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5th District roundup * UPDATED x3 *

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*** UPDATE *** The rhetoric is heating up a bit. From CQ Politics…

In what may be a glimpse of the campaigning to come, Feigenholtz — who is backed by EMILY’s List, the influential political action committee that supports Democratic women candidates who support abortion rights — tried to diminish the impact of the endorsement rival Quigley received from county commissioner Forest Claypool.

“It’s no surprise he would endorse his fellow County Board member,” Feigenholtz spokesman Franck said of Claypool. But he qualified that statement by contending that Quigley has supported controversial actions taken by Cook County Board President Todd Stroger. “Unlike Mike Quigley, Claypool never embraced Stroger nor voted for his initial budget that cut frontline workers while adding Stroger’s friends and family to the county payroll. We wish Commissioner Quigley had shown similar judgment,” Franck said.

Quigley’s camp lashed back with equal vigor, seeking to tie Feigenholtz — long associated with the “reform” wing of the Chicago Democratic Party — with both Stroger and the recently ousted governor of Illinois. “Instead of slinging mud at other candidates, Sara Feigenholtz might want explain her own cynical record of ‘Springfield politics as usual’ which includes her own endorsement of Todd Stroger … and even a $5,000 contribution to Rod Blagojevich well after it was clear that he was the subject of federal investigations,” said Tom Bowen, spokesman for Quigley’s campaign.

Ouch.

Then again, Quigley allowed Blagojevich to use him as a pawn during the budget stalemate when he accepted Blagojevich’s invite to speak to a private leaders meeting on were the TIF issue.

*** UPDATE 2 *** You can listen to the full debate at Chicago Public Radio’s site.

*** UPDATE 3 *** Roger Romanelli was booted off the ballot in the 32nd Ward Democratic Committeeman’s race by Rep. John Fritchey, who ended up winning the race. Since then, Romanelli has asked for a US Attorney’s investigation of the Chicago Board of Elections, even though the Illinois appellate court upheld his removal.

And now he’s holding a press conference…

Press Conference: Public Invited

Saturday, February 7 at 2p * Ashland Grill, 2824 N. Ashland Ave.

We elected President Obama for CHANGE.

John Fritchey in Congress is NOT CHANGE - -

it’s more classic Chicago corruption.

We’re telling our story to save America. […]

We will ask the Illinois Reform Commission - - the new anti-corruption body created by Governor Pat Quinn - - to investigate the Chicago Board of Elections for rigging Fritchey’s election.

Some people just can’t let go.

[ *** End of Updates *** ]

* Don’t forget to check Saturday’s update. You can comment on that post here.

* Not exactly “new” news, but at least someone has said they talked to Emanuel about the prospect of him running again…

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is interested in potentially returning to Chicago someday to reclaim the congressional seat he held until a month ago, a candidate running to replace him said Sunday.

When 11 Democrats at the first 5th Congressional District forum were asked whether they have had direct or indirect conversations with Emanuel about being a “place holder” for the seat, only state Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) said he had.

“I spoke with Rahm maybe a week or two after he had accepted the job of chief of staff,” Fritchey said. “At that time, he had commented to me that he may be interested in running one day again for the seat. I told him that should I be fortunate enough to run, and should I be fortunate enough to win the seat, I would look forward to campaigning against him.” […]

When word first surfaced of Emanuel’s departure from a leadership post in the U.S. House, one theory held that he wanted someone to win the seat who would step aside if he wanted to reclaim it in the future.

It was a lot more than a “theory.” It was a plain fact at the time.

* More from Sunday’s debate…

The candidate most often mentioned as a potential seat-warmer for Emanuel, Mayor Daley’s unofficial floor leader, Ald. Patrick O’Connor (40th) was conspicuous by his absence at Sunday’s forum at DePaul University featuring 11 of the 13 Democrats on the ballot for the March 3 primary election.

O’Connor has strongly denied running as a place-holder for Emanuel.

University officials placed 10 telephone calls and e-mails to O’Connor, who never responded to any of them, they said. The 13th candidate, Pete Dagher, is fighting a ballot challenge to his petitions.

* That last sentence about the challenge to Dagher’s petitions got almost no play in the media, but it was a sore point during the debate among the 2nd Tier candidates. From the Progress Illinois live-blog…

Bryar is saying that two of his supporters decided to challenge Wheelan and Dagher.

Wheelan is not happy. He points out this signatures from his wife and neighbors were challenged. He asks whether candidates who lose their challenges should be held accountable.

Donatelli says Dagher’s own signature was challenged.

Monteagudo says that outrageous challenges caused his campaign 72 hours of work.

* Paul Bryar released a statement after the debate…

These supporters felt that the filed signatures of Wheelan, Thompson and Dagher were questionable. I think everyone in this district agrees that we need to demand accountability from those trying to represent this district in Congress. Neither I nor this campaign are paying for legal fees associated with these challenges. Our country faces greater issues, and if our opponents cannot handle this process perhaps we should not consider trusting them with the really important issues, like health care and job creation.

But challenging a wife’s signature? Bold. And if they were “shotgun” challenges, there could be repercussions.

I favor petition challenges as a normal course of campaigning, but there is a line.

* Another point from the live-blog…

Forys: If you beleve that you have to cut deals to get something done, then you don’t belong in Congress — you belong in jail.

That line bombed.

Hilarious.

* And Quigley apparently loved to read clips about himself to the crowd…

He’s reading various glowing press clips about his tenure as Cook Co. commissioner.

* Quigley also had a beginning of the year finance deficit compared to Feigenholtz…

An aide to state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) said she would report raising nearly $325,000. She had not yet filed with the Federal Election Commission late Saturday.

Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley raised $138,290 and had nearly all of it to start the year.

Mo’ money…

•Charles Wheelan, a University of Chicago public policy lecturer, reported raising $108,822 through Dec. 31. He started January with $89,258 in the bank.

•Dr. Victor Forys, who is campaigning on a message of expanded health care access, reported raising $60,126. After loaning his campaign $100,000, he started January with $137,312.

•Delta Airlines pilot Jan Donatelli reported raising $15,650, with most of her contributions coming from fellow pilots and the United Pilots Political Action Committee. She had $8,694 left at the start of last month.

•Labor lawyer Tom Geoghegan’s campaign also said it would not be filing a report until next time.

* Related…

* Impressions from the Fifth, Pt 1

* Democratic Hopefuls Vie For Emanuel’s Seat

* 11 Candidates in 5th District Debate

* Fritchey Says Emanuel May Want His Congressional Seat Back

* NEW: Quigley Seeks Donations of Toilet Paper, Gets Claypool Endorsement

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 9:17 am

Comments

===one theory held that he wanted someone to win the seat who would step aside if he wanted to reclaim it in the future.===
I think more important than cutting a deal with one of the candidates will be influencing the legislative leaders to draw a new map with a district that Rahm can parachute into in 2012.

Comment by Been There Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 9:35 am
Emanuel obviously has a lot of chutzpah. He needs to be careful; the job he has now is much bigger than he’s ever had before and can be quite humbling.

With the Blago/Burris fiasco and the obvious bungling of cabinet choice vettings, he might want to reconsider whether he’s the sharpest knife in the drawer. He hasn’t been ahead of the curve on any of the Mickey Mouse stuff yet. Lot bigger challenges coming.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 9:47 am
I want to see some honesty from these people, and Fritchey was brave enough to show some. If we want to be treated like adults, then we need to support a candidate willing to treat us like one.

Well done, Mr. Fritchey.

As to the comments about Quigley reading clips about himself…Mr. Quigley seems to be unable to believe his own horn blowing, so he is reading other’s opinions about himself. He must not feel that he is convincing without his clips. On one hand, he sees his shortcomings, but on the other, he still isn’t making the sale using this method. Who are his staffers? Can’t they help him out? Are they themselves so unable to present Mr. Quigley to voters?

Note to Mr. Quigley: your staff is failing you if they let you do this. Find new people. If it is your idea, then go with it and learn a valuable lesson when you lose.

As to Mr. Emanuel - I understand that he is going through some instability in his new position. With Mr. Blagojevich’s mouth running over, Mr. Emanuel may find himself in a tenuous position. But he needs to be a big boy. I wouldn’t want to know that the Chief of Staff is this insecure. Note to Mr. Emanuel: Congressional seats are supposed to be temporary political positions, not lifetime appointments. We don’t need you here anymore. It was time to move on, and you have done so. Don’t come back unless it is in another elected office. Move on.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 10:05 am
Something tells me Quigley didn’t read THESE clips, which expose his backroom dealings with Todd Stroger:
https://capitolfax.com/2009/01/28/5th-cd-roundup-3/#comment-8323688

Comment by Quigley's squiggly Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 10:13 am
Patrick O’Connor is running one of the strangest campaigns that can be imagined. His web site is a blank page with an invitation for viewers to come back later. The election is in one month.

Comment by Honest Abe Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 10:18 am
Could we just send Rod Blagojevich to a remote island and let him live in exile like Napolean? The Mississippi River has changed its course so maybe we could send him to the vicinity of Kaskaskia and let him pretend to be the ruler of the first State capital in Illinois history.

Comment by Honest Abe Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 10:21 am
The special election will be won by Rosanna Puldio, the founder and director of the Illinois Minuteman Project. Many voters think that their last two congressmen, Rahm Emanuel and Rod Blagojevich, were corrupt and liberal. To show that they support a big change, they’ll elect the only conservative, in the race, Pulido. Please read her website, www.rosannpulido2009.com.

Comment by Phil Collins Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 10:24 am
Cutting through the hype and bull, the 5th CD is really a race between Fritchey and Feigenholtz.

Quigley’s claim to be a stalwart opponent of Stroger’s wont’ stand up to scrutiny of his past deals with Stroger. Moreover, the claim is undercut by his inability to marshal sufficient forces to stop Storger’s hugely unpopular sales tax increase. Now, if one can’t convince the likes of Larry Suffredin to save his own political neck by resisting Stroger’s overtures and opposing the sales tax increase, then how persuasive a leader can one really claim to be? Quigley’s going to quickly run out of gas — as O’Connor already has done. He’ll make it to the finish line, but well behind the others.

The real question is whether Fritchey and Feigenholtz can raise enough money to run the necessary television ads, and recruit the ground troops to actually turn out their supporters.

Whichever of the two raises the most money and has the most driven troops in this race will be the winner.

Comment by Realpolitik Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 10:33 am
“The special election will be won by Rosanna Puldio…”

Seriously? All you can add to this is your stock nonsense? Ridiculous.

“the 5th CD is really a race between Fritchey and Feigenholtz. ”

The polls would suggest otherwise.

Comment by JonShibleyFan Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 10:36 am
Phil, if you post that same paragraph again, I’m gonna ban you for life.

Enough.

Come up with something original or go away. Thanks.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 10:47 am
People, I’ve warned time and time again to leave your blind partisanship out of this blog.

This is your last warning on 5th CD posts. From now on, I’m just gonna delete you and possibly ban you without comment.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 10:53 am
Quigley is talking out of both sides of his mouth. First he bashes Stroger, then he endorses Stroger, then he goes back to bashing Stroger. You can’t have it both ways. I respected Quigley up until that endorsement… it exposed him for what he his: a gadfly political opportunist.

Comment by FlackerBacker Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 11:44 am
Just read the Quigley quote in CQ about Sara — it’s pretty lame to hit her for endorsing Stroger when HE also endorsed Stroger. Does he really want to open that door when it’s at the crux of his entire message? Dumb.

And, who didn’t give money to rod back in the day? No one’s clean there. And thanks to rich for reminding everyone that Quigley (happily) came to Springfield at GRod’s request and behalf to meet with leaders about TIFs.

Comment by Ditto Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 11:45 am
==And, who didn’t give money to rod back in the day? ==

John Fritchey!

Comment by Bill Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 11:59 am
Bill, you may want to double check your sources on that… Fritchey did give money to RRB. Lot’s of money.

Comment by FlackerBacker Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 12:03 pm
FlackerBacker is correct. $5K in 2000. Nothing since, however. And certainly nothing in 2006.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 12:05 pm
Realpolitik seems to have this race pretty well pegged, however, anyone who has big, big bucks, good media buys, good message and gets on TV now could become a player. Nobody’s poll numbers are too scary-too say the least. I’m surprised a Polish candidate didn’t get in this race-I bet they would start with 10%.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 12:10 pm
Rich, also check 2001… big $$$.

Comment by FlackerBacker Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 12:11 pm
I did a search of the state board of elections. if there was a contri to the federal account, that wouldn’t have come up.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 12:11 pm
if my DD is to be believed, lots of these campaigns are staffed up. interesting. don’t know if the debate was of interest to the average 5th CD resident, but if I had a choice the performances of Wheelan and Donatelli, at least in the statement part at the beginning, would surprise. the race will be driven by turnout, and each candidate must be looking to get just enough of that turnout to get by. maybe that’s what O’Connor is thinking. or maybe he’s getting out. as a whole, the group does not represent much beyond the lakefront.

Comment by Amy Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 12:24 pm
Quigley is undoubtedly one of the frontrunners. He has high name rec and the media love him. But the “Quigley’s squiggly” post and link above does point out some very legit problems for him.

First, It seems Feigenholtz sees Quigley as her main competitor, which means he can expect a lot of her money will be spent on attack pieces pushing that “Quigley-voted-for-Stroger’s-first-budget” line. It might not be 100 percent fair (he is, of course, no friend of Stroger,) but it’s accurate and it will be effective.

Secondly, this is NOT a “lakefront” district. Most of the votes are are in Northwest Side organization wards and the inner-ring west suburbs. This will hurt Quigley because he has no organization, which was proven during his aborted County Board Prez campaign when he struggled to collect enough signatures to get on the ballot.

Similarly, because this will be a low turn-out special election, organized labor support will be pivotal. Quigley is probably labor’s least favorite candidate in the field due to his string of votes to lay-off unionized county workers.

Quigley’s status as a media darling and his reputation as a budget-cutting reformer would be much more politically valuable in a big turn-out, regularly scheduled primary. But this is a precinct captain/friends-and-family kind of race.

Maybe the organization and labor vote will be divided between Fritchey and O’Connor and Quigley with squeek by them both. But I doubt it. Even if he does that he’ll have trouble topping Feigenholtz, the only legit female contender.

This just feels like the wrong race, in the wrong district, at the wrong time for him.

Comment by R.A. Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 12:40 pm
I’m seeing $20K from Fritchey on 6/29/2001.
Friends of Blagojevich
D-2 Semiannual Report
1/1/2001 to 6/30/2001

Comment by FlackerBacker Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 12:43 pm
I attending the forum yesterday. Lynn Sweet did a great job of holding things together. To the extent it matters, Fritchey (insider) and Charlie Whellan (outsider)came across the best to me. I had not seen Feigenholtz before and I found her performance was dissapointing.

Comment by Taking the 5th Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 12:45 pm
We haven’t heard from Pat Hickey in awhile at this blog. He’s putting his own two-cents in on the 5th CD race.
http://hickeysite.blogspot.com/
From what I can tell I think he is backing Fritchey but you never know with Pat and his flowery language. Pat’s sometimes interesting reading if you keep the dictionary open.

Comment by Been There Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 12:48 pm
2000??2001??
Sorry, I didn’t go back to when I was still in high school. $5k in 2006 to help re-elect Blagojevich is a little more relevant to the discussion, don’t you think?

Comment by Bill Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 1:16 pm
I wish Mr. Romanelli luck. Also, what is O’Connor doing?

Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 1:35 pm
Not that anybody cares what us little people think, but we know a friend when we see one. After we finished cheering and welcoming Quinn at PEOPLE this last weekend, AFSCME endorsed Fritchey.

Comment by Princess Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 1:37 pm
I care what you think, Princess.

Comment by Bill Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 1:53 pm
$20k to grod? Wow. Even if it wasn’t pre-fed that’s still a lot. Let’s face it, everyone in this race and this business is tied to rod in some way. However, Quigley’s message of being mr. anti-stroger is a total joke. he may have spent the last couple of years going after stroger, but he can’t run away from the fact that endorsed stroger, shared staff with stroger, campaigned on his behalf and then acutally supported one of his budgets — and then he attacks feigneholtz for endorsing stroger? Hypocrisy doesn’t doesn’t quite cover that one.

Comment by Ditto Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 2:58 pm
Whoever rises above the pettiness being exhibited today can win this District. Voters are going to consider all the anti-Blagojevich and anti-Stroger accusations as a wash. They are looking forward, not back.

So, if you want to win, let the others throw mud. Rise above.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 3:28 pm
Bryar has big time Ignatius connections, and of course being a NU doctor is nothing to sneeze at.
That might enable him to raise the dough, but will he have any organization?

Comment by "low level paper pusher" Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 5:11 pm
Rich,

You’ve got to be kidding about the Roger Romanelli “press conference,” right?

Recapping for those who may not have paid attention to the obscure 32nd Ward Democratic Committeeman’s race, Mr. Romanelli has publicly (and repeatedly) proclaimed that he has been the victim of a conspiracy.

But the facts contradict him:

Fact: Mr. Romanelli hired an elderly gentleman to stand outside a grocery store on the border of the 32nd Ward to collect signatures for his nominating petitions.

Fact: That individual collected signatures mostly from people who lived outside of the 32nd Ward and, therefore, were prohibited by law from signing Mr. Romanelli’s petitions.

Fact: Those signatures were legally challenged by his opponent, John Fritchey.

Fact: Lynn, Ostfeld, a Hearing Officer at the Board of Elections, determined that the overwhelming majority of the signatures collected by Mr. Romanelli’s hired “volunteer” were ineligible and, therefore, had to be disallowed.

Fact: In response, Mr. Romanelli publicly claimed Ms. Ostfeld was part of a conspiracy against him.

Fact: In actuality, Ms. Ostfeld provided Mr. Romanelli an opportunity to “rehabilitate” any signatures from people who lived inside the 32nd Ward whose signatures on the petitions did not match those on their voter registration card. In accordance with the law, Mr. Romanelli would need to submit proper affidavits that confirmed that the signatures were in fact legitimate.

Fact: The attorney Mr. Romanelli hired to draft the necessary affidavits had little or no experience in election law. The affidavits he prepared and filed did not comply with state law. Ms. Ostfeld had no legal alternative but to disallow the affidavits.

Fact: By not having collected enough valid signatures on his nominating petitions, Mr. Romanelli was ineligible to run for the post of 32nd Ward Democratic Committeeman.

Fact: In response, Mr. Romanelli publicly repeated his accusation that Ms. Ostfeld was part of a conspiracy against him.

Fact: The commissioners of the Board of Elections unanimously ratified Ms. Ostfeld’s rulings.

Fact: In response, Mr. Romanelli publicly claimed that the Board of Elections was in on the conspiracy against him.

Fact: Mr. Romanelli sued Ms. Ostfeld and the Board of Elections for his petitions being disallowed.

Fact: After reviewing all the evidence submitted by Mr. Romanelli and his attorney, Circuit Court Judge Robert Bertucci ruled that Ms. Ostfeld and the Board of Elections had acted properly and legally by disallowing Mr. Romanelli’s petitions and affidavits.

Fact: In response, Mr. Romanelli distributed an e-mail publicly accusing Judge Bertucci of being part of the conspiracy against him. He then publicly issued a thinly-veiled threat against Judge Bertucci by promising to “closely follow” the Judge’s re-election bid.

Fact: Mr. Romanelli filed an appeal of Judge Bertucci’s decision with the Illinois Appellate Court.

Fact: Voting unanimously, three Appellate judges dismissed Mr. Romanelli’s claims and affirmed Judge Bertucci’s ruling.

Fact: In response, Mr. Romanelli yet again informed the public through yet another e-mail that the Illinois Appellate Court also was in on the conspiracy against him.

In summary, rather than accept responsibility for his actions, Mr. Romanelli has sought to deflect attention from his and his attorney’s own and several failings by blaming, in order, John Fritchey, Lynn Ostfeld, the Board of Elections, Circuit Court Judge Bertucci, and the Illinois Appellate Court.

And now, he’s, “telling our story to save America.” Thank God he isn’t overstating the case.

Methinks with what credibility Mr. Romanelli has left with the media one shouldn’t expect the Ashland Grill to be very crowded next Saturday afternoon . . .

Comment by You're Not Serious, Are You? Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 5:35 pm
==Word on the street is ==
Yeah, right. The street right in front of Sara’s campaign office. Why don’t you guys act like democrats and debate the issues instead of all this slop throwing? Save that for Sara’s next primary for State Rep..

Comment by Bill Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 6:29 pm
Bill, I’m not sure why sara would think it’s in her interest to know male candidates OFF of the ballot. That doesn’t make sense.

Comment by Ditto Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 6:49 pm
I didn’t imply that she does. I’m talking about the dirty tricks, the phony push poll that she lied about afterward, the mud slinging, and the rumor mongering like the Il.pundit post above. If that’s the way she wants to play it, ok. The other candidates are grown ups and can handle themselves. I just think that the voters are smater than that and won’t fall for it. You should all know better.
Too many staffers ruin the broth I guess.

Comment by Ditto Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 7:20 pm
Sorry, That post above was from me.

Comment by Bill Monday, Feb 2, 09 @ 7:22 pm
“the obscure 32nd Ward Democratic Committeeman’s race”

Maybe to the rest of the world, but the residents of the 32nd ward take their politics seriously. At least they used to in the good old days.

In hindisght, Fritchey shouldn’t have challenged Romanelli and just left on the ballot to be embarrased by the 5% or so that he was going to get. However, that probably just means that the baseless court cases and ridiculous press conferences would have been screaming about the conspiracy by 10,000 voters to elect Fritchey.

Romanelli is a first degree nutjob. When he’s not attacking Fritchey, he’s busy organizing a community group in a neighborhood he doesn’t live in, whose primary purpose appears to be giving awards to Ald. Waguespack - about the only support Waguespack has left after turning out to be a major disappointment.

Comment by Don't Worry, Be Happy Tuesday, Feb 3, 09 @ 8:18 am
I just can’t get Quigley’s challenge to Helen Shiller when he was Bernie Hansen’s boy out of my mind. (Funny, too, that in those days, Dave “Poolboy” Ochal was her chief of staff!).

Maybe people do change…..

Comment by corvax Tuesday, Feb 3, 09 @ 8:54 am
Is Charlie Wheelan really a Democrat? You be the judge.

Wheelan wrote “The excitement may be short-lived. If there’s any political bunch capable of falling off the stepladder and injuring themselves while measuring the curtains, it’s the Democrats.” Wheelan the added “The Democrats have no coherent economic philosophy.” How about “making life better for working people and the disadvantaged” When writing about the Democratic parties proposals to help them, Charlie Wheelan says “Most of the policies they propose for doing that lies somewhere between the impractical and just plain wrong.” In this same article, Wheelan also writes “Raising the minimum wage is not an economic plan for making the nation more productive, at best, it’s a transfer of wealth, and not even the most efficient way of doing that.” But wait, he also says “Don’t fight to protect jobs” and “Don’t do anything on health care”. [If They Only Had a Brain, Yahoo! Finance, December 12, 2006 by Charles Wheelan, Ph.D.]

Comment by Clear Air Wednesday, Feb 4, 09 @ 6:32 pm
[…] Quigley campaign manager Tom Bowen was recently quoted as saying, “… Sara Feigenholtz might want explain her own cynical record of ‘Springfield politics as usual’ …” […]

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