Saturday, August 23, 2008

Weekend Update: Obama, Kirk, Link, Curran

Lots going on this morning, so we'll get right to it.

Obama-rama: Someone leaked out the choice last night that Obama has chosen long-time senator Joe Biden of Delware as his veep pick. Sorry, Hillary. You never really had a chance, anyway. It'll be interesting to see how the die-hard Hillary supporters take this, especially if McCain picks a woman as his veep candidate. Team McCain wasted no time in putting up an attack ad using Biden's words stating that he didn't think Obama was ready to be president. Biden has the reputation for not mincing words, so this'll be interesting. Get ready for a couple months of Team Obama having to constantly "clarify" or "explain" what Biden really meant when he said "blah blah blah".

Mark Kirk Gives Dan Seals Gas: The Kirk campaign agreed to re-tool an ad that used some footage from a NBC-5 news report on Seals' ill-conceived and executed gas-for-votes stunt. Team Kirk revamped the ad to exclude the news footage after NBC-5 complained. The Seals team is harping on this, thinking it makes Kirk look bad, but maybe they ought to consider that every time they bring it up, they remind folks of what a hair-brained stunt that was... maybe they ought to shut up and hope everyone forgets about it as soon as possible. BTW, wasn't that stunt about the last time Seals was in the news? Wonder what he's been doing the past few months. BONUS: Here's a LTE re Seals' 1970 redux energy policy. Remember the 70s...?

Terry Link is Off to the Convention: While State Senator Terry Link is going off to the Democratic National Convention to bask in the reflected glory of Barack Obama, here at home, he's getting a lot of heat. Several hours of time were spent by various personalities on WKRS this week discussing the Link petition scandal, and a number of LTE's have started appearing criticizing Link on several different issues. See here and here.

Sheriff Mark Curran Still in Jail: Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran continues his investigation of the Lake County Jail from the inside, and the News-Sun has some good coverage. Although the response to Curran's effort (I won't call it a stunt, yet) has been pretty positive, it seems, the article notes that Curran wore jail scrubs outside the jail to go to a few meetings, and claims that prisoners don't wear that stuff outside the jail. Is that going a little far? I suppose if you're going to do something like this, you may as well go all-out, but I'm still reserving judgment on this one.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kirk was a gentleman and honored NBC's request to modify his ad ...but most of us want to know, what did NBC news say against Seals?

I hope Seals brings more attention to NBC News saying that Seals "bought more trouble than he bargained for" with his failed gas stunt. $2,000 fine from Lincolnshire police, another fine from their fire department for creating such a traffic jam that we all got stuck in.

Thanks for nothing Dan.

Anonymous said...

I just saw the new Kirk ad -- looks like the old one, just missing the NBC Anchor blasting Seals.

Seals is a goof.

Anonymous said...

Seals can only get bad press. Remember when he went on Fox News Channel after his gas stunt? He was humiliated, but he must have figured it was worth it to get on tv. Now he's blasting Kirk for reminding everyone of his stupid stunt? This guy is bad news. If he were running for alderman in Chicago, this strategy might work, but for Congress in the 10th? No way.

Anonymous said...

Dan Seals just lied his face off to the Italian-Americans. they have him on tape too.

Anonymous said...

Saw the big speech on TV with Obama introducing Biden. When Biden spoke, Obama appeared disinterested, bored and was picking at his fingers.

Go figure on this choice.

Louis G. Atsaves

Anonymous said...

Louis,

You need to get a new prescription on those glasses. I was AT the Obama/Biden rally today in Springfield and stood less than 150ft. away as Obama and Biden shared stories of mutual respect and mutual desire for changing the failed policies of Bush, McCain and "Mr. Moderate". Obama NEVER appeared disinterested and, at times, interacted with Biden as he cut down McCain like the aged tree that he is.

"America does not need a war hero, it needs a leader"-Joe Biden

Until Next Time,
A Concerned Colonial

Anonymous said...

Colonial, by now you should realize that George Washington University is a school for Hopkins and Georgetown rejects, and being better than George Mason isn't really cool. Also know Biden's wanted to be president since obama was a joint smoking college kid, and what I saw today was a guy desperate for a seat at a table he'd rather be head of. He's a reject and with a k street lobbyist son, a leading role in the culture wars ,and 40 years in d.c. he kind of defeats the whole purpose of change.

As for Mark's ads and political strategy, not to be an asshole, but it's not great right now. He should be conserving his money, endorsement rollouts, and other things for the last few weeks of the campaign when Dan and the DCCC is going to pour it on like none other. You can expect we will see ads from Obama, rally's with durbin and all sorts of kirk mcbush bull shit. That will be the time to neutralize this b.s., not right now when no one cares.

The analogy is firing all your ammunition before the opponent gets to the battlefield, and don't tell me this is to scare off the dccc, because they are coming regardless of if mark's at 51 or 54 percent.

Anonymous said...

So Colonial, were you all giddy on this choice? At least someone does. Joe Biden? Of everyone I've run across from both political parties and independents, not one reported to me that their heart skipped a beat over this selection. Even my young Democrat nephew who now is developing serious reservations about his false prophet, lord and savior Obama.

It also didn't come across that way on TV. A number of fools were holding Obama signs upside down when the camera panned across the crowd. The crowd response also seemed muted. Obama on the camera shots while Biden spoke looked bored, disinterested, looked away, picked at his fingers, kind of like a student towards the end of a boring prof's lecture.

Even the commentators on TV picked up on this. And no, I didn't see it on FoxNews. So 30,000 saw what you saw. Millions saw what I saw.

Joe Biden? Out of all the Democrats out there who he could have possibly chosen, he chose Joe Biden? Senator status quo of the status quo's out there? At least McCain has a well earned reputation of being a maverick. Biden has no such credentials.

It was like watching Richard Daley appoint a new deputy mayor.

And to anon, I agree with running Kirk commercials from now. First you have to lock up those time slots on TV for the ads. Then you define Seals. Last time Kirk allowed Seals and the local Democrats to falsely define him.

Louis G. Atsaves

Anonymous said...

Hey Republicans,

I'm posting this here for lack of a better place. Please help me understand this because I want to know where you're coming from.

Why do so many people who call themselves "conservative" care if homosexuals want to get married? What is the injury to you (YOU, not "the country," "society," "the American family," etc.) if Larry and Bob want equal rights to get divorced?

Anonymous said...

Enlighten me: There are many republicans that are pro gay marriage (my self included (I think it is one of the most important social issues facing the nation.) Moreover, your own Congressman Mark Kirk is heavy advocate for gay rights. The kind of republicans that are anti gay hatemongers are an absolute embaressment to the Republican party.

Anonymous said...

Hey "Anon 4:16 and Enlighten Me said..." are you guys really Ellen the crazy cat lady? I think these posts and the recent gun posts are coming from Ellen to try and blow up this board and get Republicans fighting. All the negative comments are obviously Ellen and the Dems attempt at injecting the same unity problems they themselves are facing...

Anonymous said...

This is Anon 4:16, and don't you ever call me an agent of that psycho bitch cat lady. I was just posting to answer a question not start a riot. Moreover, I assume most of Team America are Kirk style conservatives and not the kind of conservative that gives the Republican a bad name.