And still another Lane Evans open thread
Thursday, Apr 20, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Dems are finally seeking advkce from the Board of Elections.
Democratic partisans are looking for guidance on interpreting Illinois election law regarding the replacement of U.S. Rep. Lane Evans on the November ballot.
Don Johnston and Mary Boland, co-chairs of the 17th Congressional District Democratic Central Committee, sent a letter Monday to Jesse Smart, president of the Illinois State Board of Elections.
“We are asking them to have an informal conference with our attorney,” Mr. Johnston said of the letter to the board. […]
One of the key issues in dispute since Rep. Evans announced after winning the primary that he would retire at the end of his term is whether only elected committeemen will be allowed to vote. As many as half the 721 precinct committeeman positions are vacant.
Mr. Johnston says election law allows only precinct committeemen elected in the primary to vote in the nominating process. Other party leaders say appointed committeemen also should be allowed to vote.
What else have you heard out there?
- MW Jackson - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 9:23 am:
Phil Hare was quoted in the QC Times yesterday as being a “quick learner”, so he claims he will do well transitioning into the job. I’m just curious. What has this guy been doing for 22 years that he thinks he still has to learn?
It also seems that the Party is going to waste alot of the election cycle with no candidate and not raising a dime to defend the seat. I talk with alot of people who think Evans can transfer his money to the new candidate and that is not how it works at the federal level.
- Drew Hibbard - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 9:28 am:
It’s seeming now like it would have just been easier to have a primary election race for the seat.
- Raging RINO - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 10:37 am:
If all else fails, Alan Keyes is still available!
- anon - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 10:48 am:
Amy Stockwell addressed The Macon County Democratic Central Committee to talk about running for Lne’s seat but failed to ask for the support of her own adopted local democrats.
Not a swift move. Only way she got her current job she was appointed to fill a vacant Auditor position by the Executive Committee that she was a member of at the time.
- Anon - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 11:56 am:
Stockwell is an intelligent policy mind with a future, but she lost some local support by not being more independent from the good-old-boy network. She also should have asked locally for support if she intended to make this move (and not just certain local labor leaders). That said, if handled carefully, she’s done herself all right by floating her name out there. She’s become more well known and may be a player in a future race.
- ron - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 12:39 pm:
as the democrats continue to fumble and stumble, this seat becomes more in play for the republicans. something the democratic party never thought about until recently. zigna will be a surprise winner in this election.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 1:09 pm:
Jesse Smart, former Republican Mayor of Bloomington, defeated by a Republican woman because of his demonstrated misogyny and anachronistic crony power politics, is going to judge how a Democratic primary is run in a swing district? God help us.
- anon - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 1:42 pm:
Stockwell has had vast financial support from Senator Durbin in the past. One can not believe she would not taken the step without talking to the Senator’s people. Local Republicans and a local shock jock stated that her run is “window Dressing’ for the Democrats. Stockwell is very smart. I hope she is not being used by the party leadership.
- Anon sequitur - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 1:49 pm:
I’m a bit confused about the distinction between elected and appointed precinct committeeman. I thought it was a time honored Downstate tradition to stack the deck in county party leadership elections by appointing precinct committeemen to unfilled posts as long as they agree to vote the “right way.” Did this get outlawed?
- Inside Dope - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 2:20 pm:
The Dispatch/Argus piece on this reported that Jacobs is planning to ask Durbin what should be done, and failing that, he’s going to go to Emil Jones and see if he can get Jones to request an opinion from Lisa Madigan.
Of course, this opens it up to the possibility that there will still be several competing opinions and raises that liklihood that the entire thing will end up ensnared in a lengthy court battle.
- Lincoln Lounger - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 2:30 pm:
The Election Code prevents county chairmen from “stacking” the election by appointing a bunch of committeemen for the sole purpose of getting elected/re-elected. The same concept should apply here for the Congressional seat. Only elected precinct committeemen should vote, in spite of what John G. and the Rock Island clan want.
- jwscott72 - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 2:58 pm:
Let me get this straight. Denny is going to Durbin, then Emil, then the AG to find out what to do? That seems bass ackwards (keeping it clean Rich) to me. Then again, these whole matter was bungled from the get go.
At this point, draw a name out of a hat and call it a day. To generate campaign funds, the Dems could throw the candidates in a steel cage and let them duke it out WWE style. GRod could be the “special guest referee”.
- the Underground - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 3:05 pm:
“quick learner†Then why is he admitting that he was a C student in high school. Doesn’t sound like he learned to quickly.
In regards to which precinct committeemen are allowed to vote in this process, we need to get this situation clarified quickly. Time lost is opportunity lost in a situation like this.
- anon - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 3:17 pm:
what about dueling pistols at 10 paces?
- anon - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 4:08 pm:
insider dope - 2:20 p.m. An Attorney General’s Opinion can be requested by any State’s Attorney representing his people who may live within the 17th Congressional District.
- observer-to-all - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 9:30 pm:
Ron 12:39 -
Zinga? Come now…a majority of Republicans voted against her in the primary - and she has proven, over 2+ years to be unable to raise money. Other than that, she is a great challenge!
- anonymous - Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 10:48 pm:
too bad porter mcneil took himself out for family reasons … he’s worked in decatur, lived in springfield, quad cities native and now resident. he can unite the party, has connections with the state and national party big time. maybe next time.
- annie - Friday, Apr 21, 06 @ 7:31 am:
Where is ddurbin in this? Some say he with Sullivan and others say he is with Stockwell?
- McDem - Friday, Apr 21, 06 @ 8:46 am:
If we go with the dueling pistols, Sullivan still wins.
- anon - Friday, Apr 21, 06 @ 9:23 am:
And if this was a primary, whoever wins the democratic primary would have had the majority of the democratic primary voters vote against him/her. When more than 2 people run, it’s pretty hard to get over 50% vote, unless the other candidates are all very week.
- Anonymous - Friday, Apr 21, 06 @ 11:59 am:
Beiderbecke for congress!
He knows all the inside dope and everything about politics and how it works.
Go Beiderbecke!
- anon - Friday, Apr 21, 06 @ 1:31 pm:
Who is Stockwell?
What is a Main Street Capitalist?
Macon County does not hardly any votes in the primary. So who cares.
- Anonymous - Monday, Apr 24, 06 @ 12:15 pm:
Beiderbecke is announcing that he’s throwing his hat in the ring for placement on the congressional ballot. He is an expert on politics. Go to his Inside Dope page and you’ll be inpressed.
- Anonymous - Monday, Apr 24, 06 @ 2:25 pm:
Boland should drop out and stay where he is effective. Otherwise our new state rep will be a dem.