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* Tribune…
Mickey Straub, the village president of Burr Ridge, says he’s challenging House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs in the March primary. And when you contemplate a primary bid against a sitting legislative leader, things you wrote in the past can quickly come bubbling back up.
Take Straub’s May 1997 letter to the editor in the suburban Daily Herald. At the time, then-Illinois Supreme Court Justice James Heiple stood accused of abusing his position to get out of traffic stops.
* Click here for the 20-year-old letter…
I may not have followed every detail in the Justice James Heiple case, but it sure looks to me like we’ve wasted a lot of time and money, our money, raking somebody over the coals for doing something we’re all probably guilty of to some extent. I just don’t get it. Surely there are more important events the high court can be dealing with, and the media reporting.
Here’s my point. We’ve all been guilty of expecting special treatment because of who or what we know at one time or another, or because of the “bennies” (benefits) of a particular position. I bet if you know the owner of a restaurant, you get better seats, or someone who sells tickets, you get better tickets. Whether you are in the dry cleaning, landscaping or automobile business, selling dishes or doughnuts, “influencing” goes on from cradle to grave.
I bet the owner of a doughnut shop gets the freshest doughnuts. Do you think if a police officer got pulled over for speeding, he/she wouldn’t flash the badge or drop hints for special treatment? Would you? Of course we would, and this is as it should be. To impeach someone because of it is to deny human nature, and the benefits of relationships.
OK, maybe he overdid it. A distorted view of our own self-importance should probably get us in trouble. But censuring, an impeachment hearing, losing your job? Isn’t this going a little bit too far? Let’s not waste our valuable time and money, and instead funnel our efforts into things that can make this world a better place to live.
Mickey Straub
Burr Ridge
* Why is this ancient letter important or relevant? Well, as I’ve been telling subscribers for quite a while now, Straub is gonna be a tougher candidate than the Republicans first expected…
Straub’s candidacy is getting some unlikely support from the political arm of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. Durkin’s camp is a aware of the union’s actions, a result of the House GOP leader keeping his caucus from backing an override of legislation vetoed by Gov. Rauner that would have banned municipalities from enacting local “right-to-work” ordinances.
Though many of Rauner’s vetoes were overridden amid Republican pique with the governor among the GOP’s rank-and-file, Rauner and Durkin had made upholding the “right-to-work” ban a priority.
Straub is being backed by the political operation of talk show host and failed 2010 GOP governor primary candidate Dan Proft.
Subscribers know much more about this.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 10:02 am
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Get some 150
Direct action gets satisfaction
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 10:18 am
Proft and Uiehlein’s money in bed with Local 150 on right-to-work? That’s some threesome.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 10:23 am
I’d say the letter is relevant since Straub is running as a Proftian, “I’m against the insiders” reformer. Yet his own personal view seems to be that there should be special benefits for special people.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 10:25 am
Straub does make an impassioned defense for the entitlement of the political elite. He’ll need to grovel that one back. Not a popular position these days.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 10:26 am
GOP Leader Durkin has found himself in a tough position. He defended Rauner instead of guiding him through the political process. He feared Rauner money would primary him and now instead he has to deal with Proft and his lackey Straub and to top it off, the 150 Operators are putting boots on the ground against him. So much for being loyal.
Comment by Honeybadger Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 10:38 am
Defending clout is one thing. TII. But defending Heiple would cost him my vote if I were in his district.
Comment by Whatever Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 10:50 am
He’s not wrong.
Small favors aren’t corruption and will never disappear from public life.
This is even more rampant in business.
Comment by Political Animal Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 10:50 am
Staub is getting union donations. Should win him votes with the anti-union crowd.
Comment by southpaw Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 10:55 am
Equating the doughnut store guy getting the freshest doughnuts with a judge using his position to be above the law that governs the rest of us; smart stuff.
Private favors are one thing. Letting public officials get away with petty offenses the rest of us have to pay for is another.
Comment by PJ Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 11:01 am
Dan Proft and Steven Bannon are both doing the same thing, and look how that worked out in Alabama.
Comment by Not It Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 11:08 am
I believe the paper edited out the last word of straub’s letter, pretty sure he had include snark at the end
Comment by Publius Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 11:16 am
Proft more then anyone knows about the benefits of having the ability to assert political favoritism. One needs to look no further then the money he made from Cicero
Comment by Old timer Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 11:20 am
What does local 150 have to gain.
Comment by tobor Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 11:32 am
How is OE150 better off with this candidate? Would this improve the likelihood of passing big capital projects?
Comment by walker Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 11:37 am
I find it amusing if one was concerned with Local 150 canvassing for Mickey. Wrong district with this message and messenger.
Comment by Noodle Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 11:52 am
Walker is on the money here. There is definitely some risk her for 150. Maybe Mickey is more of a factor than some thought, but he’s still the “dupe” who got talked into this race. It’s a PITA and now he’s a PITA. The Township Orgs. in that area and district can keep up with the personnel resources 150 can put on the ground. And, they’ll be more welcome on those streets and avenues. The very large Durkin family is not new to the area.
This is a spiteful, foolish race for people who match that exact description. 150 is taking a risk here and it’s not a small one.
And Mickey…He ain’t all that.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 11:54 am
Heiple faced removal from the high court not for his arrogance during a traffic stop, but because of his abuse of power as a justice and most particularly his complete disregard for the best interest of children in custody proceedings. Two attorney legislators served on the House impeachment committee, one Democrat and one Republican. Both recommended Heiple’s removal from the bench.
Comment by trummy Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 12:13 pm
Old timer11:20…..How Old is this guy?? Cicero died over 2,000 years ago….wow
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 12:15 pm
Agree with Trummy. If memory serves me, he wrote the majority opinion from the State Supreme Court on the Baby Richard case, and then got thin skinned when criticized in the media.
Comment by Bogey Golfer Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 1:15 pm
The Judicial Inquiry Board complaint against then Chief Justice was based on 4 traffic stop incidents and did not deal with the Baby Richard decision at all. After he was censured, he resigned as CJ but stayed on the SC until the end of his term. The House voted not to impeach him. You can get the JIB opinion on their website, but may have to keep turning down screens wanting you to log in to get to it like I did.
Comment by West Side the Best Side Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 3:21 pm