By Steve Rhodes
The three most noxious candidates on the ballot.
Joe Berrios, chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party: Nepotism. Ethics. Campaign finance. Dirty tricks. Oh, and generally being a piece of shit.
Supporting him? Rahm, Pritzker, Madigan, Preckwinkle, Burke, White, Gutierrez.
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Dan Lipinski: “Rep. William Lipinski (D-Ill.) has orchestrated a plot – to unfold on Tuesday – that will virtually guarantee handing his seat to his son, Dan, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Tennessee,” Lynn Sweet reported for the Sun-Times in August 2004.
“Lipinski is taking his name off the ballot for re-election to the House. On Tuesday, the Democratic political bosses in Lipinski’s 3rd Congressional District will agree to replace him on the ballot with his son Dan . . .
“The nomination is tantamount to election because the Republican candidate, Ryan Chlada, is regarded as a Lipinski plant who has so little campaign activity that he has not filed any reports with the Federal Election Commission . . .
“The Democratic bosses who are expected to select Dan Lipinski as the replacement nominee make up the remnants of the old-time Chicago-style political machine. By going along with the selection of Dan Lipinski, they will be paying the elder Lipinski back for his support of their families’ past, present and future political ambitions . . .
“The power to name Lipinski’s replacement rests with Lipinski, who is also the 23rd Ward committeeman; Ald. Ed Burke, the 14th Ward committeeman; Cook County board member John Daley, the 11th Ward committeeman; former Cook County Assessor Thomas Hynes, the 19th Ward committeeman; Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, the 13th Ward committeeman, and Bridgeview Mayor Steve Landek, the Lyons Township committeeman.”
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Just a taste from the Beachwood vault:
November 2006:
Emanuel “said he would recommend that Rep. Dan Lipinski be given the slot he covets on the Transportation Committee.”
Emanuel is also holding slots for any other Lipinski relatives who need work.
Newspaper editorial boards like to blame the voters for not throwing the bums out, but then they always endorse the bums. Both the Tribune and the Sun-Times have endorsed Dan Lipinski, thus validating the slimy way he got into office and the sleaze surrounding his stay there.
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See also: Congressman’s Decisions Benefit Dad’s Lobby Clients.
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Bob Fioretti: This seems to have been forgotten in coverage of this scoundrel’s race.
“Unsuccessful mayoral candidate Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd) says he’s endorsing Mayor Rahm Emanuel for reelection over challenger Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia in the April 7 runoff,” the Sun-Times reported in 2015.
“Fioretti, who earlier this month retracted his promise to endorse Garcia, plans a joint public appearance Sunday afternoon with Emanuel, aides said . . .
“On the eve of the Feb. 24 city election, Fioretti told the Chicago Sun-Times he would support ‘anybody but Rahm’ if Emanuel didn’t get the majority vote he needed to avoid Chicago’s first every mayoral runoff.
“‘If there is a runoff, I will support whoever the challenger is,’ the alderman said then. ‘We need a change. Chicago is headed in the wrong direction under this mayor.'”
Not only that, but Fioretti had been the city council’s loudest critic of Rahm since the day Rahm took office – so much so that Rahm had his ward eliminated in redistricting.
So why the 180? Well, it didn’t take long for after Fioretti’s endorsement that Rahm helped him retire his campaign debt.
Fioretti later got wiped out in a state senate race.
And yet, here he is, with the support of the police union and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
In Chicago politics, wonders never cease.
Neither do the creeps.
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See also:
* Illinois 2018 Primary Campaign Notebook 1: MAGA, Mendacity & Moby Mike.
* Illinois 2018 Primary Campaign Notebook 2: Chris Kennedy’s Confusing Campaign.
* Illinois 2018 Primary Campaign Notebook 3: Who Is Biss? Pensions, Passes & Pussy Riot.
* Illinois 2018 Primary Campaign Notebook 4: The Plutocratic Pol.
* Illinois 2018 Primary Campaign Notebook 5: Pat Quinn, Really?
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Comments welcome.
Posted on March 19, 2018