Leo hits a point that has been missing on IL-03 race. The issue of social conservatism is too often thought of as an issue of abortion only. There are many issues that social conservatives have latched on to though and one of the important ones is immigration and trade.
Lipinski looks like a Dem because he voted against CAFTA, but not for the same reasons most Dems would have (I’m pretty agnostic for a whole bunch of reasons). The reality is that Dan Lipinski is a guy by all accounts I can gather, voted for Pat Buchanan in 2000 and I’m pretty sure that Buchanan’s views on social issues and immigration were key. 36 Democrats voted for HR 4437 and I’m betting the Lipinski was the guy with the highest Latinor or close to the highest Latino population to vote for it at 21.3%. The continued exploitation by both parties in Southwestern Chicagoland of Latinos must stop. Parties have used and abused them throughout the area including Cicero and other areas where Latinos were only allowed to progress if they helped the machines out (remember this is an area of both Democratic and Republican machines–Skippy).
Via Illinois DemNet we see what Blagojevich had to say:
“Whether their names are Gutierrez or Lozano, Lipinski or Blagojevich; it doesn’t matter. This is a country built by immigrants.”
I don’t know if the Governor realized it or not, but either way, he made a fantastic point. Go down to Elmwood Park or that area and see the Polish immigrants that still live down there. When I worked for Circuit City back when it opened the Chicago market, I visited that store. The number one salesman was a guy who worked the warehouse until they figured out he could speak Polish and needed him on the sales floor. A guy like Lipinski might get that. They were people who and/or both fled persecution and a bad economy and that is the most American thing of all.
My relatives fled the potato famine from what I understand and some of them became thugs on the East Side in St. Clair County when Irish gangs ran the rackets for others. Most of the family worked hard and made a better life for themselves.
I’d bet the Lipinski’s have a similar story, but with more of him around, there won’t be many more families like that. We’ll be the poorer for it.
One-fifth of the 3rd District is Latino. It would be a shame if they were represented by a guy who seems to think they are only good as machine cogs. Go visit John Sullivan’s web site and volunteer and donate.
I consider there to be three vital races in this years election for progressives, this is one of them.
There is much common ground between the Buchanen wing of the right, and the moveon.org, Cindy Sheehan, side of the left.
You may well see a new pary emerge uniting these two groups. It will be a tough time for political liberals. I think it will mark their end.
It will be an isolationist, and protectionist party. It will espouse a musculear isolationistm centered on nuclear weapons (the cheapest ultimate defense… you can dispand the army and use the money elsewhere).
It will be a leathel poltical force
AP: I’m betting Lipinski was the guy with the highest Latinor or close to the highest Latino population to vote for it at 21.3%.
Two of the larger ethnic groups in the district are the Latino vote and the Arab vote — two groups that Lipinski has managed to piss off. His approach to politics is something he must’ve learned in his many years in Tennessee. It’s not something you get hanging out with the locals.
There’s a great “slice of life” gun shop across the street from that Circuit City inside of which is a sign boldly remining you that “If you live in Chicago, Oak Park, Berwyn…you are prevented BY LAW from protecting yourself with a handgun because of YOUR GOVERNMENT.” Or something like that.
And while I don’t know if it will ever come to that – Bill B, you make a great point about the isolationist party potential. It may have legs – a libertarian group to be sure. I’ve always argued that the political spectrum isn’t a horizontal plane – it’s a circle – and the extremes don’t often turn around to realize they’re so much closer to the extremes on the other side than they ever realize.
The best was going to get donuts in the morning. The hookers were getting off work and having their coffee as we’d be heading into to the store.
I tend to buy the circle argument–Fascism and Communism are pretty close to one another in many ways.
That said, attitudes on foreign policy really aren’t changing significantly. Trying to extrapolate from the extremes tends to make the issue seem larger than it is.
The single best thing protectionists have going for them is an administration that loads up trade agreements with cronies. Even those of us who are strong trade proponents couldn’t defend CAFTA with its giveaways.
I don’t see this supposed strand of isolationism amongst ideological liberals who are generally for engaging the world community. It certainly exists in working class areas where jobs are being lost and no one is providing a transition to other types of jobs, but that isn’t the typical Sheehan supporter.
It’s a great mistake to believe that opposing Iraq is the same as isolationism.