30 Comments - True Observer - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 9:49 am: WHY SULLIVAN WILL WIN AND LOSE: It is clear by now that the strategy to gerrymander the 17th District to protect Lane Evans from Republican challengers has backfired on the Illinois Quad Cities. Before the 2006 Primary, the north and south ends of the district had about equal numbers of Democrats voting in the primary. However, in 2006, with some heavily contested races in Macoupin County, the Democrats in the south have outnumbered those in the north and will get to name Sullivan as the Democratic Candidate for Congress. Sullivan is an avowed pro-life candidate although he has started to fudge. He won for State Senate by being pro-life. This is also the reason he will lose for Congress. There is no way that those who control the National Democratic Party will allow a pro-life Democratic Congressman to enter the Halls of Congress. Presently there are one or maybe two Democratic Congressmen who are pro-life. If Sullivan wins, he will be a poster child for other Democrats throughout the country to show them that they can be pro-life and still win office, even a seat in Congress. The liberal wing of the party, which includes the Hollywood elites, will not tolerate such a situation. These people are so idiologically driven that they would rather lose control of the House of Representatives than to allow a pro-life Democrat into the Democratic Caucus. They know and fear that a newly elected pro-life Democratic Congressman might be the first step to break their stranglehold. They also know that many Democrats are waiting for someone to break the abortion impasse. So forget about national funding of Sullivan’s campaign. In a strange sort of way, these elites could endorse Zinga to show their bi-partisanship. It wouldn’t be hard to do since she is a national personality and relates more to them than Sullivan. No matter Zinga or Sullivan, who ever wins is bound to make the cover of at least one or more national news magazines. Sullivan because he would be the rare pro-life Democrat. Zinga, because she took a seat away from the Democrats in a heavily gerrymandered Democratic District. - The Underground - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 10:06 am: “So forget about national funding of Sullivan’s campaign.” Huh??? The DNC will dump money into this district regardless of Sullivan’s stance on abortion. They can not afford to lose this district if they have any aspirations of regaining the house. Which they do. - Anon - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 10:34 am: I would also suggest that True Observer review the New York Times from last week which detailed the “liberal” side of the party’s efforts to support the Pro-life, Pro-gun US Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, one of the top targeted race for the Democrats. Even Hillary Clinton is raising money for PA race. The Party will support Sullivan. Additionally, “True Observer should do some more research. There are a lot more pro-life Democrats in the House than just 2. - ron - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 11:08 am: hip hip hurray! republicans pick up a state senate seat, with sullivan running for congress. thanks - anonymous - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 11:16 am: Ilove how these posts say the QC’s blew it. The QC’s is not one monolithic political block. We have three candidates for Congress. Several contributors to these sites give way too much credit to Rock Island County’s unity. If that were the case, this county would have agreed upon one candidate. That having been said, I think the race comes down to Phil Hare or John Sullivan, with Amy Stockwell and Mike Boland potential dark horses. - anonymous - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 11:20 am: That so-called “endorsement” from a former campaign mgr for Lane Evans is somewhat of a joke. Posedel was a campaign staffer for Evans, and now is a U of I law student. I doubt very much his e-mail “endorsement” of Sullivan will sway one vote. The QC TIMES got taken to the cleaner on that one, elevating the “endorsement” to a level way beyond its importance. - Wisdom - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 11:32 am: It is a hate crime that Mangieri is not on the ballot - Anon - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 12:46 pm: Posedel was not just a staffer but Lane’s Political director. He also was Obama’s downstate political director. We should at least be honest about who someone is. - yougotta-be-kidding-me - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 1:31 pm: Sullivan will win because he is smart enough to get the south-17th to vote in a block to wrestle control away from Rock Island County (who appears to be unable to control its ranks - having 3 candidates in the running who will open the door (even wider) for Sullivan. The abortion issue aside, there is no way that the Democrats are giving the seat up to Zinga. Sullivan kills Zinga as he will take the vote in the only areas that Zinga has a prayer (Adams, Hancock and McDonough) and he will hold the strong areas of RI County++. Let’s face it, the only thing sillier than thinking that the national Dem’s are going to throw Sullivan to the wolves ove rthe abortion issue is thinking that Democrats are going to support Zinga! - anon - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 2:23 pm: Monday night when Sullivan spoke he said something about Stockwell’s bid. One committeeman was overheard saying is Amy running. She is such a dark horse people in her own county do not know she is running. She goes to candidate sessions but has not yet asked for the support of her own committeeman. In Macon County is most with Hare due to loyalty to Lane. Julie Curry is trying to get votes for Sullivan. Durbin connection? of the guv? - annie - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 2:25 pm: There has been question on who has been paying for Posedel in and out of law school. He must not really have any loyalty to Rep. Evans. - anon - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 2:35 pm: wisdom - 11:32 a.m. why is it a hate crime that Mangieri is not on the ballot? - Hare of the Dog - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 2:55 pm: The Democratic Minority Leader of the Senate is pro-life, and so are many prominent democratic members of the House, including former leadership Dave Bonior. Rahmbo wants votes for speaker, full stop. Posedel knows Phil Hare better than most, and while Jedediah is a piece of work himself, he does Lane no disservice by supporting the best candidate in the 17th, and Hare is not the best they can do; I put Hare close to the bottom of the list of those with talent and sincerity. - Anon - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 3:23 pm: This whole process is getting out of control. It seems to have come down to Hare and Sullivan and I will bet anyone that the southern portion of the district will not vote in a solid block for Sullivan. I’d say it will be a tight race, but I give the edge to Hare at the moment. - off my chest - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 3:27 pm: I want to know where Rep Boland stands on this pig plant issue in Silvis. He keeps his mouth shut and just sits on the fence like he does about anything that he can’t call a press conference about to promote his favorite issue - himself. He just sits back and doesn’t say anything about our local issues. I also want to know when he changed his mind about term limits. I am also very tired of him and his office lying to old people about the homestead exemption. Like he is in charge of it and you have to bow before him to get it because no one else can get it for them. I also want to know who he will appoint to his state rep place on the ballot if he gets the spot on the congress ballot. It’s an important thing to know before I call my precinct committeeman. Last of all his wife is counting the votes. She should be ashamed she has not excused herself on this. It’s just plain old fashioned bad form. - yougotta-be-kidding-me - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 4:15 pm: Can Boland be a real contender when he is so disliked by the established Democrat power base? (This is intended as a serious question). - CIL - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 4:56 pm: The 17th is not a conservative district. Picking a conservative like Sullivan is unnecessary and would be a disgrace to the work Evans has done for so many years in Congress. Sullivan in Congress will merely allow the district to drift more to the right, for lack of a strong Democratic voice, until he is eventually replaced by a Republican. Boland and Hare are the most logical choices to carry on Evans’ work. - anti-establishment - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 5:55 pm: I’m trying to think of some politicians who were never fully embraced by their local corrupt Democratic establishment. Lane Evans Paul Simon Why don’t I cut this list short and say it includes almost any politician that was ever worth a damn. - what i think - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 6:13 pm: find someone who lives, has lived and worked in the district (and no, don’t get too excited this does not rule out any of the announced contenders); find someone who the unions are confortable with, find someone who has had military service; find someone who can give a good speech, looks like a member of congress, who represents family values - and that person will beat Zinga and any republican candidate every time. - anon - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 6:15 pm: Wisdom 11:32 a.m. what i think 6:13 p.m. It is a crime Mangieri is not on the ballot - Anonymous - Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 6:17 pm: Mike Boland awarded a legislative scholarship to Jeremiah Posedahl?? Jeremiah is a product of a private school in Chicago Illinois, and the only time he lived in western Illinois, is when he was on the payroll of Lane Evans or Barack Obama. If I am a parent of a kid in the 71st, I would be calling Boland on the carpet for this. So, since I am a parent, of a kid in the 71st, I am doing exactly that. Why did Boland award this scholarship to this kid, when we have kids dying for a chance to go to college, who actually live here and go to school here? This is garbage. Especially in light of the fact that in the 1990’s Mike Boland revoked the scholarship from Regina Atwater, an African American female, from below the hill in East Moline, who attended UTHS. So tell me why a white kid from Chicago got a scholarship and a black girl from 17th Avenue got hers revoked? Something is wrong here folks. I know for a fact the Dispatch has this story. why aren’t more people up in arms about this, and why is Boland not getting confronted with this? This needs to be investigated by the ethics committee in Springfield. Boland, you have really lost me now. How many chances do we give you? This kind of ethical lapse is just the tip of the ice-berg I am sure. I always was prepared to give Boland the benefit of the doubt because of all the Jacobites attacks on you, and I would consider the source, but now this. We need to throw this bum out. My kid is in college, my kids and I live in the 71st, and my kid has a 3.73 GPA, who would have loved to have gone to the University of Illinois, and my kid applied for scholarships, but is paying for college thru work, grants and loans but some kid from outside the district gets to go to law school on the residents of the 71st dime?, while a product of UT, or Moline, or Erie, Geneseo, Savanna is not? This is wrong. - yougotta-be-kidding-me - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 7:06 am: Question…let’s say that Hare wins the nomination, what do you think the 2008 Primary will look like? Will Dem’s give him the free pass that they gave Lane for years, or will it be a bloodbath? - anon - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 2:51 pm: No one has mentioned that Phil Hare is the only candidate without a college degree! He said it himself at the first forum. Is that really who we want our candidate to be? C’mon, we can do so much better than him! - Phil Crenshaw - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 3:54 pm: A congressman without a college degree is like a fish without a bicycle. Hey, I really do want most of my public officials to have them, but is it really necessary that they all do? Put another way, are all the people in the country who don’t have college degrees therefore ineligible for Congress? Hare is fairly smart–as are Boland and Sullivan, for that matter. That’s what’s important. The degree thing is a non-issue. - huh - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 4:57 pm: Shouldn’t Posedahl be supporting Boland then if he got a scholarship to law school from him? What ever happened to gratitude? - Anonymous - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 5:11 pm: Posedel works for Phil Hare via Lane Evans He gets a check every week No endorsement SLAP Posedel gets a full ride to law school via Mike Boland FREE law school No endorsement SLAP What does it take to get this kids endorsement? - anon - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 8:18 pm: Phil, Hare also admitted to being a C student in highschool. Not saying it is necessary to have a college degree. It would be nice if our next congressman were capable of understanding the wording of a bill before he signs it. - anon - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 8:23 pm: I agree, a person does not need a college degree to be a member of congress. However, this person will be the face of western illinois out in Warshington. No offense Missouri, but we would expect that you be the state with a bunch of Phil Hare’s (or uneducated yokels) filling your congressional seats. There are so many levels upon which this guy is grossly undeserving of the title alone. Sure, his education, or lack thereof, is not that important, but his character, integrity, etc. all come into play as well. Come on committeemen, don’t be sheep. Vote with your heart and your brain. This should not be that hard of a choice. - Anonymous - Friday, May 5, 06 @ 6:16 am: It’s time to straighten you people out. The race for 17th District Congressman is not just about loyalty to the Unions, the pro life lobby, or any other lobby. It’s about the best person to represent all of us in Congress. Hands down, that person is John Sullivan. John has shown the ability to work with people from all walks of life. Unlike our President, John truly is a Uniter. This Precinct Committeeman will proudly vote for John Sullivan. - yougotta-be-kidding-me - Friday, May 5, 06 @ 6:59 am: Anonymous 6:16 - I agree that the issue is who will best represent us. As a Republican, I am very interested in who the Democrats choose, because this person will, more than likely, be my next Congressman (Zinga has no chance against anyone other than the Carthage dog catcher). Sullivan is a solid choice, as may be Schweibert. These tw understand Economic Development/ Growth - and likely can provide a degree of leadership. Hare/ Boland - please do not do this to the District. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.