Will the real Democratic Party of Illinois please stand up? By Carlos T. Mock
Will the real Democratic Party of Illinois please stand up? By Carlos T. Mock
It started silently with the February 27, 2006 Laura Washington’s Article in the Chicago Sun Times - 'Black/brown coalition' tests political waters – She lightly mentions a coalition between Chicago Democratic Congressmen Jesse L. Jackson Jr. and Luis Gutierrez. My sources tell me that Senator Barrack Obama is also part of the coalition. Joy Cunningham and Alexi Giannoulias are their inaugural projects.
The article made little impact on me until I received a mailing “paid for by the Democratic Party” (and, by extension, me since I’ve donated to them yearly) early this week with a headline from The Herald Tribune: “Casinos, murder donations and Jack Abtramoff”. Without any logical connection other than being on the same page next to each other it goes on to say “There’s something you need to know about the company State Treasurer candidate Alexi Giannoulias keeps”.
Then, I was even more bewildered by a second mailing received today from Secretary of State Jesse White, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Comptroller Dan Hynes, Speaker of the Illinois House Mike Madigan, and Illinois Senate President Emil Jones endorsing Mangieri over Giannoulias.
My first impression was: is this for real? With the war in Iraq and the mishandling of the economy by our President, I don’t appreciate the Illinois Democratic party spending my money in this manner. I think it is a waste of money to favor one Democrat over the other when they are both well qualified. The Democratic Party will not get any more of my money; candidates I feel represent me will.
My first reaction was to go to the booth and vote early for Giannoulias and Cunningham. My second was to find out what is going on.
Sources close to the party inform me that there is a bitter war for the control of the Democratic Party in Illinois. This is a fight to the death and what we’re seeing is pure fear.
For years, Mike Madigan was the Democratic Party in Illinois. The “Machine” also included Emil Jones, Jesse White, Lisa Madigan (daughter of the speaker), Dan Hynes with later additions of Tom Tunney, alderman of the 44th Ward, and congressman Rahm Emmanuel. But, now, they are sensing a threat!
Congressmen Jesse L. Jackson Jr. and Luis Gutierrez, and Senator Barrack Obama are quietly posting these two candidates—Joy Cunningham and Alexi Giannouli—against the old Machine. They were starting slowly and hoping to be quiet about it; but the established Democratic Machine is fighting them with all they have—both hard and dirty.
So when you go to the polls on March 21, you have a chance to do more than just elect some good and qualified politicians. You have a chance to tell the Old Guard of the Democratic Party in Illinois that you are tired of “Politics as usual”.
As in the rest of the country, other Democrats like me are fed up and want new voices and choices in the Democratic Party. Jackson, Gutierrez, and Obama are the new voices. We should let them know we are listening.
It started silently with the February 27, 2006 Laura Washington’s Article in the Chicago Sun Times - 'Black/brown coalition' tests political waters – She lightly mentions a coalition between Chicago Democratic Congressmen Jesse L. Jackson Jr. and Luis Gutierrez. My sources tell me that Senator Barrack Obama is also part of the coalition. Joy Cunningham and Alexi Giannoulias are their inaugural projects.
The article made little impact on me until I received a mailing “paid for by the Democratic Party” (and, by extension, me since I’ve donated to them yearly) early this week with a headline from The Herald Tribune: “Casinos, murder donations and Jack Abtramoff”. Without any logical connection other than being on the same page next to each other it goes on to say “There’s something you need to know about the company State Treasurer candidate Alexi Giannoulias keeps”.
Then, I was even more bewildered by a second mailing received today from Secretary of State Jesse White, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Comptroller Dan Hynes, Speaker of the Illinois House Mike Madigan, and Illinois Senate President Emil Jones endorsing Mangieri over Giannoulias.
My first impression was: is this for real? With the war in Iraq and the mishandling of the economy by our President, I don’t appreciate the Illinois Democratic party spending my money in this manner. I think it is a waste of money to favor one Democrat over the other when they are both well qualified. The Democratic Party will not get any more of my money; candidates I feel represent me will.
My first reaction was to go to the booth and vote early for Giannoulias and Cunningham. My second was to find out what is going on.
Sources close to the party inform me that there is a bitter war for the control of the Democratic Party in Illinois. This is a fight to the death and what we’re seeing is pure fear.
For years, Mike Madigan was the Democratic Party in Illinois. The “Machine” also included Emil Jones, Jesse White, Lisa Madigan (daughter of the speaker), Dan Hynes with later additions of Tom Tunney, alderman of the 44th Ward, and congressman Rahm Emmanuel. But, now, they are sensing a threat!
Congressmen Jesse L. Jackson Jr. and Luis Gutierrez, and Senator Barrack Obama are quietly posting these two candidates—Joy Cunningham and Alexi Giannouli—against the old Machine. They were starting slowly and hoping to be quiet about it; but the established Democratic Machine is fighting them with all they have—both hard and dirty.
So when you go to the polls on March 21, you have a chance to do more than just elect some good and qualified politicians. You have a chance to tell the Old Guard of the Democratic Party in Illinois that you are tired of “Politics as usual”.
As in the rest of the country, other Democrats like me are fed up and want new voices and choices in the Democratic Party. Jackson, Gutierrez, and Obama are the new voices. We should let them know we are listening.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 3:59 PM
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