* The Golden Horseshoe Awards are coming soon, so start thinking about nominees. Here is last year’s list to get your mental juices flowing…
* The Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter: Steve Schnorf (Oswego Willy and Michelle Flaherty)
* The Mike McClain Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statehouse Insider: Mike Kasper (Dave Sullivan)
* Best Contract Lobbyist: Neil Flynn (Todd Vandermyde)
* Best In-House Lobbyist: Scott Humbard (Rob Karr)
* Best “Do-Gooder” Lobbyist: Jeremy Schroeder (Mary Dixon)
* Best Statewide Officeholder: Secretary of State Jesse White (Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka)
* Best Illinois Congresscritter: US Sen. Dick Durbin (US Rep. Peter Roskam)
* Best State Agency Director: Catherine Shannon (Malcolm Weems)
* Best chief of staff: Tim Mapes (Andy Manar)
* The Platinum Lifetime Service award for the General Assembly: Rep. Mark Beaubien
* Best Illinois State Senator - Republican: Sen. John Millner (Sen. Matt Murphy)
* Best Illinois State Senator - Democrat: Sen. John Sullivan (Sen. Kimberly Lightford)
* Best Illinois State Representative - Republican: Rep. Skip Saviano (Rep. Ed Sullivan)
* Best Illinois State Representative - Democrat: Rep. John Bradley and Rep. Frank Mautino (tie)
* The Steve Brown Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Government Spokesperson: Mica Matsoff (Kelly Kraft)
* Best legislative campaign staff director: Will Cousineau (All other staff directors tied for runner-up)
* Best campaign staffer - Illinois House Democrats: Tom Wogan (Kristen Bauer)
* Best campaign staffer - Illinois House Republicans: Nick Bellini (Mike Mahoney)
* Best campaign staffer - Senate Democrats: Noe Chaimongkol (Bryen Johnson)
* Best campaign staffer - Senate Republicans: Jo Johnson (Ryan Cudney)
* Best State Legislative Staffer - Non Political: Adam Margolin and Matt Paprocki (tie)
* The Beth Hamilton Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Secretary/Admin. Assistant: Kristin Milligan (Sally Smith)
* Best Senate Secretary/Admin. Assistant: Bunny Fourez (Selena Gorman)
* Best Local Government Official - Chicago/Cook County: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle (Mayor Rahm Emanuel)
* Best Local Government Official - Collar Counties: Will County Executive Larry Walsh (DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin)
* Best Local Government Official - Downstate: Champaign County Clerk Gordy Hulten (Savanna Police Chief Michael Moon)
* Best political bar in Springfield: Sangamo Club (JP Kelly’s)
* Best political restaurant in Springfield: Ross Isaac’s (Sebastian’s Hideout)
* Best Springfield hotel: The State House Inn (Abe Lincoln)
* Best place for lunch near the Statehouse: Cafe Moxo (Holy Land Diner)
* Best bartender: Kathleen at the Globe (Adam at the No Name Bar)
* Best waiter/waitress: Rhonda Merritt at Sportsman’s (Carl at Augie’s)
Should we add any categories? Maybe delete some? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
- walkinfool - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 11:58 am:
Best Budgeteer?
- shore - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:01 pm:
political bar in chicago
political print journalist
political columnist
editorial board
- Empty Chair - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:04 pm:
Best political bar and restaurant in chicago.
Best run campaign
- Cheswick - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:08 pm:
Best use of social media by a politician.
- wordslinger - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:09 pm:
Most Over-hyped Story of the Year
Most Neglected Story of the Year
- Anonymous - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:21 pm:
Rookie of the Year?
- Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:21 pm:
Most amusing use of social media by a politician.
- Anonymous - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:25 pm:
Best Legislative Liaison
- Takes one to know one - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:28 pm:
best political reporter.
- Stuff happens - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:34 pm:
Durbin lost my vote/support with all of his SOPA/PIPA nonsense.
- Spliff - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:35 pm:
Favorite indicted elected official?
Most missed legislator? (retired, deceased, lost)
- Skeeter - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:36 pm:
Is there really a contest this year for commenter? Can’t we just give it to Oswego and then move on to other discussions?
Also, you may want to combine the bar/restaurant categories and the bartender/waitress categories, and then add same for Chicago.
- Spliff - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:37 pm:
Favorite lame duck flip-flop?
- Anonymous - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:38 pm:
Best federal investigation.
- Dan Bureaucrat - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:47 pm:
There are so many types of good legislators. It seems like we should break it up some:
Best Dressed Legislator
Most Likely to Succeed Legislator
Most Principled Legislator
Stands Up for the Little Guy Legislator
- Yossarian Lives - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 12:56 pm:
Give a legislative staff award for each caucus?
- Anonymous - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 1:13 pm:
Best new person (non-elected) Must be 1st sesion in Springfield.
- Jake From Elwood - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 1:17 pm:
Best Public Act of the year.
Worst Public Act of the year.
Best IL court decision of the year.
Worst IL court decision of the year.
Best Scandal of the year.
and last but not least…
Best Public Pension Mascot of the year (amphibian category).
- Dan Bureaucrat - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 1:36 pm:
Maybe agency awards for:
Grace Under Pressure
Making Do While Disastrously Underfunded
- Marie - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 1:41 pm:
I’d like to see some intern love. Perhaps “best legislative intern” & “best PAR intern” could be categories? Sure, you’d have to be an insider to have met them, but it’d be a way to include some up-and-comers. And ditto to “best political reporter.”
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 1:45 pm:
How about funniest or best caption? Some of those are very funny.
- Yossarian Lives - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 1:53 pm:
I’ll second the motion for an intern category. The great thing about both those programs (ILSIP and PAR) is that for the most part the interns get thrown into the trenches to do the same work as everyone else. It’s a unique opportunity that most other states don’t offer.
- Lakeview Larry - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 2:03 pm:
Best tweeter of the year.
- Eve - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 2:09 pm:
Perhaps adjust the ratio of campaign staffer to legislative staffer awards. Last year it was 4:1.
- Dirt Diver - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 2:35 pm:
I agree with Eve. Campaign to Legislative staffer should be 2:1. I would alter it so there is 2 campaign and 1 legislative. Perhaps “best senate campaign staffer” and best “house campaign staffer”. Or to give the GOP a chance, “best republican campaign staff” and “best dem campaign staff”. Either way, “4 campaign staff” is pretty high, “squeezy high”.
- Dirt Diver - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 2:37 pm:
Also add the Jack Franks award, which goes to the “biggest media hound” among elected officials.
- door to door - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 2:39 pm:
Most effective campaigner
- Chic Geek - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 2:44 pm:
Best Legislative Liason
- Cheryl44 - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 2:54 pm:
The Squeezy Lifetime Achievement Award.
- internal - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 3:00 pm:
Ask Rich about a line he’s used a number of times with PAR interns and others.
- Yossarian Lives - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 3:08 pm:
Okay, Rich, I’m asking - what’s the line?
- Michelle Flaherty - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 3:47 pm:
in order to get the Steve Brown award shouldn’t you stick in the job for more than six weeks.
- WhoKnew - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 4:01 pm:
Most “Shoot, Aim, Ready” Legislation for the Year!
- Steve Brown - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 4:42 pm:
Sometimes six weeks seems like a lifetime ..just ask __________________!
Why are the only choices for pol bar Chicago and SPI …Have you never been to cdale, STL, Champaign, Peoria, Rockford? If we are going off campus lets go all the way
How about a category for best video poker machine location
.
- Pete Granada - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 9:05 pm:
Best political web site: Capitol Fax
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 9:10 pm:
Best “FUMU” Quinnie Promotion after winning a Golden Horseshoe?
- Anon - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 9:31 pm:
Was last year’s winner in Bold? Is the one in parenthesis proposed winner for this year?
- Anonymous - Monday, Dec 3, 12 @ 11:48 pm:
Most frequently swiped CapFax commenter handle.
- A Modest Proposal - Tuesday, Dec 4, 12 @ 7:58 am:
best lame duck in the GA
best lame duck congresscritter