State Senator Matt Murphy (R-Palatine) proposed a plan for an immediate special election to replace Senator Roland Burris, but that plan now appears dead after it was killed by Dems in subcommittee. The Daily Herald has a good overview.
"I think they've made it pretty clear that the guys in charge down here don't want to have a special election," Murphy said. "Unfortunately it seems that Governor Blagojevich's enablers are still enabling his final act."
Pretty sad. Once again, the people of Illinois get the shaft... all brought to you by... Illinois Democrats!
Well, the one bright spot in all this is that voters may actually remember come ballot time that the Illinois Dems allowed goofy ex-governor Blagojevich to put the state in this ridiculous position in the first place. They own this mess, and we the voters cannot forget.
We're also looking forward to an absolutely bruising primary between State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Roland Burris. Anyone who thought Burris was going to go quietly was obviously dead wrong, and the recent muzzling of new guv Pat Quinn at the behest of African-American politicians indicates to me that Alexi is going to have a real inter-party battle to contend with.
What's the toughest part about covering Illinois politics? Learning to spell names like Blagojevich and Giannoulias without having to look them up each time.
Happy Friday!
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15 comments:
Worthy of a post-Mark keeping arabists out of government!
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/03/05/odni_inspector_general_reviewing_chas_freeman
I find it interesting that the Republicans in this state are wringing their hands in despair over the fact that "the democrats just don't want to give the people a choice". Well what about Senate Bill 600, introduced by Sen. Lauzen? You've been awfully quiet about that, TA. Seems this bill would give the "regular people of Illinois" that the Republicans are so concerned about, a say in the state Central committee.
8th Dist. Committeeman- I am silent because I have way better things to do than care about the debate over who runs the state party. Frankly, I am perfectly happy with the way it is. Elected Committeemen (of which TA is one), who are the only people entitled to vote to choose state central committeemen. There are few enough perks with the committeeman's job as it is. I think that if you run for a party office like committeeman, you ought to have a say in who governs the party at the state level. Why should people who do nothing to advance the party have anything to say?
Political parties are like clubs. If you want to join, live with the rules the club has adopted. You don't like it, go start your own club. Many so-called Republicans do start their own groups because they reject the party infrastructure. Fine- live and let live, I say. If the state party is so dysfunctional that you want nothing to do with them, then go do your own thing and quit obsessing over what color underwear Andy McKenna is wearing on any given day and the fact that you can't tell him which color to pick.
If certain Republicans spent as much time fighting the Democrats as beating each other up over who gets to be captain of the Titantic, we wouldn't be on a listing ship filling with water, and the Dems wouldn't stand a chance.
'Nuf sed.
"Why should people who do nothing to advance the party have anything to say?"
Ok, I'll remind them all to stay home next election day; that will really help advance your idealogy.
"I have way better things to do than care about the debate over who runs the state party."
Here's the thing: My point is not about some debate on who runs the state party. I know there are some commenters on this blog that eat,breath and sleep their hatred for andy mckenna and ray lahood. I don't care what color underwear andy whathisface wears. I'm merely pointing out that it seems awful hypocritical to be shouting woe unto the Illinois Democrats because they won't give the good people of Illinois a choice. Ok? That's what we've been hearing nonstop the last few months. Now when it comes time for Illinois Republicans to lead by example, we get the answer of, We were here first, we make the rules, go start your own party if you don't like it? Wow, that's pretty arrogant. Kind of sounds like a President I know: "I won the election".
Kids, kids, kids. Don't you think there's something just a bit wrong with a select group of Republicans who have spent years trying to take over the party from within now appealing to the DEMOCRATIC CONTROLLED GENERAL ASSEMBLY to get their way???
Why should the Dems get to decide how the Republicans choose their leaders?
Until the folks in the GOP stop shooting at each other, even the Blago/Burris scandal will not be enought to return us to power. You people are the problem, not the solution.
I'm with TA, Chris Lauzen cost us a House seat by being a sore loser and not standing with Oberweis. We need to dump aging leaders like him who waste our time on these inside baseball games and focus on kicking Democrat tail.
I'm not with TA or Louis on hating on conservatives. Arlen Specter is a disgrace, Chris Shays was a disgrace, the maine senators are a disgrace. We need real live good conservative Republicans with fresh ideas not moderate Democrats.
TA doesn't hate conservatives (and neither does my friend Lou, I believe). I LIKE conservatives that are open-minded enough to believe in "big tent" politics, and pull together to accomplish things on goals we agree on like smaller, honest government, lower taxes, etc.
TA is actually fairly conservative from a personal philosophy, but part of the reason I call myself moderate (and whyI call this a "moderate" blog) instead of conservative is that I don't want to get into a pissing match with someone measuring my beliefs against some yardstick they determine to see if I am "conservative enough" to be worthy in their eyes. See the problem? No one ever debates if you are "moderate enough" and those who call themselves "moderate Republicans" don't spend an inordinate amount of time trying to purge members of the party that do not line up 100% with their beliefs.
Got it?
TA, well said. I agree 100%.
Baxter and Beau's Mom
The flip side to SB600 is twofold 1) Dems can enter the race and influence it 2) money matters and can influence it.
Obviously the GOP has a variety of candidates that have run for office - unlike the Dems that have the Madigan, Daley, Hynes, Stroger, Jones, family members inheriting positions of prominence.
Let's stay focused...
Gee, spend a day away from this site, and suddenly I'm accused of hating conservatives? That will teach me!
I do not hate conservatives. I even attend Lake County Republican Assembly events and meetings when my schedule permits. But I acknowledge the existence of a loud and small group of individuals within the party who strongly pushed this measure at the last State GOP Convention in Decatur, and lost by over a 3 to 1 margin. I was there. I was an eyewitness to all of this.
Not happy with their defeat, they now attempt to introduce a bill in the Democratic controlled General Assembly so that the overwhelming Democratic majority in the GA can force the Republican party to reorganize themselves in the same fashion as the Democrats are now organized.
Check out who is on the Democratic State Central Committee and see how many "grass roots" party men sit there? The answer is ZERO!
"Help us Democrats so we can be just like you?" Are you all serious? It that the answer?
The party needs to be rebuilt. I'm trying to do this on my Township level, and yes it's tough sledding.
This measure will not rebuild the party, it will allow a bunch of party insiders with lots and lots of cash to take it over. If you are unhappy with Andy McKenna, then Andy McKenna x 18 will make you even more unhappier.
If the party wants to go back to direct elections of members of the Illinois State Central Committee it can do so on its own. But the party said no last year at its convention.
As an elected committeeman, I voted for who represents me in the 10th Congressional District on the State Central Committee. Elected committeemen are the "grass roots" of the party. Take away that power from the committeemen, and you will end up with a voiceless "grass-roots" and with a handful of party insiders having complete control.
I did not get myself elected a committeeman to become a puppet on a string. This bill will turn me into a puppet.
Just like the committeemen in the Democratic Party in Illinois. Just ask a few of them sometimes and compare notes. You will see what I am talking about.
So the Democrats now claim our State Central Committee is not elected but appointed, a falsehood they are spreading far and wide thanks to SB 600. Sorry guys, they too are elected. By those of us who were directly elected by voters. Roland Burris was elected by no one other than Impeached and Removed From Office Governor Rod Blagojevich. And appointed a month before he was impeached and removed.
Big difference!
Louis G. Atsaves
I called you out because in the past you've taken shots at the Right wing of our party. The moderates, as evidenced by Mark's inability to get more in congress, generally do an awful job of taking on Democrats. Mark said something last month that he was a fan of corrupt chicago machine thug John Fritchey.
Not cool.
I used to practice law with John Fritchey at my prior law firm, and while he's a screaming liberal, he's not a thug, whether he's a machine creature or otherwise.
In fact, given some of the liberals in Chicago coming to the forefront nowadays, Fritchey is starting to look downright conservative by comparison. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it...
"The moderates, as evidenced by Mark's inability to get more in congress, generally do an awful job of taking on Democrats."
If I remember correctly, a moderate was elected in 2004 in the 8th CD. With few exceptions, Cong. Bean has been pretty moderate in her positions.
You can't expect Cong. Kirk to spend his time and money trying to get others elected to congress when he was having a difficult and tough fight in his own district.
Mark is in an awful position-he is now in the 3rd most democratic district in the country held by a Republican, because the Tuesday Group he leads and the Mainstreet Partnership he used to lead are among the most ineffective groups in Washington. The liberals are strong,the conservative are really strong, the moderate democrats are strong, and Mark has left moderate Republicans weak.
Mark owes his seat in congress to a guy named Tom Davis,a former Republican rep from Virginia who ran the nrcc in 2000 while he sat in a district that was just as dem as this one. Davis spent 4 years running around the country helping republicans like Mark. Mark apparently doesn't have the time or interest in doing the same.
Melissa Bean is an awful Congresswoman who spends most of her time kowtowing to the Democratic leadership and covering it up with lobbyist cash. Phil Crane was a conservative icon and we really need the RIGHT voice back inthat area.
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