* Democrat Debbie Halvorson went on the offensive against Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. during a media appearance this morning. She blasted Jackson in her opening statement for being against the president’s proposed jobs bill…
“The current congressman is against the jobs bill. How can you be against the jobs bill when unemployment in Illinois is worse than the unemployment nationwide.”
* But Halvorson really let Jackson have it during the question and answer session with reporters…
“This president is gonna need help. We can’t have a congressman out there who is bashing his president, who is talking against his jobs bill, who votes against things that are important to him. The people of the 2nd Congressional District elect their congressman who’s gonna go to DC to support the president… It’s ridiculous…”
Keep in mind that this is an overwhelmingly Democratic district. This is all about winning the primary. The general won’t mean much unless a third party candidate gets into the race.
* “He’s got distractions,” Halvorson said of Jackson, noting that he’d been named to a list of the most corrupt members of Congress and was being investigated by the House Ethics Committee.
After bringing up a point about where Jackson actually lives, she was asked by a reporter if she was suggesting that he didn’t live in Chicago…
“I will tell you, I’m not suggesting. He lives in Washington, DC, he raises his family in Washington, DC. He does not come home.”
Later, she even claimed the same about his wife, Ald. Sandi Jackson…
“Rumor has it that she lives in DC, too.”
* Before last night’s presser, Congressman Jackson sent out a statement touting his job creation history…
“During the past 16 years, I have maintained a narrow focus on bringing jobs to the Southland. I’ve secured more than $900 million in federal investments in the 2nd Congressional District — more than any other congressman in the state during that period.”
But Halvorson dismissed Jackson’s claim…
“I don’t see a job that came from any of it. But it’s been doled out to the party leadership or maybe the mayors to gain that loyalty.”
* Halvorson was also asked about her past support from the NRA…
“You know what, guns don’t kill, criminals do. What we need to recognize is the fact that we need to protect people from the criminals who get the guns no matter what.”
* In other news, Abdon Pallasch is live-tweeting the Cook County Democratic Central Committee’s slating session. There’s some interesting news about Ald. Sandi Jackson attempting to derail the slating of State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. First, her husband tries to derail a new district map backed by a Latino congressman, and now she goes after a Latina countywide official. Weird.
BlackBerry users click here. Everybody else can watch the ScribbleLive doohickey…
A day after state Rep. David Harris announced he wouldn’t be making a bid in the 8th District Republican primary, after all, a senior Republican operative tells us that DuPage Superintendent of Education Darlene Ruscitti is making phone calls to Republican delegates about running in the new 8th Congressional district.
The field is clear, I’m hearing, so she’ll be up against either Tammy Duckworth or Raja Krishnamoorthi.
Former Springfield Ald. Bill Clutter is no longer a candidate for state Senate.
Being a candidate for more than two months, Clutter said today, “totally diverted me from my business” as well as his work the Innocence Project, which seeks to reverse wrongful convictions.
Clutter, 53, who has an investigations and process server business, had been running for the Democratic nomination in the new 48th Senate District. He’s now endorsing the other Democrat in the race, Macoupin County Board Chairman Andy Manar of Bunker Hill.
“I think he’ll make a strong candidate to win the seat for the Democrats,” Clutter said of Manar, who is also chief of staff to Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago.
She touted her support for guns and her lobbying career in the press conference. Sounds like Haley Barbour! Her defense of her lobbying career is something you don’t hear every day.
It would help her case on jesse jackson doesn’t live in the district if she had video and pictures of him in georgetown or wherever he lives in dc. It’s creepy but if that’s your argument visuals are important.
Wow. Came out firing both barrels (pun intended). Run Debbie, run!
If she works like she did in that first Senate race against Aldo, she will be formidable.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 2:59 pm:
If Brookins runs against Alvarez, that will be a tasty primary. Alvarez has baggage from a)lack of minority hiring and more importantly b) the shambolic handling of the investigation of Daley’s nephew in the death of David Koschman.
The people of the 2nd District elect their Congressman to represent them, not just support the president. Debbie Halverson truly is a delusional nutcase.
what in the world are they talking about with minority hiring in the State’s Attorney’s Office? number one, graduate from law school. number two, pass the bar. number three, get a job with a firm where you can make more money because they need minority hires, leaving Alvarez with not much. It’s always been that way. the numbers are out there but the same tired racist argument is made. the Jacksons are wrong on oh so many counts.
Cheryl44, nobody is ever banned for tipping me to breaking news stories, especially when it’s about the Sox. Thanks. There’s a post up now thanks to you.
I wouldn’t limit the concern with Alvarez to hiring or race politics alone. She was a strong opponent of death penalty abolition. That was certainly one reason she ran afoul of African American and progressive Committeemen as well.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 2:11 pm:
Going to be a nasty race.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 2:16 pm:
As Terrible Owens once said, “It’s time to get your popcorn, folks!”
Clutter didn’t stand a chance. It’s a shame, too. I’d like to see Andy Manar get a few scrapes before the general.
- Hickory - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 2:17 pm:
Deb - Just what we need is a rubber stamp in DC for the President.
- OneMan - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 2:19 pm:
going against Alvarez is Sandy trying to hurt JJJ? Don’t get how that does JJJ any favors.
- Elo Kiddies - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 2:19 pm:
I guess I missed Gene Moore’s retirement announcement.
- shore - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 2:29 pm:
She touted her support for guns and her lobbying career in the press conference. Sounds like Haley Barbour! Her defense of her lobbying career is something you don’t hear every day.
It would help her case on jesse jackson doesn’t live in the district if she had video and pictures of him in georgetown or wherever he lives in dc. It’s creepy but if that’s your argument visuals are important.
- Jaded - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 2:33 pm:
Wow. Came out firing both barrels (pun intended). Run Debbie, run!
If she works like she did in that first Senate race against Aldo, she will be formidable.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 2:59 pm:
If Brookins runs against Alvarez, that will be a tasty primary. Alvarez has baggage from a)lack of minority hiring and more importantly b) the shambolic handling of the investigation of Daley’s nephew in the death of David Koschman.
- Skeeter - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 3:07 pm:
Dorothy Brown? More evidence that this town still ain’t ready for reform.
- Skeeter - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 3:21 pm:
Deb Shore already has an e-mail out bragging about her slating.
- anon - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 3:31 pm:
The people of the 2nd District elect their Congressman to represent them, not just support the president. Debbie Halverson truly is a delusional nutcase.
- amalia - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 3:43 pm:
what in the world are they talking about with minority hiring in the State’s Attorney’s Office? number one, graduate from law school. number two, pass the bar. number three, get a job with a firm where you can make more money because they need minority hires, leaving Alvarez with not much. It’s always been that way. the numbers are out there but the same tired racist argument is made. the Jacksons are wrong on oh so many counts.
- Cheryl44 - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:12 pm:
Rich, don’t ban me for being way off topic, but Robin Ventura is the new Sox manager.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:18 pm:
Cheryl44, nobody is ever banned for tipping me to breaking news stories, especially when it’s about the Sox. Thanks. There’s a post up now thanks to you.
- park - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 7:03 pm:
D’s fighting D’s. Love it, get the popcorn.
- Big West - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 8:31 pm:
I wouldn’t limit the concern with Alvarez to hiring or race politics alone. She was a strong opponent of death penalty abolition. That was certainly one reason she ran afoul of African American and progressive Committeemen as well.
- Just Me - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 9:16 pm:
Go get ‘em, Debbie.
- Todd - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 11:39 pm:
Maybe someone should ask Congressman Jackson where he bought his guns…