June 29, 2016
CAMPAIGN CASH ACCUMULATION HINTS AT POLITICIANS' AMBITIONS
In politics, size always matters -- especially the size of a politician's campaign account. The bigger, the better. Those with massive money beget more donations, and discourage opposition. Bernie Sander railed against plutocrats in his presidential campaign, but Chicago, Cook County and Illinois have a bunch of fatcats. The ATTACHED FUNDRAISING CHART reveals that Gov. Rauner (R) had $20,311,692 on-hand as of 3/31/16, Speaker Madigan (D) $6,322,933, Sen. Pres. Cullerton (D) $1,482,635, Atty. Gen. Madigan (D) $3,173,498, Ald. Ed Burke $6,273,896, and Assessor Joe Berrios (D) $1,197,298. Even Comptroller candidate Susana Mendoza (D) had big bucks: $1,102,541. The viability of the growing potential 2019 Chicago mayoral field -- Emanuel, Dart, Reilly, Gainer, Spyropoulos, Preckwinkle, Sawyer, Moore, Summers, Waguespack, Arena, Tunney, Garcia, Moreno -- can be determined by their fundraising prowess (SEE CHART). Emanuel has been laggardly. Aldermen are at the bottom of the food chain. Their glass ceiling is about $100,000 a year, but even that deters opposition. Note that Kim Foxx spent $2,366,184 to beat Anita Alvarez. Full Article...
June 22, 2016
"FREEDOM OF CHOICE" NOW APPLIES TO RESTROOMS
"Right to choose" once referred to abortion rights. Under an ordinance before the Chicago City Council, It now means restroom rights. "Gender identity" suddenly ranks atop the pantheon of "rights," and it means anybody can choose to use any public restroom, anytime, anywhere. Aldermen Sposato and Napolitano think the concept is unwise, unsafe, and unenforceable. Restrooms will be decriminalized, and trans-gender people won't necessarily be comfortable in the women's room. But the LGBT (Lesbian/Gay/Bi-Sexual/Transgender) has votes and money. Back in the mid-1980s, at the advent of the music video/Internet age, there was an iconic song called "I want my MTV.." In Chicago politics, the verse of the moment is "I want my LBGT." It's now a political force to be reckoned with. Politicians want the LGBT vote. Full Article...
June 15, 2016
DICK MELL'S DEMISE PUTS DEB MELL, ANDRADE AT RISK
Dick Mell, Chicago's 33rd Ward alderman for 38 years and Democratic committeeman for 40 years, is the kind of guy who believes that promises made need not be promises kept. Back in 2001-02, Mell promised Downstate county Democratic chairmen hundreds of state jobs if they backed his son-in-law, Rod Blagojevich, for governor; they delivered, but Mell didn't. Mell was always promising jobs and/or promotions to his precinct workers and donors. After being upset by 50 votes for committeeman on March 15 by Aaron Goldstein, Mell is now in the Promised Land -- he's a full-time lobbyist. Mell's demise puts at risk his two proteges: Deb Mell, his daughter, the alderman; and Jaime Andrade, his former aide, who replaced Deb Mell as state representative. They're on their own now. Mell claims that he didn't really want the committeeman job anymore. The facts, said Goldstein, prove otherwise. Full Article...
June 8, 2016
“VOLATILITY’ DEFINES 2016 CONGRESSIONAL CONTESTS
Volatility is the antonym of predictability, and politicians need predictability to raise and allocate money and resources, plot strategy, and get themselves elected. For those involved in 2016 U.S. congressional and senatorial campaigns, the "volatility" of the Trump-Clinton race, 5 months before Nov. 8, has rendered them clueless. What if Trump says something stupid or offensive? What if Clinton is indicted? Are anti-Trump voters going to vote Democratic in down-ballot contests? Are the Sanders lefties going to vote? Can any Republican refuse to endorse Trump without a backlash? Illinois U.S. Rep. Bob Dold (R-10) is already in panic mode. He needs 10-15% of the Clinton vote, and 100% of the Trump vote, to get re-elected. That will require a miracle. Full Article...
June 1, 2016
AMERICA’S “GREAT DIVIDE” IS RELIGION, NOT ECONOMICS
Clausewitz famously said that war is politics by another means. Roman Emperor Constantine, back in 325 A.D., decided that religion was good politics. His empire was collapsing, due to the strife between Christians and pagans. So he summoned a bunch of "clerics" to Nicaea and told them to make a new Bible, a hybrid integration of both religions. The conclave tossed out 200 gospels, voted to adopt four (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), proclaimed Jesus Christ a deity, made Constantine his messenger on Earth, made pagan holidays Christian holidays, and switched the Sabbath to Sunday. And the preachings of the Jewish political agitator became the "Roman Catholic Church." And for another 1,200 years, the Church exterminated att those "heretics" who rejected the New Testament. Fast forward to 2016: America is not split between the "haves" and "have-nots," but rather between churchgoers who revere the Bible and secularists who care less. Who turns out in greater numbers will determine the next president. Full Article...
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