Tag: illinois

I have a radical suggestion about Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s vacated IL-02 seat.

Now that he’s resigned it… how’s about trying to, maybe, I don’t know: win it?

Hold on, hear me out.  Let’s jump back for a second to 2009.  You might remember that in 2009 Rahm Emanuel resigned his House seat (IL-05) in order to bungle being White House Chief of Staff.  Well, that caused a special election to trigger, and at the time I took the position that hey, how’s about trying to, maybe, I don’t know: win it?  …And I was told, quietly but firmly, no.  Folks didn’t like the candidate, didn’t like the idea of spending the money, didn’t want to contest the seat.  And that’s fine; but here’s the thing.  The Democrat who won (Mike Quigley) the primary was cordially hated by the rest of the Illinois Combine, and the general election he beat Rosanna Pulido, 30.6K to 10.6K.  Two years later, Quigley’s opponent David Ratowitz got 38.9 K votes in the 2010 general election.  Didn’t matter then, because Quigley got 108.3K votes… but it shows that there were in fact enough potential Republican voters in the IL-05 to win a low-turnout special election, if sufficiently motivated. Continue reading I have a radical suggestion about Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s vacated IL-02 seat.

Illinois scheduled to be set on fire next year.

Oh, wait, that’s just going to be the reaction to this tacit admission that Illinois is running out of other people’s money:

Illinois legislators may try to limit the amount of raises granted to unionized state workers in their next contracts.

The House Revenue and Finance Committee began hearings Thursday on House Joint Resolution 45, which says the state will budget no more than a certain amount to pay wage increases connected to union contracts. The amount has not been determined.

The resolution also states that the size of the state workforce or a reduction in it shall not be part of collective bargaining.

Yeah, that should fly through the legislature without opposition. Or labor riots. Or widespread property damage.  And I am Marie of Roumania. Continue reading Illinois scheduled to be set on fire next year.

Other shoe drops on Jesse Jackson, Jr…

…and by ‘shoe’ I mean ‘plea deal:’

Just two days after being re-elected to Congress by his faithful 2nd CD constituents, sources close to the allegedly ill, struggling Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr now reveal to the Chicago Sun Times’ Michael Sneed that the congressman is pleading a deal with the feds.

I suppose that it’d be impolite for me to call the IL-02 voting public ‘idiots,’ so I won’t.  I do wonder what Democratic politician will be assigned to hold that land in fief now, though. Oh, well, I’m sure that it’ll be announced soon.

I mean, f’ing elections, how do they work?

Moe Lane

#rsrh Jesse Jackson, Jr (D, IL-02) under investigation… again.

It’s the ‘again’ that grates:

Federal prosecutors and FBI agents in Washington have launched a new criminal investigation of Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. involving alleged financial improprieties, including possible misuse of funds monitored by Congress, law enforcement sources tell NBC News.

The probe prompted lawyers for Jackson — who has been on a leave of absence from Congress since June for medical treatment — to meet with federal prosecutors this week in an attempt to persuade them not to bring charges against the congressman, sources said.

Says it all, huh?  Well, that and the sheer weary despair found in this headline: “Despite federal probe, mental illness, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. expected to be re-elected.”  Heck, the whole article at that link is not so much an article as it is a call for help.  Fortunately, there is actually an alternative: Brian Woodworth.  Because it’s becoming fairly clear that Jackson’s political career is over: why not have his replacement be chosen by, you know, an election or something?

Moe Lane

PS: We interviewed Brian a while back.

#rsrh So, when will Obama call a beer summit over the Chicago Teachers’ strike?

…What do you mean, “never?” Barack Obama can and will interfere in a local police incident; but he can’t be bothered to have an opinion about a teacher’s strike in his home town?

Cowards.

On that potentially troublesome Cook County poll.

Well, troublesome for Barack Obama.

The Daily Caller reported on a poll today that gave a rather remarkable result: it showed Barack Obama ahead of Mitt Romney 49 to 37… in Cook County, Illinois: which of course includes the City of Chicago.  Being under 50% in what can be considered the ultimate Democratic stronghold is not good news for the President.  In 2008 Cook County went for Obama over McCain 67/32; in 2010 it went for Quinn over Brady 54/40… which helped make the difference from Obama’s blowout 62/37 win statewide in 2008, and Quinn’s squeaker 47/46 win in 2010.  Put another way: if this poll is accurate, Obama’s got trouble in Illinois.

Since this report has been making the rounds of the Internet, I thought that I’d look into it a bit.  It turns out the poll comes from McKeon & Associates, which has been polling in Illinois since at least the 1980s.  A quick call to Michael McKeon got me access to the poll itself, which I’ll be talking about after the fold.

Continue reading On that potentially troublesome Cook County poll.

#rsrh QotD, This Is Exactly My Take On This edition.

Glenn Reynolds, commenting on John Kass’s disgust with the selective outrage in Chicago over Chick-fil-A*, notes:

See, I support gay marriage — though I think it should be arrived at legislatively, not through judicial fiat — but the thuggish behavior of gay-marriage supporters is a real turnoff. There’s a good chance it will inspire a backlash.

Precisely.

Moe Lane

*The short version is, apparently you can get away with being publicly against gay marriage in Chicago if you are a) Louis Farrakhan and b) don’t own a Chick-fil-A franchise.  Actually, Farrakhan could get away with it even if he did own a Chick-fil-A franchise.

#rsrh Jesse Jackson, Jr (D, IL) at Mayo. For depression.

I originally had ‘depression’ in scare quotes in the title, but what the hell…

Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who has been absent from Capitol Hill since mid-June, is receiving treatment for depression.

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota said the Illinois lawmaker had arrived at the healthcare center for “extensive inpatient evaluation for depression and gastrointestinal issues,” in a statement from the congressman, released late Friday by the clinic.

…it might even be true.  Won’t save him if the rumors about corruption are true… which is probably itself depressing for the man, come to think of it.

Moe Lane

 

The Democrats will force Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr to resign.

The Washington Post is reporting the first whispers of resignation – couched as ‘advice’ from Rep. Jackson’s ‘friends’ – and that’s only going to get worse for the Congressman.

…And I’m torn on what to write next.  Do I really want to come up with a workable scenario where the Illinois Combine can legally switch out Rep. Jackson in time for the election?  They might do it!

(Via Instapundit)

Moe Lane

PS: Brian Woodworth for Congress.

 

#rsrh Illinois state Rep. Mike Bost may be a little annoyed at the system.

Just a touch.

Ah, the joys of a one-party state.

Moe Lane

PS: Mike Bost’s campaign site, I think.  Although, based on this account of why he blew his stack, I suspect that Bost’s constituents are mostly just fuming that their representative didn’t grab a whip and do some impromptu temple-cleaning.