August 2005

Illinois Dem Net Speakers

ArchPundit August 14, 2005 1 Comment

In the previous post, you’ll find the speakers for Illinois DFA’s event, but the Dem Net will be having an impressive group as well. I’ll be making both events. The Corona Pavillon is an especially good location for a noon meeting at the State Fair, however. 😉 For more information–click the Dem Net Blog ad.

We’ll have some of Illinois’s top Democratic Leaders to address our very own Statewide Meetup. Speakers include Alderman Joe Moore (Chicago), Mayor Tim Davlin (Springfield), Attorney General Lisa Madigan and others. The location for this year’s Statewide Democratic Meetup will be in the Corona tent on the Fair Grounds (photo – map). Date and time is Wednesday, Aug. 17. 12:15pm-1:45pm.

Joe Moore, Chicago Alderman and National DNC Member, is working overtime.

DFA at the State Fair Too!

ArchPundit August 14, 2005 No Comments

From the DFA folks who share one of my big hobby horse. Note that their meeting is one hour before the Dem Net Meeting at Noon, so you can make both (as I will be). I’ll post my letter to what I’d like to see the Party doing on here sometime Tuesday.

I know not everyone will be able to come down to the Rally in
Springfield next Wednesday (and there are details below, including our
speakers list, in case you can) … but there is still a way you can
make your voice heard.

At the event DFAers will be hand-delivering letters from ordinary
Democrats (like you!) to Tim Mapes, Chief of Staff to Michael Madigan,
Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI). ?This is your chance
express your *positive* vision of what the DPI could and should be,
and put it directly into the hands of the people who run one of the
largest state Dem organizations in the country.

Are there issues or candidates you’d like to see supported? ?Ways they
could work with your local grassroots group, improve their website,
improve their image? ?Let them know! ?Don’t even know what a state
Democratic Party can do? ?Here’s what they are doing in
other states:

http://www.democracyforillinois.org/node/1869

So take advantage of this opportunity to make your voice heard — write a
letter. ?Email it no later than next Tuesday, August 16th to
dfi.letters@gmail.com. ?We will be printing out hard copies that night
and carrying them down with us to the rally.

Interested in taking a one-day road trip down to Springfield to join
in the rally? ? DFAers and other grassroots groups from around the
state will be converging on the Dem Party’s Governor’s Day Rally at
the Illinois State Fair next Wednesday, August 17th. ?DFAers will meet
prior to the rally at the Commodities Pavilion at 11:00 a.m. for our
DFA pre-rally meeting, with speakers including:

– Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn
– State Rep. John Fritchey, 11th District
– Joe Moore, DNC Member and 49th Ward Alderman
– Dr. David Gill, candidate for 15th Congressional District

And two of the six candidates DFAers in Illinois elected to local
office in 2005:

– Lali Watt, Evanston DFA meetup host and recently elected Wilmette
Village Trustee
– Holly Johnson, Rockford DFA meetup host and recently elected Byron
Park District Commisioner

After our meeting we will head to the the rally — a big event that
will include pretty much every important Dem in the state of Illinois.
And of course there will be plenty of pre and post rally socializing,
plus a chance to enjoy the state fair.

You can get all the travel details here:

http://www.democracyforillinois.org/statefair

Peace,
Sandra

Pat Quinn is a Great Guy

ArchPundit August 12, 2005 1 Comment

I know I criticize him more than probably even the Governor in comparison to their relative positions, but as a human being, Pat means incredibly well and has been attending the funerals of Illinois soldiers without any attention. I’d let that continue, but some cynics over at Capitol Fax’s blog are making an issue of it and it just isn’t right–Quinn has always been a strong advocate of service people and has done it without a lot of press–perhaps one of the few areas where that’s true, but regardless, it’s absolutely commendable.

So to those cynics, I’d prefer to not even mention the whole thing, but bugger the hell off.

And Don’t Blame the “Right” For Phelps

ArchPundit August 11, 2005 3 Comments

Phelps is on the ‘right’ perhaps, but he isn’t of them. In fact, one of the closest political allies Phelps used to have (before completely going bonkers) was Al Gore. Gore long ago disassociated himself frmo the Phelps, but it isn’t fair to attack the right for this assclown. Alan Simpson, former Republican from Wyoming, has been of Phelps’ harshest critics especially since the Mathew Sheppard funeral.

Though If You Aren’t Going to Ignore Them

ArchPundit August 11, 2005 No Comments

Rich (who respectfully disagrees with me in comments–Rich is usually pretty respectful anyway), has a hilarious idea

I make my living off of the 1st Amendment. I revere it as a holy writ. In my younger days, I even went to a few protests. And I am no fan of violence.

But it is my opinion that the biggest, scruffiest toughs from this group (many of whom are my friends) ought to team up with some of the meaner members of this group to make sure the nutballs from this group never get anywhere near an Illinois soldier’s funeral.

Todd Vandermyde, a veteran himself, lobbies for both ABATE and the NRA, so he wouldn’t have a lot of trouble getting things organized.

I’m thinking this guy might have some fun with Phelps’ crew too.

I still prefer the idea of ignoring him, but the nuttiness of a bunch of bikers and hunters showing up and seeing Phelps face as he faces a completely different type of crowd than normal might be worth it.

Most of all, whatever you do, honor the family who shouldn’t have to have this garbage going on as they remember a loved one.

Just Ignore Phelps

ArchPundit August 11, 2005 3 Comments

The Wrong Reverend Fred Phelps is visiting East Peoria to protest a Marine’s funeral on Saturday.

A lot of chatter suggests some respectful counter protests that honor the fallen Marine while standing up to Phelps. I get the impulse, but frankly, just ignore the idiot.

My wife grew up in Salina, Kansas so the idiot would make frequent stops around there and he’s been to St. Louis on few occasions. One was the 2000 Presidential Debate. One friend tried to jump the security fencing put up in the protest area. Given she’s about 5’2″ it was sort of funny, but frankly gave Phelps too much satisfation.

Another time the Wrong Reverend’s family came and protested my church on a Sunday morning because my church doesn’t bother asking about someone’s sexual orientation. While a few people got upset, more than anything it was just sad. The two kids and the adult were just angry and bitter people yelling and trying to incite a reaction. The proper response was to just go to Church and pray for them. Don’t give them the attention. They don’t deserve it.

His last visit I know of to Central Illinois was to protest the company Electrolux because of the Government of Sweden’s actions. The dude just isn’t right in the head.