Daily archives: March 8th, 2008

The Sun Also Rises: Foster Wins!

March 8, 2008
AmericaCongressDemocratic NewsRepublicans
0 Comment

Fighting Donkey of the Young Democrats

Unofficial results from the Associated Press show Bill Foster defeating Jim Oberweis for Congress. The Chicago Tribune calls it a “stunning upset” — and they’re right:

In a stunning upset Saturday that could be a harbinger of trouble for the GOP this fall, a little-known Democratic physicist won the special election for a seat drawn to re-elect former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

Bill Foster defeated Republican Jim Oberweis, who lost his fourth high-profile election in six years, following an expensive and highly negative contest.

Unbelievable, and yet totally cool.

Foster told his supporters he gives a lot of credit to the Young Democrats of Illinois for helping him secure this victory. Hats off to the entire YD organization in historically Republican Kendall County, which Foster won by 91 votes. The Young Democrats helped turn a huge page in the 14th Congressional District. Spectacular.

John Crawford and every Young Democrat in Kendall County deserve credit for this one.

With 100% of precincts reporting, The Chicago Sun-Times shows Foster beating Oberweis by six points: 53% to 47%. Six whole points send Mr. Foster to Washington.

Congratulations to all who had a hand in this victory.

Foster is good stuff, and the residents of the 14th Congressional District deserve solid representation. I have no doubt the good doctor will serve them well.

Barack Wins Wyoming

March 8, 2008
Democratic NewsElectionsRepublicans
0 Comment

The Senator from Illinois has taken Wyoming Democratic caucuses.  As he should have.

The Sun-Times reports:

Barack Obama captured the Wyoming Democratic caucuses Saturday, seizing a bit of momentum in the close, hard-fought race with rival Hillary Rodham Clinton for the party’s presidential nomination.

Obama generally has outperformed Clinton in caucuses, which reward organization and voter passion more than do primaries. With Saturday’s victory, the Illinois senator has now won 13 caucuses to Clinton’s three.

Barack has a distinct edge when it comes to caucusing.  Give him and his supporters a few minutes of your time, and they will convince you of his passion for serving this country.  Obama demonstrates the vision Clinton lacks.  But Clinton is smart and would serve this country well.

Here’s the problem Democrats have that Republicans do not: we have two excellent candidates running for President of the United States.  Before that, we had many more excellent candidates who were running for  President of the United States.

The Republicans had to settle.  Ask them.  They’ll tell you.

It’s Gotta Be Foster

March 8, 2008
CongressDemocratic NewsRepublicans
0 Comment

Bill Foster is running an amazing campaign for Congress in the 14th District, Illinois. Endorsed by the Chicago Tribune, Foster has gained a reputation for being smart, wise and honest.

Jim Oberweis, a perennial candidate for whatever-is-next, published literature with fictional people, complete with stock photographs. From an editorial in the Chicago Tribune:

Rob Wadsworth is a firefighter. His wife, Amanda, works as an office assistant. They live in Yorkville and get by OK on $73,000 a year. They have a mop-headed little boy and a cute little girl. Take a look at their photo here. Aren’t they just adorable?

Well, life’s not all rosy for the Wadsworths. Rob likes to hit the tavern with his buddies after work, so Amanda basically has two jobs because someone has to ride herd on the kids — one’s a chronic shoplifter, the other likes to play with matches and neither of them can recite the alphabet without prompting — and Rob says he’d come home if Amanda’s hag of a mother wasn’t there all the time …

Actually, we made up that last part … but who cares? Jim Oberweis made up the Wadsworths!

Pols are often criticized for alleged dishonesty. The voters of the 14th District considering voting for Oberweis should seriously consider taking a second look at Foster. The man carries endorsements from a string of Nobel Prize winners — not that the Nobel Prize qualifies anyone to choose the next congressman. But their endorsement is extremely impressive, nonetheless.

The Washington Post has taken notice of the race:

In a race that has become surprisingly close, voters will decide today whether a Republican dairy magnate or a Democratic scientist will fill out the remainder of former Republican House speaker J. Dennis Hastert’s term in Illinois’ 14th District.

Our Democratic scientist should be commended — and elected.  This one is well within reach, and Republicans and Democrats in the district should take a good look at Bill Foster.

Oberweis’ own actions raise too many credibility issues. The right choice for Congress is clearly Bill Foster.

We Can’t Handle Guns

March 8, 2008
AmericaConstitutionLegalPhilosophicalRant
0 Comment

Yes, the Constitution gives us the right to bear arms. Specifically:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

We could debate endlessly the meaning of “a well regulated Militia” and whether such a thing could exist in this day and age.  We could talk about keeping guns out of the hands of criminals.  That’s all we have to do, after all, right?  We have enough laws.  We just have to enforce the laws we have and all will be well.

We could compare ourselves to other countries.  Canadians have lots and lots of guns, for example. But they don’t shoot each other the way we do.

Why do we shoot each other?  We could debate endlessly.  For all our discussion, it happened again.

Today, Ruben Ivy, 18, a student at Crane High School in Chicago was shot and killed.  The Chicago Sun-Times shows a black jacket laying in a pool of blood on the school’s front steps.

A puddle of blood and yellow police tape remain on the steps in front of Crane High School on Friday evening after an 18-year-old junior was killed and another student was beaten nearby in what police are calling gang-related incidents.

Police are looking for a male juvenile they believe is a suspect.

It happened again.   Our children are killing children.

While we debate once again the merits of gun control, the fact is Ruben Ivy will not be the last young person shot.  When children shoot children, the issues are systemic, and much deeper than guns. Some have suggested adding a $10 tax to individual bullets.

But remove guns from the mix, and what do we have left?  Imagine for an instant that we have removed guns from our streets?  What would be left that is driving our children to kill other children?  What’s going on in the big picture?

I don’t have an answer tonight.  I’m just trying to feel the question more deeply.