5th District Race creates impending vacuum on Cook County Board

Most political observers recognize that Cook County Board Commissioner Mike Quigley's victory in the March 3 special election in the 5th Congressional District in the Democratic Primary seals his fate as the district's new congressman succeeding Rahm Emanuel who resigned the seat to become President Barack Obama's chief of staff.

That would create a vacuum on the Cook County Board where Quigley has led the reform movement challenges to Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, whose administration is beleauguered with failed leadership and controversies involving excessive taxation. Many observers do not believe Stroger will have the backing of the Democratic organization whe he seeks election to the spot his late father, John Stroger, held for years.

Quigley was the more fearless of the reformers who challenged Stroger's continued missteps and mistakes, a group that included Forrest Claypoole and Larry Suffredin. Suffredin flipflopped on Stroger's sales tax hike opposing before when he ran for state's attorney and supporting it after he lost. Claypoole is a power hungry political wannabe whose interest in reform has more to do with his personal ambitions than genuine concern for the voters.

Quigley, on the otherhand, was always genuine and consistent although hsi background years ago began as a worker in a Chicago Machine Ward organization of Alderman and Commiteeman Bernie Hansen.

It's not wrong for people to expect Quigley to win. The votes, despite a record low turnout, show that Quigley far outdistanced any of the competitors in the Republican or Independent field. Quigley receive over 12,000 votes. The Republican victor, Rosanna Pulido, won only 1,001 votes (several hundred higher than her closest challenger in part because of the fire-charged issue of illegal immigration that she espoused). The five candidates running on the Independent slate, all members of the Green Party, barely got close to 450 votes total among them all.

One might argue that the Democrats who did vote for other candidates -- Quigley's impressive 12,000 votes is impressive compared to the 11 people who ran against him but not when compared to the total Democratic Party primary vote. The vast majority of Quigley's vote like the other Democratic contenders, came from the Chicago portion of the District, 12 percent and that means 88 percent is still out there. But there is no reason to believe the majority of those Democrats will vote Republican, or that the Republican Party can mount a significant campaign head-to-head considering they had no money going in to the race.

So it is fair to say Quigley will win Tuesday April 7 in the general election. And when he does, the Democratic Committeemen in the 5th Congressional District will meet to appoint someone to take his place.

Everyone was impressed despite their losses with the performances os State Rep. John Fritchey and State Rep. Sara Feingenholtz. Both Fritchey and Feigenholtz spent the most money in purchasing TV ads which helped them lead the field but not win. There were three candidates with Machine names that stood out: Frank Annunzio, the grand nephew of the former congressman of the same name, Cary Capparelli, related to representative Ralph Capparelli, and Pat O'Connor, a Chicago alderman. Their Machine credentials gave them boosts but not enough to score significant votes. Capparelli got713 votes, Annunzio got 750 votes and O'Connor got 6,371 votes which was substantial but only half of Quigley's winning turnout.

The lessons: The Machine does not rule the 5th District; a real reformer can put together a coalition to win enough votes; the Republicans have a long way to go; the green Party needs to assess its own future as a 3rd party or better yet a faction in the Republican or Democratic parties. And who swings the decision on Quigley's succession in the 5th district among the district's commiteemen will be significant.

The vote to replace is based on a weighted system among the committeemen and Tom Tunney of the 44th Ward carries the largest weighted vote. He may decide who succeeds Quigley, and he may pick from a large field too that includes two current and former county board aides to Quigley, and a former State Representative who may be dragged down by her ties to disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich.

On a completely different plain, the low voter turnout in the highly contentious 5th Congressional District race suggests voters remain as apathetic as they always have. And that may reflect general apathy across Cook County and the six-county Chicagoland region.

Why? Voters seem content with the election of Obama as president. They're not going to jinx their luck; voters rarely get the best candidates.

You can hear a discussion of these and other issues from Friday's radio broadcast of Radio Chicagoland (WJJG 1530 AM Radio, http://www.radiochicagoland.com/) with Pioneer Press Newspaper reporter Patrick Butler and FOX TV News County Reporter Dane Placko. ... (Click HERE to Listen to the Podcast interview with Patrick Butler -- first 30 minutes -- and Dane Placko, 2nd 30 minutes of the show?)

-- Ray Hanania
http://www.radiochicagoland.com/

TV ads in 5th District so far are not as bad as one might think

Not throwing mud is so unusual in Illinois election camapigns. With or without Rod Blagojevich, Illinois is still wrapped in the "culture of corruption" which includes below-the-belt slams.

So it was refreshing and funny to see the light jabbing in the campaign commercial tonight from State Rep. John Fritchey, and the self-focused ad by rival Sara Feigenholtz. Fritchey and Feigenholtz are two of the 12 Democrats seeking to win the party nomination March 3 to fill the vacant 5th District Congressional formerly held by Rahm Emanuel, who is now Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama and an elusive unanswered question int he Blagojevich pay-to-play scandal.

The Tribune's blog described Fritchey's ad, which portrays Feigenholtz and media favorite Mike Quigley as bickering children, calling it an "attack ad." But in Chicago politics, the ad is far from a bad hit. In fact, it made its point in a humorous way without being mean.

Feigenholtz focuses on her immigrant mother fromE astern Europe who put herself through school and her focus on healthcare and experience in the legislature. Nice. Clean. And a solid message. Both Fritchey and Feigenholtz are respected legislators. Quigley is a strong independent voice in the pathetic Cook County Board of Commissioners.

Not everyone has the $100,000 needed to air an effective array of campaign commercials. And despite some great candidates in the Republican field and the Independent filed (five members of the aggressive Green party), the money is on whomever wins the Democratic Party.

Now, there's still time to see some good old Chicago Machine mud come flying, and that would be tragic.

I've had the opportunity to interview several of the candidates on my morning radio show. Fritchey was very open. Feigenholtz seemed a bit reserved. i'm not sure why but maybe it was the cloud of the Arab Israeli conflict that separates our people 9,000 miles away in the Middle East. After all, Emanuel ran the 5th District like an Israeli voter precinct, an issue that has come up in some of the campaign debate banter.

Yet, too bad the Arabs and Israelis in the Middle East can't both set aside their violent ways and take a leaf from this election. Good issues. Good campaign ads. Not a lot of namecalling -- criticism is required to explain why you are better than someone else, but keeping that criticism above the belt is a sign of political maturity and responsibility.

I think Fritchey and Feigenholtz have both been responsible so far.

-- Ray Hanania
http://www.radiochicagoland.com/

Media pundits Monroe Anderson and Dan Proft tear into each other over Obama appointments

Dan Proft and Monroe Anderson tore into the issues in discussing the preliminary appointments and possible appointments by president-elect Barack Obama, including the rumor that US Senator Hillary Clinton will become Secretary of State. What impact with former President Bill Clinton have on the decision. The controversies surrounding former Congressman and now Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, the son of a former member of the terrorist organization the Irgun, and also the appointment of Eric Holder.

Check the 11-19-08 audio podcast on the Flash iPod player on this blog, or go to www.RadioChicagoland.com for more information. Also, watch a live video and audio broadcast of the radio show live on the internet off the web page, too.

-- Ray Hanania

Great debate on Obama: Dan Proft and Monroe Anderson podcast now online

Dan Proft and Monroe Anderson tore into the issues in discussing the preliminary appointments and possible appointments by president-elect Barack Obama, including the rumor that US Senator Hillary Clinton will become Secretary of State. What impact with former President Bill Clinton have on the decision. The controversies surrounding former Congressman and now Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, the son of a former member of the terrorist organization the Irgun, and also the appointment of Eric Holder.

Check the 11-19-08 audio podcast on the Flash iPod player on this blog, or go to www.RadioChicagoland.com for more information. Also, watch a live video and audio broadcast of the radio show live on the internet off the web page, too.

-- Ray Hanania

Letters to the Editor: On the huffingtonPost column on Obama MidEast Peace, and on the USS Liberty murders

ON BARACK OBAMA, HIS APPOINTMENT'S AND HOPES FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ray-hanania/obamas-growing-pro-israel_b_141964.html


Dear Mr. Hanania,

I just want to thank you so very much for your article, "Obama's Growing Pro-Israel Cabinet Should Not Worry Allies of Just Peace." I know President Obama and First Lady Obama are surely the smartest people in the White House certainly in decades, probably centuries, and perhaps ever -- and at a time when we need it most. So I trust them. Even so, I really found your logic extremely helpful in showing the wisdom of these choices, which can look so "un-change" or change resistant. It looks as if he's surrounding himself with so many of the old, white, Beltway, male guard (and I'm white). I voted for him and worked for his election here in Minnesota precisely to get a different experience in the White House and leading the country and world. So what you wrote and the fact that you wrote it as a Palestinian is really, really valuable for me -- so very helpful. I will watch for your articles as we go along with this incredible new era.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Denise

Dear Ray

I just read your column on Huffpost and was rather heartened by it. I am British but have been living in the US on & off for nearly 10 years. I was delighted by Obama's victory, but I must admit I was quite disheartened when I discovered on another blog last night that Rahm Emmanuel has very close connections with Israel & pro-Israel groups. Although I follow American politics to some extent I hadn't known anything about him before. I hope you're right, and I think you are, that he is a very different creature from the awful Jewish neocons who to some extent shaped Bush policy (Perle, Frum & the rest). Personally I would like to see the US put more pressure on Israel to remove the settlements & work towards a peace that would be at least reasonably fair & durable even if not entirely just (that's probably not possible).

Your strong faith that Obama's heart is in the right place with respect to the Israel/Palestine problem, is very reassuring. Some of the bloggers commenting on your column were much more cynical. I tend to be a bit sceptical about what Obama can achieve, much as I admire his charisma & intelligence. So, despite the cynics & sceptics, let's hope you are right. Anyway, thanks for a very useful column.

Geoff C


For the record, I'm Jewish, I'm pro-Israel, and I agree with you.From a purely pro-Israel point of view I want a just settlement in the middle east. First because Jewish ethics do not allow any Jew to condone the plight of the Palestinians. And second because there are just so many times Israel can win a war against its neighbors. Unfortunately, you are correct in your fear of Benjamin Netanyahu. He is crazy. Unlike Sharon, he is neither able to see the big picture nor listen to anyone who does not agree with him. If he is elected batten down for further struggle.The most important thing Arabs could do to promote the type of just peace you support would be to say they supported peace -- in Arabic, on the Arab street. Netanyahu loves Hamas and Hezbulla because they give him a raison d'etre. Every time someone in the Arab world (and most Israelis understand that Iran is not Arab) threatens to destroy Israel, Netanyahu wins support. When someone talks about a just peace in Arabic, it wins support for Livni and the Peace Now community which the war in Lebanon has almost destroyed.Keep up the just struggle!By the way.

I do have one picayune quibble about your article. You began by saying, "Like all Arab Americans, I was disturbed when Barack Obama selected U.S. Senator Joseph Biden as his running mate." I agree that many were concerned, but not all. Because I live in Canada I do not know many Arab Americans, but I do know a lot of Arab Canadians, and I doubt they are all that different from there southern counterparts. Just as there are lots of Jews who support Hamas and the PLO, there are Arabs who support Israel, and even Isrrael's right wing. Perhaps both groups are fanatics, but they serve a valuable purpose by reminding others that this dispute is not really just about religion or ethnicity.

Sincerely,
Robert K


Dear Ray,

A cousin of mine, Jeff Baloutine, just forwarded your latest piece on the Obama emerging cabinet. I, too, was worried, at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I came into your line of thinking, one you explain with excellent detail in contrasting what Obama is arming himself with vs. the nuts Bush had in his tree.

I think you are right. You leverage a stubborn root with a shovel whose handle is made from the same wood.

As thanks, I'll send you a link for a long piece, "Obama and the Middle East" I just published in the Antioch Review in Ohio.

http://www18.georgetown.edu/data/people/gmo4/publication-37377.pdf.

Cheers,
Greg O.

ON THE USS LIBERTY ATTACK AND SEN. JOHN MCCAIN"S RESPONSIBILITY"

http://www.arabisto.com/p_blogEntry.cfm?blogEntryID=1318

Great article about senator McCain and killing of liberty.

WALID M.


Editor: I thank Ray Hanania for a great column on the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty in 1967. The government wants us to forget parts of our history, in which some of our sons died in the hands of some of our "allies." This has been hidden and covered up for years and years. It is time to know the truth.
Mahmood M
Temperance, Michigan


Dear Hater:

Stop supporting bin laden and hamas. Stop supporting stoning of rape victims, strapping bombs to babies, non education of women and honor killings and people won't have a problem with you.
You have made it clear you support killing all jews by your support of Holocaust deniers and the leader of Iran who is Osama Bin Laden's closest friend, a child molester and leader of the 1979 taking of the american embassy.

you want all jews dead. You have made it perfectly clear.

The difference between you and civilized people is best exampled in what you'd do if your daughter came down in the morning wearing something inappropriate. to you anything short of a head to toe burqa is in appropriate of course.
Civilized people tell her to go up and change her clothes.
you take her upstairs rape her and chop off her head.

If someone like you has a child (by rape of course) you hold that child and say "My greatest hope is someday you'll blow up a schoolbus full of jewish preschoolers"

Civilized people want their children to grow up to be lawyers, doctors or maybe the starting QB for the Chicago Bears.

I do not hate all muslims. I hate terrorists and anyone who supports them by supporting Palestinians and Holocaust denial.

UNSIGNED


Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Your article (and underlying point) was excellent. I lived through the
period in question, was aghast at the obvious cover-up, and have many
friends in the Navy who consider the ship and her crew's heroic resistance a
legend. Would that this episode with its heroism and villainy was better
known. Then we might also better discern what real support for the troops
is all about.

Regards,
Frank P

Ray,
Good job on the article the truth will over come the lies I was on C Span after the debate last night until they cut me off say the word USS Liberty and you are gone.
Thanks for keeping the story alive. Phil


Thank you Ray for the article that included the USS Liberty in its
body. As a survivor and the officer in charge of the body recovery
and identification I would love to see an investigation happen. I do
have some interesting information for you from my own senator. I will send in a separate email.

Ron K
Sheridan, Wyoming


Have been listening to your programs on the USS Liberty attack by Israel, particularly those with my friend, Phil Tourney as a guest. Many thanks to you for helping to publicize this massacre by Israel and the cover-up by two countries of the attack.

Just read your outstanding article on the SW News Herald web page:

http://www.swnewsherald.com/news_inside/2008/10/101708cs_rh_liberty.php

I made a tiny URL of the one above and am passing it around to my friends.

http://tinyurl.com/54y542

McCain's activities and support of A. Jay Cristol's book of lies really ought to be brought to the attention of the public... alas, the mainline media apparently is bought and paid for and congress damned sure won't help.

Thanks again,
John G
(ex-crew member of the Liberty, was
transferred just prior to the attack.)

END