December 26, 2012
DURBIN AMBASSADORIAL APPOINTMENT IS RUMORED
Is Dick Durbin bailing? Rumors are aswirl that Illinois' senior senator covets an ambassadorship. There are five types of U.S. diplomatic postings: career-service, career-enhancing, career-ending, political payoff and political cover. The pinnacle is the UN; otherwise, the Big 10 -- England, Japan, Germany, Russia, China, Vatican, Ireland, India, France, Spain -- give the weary politician a cushy career-ending sinecure. That's likely what Durbin wants.Full Article...
December 19, 2012
REPUBLICAN BRAND DOOMS O'DONNELL, SWEENEY, MATHIAS IN NORTHWEST SUBURBS
It wasn't supposed to happen. Republican strategists in Springfield expected Jim O'Donnell, Susan Sweeney and Sid Mathias to win. But in those three northwest suburban legislative districts, the Republican brand was so toxic as to warrant hazmat. Dan Kotowski (D) spent $1.5 million, and won a solid 57.3%, beating O'Donnell. The abortion issue sunk Sweeney, and Marty Moylan, who spent $700,000, won with 53.2%. And Mathias, the ex-Buffalo Grove mayor, social liberal, and good fit for the district, was defeated easily. It's a wasteland.Full Article...
December 12, 2012
ANOTHER "POT OF GOLD" AWAITS SAVIANO IN ELMWOOD PARK IN 2013
The late Roman Pucinski, back in 1973, told this columnist that when "God closes a door, He opens a window." That homily does not apply to Elmwood Park, a sleepy suburb just west of Chicago, which is a veritable Lost and Found. In that village, when a Pot of Gold is lost, it is quickly found. 20-year Republican state representative Skip Saviano temporarily lost his Pot of Gold on Nov. 6, when he was defeated for re-election by 1,351 votes, mostly due to his having offended Speaker Mike Madigan (D), who spent $700,000 to beat him. Now "Skippy" is poised to become Elmwood Park's $41,000-a-year village president, replacing 24-year incumbent Pete Silvestri, his ally, and be free to lobby in Springfield to his heart's content. As they say: Pots of Gold last forever. Full Article...
December 5, 2012
DARWIN'S THEORY EXPLAINS CHICAGO REPUBLICAN EXTINCTION
It's Darwin's theory -- survival of the fittest, extinction of the weakest. Republicans in Chicago are nearly extinct. Mitt Romney got an incredibly anemic 14.4 percent. In a city of 2,695.598, only 148,181 hardy (or perhaps misguided) souls voted Republican. In fact, Romney got 1,074 fewer votes than McCain in 2008. Is Chicago a one-party or no-party town? Emanuel in 2011 got 328,331 votes, about 550,000 less than Obama's 853,102 in 2012. The Republican brand is toxic.Full Article...
Previous Articles