Hello folks - we've been on a bit of a hiatus over the past week, but after a grueling campaign season, it was time for a little mental health break. For a while, I think we may be posting a little less regularly through Christmas, but we'll see how it goes.
For now, let's look at how things are going in and around the 10th District. Our newly-minted Congressman, Bob Dold, is getting off to a good start in advance of his January swearing-in. I think I burned all my domestic political chits when I went out for Mark Kirk's swearing-in in late November, so I will have to miss that one. But I know many who will be going, including TA stalwart "Baxter & Beau's Mom," so maybe she'll send me some pix after tracking down FOKLAES at the Capitol Club. Bob, a small business-owner and avowed fiscal conservative, landed a spot on the Financial Services Committee, although Pioneer Press reports that it was not his first choice.
As his chief of staff, Dold hired Eric Burgeson, who was most recently vice president of government affairs at the lobbying firm "BGR Group." Pioneer reports that Dold met Berguson in 1996, and both men worked on then-Sen. Bob Dole's presidential campaign. Burgeson definitely knows his way around Washington, having held numerous advisory positions, and no doubt will help Bob navigate the treacherous waters.
Meanwhile, it looks like Senator Mark Kirk and our other Congressman Joe Walsh are out there meeting with constituents and preparing to get down to business. Indeed, as we have been reporting, Kirk was getting down to business within hours of his swearing-in, and hasn't hardly paused for breath since. Most recently, Kirk voted against repeal of DADT and in favor of maintaining all of the Bush tax cuts, which ought to make conservatives happy, although they are generally sparse with their praise for Kirk even when he votes their way.
Finally, it's been fun lately to watch the helpless thrashing about on the floor (figuratively speaking) over at Ellen's, now that she's determined that President Obama sold her and fellow moonbats a bill of goods, and can't be trusted as a visionary liberal leader. In fact, her latest blog post even echoes Sarah Palin's snarky criticism of Obama as "Mr. Hopey-changey." Wow, what a difference two years makes.
Last but not least, I can now officially turn off my Google Alert for Dan Seals. He's pretty much finished, as far as political relevance in the 10th District. All I was getting for the last few weeks was references to the deceased country/pop music star of the same name anyway. Mission accomplished.
UPDATED: I know I promised to stop fixating on Dan Seals, but I can't resist pointing out that Seals was just lauded by the National Journal for its "Time to Hang it Up" Award:
Time to Hang It Up: Illinois Democrat Dan Seals, for losing for the third straight time for the seat of now-Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. In 2006, he fell short in a superb Democratic year for Kirk’s Democratic-leaning seat. In 2008, he ran down-ballot from President Obama—who cut an ad for his campaign—and still couldn’t win. With Kirk running for the Senate and Republicans privately pessimistic of holding the seat, Seals managed to do the impossible: lose three straight times with three favorable opportunities.
Hahahahahahah!
We also want to note that the National Journal awarded our new 8th District Congressman Joe Walsh something much more complimentary:
Most Bang for the Buck Award: Rep.-elect Joe Walsh, R-Ill., who eked out a 290-vote victory over Rep. Melissa Bean, D-Ill., after spending just $563,000 in a district where buying broadcast ads costs millions. He can thank Democrats for overlooking him, not airing ads attacking him, and buying expensive air time blasting GOP nominees in neighboring districts.
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10 comments:
Hiring a dc energy lobbyist is the worst thing he could have done short of hiring an anti-abortion lobbyist-but good luck. Redistricting number come out next week, and he'll have a minimum of 70,000 new constituents to deal with.
as for the pup, don't count him out. the best pup related post election story was the fact that the company he worked for 3 years ago has now become groupon so not only did he lose 2 races he also lost the chance to become a multi-millionaire.
good luck to the 10th dems, it's going to be a LONG 6 years for them.
FOKLAES
Folkleas, I don't know why you constantly attack Bob Dold, but suffice it to say, your snide comments are about as dynamic, original, and surprising as a Gallagher's comedic stylings.
The fact that you think "hiring a dc energy lobbyist" is going to matter to the vast majority of 10th District voters just shows how insular and incestuous your thinking really is.
My advice...Get out more. Meet and hang out with real people. It's kind of fun and you may actually learn a thing or two:).
Oops! Is my comment going to hurt Dold in two years?
What hath I wrought?
Drat.
Fielding Melish
the icing on the cake with seals is that he missed out on groupon which could have made him a fortune.
as for dold, mark spent a decade until he ran for senate doing everything he could for the enviornmental groups, dold on the other hand with his first staff hire went out and got an oil lobbyist from k street at barbour griffith rogers which is a tailor made hit on him by the dccc. If the point of hiring him was to have a friend who could help him reach out to k street (raise money), he could have done that without putting a guy straight out of thank you for smoking on his payroll. the dccc and every opponent he gets can now say "his first act in office was to put a former k street lobbyist for big oil on his payroll."
sounds seals-ian.
personnel is policy, perhaps you've heard of michael brown, van jones, the enron taskforce, james watt. these things matter, particularly for a freshman gop congressman in the most democrat district held by a republican in a cycle with a democrat president on the ballott from his own home state.
I get out a lot, thank you much.
FOKLAES
you also left this out which is huge because kraushaar is anti-msk.
Teacher’s Pet: Kirk, for accomplishing the rare feat of a Republican winning the post-graduate vote, according to exit polling in Illinois. Kirk defeated Democrat Alexi Giannoulias by 10 points among those with graduate degrees. It’s a testament to how damaging the allegations of corruption surrounding Giannoulias’s family bank were—and a credit to Kirk’s appeal to suburban voters that often elude Republican candidates in Illinois.
FOKLAES
I personally really like Dold, however I have to agree with FOKLAES that the hiring choice might not have been a solid strategic move. On the other hand, MSK did hire a lobbyist (out of Springfield) for his first chief of staff in Doug O'Brien. Not quite an apples to apples comparison, but one that might resonate with the layperson.
For the record I want dold to succeed, the guy worked his ellen off, beat coulson who I think mark would not have beaten had she run in 2000 and the took out the pup who had everything going for him.
That said, if you read the fix today in the post it pretty clearly outlines what dold is up against as far as redistricting in 2012, with the bull shit that the people that think with their ellens (democrats) downstate will do.
He's going to have to add 70,000 constituents no matter what because the state is losing a seat. 50,000 of them are voters, maybe 30,000 vote next time. the state went 60-40 obama last time and dold only won by a few thousand votes. then you add in the games the washingtonpost thinks the democrats will play-adding parts of the peoples republic of evanston for example and you see where this sort of stuff gets tricky for dold with hiring a k street energy lobbyist.
these new constituents of his won't be winnetka republicans they'll be quigleyites or comrade jan types who will look at his votes for the kind of budget cuts the gop wants to make next year and instead of seeing them as fiscally responsible will see them as cutting their medicaid or student loans or whatever government program they use.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/mapping-the-future/illinois-democrats-lone-redist.html
FOKLAES
Folklaes,
I agree that things will be tougher for Bob post re-districting. But a "K Street Lobbyist?" What, Democrats don't hire K Street Lobbyists? You can nitpick all you want, but - win or lose - in 2012, it is not going to be because of who Bob hired as a C.O.S.
Your constant harping on Dold signals your own hang-ups, not his. You have been against him from the primary...Just admit it you don't like him, and then you and Ellen can have tea and pet your cats together on a cold winter's day.
Bob's issues, if they appear at all, will come from re-districting, not from whom the hell he hired as a Chief of Staff.
And I still, and always will, believe that while your opinions ROCK when it comes to these sites, played against real people, who vote on real issues, it's just a fart in the wind. i wont bow to your supposed "genius."
Sorry to burst your obviously large bubble, but somebody has to. You have been wrong on Dold from Day 1, and he is about to be installed in Congress, after all.
Fielding Melish
To Foklaes and to Fielding, let's just wait and SEE how Congressman Dold gets the job done after he takes the Oath on 1/5/11. His votes and his attention to the job at hand will be what defines this man, not what any of us assume he will be like and what he'll do. Let's give him a chance to SHOW US that he deserved this win. If the staff he has chosen is the right one, they'll help him move his agenda forward, and ours as well. Mr. Dold will show us in his votes that he's pro-choice. Mr. Dold will show us through his votes that he is a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. Bottom line. Let's give our soon to be Congressman the benefit of the doubt. Can we all agree on that?
Fielding,
I find it fascinating that you compare me to catwoman since I was posting on this blog when your pal was living in chicago killing mice.
While I admire your energy it was not me that first made an issue about dold's cos, it was FUOTABFS (frequent user of team america's blog for stories) dc publication, the hill, not I. the guy is a k street energy lobbyist according to his website (their office has a great view of downtown I should add).
what's more, rising star dave wasserman of the cook political report predicted today that the district will add evanston in the next go around. Forgive me, but I struggle to see how a bush advisor is the guy to guide one to winning a city like the peoples republic of evanston.
FOKLAES
Folkhero,
I think what you are missing is the query of whether this COS will allow Bob to maneuver through the byzantine world of Washington and do some good for the country and the district. Hopefully this COS is the person to do that.
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