Yesterday this space reported that State Senator Terry Link, the Lake County Democratic Party Chairman, faced a serious challenge to his campaign petitions that was filed by Link’s primary opponent, former North Chicago mayor Jerry Johnson. Johnson’s campaign claimed that its review of Link’s signatures was running only at a 20% or so “good” signature rate, and with 3,125 signatures on Link’s petitions, that would leave Link easily a few hundred signatures short of the 1,000 valid signatures he needs to stay on the Democratic primary ballot.
Well, the Johnson campaign is now claiming that at least some of the signatures on Link’s petitions are bad not simply because the signatures are illegible, or because the individual doesn’t actually live in the 30th District, or because of one of many other fairly mundane problems that can and do arise in any campaign (after all, that’s why the rule of thumb is to collect at least twice as many signatures as you technically need, and more if possible, just in case of a challenge).
Johnson believes that some of Link's petition signers are deceased.
That’s right. Dead.
In fact, one apparent signer named Larry Jelinek, who passed away this last spring after a long and courageous battle with cancer, was a friend of mine. You can see his signature on the Link petition here. (sorry for the quality, it's a scan of a fax). Since petitions could be circulated no earlier than August 7 of this year, there is no way Larry was able to sign that petition himself. Before he passed, Larry lived at 2150 Kellogg in Waukegan, which is the address shown on the petition. This particular signature leapt to Jerry Johnson's attention because Jelinek was Johnson's former teacher, and Johnson knew Jelinek has passed away this year.
Another deceased individual that apparently nevertheless signed a Link petition was Edward Chrapkowski, who was the former police chief in North Chicago, who passed away a number of years ago. I never met Mr. Chrapkowski but this also caught Jerry Johnson's attention, who knew the former chief and was quite surprised to see that Mr. Chrapkowski was supporting Senator Link. See his supposed signature here.
Finally, it appears that aside from some apparently dead folks, Senator Link could not have reviewed his petitions very thoroughly, or one name in particular would have leapt out at him: Charles "Chuck" Fitzgerald, Link's two-time former opponent for the office of state senator. See Chuck's apparent signature here. I have blocked out the address so that Chuck's house is not too easily identifiable (although, of course, all of these petitions are public record), but I have confirmed that Fitzgerald did NOT sign Link's petition.
UPDATED 4:30 p.m. 11/15/07: The Daily Herald has a story up.
UPDATED 10:45 a.m. 11/16/07: Read Chuck Fitzgerald's Letter to Senator Link here. An anonymous poster put up a link yesterday in comments, but I have removed the link and substituted this file, which blocks out Chuck's home address and phone number, and signature (we're trying to not promote identify theft!).
Also, Capitol Fax has a story up on the Link debacle today. You can access the story at the Capitol Fax Blog, but you have to be a subscriber.
UPDATED 9:45 p.m. 11/16/07: Here's the objector's petition filed by Jerry Johnson against Senator Terry Link.
NOTE: To access the files, look at the lower left-hand corner of the bestsharing download screen and click the "Download File" link
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17 comments:
This is exactly why the grassroots is responsible for pulling our party back together. You have to look really hard for a reason why I would detest our own party leaders more than democrats but I am absolutely sick of being told by the powers that are supposed to be leading us that we are dead in D.C. or Illinois.
They were content to create the problem, we shouldn't be looking to them to solve it.
As well, I am pleased to see Link primaried but with Springfield a cesspool, this sort of thing is something OUR party should be doing.
Terry Link has been "uncareful" for many years. After declaring war on our African-American community, its is high time that one of our own leaders takes him out. Take that for hurting Eddie Washington.
Read the Daily Herald's report here:
http://dailyherald.com/story/?id=78346
Anonymous 8:18? I don't get it. The grassroots and allegedly fraudulent petition signatures? GOP leadership created the problem? This sort of thing is something our party should be doing?
Doing what? Forging Charles Fitzgerald's signature on a Terry Link petition?
Explain, please!
Louis G. Atsaves
Ahhh, the arrogance of Emporer Link...the seasoned politician again demonstrates his disregard for the process that allows him to be on the ballot and allows others to challenge him.
As to being on the ballot, Emporer Link admits to the Daily Herald that he did not personally circulate petitions (Kings don't do that). He claims "staff" and others circulated - and now that his petitions are challenged and allegations of fraud have risen, Emporer Link orders the prosecution of the bunch, if in fact, they participated in fraud. Well duh... shouldn't the Emporer be watching what's happening in the castle? Doesn't he assign the orders to "staff"? I guess it's easy to pass on the responsibility when you're the Emporer.
As to the issue of opposition. Emporer Link doesn't like it but doesn't want to admit it either. While his opponent Johnson personally filed the challenge against the Emporer, Emporer Link continues to hide behind the three individuals who challenged Johnson.
I hope the investigation results in checking the Emporer's petitions from 2006 and 2002 - wonder if the same names appear...
Ooops, he may have lost his clothes....
Pretty embarrassing for the head of the Lake County Democratic Party to have dead people on his petition.
Based on the Herald story, it appears Link's spin machine is already trying to weasel out of this one. We'll see if it sticks.
Capitol Fax cites Link as conjecturing that the Fitzgerald signature may have been a 'prank', but at the very least, you would think if former 2-time opponent Chuck Fitzgerald's sig turned up on a Link petition, that would have raised a question in Link's mind before it hit the papers as the scandal of the day.
I think it would be best for Republicans to just save our money during the 2008 election (or as long as the Iraq War continues) and intelligently invest it in building up good candidates for 2010 in hopes of taking back Congress or at least establishing a strong minority.
The last decade has shown that we are better as an opposition than as the majority party, protecting the country from tax-and-spend liberals and keeping Hilary on her toes. When we're in control, we're just not good at governing because we don't really believe in government. It shows.
What are you talking about, Anon 9:19? We aren't AGAINST government, we just want to limit it. At least we passed tax cuts, although it hasn't trickled down to me yet. And we have accomplished lots of other things when we were in control of Congress, like...umm, I forgot.
If Kirk switched parties would you vote for him?
Anon 9.25:
Let me remind you what the Republican Congress accomplished in the last 6 years:
1) Patriot Act
2) war on defenseless countries
3) Military Commissions Act (goodbye, habeas corpus)
These actions constitute a systematic assault on democracy, and the Democratic Party isn't doing anything to stop it. I don't know about other readers, but I'm not happy with either major party in control.
Typical GOP party diversions. This thread is supposed to be about some very strange signatures that appear on Terry Link's petitions for office.
It now has turned into an opportunity for a few of the cranky wing of the GOP to moan about how the GOP ran the country for six of the last eight years and wishing that Mark Kirk was a Democrat.
The questions remain: (1) Are we better off today than we were 2 years ago? (2) Do we really want to continue to sit back and let the Democrats run things in Washington, Springfield and locally? My answers are (1) "no" and (2) "no."
Democrats have proven to be completely hapless in governing and in moving their agendas in Washington, Springfield and locally. Six months of overtime in Springfield and extended sessions in Washington. I'm not impressed.
Where would we be today if the Democrats controlled government in Washington on 9/11? Would we be safer? What would our response have been? Cut military spending and increase health insurance benefits for the victims of additional attacks? Lob a couple of bombs around then stop and wait for the next attack on US soil?
Democrats are all talk and unable to govern. Just like the cranky wing of the GOP. The only difference is that the cranky wing of the GOP also does not want to win any elections. As Prof. Paul Green calls them: RAW. (Republicans Against Winning)
Louis G. Atsaves
Right on, Atsaves. Except the Democrats were solidly with President Bush after 9/11 until he abused that cooperative spirit. Attacking a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 and stubbornly resisting any possibility of changing course for six years -- and then putting us in debt to the Chinese for generations to come because the Republicans are so afraid of asking Americans to support the war financially by even a small tax increase on a small percent of the richest Americans who pay lawyers to help them not pay taxes....that's not good governing. That's insanity. No wonder we're going to get spanked again in 2008. We haven't learned.
Democrats are backing a bunch of new tax increases. If you want to pay more, vote Democrat. If you think you pay enough, vote Republican.
John Seeries
Sinistra: so Warren Buffet gets a tax increase that still puts him under the rate of 94% of American families. No, actually the last outrageous tax cut (gift) for him may be lessened a bit.
If you actually read the tax bill, you would see it doesn't apply to you (unless you're a robber baron). But, count on Republicans to argue against their own best interests and those of their fellow Americans.
I would definitely prefer to ask for more taxes from Paris Hilton than borrow more money from the Communist Chinese to pay for W's misguided war.
You are a fucking idiot. Get your facts straight on who is actually dead and when they died. Hack.
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