Monday, January 30, 2006

Abortion and the Treasurer’s office: Mangieri on Cable/Web

Tonight’s discussion on Public Affairs features Democratic Primary Treasurer Candidate Paul Mangieri, and it airs at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 throughout the City of Chicago.

For more on Paul Mangieri, his primary opponent and the general election, See here.

The show with Treasurer candidate Mangieri can also be watched anytime as a webcast on the Public Affairs Cinema Complex [See here].

Tonight's "Public Affairs," topics include a comparison of the background and qualifications of the two Democratic Candidates for Treasurer, Senator Obama’s decision to endorse Paul Mangieri’s primary opponent; gay rights, guns and abortion; management of the State of Illinois financial assets, funding the state pensions and advising the Legislature on spending, borrowing and taxing; advising and participating in pension board management of pension assets; pension board public corruption issues, prosecution of financial management crimes, Gov. Blagojevich, Chris Kelly and Tony Rezko: state bond business, skimming off of cash from the state’s 10 billion dollar bond sale, the state’s bonded debt and the blame game; using short-term borrowing to finance operating expenses.
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A partial transcript of the show is included, below.
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Jeff Berkowitz: So social issues are important, for one reason, in the Treasurer’s office in that the Treasurer has tended, in the past to go on and do things?

Paul Mangieri: Right.

Jeff Berkowitz: Pat Quinn was the Treasurer, he now is the Lt. Governor.

Paul Mangieri: Adlai Stevenson, Allen Dixon…and we currently have a candidate now who is Treasurer and is now running for Governor…

Jeff Berkowitz: That’s right. Good point. Judy Baar Topinka has been the Treasurer for the last twelve years. She is now running for Governor. She is now encountering the issue about her views on abortion…So, let’s talk about that a little bit…You are said to be pro life, and yet are you really pro life?

Paul Mangieri: Well, together, my wife and I have twelve children. I happen to be Roman Catholic.

Jeff Berkowitz: Blended marriage.

Paul Mangieri: Blended marriage, that’s correct.

Jeff Berkowitz: Several kids from her first marriage. Several from yours. And, then a half dozen, since?

Paul Mangieri: Felicia had two. I had four and together we have had six…

Jeff Berkowitz: So, you’re pro life in the sense that you and your wife would not choose to have an abortion, is that correct?

Paul Mangieri: That is correct. I am personally pro-life, and, I know, based upon my conversations with my wife that she has made that choice for herself, as well. That she is pro life.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you don’t want to overturn Roe v Wade, do you?

Paul Mangieri: No.
I have no interest in that.

Jeff Berkowitz: In fact, you would be opposed to overturning Roe vs. Wade, right?

Paul Mangieri: I would be opposed to overturning Roe vs. Wade, because I recognize that this is America. And, what that decision does is it recognizes every individual’s right to make that choice for themselves.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, you believe in the so-called “woman’s right to choose,” with respect to abortion, right?

Paul Mangieri: I believe that that matter should be left to a woman in consultation with her physician.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, you’re not really pro life in the sense that many people use it; when somebody says, I think downstate [Ed. Note: and upstate, as well], if they say they’re pro life, most people understand that to mean they would like to see Roe v. Wade overturned. They might want to see that decision returned to the state legislature and they would like the legislature to make abortion generally illegal, except maybe for the life of the mother, or some other exceptions, [e.g, rape and incest] I got that right?

Paul Mangieri: I think you have that right. Therein lies the problem, at times, because people tend to take an overly simplistic approach.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, why are you saying you’re pro life? Because, you must know, you’re a politician. You know what it means and that you’re using it a way that doesn’t generally fit with the political vernacular, with the political lexicon.

Paul Mangieri: Because I state how I feel and that is how I feel. It’s an individual choice and personally, if people ask me what are you, and I feel as though I’m pro [life]--
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Jeff Berkowitz: ... They would say "he [your opponent] is pro choice; they would say you’re pro life. There’s a difference." But, in general, you’re pretty close [to each other] on that issue. I mean, you may favor parental notice with judicial bypass, right?

Paul Mangieri: Sure.

Jeff Berkowitz: He may not.

Paul Mangiere: Correct.

Jeff Berkowitz: There may be some other things. But, you’re certainly not what somebody would call one thousand percent pro life, because of that Roe v. Wade difference.

Paul Mangieri: Once again, I believe it’s an issue that government should not have an interest in. And, it should be an issue that should be left to a woman in consultation with her physician and those members of her family, should she choose.
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Paul Mangieri [D-Galesburg], Democratic Primary Candidate for Treasurer, recorded on January 22, 2006 and as is airing on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs tonight, Jan. 30 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. The show can also be watched anytime, video streaming on the Public Affairs Cinema Complex [See here], show labeled as Paul Mangieri, January 22, 2006].
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Transcript drafts prepared by Amy Allen, who also does research for “Public Affairs,” and has her own political blog [See here].
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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