Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Sing it, brother!
Needs almost no comment.
(Note: I said almost no comment. All this has been evident for months. It's particularly distressing that the D-Trip is running veterans just because they're veterans, particularly when the party as a whole has no clear message on the war in Iraq. And, as others have pointed out, don't think today's GOP will for a second think twice about sliming a disabled vet with all the slime their slimeguns hold, should an election be at stake. But again, no matter. I believe Cegelis's team is strong enough to parry this challenge, who knows? Maybe the whole thing will end up serving as an important learning experience to those powers that be, consultant class, and the money-above-all folks! Ha! Just kidding. They never learn.)
Time for Emanuel to support Cegelis in 6th
November 29, 2005
BY DICK SIMPSON
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) should quit playing games and support Christine Cegelis for Congress. Cegelis is running for the second time for Henry Hyde's seat in the suburban 6th District that includes northeast DuPage County and northwest Cook County.
...
In comparison to Duckworth and Scott, who have never run for office before, Cegelis received 44.2 percent of the vote in 2004 against long-term Republican incumbent Hyde. Her election would revolutionize suburban politics by making elections between Democrats and Republicans competitive.
...
Cegelis' sin in the eyes of Emanuel is that she has raised only $160,000 this year and has only $50,000 in the bank. Washington insiders believe that only campaigns that raise $1 million win. Emanuel previously tried and failed to get some personally wealthy Democrat to jump in the race. Failing that, he is putting up a war veteran in the hope of winning the sympathy and patriotic vote despite the fact that the majority of Americans now want to get out of Iraq.
The national Democratic Party would do better to send money and support to Cegelis. She, her more than 100 campaign volunteers, and the Democrats and Republicans in the 6th District who voted for her last time, have earned the right to run this race.
(Note: I said almost no comment. All this has been evident for months. It's particularly distressing that the D-Trip is running veterans just because they're veterans, particularly when the party as a whole has no clear message on the war in Iraq. And, as others have pointed out, don't think today's GOP will for a second think twice about sliming a disabled vet with all the slime their slimeguns hold, should an election be at stake. But again, no matter. I believe Cegelis's team is strong enough to parry this challenge, who knows? Maybe the whole thing will end up serving as an important learning experience to those powers that be, consultant class, and the money-above-all folks! Ha! Just kidding. They never learn.)
Monday, November 28, 2005
Cegelis gets MORE company
It is, as they say, on. Or, it appears to be on.
In a nutshell, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC, or D-Trip), led by none other than local-boy-done-good (and Clinton hanger-on) Rahm Emmanuel, has recruited another entrant into the Dem primary for IL-06. Now remember, this is a seat once thought so safe for the GOP that previous Dem primaries used to pit animatronic squirrels against slow-witted paper boys (both usually lost to colorful but derivative oil paintings picked up at garage sales, which then went on to get clobbered by Henry Hyde). Then Christine Cegelis came along and won 44+% of the vote and all of a sudden everyone got nervous: Henry Hyde announced his retirement; the DuPage Republican establishment did everything it could to clear the way for its knight in shining armor, Peter Roskam; and the national GOP brought in Tom DeLay for a fundraiser for Roskam to end all fundraisers (or at least all fundraisers not revolving around the theme of keeping DeLay out of prison).
But apparently none was so scared as Rep. Emmanuel.
Better, I suppose, from his point of view, to find someone who fits the narrative (Dems who are veterans of Iraq and are therefore inherently more able* to speak to the masses about the single defining issue of the 2006 election) that he's trying to create. And Duckworth has one hell of a story to tell. Hell, Newsweek's buying. But it's telling that someone who came to power thanks not to the support of any kind of grassroots but rather thanks to his connections from above is so nervous about an actually viable grassroots candidate (whom he conveniently castigates for not raising enough money, no thanks to him or the rest of the Dem powers that be) that he provides an entire team for his choice. It's almost as if such grassroots-ness was antithetical to how he believes politics should work.
Regardless, it seems as if that's how it's going to be (although Duckworth hasn't announced her candidacy yet or, apparently, any positions on any issues whatsoever). Which is fine - I'm actually a proponent of primaries between candidates with personal integrity. It will certainly raise the profile of the race significantly. It will be a good challenge for Cegelis, whom I continue to support and will continue to rally the troops around. And it will certainly help prepare her for what promises to be a monster of a general election, should she survive this first round. Best of all, it will be a chance for the grassroots to prove ourselves, both with our person-power and our checkbooks, against the formidable structure that is the DCCC.
But just because I welcome the challenge doesn't mean I have to like the way the challenger is brought to the court.
It is, as I said above, on.
*Call me naive but how is it that knowing everything we know today, the apologists for this war and their ever-shifting views (this includes Republicans and Democrats) are still considered part of the mainstream, whereas those of us who called bullshit from the beginning, and now see most of the rest of the country slowly realizing that we were right all along, are somehow considered "fringe"?
In a nutshell, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC, or D-Trip), led by none other than local-boy-done-good (and Clinton hanger-on) Rahm Emmanuel, has recruited another entrant into the Dem primary for IL-06. Now remember, this is a seat once thought so safe for the GOP that previous Dem primaries used to pit animatronic squirrels against slow-witted paper boys (both usually lost to colorful but derivative oil paintings picked up at garage sales, which then went on to get clobbered by Henry Hyde). Then Christine Cegelis came along and won 44+% of the vote and all of a sudden everyone got nervous: Henry Hyde announced his retirement; the DuPage Republican establishment did everything it could to clear the way for its knight in shining armor, Peter Roskam; and the national GOP brought in Tom DeLay for a fundraiser for Roskam to end all fundraisers (or at least all fundraisers not revolving around the theme of keeping DeLay out of prison).
But apparently none was so scared as Rep. Emmanuel.
Better, I suppose, from his point of view, to find someone who fits the narrative (Dems who are veterans of Iraq and are therefore inherently more able* to speak to the masses about the single defining issue of the 2006 election) that he's trying to create. And Duckworth has one hell of a story to tell. Hell, Newsweek's buying. But it's telling that someone who came to power thanks not to the support of any kind of grassroots but rather thanks to his connections from above is so nervous about an actually viable grassroots candidate (whom he conveniently castigates for not raising enough money, no thanks to him or the rest of the Dem powers that be) that he provides an entire team for his choice. It's almost as if such grassroots-ness was antithetical to how he believes politics should work.
Regardless, it seems as if that's how it's going to be (although Duckworth hasn't announced her candidacy yet or, apparently, any positions on any issues whatsoever). Which is fine - I'm actually a proponent of primaries between candidates with personal integrity. It will certainly raise the profile of the race significantly. It will be a good challenge for Cegelis, whom I continue to support and will continue to rally the troops around. And it will certainly help prepare her for what promises to be a monster of a general election, should she survive this first round. Best of all, it will be a chance for the grassroots to prove ourselves, both with our person-power and our checkbooks, against the formidable structure that is the DCCC.
But just because I welcome the challenge doesn't mean I have to like the way the challenger is brought to the court.
It is, as I said above, on.
*Call me naive but how is it that knowing everything we know today, the apologists for this war and their ever-shifting views (this includes Republicans and Democrats) are still considered part of the mainstream, whereas those of us who called bullshit from the beginning, and now see most of the rest of the country slowly realizing that we were right all along, are somehow considered "fringe"?
Friday, November 25, 2005
Friday semen blogging
Happy Thanksgiving to all. We've been lax on the semen (and all other) blogging the past month, and it seems like an odd time to semen blog when so many (including your trusty blogger) are taking a work holiday, given that one of the points of Friday semen blogging is to provide a little diversion from the rigors of a long week and provide a fun entree into the weekend, but since we have some free time, here goes!
Last month, Popular Science announced their annual "Top 10 Worst Jobs in Science" and guess what! "Semen Washer" is #7 on the list. Interestingly, following the description of the job, which is basically just a technician in a sperm bank, they tell of this little canard, which I know I've seen before in a sit com:
Seriously, I know I've seen that in a very special Mad About You.
Last month, Popular Science announced their annual "Top 10 Worst Jobs in Science" and guess what! "Semen Washer" is #7 on the list. Interestingly, following the description of the job, which is basically just a technician in a sperm bank, they tell of this little canard, which I know I've seen before in a sit com:
"The hardest part is explaining it to friends," Schillinger says. "But we do have stories." Like what? "Like the donor who was in the room for the longest time. We had a big discussion about who was going to check on him. Turns out he thought he had to fill up the entire specimen cup."
Seriously, I know I've seen that in a very special Mad About You.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Roskam finally gets some company
The way Peter Roskam and the DuPage Republic party bosses muscled every possible primary challenger out of the way from day one was pretty interesting. Did I say interesting? I meant gross. I know it happens across political spectrums (see: Cook County Sherriff) and that primaries do have a weird impact on elections with the effect of essentially perpetuating the two-party system to the exclusion of all others, but the way Roskam just sort of took the mantle of "natural successor to Henry Hyde" just reminded me a little too much of how Bush was basically crowned GOP frontrunner in 2000 before any campaigning started. With little more to show than some "winnable" tag and hope for a centrist reputation belied by far-right credentials.
On the other hand, I thought it was a sign that the GOP was nervous as hell about Christine Cegelis that the powers that be's seemed nervous about the implications of a primary fight, particularly one that pushed their candidate to the right in a district that's shifting pretty clearly the other way.
That aspect of my thought was confirmed today after reading this article:
What's even more intriguing is that he's going to challenge Roskam from the center rather than the right. And the party bosses are mad as hell about it. Read the article if you want to see exactly how scared they are that Christine Cegelis is for real.
The money quote of the article:
Yeah. What he said.
On the other hand, I thought it was a sign that the GOP was nervous as hell about Christine Cegelis that the powers that be's seemed nervous about the implications of a primary fight, particularly one that pushed their candidate to the right in a district that's shifting pretty clearly the other way.
That aspect of my thought was confirmed today after reading this article:
School chief irks GOP with Roskam challenge
By Catherine Edman and Robert Sanchez
Daily Herald Staff Writers
Posted Tuesday, November 22, 2005
A local school board president and political neophyte is gearing up to challenge state Sen. Peter Roskam in the GOP primary for retiring Congressman Henry Hyde’s seat.
Though John Vivoda is swimming upstream financially against Roskam, who collected nearly $700,000 in campaign contributions through Sept. 30, Vivoda says he’s betting on principles rather than dollars to prevail.
What's even more intriguing is that he's going to challenge Roskam from the center rather than the right. And the party bosses are mad as hell about it. Read the article if you want to see exactly how scared they are that Christine Cegelis is for real.
The money quote of the article:
He said he wanted to avoid "this anointing of somebody who is an ultra-conservative."
Yeah. What he said.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
and the prize for most obscure movie reference in a costume or group of costumes...
Compare & contrast:
My friends & I on Saturday
My friends & I on Saturday
The High Hats
I feel like such a geek. But a geek in a GREAT costume!
