Howdy. I don't like repeating diaries at all, but considering all the trouble lately with Chinese imports, this little beauty from Christmas last year is worth revisiting. Enjoy!
A few months back I dedicated a lot of time and energy working to get a great guy elected to the Illinois State Senate. I worked for Pete Gutzmer for two reasons. First, Pete would be an excellent senator, and second the guy he ran against is an extremist. Unfortunately, Pete lost and the guy who won is proving to be true to form.
Nope. I am not going to do it. I’m not going to decry the rampant consumerism that overwhelms us all during this festive time of the year. That dog has been beaten to death and the fact is...I love spending money on presents, particularly on Christmas. Having worked retail frequently over the last fifteen years, I appreciate the importance of holidays to the economy and yes, focusing on the presents does diminish the meaning of this time, whether you derive your meaning from Eid, Kwanzaa, Chanukah (the spell checker caught that...way to good Mr. Gates!), or Christmas (and least I offend the pagans out there, the Winter Solstice and or Saturnalia). I do believe for the bulk of us trotting around the planet, if you celebrate this time of year, and you do give a gift, you do it out of grace.
Whilst raking leaves today, not our leaves, our neighbors leaves because our yard is the neighborhood leave magnet, my wife, Madame W, had a brilliant idea...she has many but this one stood out. First, a little context. Recently I created an avatar on Second Life, more or less to see what the hubbub was all about. Madame W and I, during the creation of my virtual self, had a rather deep conversation about the nature of community and irony that sometimes virtual communities cause isolation. Heavy stuff.
Howdy. Very tired, lazy diary, probably most suited to an open thread. This said, I have a question: now that we have won, who among the GOP RINO class will jump ship and come home? History tells us that after a right good beating, the losing party not only loses power, but a number of its members, to the winning party. We were subject to this in 1994 when a heap of blue dog democrats decided that their souls weren't worth all that much and flipped. So the question: who in the GOP will turn from the dark side (queue the Imperial March). PEACE OUT and MY GOD WINNING FEELS GOOD!
No matter how you slice it on Tuesday, the key to victory is getting out the vote. The tragedy in this: the greatest democracy the world has ever know seems to have a pathological inability to get full participation in the voting process, and it's even worse during a mid tern election.
More people vote during presidential elections because they are sexy: big ideas, big money, big power. What many people don't realize is that the election affecting them most immediately is the election for city council or school board or the state house. These are smaller affairs, with less money, rather mundane ideas, without the news coverage and lets admit it, entertainment value, of the big show every four years for the presidency.
Another letter to the editor, this time giving the local GOP mouthpiece of a newspaper what for.
Growing up in Barrington, there were things we could always depend upon, whether we liked them or not. There would always be a lot of traffic driving through town. The water always had a funny taste. The Daily Herald would always endorse a Republican...regardless of who the Republican was, did, or believed in. It was simply one of those things that folks in these parts had grown to depend on
Lately, it would appear that times had changed. Recent Daily Herald editorials had taken positions that, at face value, would appear to run counter to the Republican Party line. Positions on stem cell research, gun control, the environment, all were moving away from the Daily Herald's traditional lock step stance with any and every GOP platform. The Daily Herald editorial board was moderating its stance: less extreme, more main stream.
Today I saw the best that the Republican campaign slime machine has to offer, writ very, very small. A mailer was sent out to people in the Illinois 27th Senate district with a black and white picture of a girl, crying behind a veil of rain, claiming that, at the most vulnerable time in her life, Peter Gutzmer wouldn't allow her parents to know that she is having an abortion.
"Schools need to ask permission to give our kids aspirin" but Peter Gutzmer (the Democratic Candidate for Illinois 27th) won't support parental notification. Beyond the troublesome logic behind the claim (not forcing a young woman by law to tell her parents she is seeking an abortion equals forcing the young woman not to tell her parents that she is seeking an abortion), the advertisement speaks to, once again and very locally, the trouble with today's Republican Party: they deal solely in fear.
Howdy folks. I wanted to drop you a line and give an update on the Peter Gutzmer campaign for Illinois 27th Senate district (www.votegutzmer.org). Things are moving at light speed and this one will be a squeaker...the difference may very well be the kind of support we get from this community
Hi Folks. I am not Pastor Dan, nor do I think I can be as eloquent or as poignant as he. I do think that his weekly posts provide an important function for the community: a spiritual centering and respite from the battles, personal, professional, and political, we each fight every day. This said, I have a suggestion. Let's use this time to express to PD, each other, and ourselves what this virtual holy, quiet place means to us all.
I am not a newcomer to Daily Kos. I am not a cool kid. I do not get my diaries recommended often, if ever. My comments are usually welcomed and I have been, from time to time, a trusted user. I like to think I have a measure of credibility on this site and with this community.
I wrote a letter to the editor today (The Daily Herald)...my first letter to the editor thank you very much. I was compelled to write the letter because two people in our very middle class and supposedly safe part of the world were gunned down. One was about 2 miles away from my house. Needless to say, I am not pleased. So, take a gander and tell me what you think.
(cross posted at My Left Win, Dkos, and Soapblox Chicago)
It can't happen here. That is the sentiment of many an Illinois Democrat when they reflect on the prospect of a South Dakota style law banning abortion being passed in this state. Illinois is true Blue. Illinois is the home of world-renowned institutions of higher learning. Illinois is a beacon of enlightened civic pride and civic duty. The people of Illinois had the good sense and judgment to vote for the Democrat in the last 4 presidential elections. Surely, no South Dakota style anti abortion law would have any traction in Illinois. In fact, the mere thought would solicit looks of puzzlement and a slight laugh under the breath.
Howdy folks. I wanted to drop you a line a give you a volunteer's eye view of what's happening with the Pete Gutzmer for Illinois State Senate. Allow me to net it out for you: it's all GREAT!
His honor, Lt. Governor Patrick Quinn held a fundraiser for Pete at Durty Nellie's in the heart of Palatine a couple of weeks ago. Beating everyone's expectations, 70 people came out to support Pete. This is huge in the district that gave us Phil Crane, Pete Fitzgerald and was part of Rumsfield's congressional seat. This speaks volumes, not only about Pete, but also the change attitudes in the area. People have had it with the GOP locally and nationally.
I'll get right to it. My father, a radical from the 50's and a dyed in the wool progressive, has terrible gout. He is on a number of medications to control his high blood pressure, cholesterol, and gout. The gout got so bad that they put him on a steroid and cortisone. The steroid/cortisone combination works, but it reeks havoc on his system and caused Dad to retain fluid in his legs. The prescription ran out and Dad blew up like the Michelin Man and the gout pain came back.
I looked on the Internet for some information and get nothing but infomercial bullshit.
This past Saturday, my family marched in the Fourth of July parade in Palatine, Illinois with the Palatine Township Democrats, Dan Seals (Illinois 10th Congressional), and Pete Gutzmer (Illinois State Senate, 27th District). Pete rented a fire truck (he's a firefighter). Dan walked with his lovely wife and young family. There were about 25 of us adults (and a bunch of cute little kids) walking in this old fashioned, home town event celebrating our nation and right to free speech...and didn't get booed once. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a triumph.
We Democrats are playing right into the hands of the GOP every time we talk about "phased withdrawal" or "out of Iraq by the end of the year" because they can very effectively characterize us as "cutting and running". Is this the truth? Unfortunately, it is. If we leave Iraq now in the state that it is in, the US not only started a war under false pretenses and for the most dubious of motives, our government leaves millions of people to the wolves. As Colin Powell so succinctly put it "you break it, you buy it". Well, thanks to the pure evil of the GOP, we own Iraq. So we have to do something about it or Iraq will truly become the hotbed of terrorism we were all sold as justification for war.
This past Memorial Day, Pete Gutzmer, Candidate for the 27th District Illinois Senate, was asked to give a short speech after the Palatine parade. At the last minute, the parade organizers canceled candidate speeches. Instead of allowing this speech be lost to circumstance, I am posting it here for the community to enjoy and provide comment. I think the speech summarizes most acutely and succinctly the difference between us and the opposition, and should confirm once and for all that Mr. Gutzmer is the real deal.
