Wednesday, August 27, 2008
News / Clout City Love is in the air
Posted by Mick Dumke on 08.27.08 at 06:37 PM
"You need a hug?" state rep David Miller asked me Wednesday afternoon.
It was kind of him to ask, but not entirely out of the blue. Miller was on the phone from Denver, where the overriding theme of Democratic Party unity somehow resulted in a spontaneous hug-o-rama among the Illinois contingent that morning.
Even by convention standards of hokum and horseshit, it was a brilliant PR move—except that Miller, who represents the far south side and south suburbs, swears it wasn’t.
"It was definitely not a stunt," he says. "Congressman Jackson started it by hugging Congressman Rush. There was a standing ovation, and people got real emotional and were tearing up, and Congressman Jackson said to the governor and speaker, 'You’ve got to do this,' and they did. . . . You can script a speech, but you can’t script the governor and speaker hugging.”
It may be too much to hope that it could actually produce a functioning state government—just a short time later, state senator James Meeks was unable to get Madigan and Governor Blagojevich to sit down together to talk about education funding. Even if, as Miller argues, the convention isn’t the time and place for that, no one’s assuming the Madigan-Blago feud is over.
In fact, all kinds of political jockeying is under way. On Tuesday state senate president Emil Jones began pushing Kwame Raoul as a replacement for Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate if the Democrats win the White House. Raoul’s the labor lawyer who was tapped to take over Barack Obama’s old job in the Illinois legislature, and supporters say he’d be the right guy to move up again because, like his predecessor, he’s a young, smart, African-American who "isn’t divisive"—which is another way of saying the other leading black candidate, the aforementioned Jesse Jackson Jr., is . . . or at least was before inspiring the great ’08 hugfest.
Several other elected officials have said they’re interested in this job that may or may not open up, including most of the rest of Chicago’s congressional delegation (Jan Schakowsky, Luis Gutierrez, Danny Davis), while Illinois treasurer/Obama hoops partner Alexi Giannoulias and comptroller Dan Hynes, who finished second to Obama in the 2004 Democratic primaries, could claim statewide support if they decided to go for it.
Miller, an ally of Jackson’s, says no one’s been campaigning too loudly. "There is some talk, but not really overwhelming, because there’s a sense that we’ve got to get past November," he tells me. "Then you’re going to see a number of names come up. I mean, who wouldn’t want it? But there’s actually been more discussion about people running for governor [in 2010]. Giannoulias has held lots of events out here, and Lisa Madigan and Dan Hynes are obviously around."
All the elected officials and party activists I’ve spoken to—some at the convention, some out organizing and campaigning—are rightly concerned that in an election that should go Democratic, given the debacle of the Bush years, Obama won't win without extraordinary turnout and support from non-Democrats. Illinois should be a lock for him, of course, but several of the surrounding states could end up deciding it.
"How can we parlay this unity talk into an Obama presidency?" Miller asks. "I’d say we can start by hugging Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin. That’s where our resources are needed."
Comments (42)
Showing 1-42 of 42
Now if we can get Pat Mcdoungh to hug Coconate,and Orion to hug Mick,this will be a complete day.
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Hug some Hispanics and don't cut them out. What is notably absent is: 1. No hugs for any Hispanics 2. No Hispanics involved in the highest levels of State government 3. No Hispanics involved in big decisions like Education reform 4. No talk about a Hispanic replacing Obama in his Senate seat 5. No talk about a Hispanic running for Statewide office
Thanks for the call compa The Motor voter and the desire to increase voter registration and voter turnout has made it easier for fraud. I was a Hilary Clinto volunteer and I went to NW Indiana and worked part of the day in Gary, Indiana. Some of our workers almost got beat up, threatened, racial anti-Hispanic and anti white slurs, and serious allegations of vote fraud. Go to Lake County Indiana especially Gary for people (mostly African Americans) voting in different precincts, buying voter turnout with drugs and money, buying votes, dragging people to out to vote with marijuana and $10 and crack (I know it sounds insane) I like Hilary Clinton and wish she won but after the way I was treated by the Obama thugs in Gary. I would never vote for Barack Obama. His "team" was racist (I am a dark skinned Mexican American and a veteran and a Democrat and lifelong Chicagoan from the 10th and 7th wards) Nobody cared. The media didn't report it. The reason that some Hispanics are not supporting Obama is not because some Hispanics are racist but because some (not all) African Americans are racist towards Hispanics and don't share. Just look at all the talk of who replaces Obama and who is running for Statewide office and who is involved with the Obama campaign. I don't think that Obama personally knows about or would be part of the thuggery of his campaign in NW Indiana but it is indicative of people around him and a corruption in some sectors of the Democratic party (I was a precinct captain but quit in 1988 when a local area political leader became Republican and I stayed Democrat). The steel mills are gone but I never saw Obama when he was a community organizer supposedly in my neighborhood. The Veteran POW thing does help. But what I saw from the Obama camp was a thug nation that I don't want ruling America. I personally won't, and hope Hispanics won't let people piss on us and tell us it is raining.
FOX 32 did a poll on the jackson jr, mayor daley, rod blago and mike madigan hug fest, at the convention. The results : 84% of the people that voted said," WHAT BULL-SHIT !"
I want to pick Mariam Santos to run for Mayor after her wrongful conviction is removed. She went to jail for going along with Daley's corrupt Morton Hotel deal,and thief of Municipal pension funds.
I want to pick Mariam Santos to run for Mayor after her wrongful conviction is removed. She went to jail for not going along with Daley's corrupt Morton Hotel deal,and thief of Municipal pension funds.
Brian McGinnis Join the community Tinley Park, IL 1 min ago The city Building and zoning departments are nothling more than criminal enterprises. The Supervisor was not only a crook but an idiot. In the old days, Supervisors and Deputy Commissioners just rattled their desk drawers,and said nothling. The field and court inspector would drop the Supervisor's cut,and the drawer was closed without any conversation..
I heard the hug between Daley and Jackson jr were the effects of meds and bloody mary's.
Congressman Jackson jr, was heard, telling the Mayor of Chicago, that maybe he should look into lyposuction between his ears. He(Jackson jr) did it and it worked wonders for his people skills. Daley in-turn, told Jackson jr, maybe we can do a bill-board picture together and make a ton of money!
Frank Coconutty, Tony "The REAL Bullshit Artist" Peraica, Marko the Spaced Out Oracle, John "Thuringer Maven" Geils. Ala Caligula.
Emil Jones has a long memory and remembers how Junior portrayed him as an old fart when Junior beat him for the Mel Reynolds congress seat 14 years ago. Emil may not get Kwame the seat, but he sure as hell will block Junior from getting it.
A vote for McCain is a vote for . . . (1) Endless war in Iraq and Afghanistan. (2) More wars--hey, shit happens. Watch out, Russia. (3) The continuation of the Bush tax cuts that so delight the extremely wealthy. (4) The continuation of corporate tax laws that allow most big businesses to avoid paying taxes altogether. (5) McCain's ninth house. (6) A federal judiciary that continues to be illegally appointed based on its political views. (7) Off-shore oil drilling. Global warming? Alternative energy sources? Nonsense. (8) A man who used to claim to be pro-choice but has completely backed down from that position in order to suck up to the likes of Mitt Romney. (9) Hmm, have you happened to notice how the immigration question has completely dropped out of the debate? (10) His veep, who could well wind up in office.
A vote for Obama is a vote for higher tax rates. In 2001, I was delighted by the Bush tax cuts, and I wasn't rich. My income was about $20,000, per year.
1) The Chicago Mob infiltrates the White House( Barbaro, DiPiazza,Guidice) 2) The Daley Family runs the US the way it runs Chicago. Sell everything, like the Skyway, airports,....Nephews and Sons get contracts. 3) Tony Rezko 4) Jesse Jackson Sr 5)Public Parks are sold to developers. 5) The term Short fall goes national. 6) Union workers are eliminated. 7) Allows Illegals to run for office.
You primo twinkles REALLY act like some tough guy or average Joe, When in all likelihood, The direct opposite.
Not The Log Cabin Boys, What the fuck our you talking about? You must be on Daley/Jackson jr meds.
Jesse Jr and Daley Bill and Richard fits this description.Orion you have to wait your turn,for your DALEY SHOWER
Actually McCain has always been pro-life. It is Kerry who is past 9 houses. Russia is a real threat. Not being naive but real military and foreign policy without being imperialistic like Bush.
McCain will be better for Hispanics. Obama is a socialist and will turn health care but for the very rich and his U of C friends into County Hospital. Taxes are already high in Cook County and he does nothing. I see only half of my paycheck (and that is taxes and not child support) HISPANICS FOR MCCAIN
Like his sodomistic pedophilic wonder......Frankie Boy!!!!!. BTW, Which coward is auto-typing under the names Carlos, Zig, Jill, et al???????????.
"Carlos August 28th - 9:21 p.m. McCain will be better for Hispanics. I see only half of my paycheck (and that is taxes and not child support)" If you would stop spending so much at Western Union for sending it back to Mexico, you may have more in your pocket. Besides, since when do you get a paycheck for riding around through alleys in a rusty pick-up truck looking for scrap metal ?
Peraica CANNOT RUN for President, He's NOT a US Citizen, He came to the US from Croatia when he was 13.
http://www.steamworkschicago.com With Frank Cuckoo 4 Cocoa Puffs, Tony Peraica, Marko The Spaced-Out Meth-Et Al Freak, Dan Proft, Mark Brown, John K***ass, etc.
Peraica/McCain???????. YOU PUT Peraica above McCain??????. BOY, Is Sen.John McCain gonna be PISSED at YOU!!!!!. OH, YAH THAT'S RIGHT. Peraica is "GOD" to you cretins, THAT'S WHY!!!!!. Peraica is the next Jesus Christ to you FOOLS. JUST REMEMBER THIS!!!. McCain is KNOWN to get ticked off at EVERY little thing. So YOU fools BETTER WATCH IT. JUST REMEMBER!!!!.
LEARN HOW TO SPELL!. While I take my self-gratification lessons at Paul Lisnek Masturbation School.
How can Obama say with a straight face he is going to reduce taxes when he said nothing about the County and City tax increases since he's been a State Senator in 96 until recently. Obama is not a profile in courage, he is an example of silence and political opportunity.
