Friday, January 25, 2008
Harping On Dan Seals: Come Clean and Tell Prospective Voters You Have Not Taught One Student at Northwestern University (or, tell us when you have!)
HOT UPDATE: By popular demand, here's a link to the Dan Seals mailer that landed all over the 10th District this past Friday. No word as to whether Seals also sent it to his home district (the 9th). For those of you of legal drinking age, TA suggests you may read the mailer with a bottle nearby, and do a shot every time you read the word "change". Just make sure you do it on a night you don't have to go to work the next day. Seals doesn't have that problem, of course.
ORIGINAL POST: I was lucky enough to get a Dan Seals mailer today. It's the first one I've seen, but I'm sure I'm not on the top of Seals' mailing list, so I can't say with certainty that there have not been more.
In the mailer, the campaign claims "Seals is a lecturer on public policy and government at Northwestern University."
At least he is now a "lecturer" and not an "adjunct professor." But that was never really my biggest gripe, anyway (see here for the background on 'professor-gate').
But, because this is really driving me bananas, I have to say this once more, but only once (at least, once more before the primary).
I THINK DAN SEALS IS MISLEADING THE VOTERS OF THE TENTH DISTRICT.
Clearly, the statement in the mailer that "Seals is a lecturer on public policy and government at Northwestern University" is meant to burnish his thin credentials with making people think he teaches at Northwestern. HE DOES NOT. YET. The only evidence of his alleged teaching credentials we can find is that Seals is scheduled to teach a night class beginning in April. He had stated that he 'is currently' an adjunct professor since last October, but has yet to walk into a Northwestern classroom or teach a student.
Am I the only person who thinks that the average Tenth District voter, if they knew the claim Seals was making, and knew the truth about exactly what his experience is, would feel that Seals has lied? If Seals wants to make the argument, as some of his defenders have, that 'technically' since Seals is assumedly under contract to teach a class, he has every right to call himself a professor (or lecturer, or whatever) NOW, without explaining that he has yet to teach a student, I guess he can make that statement, but he better be ready for the backlash of people who feel misled and betrayed.
Sadly, if no one in the mainstream media who has the ability to demand an answer from Seals confronts him with the question, no one in the Tenth District that is not a Team America fan will have the opportunity to decide whether to support Seals, given these circumstances. Because Seals sure isn't defending himself on this blog, although his sycophants have tried. Even other blogs that have noted this story have yet to get a straight answer out of Seals.
I think this goes to Seals' credibility and honesty as a candidate. Am I the only one who thinks these traits are important in a congressman?
I know that reporters from the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Herald and the Pioneer Press frequent this blog. How about it, guys? Your papers have each endorsed Seals over Footlik. It appears that we have a serious claim that Seals is misrepresenting himself, which has been backed up by the Footlik campaign itself. Do you have any interest, any interest at all, in fact-checking this claimed credential? Or does Seals just get a pass?
UPDATED 01.26.08 7:30 a.m.: SEALS FORGETS HE MAILED HIS MAILER:
Everyone- thanks for all the comments since I originally posted this last night, and I'm glad to see that I'm not completely alone in this issue driving me nuts. Some have suggested taking this to NU, but I'm not sure that's really the issue. NU alumni might not be happy that their school is allowing Seals to publicly take this position, but that's between you folks and the school, and your NU donations.
Some of Seals' supporters keep wanting to explain to me how in the 'academic world' calling yourself a professor the second you sign a teaching contract is A-OK, but that's not the point either.
The point is simply this: by not explaining to people that he has never taught an NU class, and won't for some months, Seals is unfairly and improperly hijacking the reputation of NU to gain respect with the voters and get their votes by making them believe he currently is a professor of public policy when he's yet to enter a classroom. Some may say, oh, it's only a little fib, or it's 'mostly' correct, or call it any thing you want. I still believe that if the average voter in the Tenth finds out, they will be extremely upset with Seals and he will lose credibility and votes. If they ever find out.
So, what do we have in the papers this morning? Lots of coverage of Seals, but nothing on professor-gate. See here an article on Seals' fundraising (which we reported on Thursday) in the Daily Herald. The Herald article states that Seals has engaged in meet-and-greets and other avenues in pursuit of voters but has not sent any direct mailings. "We've done no paid advertising. We have a lot of support and we've done a lot of events," Seals said Friday to the Herald (emphasis added). So what, the mailer I got last night and posted on was an illusion? I'm pretty sure the "PAID FOR BY DAN SEALS FOR CONGRESS" note on the mailer would qualify this as "paid advertising." What, did Seals FORGET about this major mailer that would seem to have gone out to just about everyone?
Here's another Herald article about the Dem candidates' positions on so-called universal health care. It's obvious the Herald knows how to do research when it wants to. What's the problem with investigating professor-gate?
Usually the newspaper guys are falling all over each other to break a story. I know one reporter from a major paper that has made some calls on this issue. We're all waiting to see it print, guys...
UPDATED x2 01.26.08 10:30 a.m.: A BETTER PRESS STRATEGY: OK, I have concocted a different approach to get some media attention. Despite what I said above, I am going to keep pushing this thing as much as I can. SOMEONE will eventually have to write about it. Whoever does will break the story wide open, and it appears to me that breaking a story is what really makes a newspaper reporter's day.
So, there you have it. Somebody's going to write about it. Do it first and you get the glory. Have at it.
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53 comments:
I just noticed that I, a staunch Republican, received the same mailer. Obviously, Mr. Seals has little business sense - mailing to an audience that clearly would not buy his propaganda is a waste of money, and a misuse of donor dollars. But then, isn't that the trend amongst Democrats - spend the money of others to benefit yourself....
TA, hats off to you for calling out the media for failing to address his misleading statement about teaching at Northwestern. I further question Northwestern University for allowing him the ability to state he teaches there when he has not done so. Perhaps the fine graduates of Northwestern that read this blog and agree can put some pressure on the University. Personally, I think the integrity of the Northwestern has already been compromised as a result of their silence...
I got it too - threw it in the trash, but now I'm reading it. OMG - Change? The only thing Seals has changed since his last run is his job(s)!
Just what I'm looking for in a congressman, someone who doesn't have a job, makes false claims about his occupation - is this guy for real?
Oh - just noticed his endorsements - Cong. Jan Schakowsky (whose husband just got out of jail at the end of 2006 for tax fraud), AFL-CIO, IFT, AFSCME and SEIU - yup - those are the organizations that are moving toward real change for our Country - improving our quality of life, etc...
Oh - and the ultimate representative of change - Senator Dick Durbin - 37 year political hack - what the heck has Dick changed since he's been in office - time to change Dick.
Thank you Mr. Seals, this piece of literature is a reminder of why I support Mark Kirk and will continue to do so - proudly and employed!
I didn't get the Seals mailer. Most likely since I pull a Republican ballot in Primary elections he's going to save his money. TA, I commend you for not letting this drop. If the print and TV media won't act on this then I think it needs to go directly to the doorstep of the office of the President of Northwestern University immediately. Let's get some clarification from Mr. Henry Bienen. There are hundreds of NU grads out here. We do know that several, perhaps a dozen or so of Dan's contributors, are, in some fashion, faculty members down there. Not a surprise. If Seals is qualified to teach, that's fine. I stand with you on the issue of TRUTH. Seals has never taught a class at NU. I'd also take this to the editorial editors at the Tribune and the Sun Times and ask them for some clarification.
Change is just another empty word these days. As some who have already posted have noted, it's hard for Seals to talk about "change" when he's surrounded by some of the most entrenched political hacks in DC. What change does Seals represent? It surely can't have a thing to do with honesty.
Let's get some kind of action going to get the top leadership of Northwestern University to address this issue of honesty about one of their "faculty" members. Again I'd like to have someone look at the NU Faculty Handbook where it clearly states that this is a violation of IRS rules. I'm betting that some of Dan's buddies pulled this off for him and it never has been taken right to the top guys to be approved. Let's get going on this NOW.
Yes, this is a non-issue.
It is longstanding scholarly practice in our country--and other countries in the western academic tradition, I might add!--to appoint people to academic positions for the academic year. One reason is that registrars do not necessarily know when they will be able to offer their classes. Another is that universities tend to think in terms of academic years. A last reason is that faculties (and it is ultimately faculties that decide things in universities) make decisions about whom they will appoint to positions months before the beginning of the academic year.
But you wouldn't know that, would you? Your idea of "putting pressure" on Northwestern on this silly notion demonstrates your ignorance of how universities work. Maybe you guys should go back to selling insurance, or whatever crap jobs you have. Too much time spent drinking the bongwater.
TA:
I think there's another aspect to this little matter you are so ably highlighting. That aspect is this: right now, Mr. Seals has no job at all. Saying that he "is a lecturer" gives the impression that he is employed right now.
He's not employed.
He left The Point late last year and he doesn't teach until April. That makes him unemployed for about six months. Is he collecting unemployment insurance? Is he getting a salary from his campaign fund again? Did he get a big parachute from The Point to keep food on the table until the NU dollars rolled in? What is this guy up to, exactly?
Perhaps this is why he lashed out at the Trib ed board, saying he couldn't move into the 10th District because he's "not a millionaire." Well, indeed, he is not. He doesn't even have a job. If I were in such desperate straits, I'd be cranky too!
Keep up the great work, TA. You are performing a highly valuable public service.
I think it's great Dan got Schakowsky's endorsement. Jan should definitely recieve Dan's vote now...
Hey Anon 11:21, YOU are in the minority. What we're talking about has everything to do with honesty and your guy lacks that, big time. Don't play with semantics. Seals is supposed to teach a night class in the department of continuing education. That's a far cry from having an academic position within the traditional framework of the university. Your guy can't get a job and/or HOLD a job. Can you deal with THAT TRUTH?
He's a full time campaigner with nothing else on his "resume" of any worth. And again I'd ask you: has Dan done anything in the way of volunteering in this district or anywhere since the last election that he or you can talk about? What does/did he do all day that he is proud to talk about. This IS an issue. Get over being defensive and deal with some basic honesty.
Your back hand jab at those of us who are asking a very legitimate question calls your post into question. Dan should expect questions on his "employment" if he's going to put that out there for all to see and read.
TA, this is more reason to know that you're not alone in having this continue to be a burr under your saddle. There seems to be many of us sharing that same uneasiness, so let's stay on this until we get some TRUTHFUL answers either from Dan Seals or from Northwestern University president Henry Bienen.
Anon 11:21, you might have some credibility if Dan was appointed to teach for a year at the university. He wasn't.
He gets to teach for 10 weeks -- one class a week. That's all. And it's not even at the regular university -- it's at the School of Continuing Studies, where adults go.
In fact, TA, I think that's the issue you should be harping on. He's not teaching some 18 year olds from Kansas who dorm in Evanston -- he's teaching 10th district voters and coming awefully close to campaigning on school property.
Is there a scanned version of the piece that those of us that weren't lucky enough to be targeted can view the Pup's propaganda?
TA
Thanks for the excellent post. I came home and almost choked when I came across the Pup's mailer. What garbage. BTW, my household is hard Republican. The pup must feel confident in defeating Footlik on 2/5 by mailing hard R households.
Mark Kirk continues to enjoy this households support for his service to our country and the Tenth District.
I suppose "freedom of speech" allows Seals to say whatever he wants. Unless he has actually been teaching, this is a lie. We just aren't used to candidates running for Congress from the district (including Democrats who have run) treating the voter with such contempt, so its not surprising we can't quite process this truth. In the past few years, the Democrats have been pinning the "liar" tag on anyone who disagrees with them, now they are actively engaging in the practice. The wrongdoers are those Democrats who fail to pull Seals aside and encourage him to report more honestly on his experience. As I recall, Al Franken and his family put maximum bucks into this campaign last time around. Since Franken wrote the book on lying, perhaps he has been advising Dan Seals' campaign?
TA. I would also love to see a copy of Seal's mailer. Can you scan it?
Yes, I think I can probably get that done. Will try to do that sometime today before too long.
It's really hardly worth reading, but hey, the public demands to be informed!!!
TA,
Have you or anyone else actually called Northwestern to ask if they know about this and if it's legal? Maybe the office of General Counsel...
Treehugger, YOU are spot on with this post. When you read the Faculty Handbook, and Seals would be a member of the faculty if he's teaching that course in the Continuing Education Department, his running for office is clearly outside the approved guidelines. Maybe Dan "forgot" to tell anyone when he was hired that he is running for Congress. And to TA's point, the big issue speaks to Dan Seal's ability to be open, honest, up-front and truthful with the voters in this district. His mentor, Jan Schakowsky might think this is fine and dandy in the 9th district. Oh yes, and I wonder if Abner Mikva thinks that fudging the truth is something he approves of in someone he endorses. Oh, I forgot, Jan and Mikva don't really care about truth as long as they're endorsing fellow Democrats.
TA, as you can see, you are not alone in making this an issue.
As I have tried to make clear, I don't want to get in between Seals and NU. If NU wants to hire Seals, and Seals wants to work for it, fine. If NU is running afoul of its own policy, or has tax issues because Seals teaching there amounts to impermissibly engaging in politics, that's between Seals, NU and maybe the IRS.
My issue, again, is Seals misrepresenting his credentials and campaigning on them.
If any NU alumni or anyone else wants to take on NU and complain, that's up to them. I just want to get to what I see as an untruth regarding Seals' claims out to the voters and let them decide.
Footlik apparently doesn't have the will or the money to effectively make an issue of it, so it looks like it's up to us.
TA:
Very surprised that Seals claims the support of big unions and all-but-indicted Schakowksy. Seals's connected to convicted felon Creamer is now all over the blog authors (more to come).
He is making critical errors. I thought he might do better against Kirk -- looks like Huge-FEC fined Lauren Beth Gash and Terry "Dead Guy Signed My Petition Twice" Link are close to him.
Seals also endorsed Eddie Washington -- who is about to lose.
Footlik is not nearly so sleazy.
1. Recalling from the days of yore that Mark was a real teacher in London or Mexico perhaps?
2. Inside baseball here but there are 7 Republican appropriators quitting so far this year with another few on the way out perhaps, Mark's on his way to a mega leadership position in Congress, wonder if state dems are really gonna want to dump his seniority with state revenues falling and no more denny, or ray, for Dan.
3. Dan's counting on the dccc is going to be the undoing of his campaign. Those folks aren't nutroot morons, they're politicians , and when they see the 2nd most expensive media market in the country, an entrenched incumbent with 2 million, and an also ran challenger they are going to look for an open seat in hickville where 1 million can buy them another seat on house judiciary.
3a. They are also all about incumbent retention. What do you think they are going to do with all those freshmen in gop districts scared shitless about hillary at the top of the ticket. Those folks come first before dan.
4. After Hillary dispatches Obama in an ugly way and diminishes his star its gonna be really cool to see how many moderate republicans and non nutroot democrats come back into the fold to support Mac Attack and pull a lever for mark.
5. I really can't wait to see Mark made a ranking member next january, with mac in the white house and Lauren Beth Gash and Nutroot Ellen sitting in a starbucks lamenting their lost cause.
TA I wrote an editorial about this in the Deerfield Review. I wish this issue has gotten more press, it would be a blow to the Seals campaign and give some hope to the Footlik supporters.
Anon 3:43- someone mentioned that Deerfield piece, and I did a search and only found something on the 8th District race that didn't really seem on point. Can you post the article or provide a reference?
TA, do you have a link to the mailer? I wonder who this piece went to.
TA,
My understanding is that MANY solid republican households got the Seals mailing. As did those who have voted in both party primaries before. It would seem Seals hit the entire voting universe with a hard-core Democrat-base message.
Either Dan Seals has new polling showing Republicans overwhelmingly against the successful surge in Iraq, in favor of universal health care and interested in voting for Democrats like Jan Schakowsky and Dick Durbin, or the mailhouse screwed up.
In either case, Seals woke up the GOP base and reminded them Kirk has a challenger -- so kudos to Dan for subsidizing Kirk's GOTV effort.
Sparty
TA, please pick up on what Anon 2:37 has posted. This is really on target. With the departures of Denny Hastert and Ray LaHood, our Congressman will most definitely move up to RANKING on Foreign Operations within Appropriations. And IF John McCain should change his 'home' address to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. then Mr. Kirk would most likely become the Chairman of Foreign Ops. Mr. Kirk has earned his way up that ladder through hard work and bi-partisan leadership. Yes, it's 'inside baseball' as some of us political junkies like to say, but it's something to think about.
And TA. I think you can be sure that the issue of credibility and honesty lacking from the Seals campaign and from the candidate himself is something that is going to get out there, big time. What happens with NU and Seals is one issue. The larger and more critical issue is honesty. But when his mentors are the likes of Jan Schakowsky and her recently released from jail husband, Bob Creamer, AND Terry Link and others who can't see "straight" it will be a part of the 08 campaign in this district. We all owe you a debt of gratitude.
And Sparty, this mailer DID just what you predicted! Mr. Kirk won't have to spend from his daily growing camapaign coffers......the Seals folks just paid the bill for the best piece to promote Mark Kirk that's been out in this district for nearly 2 years! Let's hand it to the Seals folks!
Dan is a "successful" businessman? Please tell us Pup how you've been successful.
What is Kirk doing promoting a return to FDR's New Deal in his presentation at the Republican retreat? He wants to bring back the Home Owners Loan Corporation. The Center for American Progress (liberal maniacs) was promoting that wacko idea last August.
Is Kirk trying to totally alienate true conservatives?
Maybe Seals is counting on 10th District Republicans to pull a Dem ballot to vote for/against Obama/Clinton.
Kirk's home loan foreclosure plan sounds exactly like Senator Chris Dodd's. Hmm.
TA,
Did I read the Daily Herald right yesterday? Dan Seals' solution to health care is to let everyone join Medicare? Wow! That seems like a really, really bad idea.
Have you ever thought about inviting various experts on issues like the budget or health care to "guest blog" and discuss why Dan Seals' plan would ruin America?
BD
This string is very important and these issues raised deserve our full attention. I also recognize that clarification is needed for most of those posting to this string because, but for the uncertainty surrounding Mr. Seals and Northwestern, they would be very likely to vote for Mr. Seals and not for Congressman Kirk. With that in mind, I wanted to offer some comments on the string and on the general issue involved. I will confess up front that I am not without biases of my own. I am a tenured academic, with experience at several schools in the Chicago area. Moreover, I am inclined to vote democratic and thus am more sympathetic to Mr. Seals. I trust that TA will grant me the consideration that he grants to all opposing posters even though my position will differ from his here. I will not provide my real name and affiliation, since nobody else on the string appears to care about doing so.
Before I start, however, I would like to address one issue raised in several posts – that of role of the faculty handbook in settling disputes. Those who have not worked in academia might not recognize how the faculty handbook (or any other set of “official” regulations”) is sometimes not very useful in settling disputes. It is not as specific as a literal reading might suggest. There is very little in them that is not open to dispute or reinterpretation. That a practice appears inappropriate given a cursory reading of the faculty handbook means very little without a consideration of both how the university has acted in similar situations and what the current policies for a given behavior happen to be.
Is Mr. Seals trying to pass himself off as a full time tenure-line professor? Obviously not! He has neither a Ph.D. (or other terminal degree) nor research publications. Besides, his background was the subject of minute dissections during the last campaign and his professorial credentials were not raised. I doubt that is what he has in mind.
His claim appears to be that of a part-time adjunct professor. This would make sense, given his intent to run for and be elected to Congress. So what is the problem? I can think of two possibilities. First, that part-timers and adjuncts should not be called “professors”. Second, the since he has not actually taught his class yet, he should not be called a professor. Perhaps a third is that his experience and credentials do not merit even a part-time academic position.
Should part-timers or adjuncts be called professors? I guess that depends on who is doing the calling and what the context is. I generally don’t call them professors, but I am biased, since I am a tenured professor. In academic meetings, titles are generally adhered to, although positions such as “clinical professor” start to stretch things. I do call adjuncts professors when I talk to students who are in their classes. Students generally call the people teaching their classes in a college setting professors. What real difference does the title make to students anyway, since they give lectures, grade exams and assignments, and hand out grades that go on their records?
Besides, nearly half of all instructors at the college and university level across the country are either part-time or non tenure-line status. If you don’t believe me, check the Chronicle of Higher Education, the trade publication for the higher education business. What should we call them? The proliferation of part-time and non tenure track positions is regularly covered and lots of legal, educational, and labor issues are raised about the trend. Surprisingly, however, what to call these people is not a major issue. Sometimes they are called professors, sometimes lecturers, sometimes instructors – but it is not a burning issue in the field. More important are issues of pay (very low), job security (very little or none), and benefits (very few or none). If you want to see more, check out
“Legal Contingencies for Contingent Professors” – Chronicle of Higher Education 6/16/06 or “United We Stand?” - Chronicle of Higher Education 2/21/03
Is the problem that Mr. Seals is scheduled to teach a course but has not yet taught any students? Do you really mean this to be a problem?? Suppose I am a department head and I hire a new tenure track assistant professor straight out of a graduate program. They may not have taught anyone during their graduate study, yet it would be true and meaningful to say that I had hired them as an assistant professor. But the job hasn’t started yet you might add! OK, suppose this same professor shows up on campus, occupies an office, starts drawing a salary, but is not scheduled to teach until the second semester or quarter or even the next year. (This is not uncommon.) This person would clearly be a professor and yet has not yet taught a student. There are also research professor positions that do not require the professor to ever teach a student. Academic administrators may be hired with academic rank – that allows them to be called professor -- and still never teach a course. What’s the point? – status/title depends on the relationship with the university/school rather than the relationship with the students. So Mr. Seals has not taught any students yet? So what? It is a temporary inconsistency at best that means nothing.
Does Mr. Seals have the experience and/or credentials to teach a course for Northwestern? Yes. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago. Regardless of what you think of the GSB at Chicago or MBAs in general, that program is much more difficult to get into than most Ph.D. programs (and most law schools). On intellectual horsepower and training I don’t see the issue. Accrediting institutions for professional schools have increasingly recognized the value of practitioners as part of the teaching staff for students. On experience, that depends on the particular needs of a school for a given course, but I suspect he has more and better experience that lots of adjuncts among Chicago universities and colleges. Remember, Northwestern even hired Oprah to teach its MBA students and few objected to that.
Besides, what does Mr. Seals gain by calling himself a professor? Is it status or wealth, or influence?? How many professors or any sort live up in Lake County or along the North Shore? At the current pay rate for adjuncts at even the best universities around Chicago, Mr. Seals would have to teach dozens of courses a year to receive a significant financial reward for his efforts. As a profession, professors may surpass lawyers (or Congress) in status, but even if true that is a very low bar.
Does having a university teaching position of any sort make one better qualified to serve in Congress or in any elected office? That is highly doubtful. The only president we had with a Ph.D. and university connections was Wilson and he was a disaster, whose foreign policy was not matched in foolishness until that of the current administration, which has learned to substitute testosterone for syllables. In public office generally, academics have had a tough time just qualifying as vertebrates when tough issues are under consideration.
The only conclusion I can draw from Mr. Seals being scheduled to teach a class at Northwestern is that the professors selecting adjuncts thought that he had something of value to offer their students. Imagine that!
Please keep this issue active! Public institutions may be more reticent, but a private institution such as Northwestern, where many believe that your only bad publicity is your obituary, would like nothing better that to take a position on a democratic candidate in the midst of a contentious election season. I am sure that ratcheting up the heat there will “make their day”.
Anon 12:50 p.m.- Dear Professor- thanks very much for your detailed and thorough post. You have some good points, but I think you run right past what, for me, is the primary issue.
You characterize the time discrepancy between the claim that Seals has made since last October, and the timing of his night class which does not begin until April 2008 as a "temporary inconsistency at best". I beg to differ. Seals is campaigning on this credential and by not telling voters the whole story, he is allowing the natural assumption of an average voter that he HAS teaching experience at NU and HAS taught students (as you would expect when your website claims you are "currently" a professor) and that's a reason people should vote for him.
You also seem to question the value of being an adjunct professor as a significant campaign credential in the first place, but I believe your opinion (or mine, for that matter) is irrelevant on that point, as SEALS obviously thinks it's a positive, or otherwise why continue to tout it as one of his primary attributes? Even though he has lately softened his claim from "adjunct professor" to "lecturer," for me the issue has already been misrepresenting his experience to the voters, not so much the title.
You also seem to believe that bringing this issue to light will somehow benefit Seals. Who knows, I could be dead wrong. But I still believe that if you ask an average voter in the street, they will come down on the side of believing that Seals is not being truthful in his claim, even though it is 'only' a timing issue, as you put it.
The academics such as yourself, for some reason, seem to want to focus on what is and what is not commonly acceptable on a college campus. Let me tell you that the average voter in North Chicago doesn't give two cents about what professors think about other professors. They just know when people aren't being straight with them.
Thanks for stopping by, though.
TA,
The professor makes an excellent case why Dan Seals may be qualified to be a part-time lecturer teaching business to MBA students at Kellogg (maybe). He cites his MBA as the reason. So why is Seals teaching federal policymaking to 10th District voters taking classes in a School of Continuing Studies?
Perhaps we are welcoming Hank Perritt, former Dean of Kent Law School and 02 failed candidate against Kirk, to the blog.
What has Dan ever changed? What has Dan ever done for this country or this district? The real change agent is Mark Kirk, how is Dan going to claim to have changed anything? YOU'RE NOT OBAMA!
I have full confidence, based on Mrs. Seals heartfelt New Years message, that Dan Seals can change a diaper very well.
If diaper change is what you seek, then Dan Seals is worth a peek.
If real change is what you like, then tell Dan Seals to take a hike.
Sparty
Anon 1:55- I would ask, what has Obama ever changed either? He certainly hasn't changed much in Illinois from his time as a state senator- no ethics reform, we're still reportedly one of the most corrupt states, and Obama hasn't done much at the national level, either. Certainly not much to help Illinois, where he is senator in abstentia.
Obama's 'change' is simply a promise, or even a 'theme'. On this level, Seals is no better or worse than Obama- Seals is simply not as smart, polished or as good an orator as Obama. Oh, and he can't raise as much money, either.
Hey TA it's Anon 3:43. The article was in the Deerfield Review under Letters to the Editor on Thursday, January 17th. The Deerfield Review doesn't post these online so if you want I can send you the article.
Ah, that would explain why I couldn't find it. Was it a letter, an editorial or an article?
If you can scan and upload it, and give us a link, that would be great.
Otherwise, you can send a PDF to yohannsebastian@hotmail.com
If none of that works, let me know and I will grab it at the Library.
Why didn't the other Pioneer Press papers run this as well?
11:21
Hank Perritt lives! After being crushed by Kirk 69-31, you are still breathing.
And still wrong. Greetings Hank.
TA: No live blogging from the Waukegan Candidate Forum tonight? It's ok that you didn't show, the pup showed up about 20 minutes late as well.
If Hank Perritt had carried the Democratic banner in 2006, he probably would have won. He was a far better candidate than Dan Seals.
If Footlik does not dispose of Seals, I just hope Kirk beats him badly enough he never runs for office again, at least not in our district. Let him run where he lives if he insists on plaguing the public with his job search.
Anon 7:16- I actually did think about going, but decided that it would be a bit obvious in that crowd of Dems if I was banging away on my compoooter.
If you were there, can you give us the report? I actually was pretty intrigued to hear the Pup's solution to all our immigration ills. And, how many people showed? And how did the 60th dist folks do?
Team America: Human Resources Police!
LOL
LOL
LOL
lame.
QWERTY: is that the best you can do? We'll see who's laughing when your boss tanks.
I wonder if Dan knows how bad listening to Lauren Beth Gash is for his campaign. TA, wasn't Gash fined heavily by the FEC for major campaign finance law violations? I'd love to see a post on the Gash fines.
Sorry, you're right that was rude of me. It just seems like a frivolous thing to go after, that's all. Meanwhile, my actual boss is having a really good week. Look out on Super Tuesday!
Got the Seals mailing Saturday. I agree he is the candidate of "change." He has "changed" his resume at least ten times since just last October. In fact, as far as I can tell, that is all he has changed since the last election.
From Professor to Adjunct Professor to Lecturer to . . . hasn't even taught a class yet at Northwestern. And he is a "business consultant" to . . . ?"
As a Vice Chairman of the Republican Party in Lake County, all I can say is that I was deeply moved by this mailing . . . NOT!
Louis G. Atsaves
Re Dr. Anon's post
"How many professors or any sort live up in Lake County or along the North Shore?'" I know of many real professors who live in Wilmette.
TA:
Live blogging from "Chancellor/Dean/Professor" Seals's class?
You would make us proud.
Ten bucks says the Northwestern administration doesn't even know Seals is on the schedule. If one donor called Bienen, Seals is toast -- and whoever tried to get cute by giving him a "professorship" is getting axed.
TA,
Here's a fun idea -- why not have your question of the week be to fill in the blank on the following zinger: Dan Seals says he's the candidate of change...
I will go first.
Well maybe he can change his address and move into the Tenth District.
Sparty
Sparty- that's pretty good- do you mind if I save that- I'm working on a Seals/Eddie Washington post I should have up in a little bit.
Did anyone else notice that employees of Northwestern University have donated over $20,000 to the Seals campaign between 3/31/06 and 9/30/07? (Almost $16,000 last cycle, about $5,000 this cycle.)
Significantly more than his former GE coworkers.
Also interesting how the steady donating ceased once he became a colleague.
calyx- that's a very interesting statistic...(!)
Usually, you would not expect to see numbers like that, considering that Seals does not work there (yet) and is not an NU alumn.
UNLESS... someone who works at NU is a big fan and is working the corridors to get colleagues to sign up to support Seals.
Did any one person "max out" for Seals or otherwise rise above the other NU donations? If so, maybe that's who the prime Seals benefactor is who got Seals his prospective April teaching gig...
Good sleuthing... can you connect some more dots for us? I have a feeling you are on to something.
Link is probably at home pulling out his already thinning hair, wondering what really happened in the 60th State Rep race.
Although I am not a fan of Washington, I am glad that Kyle did not win as it is an indication that the Dem machine, which is fueled by dirty tricks and lies is in trouble.
Now is a great time to go after Link in the general election if the Washington group can find a strong candidate to oppose Link.
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