Monday, May 29, 2006

White takes on Emanuel: Cable and Streaming

Kevin White: The vote [for Victory in Iraq] was overwhelmingly in favor, except for Rahm Emanuel. He voted present. Present. That was how he voted his conscience.
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Jeff Berkowitz: [Cong. Murtha] said that we ought to have essentially an immediate withdrawal [of all troops from Iraq]. I know some people say it is not immediate ...when they asked [Cong.] Rahm Emanuel what he thought of that, he said in November, 2005, “The Democrats would have a position at the appropriate time.”

Kevin White: That was even worse, in my opinion, when he said that. And, that’s another example. These are the kinds of incidents that, frankly, drove me to attempt my race. ...
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"Public Affairs," features tonight [Memorial Day] Kevin White, the Republican nominee for the 5th Cong. Dist.seat currently held by Cong. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago) . The show airs through-out the City of Chicago on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21 at 8:30 pm; You can also watch the program right now, and anytime after, on the "Public Affairs," podcast page on your computer [See here].

The "Public Affairs," podcast page gives you a choice of more than 20 different episodes of “Public Affairs," in addition to the show with 5th CD Republican Nominee Kevin White.[See here]. The podcast page also includes a show with U. S. Presidential Candidate John Cox [R-Chicago], Professors Bleakley and Chiswick debating immigration issues, Mayoral Candidate Bill Dock Walls, State Senate Republican Nominee [27th Dist.] Matt Murphy; a joint press conference with Senator Obama [D-Illinois] and Congresswoman Bean [D-Barrington][See here].
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A Partial transcript of the show is included directly, below.
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Jeff Berkowitz: [Cong. and DCCC Chairman] Rahm Emanuel has 1.2 million in the bank and has raised about 800K [this year], this is just for his own campaign, God knows what he has raised for others. Kevin White has about $20,000?

Kevin White: Probably about $20,000.

Jeff Berkowitz: A fool’s errand, would you say?


Kevin White: I don’t think so. No, absolutely not.

Jeff Berkowitz: You can win?

Kevin White: I think we can win.

Jeff Berkowitz: Really? Seriously?

Kevin White: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: [Berkowitz leans forward, imitating Connie Chung]: Just between the two of us. You can win?

Kevin White: I think we can. And, I think the way to do it is grassroots and I think Rahm Emanuel knows that. …in politics today, money does not necessarily mean you are going to win. There is no question that Rahm Emanuel has more money than anybody in the neighborhood.

Jeff Berkowitz: In the world.

Kevin White: In the world, probably, or if he doesn’t have it, he can get it. But…that’s not what wins races. What wins races is contact with the community—getting out there and talking to people and Rahm doesn’t do that.

Jeff Berkowitz: Issues matter?

Kevin White: Absolutely.
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Jeff Berkowitz: Does that mean you won’t support legislation in the year 2006 that would do more than border control and deal with a path to citizenship?

Kevin White: I think a path to citizenship is fine. I have no problem with that.


Jeff Berkowitz: In 2006?

Kevin White: If it’s possible, if we can build a consensus around it. The problem I have is with the way politics is practiced today and particularly by my opponent, Rahm Emanuel, [who] is one of the worst offenders on this. Everything has to come down to a sound bite and you are either black or you are white…and that’s just not the way people in the 5th Cong. Dist. think about things.
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Jeff Berkowitz: Has Rahm Emanuel made it clear that he supports increased border control?

Kevin White: Rahm Emanuel has made it clear that he is going to tie border control to getting what he wants on behalf of immigrants already in the country and I think that’s a mistake. I think we have to get the border closed and secure and then we can focus on these other tissues. If we don’t do something about the border, everything else that we are talking about is just getting worse.
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Kevin White: …I will tell you what will pass tomorrow-- border control.
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Kevin White: I am not going to prognosticate about the next election and George Bush, but I will say this: Republicans will lose if they are perceived as being vindictive or small minded or mean spirited. And, I am not in favor of any of that kind of stuff. But, we have to close the border, and we have to figure out a solution to this. …Given that number of people in the country [10-12 million illegal aliens], there is no question that that’s a very valuable part of our economy and there’s no point in treating them poorly.
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Jeff Berkowitz: So, you think the President went to the Country and said this [Iraq War] is going to be a long, hard slog that might go on for more than three years?

Kevin White: Those words actually were used somewhere but I don’t recall—

Jeff Berkowitz: I think it was… when [Defense Secretary] Rumsfeld was talking about the War, but that was a year or two after [the war started].

Kevin White: That’s right. It would be very interesting to know in history if any war has gone exactly the way somebody expected. And, I am sure this one hasn’t either. But, I don’t think there is any evidence that this President has misled anybody.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, your position on the war now is stick it out, stay the course?

Kevin White: My position is win in Iraq. Victory, yes. And, this is a good example of the contrast between Rahm Emanuel and myself. Because that very resolution on the House floor was put to the Congress. And, Nancy Pelosi as the Leader of the Democratic Party released her representatives to “Vote their conscience.” And, when you are looking for Leadership—

Jeff Berkowitz: Which resolution are you talking about?

Kevin White: This was a resolution for Victory in Iraq. It was about that simple. It was an attempt to follow on the heels of the very successful Iraqi election in December of last year, I believe.

Jeff Berkowitz: What was the vote on it?

Kevin White: The vote was overwhelmingly in favor, except for Rahm Emanuel. He voted present. Present. That was how he voted his conscience.
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Jeff Berkowitz: In the fall of last year, when [Cong.] John Murtha [D-PA], who had apparently been a supporter of the War—

Kevin White: Right.

Jeff Berkowitz: Said that we ought to have essentially an immediate withdrawal [of all troops from Iraq]. I know some people say it is not immediate because he says you should take a certain number of troops and put them around Iraq. Like where? In Syria, or somewhere. Bizarre. But, everybody who champions [Cong.] Murtha doesn’t ask that question. In any case, Murtha said that and when they asked [Cong.] Rahm Emanuel what he thought of that, he said in November, 2005, “The Democrats would have a position at the appropriate time.”

Kevin White: That was even worse, in my opinion, when he said that. And, that’s another example. These are the kinds of incidents that, frankly, drove me to attempt my race. Because, it’s inconceivable—

Jeff Berkowitz: He [Cong. Emanuel] wasn’t coming out and giving his positions on these issues? To be fair to him, does he have to do that a little bit because he is Chairman of the DCCC [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee]. So, he is speaking not just as Rahm Emanuel from the 5th CD, but he is speaking in a broader national context, and to be fair, that may benefit people in the 5th CD, right?

Kevin White: I don’t think it does benefit people in the 5th CD at all, and to be fair, I don’t think it is fair to the people in the 5th because he should be speaking for us. We need a congressman from the 5th.

Jeff Berkowitz: Does he [Cong. Emanuel] bring home the bacon because of his power?

Kevin White: Not that I am aware of. No
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Jeff Berkowitz: Transportation spending [in the 5th CD]. Has it gone up?

Kevin White: See, what you just said is a very interesting observation. You said because of his power. He has huge power in the Democratic Party because he can raise money and he can aim that money wherever he wants to. I am not aware of any indication that he has power as a Congressman to affect what happens in the 5th [Congressional] District.

Jeff Berkowitz: Somebody does because, look, Illinois did reasonably well in the Transportation bill, right. And, people thought that is in part because of Senator Obama and Senator Durbin, two Democrats, so some Democrats do have some power.

Kevin White: Well, and Dennis Hastert is the Speaker of the House. That doesn’t hurt.

Jeff Berkowitz: And Hastert and they get along. They work together, right?

Kevin White: They work together, we have a very strong—

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, maybe Rahm works with those folks, too.

Kevin White: Rahm does not work with those folks. In fact, one of the notorious stories when he first went to office was one of the first things he did was to start lobbing bombs at people like [Speaker] Denny Hastert. I mean, that is not the way to get things done in Washington. In Washington, the effective congressmen are the ones who develop a specialty in something that everyone knows about and who can work with other people. Rahm Emanuel goes to war. He prides himself on going to war with his fellow legislators.
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Public Affairs, with Kevin White, the Republican nominee for the 5th Cong. Dist.seat currently held by Cong. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago) , was recorded on May 14, 2006 and is airing on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs tonight, May 29 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. The show with Kevin White is available, right now, as a video podcast at the Public Affairs Cinema Complex, along with more than twenty other shows, which are also airing there. [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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