Updated on December 31, 2004 at 4:45 pm, revised at 8:45 pm
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Jeff Berkowitz: Let me ask you this- while you were living in Tennessee, were you, were you registered to vote in Tennessee or registered to vote in Illinois?
Congressman-Elect Dan Lipinski: Hmmm. I was registered to vote in Illinois.
Berkowitz: Can you do that if you are working full time in Tennessee? Is that legal?
Lipinski: uh, you register to vote. I had not voted in a- once I moved to Tennessee, I did not vote—in Illinois.
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Berkowitz: … What do you say?… Speaker Mike [Madigan]-- his daughter, Lisa Madigan becomes the Attorney General. [Former State Senate President] Tom Hynes-- his son, Dan Hynes, becomes the State Comptroller … Richard J. Daley—has [his son] Richard M. Daley become the Mayor. … Ald. Mell has his son-in- law, Rod Blagojevich, become the Governor. Is there a problem? I mean you have some perspective on this because you have a Ph. D. in political science. If you were looking at it… objectively, you were looking at somebody else who had done this, would you say, “Oh, that is not the kind of country we want, we really don’t want that kind of nepotism.”
Lipinski: Well, it is not the case that, you know—what I would say is the case that I ran in the general election, umm, I went out there- and if I were someone who was not qualified—
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Coming Attractions on "Public Affairs":
State Senator Peter Roskam on TV throughout the City of Chicago this coming Monday night [Jan. 3, 8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 21]; Partial transcript of the show with Roskam included in this blog, two entries below.
Congressman-Elect Dan Lipinski on TV in the suburbs this coming week [Comcast Cable, Week of Jan. 3]. Partial transcript, included below, of the show with Congressman Dan Lipinski. See the end of this blog entry, below, for a detailed suburban airing schedule.
The show with Cong. Dan Lipinski will also air throughout the City of Chicago on Monday night, Jan. 10 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV].
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Jeff Berkowitz: Now, how did you get to be [a Congressman]? How did this work out? Now, you are sitting there. You are teaching at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, right?
Congressman-Elect Dan Lipinski: Yes.
Berkowitz: 2003, or so. And, what? The phone rings and somebody calls and says, would you like to be a Congressman?
Lipinski: Well, what happened wasn’t really until 2004. This year. I mean my father [Cong. Bill Lipinski, D- Chicago] has been in office, as you mentioned, twenty-two years.
Berkowitz: Right.
Lipinski: And, honestly, as far back as I can remember, my father was talking about retiring, moving on, doing something else.
Berkowitz: As far as you can remember, he was always talking about retiring?
Lipinski: As far as I can remember. When he first ran, back in 1982, he got in there- it was always, how long am I going to stay? You know, it was always—
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Berkowitz: … when you got a call, from your dad-- is that right?… 2004?
Lipinski: 2004. What happens, the Primary is relatively early, pretty early in Illinois, in March.
Berkowitz: March, right.
Lipinski: And, my father ran in a [Democratic] primary. And, in April, the House of Representatives passed the Highway Bill, which was supposed to have been passed two years previous to that. And, this was a big thing that my father has really been working hard on. In getting the Highway Bill passed, a lot of important things—
Berkowitz: What is the name of the Committee he is on?
Lipinski: Transportation Committee or Transportation Infrastructure—
Berkowitz: [Is he] third or second ranking member of the committee?
Lipinski: He is the third ranking [member of the Transportation Committee].
Berkowitz: Third ranking, okay.
Lipinski: So, this is something that has always been of importance to him- transportation issues. And, he is at a point where he could have a significant amount of power in getting things for the [3rd Congressional] District, the City [of Chicago] and for Illinois. And, when it finally passed the House, two years late, he said “Okay, basically, my work is done, I have gotten this done.”
Berkowitz: I am going to retire?
Lipinski: Yeah, [he said] I am going to retire.
Berkowitz: So, when was that?
Lipinski: That was in April [2004].
Berkowitz: Okay, and then what happened?
Lipinski: So, my father—as I said, he has talked before about retiring—but when he called me up and said, “I have talked to some of the committeemen in the [3rd Congressional] District, Democratic Committeeman and told them –you know- I am going to retire,”-- then I knew, Okay, he is serious; this had gone on outside of just talking with the family, things like that. So, he said to me—he said, “there have been a couple of the committeemen who I have talked to who have said, you know—is your son interested in- in running?” And, my father said, “Well, let me—I will talk to him and see if he is interested.” And, so, he- you know- gave me a call and talked to me about it and I really have- I worked for a number of members of Congress. My area of study as a political scientist has been Congress. And, I have written articles. I have written a book that just came out with the University of Michigan Press-- on Congress-- something that has always interested me. And, I have watched my father and all that he has been able to do for people over the years. And, the reason that I have been teaching is that I just really value public service. And I think it sort of goes back to my St. Ignatius [High School] days, to a large extent, but also in my family. The whole idea is if you have an opportunity, if you have the talent- you should go into public service.
Berkowitz: So, you said yes, you will do it?
Lipinski: Well, the first thing I did—I talked to my wife about it.
Berkowitz: Judy?
Lipinski: I talked to Judy. We had been married less than a year at this time and I said, you know- is this something we want to do? Because, I know it is not just me. I know what politics is like. I know what kind of dedication it takes.
Berkowitz: So, you never really thought of doing this before?
Lipinski: Did I ever think about it? Maybe somewhere in the back of my mind, I had--
Berkowitz: So, Judy says OK and you are off and running. Is that basically it?
Lipinski: That was basically it.
Berkowitz: Now, the Committeemen. You mentioned the 19th Ward, Tom Hynes-- he is still a committeeman there [in the 3rd CD], right?
Lipinski: Yes.
Berkowitz: John Daley, brother of Mayor Daley [and] a Cook County Commissioner- he is a Committeeman [in the 3rd CD], right [11th Ward, Bridgeport]?
Lipinski: Yeah.
Berkowitz: [Illinois House] Speaker Mike- Mike Madigan, he is a Committeeman [in the 3rd CD], right?
Lipinski: Um, Um.
Berkowitz: What is his ward?
Lipinski: 13th Ward.
Berkowitz: So, here. I mean I understand what you have just said. But, some people would say, is there an issue of nepotism here? And, what do you say to those folks because it kind of looks like-- here, you didn’t run in a primary. Your father decided to retire. He talked to the Committeemen [in the 3rd CD]. They talked to him. Your name goes on the ballot. The Republican? Who is the Republican who was running against you?
Lipinski: Uh—
Berkowitz: Ryan--
Lipinski: Ryan Chlada.
Berkowitz: Chlada. See, we can’t even remember his name. Now, people say: he was a plant; he was really a Democrat; this was really all set up so you wouldn’t have any opposition in the general election. What do you say? Because, you know, speaker Mike [Madigan]-- his daughter, Lisa Madigan, becomes the Attorney General. [Former State Senate President and Cook County Assessor] Tom Hynes-- his son, Dan Hynes, becomes the State Comptroller. [21 year Chicago Mayor] Richard J. Daley—has [his son] Richard M. Daley become the Mayor. [33rd Ward Alderman Dick] Mell has his son in law, Blagojevich, become the Governor. Is there a problem? I mean you have some perspective on this because you have a Ph. D. in political science. If you were looking at it- I know its hard—if you were looking at it objectively, you were looking at somebody else who had done this, would you say, “Oh, that is not the kind of country we want, we really don’t want that kind of nepotism.”
Lipinski: Well, it is not the case that, you know—what I would say is the case that I ran in the general election, umm, I went out there- and if I were someone who was not qualified—
Berkowitz: No real opposition. This guy didn’t run a campaign. He didn’t do anything. I mean--
Lipinski: He was, he was—
Berkowitz: It was like [you were running as] a judge, you were running, you know—will they retain you? or not, almost.
Lipinski: Well, he was the man that the Republicans- who won the Republican Primary.
Berkowitz: Yeah.
Lipinski: And, you know, if I were not qualified; if I had been someone who, you know, did not have the background that I have—have the experience that I have, umm, not only working in Congress—studying Congress from the outside; if I wasn’t confident that I was the best candidate to step in there and that I would not be the best Congressman and best represent the people of the 3rd District, then I certainly would not have done that. But, I think I am. I went out there during the campaign, campaigned with as many people as I could; talked to them about what I wanted to do—
Berkowitz: Let me ask you this- while you were living in Tennessee, were you, were you registered to vote in Tennessee or registered to vote in Illinois?
Lipinski: Hmmm. I was registered to vote in Illinois.
Berkowitz: Can you do that if you are working full time in Tennessee? Is that legal?
Lipinski: uh, you register to vote. I had not voted in a- once I moved to Tennessee, I did not vote—in Illinois.
Berkowitz: Once you moved to Tennessee, you did not vote in Illinois but you were registered to vote in Illinois?
Lipinski: Yes.
Berkowitz: So, did you vote in Tennessee?
Lipinski: No.
Berkowitz: So, you just didn’t vote- while you were there [in Tennessee, about three years, teaching Political Science courses as an Assistant Professor].
Lipinski: I didn’t vote.
Berkowitz: Because you couldn’t vote in Illinois because even though you were registered here, you didn’t have a residence here, right?
Lipinski: Umm, the- I mean, to go through the whole- the whole process, I had my registration- because I was moving around a lot, ummm, I had, from the time that I, you know, went to college, spent a lot of time in, I decided that I wanted to get my, my Ph. D. and that required a lot of time going to school—
Berkowitz: So, you just didn’t change your registration while you were—
Lipinski: I didn’t change my registration because I always considered Chicago to be my home.
Berkowitz: Do you expect significant opposition in the Democratic Primary in 2006?
Lipinski: Well, I am sure that there will be challengers in 2006.
Berkowitz: You think? Okay.
Lipinski: I have confidence that I am going to do a good job. You know, I am going to take my record to the people in March of 2006 and the voters of the 3rd [Congressional] District will decide.
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Congressman-Elect Dan Lipinski interviewed on "Public Affairs," as is being cablecast this coming week [Week of Jan. 3] in the suburbs on Comcast Cable, and as will be cablecast throughout the City of Chicago on Monday night, Jan. 10 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. See conclusion of this blog for a detailed suburban airing schedule. The show was recorded on Dec. 19, 2004.
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Congressman-Elect Dan Lipinski [D- Western Springs, 3rd Cong. Dist.] debates and discusses with Show Host and Executive Legal Recruiter Jeff Berkowitz issues related to Midway, Peotone and O'Hare airports, the Iraq War, Abortion, School Vouchers, Gun Control, the Assault Weapon Ban, Trade, Protectionism, Off-Shore Out Sourcing and Dan Lipinski’s appointment by the Committeeman to replace his father, Bill Lipinski, on the ballot as the Democratic Nominee for the 3rd Cong. Dist. seat.
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The suburban edition of "Public Affairs," is regularly broadcast every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
The suburban edition also is broadcast every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette and every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Host and Producer of Public Affairs and an Executive Recruiter doing Legal Search, can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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Jeff Berkowitz: Let me ask you this- while you were living in Tennessee, were you, were you registered to vote in Tennessee or registered to vote in Illinois?
Congressman-Elect Dan Lipinski: Hmmm. I was registered to vote in Illinois.
Berkowitz: Can you do that if you are working full time in Tennessee? Is that legal?
Lipinski: uh, you register to vote. I had not voted in a- once I moved to Tennessee, I did not vote—in Illinois.
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Berkowitz: … What do you say?… Speaker Mike [Madigan]-- his daughter, Lisa Madigan becomes the Attorney General. [Former State Senate President] Tom Hynes-- his son, Dan Hynes, becomes the State Comptroller … Richard J. Daley—has [his son] Richard M. Daley become the Mayor. … Ald. Mell has his son-in- law, Rod Blagojevich, become the Governor. Is there a problem? I mean you have some perspective on this because you have a Ph. D. in political science. If you were looking at it… objectively, you were looking at somebody else who had done this, would you say, “Oh, that is not the kind of country we want, we really don’t want that kind of nepotism.”
Lipinski: Well, it is not the case that, you know—what I would say is the case that I ran in the general election, umm, I went out there- and if I were someone who was not qualified—
***************************************
Coming Attractions on "Public Affairs":
State Senator Peter Roskam on TV throughout the City of Chicago this coming Monday night [Jan. 3, 8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 21]; Partial transcript of the show with Roskam included in this blog, two entries below.
Congressman-Elect Dan Lipinski on TV in the suburbs this coming week [Comcast Cable, Week of Jan. 3]. Partial transcript, included below, of the show with Congressman Dan Lipinski. See the end of this blog entry, below, for a detailed suburban airing schedule.
The show with Cong. Dan Lipinski will also air throughout the City of Chicago on Monday night, Jan. 10 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV].
*********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Now, how did you get to be [a Congressman]? How did this work out? Now, you are sitting there. You are teaching at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, right?
Congressman-Elect Dan Lipinski: Yes.
Berkowitz: 2003, or so. And, what? The phone rings and somebody calls and says, would you like to be a Congressman?
Lipinski: Well, what happened wasn’t really until 2004. This year. I mean my father [Cong. Bill Lipinski, D- Chicago] has been in office, as you mentioned, twenty-two years.
Berkowitz: Right.
Lipinski: And, honestly, as far back as I can remember, my father was talking about retiring, moving on, doing something else.
Berkowitz: As far as you can remember, he was always talking about retiring?
Lipinski: As far as I can remember. When he first ran, back in 1982, he got in there- it was always, how long am I going to stay? You know, it was always—
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Berkowitz: … when you got a call, from your dad-- is that right?… 2004?
Lipinski: 2004. What happens, the Primary is relatively early, pretty early in Illinois, in March.
Berkowitz: March, right.
Lipinski: And, my father ran in a [Democratic] primary. And, in April, the House of Representatives passed the Highway Bill, which was supposed to have been passed two years previous to that. And, this was a big thing that my father has really been working hard on. In getting the Highway Bill passed, a lot of important things—
Berkowitz: What is the name of the Committee he is on?
Lipinski: Transportation Committee or Transportation Infrastructure—
Berkowitz: [Is he] third or second ranking member of the committee?
Lipinski: He is the third ranking [member of the Transportation Committee].
Berkowitz: Third ranking, okay.
Lipinski: So, this is something that has always been of importance to him- transportation issues. And, he is at a point where he could have a significant amount of power in getting things for the [3rd Congressional] District, the City [of Chicago] and for Illinois. And, when it finally passed the House, two years late, he said “Okay, basically, my work is done, I have gotten this done.”
Berkowitz: I am going to retire?
Lipinski: Yeah, [he said] I am going to retire.
Berkowitz: So, when was that?
Lipinski: That was in April [2004].
Berkowitz: Okay, and then what happened?
Lipinski: So, my father—as I said, he has talked before about retiring—but when he called me up and said, “I have talked to some of the committeemen in the [3rd Congressional] District, Democratic Committeeman and told them –you know- I am going to retire,”-- then I knew, Okay, he is serious; this had gone on outside of just talking with the family, things like that. So, he said to me—he said, “there have been a couple of the committeemen who I have talked to who have said, you know—is your son interested in- in running?” And, my father said, “Well, let me—I will talk to him and see if he is interested.” And, so, he- you know- gave me a call and talked to me about it and I really have- I worked for a number of members of Congress. My area of study as a political scientist has been Congress. And, I have written articles. I have written a book that just came out with the University of Michigan Press-- on Congress-- something that has always interested me. And, I have watched my father and all that he has been able to do for people over the years. And, the reason that I have been teaching is that I just really value public service. And I think it sort of goes back to my St. Ignatius [High School] days, to a large extent, but also in my family. The whole idea is if you have an opportunity, if you have the talent- you should go into public service.
Berkowitz: So, you said yes, you will do it?
Lipinski: Well, the first thing I did—I talked to my wife about it.
Berkowitz: Judy?
Lipinski: I talked to Judy. We had been married less than a year at this time and I said, you know- is this something we want to do? Because, I know it is not just me. I know what politics is like. I know what kind of dedication it takes.
Berkowitz: So, you never really thought of doing this before?
Lipinski: Did I ever think about it? Maybe somewhere in the back of my mind, I had--
Berkowitz: So, Judy says OK and you are off and running. Is that basically it?
Lipinski: That was basically it.
Berkowitz: Now, the Committeemen. You mentioned the 19th Ward, Tom Hynes-- he is still a committeeman there [in the 3rd CD], right?
Lipinski: Yes.
Berkowitz: John Daley, brother of Mayor Daley [and] a Cook County Commissioner- he is a Committeeman [in the 3rd CD], right [11th Ward, Bridgeport]?
Lipinski: Yeah.
Berkowitz: [Illinois House] Speaker Mike- Mike Madigan, he is a Committeeman [in the 3rd CD], right?
Lipinski: Um, Um.
Berkowitz: What is his ward?
Lipinski: 13th Ward.
Berkowitz: So, here. I mean I understand what you have just said. But, some people would say, is there an issue of nepotism here? And, what do you say to those folks because it kind of looks like-- here, you didn’t run in a primary. Your father decided to retire. He talked to the Committeemen [in the 3rd CD]. They talked to him. Your name goes on the ballot. The Republican? Who is the Republican who was running against you?
Lipinski: Uh—
Berkowitz: Ryan--
Lipinski: Ryan Chlada.
Berkowitz: Chlada. See, we can’t even remember his name. Now, people say: he was a plant; he was really a Democrat; this was really all set up so you wouldn’t have any opposition in the general election. What do you say? Because, you know, speaker Mike [Madigan]-- his daughter, Lisa Madigan, becomes the Attorney General. [Former State Senate President and Cook County Assessor] Tom Hynes-- his son, Dan Hynes, becomes the State Comptroller. [21 year Chicago Mayor] Richard J. Daley—has [his son] Richard M. Daley become the Mayor. [33rd Ward Alderman Dick] Mell has his son in law, Blagojevich, become the Governor. Is there a problem? I mean you have some perspective on this because you have a Ph. D. in political science. If you were looking at it- I know its hard—if you were looking at it objectively, you were looking at somebody else who had done this, would you say, “Oh, that is not the kind of country we want, we really don’t want that kind of nepotism.”
Lipinski: Well, it is not the case that, you know—what I would say is the case that I ran in the general election, umm, I went out there- and if I were someone who was not qualified—
Berkowitz: No real opposition. This guy didn’t run a campaign. He didn’t do anything. I mean--
Lipinski: He was, he was—
Berkowitz: It was like [you were running as] a judge, you were running, you know—will they retain you? or not, almost.
Lipinski: Well, he was the man that the Republicans- who won the Republican Primary.
Berkowitz: Yeah.
Lipinski: And, you know, if I were not qualified; if I had been someone who, you know, did not have the background that I have—have the experience that I have, umm, not only working in Congress—studying Congress from the outside; if I wasn’t confident that I was the best candidate to step in there and that I would not be the best Congressman and best represent the people of the 3rd District, then I certainly would not have done that. But, I think I am. I went out there during the campaign, campaigned with as many people as I could; talked to them about what I wanted to do—
Berkowitz: Let me ask you this- while you were living in Tennessee, were you, were you registered to vote in Tennessee or registered to vote in Illinois?
Lipinski: Hmmm. I was registered to vote in Illinois.
Berkowitz: Can you do that if you are working full time in Tennessee? Is that legal?
Lipinski: uh, you register to vote. I had not voted in a- once I moved to Tennessee, I did not vote—in Illinois.
Berkowitz: Once you moved to Tennessee, you did not vote in Illinois but you were registered to vote in Illinois?
Lipinski: Yes.
Berkowitz: So, did you vote in Tennessee?
Lipinski: No.
Berkowitz: So, you just didn’t vote- while you were there [in Tennessee, about three years, teaching Political Science courses as an Assistant Professor].
Lipinski: I didn’t vote.
Berkowitz: Because you couldn’t vote in Illinois because even though you were registered here, you didn’t have a residence here, right?
Lipinski: Umm, the- I mean, to go through the whole- the whole process, I had my registration- because I was moving around a lot, ummm, I had, from the time that I, you know, went to college, spent a lot of time in, I decided that I wanted to get my, my Ph. D. and that required a lot of time going to school—
Berkowitz: So, you just didn’t change your registration while you were—
Lipinski: I didn’t change my registration because I always considered Chicago to be my home.
Berkowitz: Do you expect significant opposition in the Democratic Primary in 2006?
Lipinski: Well, I am sure that there will be challengers in 2006.
Berkowitz: You think? Okay.
Lipinski: I have confidence that I am going to do a good job. You know, I am going to take my record to the people in March of 2006 and the voters of the 3rd [Congressional] District will decide.
*****************************************
Congressman-Elect Dan Lipinski interviewed on "Public Affairs," as is being cablecast this coming week [Week of Jan. 3] in the suburbs on Comcast Cable, and as will be cablecast throughout the City of Chicago on Monday night, Jan. 10 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. See conclusion of this blog for a detailed suburban airing schedule. The show was recorded on Dec. 19, 2004.
*******************************************
Congressman-Elect Dan Lipinski [D- Western Springs, 3rd Cong. Dist.] debates and discusses with Show Host and Executive Legal Recruiter Jeff Berkowitz issues related to Midway, Peotone and O'Hare airports, the Iraq War, Abortion, School Vouchers, Gun Control, the Assault Weapon Ban, Trade, Protectionism, Off-Shore Out Sourcing and Dan Lipinski’s appointment by the Committeeman to replace his father, Bill Lipinski, on the ballot as the Democratic Nominee for the 3rd Cong. Dist. seat.
*******************************************
The suburban edition of "Public Affairs," is regularly broadcast every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
The suburban edition also is broadcast every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette and every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Host and Producer of Public Affairs and an Executive Recruiter doing Legal Search, can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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