* Bill Ruthhart and Rick Pearson at the Tribune take a look at the end of an era…
For decades, a member of the Lipinski family representing the Southwest Side middle class bungalow belt has been as much of a way of life as the airplanes roaring overhead from nearby Midway Airport.
Read to the bottom…
William Lipinski hinted several times that his son might run again and also noted he had a pair of grandsons “who have very serious political opinions” and “the blood flowing in them also.”
In any case, the Illinois congressional map will look much different in 2022, with the new census likely to result in the state losing one, if not two, congressional seats.
“It may or may not be the end of an era,” William Lipinski said. “It may be just a temporary interruption.”
* Related…
* Lipinski’s exit interview: What’s next for the departing Democratic House member: The politics aside, Lipinski said he remained a Democrat because, in contrast to small-government Republicans, “As a Democrat I think that government has an important role to play in helping people who need help, or unable to help themselves…. I’m a Democrat because I think there are things that government needs to do that individuals cannot do”
- Anon E Moose - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 9:57 am:
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out
- NIU Grad - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 9:58 am:
Someone still believes that Madigan will draw a district that fits with their style of politics…
- not for nothing - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:02 am:
Yes, of course, NIU, the speaker who is 1) ensnarled in the ensnarled in a leadership fight of his life with a liberal bloc of members 2) has moved left for the last decade 3) will, if he keeps the gavel, be under enormous pressure to draw a second hispanic seat and keep every black seat, will somehow find a way to give a pro life dempublican who lost a new map.
Read the room.
- not for nothing - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:02 am:
*forgive the typos.
- James - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:11 am:
Does he move from Western Springs to Chicago to run against Lightfoot, as the law and order candidate?
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:12 am:
I have a feeling it’s a permanent departure. Their style of politics is fading, demographics are against them, and the positions they hold on several key issues are out of favor with the Democratic party. Hopefully the days of the multi-generational family entitlement to political office are waning.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:14 am:
How can Illinois lose more African American residents than every single state and keep every black seat?
“According to the data, Illinois has also witnessed the steepest decline in Black population among all U.S. states since 2010 — both in number and by percentage. The state’s Black population has fallen by about 56,000, or 3%, since 2010.”
And yet 18 of the 19 members of the black caucus endorse the Speaker because he can deliver on their priorities?
https://www.wbez.org/stories/asians-are-the-fastest-growing-racial-demographic-in-illinois/1acba558-9754-4271-ac3c-53c00d4a47c3
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/16/us/black-families-leaving-chicago.html
- Fav Human - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:17 am:
He probably thinks he would have won the primary if there was no virus. It’s a reasonable thing to think.
Could he win a new district primary as a D?
Could he win a new district general…..
Two very different questions.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:20 am:
How can Illinois lose more African American residents than every single state and keep every black seat?
And yet 18 of the 19 members of the black caucus endorse the Speaker because he can deliver on their priorities?
Seems to me that the second answers the first.
Because, for every politician since the beginning of time, the number 1 priority, is “keep my job”.
- Fav Human - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:20 am:
The post Anon 10:20 am is in fact, me.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:20 am:
=== How can Illinois lose more African American residents than every single state and keep every black seat?===
Welp… if this is any indication how Lucky Pierre, 2021, rolls…
The math is simple;
Downstate has had the largest losses.
Bost and Davis eat the “Miller” seat… the 4 GOP seats stay, shore up Bustos, Underwood, Casten, reinforce Raja, make Schneider less “GOP appealing”…
I dunno if the smart thing is to say, in these times;
“We need less minority representation”
But, you be you.
- Publius - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:21 am:
I think there are a lot of voters out there that would support a lot Lipinski’s positions but not him specifically.
- Northsider - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:22 am:
nfn, I think NIU Grad was being sarcastic.
Let this be a lesson; few who aren’t Doug Piranha should engage that dark art.
- Jocko - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:22 am:
==William Lipinski hinted several times that his son might run again==
…and do what? Add to his long list of legislative accomplishments over 16 years? /S
- pawn - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:24 am:
Ugh, go away Lipinskis. Your time is up.
- Telly - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:28 am:
Come back? There might not be a district to come back to.
If Chuy Garcia gives up his North Side precincts to draw a second Latino district, the current 3rd CD will likely disappear. Chuy will swallow up most of the “good” precincts and the rest will go to Rush, Foster, and Casten. In fact, I’d suspect both Lipinski and Newman end up living in Casten’s district.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:34 am:
Glad the Lipinski era is over. He voted against marijuana legalization and the $2,000 stimulus.
As far as African Americans leaving Illinois but still keeping their seats, African American voters overwhelmingly reject right wing policies like slashing government employees, deep spending cuts to social services, trickle down economics and the like. Whoever doesn’t understand this won’t understand why Republicans do so poorly in African American communities.
The answer to the outmigration lies elsewhere, like more investment in communities without forcing the residents to debase their economic standing via RTWFL zones and other policies that further enrich the already-wealthy at the expense of many others.
- BerwynBob - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:36 am:
“As a Democrat I think that government has an important role to play in helping people who need help, or unable to help themselves…. I’m a Democrat because I think there are things that government needs to do that individuals cannot do”
Says the guy who voted against 2k stimulus.
go away Dan or just wait till daddy makes a phone call and hopefully gets you another position.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:42 am:
That right Grandson if at first you don’t succeed (for decades) continue doing the exact same thing-disincentive private enterprise in struggling communities and expect better results
- BeenThereDoneThat - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:48 am:
Telly is spot on. Should Speaker retain his spot and draw this map, Newman will be the first target and I suspect Casten moves east and team Madigan exacts revenge in the 2022 primary by backing Casten over Newman.
- Amalia - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 10:55 am:
while I certainly don’t agree with Lipinski’s positions on issues like reproductive choices or freedoms for LGBTQ, he is a thoughtful person, and especially on money and infrastructure issues. For those who have not engaged him in discussions, and acted merely on poster points, you are being shortsighted.
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 11:07 am:
This whole article could have been summed up with the meme of Skinner from the Simpsons asking if he is out of touch before declaring it is the children who are wrong.
===you are being shortsighted.===
It’s easy to be “short sighted” when your focal point is a demonstrative disagreement on basic human rights.
I’ve met plenty of nice guys that don’t believe women have rights, but I understand that a lot of people don’t think that’s a deal breaker.
- Telly - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 11:08 am:
== Should Speaker retain his spot and draw this map, ==
I think the speaker is mostly focused on making Chuy happy and not so concerned about helping the Lipinskis or messing with Newman. The fate of the 3rd CD is likely in Chuy’s hands and that’s true whether Madigan survives or not. Lots of clamoring for a second Latino seat and my guess is whomever draws the map will be cognizant of that. Then again, Chuy may look at the census data and decide he doesn’t want his district split. We’ll see.
- John Lee Pettimore, III - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 11:12 am:
I kinda feel sorry for the elder Lipinski. The sting of losing, albeit vicariously through his son’s loss, must have hit Big Lipper hard as he fantasizes about Dan’s imagined comeback or his grandsons’ political emergence, which might be tough on two levels. First, the grandsons don’t share the Lipinski last name and second, Madigan and Lipinski’s ability to deliver beyond the 13th Ward, and less so, the 23rd Ward won’t be enough for Bill to return the family to its former glory.
- ;) - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 11:12 am:
I’m ready to hit the doors should Dan want to run again. Newman is not representative of the district.
- Colin O'Scopy - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 11:16 am:
=Newman is not representative of the district.=
Come on out from under that rock. It might be cold out, but it’s sunny.
The voters of the 3rd district think she is more representative of their way of thinking than Dan, ergo that’s why she is called Congresswoman and he is called “former Congressman”.
- OneMan - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 11:44 am:
I am not sure with fewer seats the advantage for anyone in drawing a map that helps a guy who lost a primary.
We all like to remain relevant, I don’t see how he does so. As for the ‘family’, well you should have resigned and set up your kid to run, that is how the family does it normally, right?
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 12:02 pm:
===I kinda feel sorry for the elder Lipinski===
Don’t. His son got elected because Bill Lipinski dropped his name from the general election ballot in August and the stake holders filled the candidacy with Dan Lipinski who promptly moved from Tennessee to the district after not having really lived in Illinois for ~15 years.
Whether or not you like them, whether or not you agree with their political views, the People of Illinois deserve better than the Lipinskis and we should demand better regardless of the behaviors an antics (legal or otherwise) of the people we used to elect to represent us.
If Bill hadn’t decided to coronate his son to his congressional seat, an election for an open seat could have changed the landscape of Illinois and national politics for the better.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 12:07 pm:
You must not ride the Orange Line to Midway Airport Candy.
The Lipinski’s did a great job of working in a bipartisan manner to bring home the bacon to their district and the state for decades.
Do you think Representative Newman with zero seniority or experience can do the same?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 12:13 pm:
=== with zero seniority===
I thought you were for term limits.
Thing with term limits, you lose that seniority.
You can’t say a member needs seniority AND be a vocal supporter of term limits, “limiting” seniority.
See: Shimkus, John, term limiting
- Colin O'Scopy - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 12:20 pm:
=Do you think Representative Newman with zero seniority or experience can do the same?=
Let’s find out, it’s her first full day on the job.
Who knows, maybe there will be a Republican President in her future that she can sidle-up to for political favors, like Big Lipper did with Reagan.
- Drake Mallard - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 1:12 pm:
colin.
So working with members of the opposite party to get infrastructure projects completed is wrong?
- Southwest Sider - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 1:26 pm:
=Newman is not representative of the district.=
Well, she won, but there can be some argument that she is left of her district. To her credit, she tilted towards the center during this last campaign. It’s fair to change. Representatives need to represent their districts. She’ll do fine.
- Southwest Sider - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 1:28 pm:
As far as Lipinski goes, votes against the 2K stimulus shows he is hopelessly out of touch with his district. He’s done. The brand is worn out.
- Anyone Remember - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 1:45 pm:
Generally I’ll vote for someone with Lipinski’s approach. However, the Santorum / Schafly -esque obsession with abortion is a “bridge too far” … . In the real world, women get pregnant as a result of rape. And denying people health care over a vague and persistent dread that someone somewhere might have an abortion is Beyond the Pale …
- TKMH - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 1:49 pm:
==Do you think Representative Newman with zero seniority or experience can do the same?==
Isn’t this the exact same argument that Madigan’s enablers make about keeping him as Speaker?
Regarding bringing home the bacon: Lipinski voted against much-needed stimulus checks and healthcare reform, not to mention immigrant rights, LGBT rights and abortion rights. Hard to see him as a true value-add, especially since Congress has prohibited earmarks for the last decade.
- Shytown - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 3:20 pm:
Lipinski’s comment is typical of old style, old school, patriarchal, patronage politics. Good riddance.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 3:46 pm:
To the post,
What a great read, lots covered, the end, as Rich reminds, always read to the very end.
It’s time to let the old ways die.
The Lipinski family, father and son, have left their mark, in the wards, the city as a whole, Illinois, even to the national, social agenda included.
Still, time to let the old ways die.
It’s not a matter of policy, even as policy was a big difference in the younger Lipinski loss, no, the sense that 40+ years, losing the hearts and minds of a district, what exactly does the Lipinski family see *they* are being cheated?
It’s an honor to serve, a privilege yes, but not a right to serve.
Leaving a legacy means leaving the stage where that legacy can and is defined on an exit that has not only grace but cements the world and achievements in best light, and the new era not predicated on dismantling that same legacy.
Let it end. It’s over. You left a mark, Lipinski family, thank you.
Not let others build, don’t let the legacy you made be the the focus of another to tear your name from history.
- Guess who, but never will - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 7:44 pm:
Great representative, he will be sorely missed when the Kremlin leaning woman’s activist takes over.
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Jan 4, 21 @ 9:08 pm:
===when the Kremlin leaning woman’s activist takes over. ===
Lipinski wasn’t replaced by a Republican.