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Cullerton called out for helping Silverstein

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Illinois

Days after the inspector general in January determined that [Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago] violated the state’s ethics act, behaved in a way “unbecoming of a legislator” and failed to maintain an appropriate professional relationship, Cullerton sent out invitations to host a fundraiser for Silverstein at a bar and pool hall in Springfield.

No, Silverstein’s actions didn’t amount to sexual harassment, the IG said. But still.

Violator of the ethics act. Conduct unbecoming. Unprofessional. Let’s get this guy re-elected! […]

This would be an easy race for Cullerton to sit out. Let Senator Unbecoming make his own case to voters. Several top Democrats have called for Silverstein to step down.

But Cullerton is doubling down, writing generous checks of at least $115,400 from his campaign fund to support Silverstein, along with $6,430 in campaign ads, according to the latest campaign disclosure forms. […]

At a time when some women in the legislature are rising up and demanding respect, Cullerton might as well be patting them on the head and telling them to smile more. Talk is cheap, isn’t it?

Silverstein has three Democratic opponents.

Your thoughts on this?

* Related…

* Springfield’s #MeToo moment is missing something: men

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:38 am

Comments

I think it’s bizarre that the tronclodytes believe they have standing to deliver lectures on ethics, unbecoming conduct and professionalism.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:42 am
Support incumbents. It’s what legislative leaders do.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:44 am
“Let the one without sin cast the first stone”. I bet all of us have been guilty of conduct that is unbecoming.

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:46 am
360 Degree TurnAround, you should look up the definition of “tu quoque.”

Comment by The Crane Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:59 am
Yes it is certainly “bizarre” to call out hypocrisy in the Leadership of the Legislative branch for supporting a Senator who violated the ethics act and who behaved in a way “unbecoming of a legislator” and failed to maintain an appropriate professional relationship.

Senator Cullerton did not work to appoint an inspector general who would investigate such matters for 3 years and now he expects us to believe he is all in for changing the culture in Springfield

Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:00 am
“Cullerton might as well be patting them on the head and telling them to smile more.” The person who wrote that should be ashamed. I agree Silverstein should go away and wish Cullerton agreed as well, even if the relationship had been 100% consensual without any possible quid pro quo or power differentials going on I consider philanderers to be scum of earth and not worthy of public office, but Cullerton backing the guy who he’s worked very closely with for years and who he (I’m guessing here) considers a friend, and who is the incumbent, does not equate to sexual harassment. Just no. Misrepresenting the situation in so egregious a way, simply to incite anger, is wrong. I’m sorry for my rather strong tone here, but the writer is either stupid or really hopes the readers are and it makes me mad.

Comment by Perrid Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:01 am
Well said Word.

Comment by Norseman Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:03 am
A lot of #whataboutism in the first few comments.

But I really don’t understand the SDEM politics here. I understand supporting your caucus members. But this means that Andy Manar and Tom Cullerton and every SDEM target is going to have to wear this around their necks even more than they were going to have to do.

Comment by SDEM Target Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:04 am
President Cullerton is a solid leader. It is great to see him supporting Sen. Silverstein in this campaign. Ira has made mistakes but deserves to be re-elected.

Comment by Chicago Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:05 am
== Ira has made mistakes but deserves to be re-elected.==

What do you have to do to *not* deserve re-election? Choke someone out on the Senate floor?

Comment by PJ Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:07 am
Very poor decision and his actions when the accusations were first brought out tells how he basically sat on it knowing there was no one in the Illinois Legislature IG office to investigate it. Old Boys Club in action. Him and Madigan just don’t get it.

Comment by Stand Tall Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:13 am
Perhaps this is a Thank You gesture for Siverstein stepping down from his prominent senate leadership role at the height of the scandal. Otherwise it looks like this particular multi-candidate race would have been a good one for President Cullerton to stand back from.

Comment by Responsa Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:14 am
=Ira has made mistakes but deserves to be re-elected.=

Maybe the threshold of harassment wasn’t crossed but at best his behavior was reckless and completely lacking in judgment. But hey other than that he’s great.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:14 am
Is there a doubt that the seat will remain Democrat? I get sticking with the incumbent to protect the party’s majority, but you’re going to get another Democrat, why waste money on damaged goods?

Comment by Swift Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:21 am
What’s her name ( already forgot sorry) lost all credibility by
Running for office
Which proved to me
The whole thing with Silverstein
Was manufactured
Which I believe is true having read their texts
And read the IG report
I believe this was mostly a publicity stunt
Taking advantage of
Distracting from
And deligitimizing
Real and valid claims of
Sexual harassment

Unbecoming of a legislator
Is not an, in my opinion, an
Invalidation
Of that legislator.
Let the people of his district decide
But that can’t even
Begin to happen
Without money to a campaign
Cullerton understands this

Pietism
Is perfidy codified

Comment by Honeybear Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:23 am
Thank you @Honeybear, well stated.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:29 am
Sen. Silverstein barely got enough signatures to stay on the ballot, despite his wife’s ward organization. He’s an albatross to other candidates, and going all out for him is a mistake.
To be clear, I only live near, not in, his district.

Comment by Northsider (the original) Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:38 am
The Crane, your definition doesn’t seem to fit this situation.

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:40 am
Disappointing on the part of cullerton.
Squanders his credibility on the issue of sexual harassment.

Back away and let it be between ira and the voters.
Let his supporters rally to ira, if they wish.
Do not use the stature of the senate presidency to embrace ira. How can women feel they have his full support?

Comment by Langhorne Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:48 am
Mr/Ms PJ
When
Check on cyber attackers or other security issues

Comment by Annonin' Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:50 am
Wait for the Denise Rothheimer commercials to be in full effect during the upcoming campaign season. You see it in the Durkin race right now.
The best thing that could happen to Cullerton is for Ira to lose. Then it’s just bad money spent protecting a member.
Every campaign has spent bad money on a garbage candidate. Granted you usually only find out about 2 weeks before the election when some crazy missed oppo research shows up.

Comment by DuPage Bard Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:51 am
Cullerton is doing his job, which is to take care of his members.

Insert famous Goodfellas quote here.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 12:08 pm
==Let the people of his district decide
But that can’t even
Begin to happen
Without money to a campaign
Cullerton understands this==

I may be missing something in the translation but if (as appears to be the case) Cullerton is shifting his fund money to only one of the Dems running in that district’s primary (Silverstein) then that does not seem like the most neutral way of “letting the people of that district decide”.

Comment by Responsa Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 12:24 pm
Cullerton showed his true colors on this one, and they aren’t very pretty. Silverstein’s behavior was juvenile at best, and harassment otherwise. But like his long time friend MM, Cullerton will stick with the bought and paid for candidate. Typical.

Comment by SSL Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:00 pm
I think it does 360.

Comment by The Crane Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:15 pm
I’ll set aside the issues of harassment and would agree that the other party involved here was certainly complicit. But there’s still a fundamental question of character that Silverstein doesn’t display based on what we now know. And while I would agree it’s now ultimately up to the voters to decide I think that it’s unfortunate for Silverstein’s opponents that Cullerton decided to put his thumb on the scale. Not a good look for the Senate President.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:18 pm
Responsa-the campaign funds can’t cast a ballot even with Citizens United. Only the people in his district can vote.
Nothing is preventing their vote
Thus
who Cullerton supports
Is Cullertons call
He’s got a caucus to manage

I am fighting the
Application of
Pietism
To cover
Political perfidy

Comment by Honeybear Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:23 pm
=Thus who Cullerton supports Is Cullertons call=

You’re suggesting that Cullerton’s involvement is inconsequential. He’s the Senate President and he’s supporting a Senator who demonstrates incredibly poor judgment. Silverstein isn’t running against hand picked candidates of Rauner he’s running against other Democrats. To suggest that his poor judgment is tolerable because it isn’t of the same magnitude as Rauner’s is pretty tortured.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:33 pm
What Word said. And- Honeybear is my hero.

Comment by West Sider Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:36 pm
I’m with Honeybear.

If someone looked at intimate emails of ANYONE in office and gave them to the press, we would all have questions, serious lasting questions, about that person. Looking at emails and texts of any of us would likely show some unbecoming behavior.

In this case we looked at the texts, and the IG looked, and found no truth to her claims. The relationship was a mutual endeavor with no threats attached. If she had proof of anything else, she would have put it on display.

There is no rule that you can’t have messy close relations with someone you are passing a bill with. If you are wise, you wouldn’t. But she too has her own power as a victim and a victim advocate and she is using it.

We can’t fall for this “moral contagion” of everyone connected to someone who has done something wrong. In this case, what he has done wrong is to get messy with this person and what we have done wrong is watched.

My argument here is entirely on principal. I have found Sen Silverstein fairly inaccessible as a legislator and don’t particularly like him.

Comment by State worker Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:45 pm
Excellent and thought-provoking post, Honeybear.

Much appreciated.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:54 pm
Not sure if the “bought and paid” for label is completely appropriate for Silverstein. He ran as an outsider (losing one race for the GA and upsetting the endorsed candidate for the Senate). If he is a part of the club now, it is because he was invited in.

Comment by Practical Politics Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:59 pm
Let me clean up a bit.
Mrs Rothheimer- I’m sorry
I threw a jab about not remembering your name.
I could have looked it up again
That was unbecoming.
I also didn’t mean to insinuate that you were manufacturing perfidy.
Political forces in a pietistic manner
Holier than thou
Are skewing the democratic process
i don’t doubt your experiences
Or your feelings
They belong to you.
But my experience of you
My feelings about you
I own
I experience you as opportunistic
I experience you as attention seeking
I experience you as what they called in the navy
A sea lawyer
I stayed relatively quiet in posts on you
Till you ran for office.
That did it for me.
Then others chimed in trying to
Keep the pot stirred.
On your behalf.
It downed out those women who
Had un-adjudicated claims
Who needed their day and
Advocate voices
But you kept it about you
Very loudly
It provided the platform
For perfidy
It made me think.
To wonder
If this was all planned

I want voice for victims
Justice for victims
Not platforms for perfidy

Comment by Honeybear Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 3:13 pm
Honeybear, in my big military family, we call those people “brig barristers.” Another great post.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 3:29 pm
=Days after the inspector general in January determined that [Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago] violated the state’s ethics act, behaved in a way “unbecoming of a legislator” and failed to maintain an appropriate professional relationship, Cullerton sent out invitations to host a fundraiser for Silverstein at a bar and pool hall in Springfield.=

Regardless of what you think about Rottheimer, the fact that Cullerton would put his money behind Silverstein after the IG’s findings is a bit troubling. Presumably he sees enough in Silverstein to overlook these other issues. And if violating the state’s ethics act is no big deal it doesn’t say much about the state or ethics in general.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 4:13 pm
== if violating the state’s ethics act is no big deal … ==

Can’t speak to the current rules, but when I was filling out the various forms they were somewhat conflicting and hard to tell if you were really violating some of the rules.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 4:42 pm
Honeybear you need to get over your obsession with me. I can recommend a few therapists who can help your troubled soul. I don’t hide behind fake names because it doesn’t take require courage for a bully to behave so mean spiritedly as you continue to conduct yourself. Nothing you say holds any credibility its just I am concerned about your mental health at this point.

Comment by DeniseRotheimer Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 5:51 pm