crushed Moses in his suburban base with 75.6%. Now, Stone's hopes that daughter Alana will succeed him in 2007 are in doubt. In the 41st Ward, Dudycz chose to run for Republican ward committeeman against the incumbent, State Representative Mike McAuliffe (R-20). McAuliffe, embroiled in a tough re-election fight against Ralph Capparelli, couldn't afford to lose. He didn't, and crushed Dudycz 2,238-838, a 72.8% win. Full Article...
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