23 Comments - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 24, 05 @ 9:19 am: Those who were paying attention noticed that Jacob’s inaugural reception was officially billed as a reception for Sen. Jacobs AND Mike Jacobs. I don’t think it gets any more offical than that, and you can bet that the good Senator is merely triple-checking that all of his ducks are in a row. The bigger question…who takes the lead on gaming in the Senate now, and who are the primary candidates for Boland’s seat? - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 24, 05 @ 11:09 am: This move has been anticipated for a long time in Northwestern Illinois. While Mikey Jacobs may be appointed he definetly fits in the category of a “Not Ready for Prime Time”. As downstate as a whole loses clout on a statewide level it is definetly not a time for a less than serious individual to serve as a state senator. An adovcate is needed for that seat who will stand up for healthcare equality, educational funding and economic development throughout the region. 3 things which Mikey Jacobs knows or cares little about. When your only intrest is slapping people on the back and the party scene your daddy turned you on to you dont deserve to serve the people. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 24, 05 @ 11:21 am: This will definetly be one of the hottest primary races in the state! The insuing slugfest for the senate seat may be overted if Boland decides to run for statewide office. There will be multiple candidates for Bolands seat if he chooses to vacate it. The strongest candidates for it include Steve Ballard of the UAW CAP Council and longtime Democratic Activist and Political Columnist Porter McNeil. Others have expressed intrest in running such as Dennis Ahern (the 04 Primary challenger of Boland who was soundly defeated) and Jerry Lack (one of Lane Evans staffers) I consider both of these candidates second tier as they are bound to be dilluted in a crowed primary. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 24, 05 @ 11:39 am: Is Porter really interested? He’d be great. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 24, 05 @ 11:46 am: I have known Porter for some time and I know he would be an excellent candidate for state rep. Porter is an individual who has worked all around the state and firmly understands the issues. He would be a great advocate for the people and a constant fighter for the issues that matter most to this hard working district. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 24, 05 @ 12:03 pm: I have known Porter for some time and I know he would be an excellent candidate for state rep. Porter is an individual who has worked all around the state and firmly understands the issues. He would be a great advocate for the people and a constant fighter for the issues that matter most to this hard working district. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 24, 05 @ 12:04 pm: Boland would be nuts to run for this job. He loses Seniority, big time pay, Chairmanship of Committees, etc. etc. Clarence Darrow would love to go after Denny Jacobs son in a primary. Remember it was Denny who blasted the younger Darrow for running under his birth name, Clarence, instead of the name he grew up being known as, Mike, in the primary last time. Plus the elders of each family despise one another. Mike, as in Darrow, can raise the money, and Mike, as in Jacobs, already has daddy’s money. This could be good. If a vacany occurs, count out Ballard; he was paid off with a cushy job at the E.M. Prison, he won’t run. McNeil and Lack have coveted this job for a long time,but they are the same people, they will hurt each other. Ahern in intriguing. He is the only conservative, and he will not be mistaken for anyone else. He got beat last time around fairly well, but he had no money. Even Jacobs would’nt go out of his way to help him or endorse him (to protect Mikey) even though the hatred of the Bolands/Jacobs clans is common knowledge in Western Illinois. Watch for a Darrow/Jacbobs race. Boland stays put. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 24, 05 @ 1:02 pm: John Cullerton is taking over gaming in the Senate. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 24, 05 @ 5:37 pm: One thing I know about Porter McNeil is that, from a Democratic Party standpoint, he has paid his dues. He has worked for House Speaker Madigan & the House Democrats, Comptroller Dan Hynes and most recently for Senator John Kerry. Plus he spent several years as a legislative staffer in Springfield. He has the experience, and he’s a nice guy with a great family in the QC community. I don’t know whether he has the fire in his gut to be a political candidate, though. Time will tell, I guess. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 24, 05 @ 9:36 pm: As for the Senate race that could be coming down the track, it could be interesting. But anyone who thinks that Clarence Mike Darrow is a potential candidate must be in another planet. He broke the golden rule - he challenged a member of his own party who was loved by labor (Pat Verschoore). Most people don’t think he can run for anything for about ten years, thanks to that maneuver. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 24, 05 @ 10:01 pm: Working alongside one of the state’s most effective legislators (Sen. Denny Jacobs) for more than 20years, Mike Jacobs is uniquely qualified to join the Senate. He will add a fresh voice from a new generation of leadership from a family which has helped define strong public service in this region. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 24, 05 @ 10:03 pm: You know, it’s pretty evident that had State Rep. Mike Boland done a better job as State Rep. and as a leader in his party he would probably be facing better odds of getting an appointment to the State Senate. Apparently, he hasn’t paid enough attention to his district, to his politics and to his county chairmen! Wake up, Mike, and smell the coffee. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 25, 05 @ 12:34 am: McNeil would definitely be the strongest candidate for Boland’s seat, if it becomes available. Lack has little appeal beyond his ties to Evans and could bring some baggage. Ballard? Not likely, and not nearly the candidate McNeil would be. McNeil’s got the network, he’s got the experience, and most importantly, he’s a very attractive candidate who is no lightweight windowdressing sort. His appeal would be as the candidate for the future, not more of the hidebound and incestuous past of Dem politics in the region. Not to put too fine a point on it, but he’s definitely got a Kennedyesque touch to him (without the philandering). He’s the buzzworthy candidate in this race. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 25, 05 @ 7:48 am: Hatred is the thing in the 36th. Jacobs hates Darrows, and vice versa. Bolands hate Jacobs and vice versa. Hatred makes more people run for public office then reality. Boland has been sliding up next to Darrow, and other Dems recenlty. Darrow didn’t burn any bridges, nor did Ahern for that matter when they ran aginst the two party men last time (O.K. one a party man, the other just in name). Dems better not eat their young, because they will need them down the road. McNeil is nice. But nice is not enough. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 25, 05 @ 8:00 am: Incestuous past of Dem politics in the region? McNeil’s lineage intertwines as part of the DeJaegher goon squad some 20 years past. How many people did they scare off and intimidate? How many inbreds got jobs because of them? I can think of many; some still hanging on. Who was the women they put nude pictures of on her signs when she ran against Dejeageher? Tell me people forget that. Getz and the repubs. see a chance here… - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 25, 05 @ 9:28 am: Porter must be a tough, formidible candidate if the Republicans are already dragging out nasty posts like the one above. Take it easy guys, the primary and election are over a year away and lots can happen in the meantime. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 25, 05 @ 1:13 pm: Whoo Boy! Over a year out and already the scurrilous, completely fact free and baseless smear attempts are showing up. Stop the presses! Alert the Drudge Report…. >Incestuous past of Dem politics in the region? McNeil’s lineage >intertwines as part of the DeJaegher goon squad some 20 years >past. Wow! Is that like being a member of the Rat Pack back in the 50’s?? Actually, the poster above had such a fevered imagination, it sounded like he was insinuating that McNeil was in the Mafia. “Goon Squad”?? Incredible. >How many people did they scare off and intimidate? Please tell us. We’re dying to know. And while you’re at it, why don’t you tell us who killed Vince Foster. >How many inbreds got jobs because of them? “Them”? Be more specific please. >I can think of many; some still hanging on. Inbreds hanging on? I don’t remember seeing any albinos playing banjos on the public payroll. (lately) >Who was the women they put nude pictures of on her signs when she ran against Dejeageher? I forgot. >Tell me people forget that. Actually, you’re using the good old Repub trick of setting up a completely false straw man and then arguing from that. You say people remember this supposed incident, but neglect to mention that neither McNeil nor anyone else on the DeJaeger campaign had anything to do with it. It was found to be some young kids who had some personal animosity towards DeJaeger’s opponent. If anyone has to stoop to trying to get milage out of that lame and ancient story, they’re really in trouble. >Getz and the repubs. see a chance here… No… YOU see a chance here. Getz is more intellegent than to try some baseless crap like you suggest. And Getz and the Repubs have been seeing a chance since… well, forever. But that said, I did see McNeil drink a latte once. The Repubs will surely get some traction with that. I hope your fever has passed and you can get back to less ridiculous notions. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 25, 05 @ 2:57 pm: Let’s get back to the issues. One thing that’s important, regardless of who runs for whatever office, is to stick to the real issues that matter in 2005 and 2006 and that talk about the region’s tough challenges & opportunities ahead. No matter who comes out of the Senate and House races ahead has their work cut out with the closing of CASE-New Holland in East Moline and the idle Thomson Prison. Good luck!! - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 25, 05 @ 11:15 pm: Well, if Mike Boland does leave his House seat — and I still think that’s a BIG if because he’s got seniority and committee chairmanships in the Illinois House — there are some good candidates waiting in the wings. Ahern, Lack, McNeil, maybe Beiderbecke — they’re all decent potential public servants. But I give the edge to McNeil — he’s always helping other Dems (Kerry, Durbin, Obama, Jacobs, etc.) and he’s got the Springfield experience that is CRUCIAL to our area’s future. But I still think Mike Boland stays put and all of this blogging is an exercise in futility and entertaining hot air. - Anonymous - Sunday, Jan 30, 05 @ 6:39 pm: Quiet…. It’s finally quiet here. It’s remarkable how an area of our state that has no say could generate such an avalanche of words in such a short time. As I read, I see truth in every post. However the truth is: Mike Jacobs is not his father, and even though its a done deal (that he will be appointed) he is not ready. Nor for that matter does Boland have Senatorial prowess. It is a shame in western illinois that they have those two alternatives. McNeil, Darrow, et al. may become good candidates in the futures, the potential vacany will not happen. If the dems are smart, they will make sure they keep all their young in check, and the future will stil be bright for Ginulis and the rest. - Anonymous - Friday, Feb 4, 05 @ 10:48 am: It says in the local qc paper that Mike Jacobs tried to call Boland THIRTY TWO times to end the fued between the two families. Boland couldn’t even be bothered. Sour grapes from being defeated by Denny Jacobs 20 years ago sure makes a poor excuse for hatred of an entire family. Get over it Boland, you are acting like a child. We don’t need children representing us in Springfield in any capacity! - Anonymous - Friday, Feb 4, 05 @ 11:24 am: Offical retirement for Denny! Never thought he would really go down that path… Congratulations! Concerning his son Mike being qualified or not. What makes someone qualified to represent our district in a normal election? Being popular enough to be elected? Being backed by your party? Money? Education? Connections? Lane Evans was first elected to Congress when he was in his 20’s. What experience could he have possibly had? Was teaching the official background for being a representative in the Illinois quad cities? Heady stuff. - Anonymous - Saturday, Feb 5, 05 @ 11:52 am: Let’s all try and remember one thing here folks. Saying that Mike Jacobs isn’t qualified is just downright silly….. Mike Boland was NOTHING but a middle school teacher when he barely got elected to his seat. You must also keep in mind one other thing…. Mikey Boland had NO experience doing ANYTHING in politics….. nor does he now. You mean to tell me that he has more experience than an energetic man who has been around politics his whole life, helped to elect many officials and has a masters in Political Science??? Of Coarse he does…. come on- GET REAL!!!!!! Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.