The Blog

Senator Ronen is a fat hack corrupt joke. She hides behind her supposed liberalism and being a lesbian. She was the floor leader for the most corrupt governor in the history of Illinois

That's why EVERY independent-minded citizen, who wants to remove the corrupted, arrogant, self-serving scum, (masquerading as public servants), from office, should file their petitions, be it for a Primary or a General, in EVERY ELECTION. FLOOD the ballots with CHALLENGERS. PROMOTE the voting strategy of: HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT Here is how to get it done: 1) REGISTER TO VOTE 2) Make a list of every INCUMBENT, (leaving those few incumbents who you are CERTAIN deserve to be reelected off of your list). 3) BRING this list with you when you go to vote. 4) DO NOT vote for ANYONE on your list. 5) If the INCUMBENT has only one CHALLENGER, vote for that CHALLENGER, no matter who it may be. 6) If the INCUMBENT has 2 or more challengers, then: If the INCUMBENT'S name is listed FIRST, then vote for the CHALLENGER who's name is LISTED LAST or If the INCUMBENT'S name is NOT LISTED FIRST, then vote for the CHALLENGER who's name IS LISTED FIRST (This will concentrate the most votes for a SINGLE CHALLENGER, thus providing the greatest possibility of the incumbent losing.) 7) whenever you have the choice to RETAIN or NOT RETAIN an elected official, vote to NOT RETAIN. 8) Vote for whomever you choose, for whatever your reasons, it's your vote and you can cast it for whomever you please, but, REMEMBER, the INCUMBENTS are the people who have been, are, and will continue to be, the one's responsible for all of our current troubles. Cast your votes with the SOLE purpose in mind of ousting practically ALL those currently holding, and abusing, the power and authority they've been entrusted with. THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. Independents need ONLY to get their names on the ballot, for whatever elected office they choose to run for. Independents do NOT need to promote themselves, do NOT need to hustle for campaign money, do NOT need to fight according to the rules made to benefit the established and entrenched incumbents. Independents ONLY need to trust in the God or Gods of their choice, promote the above HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT voting strategy and leave the outcome of each and every contest for public office in the hands of the many citizens who, should they embrace the above voting strategy, ensure that NO INCUMBENT will remain in office. And that, my fellow citizens, is the best beginning of actual political reform that is possible. Simple. Effective. Easy. S.E.E.? Just Do It.

Ronen’s move left local Democrats seething. I am certainly independent of the local machine, but the Democratic Party is as much my home as it is to any of these local ‘representatives’ or their hand selected supporters who are members of the ‘regular’ Democratic organization. As someone who has worked for Gov. Mario Cuomo, volunteered and contributed on many Democratic campaigns to include Maj. Paul Hackett, Sen. Russ Feingold, Mark Para, Maj. Tammy Baldwin, Paul Vallas (who won the 48th ward in the primary), and local campaigns that merited support like Debra Shore, Daniel Biss, and Alderman Waguespack; I do not concede that the corrupted establishment of the 48th ward Democratic Party honors the proud traditions of my party, and they lay no more claim to the Democratic Party than do I. I have and will continue to support those Democrats who merit support. (I signed a petition for Rep. Osterman because I believe he is the best candidate for that position. I also would proudly support Comm. Quigley.) As far as the tactics of manipulating access to the ballot, Senator Ronen’s actions are as unfair to Ms. Steans as to any other citizen of the 7th district. Ms. Steans and her husband, Leo Smith, will have to convince voters that the hundreds of thousands of dollars they have contributed toward politicians of both parties (more than $150,000 to Gov. Blagovich alone), is not more than just the appearance of the pay-to-play politics that is ruining this state and nation. It is only with opposition who has access to the ballot can the tax-payers of the 7th district have a vigorous debate and determine for themselves who is best capable of serving the needs of the diverse interest in the 7th state senate district. I have not prejudged Ms. Steans, but I have deep reservations of supporting anyone who appears to have been given preferential treatment by Senator Ronen and her lackey’s. It is my hope that Suzanne Elder is able to assemble the modicum of support that I believe exist within the 7th district in order to gain access to the ballot and participate in such a debate. It is also my understanding from the New-Star that other interest groups also wish to circulate petitions and place other candidates on the primary ballot. I hope that every citizen who has advocated for change and a different kind of politics will get out this weekend and sign or circulate a petition for one of these candidates. We have monumental challenges facing this state, and the voters deserve a debate on the issues that effect them. Senator Ronen, and Senator Ronen alone, is responsible for this miscarriage to our electoral process. By handicapping everyone wishing to run for this seat by such a constricting time frame, the practical effects are no different than how we end up with the likes of Todd Stroger or Dan Lipinski. The men and women that I served with in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Iraq DID NOT put their lives on the line, or make the enormous sacrifices that they have made, in order to defend the arrogance of our ‘elected’ representatives who think the peoples business is a family business, with titled to be passed from one generation of insider families to the next, or to be bought and sold to the highest bidder, with little or no accountability. Senator Ronen has done a huge disservice to her constituents, and she is unworthy of the sacrifices our veterans have fought and died in order to defend the principles’ of our democratic governance. It is my hope that Democrats throughout the 48th ward will begin to organize in order to rid ourselves of the cowardly bankrupt leadership of Committeeman Ronen and Alderman M. Smith. As far as my own battle and attempted run in the last Aldermanic election, I hope no one thinks of me as a victim. I have been a fighter all my life and I believe in what we were fighting for. I did not run because I wanted a job, I have a job, but because I believe I possess the courage to tackle the issues that affect us, the candor to be honest with the people of the 48th ward, proven leadership, and uncompromised convictions. I have seen victims – I am not one of them. I will continue to fight for what I believe in, and I hope that the readers will join in that fight. Our future depends on it - and we deserve better than the likes of Carol Ronen and Mary Ann Smith. I hope you will join us in circulating petitions this weekend for Suzanne Elder. It is high time we all stand up and insist on better from our elected representatives.

What surprises me the most is that the old dinosaur Ronen can even operate email.

The most competent Aldermanic Candidate for the 48th Ward thought Chris Lawrence had enough brains to get on the ballot. He did not. I am running next time. The 48th Ward will not vote for someone with the same lack of common sense as Frank Coconate,

Bill Lipinski, Tom Hynes,Mike Sheehan,Todd Stroger....wake up and wallk over to the Board of elections. Get a Election Calaender and run for office. Also if you would like to learn what offices are up for election. Go to my website and hit link to State board of Elections. The only way to stop this is know when elctions are scheduled and then put people on the ballot.

Wow. Hubby Leo is a serious mover & shaker. You see the dough to MA Smith & Ronen, of course, but for me even more repugnant than the mega-dough to Blago is the mega-dough to Emil Jones, Madigan, and other House Republicans. And, hey, that's odd: The IL SOS shows the NFP corp "ILLINOIS BIRTH TO FIVE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE" as in involuntary dissolution since 7/1/00. But the IL Board of Elections shows them collecting & dispersing funds into 2004. In 2005 the PAC took their last $10K and split it up between 3 Republican candidates, after which Leo carried on collecting and dispersing cash in his own name. someone has some 'splaining to do... http://www.elections.state.il.us/CampaignDisclosure http://www.ilsos.gov/corporatellc/

As our wounded soldiers sit in a bureaucratic limbo at Walter Reed, I can hardly blame a decorated veteran who was a novice politician from making a miniscule misstep like Chris Lawrence did by not putting some sort of receipt with his petitions. These assholes in government create the bureaucratic nightmare in order to avoid competition from a citizen. I just saw Chris Lawrence out collecting signatures and he continues to impress me with his tenacity in seeking better politicians. He told me to check out this blog. Assholes like you just try and belittle everything he has done for our nation. Shame! They out foxed him, but they have nothing to be proud about. From what I know of Chris Lawrence he is far more accomplished than Frank Coconate and is in an entirely different class. An insider who is going to run for office and won't sign with their own name? Just what we need another gutless wonder of a politician.

What is the significants of: The IL SOS shows the NFP corp "ILLINOIS BIRTH TO FIVE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE" as in involuntary dissolution since 7/1/00. But the IL Board of Elections shows them collecting & dispersing funds into 2004. In 2005 the PAC took their last $10K and split it up between 3 Republican candidates, after which Leo carried on collecting and dispersing cash in his own name. ? Care to elaborate?

This beauitful. I am glade we live in America. Everybody has a chance to run in a fair election.The Cook county democratic party is also fair the the challangers,and protesters. If you guys followed the rules you will be given ballot acess. Now good luck ,especially Mr Lawrence, but please remember your receipts.

If Lawerence cannot remember something as simple as putting a reciept on his petitions, I am glad he has been shipped home from the war because modern military equipment would be too difficult for him to operate and we would have more friendly fire incidents. BTW Chris, we get the message, you do not have to constantly harp on your service overseas. Sounds like you need a General Patton to slap you out of it.

Kozicki and Orion sitting in a tree...

You get the message! The Democrats seem to think it is ok to cry foul in Florida or Ohio, or try and label our soldiers in Iraq torturers while they let Burge and the Chicago goons off the hook. What a bunch of hypocrites! BTW Orion - your swift boat tactics won't work from the local Democratic machine. And he spells his name LAWRENCE (good thing you are just one of the admin hacks. You're good enough for government work, eh?)

I'm new to ths blog and can't quite figure out Orion. Who is he? Why is he so venomous towards Jesse, Jr. and the other Black politicians. I saw in one response that he was slamming various politicial hopefuls with no real basis. Some of his comments sound racist. Is he a 11th Ward white guy with ties to the Bridgeport crew, or is he simply a "sell-out" and disgrace to the Black community that has continually sought to strive for equality (with Junior or not).

Chris Lawrence is a true veteran, unlike Army Specialist Patrick" I'm The mayor's Son" Daley, who, since 2004,sits in the US while young soldiers go to Iraq and die! Patrick is a true Daley, phony from top to bottom!

Orion is deep throat! Just ask the mayor.

'orion' is all of the above and then some. White, black or brown, for orion, skin color is only skin deep. Keep reading the orion, kosicki and 11th man posts, they're all a big help in inspiring the readers to finally get busy and: HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT

I got a good one Frank Cocohead ,and stars and stripes Chris Lawrence run as a set.One guy sleeping in a hole, another can't remember to submit receipts and properly fill out forms. Do we want to replace DALEY WITH THESE BUFFOONS.At least we know how to take care of business in the 11th

All of these post are irrelevant to the issue at hand. Ms. Steans and Ms. Elders are both attempting to get on the ballot for consideration on their respective merits. I am not a candidate for any office. I am thankful toward everyone who has given time to circulate or sign a petition for Ms. Elder. I am all but irrelevant to this discussion, and I hope that the future discussion will focus on the merits of Ms. Elder and Ms. Steans candidacies. In my humble opinion, either will be a vast improvement to Senator Ronen. FYI – Patrick Daley, as are all veterans, is deserving of respect for his enormous sacrifice and service to our nation. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and I admire him entering as an enlisted member and as an 11 Bang-Bang as well. Good for him. I for one could care less what 'orion's' assessment of my character is, and I wish others would ignore him as well. He outwardly disrespects everyone except Daley, but his actions show enormous disrespect and discredit to the mayor as well. Let’s get Suzanne Elders on the Ballot. That is the obstacle to overcome.

Senator Carol Ronen is a corrupt pig. Taxes are high. Unemployment is high. Foreclosures are high. This is not democracy

Most people couldn't put together 1,000 signatures in eight days, but then most people aren't interested in running for office. Eight days is plenty of time for any serious contender to put it together, and that means that the race was open to a wide variety of people. Whether they chose to run is a different story, but it's hard to say that it's because there was no opportunity. Now, the Stroger announcement came after the last possible date, and therefore the only legal option was to appoint. That was bullshit. It's NOT what happened here.

Thomas- As I said on your blog post - to say this isn't as bad as the Stroger announcement is effectively saying nothing - Nothing is worse than the Stroger announcement - but this is just as bad. Carol had no choice - she couldn't announce after the filing date, because then even Heather couldn't have filed. This was the only way for her to get Heather in, and it will probably work. You are kidding if you think 8 days is enough, you must never have collected petitions. Ask anyone who has, they'll tell you how nearly impossible it is.

Senator Carol Ronen supported Todd Stoger.

The other way to put a selected candidate in place would be to wait after the deadline and just appoint him/her. That was the Stroger model, and unless I'm badly mistaken, it would have been legally the same here, if Ronen had resigned just two weeks later. That wasn't done, though I don't know why. It could be that Ronen couldn't get enough committeemen together to agree on the candidate she wanted. If so, that could be a great thing if it was done to ensure that there was a primary. Unless all the committeemen involved want to talk candidly, we may never know exactly why things shook out this way. As for the petitions, yes, I've done it many times myself, and what would probably be needed is a candidate who knows they want to run, and an election lawyer, and a cadre of volunteers. As I said above, not everyone fits that description, but out of the list of people who are interested in holding an elected position, many of them are ready to go, and not all of them are from the same political school of thought, so there is/was an opportunity for those who are ready to go. That is different from the Stroger situation because even the best-prepared person (e.g. Forrest Claypool) could never even have given it a shot.

Do you have a real job Westgard or do you live on this site dispensing your bullshit?

A week before Ronen made her public announcement, reporter Rich Miller spilled the beans about the real backroom politics involved in Ronen's betrayal of the public trust. FROM RICH MILLER'S Capitol FAX blog: FRIDAY, October 19, 2007 RONEN MAY LEAVE SOON The governor’s Senate floor leader could be heading out the door soon. Sen. Carol Ronen confirmed this week that she is looking at leaving the Senate. She will reportedly take a major job within the Blagojevich administration. Ronen’s choice to replace her in the Senate is Heather Steans, a wealthy philanthropist who is married to attorney Leo Smith. Steans and Smith have been active campaign contribLitors over the years, giving $ I 70,000 to Rod Blagojevich’s fund alone, and kicking in over three quarters of a million dollars to all campaigns. But there’s at least a temporary problem. The other ward committeemen in Ronen’s district haven’t yet signed off on the Steans choice. Ronen is the 48th Ward Democratic Committeeman, and has 33 percent of the weighted vote. AId. Pat O’Connor of the 40th Ward, who has 18.7 percent of the weighted vote for a replacement, is so far backing one of his own people, Brendan O’Connor (no relation), who is a legislative liaison for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. 47th Ward Alderman Gene Schulter is considered an ally of O’Connor’s and reportedly hasn’t yet signed on with Ronen. Schulter has I 5.8 percent of the weighted vote, which would be calculated on Ronen’s vote totals in her last general election bid. 49th Ward Committeeman David Fagus (I 5. I percent of the weighted vote) has reportedly not committed yet, either. That leaves the 46th Ward, where committeeman Tom Sharpe appears to be holding all the cards. Sharpe has enough of the weighted vote (I 7.8 percent) to team with Ronen and make Steans the next state Senator. But sources say he hasn’t made up his mind yet, either, and may be worried that Steans is too close to Gov. Blagojevich to represent the district. Ronen met with Mayor Daley this week to speak to him about Steans. She wouldn’t talk specifics, but did say that Daley is familiar with Steans’ family (major Chicago philanthropists) and likes them. Rumors have circulated that House Speaker Michael Madigan may have stuck his nose into this replacement fight a couple of weeks ago, which could be complicating Ronen’s quest to name her successor. Two of the committeemen, Sharpe and Fagus, work under Todd Stroger, a Madigan ally. Another problem - perhaps the biggest - is that both state Representatives in the district are from the 48th Ward, as is Steans, so the other committeemen would like the influence spread around a bit. Rep. Harry Osterman has so far resisted entreaties to move over to the Senate to allow Ronen to put Steans into the House as a backup plan. Osterman may want to run for alderman one day, plus the Statehouse atmosphere these days isn’t exactly conducive to a House member moving easily into the Senate. There is a possibility that Ronen could step down before the end of the candidate filing

Jay Paul Deratany got into the race late for Cook County Board of Review, District Two, where he will be taking on Joe Berrios, the almost 20 year incumbent. A huge district, Jay needed to collect about 4,000 signatures (in roughly 3 weeks) but will be coming to the table with 12-13,000 signed petitions, nearly three times the required number. A progressive Democrat, Deratany will be running against the corrupt Chicago political system, but his following is growing exponentially and a grass roots campaign effort is in full swing. www.jaypaulforcook.org

Professional politicians. Professional: 2 a: participating for GAIN or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs. b: having a particular profession as a PERMANENT CAREER. c: engaged in by persons receiving FINANCIAL return. Politician: 2 a: a person engaged in PARTY politics as a profession. b: a person PRIMARILY interested in political office for SELFISH or other narrow, usually short-sighted, reasons. Another excellent example of professional politicians acting in their own, narrow self-interest. kosicki: "Everybody has a chance to run in a FAIR election. The Cook county democratic party is also fair (to) the challangers,and protesters. If you guys followed the rules you will be GIVEN ballot acess." As if the Crook County Dumbocratic Party is willing to GIVE the GIFT of ballot access, said GIFT being the absolute RIGHT of EACH and EVERY citizen. We've come full circle, back to where our country began, with the people being ruled by an elite of 'royalty' no different than the royals our forefathers rejected and fought a revolution to free themselves from. 11th man: "At least we know how to TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS in the 11th." Riiiiiight. We citizens have seen how you royals take care of business. We pay through the nose for your version of taking care of business. We suffer every day because of the ways you royals take care of business. We've resigned ourselves to allowing you royals to take care of business, as if we are powerless to stop you. We are NOT powerless. We HAVE been responsible for being LAZY, for being CLUELESS, for being GULLIBLE, for being PAWNS, for being LESS than what our forefathers chose to be. Chris Lawrence: "It is high time we all stand up and insist on better from our elected representatives." In reality, it is high time we ALL stand up and insist on better CANDIDATES to choose from. This cannot happen until WE, as citizens, REJECT each and every 'royal' candidate, be they incumbents or hand-picked replacements for the incumbents. Both the Democratic Party AND the Republican Party are controlled and dominated by professional politicians, all with an ingrained sense of their own 'royal' Right-to-Rule. Governing, to professional politicians, is seen as a means to gaining wealth, exercising the powers to make law, interpret and adjudicate law, make policy and profit from same. In the medical professions, there is a fundamental rule, 'FIRST, DO NO HARM', albeit, not always adhered to by some. There is no such rule in the profession of politics. If anything, professional politicians live by the rule of 'Profit as much as possible, regardless of the harms caused to the citizens at large', limited only by the rule of 'Get elected at all costs, no matter what you have to do and no matter who you have to do it to'. WAKE UP, citizens, and apply the power of your vote to: HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT

Steans Family Foundation http://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org

Midsummer Night's Cookout 07/21/2005 - 8:00pm Event Hosts: Leo Smith and Heather Steans Cost: $125 (ticket), $1000 (sponsor), $2500 (benefactor) Make check payable to "Citizens for Carol Ronen" and mail to: Citizens for Carol Ronen c/o T. Mohorek, Treasurer 28596 W. Main Street Barrington, IL 60010 http://illinoisdemnet.com/node/333

Sen. Ronen announces resignation October 24, 2007 By LORRAINE SWANSON Pioneer Press News-Star Staff Writer "I thought it was time," Ronen said [of her surprise announcement less than a year into her latest term and 2 weeks before the filing deadline] http://www.pioneerlocal.com/newsstar/news/617581,SN-Ronen-102307-s1.article

"A week before Ronen made her public announcement, reporter Rich Miller spilled the beans about the real backroom politics involved in Ronen's betrayal of the public trust." The Rich Miller story doesn't seem to add up. The weighted votes he quotes add up to 70.4 % of the respective committeeman. Regardless, the voter should decide who their representatives are, not a few committeeman. Some or all of them work for various political interest groups and seem more accountable to them than to the voters. This is an elected position, not an appointed one. I hope all these candidates mentioned get on the ballot because I don't know any of them. My vote should count as much as any of these committeeman. This is Chicago politics at its best. They can't agree on how to do anything and wind up letting the taxpayer finally having a voice on the matter. Good luck to all trying to get on the ballot. I wouldn't vote for any of them right now. I would be interested in the Republicans are going to put someone in play for the seat. That would be funny if the liberal lakefront were to be in such disarray they gave the Republicans a shot. The lasting legacy of Stroger!

A week before Ronen made her public announcement, reporter Rich Miller spilled the beans about the real backroom politics involved in Ronen's betrayal of the public trust. FROM RICH MILLER'S Capitol FAX blog: FRIDAY, October 19, 2007 RONEN MAY LEAVE SOON Can someone please post a link to the original? thanks

The October 19, 2007 entry is password protected for subscribers to his blog. Subscription is only worth it to those who are too lazy to look at other press online or want really softball interviews with state officials and elected representatives. Rich Miller is way too chummy with these legislators. He isn't going to 'spill the beans' on any backroom dealings or his calls will be returned as often as they return their constituents calls. NEVER! Rich is also openly dismissive of Ben's tenacious coverage of TIF abuse in Chicago. He acts a lot like politicians in Chicago. Maybe the press and politicians in this state are one and the same??

"Maybe the press and politicians in this state are one and the same??" Not quite, unless one considers one's whore to be the same as one's self. Of course, there are many flavors of whore, some more honestly tasty than others. And some not at all tasty.

When you state that you "....wouldn't vote for any of them right now.", do you mean that you'll likely not be casting a vote for any candidate in this race, thus allowing the machine-backed candidate to need one less zombie-vote from the loyal minions?

Rich Miller is a small town hick writer who would get eaten up in chi-town. Miller is a loser. Stay in Springfield you hairy ape.

I love that the derisive "don't you have a job" comment comes on Sunday! Yes, I shouldn't be on here posting comments, and therefore your comments... Please, let's keep those hits coming. Who the heck is Frank Coconate, and why does he have a cadre of anonymous blog stalkers? I don't know anything about him, but anytime I see someone being hounded by a bunch of people, I figure he must be doing something right.

A hearty thank you, to 'I'm a dunce', for expressing his/her appreciation of my humble posting. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1043500753349352095

As much as you try to destroy Coconate, you make his reputation stroger! Keep coming with your stupid drunk posts!

To Thomas Westgard, I'll be on FOXNEWS Chicago Tuesday at 9 pm. I'm a critic of the mayor and his nerdy followers get off on posting without giving their real names. Don't let it get to you, the daley crew is a bunch of pussy's. They never fight straight up, it's always behind your back! They fired me from my job because I helped with uncovering rainblockers, Hired Truck, and the Hiring Scandal. So they go on BLOGS like these and try to spin me into something that is bad. Go to www.frankcoconate.com to learn more about me. Thanks for backing me up! PS To Chris, Patrick Daley is hiding while others are fighting the money war in IRAQ!

So, back to the original topic. What's the deal with the Birth to Five PAC? Was it operating legitimately in the years after the involuntary dissolution or not? Perhaps the dissolution is no more serious than exposing the PAC to some sort of tax liability. Does anyone on this blog know? Lastly, has a new position been confirmed for Ronen?

I am orginally from los angles. Is Daley and his followers as crooked as people say?

In a word, oh yeah! Sorry, that was two words.

Get a laugh this morning, watch this: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1043500753349352095

Focus, people. This isn't about Daley, or Frank, or some dumb sot drunk on the job. Really. Start a chat room already.

Rich Miller reported: "Ronen met with Mayor Daley this week to speak to him about Steans. She wouldn’t talk specifics, but did say that Daley is familiar with Steans’ family (major Chicago philanthropists) and likes them." Daley likes the Steans family? I guess so! Harrison I. and Lois Steans kicked in some number of dollars over a million toward the Harris Theater in Millennium Park. http://www.pbcchicago.com/upload/538.pdf

Heather's daddy Harrison Steans is currently the Chairman for the Executive Committee of Financial Investments Corporation- a private equity investment company, and family office. From 1967 to 1988, Mr. Steans worked for NBD Illinois, Inc. and its predecessor institutions. From its formation through 1987, Mr. Steans was Chairman of the Board and grew the organization from a single $40 million bank to a six-bank holding company with assets exceeding $1.8 billion. From 1973-1978, Mr. Steans was Chairman at LaSalle National Bank (Chicago). During his tenure, he increased assets from $450 million to over $811 million. http://harrisschool.uchicago.edu/Boards/vc/members/steans.asp

Heather Steans is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ), an important local news outlet. http://www.wbez.org/AboutUs_People_Board.aspx

Here's Heather on another board, this with Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin http://www.harborquest.com/Leadership.aspx

Heather seems like a good choice to represent the 7th, seeing as how the majority of residents of Edgewater & Rogers Park & environs come from money and serve on multiple boards.and host funders for incumbents and all. http://www.carolronen.org/vertical/Sites/%7B5CE1D0F5-6B8C-4A22-AC65-4752CE402B77%7D/uploads/%7B26FD97F4-028A-4CC4-AF01-3FBBBAFA03A3%7D.JPG

A stint with the Chicago Board of Ed in the 90's seems to have rolled off Heather's bio http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/arch/10-95/105cg.htm http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/dalc/roster/index.php?view=display_profile&person_id=218

Heather sounds like a political hack to da mayor.

A vote for Heather is a vote for Barack Illinois Women for Obama http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/IllinoisWomenforObama

Let's not forget that we may still have a choice in this race - and that choice is Suzanne Elder. Suzanne is a citizen activist, a progressive, and has spent the last 8 days putting together an effective, last minute canvassing effort that will hopefully place her on the ballot. She's still getting materials together, but you can read about what she's been doing the last few years at this website. http://www.thecareact.com/

Hubby Leo Smith, daddy Harrison, big sis Jenny, and little sis Robin were major funders of Personal PAC, which recall put out the mass mailing featuring candidate for the President of Cook County Board Tony Peraica artfully juxtaposed with a coat-hanger, the low point of a very low campaign. Peraica lost. It's great when a family, incl. the in-laws, can find fun stuff to do together. Peraica & Coat Hanger, November, 2006 http://howardwatchers.blogspot.com/2006/11/desperate-scare-tactic.html Smith, Leo 53XX N Lakewood $10,000.00 10/1/2006 to Personal PAC $2,500.00 7/5/2006 to Personal PAC Steans, Harrison Bannockburn $5,000.00 10/1/2006 to Personal PAC Steans, Jennifer Evanston $2,500.00 10/5/2006 to Personal PAC Steans, Robin Chicago $1,000.00 9/28/2006 to Personal PAC http://www.elections.state.il.us/CampaignDisclosure

How likely is it that there is already 1 or more shill candidates, waiting in the wings, ready to file on the last day, should Elder appear to file on said day? While it would be nice if Elder had a one-on-one contest with the Steans heiress, don't count on it. It's always amazing, how those with massive fortunes never seem to feel they have enough, as in enough money, enough power, enough influence, enough control, enough 'stature', etc., etc., etc.. How strange, that many who have little to nothing lead happier and more satisfying lives than those with much more than they could ever spend in several lifetimes. And, in the end, we all wind up in the same hole, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, we all must leave this world with what we came into it with, ie., nothing. Of course, we take with us the results of what we've done, to others and for others. "What Ye Sow, So Shall Ye Reap" HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT (And that includes those who the incumbents hand-pick to replace them) Make your list of incumbents, and incumbent-backed cronies, bring your list with you to the voting booth and dedicate yourself to NOT voting for ANYONE on your list. Simple. Effective. Easy. S.E.E.? Just Do It.

" ... Daley is familiar with Steans’ family (major Chicago philanthropists) and likes them." Chicago Children’s Museum 2004/2005 Annual Fund $1,000 - $4,999 Heather Steans and Leo Smith http://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/images/CCM_AnnualReport_FY05.pdf

A vote for Heather is is vote for more corruption in Chicago.

Chicago Children’s Museum 2005/2006 Annual Fund $10,000 - $19,999 Steans Family Foundation $1,000 - $4,999 Heather Steans and Leo Smith http://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/images/CCM_AnnualReport_FY06.pdf

Steans Institute for Young Artists at Ravinia http://www.ravinia.org/Steans/Steans.aspx

Irving W. Steans Center for Community-based Service Learning at DePaul University named for Heather's grampa http://cbsl.depaul.edu/

Hugh has pointed out some interesting tidbits: "From its formation through 1987, Mr. Steans was Chairman of the Board and grew the organization from a single $40 million bank to a six-bank holding company with assets exceeding $1.8 billion. From 1973-1978, Mr. Steans was Chairman at LaSalle National Bank (Chicago). During his tenure, he increased assets from $450 million to over $811 million." I wonder if some of this 'growth' stemmed from financial arrangements and deals cut with city, county and/or state governments? This seems likely, as, why else the 'generous' contributions to the various coffers of the machine? ( as in the Dumbocratic/Retardican Combine of 'one hand washes the other' politics) It's the age-old story of those who seek to rule, those who need to feel they're 'special', those to whom 'royal status' is most appealing, those who abhor the thought of being mere 'commoners'. Will the mass of citizens of this city, county and state continue to meekly accept their position as mere pawns? Or will they realize the power that they possess, in their Right to Vote, and, collectively wield that power to HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT? We've got a Primary Election coming up soon. Now is the time to flex those many voting muscles and see what effect a concerted and focused effort to deny incumbents, and their hand-picked successors, reelection/election. REGISTER TO VOTE VOTE on ELECTION DAY DO NOT vote for any incumbents, or their hand-picked replacements. Enjoy the feeling of seeing your vote actually count. HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT Just Do It.

In 2003 Heather Adeline Steans took over as Treasurer of the 9TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CAMPAIGN VICTORY FUND, a federal PAC, from Larry Suffredin (the 9th is Schakowski). http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00339804

From Heather's bio: " ... she has worked for two state governments – as a Budget Analyst for the Illinois Bureau of the Budget ... " Does anyone know what years Ms. Steans worked for the State of IL? I'd like to line it up against campaign contributions. Thanks! http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/dalc/roster/index.php?view=display_profile&person_id=218

Heather not only can lead the horse to water, Heather can make the horse drink said water.

Hugh's calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd; No one fools Hugh.

Sorry 'And then', just two filed.

Swell! Steans vs Elder = Money vs Integrity Steans = machine politics Elder = the Voice of the People Steans = $$$$$ buys anything Elder = Honesty, Humility, Integrity Here's your chance, boys and girls, to deny the machine it's chosen one.

As dumb as the voters in this area are, my moneys on the money chick.

Who is looking at Suzanne's petitions? PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND Mr. Kasper is a partner in the firm of Fletcher, Topol, O'Brien & Kasper, which became of counsel to Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in 1997. Mr. Kasper is currently the General Counsel and Treasurer of the Democratic Party of Illinois. He previously served as General Counsel to Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan and as Parliamentarian for the Illinois House of Representatives. I'm guessing they'll be trying hard to boot her off.

You can bet your sweet bippy they will!!! Elder should be prepared to fight the inevitable challenges AND be prepared to file suit, when the thoroughly corrupt Board of Elections boots her off the ballot. A one-on-one Primary contest is the machine's WORST nightmare, so they'll be NOTHING they won't do, or have done, to avoid it. Give this your best shot, Suzanne, you won't likely get a better one anytime soon.

Heather can make a paraplegic walk. Vote Heather.

Frank Coconate is the only person that I know who can punch a cyclops between the eye.

Mike Kasper is also the attorney for the criminal organization the Hispanic Democratic Organization. Mike Kasper was the lobbyist for the Venezuelan vote machines Seqouia that are being investigated by the US Treasury Department. Mike Kaper routinely tries to knock candidates off the ballot.

Mike Kasper has looked at a lot more petitions than he has ever challenged. Looking doesn't mean he is preparing a challenge. Heck, in this case, maybe he just wants a look at the petition equivalent of fish and loaves. It's a little something to bludgeon the do-nothing drunken sots with . . . eh? As for Madigan? Oh, please. Surely, he and Jones have bigger things to worry about than this.

"Mike Kasper has looked at a lot more petitions than he has ever challenged." Of course he has, as his job includes examining the machine's candidates' petitions, to foresee and prevent successful challenges to THEIR petitions. As for his 'looking at' authentic challengers' petitions, that's a given, though he may not be the individual who 'looks at' every petition, that's what his flunkies are for. "As for Madigan? Oh, please. Surely, he and Jones have bigger things to worry about than this." Also what these guys have flunkies for. And, remember, these professional politicians know that the devil is in the details, and that total control is always better than partial control. Keeping their collective foot on the necks of the independents is the best way to ensure their continued dominance, and thus, their continued wealth and power. All these Mister Potter-like creatures are obsessed with having their fingers in as many pies as possible, whether directly or through surrogates. "Oh what a tangled web they weave, as they practice to deceive."

kills you, don't it Pat? November 4th - 9:27 p.m. As much as you try to destroy Coconate, you make his reputation stroger! Keep coming with your stupid drunk posts! Just keep selling out your "phony candidates" to run against incumbents for a shakedown Cocopuffy, No Street Cred Bro.

it's an unintended consequent of run-away CEO salaries, daddies will always spoil their little girls

"Hugh has pointed out some interesting tidbits: 'From its formation through 1987, Mr. Steans was Chairman of the Board and grew the organization from a single $40 million bank to a six-bank holding company with assets exceeding $1.8 billion. From 1973-1978, Mr. Steans was Chairman at LaSalle National Bank (Chicago). During his tenure, he increased assets from $450 million to over $811 million.' I wonder if some of this 'growth' stemmed from financial arrangements and deals cut with city, county and/or state governments? This seems likely, as, why else the 'generous' contributions to the various coffers of the machine? (as in the Dumbocratic/Retardican Combine of 'one hand washes the other' politics)" Any info available on this?

I am king, just like Daley. Don't delete me, because Daley will delete you! Ha!

What's a father to do when his favorite daughter stomps her foot? PLEASE, Daddy, PLEASE, buy me a senate seat! You gave Robin the Foundation. You gave Jenny the investments. You KNOW they never learned to SHARE anything!. Where's mine? Do I have to wait for you to die? This is all I want. Donald bought Ivanka a luxury condo tower to play with, you'll get off easy! And it's not even the REAL Senate. It's the STATE Senate. Just get me this, I PROMISE I'll never to ask for anything EVER again. I PROMISE I'll get to the REAL Senate all on my own! I don't want to be a leech forever, what do you think I am? I PROMISE to keep the campaign under 8 figures. It'll be EASY. It's EDGEWATER, for god's sake. If you buy me on one more board seat, I'll just SCREAM! I'm TIRED of fundraising for other people, always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Think about it: you can be the next Joe Kennedy, except with GIRLS! It'll be FUN! PLEASE, Daddy, PLEASE?

If you are a voter in this district, and you want to have a choice in February, then I urge you to call Carol Ronen (773-769-1717), Jan Schakowsky (773-506-7100), David Fagus(773-973-4949), Joe Moore (773-338-5796) and tell them not to challenge Suzanne Elder's petitions.

Gwen foolish girl. We don't care about morality.

"Mike Kasper November 6th - 1:41 p.m. Gwen foolish girl. We don't care about morality." Obviously. BUT, you boys and girls DO care about vote totals. AND you DO care about the possibility that, should Suzanne Elder be denied ballot access, leaving Steans as the ONLY candidate on the Primary ballot, there might be a concerted WRITE-IN effort for Suzanne, with enough voters outraged at the machine's typical, underhanded and arrogant misuse of the election rules to garner Suzanne Elder enough WRITE-IN VOTES to WIN the Primary. IF enough people actually do call the above listed individuals, express their desires for an honest, fair and open Primary Election, for those individuals to refrain from their usually dishonest efforts to eliminate challengers, MAYBE those referred to might find it in their better interests to NOT challenge an honest person's rightful efforts to present herself to the voters for their consideration. The game is afoot, Watson!!! Tallyho!!!!!

I can go a month without reading these boards but can count on coming back to the same handful of dopes spouting the same stuff to each other in their semantic circle jerk. Instead of spouting off, go run for office. Instead of whining about challenges, go show somebody how to file petitions that comply with the LAW. The overwhelming amount of challengers are able to file and stay on the ballot. But when somebody gets knocked off for making a stupid mistake, or not turning in enough valid signatures, it's part of some grand conspiracy. Oh, I'm sorry. WAS I supposed to use CAPS somewhere to emphasize my POINT?

YES, you WERE. That is, IF you HAD a point. Feel free to go back to your self-satisfied, one-man circle-jerk. Save your strength for the holidays.

The great champion of a new kind of politics himself, Senator Barack H, Obama, had a couple of his supporters push the South Carolina Democratic Party to deny Stephen Colbert a position on the Ballot. And, like too often is the case, it had nothing to do with not having a modicum of support, in fact, it was seen as a threat with those between the ages of 18-35. Given a choice, they probably would have voted for the satirist over the dull idealist who can’t deliver anything other than a high-minded speech. The core to a democracy is an open and fair election. Announcing two weeks prior to the filing deadline that you are going to resign your seat (that wasn't up for election for three more years) or to find it funny that we continue too throw off candidates for stupid mistakes limits the choices of voters. What a sad commentary on politics in the great city of Chicago. They may not throw you in jail as they do in Pakistan or Egypt or any number of authoritarian states, but they do try and sell a successor to a handful of committeeman and the mayor so that the people (remember them, the ones who pay the taxes and empower those in charge) actually have a say in who represents them. What happened to living up to the ideals in our constitution? Government for the people, by the people, of the people. Power to the People! (maybe I should have put that in caps).

Ronen voted against the 7% cap. We let them get away with a lot when they think they are unaccountable. I wonder if Steans would be any different if she were allowed to buy a senate seat? God knows she can afford a modest few hundred dollars in property taxes, but an increase in the income tax or something more progressive?

Pull back and see the bigger picture. Decades of indoctrination and propaganda conditioning several generations to be compliant, cooperative cogs in the vast machine of monopoly commerce. Monopoly as in the common self interest of a relatively small number of human beings. Co-opted and manipulated cooperation of the many individuals who've 'invested' their own meager assets in the stocks of said monopolies, seeking to make the easy buck of 'return on investments', and we have the bed to sleep in that we've made for ourselves. An intricate economic web, woven for the sole purpose of transforming individual human beings into 'consumers', all striving vainly to produce enough income to satisfy their artificially induced 'need' to consume. Since those who actually work for their income are never paid enough, and, thus, can never earn enough, to satisfy the profit demands of those controlling the production of goods and services, those who work must borrow, at loan-shark rates of interest, the funds necessary to keep the machines of our economy from grinding to an dead stop. Everything we are taught, about the principles of economics, social values, the purpose and functions of government and laws, and the ideals of living as human beings, both moral and ethical, all come to naught, since few take any of the above seriously. We are, as the Native Americans have referred to us, a people who 'speak with forked tongues'. Those liars in politics could not be so successful, were it not for the fact that, we, the people, are as accomplished at lying to ourselves as we are at being lied to. When you buy a sack of shit, telling yourself that you've just got a great deal on a sack of gold nuggets, who have you to blame but yourself? Regardless of how full of shit those who criticize America are themselves, how fundamentally wrong they may be in their basic assumptions about their own values, they're still right when they say we are a nation of hypocrites. Because we are. Every single value that we claim to hold dear, we shit on. Every single ideal we claim to believe in, we give meager lip service to, routinely doing exactly the opposite of what living up to the ideal requires of us. Everyone of us is guilty of not being what we claim we are, some blatantly and enthusiastically, and others reluctantly, albeit out of apparent economic necessity. We claim we are a generous people, yet greed is what we worship. We claim we are a compassionate people, yet we act in the most egregiously ruthless manner to protect our greed. We claim that we are an honest people, yet, the only things we are honest about is our greed, our self-interest and our seemingly limitless capacity to indulge ourselves. We claim to be a people worthy of respect, yet we have no respect, whatsoever, for anyone or anything that impedes our seeking to satisfy our greed. We claim to be a moral people, yet our actions speak louder than our words, our actions being devoid of authentic morality. We claim to be a fair and just people, yet our actions are reliably unfair and unjust. We claim to be an intelligent people, yet we avoid engaging in even the most basic and simple thinking processes, preferring to focus our thoughts on satisfying our greed. Every single quality that we claim to denounce and reject, we, instead, embrace and relish. We don't have to wait for the Anti-Christ to appear, as, we are the Anti-Christ.

Oh come on, you stole that load of crap from some high and mighty priest.

double play time. SSS posts a comment that both criticizes and proves the above poster's point. nice.

Wow. So, it's not okay to run for office if you have been involved in politics and you have money? It's okay to guess and speculate and make up lies if you don't? Does a Master's degree in Public Policy from Harvard make Heather a bad candidate because she went to an elitist school or a well qualified one? Does serving on boards of WBEZ and the Erikson Institute make you unqualified because you took a leadership position in the community and gave your time? Why is being wealthy bad? I bet you'd like to be. This family has given incredible amounts of time and money to the community. Why does that make you so bitter?

That's not why residents in the 7th are bitter and suspicious. The 48th Ward has a long history of installing its favorite sons and daughters into various elected offices without the benefit of an election. Sen. Ronen spent months trying to do it here and residents cannot imagine that Ms. Stean was unaware of this effort. Ms. Stean may well possess the qualifications you cite but her patron's behavior effectively recast them as entitlement markers when she bear-pawed the process and the people who'd barely recovered from the insult of the Committeemen Coronation in May.

I would like a say in whom our favorite sons and daughters are. That is what being an American is all about, a majority get to determine who should represent them, not a few well connected who coronate each other into our political seats. They do not have a birth right to be representatives of us, and we should have an election of one man, one vote!

Heather Stearns may be an entirely reasonable, intelligent person. However, anyone endorsed by Carol Ronan and Jan schakowsky can't be all good. I'm advised that Sen. Ronan distinguished herself among legislative staffers - although it's possible that she's unaware of this - by the fact that she was widely thought to use the oldest picture of herself as her official portrait of anyone in the legislature.

"I'm advised that Sen. Ronan distinguished herself among legislative staffers - although it's possible that she's unaware of this - by the fact that she was widely thought to use the oldest picture of herself as her official portrait of anyone in the legislature." When you say 'the oldest picture of herself', do you mean a picture that shows her as YOUNG as possible, or as OLD as possible? And, in either case, what would you say is the significance of this?

Unlike earlier posts that disparaged Sen. Ronen's personal appearance, which I personally find to be a repugnant approach to political criticism, I think this tidbit about her official portrait symbolizes something that many in the district have known for some time--Sen. Ronen holds a particular view of herself that significantly differs from the one her constituents hold. She presents herself as a progressive, inclusive politician, yet all the while maneuvers to limit participation and lock doors so she can pass her job to a well-healed contributor and friend. Sen. Ronen seems to have attempted an end run around democratic process to pre-qualify her contributor and friend. The only reason we're typing on this topic today is because she failed. The committeemen, for whatever reasons, wouldn’t go along. Had she persuaded them of her choice, you would have been introduced to your new Senator right around the time the crocuses pop.

Perhaps my choice of words gave the impression that I wasn't asking what I was asking, namely, what might be the significances and purposes of a politician who chooses to present him or herself as being other than who they presently are. As an example, if Carol Ronen is fond of presenting herself, through the use of images of herself that are not current, one might speculate that she is seeking to give those who view said images the impression that she is younger, and perhaps more akin in her opinions and beliefs, to the younger citizens who are a part of the electorate. If Carol Ronen were to be fond of presenting images of herself that depict her as being older than she currently is, one might speculate that she wishes to give the impression, to the older members of the electorate, that she embraces their, presumably, more 'conservative' and 'traditional' perspectives. The commonly observed practices, of those currently holding publicly elected offices, to present themselves to various segments of the electorate as NOT who they ARE, but, rather, as who they wish those various segments to PERCEIVE them to be, (presumably for the purpose of deceiving said voters into believing that casting their votes for the person they have been led to believe share their perspectives, even when this is not so, will result in a more authentic and genuine representation of their interests), was the point you were trying to make. Whether Carol Ronen prefers to present herself, through the images of herself she chooses to make public, as YOUNGER than she actually is, or as OLDER than she actually is, in either case, she is presenting herself as what she is NOT. Hardly a rare occurrence for a politician. Also, not at all an HONEST one.

Yesterday evening I received a call from Ms. Stean’s and she informed me that her campaign would not be issuing any challenges to Ms. Elder's petitions. The tax-payers of the 7th district will get something that has been sorely lacking in our supposed Democracy, a real debate and choice between two very competent and well qualified individuals to represent us in the state senate. Chalk one up for the cause of democratic government - and the 48th ward will finally have an elected representative who can claim they won a mandate from the majority of people rather than yet another coward who has lost even the pretense that they believe in accountable government and respect the will of the majority.

Gee Chris, thanks for that heads up you moron. Now go back to your moms basement and masturbate.

We all know you've got a lot of time to kill, Mary Ann, hanging around the ward office, while your flunkies blow off your constituents, who visit every day, wanting you to actually do your job, but, unless you're getting your panties wet, imagining Chris in his "..moms basement..." masturbating, (and even if you are), that's one helluva feeble comment, even for you.

OH MY LORD! I haven't rubbed one out in my mother's basement in WEEKS!

Saying that this wasn't as bad as the Stroger maneuver, pretty much an outright fraud upon the electorate, is accurate but misses the point. The point is that it was an orchestrated move, months in the making. Ronen's new job was not a surprise to her nor to others, only to the public. You don't line up the endorsements and campaign team that Steans has, and put together an organization capable of gathering over 3000 signatures in a week, on the drop of a hat. Conversely, if in fact no one knew about this until October 22, then the politicians who gave their blessing did so without any investigation of who might else want to run, or who the community might want as their first choice. Instead, the pols made THEIR top-down choice in a backroom without consulting the rank and file, let alone the groups they routinely ask for support, let alone the Democratic voters of the district at large. This taints the candidacy. Steans may be a smart, personable, liberal. However the rolls of past elections, including many in the 49th, 48th, and 46th Wards, are littered with the names of smart, qualified, progressives who were denied the chance to do good because they didn't write big enough checks or kiss the proper pinky rings. Steans is the candidate of those in the 48th Ward who hand down political offices like they were family photo albums only because she made a conscious decision some years ago to become a fully vested member of Pay-to-Play Illinois, a system which leaves 99.95% of the public stuck standing outside the halls where policy decisions that abuse and loot us are made. Regardless of her other qualifications, she chose to go along with a power play, willingly accepting the benefits, and getting in bed with a clique that has spent their political careers keeping grassroots and independent Democrats marginalized. And to many, in the current crisis caused by a culture of corruption, that is a disqualifying event.

There were rumors inside the 48th ward's DNC office for sometime that Ronan was going to retire. Heather hangs out there and is a known multimillionare, along with her husband and is known for giving thousands of dollars to candidate. That is her qualificatio, "she has money." Money is the key in this run for office, she is hoping to buy her support, pay back is truely a bitch. Ronan well organized her retirement and Steans move to action

I came back to this post through the link on Suzanne Elders' website, and what strikes me this time through is what a collection of entitled victims has assembled here. Somebody actually complained that a politician set up "an orchestrated move, months in the making." No shit. What a travesty. I mean, I'm not in a position to know what Carol Ronen knew or when she knew it, but at that point you're blaming a politician for planning strategically and making tactical moves. People, it's what politicians do for a living. If you're in a car race, do you blame the other side for keeping their tank full? If you're competing for a lover's attention, do you blame the competition for taking a bath? Look out, that goddamn weather is interfering with my plans again. Christ, get over it. Suzanne Elder has some worthwhile qualifications; she doesn't need a cadre of pathetic blogwanker victims to back her up. Strategy isn't an unfair advantage - you strategize and take things into account. By complaining about the rules of the game, you give the impression that your candidate isn't capable of playing the game, that is, isn't qualified to hold a political position. You think you're helping Elder, but really you're just making her look weak by demonstrating that her supporters don't know how the game is played. For her sake, I hope her political advisers aren't among the commenters. Politics isn't won by whining.

Public Service isn't a game, even though it has been perverted into one by 'professional' politicians. Manipulating the public is, indeed, a game, a game played not only by politicians, but by many who consider themselves to be 'businessmen', as in busy-men, who are 'busy' manipulating their fellow citizens, generally for fun and financial gain. Professional politicians fit this definition to a tee. Professional politicians are NOT, nor do they EVER intend to be, Public Servants, though they disingenuously present themselves as such. Being skilled at playing 'the game' does not, in ANY way, qualify one for public service. It DOES qualify one to "...hold a political position.", which is quite different than a public service position, all politician's assertions to the contrary. This attitude, which, admittedly, has been embraced by some, and accepted by many, as the normal state of affairs, is the cause of the fraudulent condition our FAKE Democracy is in today, especially here in the 'County of Crooks' and the 'City That Works For Crooks'. Don't call on 'Christ' to help your kind to persuade the many to continue to accept this sham democracy as an inevitable, and unavoidable, pathetic substitute for Authentic Democracy. While it true that politics is a game, with no rules but one, 'win at any cost', POLITICS is NOT DEMOCRATIC GOVERNING. Politics, as the game is played here, is BAD BUSINESS, the same as CONSUMER FRAUD is BAD BUSINESS. If you want to continue to 'play the game' by the 'rules' written by the FRAUDS passing themselves off as public servants, you can. It's a 'free country', Tommy boy, and you are certainly 'free' to be as fraudulent as you wish to be, just don't whine when you, and your co-conspirators, are exposed for the frauds you are. And, next time you find yourself back here, please try your best to avoid making such an ass out of yourself, by posting exceptionally specious analogies, and blatantly fraudulent assertions as truth. This may be a good time for you to review the principles of Democratic government, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the many writings of Jefferson, Adams, Washington, et al., (you know, our Founding Fathers, the guys who created our Country and defined our Democracy, our Country being the United States of AMERICA, not some third world petty dictatorship....), and reassess your own perspectives on exactly what kind of citizen you choose to be. HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT (and THEIR LITTLE DOGS, TOO.)

Leave my tommy alone he needs to be alone

VOTE AGAINST ONE OF THE MOST CORRUPT OF ALL CHICAGO POLITICIANS-- JOE BERRIOS

Suzanne Elder has made a race of it. She has grassroots support in community organizations and merchants seem to like her. The LGBT community really likes her. According to her literature Elder won the endorsement of the IVI-IPO, the north side Democracy for America chapter, and just recently the N.O.W. endorsement. Steans racked up pretty much all the politicians plus a lot of organizations, but take away those she hadn't already showered with money and she has not won a lot of new converts. The Tribune followed the money and what they see as a winning bet. Are we surprised?

VOTE FOR ELDER!!! VOTE FOR JAY PAUL DERATANY VOTE FOR IRIS HERNANDEZ VOTE FOR OBAMA!

JOE BERRIOS IS A CORRUPT LYING DIRTBAG. VOTE DERATANY. END THE BERRIOS CORRUPTION.

I no longer live in the 48th ward. However, as a longtime colleague who has watched and benefited from Elder's policy making with respect to businesses, as well as noted her exemplary work with The Care Act, I avidly support Suzanne Elder's candidacy. She is a person of uncommon range and astonishing integrity, and exhibits passion and drive in all aspects of her life. A vote for Elder is a vote for vitality, follow-through, and honest representation.