August 2005

Illinois Dem Net Speakers

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 (photomap). 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!

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

Forget Any Blagojevich Challenges

Madigan and Jones are on board–it’d be a suicide run now.

More importantly, while these are to a point honorary positions, it probably means we’ll be seeing a true coordinated campaign from top to bottom on the Democratic side. The only serious race in terms of statewide will be for the Treasurer’s position and everything else will be focused upon reelecting Rod and picking up seats–while Republicans cannibalize each other.

I’ve put The Governor’s reelection chances at 50% previously, I’d put it at about 60%—and only that low if Edgar or Topinka are the Republican nominees. LaHood and Rauschenberger give him a slightly better chance, but they wouldn’t be as tough as the first two. Any of the other candidates are dead meat if they become the nominee.

Fucking Bullshit Claim about Rahm

Sorry for offending anyone, but Bob Brigham has pissed me off. I like Bob and I think he’s doing a good job in general, but his attack on Rahm Emanuel is just bullshit.

First, the DCCC screwed up the format of the call so that it was one directional. The blogosphere by nature is a fan of communicating-with instead of talking-at. Then Congressman Emanuel actually went out of his way to blab about the one-directional nature being a good thing and then talked about wanting more of it.

I was on the conference call and Rahm did make a joke about wanting more one way communication, but he was joking about his three kids who are (I believe) between 5 and 9. Having two beautiful little girls just under three year old, this is funny if perhaps derivative stuff. There are many a day in which I wish to push *1 and shut my daughters up. Of course, I wouldn’t do that because I love them to death, but that sort of humor passes for funny amongst those of us who are parents and in fact, one blogger asking a question followed up on the joke.

I know that a hard loss is difficult to swallow–I went through one in 2004. I didn’t lose my sense of humor though.

I’ll have more soon on the more general topic, but the snarkiness towards Rahm on this issue is completely unwarranted. He made a joke–one might argue it wasn’t funny, but he actually was upset about the set-up of the phone call.

Pat Quinn is a Great Guy

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.

Why Won’t El Geraldo Talk About Social Security

It seems that Jerry Weller is shy about his feelings on Social Security. When he visited Joliet he wasn’t too excited to talk about it:

U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Morris, refused to give a citizens’ group a comment last week when they hounded him after a Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Citizen Action Illinois, which included local residents who firmly oppose privatizing Social Security, said they wanted to know Weller’s position on the issue.

Weller, who entered and exited the Renaissance Center by a side door, told Pulse the protesters were simply “part of the political landscape.”

He said his position on the Social Security issue is clear, while one of his staff members handed out a packet on a plan to privatize Social Security.

After the luncheon, Weller and a staff member walked swiftly down a back hallway, ignoring pleas for a comment from one of the activists, a police escort following close behind.

“It’s somewhat ridiculous that we have to resort to these things,” said Ryan Canney, organizing director for Citizen Action Illinois. Canney panted in the afternoon heat, his necktie loosened and suit slightly disheveled from jogging after Weller as he left the center. He took a picture of the congressman with his camera phone.

“He wouldn’t talk to us. He jumped in his car and covered his face up,” Canney said.

All of this means Weller is

A) Lying
or
B) Really stupid

No one should discount a combination of the two, but in being asked about the McCrery plan that has been in Ways and Means for a month and Weller is on Ways and Means, Weller said he was unfamiliar with the plan, but touted the Shaw plan that Bill Thomas has declared dead. (PDF)

Jerry’s not a details guy it seems.

Why So Busy?

Lot’s of campaigns have been contacting me and vice versa. I’m trying to put together some general advice for them. Any campaigns interested, drop me a note at archpundit@yahoo.com. I’m going to send out a general memo on how to work the blogosphere and not just treat it as an ATM (which to my surprise, most campaigns are figuring out on their own). I’ll probably post some of it on here eventually as well.

As a starter though, check out this report that gives some good advice:

The one difference I have on basic strategy is that often a campaign can recruit a volunteer to communicate with blogs and coordinate that with the press operation.

And Don’t Blame the “Right” For Phelps

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

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

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.