May 28, 2008
LOCAL ALDERMAN SHOW DISTANCE FROM DALEY
Toadies no more. Aldermen from Chicago's Northwest Side, with the exception of Republican Brian Doherty (41st), have been habitually capitulative to the wishes of Mayor Rich Daley. But times are changing. While Chicagoans view Daley as a beloved and benevolent dictator, the aldermen view Daley as a lame duck, who could possibly be indicted, and won't be around as mayor much longer. Daley may not win if he runs in 2011, and will certainly retire by 2015. So aldermen, who want to be around forever, are distancing themselves from Daley. Of the 12 NW Side aldermen, 10 opposed Daley's $83.4 million 2008 property tax hike; four opposed the $5.9 billion 2008 budget; three opposed raising the property tax transfer fee to $10/$1,000; two opposed repealing the ban on foie gras. Doherty bucked the mayor on every fiscal issue. It is possible that incumbents Bill Banks (36th), Tom Allen (38th) and Dick Mell (33rd) will retire in 2011, and Pat Levar (45th) and Berny Stone (50th) are vulnerable to defeat. The 2007-2008 ALDERMANIC VOTE CHART can be accessed on this website. Full Article...
May 21, 2008
TWO "PEAS IN POD" COMPETE IN 65TH DIST.
It's like the proverbial "Casey at the bat." In the 65th Illinois House District, centered on Park Ridge and Des Plaines, Democrats can't go the the left of her, can't go the the right of her, and can't beat her. Republican State Rep. Rosemary Mulligan is an icon among liberal abortion rights supporters. She beat pro-life fanatic Penny Pullen in 1992, and is now running for her eighth term in a Democratic-trending suburban district. The 2008 political environment is toxic for Republicans, but Mulligan may survive. Democrats ran a male pro-lifer against her in 1998 and 2000, and lost; Democrats ran a "soft" pro-abortion female candidate (against partial-birth abortion, for parental notification) in 2002, and lost; Democrats ran an ardent pro-choice female in 2004, and lost. Now Democrat Aurora Austriaco, an Asian-American attorney, is running, on the premise that, as a Democrat, she can "do better" -- a me-too liberal. No way. She'll be a pawn for Mike Madigan in Springfield. Mulligan fears that Democrats will tie her to "George and George" -- Bush and Ryan. If they do, she will lose in the upcoming Obama landslide. Full Article...
May 14, 2008
PERAICA, BLAGOJEVICH NEED "EXIT STRATEGY"
Hillary Clinton is heading for the proverbial hills, trying to fashion an "exit strategy" which, in defeat, will minimize her personal political damage and maximize her future political opportunity. In Illinois, Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Republican Cook County state's attorney candidate Tony Peraica should be doing likewise. Peraica, a county commissioner, got 46.5% against Todd Stroger in 2006 for county board president. He's running in 2008 in order to position himself for 2010. Peraica will not beat Democrat Anita Alvarez this year: She's Hispanic, a woman, and an experienced prosecutor. Peraica needs a huge chunk of Democrats to vote for him, but blacks, Hispanics, women, and liberal whites will opt for Alvarez. If Peraica gets an anemic 32-35%, his 2010 prospects against the unpopular Toddler take a huge hit. But he can get out of the race. As for Blagojevich, his exit strategy is a don't-send-me-to-jail strategy. As Eliot Spitzer tried to do in NY, Blago could resign to minimize the time. As for Hillary, she needs Barack Obama to be obliterated by John McCain. Then she can run again in 2012, plausibly claiming that Obama is unelectable. If Obama wins, she can kiss off a presidential run until 2016, when she will be 68; if Obama loses narrowly, his backers will claim "racism" was the cause, and he will run again in 2012 -- beating Hillary yet again. Full Article...
May 7, 2008
REPUBLICANS ARE ON BRINK OF EXTINCTION
Lose or die? That, quite literally, is the choice confronting the Republican Party in 2008. Given the intractable problems confronting America, and the liklihood that the next president will be as much of a failure as the current president, Republicans would be better served by losing this year. Throughout history, presidents have been transformational, transitional or transient. A transformational president ushers in an era of political, economic and/or ideological realignment -- Jefferson (1800), Jackson (1828), Lincoln (1860), Roosevelt (1932), Reagan (1980). A transitional president serves at the end of a party's reign (Buchanan, Hoover). John McCain would be a transitional president. His one term would be followed by a huge Democratic comeback in 2012. But not Barack Obama. He would govern as a liberal; he would continue to foment a split in the Democratic Party -- eggheads and blacks versus working class whites and Hispanics. Republicans, to rebound from Bush fatigue, need an Obama presidency, not a McCain presidency. Full Article...
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