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A special election for Illinois's 5th Congressional District seat will be held on April 7, 2009. A special primary election was held on March 3rd, 2009. By law, a general election must be held within 115 days of the vacancy (April 27, 2009). Until January 2, 2009, this was the seat of Rahm Emanuel, incoming Chief of Staff to President-elect Barack Obama.
The Cook County Clerk's Office has certified the following three political party nominees elected in the March 3rd, 2009 Fifth District Congressional Special Election:
What they're saying about the candidates and the race (in chronological order)
Chicago Progressive Examiner.com(03/06/09) web log blogger Sergio Barreto found that attending Fifth District Congressional candidate forums was more helpful than getting hung up on all of the political sniping.
"Instead of using the Web to obsessively follow every move in the 5th District special primary election (some people did), I formed opinions about the candidates aiming to fill Rahm Emanuel's former seat by attending two separate forums, paying special attention to their views on progressive issues. I hold one indelible memory of this weird little campaign: The initial half hour or so of the first forum, held at DePaul University on Feb. 1, when each of the candidates was given three minutes to introduce him or herself.
Eight of the 11 candidates in attendance were political novices, and at times it sounded as though they were making the exact same pitch, which I'll paraphrase thusly: "No, I've never held a political office. But why would you want that? Professional politicians got us in the mess we are in. Now let me tell you why my experience as a lawyer/doctor/Navy pilot/psychiatrist/realtor/economist/surgeon makes me the ideal candidate to represent you in Congress."[23]
The Chicago Sun Times(03/04/09) columnist Carol Marin cites "voter rebellion" as contributing to the election of Fifth District Congressional Democratic Party nominee Michael Quigley in the March 3rd Special Primary Election.
"Who knew at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday that an earthquake was about to hit Chicago's Northwest Side?
Not Mike Quigley. He was standing alone on the corner of Cornelia and Southport grasping a handful of campaign fliers. Fifteen minutes before the polls would close, he was giving one last pitch to Brown Line commuters who hadn't yet voted in the three-party, 23-person primary for Rahm Emanuel's 5th Congressional District seat.
Not the richest candidate, Quigley didn't have the cash state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz had raised.
A nemesis of regular Democrats, Quigley didn't have powerful ward bosses in his corner the way state Rep. John Fritchey did.
In a district the Machine has controlled since 1958 -- except for two aberrant years -- with congressmen named Rostenkowski, Blagojevich and Emanuel, the 5th was the ultimate insider's seat.
What exactly did an outsider like Quigley have that would change that?
WilderSide.WordPress.com(03/03/09) web log blogger "KW" appears intrigued by the congested Fifth District Congressional Primary Election contest, including five Green Party Primary candidates.
"An interesting primary. It is unusual for a third party to have 5 candidates in their primary, as the Green Party does in this race. The winner of the three primaries will run against each other in a special election on April 7th 2009. Check back here this evening for results and analysis.
The fifth Green Party candidate Alan Auguston elected to discontinue his campaign on February 5th and, as the Marine Corp veteran Auguston put it, "stand down."[25]
The Chicago Tribune(03/03/09) Election officials confirm that the 23 candidates vying for Congressman Rahm Israel Emanuel's open Fifth District seat sets a recent record!
"Voters in the 5th Congressional District head to the polls today for a rare special election to pick someone to succeed Rahm Emanuel in Congress.
They'll choose nominees from a crowded field of Democratic, Republican and Green Party candidates, with the special general election April 7.
With 23 different names on the various party ballots, city election officials say it is the largest number of candidates in one congressional race in Chicago in roughly the last 50 years.[26]
Chicago Sun Times(03/03/09) reporter Abdon M. Pallasch reports on the flurry of commuter campaigning on this morning of the Fifth District Congressional Special Primary Election on Chicago's Northside & in the near Northwest Suburbs just south of O'Hare International Airport.
"State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz and Ald. Patrick O'Connor (40th), rivals in today's Democratic primary election to succeed U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, sat on the stage for two hours of tributes to Polish-born Revolutionary War hero Casimir Pulaski Monday.
Polish-born Dr. Victor Forys is running as a favorite son of Poland in this race, but he was relegated to a chair off to the left of the main dias, where elected officials generally sit with men dressed in Polish and American cavalry uniforms to honor Pulaski in the annual pageant. Feigenholtz' adoptive Jewish mother was an immigrant from Poland, so she had an added claim to the chair.
Jan Donatelli, Sara Feigenholtz, Victor Forys, and John Fritchey at the 5th Congressional District forum.
(Al Podgorski/Sun-Times)
Retired Navy and Delta airline pilot Jan Donatelli, another of the 12 Democrats in this race, sat further back in the audience.
In the western part of the district, Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley shook commuters' hands at the Jefferson Park CTA station. University of Chicago economist Charlie Wheelan set off to criss-cross the district on rail.
State Rep. John Fritchey celebrated his 45th birthday in-between shaking hands at three train stations a senior bingo session.
The candidates have their volunteers working phone banks, calling and re-calling supporters to make sure they will be turning out to the polls today in what is expected to be a very low-turnout election.[27]
CBS News(03/03/09) The eyes of the nation will be upon the Fifth Congressional District Special Primary Election today as Chicago Northwest Side & near Northwest Suburban voters select three political party nominees.
"Right now, 23 candidates are vying to take White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's place in the Congress, but Chicagoans will narrow that field to three on Tuesday as they cast their primary ballots.
Emanuel's former 5th Congressional District includes much of the city's North and Northwest sides, except for the Rogers Park area, parts of the north lakefront and most areas south of Fullerton Avenue. The district also includes all or part of several near western suburbs, including Schiller Park, Franklin Park, River Grove, Elmwood Park, Melrose Park and Northlake.
The candidates vying for the seat include both current officeholders in state, city or county government and political newcomers whose names have been little heard before this election.[28]
CQPolitics.com(03/03/09) web log blogger Emma Dumain predicts that the chilly Chicago & suburban weather wrestles with political graft & corruption for the sympathies of Fifth District Congressional voters ushered in to neighborhood polling places on Chicago's Northwest Side & in the Near Northwest Suburbs just south of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport today.
"Chicago’s North Side will be bone-chillingly cold during the final days before the special election primary on March 3. But the nearly two dozen candidates to succeed Rep. Rahm Emanuel have no choice but to pound that pavement.
Both parties’ fields are jam-packed because of the unexpected opportunity created when Emanuel left his seat in Congress to become White House chief of staff.
There are 12 candidates just in the Democratic primary, which will produce the odds-on favorite for the April 7 general election in the overwhelmingly Democratic Fifth Congressional District.
The outcome in such a crowded field is hard to predict because of the uncertainty about how many people will show up at the polls.
Voter participation for special elections tends to be well below the average for regularly scheduled elections.
Turnout for this particular Tuesday primary could be dampened further by:
• Voters’ preoccupation with the current economic downturn;
• Political burnout from the election just four months ago that sent Chicago resident Obama to the White House;
• Anger about the corruption scandal that led the state legislature in January to oust Democratic Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich , who formerly represented the Fifth District in Congress;
• And the controversies surrounding Democrat Roland W. Burris , who Blagojevich appointed to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Obama.
The candidates who appear to make up the top tier in the Democratic contest have money for advertising. They thus will not be entirely reliant on canvassing the district’s demographically varied neighborhoods, which runs from the Lake Michigan shoreline just north of downtown across a swath of the city, reaching to its northern and western fringes.[29]
PublicAffairs2point0.Wordpress.com(03/02/09) web log blogger Jesse Greenberg describes the fun he's had capturing the twists & turns of the Fifth District Congressional Special Primary Election campaign during the most recent ten weeks.
"It’s been a lot of fun blogging about the Democratic Primary for the 5th District Congressional seat. We’ve seen a lot in the 10 weeks or so that the campaign has been in full swing. I thought it would be nice to provide a rundown of the best and worst moments in the primary.[30]
TheHill.com(03/02/09) web log blogger Reid Wilson wraps up coverage of the Fifth District Congressional race just hours before voters cast their ballots in the March 3rd, 2009 Special Primary Election.
"Voters in northern Chicago and its suburbs head to the polls Tuesday to select nominees to fill White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s congressional seat.
With a dozen Democrats and half a dozen Republicans vying for their parties’ respective nominations, clear favorites have emerged, though observers trying to guess the winner say it will be a close contest that hinges on get-out-the-vote operations.
On the Democratic side, Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley began the race with a slight name-recognition advantage, and both public and private polls taken as few as two weeks ago show him holding a slim lead. Political watchers say endorsements from the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times will help Quigley overcome a fundraising shortfall.
State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D) has been on television for several weeks thanks to a major fundraising advantage, and she’s also getting help from the Service Employees International Union, which has dumped more than $250,000 into the race on her behalf. Though Emanuel has not endorsed a candidate, a Feigenholtz sign is planted in front of his Chicago home, and her appeal to women may give her a leg up among a field dominated by men.
State Rep. John Fritchey, labor lawyer and liberal blogosphere favorite Tom Geoghegan, Chicago alderman Pat O’Connor and author Charlie Wheelan round out the top tier of candidates.[31]
The Washington Post(03/03/09) reporter Peter Slevin favors the Democratic Party candidates in his coverage of the 23 Fifth District Congressional candidates vying for the Party's nomination on the eve of the Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 Special Primary Election.
"Some special elections become a referendum on policy or party. But the primary here on Tuesday is not one of those.
When Democratic voters go to the polls here to choose a successor to Rahm Emanuel, who gave up his seat in the House to become Barack Obama's White House chief of staff, they will be sorting through a crop of mainstream Democrats in a district that has gone Republican exactly once since 1907.
All profess belief in political reform. All support better and cheaper health care and a stronger economy. All are distancing themselves from ousted governor Rod Blagojevich and the man he propelled into the Senate seat that Obama vacated, Roland W. Burris (D).
"No one's voting on the issues," said Paul Green, a political analyst and Roosevelt University professor. "It's the candidate's name, who contacted them, stuff like that. In the old days, this would be called a precinct captain's election: 'Vote for my guy. Who wins it doesn't make a difference. Do it for me.' "
Analysts expect the primary in this overwhelmingly Democratic district to be decided by a relatively small number of voters who brave the winter cold to go to the polls, with not a single other race on the ballot. Organization counts, and each of the leading Democratic contenders can boast of an organizational toehold.[32]
Chicago Public Radio WBEZ 91.5FM(03/02/09) "Eight Forty-Eight" program enlisted Chicago Sun Times reporter Abdon M. Pallasch to help summarize 30-second presentations from each of the responding Fifth District Congressional candidates on the eve of the Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 Special Primary Election.[33]
DavidOrmbsby.Wordpress.com(03/02/09) web log blogger David Ormsby reports that at least one politlcal organization affiliated with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley may have crossed the Shackman Consent Decree "Maginot Line" by working for Alderman Patrick O'Conner to dilute Regular Democratic Organization support for State Representative John Fritchey. "Is State Rep. Sara FeigenholtzMayor Richard Daley’s favored candidate in the Illinois 5th C.D. special election on Tuesday?
Is Daley trying to nudge Feigenholtz over the finish line by giving a last minute shove to ostensible Feigenholtz rival 40th Ward Alderman Patrick O’Connor, Daley’s un-official City Council floor leader?
Mayor Richard Daley
Rich Miller reported on Friday in his Capitol Fax newsletter that the Mayor is making his move to boost O’Connor’s campaign.
“Word is that a political organization strongly affiliated with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is sending troops in to help Ald. Pat O’Connor’s 5th Congressional District race. That move will likely damage Rep. John Fritchey’s campaign because Fritchey is relying on “regular” ward organizations for a big chunk of his support,” Miller wrote.
A Daley push for his long-time ally would no hold realistic expectation that O’Connor could actually win. Without the early hoped-for and overt Daley endorsement, O’Connor has run a virtual ghost campaign. As of Friday, O’Connor had raised only $102,000. And he has mustered only a single, meek cable ad in the TV air war.[34]
[NWACO has reported that members of the tainted Hispanic Democratic Organization have been deployed in to State Senator Ira Martinez's 20th State Senate District on Chicago's Near Northwest Side to work for one of the Democratic Party candidates & at least one independent Spanish-speaking candidate.]
[The January 10th, 2009 Regular Democratic Organization Zam Zam Banquet Hall endorsement session split Chicago RDO ward committeeperson support between State Representative John Fritchey & 40th Ward Alderman Patrick O'Connor. The above report may simply be reflective of the same.]
The Wall Street Journal(03/02/09) reporter Douglas Belkin calls the Fifth Congressional District Special Primary Election a "free for all."
"The tainted Illinois political machine has left a vacuum in the race to fill Rahm Emanuel's congressional seat.
The Illinois fifth district, on the city's North Side, has long produced forceful, hyperpartisan Democrats who have brought their sharp elbows to Washington. Former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan Rostenkowski held the seat before he was convicted on corruption charges. Ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich represented the district for three terms before Mr. Emanuel, now the White House Chief of Staff, won the seat in 2002.
Now, with the city's machine hobbled by negative headlines about Mr. Blagojevich and Sen. Roland Burris, neither the Democratic Party nor Mayor Richard Daley, usually the city's kingmaker, has offered an endorsement. This has left the door open to 23 candidates, including a slew of political neophytes like a Polish-speaking doctor, an airline pilot and a Cuban-born psychiatrist who grew up in public housing.
Six Republicans, five Green Party candidates and a dozen Democrats will run in a special simultaneous primary Tuesday. The winner of the Democratic primary is heavily favored to win the general election on April 7. The winner will fill the remainder of the two-year term Mr. Emanuel won in November.[35]
Election.WindyCity.com(03/02/09) web log "twitter" shares random observations from voters & campaign workers on the movement of Fifth District Congressional candidates.[36]
HuffingtonPost.com(03/01/09) web log blog compares fund-raising for two of the 12 Democratic candidates vying for the Fifth District Congressional seat formerly held by President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Israel Emanuel.
"With under three days before Democratic voters will choose a nominee to replace Rahm Emanuel in the Fifth Congressional District, the eager candidates are pulling out all the stops.
State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz is maintaining the decided fundraising lead she has held throughout, but State Rep. John Fritchey and Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley are closing strong, with Fritchey reporting over $30,000 in contributions on Friday's 48-hour filing reports and Quigley disclosing over $15,000, according to Progress Illinois' fundraising table. Feigenholtz's total reported funds are $801, 244 while Fritchey, the closest candidate behind her, totals $584,913.[37]
The Chicago Tribune(03/01/09) refreshed their Editorial Board endorsement of Fifth District Congressional candidate Mike Quigley in the March 3rd, 2009 Special Primary Election in the face of candidate Sara Feigenholtz's well-funded advertising campaign.
"There are a lot of Democrats running in the 5th Congressional District and a lot of them have been throwing mud in the last few weeks. Democratic voters might be growing weary, and even a bit confused.
Let's bring it down to this. If you're a Democrat and you want a candidate with solid Democratic values, you can almost throw a dart at the ballot. Almost all of them qualify breeches.
If you're a Democrat and you want a candidate who fights every day against the corruption and ineptitude that plagues State and local government, you have one candidate: Cook County CommissionerMike Quigley.
The Tribune has endorsed Quigley because he has spent 10 years on the board challenging the political status quo. He led the fight against Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's 1 percentage-point sales-tax increase. He blocked Stroger's attempt this year to borrow money to pay for even more of Cook County's bloated operation.
He has sought to protect taxpayers and to provide better health care and other services in Cook County. He has been a leader on the environment and human rights.
We watched Quigley at a news conference on Friday, fending off a negative ad blitz from Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, one of his opponents, who has questioned his reform credentials. Quigley has thrown some barbs her way too. We're not going to dissect all these attacks.
We'll just pick up a quote from Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool, who has also been stalwart in his efforts to clean up county government
"For 10 years Mike Quigley has stood up to the Stroger political machine," Claypool said at the Friday presser. "He was first on the beach. He led the way ... to suggest otherwise is patently absurd."[38]
The Chicago Sun Times(02/28/09)columnist & Channel 5 WMAQ political editor Carol Marin writes about one of the Fifth District Congressional candidates--State Representative John Fritchey--using exerpts from one of her earlier columns in Fritchey's campaign mailer:
"Memo to Fritchey about Quigley
Fifth Congressional District candidate John Fritchey sent a note of apology. Fritchey quoted me in a campaign mailer but misspelled my last name in the attribution. No problem, John.
The problem was the selective use of my words regarding your opponent, Mike Quigley, about whom I have written a lot....
The criticism of Quigley at the time was that despite his long history of reform as a commissioner on the Cook County Board, he had tried to find common ground with its hopeless president, Todd Stroger, exacting promises of more transparency in return. It didn't work out the couple of times Quigley tried, and he quickly went back to being the ferocious voice of opposition.
And if State Rep. Fritchey, who also properly lays claim to some reform credentials, is going to throw stones for working with un-reformers from time to time, he better be careful. After all, one of his big backers in this candidate-clogged race for Rahm Emanuel's old seat is none other than Dick Mell, the alderman, ward boss and infamous father-in-law who was instrumental in giving us Rod Blagojevich as governor before he later turned on his ingrate son-in-law.
So for the record, no candidate in this race survives living in a glass house. But Quigley has been the real deal.
And you can sign that anyway you want -- Martin or Marin.[39]
CBS WBBM NewsRadio 780 AM(02/28/09) features the best of February 23, 2009 Northeastern Illinois University Fifth District Congressional forum from 9:00am till 9:00pm, Sunday March 1st, 2009. Hear the best ideas for the nation's future from the field of 23 candidates representing the Green, Republican & Democratic Parties.[40]
The Chicago Sun Times(02/27/09) reporter Abdon M. Pallasch nails down Fifth District Congressional candidate & 40th Ward Alderman Patrick O'Connor for O'Connor's campaign mailings which opponents say appear to imply the support of former Congressman Rahm Israel Emanuel.
"Is Mayor Daley's "unofficial floor leader" claiming "unofficial endorsements" from Rahm Emanuel and Sen. Dick Durbin?
No, no, no, Ald. Patrick O'Connor (40th) is not trying to imply any endorsement by Durbin or Emanuel -- the man he hopes to replace in Congress -- by running their photos and testimonials in his campaign literature, a spokesman said.
"These are not endorsements -- these are taken from letters they have written during his time as alderman," said O'Connor spokesman Phil Molfese. The comments are undated.
Durbin and Emanuel both emphasized through spokesmen Thursday that they have made no endorsements among the 12 Democrats running in Tuesday's primary for the congressional seat Emanuel left to become President Obama's chief of staff.
Nor should anything be read into the campaign sign in Emanuel's front yard for O'Connor rival state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, Emanuel's spokesman said. Emanuel lives at the North Side home with his wife, Amy Rule, and their children. Feigenholtz had no comment on her sign in the Emanuels' front lawn.
Another piece of O'Connor literature Thursday ran a blow-up of a sentence from a Sun-Times story that appears to say the Sun-Times predicts O'Connor will be able to work collaboratively with President Obama. O'Connor's flier omits the "O'Connor said" from the sentence, which would have shown that it was O'Connor -- not the Sun-Times -- predicting that he would be able to work collaboratively with Obama.
Next to that, O'Connor's flier runs an undated Chicago Tribune story in which then-columnist David Axelrod, who is now a senior Obama adviser, compliments O'Connor. Axelrod left the Tribune 25 years ago.
"It's disingenuous but it's an old game," rival candidate Mike Quigley said of O'Connor's fliers.
Asked for his response, Axelrod said, "I predicted the Bears would win the Superbowl in 1985."[41]
The Chicago Sun Times(02/27/09) columnist Rich Miller explores the role that many of the lower spending Fifth District Congressional candidates will have upon the electoral prospects of the big spenders.
"Almost nobody wants to make a prediction about the 5th Congressional District special election this coming Tuesday.
A crowded field, very high numbers of undecided voters, a lack of news coverage (particularly by the TV stations) and the fact that none of the candidates has really caught fire all add up to puzzlement for handicappers.
The guesstimates I'm getting from the campaigns have Democratic turnout at between 35,000 and 40,000 -- about a quarter to a third of those who voted in the last primary. Somebody could win with as few as 10 thousand or 12 thousand votes. So you can make a case for any number of candidates.
Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley started the race way ahead in the polls, and he's still at or near the top. That means he'll do well with people who believe it's their duty to vote in every election but are still vague about their final choice. He has a loyal cadre of workers, and his campaign believes they have identified more than enough supporters to win. They just have to get them to the polls.
State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz has spent the most money by far, both on her own and through huge independent expenditures on her behalf by the Service Employees International Union and EMILY's List. Women often tend to vote for women, and women dominate Democratic primaries. Feigenholtz's campaign has been almost purely targeted at female voters, so she'll get lots of votes from undecided women. Feigenholtz also has a big field operation and enthusiastic support in the gay community.
Like Quigley and Feigenholtz, state Rep. John Fritchey's base is in the eastern end of the district near the lake. But Fritchey also has the backing of ward and township organizations that control more than half the precincts in the district. Yeah, the Machine ain't what it used to be, and there are still questions about how hard some of these committeemen want to work, but the reality is that if each of his precinct captains secures 30 to 50 voters, then Fritchey wins this thing.
There's a small potential for an upset by a "second-tier" candidate, but they will more likely be spoilers for one or more of the top candidates.[42]
NBC Channel 5 WMAQ-TV(02/26/09) reporter Steve Rhodes scrutinizes two recent Chicago daily newspaper endorsements of one of the twenty three candidates vying to replace Congressman Rahm Emanuel who resigned to become President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff.
"Both the Tribune and the Sun-Times have made their endorsements in the Democratic primary race to replace Rahm Emanuel in Congress, and they've both picked the same candidate to back: Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley.
Why?
Let's take a look.
"[Quigley] has an outstanding record of independent, reform-minded performance in office," the Tribunesays. "Quigley has been a forceful, persistent critic of Cook County Board President Todd Stroger."
Some of Quigley's opponents beg to differ, but that makes the Tribune editorial board's view all the more compelling, given that it has been the biggest critic of Cook County government for years.
"Quigley has done exhaustive work on how county government could provide better health care and other services to people in far more efficient and cost-effective ways," the Trib says. "His reports on how to improve county government are without parallel in Illinois politics."
Yes, but what kind of congressman would he be?
"He will take that same laserlike focus on effective, efficient and compassionate government to Washington.
"There is more to him than his work on government reform. Quigley has an outstanding record on human rights, health care and the environment. (The Reader said he’s 'arguably the greenest elected official in Chicago.') He has sound ideas on reviving the U.S. economy, on national health care, on how to put people back to work."[43]
MedillReportsChicago.com(02/26/09) reporter Alex Keefe highlights hefty fund-raising & spending among three of the most prolific Democratic Party candidates in the Fifth District Congressional Special Primary Election on Chicago's Northside & in the near Northwest Chicago suburbs.
"
Democrat Sara Feigenholtz has been the top spender in the 5th Congressional District race, according to recent filings with the FEC and local TV stations.
State rep. John Fritchey has been the second biggest spender, according to the most recent figures available.
Democratic Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley is third in the spending race, according to recent filings.
Mailing 45,000 voters to tell them you like to squirt ketchup on your hot dogs: $25,000.
Buying a 30-second political television ad during the 10 o’clock news: $2,800.
Winning the March 3 special primary to fill Rahm Emanuel’s congressional seat: Priceless, apparently, but getting to that point certainly isn’t.
When it comes to financing these campaigns, the top candidates running for Emanuel's seat in the 5th Congressional District special election like to emphasize how much cash they’ve raised and how much they have “on hand”—that is, money in the bank.
Democrat Sara Feigenholtz currently has the fundraising lead, with more than $570,000 raised, according to her most recent filings with the Federal Election Commission. She’s also lent her campaign $100,000, and the Service Employees International Union recently pledged another $250,000 to buy television spots on her behalf.
Democrat John Fritchey has raised more than $500,000; Mike Quigley, also a Democrat, is third in the money race, with nearly $415,000 raised.
Looking at where campaigns are spending their money can tell you a lot about their custom publishing strategy and their chances of winning. In most campaigns, the bulk of the money goes toward what politicos call “voter outreach.” That includes television ads, automated phone calls and things like Fritchey’s full-color mailer admitting his love of ketchup on hot dogs, a culinary faux pas in Chicago.
Although the junk mail may get thrown out and the TV commercials surfed over, that kind of voter contact could play an especially critical role during this truncated special election."[44]
Windy City Media Group(02/25/09) Scores Fifth District Congressional candidate responses to sixteen questions of vital concern to readers & Internet site viewers.
WIND-AM 560 (02/27/09)"Overnight Chicago" radio talkshow host Geoff "The Pinkster" Pinkus invited all 23 Fifth District Congressional candidates to join him to discuss the issues in the March 3rd Special Primary Election campaign between midnight & 3:00pm. Those accepting his invitation included: Democratic Party candidates Jan Donatelli & Cary Caparelli. Republicans included Rosanna Pulido, Jon Stewart & Dr. David Anderson PhD. Finally, four of the five Green Party candidates accepted the invitation: Deb Gordils; Matthew Reichel, Simon Robeiro & former downstate news broadcaster & candidate Mark Arnold Fredrickson.
CQPolitics.com(02/27/09)web log blogger Emma Dumain predicts that candidates must compete with a big lineup of salacious news makers to gain traction for their hefty commercial buys in the crowded Fifth District Congressional Special Primary Election campaign,
"Chicago’s North Side will be bone-chillingly cold during the final days before the special election primary on March 3. But the nearly two dozen candidates to succeed Rep. Rahm Emanuel have no choice but to pound that pavement.
Both parties’ fields are jam-packed because of the unexpected opportunity created when Emanuel left his seat in Congress to become White House chief of staff.
There are 12 candidates just in the Democratic primary, which will produce the odds-on favorite for the April 7 general election in the overwhelmingly Democratic Fifth Congressional District.
The outcome in such a crowded field is hard to predict because of the uncertainty about how many people will show up at the polls.
ABC Channel 7 WLS-TV(02/27/09) reporter Alan Krashesky examines the six Republican Party Fifth District Party candidates vying for their party's nomination in the Special Primary Election scheduled March 3rd, 2009.[45]
ProgressIllinois.com(02/27/08) web log blogger Adam Doster reports that Fifth District Congressional Democratic Party candidate Tom Goeghegan has filed suit demanding a that US Senator Roland Burris' US Senate seat be put up for a Special Election prior to the end of his January, 2011 term.
If the General Assembly or the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee isn’t prepared to unseat Sen. Roland Burris, labor lawyer and 5th Congressional District candidate Tom Geoghegan is ready to take on the fight.
At a press conference at the Dirksen Federal Building this morning, Geoghegan -- along with co-counsels Scott Frankel, Rob Cohen, and former alderman Marty Oberman -- announced that he has filed a suit in federal court against the state of Illinois and Gov. Pat Quinn seeking a special election for the US Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.
[ProgressIllinois.com is sponsored by the Service Employees International Union. SEIU has endorsed attorney Geoghegan's Democratic Party rival--State Representative Sara Feigenhotz.]
ProgressIllinois.com(02/26/09) web log illustrates the perceived strengths of the biggest spender running Democratic Party candidates in the Fifth District Congressional race.
"
"When voters go to the polls on March 3, they'll find a dozen Democratic candidates on the ballot: a crowded field of elected officials, activists, and outsiders. Last week, we narrowed this pool down to the five campaigns that have raised the most money according to available FEC reports. We then pored over their statements on a variety of issues and attempted to identify the relevant distinctions.
In the week since, we've taken a long, hard look at these five candidates' policy positions, their professional backgrounds, and the way they've conducted their respective campaigns. Using this wide-angle view, we've determined that three of them are best qualified to advance a progressive agenda in Congress.[47]
ABC Channel 7 WLS-TV(02/26/09) reporter Alan Krashesky questions the origin of a promotion campaign sign posted on the lawn of President Obama's Chief of Staff & former Congressman Rahm Israel Emanuel. Democratic Party candidate Sara Feigenholtz declines whether a member of Emanuel's family approved the Feigenholtz sign placement or whether an overenthusiastic campaign claimed this "beachhead."
The Chicago Tribune(02/26/09)Associated Press reporter Deanna Bellandi observers that "Who(m)ever ends up winning former Rep. Rahm Emanuel's congressional seat in a special election has some catching up to do.
Congress is already in session and key legislation has been passed, chiefly a massive $787 billion stimulus package that will mean a cash infusion for states like Illinois strapped by the recession.
High on the to-do list for Emanuel's replacement will be making sure the 5th Congressional District — stretching from Chicago's wealthy North Side lakefront to ethnic enclaves on the northwest side and neighboring Cook County suburbs — gets its fair share of government largesse.
"Obviously, you want to be there in the thick of things to fight for everything you can," said Democratic candidate and state Rep. John Fritchey. Fritchey is among a dozen Democrats vying for his party's nomination in a March 3 special primary for a shot at the seat Emanuel left in January to become President Barack Obama's chief of staff.
The primary pits well-known Chicago Democrats against each other from Fritchey and his colleague state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz to Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley and longtime Chicago Alderman Patrick O'Connor. A reliably Democratic district withWrigley Field as one of its landmarks, the upcoming primary will winnow a field that also includes sixRepublicans and five Green Party candidates.[48]
The Chicago Tribune(02/26/09) reporter John McCormick casts Fifth District Congressional Democratic Party candidate Sara Feigenholtz's signature issue as being health care.
"Though there are two medical doctors in the contest, none of the Democrats seeking to succeed Rahm Emanuel in Congress talks more about health care than state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz.
After years of leading a key social spending panel in Springfield, she quickly can slip into the topic's bureaucratic buzz, rattling off abbreviations for numerous programs and funding mechanisms.
Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) comes by it naturally. Her mother, who adopted her as a newborn, was a doctor.
"She used to treat people in our kitchen, right on the table," she recently told supporters regarding her mother's charitable acts in their North Side neighborhood.
The many maternal mentions Feigenholtz is making during the campaign carry the political benefit of appealing to older women, a key demographic in the March 3 special primary in the 5th Congressional District.
As one of just two women among the dozen Democrats, Feigenholtz has not been shy about playing gender politics in a district that includes much of the North and Northwest Sides and some near northwest suburbs.
Shortly after announcing her congressional bid in the heavily Democratic district, she won the backing of EMILY's List, a powerful national fundraising organization that supports female candidates.
The Service Employees International Union also is spending at least $275,000 to boost her candidacy, a sum larger than what many of the other candidates have raised themselves. The labor union also was a big backer of Rod Blagojevich, who was driven from office after his December arrest on political corruption charges.[49]
The Chicago Tribune(02/26/09) reporter Dan Mihalopoulos compares one of the most prolific fund-raisers running to become the next Congressman representing the Fifth District of Illlinois with that of his predecessor--former Congressman, State Representative and, more recently, Governor Milorod "Rod" Blagojevich.
"Like his predecessor in the Illinois House, John Fritchey is trying to jump from Springfield to Washington running as a reformer.
And much like then-state Rep. Rod Blagojevich did in his bid for Congress, Fritchey enjoys the backing of a politically connected father-in-law, other clout-heavy Democratic North Side ward bosses and many labor unions.
But Fritchey said that's where the similarities end between him and the allegedly corrupt former governor.
"I've put more time and energy into trying to clean up not only local politics here but also state politics than any legislator you can find," said Fritchey, one of 12 Democrats in the March 3 special primary for the U.S. House seat vacated by Rahm Emanuel when he became PresidentBarack Obama's chief of staff.
Fritchey said he has proved his clean-government zeal as a vocal Blagojevich critic in recent years and as chief sponsor of more than "two dozen pieces of reform legislation" since he was elected to replace Blagojevich in the General Assembly in 1996.
Foremost, Fritchey said, is a new law banning major state contractors from donating to statewide elected officeholders who assign the contracts. He also pushed for a 2003 ethics law that created the state inspector general, restricted officials from moving to jobs with companies they regulate and barred public officials from promoting themselves in taxpayer-paid public service announcements.
Still, Fritchey said his congressional campaign is the target of critics who have made him "a victim of insinuation" and "try to paint me as a product of ward organizations."[50]
NBC Channel 5 WMAQ-TV(02/25/09) reports that two of the twelve Democratic Party candidates seeking their party's nomination in the March 3rd, 2009 Special Primary Election for the vacant Fifth District Congressional seat once shared more than the same Belmont Avenue 44th Ward Office.
Quigley and Feigenholtz were once an item when they were both working in the 44th Ward, the Sun-Times reported.
The short-lived relationship happened early on in their careers and ended amicably, but one wonders if that relationship has deteriorated somewhat since then -- considering they're running against each other in the primary that takes place next week.[51]
ABC Channel 7 WLS-TV(02/25/09) reporter Alan Krashesky tells Fifth District Congressional Democratic Primary voters about six of the candidates in the March 3rd, 2009 Special Primary Election.[52]
RussStewart.comNadig(02/25/09) newspaper columnist & attorney Russ Stewart doubts that the turnout in the Fifth District Democratic Party Congessional nominee will earn much of a March 3rd, 2009 voter mandate going up against the Republican & Green Party nominees in the April 7th Special General Election.[53]
The New York Times(02/25/09) reporter Katharine Q. Seelye underscores the diversity in the field of 23 Fifth District Congressional Special Primary Election on March 3rd, 2009.
"The Fifth Congressional District on Chicago’s North Side, a Democratic stronghold, has a history of electing larger-than-life representatives — Dan Rostenkowski, one of the most powerful members of Congress before he pleaded guilty to mail fraud in 1996 and served 15 months in federal prison; Rod R. Blagojevich, the erstwhile governor who was driven from office after skipping his own impeachment trial and faces federal corruption charges; and Rahm Emanuel, the head-knocking former Clinton White House aide who soared to power in the House before stepping down to become chief of staff to President Obama.
Now, voters in the district are preparing to choose their next representative, and the race is a free-for-all that has drawn a disparate field of 23 candidates, some with no political experience.
“How do you follow Rostenkowski and Blagojevich and Emanuel?” asked David N. Wasserman, who studies House races for The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan newsletter. “What will this person be notorious for?”
In a special primary on Tuesday, voters will choose among 12 candidates on the Democratic ballot, six on the Republican ballot and five for the Green Party. Whoever wins the Democratic primary is all but certain to win the special general election on April7.[54]
NBC Channel 5 WMAQ-TV(02/25/09) reporter Steve Rhodes claims he's overwhelmed by unsolicited e-mail press releases pouring in from many of the 23 Fifth District Congressional candidates vying for the seat vacated by now Obama Administration Chief of Staff Rahm Israel Emanuel.
"Now, to be fair, I'm not on the e-mail lists of every candidate running to replace Rahm Emanuel in Congress from the 5th District.
In fact, I haven't signed up to be on the e-mail list of a single candidate (well, after talking to a representative of one campaign, we agreed that she would double-check to make sure I was on their list). But that doesn't mean my inbox isn't full.
I thought I would summarize the last few days of the campaign from the prism of said inbox.[55]
ProgressIllinois.com(02/24/09) web log blogger Josh Kalven shares the latest SEIU television advertising 30-second spot promoting the candidacy of Sara Feigenholtz, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias' endorsement of John Fritchey & a hearty vote of support for fellow Fifth District Congressional candidate Tom Geoghegan.
"Tom Geoghegan has also received some support on the national stage from two high-profile writers, neither of whom are progressives: U.S. News & World Report's Michael Barone (who cites his "intellectual honesty") and Slate's Mickey Kaus (who calls him a "big-thinking reformer").
[the Service Employees International Union sponsors the ProgressIllinois.com Internet web log blog & has formerly endorsed Fifth District Congressional candidate Sara Feigenholtz.]
DavidOrmsby.Wordpress.com(02/24/09) web log blogger David Ormsby catches Fifth District Congressional Democratic Party candidate State Representative John Fritchey pitching the Polish pre-lenten pastry Paczkis elicit voter support in a crowded field of 23 Congressional candidates.
"In the Illinois 5th C.D. special election, State Rep. John Fritchey has pledged, if elected, to bring needed Federal money and projects–pork–back to the congressional district to benefit residents.
In a down payment of sorts, Fritchey is now plying residents with Paczkis. [@ the Jefferson Park Blue Line CTA stop, just down the street from 45th Ward Alderman Patrick Levar--one of Fritchey's RDO supporters.][57]
Blogs.ChicagoReader.com(02/24/09) web log blogger Ben Joravsky's "Chicago Clout" examines the motivation behind one bowling alley buddy's decision to support 40th Ward Alderman Patrick O'Connor over other candidates.
"At the bowling alley on Monday I ask my old buddy, Bobby, who he plans to vote for to fill Rahm Emanuel's vacancy in the Fifth Congressional District.
This catches me by surprise. Bobby's almost rabid in his opposition to Mayor Daley. He calls the mayor a "tyrant" and constantly urges me to write articles about how Daley's fines, fees, and taxes are making people broke. Yet O'Connor is Daley's City Council floor leader.
"Why would you vote for O'Connor?" I ask.
"I hate Fritchey's crowd," he says, referring to aldermen Richard Mell, William Banks, and Patrick Levar, who have endorsed state rep John Fritchey.[58]
Chicago Sun Times(02/24/09) reporter Abdon M. Pallasch notes that the Service Employees International Union plans to get involved in the Fifth District Congressional race by betting a $250,000 advertising campaign that their endorsed candidate--Sara Feigenholtz--will best her leading opponents.
How will voters view this last minute intervention in what, up to this point, has been a candidate-financed open Democratic Primary Election campaign?
"Just days after State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz announced she was going to loan her campaign $100,000, the Service Employees International Union has said it will spend a quarter of a million dollars on television commercials for her.
"I just heard," Feigenholtz said at a candidates' forum on the North Side Monday night. "It's really going to help me get my message out."
In fund-raising, Feigenholtz already led the 12 Democrats seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel in the March 3 primary election.
Feigenholtz' nearest opponents by fund-raising standards -- State Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) and Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley -- say this is a sign that her campaign can't pull ahead.
"Every poll I've heard or seen, we're ahead," Quigley said. "We've been outspent. We're winning, we'll be outspent."[59]
Channel 7 WLS-TV (02/23/09) news planner Eugene Ullrich reports on how Fifth District Congressional candidates replied to audience questions concerning immigration policy, campaign finance reform, housing & other priorities facing the winner of an April 7th, 2009 Special Election.
"More than a dozen candidates vying for the 5th District congressional seat attended a forum on Monday night on the North Side.
The forum at Northeastern Illinois University included Democratic, Republican and Green party candidates. They're all hoping to win next week's special primary election to fill the seat left vacant by Rahm Emanuel who left to become President Obama's chief of staff.
The forum was hosted by several immigrant advocacy groups and community organizations. The special primary election will be Tuesday, March 3 with the special general election coming on April 7.[60]
The Chicago Tribune(02/23/09) endorsed Republican Party Fifth District Congressional candidate commercial attorney & lecturer Greg Bedell in the March 3rd, 2009 Special Primary Election.
"Nevertheless, Republicans have a spirited campaign going for the March 3 special primary election.
Our endorsement goes to Gregory "Greg" Bedell, a Chicago attorney who is making his first run for office. Bedell, 49, says the Republican Party in recent years lost its way because it abandoned its bedrock values: low taxes, responsible spending and reasonable regulation. He wants government to gtake a careful, restrained approach to health care, financial regulation, trade & other issues.
Bedell says the government should provide a safety net for Americans who are hurting in the economic downturn by extending jobless benefits and providing emergency funding for Medicaid and Medicare. But he says Congress shouldn't try to fix the domestic auto industry with a huge commitment of taxpayer dollars and has to avoid the temptation to resort to trade protectionism.
The Chicago Tribune reached out to the five candidates running in the Green Party primary and interviewed two of them (Deb Gordils & Mark Arnold Fredrickson). We make no endorsement.[62]
The Chicago Sun Times(02/23/09) columnist Laura Washington explores the Democratic Party candidacy of one of the Fifth District Congressional candidate--labor lawyer Tom Geoghegan.
"The 5th Congressional District race is Chicago's very own stimulus package. On the Democratic (and likely winning) side, 14 candidates are furiously burning through the bucks. This crowd has raised at least 2.5 million shekels. That buys gobs of commercials, robocalls, mailers and consultants.
The biggest cash cows are Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley and state Representatives Sara Feigenholtz and John Fritchey, all seasoned political hands. Quigley and Feigenholtz share a common constituency. They are pitching good government and reform to the so-called lakefront liberals, aka the denizens of Lincoln Park, Lake View and other territories east of Western Avenue in the North Side district.
There's an interloper in these environs. He's stealing voters' attentions and affections. He could throw the race into the arms of Fritchey, the progressives' No. 1 villain. That interloper is the wiry-framed Tom Geoghegan, the labor movement's Don Quixote.[63]
ChicagoTribune.com(02/23/09) Chicago Tribune reporters Dan Mihalopoulos and John McCormick share former Fifth District Congressman Daniel Rostenkowski's perspective that the race to replace Congressman Emanuel has become a "free for all." "
Voters in the 5th Congressional District probably can thank federal prosecutors for the unusually large field of candidates in the March 3 special primary for a vacant seat in Congress.
The last time the district had to pick a new lawmaker seven years ago, political workers came from across Chicago to help Rahm Emanuel win the Democratic nomination.
Motivated by promises of city jobs, the workers aggressively campaigned door-to-door and manned phone banks for Emanuel, a former campaign aide to Mayor Richard Daley and Clinton White House staffer.
Since then, U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald's City Hall hiring fraud probe effectively neutered the patronage armies directed by Daley's top aides.
Now the mayor says he's unlikely to endorse any of the candidates who want to replace Emanuel, President Barack Obama's
"This is a total free-for-all," said Dan Rostenkowski who long represented the district until corruption charges ended his tenure as arguably the most powerful lawmaker Chicago ever sent to Washington.[64]
[NWACO reports that City of Chicago & Cook County employees, formerly associated with the Hispanic Democratic Organization, remain active in the Fifth Congressional District supporting Regular Democratic Organization Chicago Ward endorsed candidates as well as Spanish-speaking independent candidates. Field reports confine this campaigning to the following Chicago Wards: 30th; 31st; 33rd; 35th & 39th.][65]
CapitalFaxBlogspot.com(02/22/09) web log blog Illinoize (Illinois Politics with the twist of the knife) admonishes the Chicago media for leaving it to the Internet web log bloggers to cover this Fifth District Congressional congested Special Primary Election race.
"Obviously (if you're reading this), we care, but that's not necessarily transferable to the electorate. While a number of blogs have picked up the slack left by the major media's considerable disinterest in the race (except to complain about not getting their calls returned), most voters are more likely to be aware of the major absense of coverage by the local newspapers (and broadcast media) than the coverage on the internet. I walked into two campaign headquarters this week where I found the same phenomenon -- people walking by wondering what was going on inside (I believe both had tons of campaign signs in their windows).
There is a reason for this. The major media in Chicago has let the electorate down. There's been a lot more coverage of the Chicago Auto Show than there has of the special election. Granted, the papers will probably make more money off the Auto Show and Chicago's media isn't exactly top tier. It has to be easier to cover a presidential election because there is so much other media there and the Chicago outlets can just ride along with the pack. Coverage of this election would have required original reportage. When was the last time you read or heard something *original* from the Chicago-based media. You can take awhile to think about it. But we can stop pretending that the media here acts as some kind of Fourth Estate, pursuing the public interest and keeping us informed about important matters of the day. It's why corruption is so prolific -- and ignored -- here. But the Auto Show (and before that, the Circus) is in town![66]
PublicAffairs2Point0.wordpress.com(02/21/09) web log blogger Jesse Greenberg notes that media advertising appears unique to each of the three candidates who have launched television & print campaigns. Among those featured are Charles Wheelan, John Fritchey & Sara Feigenholtz.[67]
CapitalFaxBlogspot.com(02/21/09) web log interviews four of the men running for the Democratic Party Fifth Congressional District nomination in the March 3rd, 2009 Special Primary Election. Featured are the campaigns of the following candidates: Dr. Victor Forys; Mike Quigley; Tom Geoghegan & Dr. Paul Bryar.[68]
Chicago Sun Times (02/21/09) reporter Abdon M. Pallasch notes that Fifth Congressional District Democratic Party candidate Sara Feigenholtz leads with $550,00 eight other Democratic Party candidates who have filed their Federal Election Commission campaign finance spending reports as of Thursday, February 19, 2009. [69]
Sterno.LiveJournal.com(02/21/09) web log blogger who features his digital still image sans his signature encourages voters to cast their ballots in the March 3rd, 2009 Primary as if it is the main election "Several of my friends live in Illinois' fine 5th congressional district and so I wanted to talk a little bit about the election we've got coming up really quick. This is a special election to replace Rahm Emanuel who's now working as Chief of Staff for the Obama administration. So there's going to be two votes coming up. The primary on March 3rd and then the general election will follow on April 7th."[70]
NewsBlogs.ChicagoTribune.com(02/19/09) web log bloggers & reporters John McCormick & Dan Mihalopoulos wrap up the mounting fund-raising raising in the Fifth Congressional District Special Primary Election scheduled for March 3rd, 2009.[71]
Chicago Tribune (02/19/09) Editorial Board member Patricia "Pat" Widder interviewed two of the five Green Party Fifth Congressional District Green Party candidates. Both Deb Leticia Gordilis & Mark Arnold Fredrickson predicted that the $787 Billion "economic stimulus" legislation passed by Congress would burden generations of taxpayers, while failing to address the real cause of constrained credit--the "meltdown" of a $65Trillion market in shared "counter-party" risk created by "credit default swaps."
Green Party candidate Deb Leticia Gordils, a welfare-to-work reformer, questioned whether hard-pressed families will ever benefit directly from another "trickle down" government spending while billions are spent on wasteful earmarks.
Green Party candidate Mark Arnold Fredrickson explains why his recent corporate law firm experience helps him to understand the tough challenges facing corporate Chief Financial Officers.
Fredrickson opposes giving the Big Three automakers "one more dime" without first securing debtor-in-possession financing & packaging a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition. Fredrickson explained that automotive industry bailouts will protect corporate bondholders at the expense of taxpayers, while doing little to prevent hundreds of thousands of autoworker layoffs:
2) Chief Financial Officers work to increase shareholder value by carefully balancing bondholder debt & shareholder equity. Giving billions of dollars to these manufacturers may not help enough to service escalating corporate debt service costs. [73]
Fredrickson urged corporate CFOs to follow, if they must, the lead of one Lake County employer who retained many of its employees by sharing the pain of payroll cost reduction instead of increasing layoffs. "Big layoffs demoralize retained employees left to shoulder the remaining work. Early reports of increased service & manufacturing productivity may discourage companies from re-hiring five million laid-off employees & making for a "jobless recovery," Fredrickson predicted. [74]
Chicago Tribune(02/18/09) Editorial Board member Patricia "Pat" Widder questioned four of the five Republican Party Fifth Congressional District candidates vying for their Party's nomination in the March 3rd, 2009 Special Election. From left to right Rosanna Pulido, Jon Stewart, Daniel Kay & Greg Bedell[75]
Chicago Tribune(02/18/09) featured six of the twelve Democratic Party candidates in the Fifth District Congressional Special Primary Election to replace Congressman Rahm Emanuel who joined recently elected Barack Obama as his Chief of Staff. From left to right: Commissioner Mike Quigley, Representative John Fritchey, Alderman Pat O'Connor; Representative Sara Feigenholtz; Tom Geoghan & Charlie Wheelan. [76]
Chicago Tribune (02/18/09) featured four of the twelve Democratic Party candidates in the Fifth District Congressional Special Primary Election to replace former Congressman & now Presidential Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Sitting from left to right are the following: Commissioner Cary Caparelli, Jan Donatelli, Dr. Paul Bryar & Dr. Carlos Monteagudo. [77]
ExtraNews.net(02/19/09) free lance journalist Silvana Taberes invites eight of the 23 Fifth Congressional District candidates on the March 3rd, 2009 Special Primary Election ballot to share a little bit about themselves with print edition readers & web site visitors. [78]
ABC WLS-Television Channel 7 News(02/19/09) interviews 22 of the 23 Democratic, Republican & Green Party candidates running to become the next Represenative in Congress from the Fifth Congressional District on Chicago's Northwest Side and in the Northwest suburbs south of O'Hare International Airport. The WLS-TV news planner--questioned one of the Green Party candidates--Mark Arnold Fredrickson--about why should any independent party candidate dare oppose well-funded opponents Democratic Party opponents?
Fredrickson echoed the suggestions of the only other University of Chicago economist seeking the Democratic Party nomination--Charles Wheelan--and explained that "Congressional passage of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act dramatically increases the Federal debt to almost 60% of the Gross Domestic Product without any guarantees that billions of dollars in federal spending will ease the credit crisis strangling corporate American & Main Street small businesspersons."
"If the economic crisis is actually one of 'counter-party risk' instead of toxic illiquid assets sitting on the balance sheets of Wall Street banks, then we need to create a transparent exchange where the $62Trillion of credit defaul swaps may be marked-to-market to establish their value," Fredrickson suggested. "The best place to do this is in Chicago @ the CME Group--just blocks from my former law firm office." My fellow financial analysts need to know what their employers financial assets are worth," Fredrickson urged increased transparancy & regulation of this CDS insurance product.
"The Public Broadcasting Service Frontline documentary explains this "systemic" risk to the global economy," Fredrickson recommended.
Both Fredrickson & Wheelan oppose further Big Three automaker bailouts. During a Chicago Tribune Editorial Board interview (02/18/09), Fredrickson proposed a packaged bankruptcy plan once debtor-in-possession financing (DIP) is secured for the any one of the three major automobile manufactuters.
Wheelan lectures public policy as an economist @ the University of Chicago, while Fredrickson's former law firm clients include some of America's leading corporations.
CNN-Cable News Network "Issue # 1" Strategic planning may be the key to targeting economic stimulus spending as a means of reducing America's dependence on foreign oil sources, so said economist Charles Wheelan who authored the book "Naked Economics." [80]
ArchPundit.com/blog (02/18/09) web log blog (sans the author's name) concentrates on how many of the non-elective officeholder Democratic candidates may influence the outcome of the race for those four who hold elective offices ranging from Representative in the Illinois General Assembly to Cook County Board to Chicago City Council Alderman.
"While everyone seems to have different takes on this race, I have to say that anyone who thinks they are sure where this all stands is overconfident, and don’t even get me started on Nate Silver’s piece–love Nate’s work, but that oversimplifies this race a bit too much.
The biggest problem with a special election is no one knows who turns up and so polling is problematic because determining likely voters is nearlyimpossible. In addition, the effect of money is very different as well with typical carpet bombing not being nearly as successful.
I’m not endorsing for now and this is purely analytical. I know people on the first five campaigns and have all sorts of conflicts of interest, but they pretty much balance out with Feigenholtz’s campaign being the one I’m least connected to."[81]
The Chicago Sun Times(02/18/09) reporter Abdon M. Pallasch notes the volunteer talent of eight first time Democratic Party candidates vying for the Fifth Congressional District seat being vacated by President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff--Rahm Israel Emanuel.
"In addition to the four elected officials seeking to move up to Congress from Chicago's North Side, eight newcomers to the political scene are trying to make the leap in the March 3 Democratic primary election.
The pack of impressive resumes includes two medical doctors, a psychiatrist, a Harvard lawyer and University of Chicago economist.
Rahm Emanuel gave up his House seat to join the Obama administration. The primary to fill the 5th Congressional District vacancy is March 3.
Jan Donatelli, 48, is a former Navy fighter pilot who later flew for Delta and was active in the pilots union, which endorsed her, as did the flight attendants union. Donatelli played an active role on the transportation policy committee in Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
"We have several longtime politicians in this race," Donatelli told about 30 supporters at a fund-raiser last week. "A question I get asked a lot is, 'Are you a politician?' " Voters are pleased to hear her answer "No," she said.
University of Chicago lecturer Charlie Wheelan, 42, likewise tried to get mileage out of his newness to politics.
"I'm not somebody who's made a career out of politics, and I think that matters," Wheelan said. "Chicago has produced both Rod Blagojevich and Barack Obama but only one of them taught at the University of Chicago." Wheelan lectures on public policy. He literally wrote the book on making economics understandable: Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science.
Wheelan also spent five years as the Chicago correspondent for The Economist magazine, headed Chicago Metropolis 2020 and wrote speeches for the governor of Maine.
Tom Geoghegan, 60, pronounced "GAY-gun," uses the slogan "Hard to say. Easy to believe." Geoghegan, a Harvard-trained labor lawyer, has earned a national reputation and wrote three books including, Which Side Are You On?
A partner at the firm of Despres, Schwartz and Geoghegan with former Ald. Leon Despres, he represented people suing as victims of discrimination or unfair labor practices. His lawsuit forced International Harvester to give back pensions to 2,500 workers. His suit against Advocate Health Care resulted in their Chicago area hospitals having to treat low-income people for free or reduced rates.
Perhaps the most liberal candidate in the race, Geoghegan speaks more forcefully than the other candidates of the need for a “single-payer” health care system “and that single payer has to be the United States government.”
Dr. Victor Forys, 54, arrived in the U.S. from Poland at age 4. He grew up in Chicago, earned a medical degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also studied in Poland, where he took part in early demonstrations that led to the Solidarity movement's overthrow of the communist government, he said. Forys says he wants to fix the nation's health care system and notes that in addition to being a doctor he is also a small businessman.
As the only Polish candidate in the race, and one who hosts his own health-related talk show in Polish-language radio in Chicago, Forys says he sees plenty of enthusiasm for his candidacy in the district’s large Polish population.
So, in his professional opinion as a psychiatrist, does Dr. Carlos Monteagudo, 47, consider the U.S. Congress to be crazy? "The House is insane," Monteagudo said. "We need a doctor in the House. Our priorities in many ways have been screwed up."
Monteagudo's sister Lourdes served as Mayor Daley's education czar. He has practiced psychiatry here and in New York, where he lived from 2000 until last year, setting up SEED, a nonprofit to work for social change.
A Cuban immigrant, Monteagudo said he was labelled as mentally challenged in 3rd grade because of his weakness in the English language.
Dr. Paul Bryar, 41, is an eye surgeon who practices and teaches at Northwestern University. He also volunteers one day a week at the Near North Health Service Corp. clinic near Cabrini-Green. "Every week I see people without insurance, and I can tell you I will not give up on these people," he said. As with Forys and Monteagudo, fixing the nation's troubled health care system is high on Bryar's agenda.
The namesake and great-nephew of former U.S. Rep. Frank Annunzio, this Annunzio, is general superintendent of construction for the Chicago Housing Authority.
Congressional candidate Frank Annunzio, 48, peppers his comments with construction terms, saying, "The cornerstone of my campaign is campaign finance reform. A lot of people in this campaign will spend over $1 million for this seat and that's absurd."
The son of longtime 41st Ward Democratic Committeeman and former state Rep. Ralph Capparelli, Cary Capparelli, 57, is a member of the Illinois International Port board of directors and is endorsed by several race-car stars and boxing champions.
He holds master's degrees in journalism and geography from Northwestern and Northeastern Illinois universities, and is working on a doctorate in geography from the University of London.[82]
ChicagoPublicRadio.org(02/17/09) web log blogger Rob Wildeboer asserts that "voters (are) clueless in the Fifth District."
5th district forum in Lakeview (WBEZ/Rob Wildeboer)
"The primary election to replace Rahm Emanuel in the U.S. Congress is now just two weeks away. And early voting already started yesterday (Monday). Voters have plenty of choice in the race. In fact, they probably have too much choice.
In all, there are 23 candidates on the ballot 12 democrats, 6 republicans and 5 green party candidates. But out in the district on Chicago's North Side, if you ask people about the election, the answers are pretty much the same."[83]
The Chicago Tribune(02/17/09) Editorial Board endorsed Fifth District Congressional Democratic Party candidate Mike Quigley.
"The race to replace White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in Congress has drawn nearly two dozen contenders, creating potential for a lot of voter confusion. Democrats will find a dozen candidates on the ballot for the March 3 primary. Heck, there are even spirited Republican and Green Party primaries in the solidly Democratic 5th Congressional District, which includes much of Chicago’s North and Northwest Sides and some adjacent suburbs.
Democratic voters will have no trouble finding a reliable Democrat—there are several who fit comfortably in the party. We believe they will find one who believes in the party’s principles and has an outstanding record of independent, reform-minded performance in office. That is Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley, who is endorsed today in the Democratic primary.[84]
WLS-Television News(02/17/09) reporter Karen Jordan describes a "light" early voting for the Fifth Congressional District Special Election. Those who cast ballots may be limited to core voters such as 45th Ward Precint Captain & Clerk of the Circuit Court employee Gregory Witt who voted at the Cook County Building at 69 West Washington Boulevard in the Chicago Loop on Tuesday, February 16th. The brevitity of this campaign, multiplicity of candidates & apparent voter exhaustion after President Obama's election may combine to produce a light voter turnout according to one long-time election observer[85]
PublicAffairs.2Point0.WordPress.com (02/17/09) web log blogger Jesse Greenberg questions why the State of Illinois impeachment panel didn't follow Republican State Representative Jim Durkin's insistance that appointed US Senator Roland Burris be more forthcoming about conversations between Burris & impeached Governor Blagojevich's fund-raising brother. "As our appointed senator Roland Burris went through a second day fumbling through questions aimed at clarifying his contacts with Rod Blagojevich’s office prior to his appointment, IL-5 contender, State Rep. John Fritchey might soon find himself under pressure to explain why he appeared to provide cover for Burris during his testimony before an Illinois General Assembly Committee.[86]
CapitalFaxBlog.com(02/17/09) web log blogger Rich Miller reflects upon the recent Chicago Tribune endorsement of Fifth Congressional District Democratic Party candidate Mike Quigley, " The Chicago Tribune has just endorsed Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley in the 5th Congressional District race…
Quigley has been a forceful, persistent critic of Cook County Board President Todd Stroger. Even better, Quigley has done exhaustive work on how county government could provide better health care and other services to people in far more efficient and cost-effective ways.
His reports on how to improve county government are without parallel in Illinois politics. They’re not goo-goo yammer. They’re tightly researched and spot-on accurate in their assertions about best practices and likely savings. He produces facts, facts, facts. If Quigley’s ideas had all been put in place, the county would not be crying now for more money. […]
There is more to him than his work on government reform. Quigley has an outstanding record on human rights, health care and the environment. (The Reader said he’s “arguably the greenest elected official in Chicago.”) He has sound ideas on reviving the U.S. economy, on national health care, on how to put people back to work.
Quigley couldn’t have written that better himself. Notice how the line about Todd Stroger will help Quigley fend off attacks by Rep. Feigenholtz over his endorsement of Stroger and his support for Stroger’s first budget."[87]
NBC-Chicago.com(02/16/09) includes a report from Beachwood Reporter web log blogger Steve Rhodes concerning State Represenative & Fifth Congressional District candidate John A. Fritchey as one of the "enablers" which helped elevate US Senator Roland Burris from lobbyist to legislator.[88]
Minuteman Project(02/16/09) endorses Rosanna Pulido in her bid to win the Republican Party nomination in the Fifth Congressional District Special Primary Election March 3rd, 2009. "Minuteman PAC Honorary Chairman, Chris Simcox, today announced the PAC’s full endorsement of Rosanna Pulido (R-IL) to fill the Illinois 5th Congressional seat vacated by newly appointed White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel (D-IL). Simcox declared, “Rosanna Pulido has demonstrated a long-standing track record of fighting for secured borders and against the amnesty lobby so prevalent in the Chicago political machine. Rosanna is exactly the sort of person we need to be sending to Washington to stem the tide of handouts and amnesty to illegal aliens.” Rosanna Pulido is a life-long citizen of Illinois’ 5th congressional district and is among theleadership of Hispanic-Americans opposed to illegal immigration. Her decades-long service in the community is well-documented and represents a commitment and dedication to improving her state.[89]
The Chicago Sun Times(02/14/09)Mike Quigley gets the endorsement of The Chicago Sun Times in his bid for the March 3rd Democratic Party Fifth Congressional District Special Primary Election, while one of the other two State Representatives from State Senator John Cullerton's Ten State Senate District--Representative Sara Feigenholtz, University of Chicago public policy lecturer Charles Wheelan & labor lawyer Tom Geoghgan also get kudos.
"Residents in the 5th Congressional District have it good. The wide-open race to fill the congressional seat left open by Rahm Emanuel, who left to become President Obama's chief of staff, could have attracted a parade of political hacks.
Not so, this time.
Voters will find a ballot filled with impressive and thoughtful candidates.
Candidates such as state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, a passionate expert in health care.
Or labor lawyer Tom Geoghegan, who has devoted his career to fighting for the little guy.
Or especially Charlie Wheelan, a University of Chicago lecturer who combines a razor-sharp mind with a boatload of charm and an impressive expertise in economics and foreign policy. We expect great things from Wheelan in the future.
With such a quality crop of candidates, we confess that choosing just one was tough, but in the end, a single candidate stood above the rest.
The Chicago Sun-Times endorses Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley for the Democratic primary on March 3, which in this heavily Democratic district is effectively the election. "
The Democratic Party nominee elected in the March 3rd, 2009 Democratic Primary election will oppose the Republican & Green Party nominees selected from a combined field of ten candidates from the two parties in the April 7th Special General Election.[90]
ChicagoPride.com(02/14/09) reporter Brett Anthony noted that Green Party Fifth Congressional Candidate Matt Reichel rallied same sex marriage proponents before they were arrested Saturday in a Gay Liberation Network protest staged at the Cook County Marriage Bureau to commemorate "Freedom to Marry Day." The protest, which resulted in the arrest of seven protestors, attracted more than one hundred protestors.
"Openly gay State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) introduced a bill on Feb. 4 to create the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act to provide eligible same-sex and opposite-sex couples with the same treatment as those in a civil marriage.
On Jan. 14, State Rep. David Ries (R-Olney) introduced a bill calling for marriages to be defined only between a man and a woman. Illinois already has a law that prohibits same-sex marriages.
GLN says despite having a state government completely dominated by the primarily gay-friendly Democratic Party, Illinois doesn't allow for civil unions, let alone marriage equality.
Near the end of Saturday's rally, Matt Reichel, a Green Party congressional candidate for Rahm Emmanuel's Senate seat, addressed the crowd and supported full marriage equality. It was noted that Democratic San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome came out for issuing same-sex marriage licenses after a pro-equality Green mayoral candidate nearly beat the Democratic favorite.
"In all honesty I had mixed feelings about participating in today's events. But I believe I would have regretted not taking this opportunity to stand up and speak up for the cause of equal marriage rights. Someone should stand up and challenge the County Clerk's office and put pressure on our elected officials through raising public support, so why not me," said Chu.
Saturday's legal protest ended when the marriage license bureau closed at noon. The sit-in protesters remained and at about 4 p.m. Chicago police arrested them for Criminal Trespass, a Class C misdemeanor.
The last of those arrested were released from the District 1 Chicago Police Headquarters at 2:15 a.m. Sunday.
The seven protesters arrested will be in court at 1:30 PM on Monday, March 9th at Branch 43-4, 3150 W. Flournoy Street, Chicago. [91]
Crain's Chicago Business(02/13/09) reports that in the rush to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, one of the candidate's in the Fifth Congressional District race may have called a long-time "friend," connected to a McCormick Place bid rigging conviction. "Controversial lobbyist Al Ronan has surfaced in the heated 5th Congressional District race, making a $500 campaign contribution to Democratic candidate Sara Feigenholtz in December.
“Al Ronan is an old friend of mine. He’s not really involved in the campaign, he just made a contribution because he’s someone I called,” Ms. Feigenholtz said.
Asked whether he’s providing her with advice as well, Ms. Feigenholtz said, “If you know anything about Al Ronan, all he has is advice. I’ve known Al for 30 years.”
Ms. Feigenholtz’s aides insist Mr. Ronan has no formal role in the campaign.
“Maybe she’s talked to him as a friend, but certainly he’s not providing any strategic guidance or anything like that,” said Ms. Feigenholtz’s campaign manager, Mike Rendina. “We’ve kept a pretty tight circle in the campaign . . . he’s not part of it.”
Mr. Ronan’s former lobbying firm Ronan Potts LLC and one of its employees pleaded guilty in 2004 in a bid-rigging scheme at McCormick Place. Mr. Ronan wasn’t charged in the case, which involved Scott Fawell, a pal of Mr. Ronan’s and one-time aide to ex-Gov. George Ryan.
Ronan Potts had a long list of clients, including Argosy Gaming Co., but the lobbying firm was disbanded after the scandal. Mr. Ronan - a former state lawmaker with a reputation as a behind-the-scenes powerbroker and fundraiser - has a new firm, Alfred G. Ronan Ltd. He couldn’t be reached for comment.
Another candidate in the race, Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley, took $1,000 in donations from Mr. Ronan’s former company in 2001-02, Mr. Rendina noted. Another candidate, state Rep. John Fritchey, accepted a $200 contribution from a political action committee controlled by Mr. Ronan in 1995.
“There’s a big difference between taking money from Ronan in the earlier part of the decade and now,” a spokesman for Mr. Quigley said. “There’s no way no how we’d take his money now.”
Ms. Feigenholtz, a state legislator, is one of a dozen Democrats running in the March 3 special election primary. They are vying to replace Rahm Emanuel, who left Congress to become President Barack Obama’s chief of staff. The 5th Congressional District includes part of Chicago’s Northwest Side and west suburbs such as Schiller Park and Melrose Park. [92]
DavidOrmsby.Wordpress.com(02/12/09) web log blogger David Ormsby in his "Your Two Cents" applauds the fund-raising of two of the Democratic Party candidates in the Fifth Congressional District Special Primary Election scheduled for March 3rd, 2009.
"One would never know that the U.S. is flirting with another Great Depression based on the cash being hauled in by the candidates in Illinois’ 5th congressional district special election.
John Fritchey’s campaign disclosed today that it has raised between $400,000 and $450,000 since January 1. Campaign Manager Josh Levin says they are still trundling in the sacks and tallying the final amount of their pile. In an email, Levin writes, “Safe to say that this is a very competitive money race.” Yep, safe. Fritchey’s top opponent, State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, today revealed that she has raised more than $550,000 since she launched her campaign in November. Since it is unlikely Mike Quigley or Patrick O’Connor will report a greater haul, Feigenholtz will likely be the leader in the money chase. Fritchey and Feigenholtz’s campaigns alone will likely represent the leading edge of any Illinois economic stimulus.[94]
NewsBlogs.ChicagoTribune.com(02/11/09) web log blogger & reporter John McCormick distinguished first timer Fifth Congressional District candidates from those four other elected officials seeking to replace resigned Congressman Rahm Israel Emanuel who accepted appointment as President Barack Obama's new Chief of Staff.
"Five Democratic newcomers in the race to succeed Rahm Emanuel in the 5th Congressional District today defended their viability to compete in contest heavy with elected officials.
"It is not an advantage to be an elected official," argued Jan Donatelli, an airline pilot and Democratic candidate who met with the Chicago Tribune editorial board.
"The electorate is crying for change," said Dr. Paul Bryar, an eye surgeon and medical professor at Northwestern University.
Bryar noted high taxes in Cook County and deep state pension shortfalls in Illinois, subtle references to his fellow Democratic candidates who are local and state elected officials. "That's not the sort of reform we need to Washington right now," he said.
The session, the first of several gatherings organized by the newspaper's editorial page for endorsement interviews, had Bryar and the two other doctors in the race seated next to each other inside Tribune Tower.
Dr. Victor Forys said he has a "clear path to victory" and will have enough money to get his message out through mailings, television and radio. He noted his Polish ancestry as being an advantage in the immigrant-heavy district.
Dr. Carlos Monteagudo, a Cuban immigrant, said his ties to the Latino community would pay dividends in the March 3 special primary. He predicted that the better known candidates would divide the vote and he could win by securing an "alternative vote."
Businessman Cary Capparelli said he planned to win the primary by offering a more conservative voice in a district that he believes is more moderate than its past representation would suggest.
The candidates, five of the 13 running in the Democratic primary, also sounded off on a variety of issues during the 75-minute joint interview. They differed on a so-called "Buy American" provision in the economic stimulus bill moving through Congress.
Bryar and Monteagudo said they oppose the provision as it is written, while Forys, Capparelli and Donatelli said they support such a measure, at least until the American economy recovers.
"This is an exceptional case," Forys said. "We need to do everything we can to stimulate the American economy."
The campaign of Chicago labor lawyer Tom Geoghegan, meanwhile, said today that he has received the endorsement of Teamsters Local 743, which represents area health care, technical, office and warehouse workers.
"They represent many hard working people in the district and Chicago," Geoghegan said in a statement. "Currently they are fighting to save jobs at the University of Chicago and I support this effort. Now is not the time to be laying off more people."
Charles Wheelan, a University of Chicago public policy lecturer, continued his use of unconventional ads as a way to try to gain attention in the crowded field by releasing one that shows him talking upside down to highlight economic problems. The new ad will air on cable TV only and it's unclear how much money Wheelan is putting behind it.
ProgressIllinois.com(02/10/09) reports that the next Fifth Congressional District candidate forum will be sponsored by Access Living on Monday, February 16th in Chicago's River North area, just south of the District.
"The organization Access Living, which advocates on disability-related issues in Illinois, will be holding a 5th Congressional District candidate forum on Monday, February 16, so mark your calendars. They tell us the event will cover a broad range of topics that affect the disabled community, including health care, housing, education, public transit, and the stimulus package. They also plan to solicit questions from audience members. The organizers have received commitments from numerous candidates and plan to release the full line-up next week.[96]
Medill Reports Chicago(02/10/09) Alex Keefe reports that Fifth District Congressional candidate Carlos Moteagudo prevailed in the defense of his political nominating petitions.
"The last candidate fighting a petition challenge in the race to fill Rahm Emanuel’s congressional seat prevailed on Monday, thanks to the Cook County elections board.
The board ruled that Democrat Carlos Monteagudo, a 47-year-old psychiatrist, has enough valid nominating petition signatures to remain on the March 3 primary ballot. Monteagudo’s signatures had been challenged by Thomas L. Root Jr., of Chicago. Root could not be reached for comment.[97]
GregBedellforCongress.com(02/09/09) Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica endorsed Republican Party Fifth District Congressional candidate Greg Bedell in his bid to capture the March 3rd, 2009 Special Primary Election nomination.
"Greg Bedell, Republican candidate for Congress in the Illinois 5th District Special Election, today received the endorsement of Tony Peraica, Cook County Commissioner, 16th District.
In announcing his endorsement of Mr. Bedell, Mr. Peraica said, “Greg Bedell is one of the new, energetic Republicans who can make a difference by leading with traditional principles. He’ll fight for all the citizens of the 5th District, without ties to the political machine or special interest groups.”
Mr. Bedell, 49, said he is running for Congress to support a return to Republican fundamentals. His campaign is focused on developing creative solutions to the current challenges citizens face – solutions grounded in traditional Republican beliefs of fiscal responsibility and strong national security. “The country needs to find direction in the Republican basics of low taxes, responsible spending and reasonable regulation. My experience and my character have prepared me to take on this fight, and now is the time to do it,” said Mr. Bedell, Republican candidate for the 5th Congressional District of Illinois.[98]
ProvisoProbe.Blogspot.com(02/09/09) web log blogger Carl Nyberg compared Democratic Party candidate positions on national health care & immigration in their Fifth Congressional District replies to a published Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization candidate survey.
"Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organizations (IVI-IPO) has queried the candidates running for U.S. House of Representatives in IL-05. (The Proviso portion of the district is Northlake and most of Melrose Park.) The questionnaire is long, over 140 questions on issues. That's not including questions candidates have to answer about their campaigns and personal lives.
I have pulled out some of the responses that I consider either more important or will be more interesting to the Proviso Probe audience.
I picked the issue of single-payer health care because the U.S. health care system has serious problems. It's too expensive. The HMOs and insurance companies preferred business model is to make it hard for their clients to get coverage or to make it difficult to get the insurers to pay the bills.
The out-of-control health care costs are a burden for state and local government as well as businesses and organized labor.
Single-payer health care is a subset of universal health care. Universal health care sound good, but it doesn't fix all the unpleasant (and unnecessary) hassles of dealing with HMOs and insurance companies in a for-profit system.[99]
RosannaPulido2009.Wordpress.com(02/07/09) web log takes exception to endorsements of only one of the three women running for nomination as Republican & Green Party candidates in the Fifth Congressional District Special Primary Election March 3, 2009. In particular, the author notes that GOP candidate Rosanna Pulido offers many of the same traits mentioned in the Emily's List endorsement of State Representative Sara Feigenholtz.
"As you might imagine we have a couple of ‘vanity’ RSS feeds set up to alert us whenever the media mentions us or this race. So imagine my delight when Ellen Malcolm of EMILY’s list opined…
It’s Time to Put More Women in Office
And even more so when she played right into our strengths…
Having women in office is vital to the health of our democracy because women play a unique role in our society. By and large, women are still the primary caregivers in families, even as we have taken our place in the workforce. This is what we mean when we talk about the pressure women face balancing work and family: Mothers are typically the first line of defense when a child gets sick; adult daughters are by and large looked to when an aging parent needs care. All the while, families depend on women’s paychecks to meet the rising cost of health care, education, gas — life.
Seeing as Rosanna has met every one of those criteria one would think Rosanna would be a perfect fit, but sadly Ellen isn’t interested in anything other than being a narrow partisan hack.
Indeed, one of the unknowns in this contest (The Illinois Fifth Congressional special race) is the degree to which the impeachment and ejection from office of Blagojevich will spur voters to choose a candidate who is not associated with machine politics.
Which again, Rosanna fits to a Tee though she is not mentioned in the piece.
In fact, we found it interesting that CQ Politics appears to believe that there is only one party in this race as they only ever mention Democrats.
Ahem, we realize we are not highly trained “journalists,” but guys? There are in fact three parties represented here, you knew that, right?[100]
ProgressIllinois.com (02/10/09) web log blogger Josh Kalven gets to the heart of the one question facing one of the three incumbant legislators vying for the Fifth District Congressional seat vacated by Congressman Rahm Israel Emanuel. Cook County Board Commissioner Michael Quigley defends his candidacy after Car Transportfighting for reform for the past decade.
"Over the weekend, Mike Quigley rolled out a new website -- www.moretransit.com -- that includes a video and petition in support of the Murray-Feinstein amendment, which would add $5 billion in mass transit funding to the Senate's stimulus package. Prairie State Blue blogger Bored Now also posted a car transport video of Quigley pushing back against the widely-held sentiment that he shouldn't be elected to Congress because it's important to keep him on the Cook County Board of Commissioners:
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