The Chicago Tribune's Clout Street blog has an in-depth look at the two top contenders for the Dem nomination for IL-10 to succeed Congressman Mark Kirk, who is running for U.S. Senate.
On the one hand, we have perennial candidate Dan Seals, who is now in his fifth (at least) year of running for this seat. TA has no knowledge of any other accomplishments Seals has achieved in those five years that would indicate why anyone would want to support him. I guess maybe Dan Seals is the Dem answer to GOP contender Patrick Hughes (who has never been elected to anything either), an "issues" candidate whose pitch is, 'vote for me because I promise I will think like you when I'm in office,' as opposed to, 'vote for me because I've shown by my deeds and experience (not just words) what I can do for you.'
Seals has positioned himself as the most anti-war candidate, coming out against Obama's surge plan, but given Obama's lack of previous support for Seals (Obama has never done anything more for Seals than be caught in one joint photo and cut a last minute radio ad that got no play), that's probably not much of a risk for him, unlike the position Alexi Giannoulias finds himself in.
Yet, Seals also wants us to believe that, although he's a peacenik (and who has lost his biggest issue since Iraq is now over), he would be the strongest supporter of Israel, even more so than his primary opponent Julie Hamos, who is Jewish and happens to be the daughter of Holocaust survivors.
Well, for anyone new to Dan Seals, you might want to recall the famous video (about 5 minutes in), in which, when asked what "side" you come down in the event of a conflict between Israel and Iran, he answered that "you come down on the side of peace." Oof.
Julie Hamos, on the other hand, thinks that the President made the right decision, especially with regard to setting a timetable for withdrawl, which rankles most Republicans, even those that think Obama made the right decision with respect to the Afghan surge.
The good news is that this war seems to be heating up quite nicely -- even Ellen of the Tenth has had to come in to try to rescue her hero, Dan, from Big Bad Julie. Good luck with that.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
30 comments:
The Tribune piece this morning is priceless. Two people who offer nothing to the 10th District voters. We know all about The Pup and are learning a bit more about far leftie Hamos. That either could ultimately triumph next November can make one seriously ill. Because Julie's parents are survivors of the Holocaust does not mean that she has been or will be a strong pro-Israel voice or leader. No connection at all.
TA, you brought up the catwoman in today's post. Now she's slamming our Congressman with a vicious attack on his newsletters which he is entitled to print and mail to his constituents. This weird woman who claims to be an attorney finds it acceptable to lie, to continually distort the truth and the facts about Mark Kirk. And for her benefit because you know she does read what's going on over here, the poll results that are found in Kirk's general newsletters are readily available. It's sad that she fails to mention all the news items that constitute the majority of what's in each of the district mailings. The catwoman is a bitter and twisted old thing sitting in her condo thinking about the next lies she can rip on in her postings. Can't wait to see who the Primary winner will be on the Democrat side. Lots of Hamos signs all over Highland Park. Bye Bye, Dan.
Dold is done. Look at Jeff Berkowitz blog and Dold's response on abortion. It would be devastating on a piece of targeted mail.
http://jeffberkowitz.blogspot.com/
Pro-life or Pro-choice
Jeff Berkowitz: On the cultural issues, would you describe yourself as pro-life or pro-choice?
Bob Dold [Kenilworth, 10th Cong. Dist. Republican Primary Candidate]: I would consider myself to be somewhat in the middle, which I know is not the answer that you’re looking for there, but I’m against partial birth abortion; I am against federal funding [for abortions] and I am for parental notification.
Hamos has a brain and Seals—this writer is a Democrat who will go to the booths on the left February 2—makes former President Bush look like a Nobel laureate. So, for us the choice is simple. Maybe Beth Coulson will save us all in November.
To paraphrase ted kennedy, dold seems to be not pro-choice or pro-life but multiple choice.
Catwoman has her claws out. Last anti-israel 9th districter standing wins.
For catwoman's information, the obama's spent the summer taking their children on taxpayer funded vacations to european capitals. those cost a lot more than emails. As well, congressmen are supposed to keep a pulse on the district. She probably thinks the workers mark has to do social security help for seniors are political hacks because they build good will with old people.
FOKLAES
You're spot on, Foklaes, about how catlady thinks and expresses her wacked out views. I wonder if Dan really realizes that her endorsement and her backing him is worse than the kiss of death. Who in their right mind wants that sicko woman touting your candidacy. It's kind of funny, though, and this alone might end Dan's relentless tries to be a congressman, to be anything these days. Gill and Sheffey, what a dynamic two-some, are enough to end anyone's career for any office.
pup really is awful. his pandering to his extremist anti-israel base (one wonders if steve sheffey is owned and operated by the arab street like lee goodman0 by calling for leaving afghanistan is pathetic. jewish voters are already leaving obama in droves because he is the first islamicist president in recent memory. even the new york times is now against obama on israel.
another week and no word of any major hughes wave building. All that remains now is the question of whether he'll get more votes than mickey mouse. i go with the cuddly rodent.
foklaes
You will find Sir Sheffey devouting praying every Saturday in his Synagogue. Praying for what is the question. His incessant Kirk attacks are without merit, his contstant support of everything that Seals says and does makes one sit up and take notice, but for all the wrong reasons. Like his heroine, the catwoman, neither has a base of support, neither has a strong network of people behind them. Most who are in the know, do know that these two blockheads are just that and ignore them.
I finally made my way over to Gill's blog to read her critical comments on Hamos. She also allowed those who agree with her about her great hero, the pup himself, to post on how they might not be able to trust Hamos should she make it to DC one day. Gill is showing what she really is and is not, but some of us figured it out a long time ago. That said, it's not about what the 9th district voters feel or don't feel about Hamos. When I last checked who's running for what, it did appear that both the pup and Hamos are trying to grab the 10th district seat for Democrats. We damn well better hope that one of the candidates on our side of the aisle can pick up the pace and really hold tight or this is going to be more than a mess.
you take the name off catwoman's blog or mullah hamos or pup the magic israel hater's websites and you feel like you are on the arab street or an eastern european capital circa 1975.
i also find it chicken sh-t that dold, coulson, and green haven't done the berkowitz show. these clowns need to realize that even in the circus you have to show up and perform. It's not really that hard to figure out what he's going to ask you about since he's only done about 35,000 interviews and if you don't have a position on iran/health care/taxes/bailouts/milton friedman-he's a chicago guy although went to ucla for undergrad by now you probably aren't good enough to do it 11 months from now. mark and lauren beth trash did about 45 forums in 2000 and by september mark could recite her position on anwr and yucca by heart. she was an idiot and needed her briefing book but that is beside the fact.
As of right now I am leaning cadigan only because dold seems incompetent and too steve greenburg, i've seen black paper brighter than green, and coulson is a sellout from the blago wing of the party.
FOKLAES
"The special relationship between the United States and Israel is founded upon their shared belief in democracy and freedom, and now the United States and Israel are partners in the struggle against terrorism. The United States can best promote peace by giving Israel the support it needs to take risks for peace, and by standing firm against those who will not even acknowledge its right to exist."
FOKLAES, that's from the Seals website under the heading "A Special Relationship.". Other headings include The Iranian Threat, Guarenteeing Foreign Aid to Israel, and Tikkun Olam. If you actually think he sounds like a 70's jihadist, then you need to go back and check your history books.
But you don't actually think that's what he is. You're smarter than that. You know that there's no record, anywhere, of Seals saying ANYTHING anti-Israel. You're just being a political hack, spreading whatever lie you can because you think it will hurt Seals. Well, in the name of honestly conducted democracy, STOP.
STOP, Tiki. YOU are the one needing a refresher course and a history lesson. While Foklaes might be a bit hard on Seals, there is a very easy to show You Tube presentation that clearly has Seals stating that in a time of real crisis he'd come down ON THE SIDE OF PEACE. You can say what you will, Tiki, but that's NOT a statement of understanding OR of strong support for the continuing existence of the State of Israel. Coming down on the side of peace is what he said and it's on record.
I'm not sure that he's anti-Israel, but I would never put my faith and trust in his understanding or support of the US/Israel alliance. No way. Seals is an out of step man who clearly mouths the words he's given rather than taking a strong position of his own thinking. Rather reminds one of our current president. Back to Seal's understanding and/or commitment to Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. Again, Seals merely mouths words. IF he truly is a believer in repairing the world, here, right here where we live, why have we never heard of his volunteer efforts, any efforts to be out in the community to help make it a better place. Seals is an absolute zero on that one for sure. I'm challenging you, Tiki, to list what is verifiable about your knowledge of his efforts to make this a better world. I'll be waiting for that one, for sure. I would never rely on Seals to be a solid pro-Israel vote, not ever. He has shown nothing that indicates his own knowledge of anything. And when he pals around with the likes of Ellen Beth Gill and Steve Sheffey, that's the end of the story for me and for others. People in the 10th District saw Dan Seals for what he IS and they have chosen wisely in the past 2 election cycles.
1. Pup the magic israel hater can have his magic beekeeper cut and paste all the pro-israel stuff he wants to his website (goucher isn't renown for it's international diplomacy program and there's a reason pup wasn't offered a job in the obama administration like all other failed congresional candidates and before that pmf's-because he doesn't work), that doesn't change the fact that pup is the most anti-israel nominee we've ever seen up here.
2. tikun, caryn garber did more in 50 seconds for israel when she worked for aipac than pup and catwoman and steve sheffey and aaron hussein freeman and the rest of the local hamas outfit has done in their combined existence. they of course had her retired because of her work for israel.
3. Mark and porter before him were perfect on israel and yet hated by local dems.
4. not one local democrat has offered an explanation why president obama is hated by 96 percent of israelis-jews, arabs and christians alike. It's because he is America's first islamicist (not muslim) president in history.
this is an open and shut case. no jew will vote for pup or mullah hamos next fall.
FOKLAES
FOKLAES, let me see if I can flesh out from your post why you think Seals is anti-Israel.
1. He puts pro-Israel policy statements on his website.
2. He didn't get a job in the Obama administration.
3. Because there exists a human being who's done more Israel advocacy work than he has.
4. Because Democrats campaigned against Republican Congressmen.
5. Because Barack Obama is an "islamicist."
This pretty much proves my point. There's no evidence available that actually supports your lie about Seals' Israel position. You can refer to Democrats as terrorists all you want (and I was in Israel during the Gaza conflict with Hamas this January, and I have a cousin who fought in it, so f*** you), but there's no truth to any of it. There are plenty of issues we disagree on, so let's appreciate the fact that Israel is something we can actually all get behind.
1. Pup destroyed the career of caryn garber, the best Israel staffer the district has ever had and I'm sure mark would admit that caryn was better on israel than even he was when he worked for porter. I doubt catwoman has even ever given to juf or any other jewish cause for that matter.
2. we don't know pup's record on israel because he's not from out district and if he got elected dogcatcher much less wilmette park district dog supervisor we might get a sense of what he actually is about.
3. you talk all you want, bottom line, the anti-israel folks are at home in your party on the north shore lead by comrade jan. You have to be blind or educated in one of julie hamos's chicago public high schools where kids leave 12th grade with 2nd grade educations, to not have seen them lined up with y'all at your anti-america anti-war rallies.
4. if israelis follow d.c. like birds on prey, why do they hate this administration so muc? They can't all have not been invited to the white house hanukah party.
5. Dan went on video, he said he wouldn't side with israel. He hasn't done berkowitz to show us otherwise.
5a. still no rebuttal on hyde park. It ranks with deerborn in michigan and the arab street in terms of how anti-semitic it ish. perhaps you've fogotten ayres and wright.
6. it's very rare for members not to endorse their staffers. lieberman has no love for mark in his heart. Why hasn't he endorsed dan? because pup doesn't bark his tune.
7. don't swear. Mrs. TA and mrs. eric elk reads this.
FOKLAES
I'm still waiting, Tiki, for your list of all that Seals has done to qualify for his commitment to or his understanding of Tikkun Olam. You can't produce it because it doesn't exist. Seals is man who only knows about running for office and that's about all he knows and all he does. No, that does not make him anti-Israel, but it gives one some insight into the character of who he is and what he stands for: empty words. You can say anything in and on a web page. What you DO is what counts. Remember the old expression that I cannot hear what you're saying because what you DO speaks so loudly. Seals has done nothing. Tiki, you, like many others in your Democrat party, are just that: you are hard core Democrats first and protectors of Israel a distant second. Your party matters a lot more than the issue of Israel. You can't and won't convince me otherwise because I've seen and heard more in the past 5 years from Seals than I care to see and hear. His silence, his actions are deafening. Would Hamos be a stand up, strong voice for Israel? Not likely because that's not ever been forthcoming from her. One can be born into the Jewish faith but that hardly makes one passionately pro-Israel. I don't know who you are, Tiki, but I'm hoping that you are an active participant in and a contributor to important Jewish issues and causes. Foklaes enjoys his posts with you, just keep them above board and decent. Then again, I'm not sure that enjoys is the right word for the back and forth banter.
Attended the Lauren Turelli campaign kickoff last night at The Grill of Lake Forest. Phenomenal turnout, with lots and lots of new faces eager to get into the GOP and revive our fortunes. Amazing reaction. The place was packed.
Attending were Lake County Board Member Susan Gravenhorst, Deerfield Township Chair Mark Shaw, Moraine Township Chair Louis G. Atsaves, Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Women's Republican Club President Jan Gibson, and former Lake County Republican Federation Executive Director Ant Simonian.
Turelli is someone everyone needs to line up behind and push. She has an outstanding message and biography and will be a strong candidate to take on Karen May in the 58th House District.
Perhaps next time more elected GOP officials and those who are GOP leaders in Lake County will be in attendance and will support her efforts. She certainly has the grass roots GOP solidly behind her as evidenced by the number of West Deerfield, Moraine and Shields Committeemen in attendance.
Remember: United We Stand, Divided We Fall.
We have a lot of new faces coming into the GOP bringing new energy.
Louis G. Atsaves
Fan of King louis Astaves the ellen slayer does not enjoy his posts with tikun, because I would prefer he and the rest of the nuthouse stayed in their chicago machine enclaves.
Good to see king louis in lake forest. It's been 10 years since we've given the blagobunch a good fight in lake forest. A big key to destroying the democrats is retaking east lake county. garrett is due for retirement in the next few years, perhaps you'll take a step up into the limelight.
FOKLAES
I heard arie friedman on roeser tonight. Sounds like a good dude, but if he has no organization he should go for state rep, karen may needs to be retired, or something else. Pup and hamos will bring the house and we can't fight an army of panzer tanks with squirt guns.
FOKLAES
I've had the same reaction after hearing Arie Friedman. It's too bad that he got into the fray late, has very little cash and not much of an organization. With just a very short ride to the Primary I agree with you Foklaes. It's a shame Arie didn't take on Karen May before going for the big job.
Pat Brady or chelsea or tolbert's successor want to seriously build a new party that wins, they need to build a party that enables people like arie to come out of the wood work and win no matter what the story is nationally. Mark neglected this, mckenna neglected this, hastert destroyed this. There needs to be an infrastructure ready to go and go hard. This means leaders who live for the fight and are white knuckle ready to get in and rumble.
If you get out of the state and go to places like ohio, which had the best state gop I've seen in the last decade in 2004, you see county chairmen that can take a no name and deliver him their county no matter what is going on. They can register voters, they have youth organizations that constantly have foot soldiers on call to phone bank no matter the level of race, there are fundraising networks for folks to tap into, national politicians know they have to show up, ground games implemented and operatives who can make the magic.
If mckenna had done that than say worked on mark's campaigns, we might have a shot going forward and mark might not have had to waste the last 4 years on pup the magic israel hater.
FOKLAES
FOKLBS-
Ohio in 2004 was impressive--but it wasn't all grassroots. RNC had hundreds of staffers there and probably spent more in some counties in OHIO than they did in the entire Northeast. Once the RNC bucks left, they got crushed. Ohio may have had a worse 2006 than Illinois.
For grassroots to work, it needs an investment at the county level and I dare say, few counties even have line items in their budget for voter registration, etc.
We judge county chairs by how many precincts they have filled and how many newsletters they get out--not by how many voters they register or id. We need a total shift in thinking.
Good luck.
Arie Friedman's father was a 10th District Dem who ran against John Porter in 1988.
Easy,
Ohio was a force long before the RNC showed up in 2004. They had 2 gop senators, every statewide office, most of the congressional seats. Rove came in and turned out the northwest part of the state but losing in 2006 there had to do more with taft collapsing. We don't have that kind of infrastructure that they have where they get a voinovich and then a portman and a dewine and then a someone else. They also have evangelicals that they can turn out for moderates like portman that we don't have.
Every time there is a statewide election there the gop fights it out hard and has talent to come in with. We don't have that. They have some sort of vision, their politics is not contractual like ours and they feel at home nationally. We don't.
i didn't know that about friedman. he's done then in my book and I'll stick with cadigan.
FOKLAES
Arie and Gene Friedman haven't seen eye to eye on politics since Arie was in high school. Their fights are legendary in HP.Pretty typical GOP eating of out young to hold a candidate's father against him especially when folks like Tom Roeser think he is the most conservative guy in the race. Sad.
FOKLAES and TA--
So let me get this correct, you're objection to Dan Seals is that he is in favor of peace in Israel??? Can I then accept that you are in favor of War in Israel??? Because you rhetoric seems to point that way. While you attempt to spin this comment as anti-Seals really reveals your own shortcomings.
Yes, I will concede that Mark Kirk played the Israel card (while making ZERO tangible progress on the issue during his time in Congress) to the point that half the people in this district are convinced that he is Jewish (he's Catholic). I'm glad that worked for you, but you no longer have a candidate who is capable of doing that and people see right through your pandering.
As I have said previously, I have made no endorsement on Seals or Hamos as I have not met Julie yet or had a chance to see her interact with people. However, to call out Seals, Obama, or any other Democrat from Illinois as anti-Israel is just plain false. Illinois Democrats are consistently involved with AIPAC (I was at their DC headquarters just a few months ago) and the idea that they are not 100% on the side of Israel is, honestly, a joke. IF you want to attack Seals, at least stick to the points where he is actually weak, stop creating lies to pander to the Jewish community of the 10th.
For the record, Coulson/Dold and anyone else have no chance this November, the winner between Dan and Julie WILL be our next MoC.
Until Next Time,
A Concerned Colonial
PS FOKLAES, I will be in DC sometime in the near future, let's do lunch?
Concerned Colonial, get real and get your facts correct. When Seals said, and it's ON THE RECORD, that should there be an issue where Israel is attacked, what would his position be. Seals said that he would come down on the side of peace. What in the hell is that about? It's a stupid remark that clearly showed his naivete and hardly a strong commitment to the State of Israel. As for Mark Kirk, he is not of the Catholic faith. He's a Congregationalist, not that it's of any importance. Mark Kirk secured the Eyes in the Sky security for Israel in February of 2002. Israel and America are the ONLY countries sharing this vital intelligence. Last year he secured the X-Band radar system to help secure Israel's place on the planet. Pandering? How ignorant can you be. He never pandered, he just went out and DID what was necessary to give Israel the early warning system needed for it's citizens. Seals might not be against Israel, but he should isn't a pro-Israel advocate. AIPAC members are Democrats, Republicans, Independents and share only one concern and that's well known. Israel's survival is the purpose for AIPAC. So, Concerned Colonial, don't attack Foklaes or anyone else when it comes to Dan Seals. His own words have come back to bite him.
1. thank you anon for handling the israel issue. Team America should put a frequently asked questions thing on the side such as the "the pup's flops:5 years of lies, smears and half truths from Dan seals". Topic 1 would be resume fabrications. Topic 2 would be abandonment of israel. topic 3 would be pup's ties to the machine topic 4 would be the pup's assault on small business. those 4 alone might take 500 pages or half as long as the latest indictment against a democrat officeholder.
2. FOKLAES prefers democrat free settings in d.c. such as daily grill, capitol hill club, the palm and if I want to take out my younger by a decade collegues smith point.
3. Mark's israel's best friend. They'll name the juf building after him 30 years from now after he's served as sfrc chair which he'll get when lugar retires in 4 years.
4. Mark is 4th behind obama, clinton and mccain and ahead of every single non presidential candidate from israel special interest money. It's because he's the best thing for the homeland since that israeli model leo dicaprio dated.
5. It's not foklbs it's foklaes. the a is for astaves and the e is for ellen. b refers to a not nice name we don't call her on blogs like this.
FOKLAES
Yep, Foklaes, you are right about Mark receiving more pro-Israel support than others in the US House because he has earned every cent of it and then some. For anyone to say that he panders to the community is so disgusting and stupid it just validates the disdain these district democrats have shown ever since the start of his first term in office. These partisans don't seem to know that our Congressman has a long history of understanding and support of the US-Israel partnership. Back in 1995 he served as Counsel to the International Relations Committee under then Chairman Ben Gilman of NY. He had been to Israel long before he became our Congressman. Most, like Seals, take a fast trip, a couple of days at most, and claim that they really love Israel. What a crock. Seals and his buddies, especially that sicko catwoman who, by the way, would never find herself on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem, seem to just tolerate Israel but surely have never shown a bonding or a passion for that special nation. To make fun of Congressman Kirk, as sicko catwoman has done on more posts than I care to think about, further validates who and what these people are all about.
gilmnan was a good guy but not a aaint. No one is in new york.
mark's not through the woods yet. the tea party thing could explode any moment now.
thats the bigger threat to him htan democrats because if he loses the right, he's done.
FOKLAES
Did Mark Kirk get the Vernon Twp endorsement?
Post a Comment