Monday, February 07, 2005

Liz Gorman on abortion, guns, civil unions etc.

Dated February 7, 2005 at 3:00 pm
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Jeff Berkowitz: Would you like a constitutional amendment to protect “Life”?

Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman: Yes, absolutely. We have to protect life at all costs.
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Jeff Berkowitz: You would like to be able to own a gun in Beverly to protect yourself if you lived in Beverly?

Liz Gorman: Yeah, anywhere.
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Cook County Commissioner Gorman on TV [“Public Affairs”] in the City of Chicago Tonight and County Board President John Stroger on TV [“Public Affairs] in the suburbs this week.
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Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth (Liz) Gorman [R- Orland Park] is featured on “Public Affairs,” tonight at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 through-out the City of Chicago. The bulk of the show deals with current Cook County Board issues, such as President Stroger’s proposed tax increase. For a partial transcript of the show’s coverage of those issues, see the blog entry, below, dated February 1, 2005 at 7:00 pm.
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Because Commissioner Gorman was considered for an appointment by the Republican State Central Committee this summer to be the Republican party’s nominee for the U. S. Senate and because she has been described by Board of Review Commissioner and Republican State Central Committee Member Maureen Murphy as a “rising star,” in the Republican Party, we covered some issues beyond the current scope of the County Board, e.g., so-called social issues, during the show, and a partial transcript of that discussion is included directly below.
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Jeff Berkowitz: You would like to roll back Roe v. Wade, right?

Liz Gorman: Right.

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you like a constitutional amendment to protect “Life”?

Liz Gorman: Yes, absolutely. We have to protect life at all costs.

Jeff Berkowitz: …so, you are conservative on that issue. What about guns? Would you say you are a 2-A lady? 2-A referring to the 2nd Amendment.

Liz Gorman: Well, it’s interesting. I think there should be a right to bear arms. You know, we had a break-in at our house.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, there is [a right to bear arms]. It is in the Constitution, right?

Liz Gorman: Yes, and I think—

Jeff Berkowitz: You had a break-in in your house?

Liz Gorman: Yes, many years ago-- in Beverly.

Jeff Berkowitz: You would like to be able to own a gun in Beverly to protect yourself if you lived in Beverly [An area on the southwest side of Chicago, boyhood home of Cook County Assessor Houlihan, who, BTW, apparently is giving some thought to running for Cook County Board President].

Liz Gorman: Yeah, anywhere.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, Beverly [unlike Orland Park] is within the City of Chicago.

Liz Gorman: Correct.

Jeff Berkowitz: Currently, there is a ban on gun ownership [in Chicago].

Liz Gorman: Right.

Jeff Berkowitz: And possession.

Liz Gorman: Right.

Jeff Berkowitz: At least, gun possession in the City of Chicago. If you lived in Beverly now—If you [the viewer] are living in Beverly now and you are “packing”—you have a gun in your house--

Liz Gorman: Right, it’s illegal

Jeff Berkowitz: You are violating the law. You could be arrested.

Liz Gorman: Right.

Jeff Berkowitz: Do you think that is right?

Liz Gorman: I just know the personal situation that I was in with my family. You know, where there was a break-in and it was a very disturbing break-in. The guy had broken into sixty homes prior to our house.

Jeff Berkowitz: Were you there? Were you there when it happened?

Liz Gorman: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: And there was nothing you could do?

Liz Gorman: No.

Jeff Berkowitz: If you had a gun, you could have shot him.

Liz Gorman: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Maybe he would have been less likely to break in, thinking that maybe you had a gun—that, itself, might have been a deterrent [If the law permitted gun possession in Chicago].

Liz Gorman: No, absolutely—

Jeff Berkowitz: Okay, so on guns, you are fairly strong?

Liz Gorman: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: You do agree with some gun control?

Liz Gorman: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: The Brady bill, background checks and all that.

Liz Gorman: Absolutely.
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Jeff Berkowitz: …Civil unions may handle some of those things, right? You are not opposed to that?

Liz Gorman: Well, I really am not for it and not against it.

Jeff Berkowitz: Not for it and not against it, you are going to waffle?

Liz Gorman: Yeah, I am waffling on that, absolutely, because, you know, it is a difficult issue--
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Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman, interviewed on "Public Affairs," as it is being cablecast tonight at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 throughout the City of Chicago. This show was recorded on January 23, 2004.
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Tonight on “Public Affairs,” in the City of Chicago it is Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman [R- Orland Park] debating and discussing with show host and Executive Legal Recruiter Jeff Berkowitz Cook County Board President Stroger's proposed increase in the restaurant, hotel and motel taxes, the impact of the increase on convention business and employment in the County, alternative ways to balance the budget by cutting spending across the board, by increasing employee health insurance contributions and co-pays, by cutting annual employee wage increase from about 8% per year to 3.5 % per year, the Gang of 4 [Cook County Commissioners Quigley, Claypool, Suffredin and Peraica], the Gang of 8 [gang of 4 plus County Commissioners Goslin, Gorman, Hansen and Silvestri], consideration of Gorman by the Republican State Central Committee for the Republican U. S. Senate nomination in August, 2004, same sex marriage, gay rights, domestic registries, civil unions, whether abortion should be illegal and the deterrent effect of making gun possession legal in Chicago.
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This Week’s suburban edition of “Public Affairs,” features as its guest--Cook County Board President John Stroger [D- Chicago]. See the end of the January 31, 2005 blog entry, below, for a detailed suburban airing schedule.
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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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