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Bean picks up Trib nod

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Illinois

Congresswoman Bean got a big boost today with the Tribune endorsement.

In 2004 the Tribune endorsed Melissa Bean over the longest-serving Republican in the U.S. House, with the expectation that she would be a pro-growth, pro-trade congresswoman. She has delivered.

Have you noticed how many times the Trib has refused to endorse either candidate this time around? Newspapers, particularly the Trib, regard “no endorsement” as shirking their duties. But today the Trib decided not to endorse anyone in the Weller-Pavich race and the Hare-Zinga contest. They’ve done the same thing in several other congressional and Cook County board races.

Anyway, back to Bean. The Sun-Times profiled the race today.

While we’re talking congressional stuff, a National Review writer took a look at the last three polls in the 10th Congressional District.

A Mellman Group (D) poll a week ago, in Illinois 10: Republican Mark Kirk 49, Democrat Dan Seals 32. Rout city!

An RT Strategies/Constituent Dynamics Poll out today in Illinois 10: Kirk 46, Seals 44! It’s neck and neck!

The conclusion:

Hey, how often does a candidate do 8 points worse in a partisan poll conducted by their own side than in the nonpartisan one? Weird.

Good point. If the Constituent Dynamics poll is anywhere near accurate, however, it could reflect two things: 1) Races with two good candidates tend to tighten up in the closing weeks; 2) The national GOP trend is way bad.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 8:35 am

Comments

This carpet bagging is too sad/funny. Bean lives in the 10th and won/is running in the 8th. Duckworth lives in the 8th and is running in the 6th. Seals lives in the 9th and runs in the 10th. I can understand one, but this is becoming an epidimic. Then you also have Lipinski which is twice as vile and Lane Evans for droping out post primary.

Comment by Wumpus aka Cowboy Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 8:42 am
It’s interesting what they wrote in the 17th CD non-endorsement:

Republican Andrea Zinga, a former TV reporter from Coal Valley, is given to shooting off her mouth. We’re closer to Zinga on economic issues but not impressed with how she handles herself.

Foreshadowing?

Comment by Snark Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 9:29 am
The Trib also failed to endorse Jan Shakowski.

Comment by Rick Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 9:58 am
Presumably the Southtown will endorse in every single race after their criticism of Claypool for (initially) taking the Trib-blessed non-endorsement approach.

Comment by Southland Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 10:15 am
Trib also endorsed (surprise) Judy Biggert for re-election… It called her a “conservative”. What a joke… The Trib labors to promote liberal Republicans (and diss conservative Republicans ala Crane in 2004) any chance it gets, but when one of their own is entrenched in a nearly impregnable position, like Biggert, … they feel compelled to market her as a “conservative”! Sadly, such distortion of the political landscape by the major media gives support to the groundless allegations of Democrats that a whole range of Republican candidates are “extremists” and “out of the mainstream right wingers”.

Perhaps thats the objective behind the Trib’s playing with labels.

Comment by Conservative Republican Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 10:48 am
Trib is endorsing moderate Dems that way when they don’t endorse Rod, they’ve covered their bases.

Comment by O-E-O-Maglio Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 10:54 am
The coventional wisdom is “conservatives will stay home ” and that is why the GOP is in trouble. One of the things that make you a conservative is You Vote! The country is at War, the Democrats would reverse the tax cuts, our culture is being attacked by the left and conservatives will stay home?

Comment by RAI Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 11:39 am
You can’t expect much from the Tribune these days. They are rudderless and slowly going out of business.

So, the Tribune editorial staff is really not making any decisions. It is merely going through the motions and affirming the status quo.

These endorsements don’t mean much coming from a paper like the Tribune. It is like having a guy driving an rusty old yellow AMC Pacer telling you which car to buy.

Bean - whatever.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 11:50 am
Since the polls showed McSweeney tight with Bean as well as Seals tight with Kirk the polls have picked up an anti-incumbent mood.

That’s my theory.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 12:35 pm
My theory is that Constituent Dynamics is using flawed methodology. I don’t have anything more specific, but there is an interesting commentary on the phenomenon on http://www.electionprojection.com

It seems that Constituent Dynamics polling data is often pretty far out of the mainstream. You can see this if you run through the polling data on RealClear and pay close attention to who is doing what poll. For that reason, I’m not giving any credence to their polls until I see how they do this year in calling the elections.

Comment by HoosierDaddy Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 1:08 pm
Trib is endorsing moderate Dems that way when they donâ€™t endorse Rod, theyâ€™ve covered their bases.

Nothing Moderate about Duckworth.

Comment by T.J. Friday, Oct 20, 06 @ 1:00 am
The day Bean voted for S397, the so-called “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms” act, she ceased representing me or my family in any way, shape or form. We voted for her once, but will never make that mistake again.

She sold those of us, who have lost family members to firearm violence, down the river.

Listen to constituents? That is a laugh. She and her smart-mouthed, snotty staff do whatever they please.

So, we have two worthless candidates in the 8th.

Comment by NoMilkForMe Friday, Oct 20, 06 @ 7:03 am