July 27, 2005
A TALE OF TWO SENATORS: ONE QUITS, ANOTHER QUAKES
It's a tale of two northwest suburban Illinois Senators -- one's quitting, and the other may be quaking. In the Park Ridge-Des Plaines-Elk Grove 33rd District, incumbent Republican Dave Sullivan is retiring. On his $60,000 salary, he found it impossible to put his kids through college. A nasty and fratricidal Republican primary looms, with the party's ideological and geographical factions sure to produce a bruised, cash-depleted nominee. Democrat Dan Kotowski is well-positioned to win this seat. In the Oak Park-Leyden Township-36th Ward 39th District, incumbent Democrat Don Harmon is sweating a challenge from Mike Nardello, a precinct captain in Alderman Bill Banks' 36th Ward organization. Harmon has made enemies, backing a Chicagoan against an Oak Park candidate for state rep in 2002, and opposing Banks' choice for judge in 2004. If Banks backs Nardello, he could win. Full Article...
July 20, 2005
"JEFFERSONIAN DEMOCRATS" HAVE LONG VANISHED FROM SCENE
Thomas Jefferson's political lineage is almost as convoluted as his biological lineage. Jefferson, America's third president, is renowned for his diverse family tree, with both Caucasian and African-American branches. He's also celebrated as the founder of the Democratic Party. But contemporary Democrats are big-government liberals, not Jeffersonians, whose philosophy was that any government was too much government. Jefferson was America's first political genius, exploiting economic and geographic divisions, using the power of the press to propagandize his ideas, creating a political party, and going negative on his opposition. Jefferson Park, on Chicago's Northwest Side, was named after the president, and Jefferson's statue was dedicated in front of the CTA terminal. Full Article...
July 13, 2005
FOOT-IN-MOUTH DURBIN FAILS AS "ATTACK DOG"
Is Illinois Senator Dick Durbin poised to be Washington's next Pee-Wee Herman? In other words, a small mind in a big town. Durbin has had a very good year (2005), becoming the Democratic Senate Whip, and joining the Senate's Millionaire's Club (numbering 45). But then he confused Soviet gulags and Nazi Gestapo with the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. That's where we have Afghanistan and some Iraq prisoners. Are we liquidating and torturing them? Get real, Senator. When Republican knocked Durbin for his inflammatory statements, he retorted that the Bush Administration "should apologize." But after Chicago Mayor Rich Daley termed Durbin's comments "a disgrace," Durbin got real, and, as the media put it, "tearfully" and "chokingly" apologized to those "if offended." Luckily for Durbin, his seat is not up until 2008, so this episode will be ancient history by then. But one has to wonder: What if Al Gore had picked Durbin for veep in 2000, and they had won? Then Durbin could have been in line to be president. What an appalling thought. Full Article...
July 6, 2005
DEMOCRATS' "QUOTA SYSTEM" PROPELS SCHAKOWSKY'S RISE
Among Democrats in the U.S. House, chromosomes count. Among the top four leaders, there's a white female, white male, Hispanic male, and black male. That's mandatory diversity. With the Hispanic male running for New Jersey Senator, Illinois' U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-9) is trying to break into the leadership, as Caucus Vice-Chairman. Her gender helps, as she's opposed by two white males, both from the East Coast, and a male Texas Hispanic. Schakowsky is a longtime ally of minority leader Nancy Pelosi, and is an ultra-liberal on every issue. She should have strong support from her fellow feminists. But geography is getting in the way. New York wants their candidate in the leadership, so he can be speaker some day. And a lot of southerners and westerners think that Schakowsky is much too liberal. The Caucus race isn't Schakowsky's only preoccupation. Her husband, Bob Creamer, goes on trial in September on federal tax-evasion and bank fraud charges. Full Article...
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