Sunday, July 26, 2009

Welcome to the Machine - Little Alexi Thinks He's All Grown Up and Ready for the Big Time

Ah, to be 33 again, and think I knew everything. Of course, I thought that at 17. But I digress. Today, it wasn't about me, it was all about Alexi Giannoulias, and the unbridled ego and hutzpah that makes him think he's the perfect next U.S. Senator from Illinois because... well... because he's Barack Obama's basketball buddy, and Alexi really, really likes him a lot.

I have a better mentor than Obama that I think he'll be tied to again and again in the next few months...



Yep, you guessed it... Alexi former best friend (before Obama), former Governor Rod Blagojevich. The same tired politics, the same machine, shoving the same self-centered and corrupt and/or incompetent politicians down our collective throats in Illinois.

Are the voters in Illinois ever going to learn? Have we already forgetten how the machine handed us the great Roland Burris to represent us?

Luckily, this time, there will be a clear alternative to the machine Dem candidate this time around, in the form of 10th District Congressman Mark Kirk.

For your delight and edification, we offer our Top Ten snarky observations from Alexi's coming-out party today:

1. There were way more people at Kirk's announcement, even though Alexi has the full weight of the machine behind him, and has really been running for months.

2. Kirk didn't have to use a teleprompter to figure out what he wanted to say (yes, that's right...our Alexi thinks is so much like Obama he used a flippin' teleprompter).

3. TA hears Alexi stuck his tongue out at some folks while he was just off stage... real mature.

4. His live video feed went down temporarily. D'oh!!!

5. OK, besides the greek immigrant parents, working for union folks at Hartmarx, and trying to move Obama's message forward in Senate, Alexi gave us absolutely no reason way he would be a good senator (maybe before he ties himself irrevocably to Obama, Alexi ought to look at some of the polling data showing how people are worried about some of Obama's agenda items like healthcare reform)

6. The biggest name dem he could get to back him was Bill Foster...Who's that??? Exactly....they guy who beat Obie for the Hastert seat.... (in comparison, who did Kirk have announce him at his event but former guv Jim Edgar. who is widely regarded as one of the best politicians Illiniois has seen in recent years)

7. Why did Alexi need two distracting videos to run during the announcement... you really need a dog and pony show to help launch yourself?

8. He actually bragged about the Brightstart program... say what? Can you say, where's my $85 mil?

9. Alexi claims he isnt going to take any lobbyist or PAC money.....what about all the labor union PACs? I guess they don't count???

10. Did I mention he used a teleprompter.....

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

1. Job creation in a state that ranks 47th in job creation.

2. American dream for a guy that inherited all of his money.

3. Changing politics in a state where the dem gov who promised them is going on trial next year.

4. Can he find pakistan on a map?

5. Fighting d.c., what no mob?

6. Fighting for education with a woman who can't pronounce his name. probably educated by in a dem and machine dominated chicago public school.

all in all one of the worst speeches I have ever heard. Long on cliches, long on what his parents have done, short on what he's done, long on aging dem talking points about change (you won the elections, young prince, this is YOUR economy).

Julie Hamos comes into the district tuesday to announce. I already posted an edited version of her bio on the last post. she's a much more tempting target to destroy, and will be a delicious treat making jay the balding short dude and pup, the balding small mind dude look like saints by comparison.

FOKLAES

Unincorporated Middle said...

I watched the whole announcement and was decidedly underwhelmed. Visually Kirk's roll-out looked fresh and exciting and real, while Alexi's looked staged, tired and disjointed.

I thought it very interesting that the people there did not pick up on Alexi's attempt to get a "stand up" chant going. It seemed an obvious knock-off of Obama's "yes we can", but Alexi just couldn't pull it off. I hope he keeps with the stand-up theme cause voters may have a couple of questions:

Alexi - how did you stand up to Tony Rezko while you're taking his money?

Alexi - did you stand up for bright start parents when you lost 85 million dollars in risky investments, or when you used money from the fund to buy a new SUV?

Alexi - did you stand up for the people of Illinois when you endorsed Blago for Governor not once but twice?

Alexi - did you stand up for ethics in business when you made loans to criminals while you foreclosed on the mortgages of hard working, middle-class loan-holders?

And finally - Alexi can you stand up on your own, or only next to the President.

Anonymous said...

Hey guys, GREAT posts. I also watched the streaming video of the 'wunderkind' NOT. Good grief, is he really the best the Dems can do? He talks about Mark Kirk as someone who will give us the old ways of doing things. I'd say we'd be very lucky to have honesty, ethical behavior, attention to real issues that matter and a proven leader as our Senator and not this kid who, like the man who left the 'job' after a couple of years and who is still not ready for prime time as a Senator. No. Alexi, you have miles to go before you're in the same league as Mark Kirk. Come to think of it, you will never be at par with a man who has accomplished more in his 49 years of life than one can imagine. And Mark Kirk was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth or a privileged lifestyle. I can hardly wait for a debate between this kid, with his teleprompter on either side, and Mark Kirk. We should sell tickets. Too bad that's not legal.
And let the campaign begin.

Anonymous said...

The people of the Party that put forth Alan Keyes and George W. Bush (not going to a mensa meeting any time soon or a US History honors course) suddenly are experts at candidate qualifications?!
You cannot have it both ways.

Mark Kirk stated that Obama didn't have the business experience to be President (of course his buddy George W. had negative or unsuccessful business experience and also didn't need the American dream due to familial name - double standard TA?).

Alan Keyes broke his own cardinal rule - not being a carpet bagger!

Also, the environmentally-concerned Kirk voted against high-speed rail. Taking more cars off the road and putting people to work aren't good reasons for the thoughtful, independent to approve of.
Maybe he was still reviewing his contradictory actions toward PACE: telling them how to spend funds HE VOTED AGAINST!

What happens in the winter when ice forms on that fence Kirk continues to ride?

Anonymous said...

Hey anon 9:47... take another look at the picture at the top of this post - Blago vs. Keyes? Rezko vs. Bush? Mortgage Banker vs. Navy Vet? Heck by the time 11/10 comes around Obama vs. Lovell will be a toss-up. You better hope Kennedy or Jackson gets into the race cause Alexi has too much baggage for his handlers to carry.

Anonymous said...

Yep, Anon 10:10, you're right. Alexi has more baggage than I think even he can handle. He's got a lot of 'splaining' to do about that Bright Start Fund as openers. And he's right, this isn't about age at all. It IS about one's ability to BE a credible Senator. Alexi has friends in high places, that's true, but on his own merit let's see what he can show for himself. And why were the national Democrats so intent on having someone else get into this race and NOT young Alexi? What did they know that we will soon uncover. And as for Obama and his brilliance on basics like the economy and how to solve complex issues. Geez, I wouldn't go there if I was posting, Anon 9:47.

Anonymous said...

Scandal alone wont do it.Mark's BFF denny hastert protected a gay child stalker in mark foley, but ultimately the party only paid a price because the dems noted failures on spending and iraq and promised lots of things. Mark has to do an agenda, merely saying the other guys are corrupt won't win him a senate desk.

FOKLAES

Anonymous said...

I'm never really sure if you support Mark Kirk or you just enjoy knocking him, Foklaes. Being constructive and not destructive might help. The past is history, Kirk had nothing to do with the Foley incident, so why bring it back up and chew on it again. That's a statement, Foklaes, not a question. Both D's and R's have many faults, but I think it's more germaine to the issue to keep the focus on tomorrow and not yesterday. Mr. Kirk has been re-elected 5 times by voters in this district. That counts for a lot in my book. Given what I heard and what we know about Alexi, I hope you join me in seeing that Mark Kirk has a better than even chance of winning in 2010.

Anonymous said...

I want us to take power again badly, but I DO NOT want a Ryan/Hastert situation where we get it, abuse it, and rather than have good republicans do good things we have bad republicans do bad things so that democrats can take power and do even worse things-see the work product of comrade Jan the last 3 years. I never want a repeat of 2002 or 2006 where I am walking preccincts and have to get people asking me why they should support a license for bribes party or a big spending, iraq a mess, foley protecting party.

Mark is the best of the bunch and hopefully the dawn of a new era, but every republican worth his salt will tell you we need to start showing people that we learned from 06/08 and have new ideas. Remember dems turned it around from 04 to 06 and Obama lost his congressional primary the night mark beat mark damisch, so it's possible, but I want a strong meat and potatoes agenda to fight for.

FOKLAES

Philippe said...

Ha! Great post TA.

Anonymous said...

You can bet the farm that the great reform newspaper man John Kass will have little or nothing to say in the negative about the would be Senator for fear of Greek backlash.

Anonymous said...

Heard Alexi on the radio today. This twit has a HUGE learning curve, to be sure. What he doesn't know is obvious. He made a statement that jars the mind in healthcare. Alexi said that Tort Reform is really not an issue, it's just not important. Now THAT'S one stupid statement. I sure hope he's the one running against Mark Kirk. Alexi might have the machine, the unions, the mobs, etc. but he's a clear example of the porch light being on and nobody at home. And where did he go to school?