SEIU members and one of the buses outside the hotel.
I got a robo-call yesterday that sounded like it came from Mark Kirk, inviting me to a town-hall meeting in Northbrook, that he would be at - only the call wasn't from Kirk, and the meeting certainly was not a town hall. I found out when I got there that it was a war protest rally hosted by a moveon.org group Iraq Summer and Rep. Jan Schakowsky who represents the north side of Chicago. I called Kirk's office today and was told that the Congressman's office did not send out the robo-calls and he had never accepted any invitation to appear at the rally.
The whole rally seemed to be a staged political event - and that's fair enough. But call it what it is. This wasn't any kind of town hall meeting for the 10th CD. The hotel was packed with people from outside the district. I counted at least 3 buses and tons of City of Chicago car stickers. When asked, the guys from SEIU didn't even know what the rally was for. People were trying to get petitions signed for Tenth District democratic primary candidates Jay Footlik and Dan Seals but weren't having much luck since most of the people they were asking to sign happily said they were from Jan's district.
I tried to get in the room but was denied because the organizers had booked a room that was too small. Maybe they packed it with the folks they bused in so folks from the district could not attend. And there certainly wasn't any town hall dialogue about the war - a man in the crowd that could not get into the room tried to ask Jan a question and was shouted down by the moveon.org activists. I was able to get a program and found out that in addition to the anti-war activists and Rep. Schakowsky there was a singer/songwriter and the president of Citizens Action slated to speak.
I'm all for discussing the war and the best way to end it - without leaving an even worse mess. But this was no discussion it was a political ploy by Chicago Democrats trying to expand their reach. Mark Kirk had a real Town Hall meeting in Palatine last week where he listened to the views of actual 10th district voters - see here. I have nothing against Chicagoans since I used to be one, and I am a life-long democrat, but the deceptive political tactics tried by some Chicago dems last night just don't sit well. I hope Seals and Footlik don't plan on using these type of events to get their message out - they can't win by only speaking to people who can't even vote for them.
The whole rally seemed to be a staged political event - and that's fair enough. But call it what it is. This wasn't any kind of town hall meeting for the 10th CD. The hotel was packed with people from outside the district. I counted at least 3 buses and tons of City of Chicago car stickers. When asked, the guys from SEIU didn't even know what the rally was for. People were trying to get petitions signed for Tenth District democratic primary candidates Jay Footlik and Dan Seals but weren't having much luck since most of the people they were asking to sign happily said they were from Jan's district.
I tried to get in the room but was denied because the organizers had booked a room that was too small. Maybe they packed it with the folks they bused in so folks from the district could not attend. And there certainly wasn't any town hall dialogue about the war - a man in the crowd that could not get into the room tried to ask Jan a question and was shouted down by the moveon.org activists. I was able to get a program and found out that in addition to the anti-war activists and Rep. Schakowsky there was a singer/songwriter and the president of Citizens Action slated to speak.
I'm all for discussing the war and the best way to end it - without leaving an even worse mess. But this was no discussion it was a political ploy by Chicago Democrats trying to expand their reach. Mark Kirk had a real Town Hall meeting in Palatine last week where he listened to the views of actual 10th district voters - see here. I have nothing against Chicagoans since I used to be one, and I am a life-long democrat, but the deceptive political tactics tried by some Chicago dems last night just don't sit well. I hope Seals and Footlik don't plan on using these type of events to get their message out - they can't win by only speaking to people who can't even vote for them.
6 comments:
You can say it, but it doesn't make it true. I live in the tenth and know for a fact that there were huge numbers of tenth district people at the event and few if any 9th district people. The tenth loves Jan and always turns out for her. You're dreaming if you think otherwise.
If UM is dreaming, you are dillusional!
There is one kind of Tenth District constituent that "loves" Jan...the kind that have to wear an ankle bracelet and check in with their probation officer...like Jan's jailbird husband.
That event was a sham and everyone knows it.
Sham, scam and a shame. Even on far left ellen's blog they had to admit that the buses were for a group of SEIU members.
There's no shame in SEIU people attending a public event & no one was trying to hide the fact that they were there. Maybe they were being environmentally conscious by coming in a bus.
And no, BOH, I was not one of the organizers. I'm a concerned 10th district citizen who wants the killing & the irresponsible defense spending to stop. Now.
so your telling me that footlick and seals had to have city people doing their leg work? if we wanted chicago politics we would live in chicago!! what a joke.
Glad to see that Jan made the trip north. Most of the people in attendance were registered to vote in her district anyway, including Dan Seals and Jay Footlik. Except of course for the SEIU folks. Who knows what part of Chicago they were bused in from.
By the way, I'm glad that Dan was able to take time away from his job to come to the event.
What job you ask? Yeah, I don't know either. Pretty soon people are going to start calling him Oberweis. But at least the milkman has a day job.
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