Report from Saturday's IL Senate Candidate Forum

[Doctor_J]

I was there Saturday when 6 terrific candidates answered questions. They are all wonderful, and one will make a great senator next January. Help is on the way, at least from the Land O' Lincoln.

I went in waffling between Skinner and Obama, but now am firmly an Obamian. But ANY of them would be great! They all focussed on wrestling power from Smirk, and spoke about jobs & health care.

Skinner was kind of a downer. She talked about Smirk having a filibuster-proof majority for the next four years. She looks good, though.

The room was pretty full, in a GOP stronghold. I think we're going to be OK, people. My community is energized and it looks like the Iowans are too. B-bye, chimpie. I look forward to watching your trials for war crimes and treason on CourtTV.

[esther_greenwood]

1. Report from Saturday's IL Senate Candidate Forum

Doctor- I am a new poster, a long time observer. Now that the voting has actually started I am ready to dive into the role of DU participant. I would be interested to find out more about your take on the Senate debate. I live in Illinois and though I believe that this is possibly the wrong forum to initiate a specific state race discussion, I would like some direction in doing so for the upcoming Illinois primary. So if you could help this neophyte and would like to participate in this sort of group, I would love to have some assistance and lead in such an establishment.

And to the moderator, I apologize if this response is in the incorrect location.

By the way, my opinion of the race is similar to yours; I however, favor Skinner and consider Obama my runner up. I would not be upset though to have him as my senator. I am wondering about a couple of your comments about Skinner, re: the downer analysis and especially the "looks good" description. Does this "look good" mention indicate a surface type of assessment or a presentation, ability to debate etc. sort of compliment?

[davsand]

2. Hoe did you feel about Hynes?

I love Obama, but I also know that Hynes is viewed by many as being the probable Dem Primary winner. I've seen Hynes speak quite a few times now, and I've never felt he had much fire in the belly--he's kinda bland somehow. Did he come across to you that way too?

Laura

[Nailzberg]

3. My problem with Hynes...

He is wishy-washy on the issues.

He was at the AFL-CIO and his response to right to work laws was an issue we have to look at.

You're at the largest Union organization in the state and you don't have a pro-union answer???

Blair Hull was IN A UNION. He will support organized labor!!!
Sure, most the bosses will support Hynes, he's the only sitting statewide candidate. None of these people will endorse a real candidate like Hull or Obama.

Why can't Hynes answer that question? I don't know. Maybe he doesn't know what a right to work law means to organized labor.

Hull Does. And that's why I support him.

[esther_greenwood]

4. Sadly, does labor still have a voice in the party??

Wow.. I am glad to see that there are some following responses
to this issue. I know, there was a somewhat important event
that took place within the party last night but..

The point with Hull is that he WAS in a union. Nancy Skinner -
very pro-labor in her own right - still is . And she has had
to remind others of this when the notion that "Hull is
the only union member" is uttered. And take a stand is
right! I was a union organizer for eight years and I am
surprised myself at times that I still identify as a [very
disgruntled] democrat. The dems always want workers' support
but when time comes for the vote in DC, we are an
afterthought. Thanks for the vote now go away. Maybe Hynes is
just being unintentionally honest in displaying how important
the issues of labor are to some - no actually, many -
politicians.

I realize that a lot of people think that Nancy has no chance
of winning... if people refuse to pay attention to her, if the
media ignores her, it makes it more difficult. And it is not a
surprise to me that the media - especially Chicago- has barely
made any mention of her. This is a woman who stood up to WLS -
disney owned, rush limbaugh loving entity that it is - and
maintained her political stance even though doing so
jeopardized her job. 

Sometimes it just shocks me as to how COMPLETELY lacking and
biased the media is. I mean, even beyond the right wing
corporate slant that is so transparent to those of us who
actually avoid Fox News et. al. The Tribune posted a general
profile of the Senate candidates in the Sunday paper a few
weeks ago. The men were all mentioned and described in terms
of their careers, political experience etc. Maria Pappas's
long time service in the city was so minimally mentioned that
it should have been the most infuriating part of her profile.
No, the "she carries a dog around in her purse, she is a
bit eccentric, blah, blah," dominated the remaining
portrait. Nancy and Joyce were mentioned- just named!- in the
last sentence in the last paragraph. I was compelled to write
to the Trib on that one, not just on behalf of Nancy but for
all of the candidates, specifically the women. It is still
such a male centered world - and I do not intend to demean the
male candidates; it is unfortunately a fact, one more obstacle
that Skinner must face.

If everything is to be examined, I think that Nancy's opinions
on the issues are much more closely related to the majority of
those expressed on DU. Read her platform: Nancy has the luxury
of not being a party regular, nor a beneficiary of all that
such a relationship may lend. This gives her a freedom that
none of the other candidates have - a good thing, I believe.
And she can win. The voting pool in the primary election is
small enough that, with so many candidates and so many voters
who remain undecided, anyone truly can win.

By the way, there is a debate tomorrow night in Evanston
[Northwestern, Ryan Auditorium, 2145 Sheridan Rd, 7 p.m.] ;
Obama, Chico, Pappas, Hynes, Washington, and, of course,
Skinner, will be participating. I will be attending.. I am
curious if anyone else will.

Also, as I stated in my first post, I would really like to
start a group/forum that exclusively discusses this race.
Anyone interested and if so, would you please assist me in
this process?  I am a Skinner loyalist, have spent many hours
volunteering and supporting her effort. The nice thing about
such a small, determined campaign is that I actually can speak
with Nancy on a regular basis, and see her almost every day
that I am in the office. Such a situation makes the process so
much more realistic, and true than otherwise. If Nancy does
not win the primary I am voting for the winner... no
hesitation. To live in a state with two democratic US
Senators.....!!! So I would love to keep a discussion going on
this issue, and I hope others agree. Bye bye Fitzgerald and
bring on the repugs; especially Ryan and his unfortunate last
name!!

[esther_greenwood]

repost for font..

I do not like the font from my previous reply.. the first post wasn't so hot either, and I am unsure of how this one will result. Forgive me for using this space as trial....

[esther_greenwood]

5. repost for font..

I do not like the font from my previous reply.. the first post wasn't so hot either, and I am unsure of how this one will result. Forgive me for using this space as trial....

[Cocoa]

6. Hull has an interesting biography

I forget the details, I just remember there is some unusual stuff there.

The leading Republican, Ryan, is a real lightweight. I was really surprised, listening to an interview on WBEZ, he sounded like a teenager.

bbbbbbbbbb

[IkeWarnedUs]

7. Obama and Hynes are both DLC candidates

Obama and Hynes are both on the DLC list of 100 "rising stars" to watch. Hynes has been a long time DLC'er - Obama was with Clinton (the DLC golden boy) and has gone completely to the dark side.

Obama started out strong against the Bush administration policies, but he has backed down in a lot of ways. Here is an article from the 6/5/03 issue of The Black Commentator about the flip:

In Search of the Real Barack Obama: Can a Black Senate Candidate Resist the DLC?
By Bruce A. Dixon, Associate Editor The Black Commentator 6/5/03

http://www.blackcommentator.com/45/45_dixon.html

And here is the list of the DLC's 100 rising stars in 2003:

http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=251581&kaid=104&subid=210

It's possible he signed up for the campaign funding or because of pressure from Clinton without knowing the evil he crawled into bed with. The DLC is a Trojan horse for the neo-cons. The creator of DLC policy is a PNAC'er.

If you want to support him - hold his feet to the fire and make him declare his allegiance to either the voters or his new owners.