8th CD Candidate takes Rahm Emanuel and Speaker Mike to Court

Bill Scheurer [Lindenhurst], the candidate of the “Moderate Party,” is trying to join the race in the 8th Cong. District between first term incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean [Barrington] and her Republican challenger David McSweeney [Barrington Hills]. To help Scheurer stay on the ballot for the November 7, 2006 election, Scheurer’s Moderate Party filed a civil action in federal court this morning. Scheurer, who practiced law, but is not currently doing so, told me that the lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.

The Complaint names the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee [DCCC] and it’s Chairman, Cong. Rahm Emanuel; the Illinois Democratic Party and it’s Chairman, Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan; Anthony Constantine and AR Consulting as defendants. Counts brought in the Complaint include allegations of federal civil rights violations and fraud.

For more background on some of the underlying matters involved in or relating to the Complaint and the 8th CD race, see here , here and here.

Challenges to petitions filed to get on the ballot in the 8th CD are due to be filed with the State Board of Elections by this Monday, July 3.

Scheurer, unlike the Democratic and Republican candidates in the 8th CD, is strongly anti-Iraq War. However, he also claims to differ significantly from both major party candidates on labor, healthcare and tax issues, as well as many others. Indeed, Scheurer might borrow a phrase from conservative Republican Barry Goldwater’s campaign of ’64, in that he appears to offer the voters, on many issues, “a choice, not a echo.” Of course, both Bean and McSweeney would disagree with Scheurer, in that I think they both see significant differences between each other on many, if not most, public policy issues.

Stay tuned, more to follow on Scheurer’s efforts to stay on the ballot.
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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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Scheurer: It ain't over in 8th CD until the Fat Lady sings

Larry Handlin, the proprietor of the Archpundit blog, is a smart, thoughtful political analyst who is a big time supporter of Democrats, especially progressive Democrats. In short, Larry bats well to the left of the plate. However, he has shown little patience with Democrats who criticize first term 8th CD Congresswoman Bean [D-Barrington] for some of her “Republican votes,” on some key issues e.g., CAFTA, Bush Tax cut extensions, Iraq War resolution. This apparently is because Handlin understands that the 8th CD is still strongly Republican [56% to 44% for Bush in 2004]--so he gives Bean a pass on her 18 month voting history.

On the other hand, and somewhat ironically in light of the alleged involvement of a Lipinski staffer in the scam perpetrated on would be third party candidate Bill Scheurer in the 8th CD, Handlin has been critical of Democratic Cong. Dan Lipinski [Son of Bill] for casting some “Republican votes,” in the tradition of Father Bill [especially on social issues, but also on health care] in the strongly Democratic 3rd Cong. District in his first 18 months in the House.

Bean sent Congressman Crane packing in 2004 after he had spent 35 years representing the 8th CD, but almost everyone agrees that her upset win had much less to do with ideology than with Bean’s winning personality, financial firepower [sent her way by the DCCC toward the end of the '04 campaign] and her ability to communicate, during her two campaigns ['02 and '04] that the District deserved someone who would pay attention to it, be a part of it and serve it diligently – and that she was such a candidate

In light of the above described feelings by Archpundit towards Congresswoman Bean [D-Barrington] it is perhaps not surprising that Handlin calls Scheurer “an idiot,” for naively falling for the scam [see here]. While there is plenty to fault in terms of how Scheurer ran his petition drive, from what I hear-- there are easier things to do than getting 14,000 signatures in a congressional district, especially when the major party with which the candidate most identifies [Scheurer ran in the '04 8th CD Democratic Primary] would like to crush him in the way a sixteen wheeler crushes an ant. There are easier things to do.

On Tuesday, 8th CD "Moderate Party," would be candidate Bill Scheurer started to shoot back at his critics, saying:

that Eric Krol article [See here] in the Daily Herald [of Tuesday] was full of factual errors and political fallacies…it seemed like nothing more than a conveyance through the paper of ‘Bean camp spin,’ which is unfortunate in that the Daily Herald has generally provided good, comprehensive balanced coverage of this congressional race during a Republican Primary. I hope that this doesn’t indicate some undue connection between them [the Daily Herald] and the Bean camp because I know they endorsed her in 2004.

When asked what he meant by Krol article errors, Scheurer referred to Krol’s statement: "Still, Scheurer said he thinks Constantine and the Bean campaign were involved, but he could not provide any proof to back up his claim."

Scheurer argued on Tuesday, “that is inaccurate, we do have proof…we told him [Krol] we have it and we couldn’t give it [to him, because of how we are proceeding with the legal authorities and defending against challenges]."

Scheurer criticized the idea, expressed in the Krol article, that his campaign is a marginal one. Scheurer said:

Calling this just an anti-war campaign is bizarre. Certainly major unions from around the country and other interest groups didn’t get involved in this campaign because it is a marginal anti-war campaign. The whole idea that we are going to pull a marginal one or two per cent just from Bean voters—I mean that’s just totally inaccurate spin.

Scheurer also noted that Krol’s article reports, “Bean spokesman Brian Herman dismissed the notion that Bean’s campaign was involved [in the scheme to deceive Scheurer that his petitions were being completed] as “absurd” and “ridiculous.” Scheurer argued that the only thing that is absurd and ridiculous is to assume that the Democratic Party was not involved solely for the benefit of the Bean campaign. Why would anyone [else] do this? Who is going to file the objections to my petitions, asked Scheurer?

Scheurer stated to me the way the Democratic Party can wipe their hands clean of this is to do the same thing the Republican Party is doing and come out publicly and say they are not going to challenge my filings and they respect the will of the thousands upon thousands of voters who have signed their name—saying they want a third party choice on the ballot. Scheurer said, "It is absurd and ridiculous to think they [the Bean Campaign and the Democratic Party] are not involved. People don’t do this just for the fun of it.”

Bean spokesman Brian Herman told me last Friday that he had not discussed with Cong. Bean the issue of challenging Scheurer’s petitions so he did not know whether the Bean campaign would challenge them.

Herman did state to me on Friday that if Scheurer were on the ballot, “with an opponent on the extreme left and with an opponent on the extreme right, Cong. Bean would argue to the voters that she is not only in the middle of the three candidates, but that she consistently represents the mainstream values of the families of the 8th Cong. Dist.” Of course, neither Scheurer nor McSweeney would concur with Herman’s positioning of each as on the extremes of the political spectrum and of Bean as being in the middle, but Herman’s argument that Bean would benefit from Scheurer’s entry into the race is a novel, if not persuasive, one. Nice try, Brian.

Of course, you would expect Bean, if that were the case, to have persuaded Illinois House Speaker and Illinois Democratic Party Chairman Mike Madigan not to challenge Scheurer and that apparently did not happen, as Speaker Mike’s guy is busily reviewing the petitions, as you read this. It is not a matter of tossing Scheurer off the ballot for insufficient signatures. Speaker Mike’s approach to such matters is, as I said, to crush this guy. If it can, the Illinois Democratic Party, i.e., Speaker Mike with a Capital D, would like to show Scheurer has no argument, at all, to have his name anywhere near the ballot because the number of good signatures is so pitiful. Can Mike do that? We’ll see.

After Rich Miller [Capitol Fax] wrote on Friday that this story could be huge, he acted on Monday as if he was folding his tent on the item. The Daily Herald was ready to join him, apparently. Miller has become almost MSM, if not yet respectable. And, the MSM in Illinois have little, if any, interest in Congressional elections until about October 15, 2006. After all, the bread and butter of Capitolfax is state and local.

So, it is left to the true bloggers of the world to find out what evil lurks in the minds of men [and women]. And, while we do that, 8th CD third party candidate Scheurer has a presser scheduled for today at 11:00 am in the Loop. Scheurer and his attorney will announce, they say, new developments about the criminal fraud and conspiracy activities that they contend were conducted in an attempt to sabotage Scheurer's 8th CD independent campaign.
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Peraica: A Second Chance at Reform for Claypool Supporters?

Update 2: It turns out that swing vote Commissioner Earlean Collins [The Sandra Day O'Connor of the Cook County Board] will join Claypool and Peraica tonight on WTTW's Chicago Tonight [See, below]. Although Collins was with the Stroger family on the recent Board vote dealing with methods to learn more about or establish President John Stroger's health status-- so was virtually the entire Board-- and she has not generally been classified as a Stroger supporter during the last three years so it appears that WTTW could not find anyone in the "Stroger Camp," interested in doing TV tonight.[See discussion, below] No surprise there.
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Update: “It’s not right when black folk do it?” asked Committeeman and Ald. William Beavers (7th), noting that a parade of white families including the Hyneses, Daleys, Madigans and Lipinskis have handed elected posts to a second generation. “Why can’t we do it?” [See here]. Ald. Beavers has a point [although he might have acknowledged the Jacksons come close to such a Black intra-family transfer of power]-that is, about Chicago's Democratic royal families. However, if the voters were to put a stop to it in this instance, which happens to involve a black family-- perhaps the pols would put a stop to it next time, even if involved a white family. One can hope, at least. Or does Ald. Beavers think Democrats or all of the citizens of Illinois have to suffer through three more black nepotism transfers of political power before they "are ready for reform."
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We again have a corrupt regime that is handing off power from one generation to another, to the next, as if it was part of their Estate to bequeath to the next generation... Tony Peraica, Republican Nominee for Cook County Board President, June 28, 2006
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Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica, in a phone interview this afternoon, responded to this morning’s news that Ald. Todd Stroger [8th] is likely to replace his father, John Stroger [who had a stroke a week before his March primary election and has not been seen or heard from since by anybody other than family and close friends] as the Democratic Nominee on the November 7 ballot for President of the Cook County Board and Ald. Bill Beavers [7th] is likely to replace John Stroger as the Democratic Nominee for Cook County Commissioner from the 4th District. [See Fran Spielman's top notch report here].

Peraica [R-Riverside] is on the ballot as the Republican Nominee both for Cook County Board President and for re-election as the County Commissioner from the 16th District.

True to his style, Peraica pulled no punches, stating,

We again have a corrupt regime that is handing off power from one generation to another, to the next, as if it was part of their Estate to bequeath to the next generation. Damn democracy, Damn the voters, Damn the taxpayers; we’re going to do, as Ald. Beavers said, whatever we want, whenever we want, however we want and we have the votes and there is nothing you can do about it. And, that is exactly what happened here.

Peraica predicted that the rest of the Cook County Democratic Central Committee would be “complicit,” with Ald. Stroger and Ald. Beavers and would vote for their selection this weekend as the Democratic Party’s nominees to replace twelve year incumbent President John Stroger on the November 7, 2006 ballot.

Peraica seemed to relish the fight, predicting a stark choice for the voters on November 7 between the same old “corrupt, tax and spend, patronage laden regime,” and a reform type government that Peraica, his fellow Four Horsemen, his fellow County Board Republicans and swing vote Commissioner Earlean Collins have been moving the County towards in the last four years: smaller government, lower taxes and the elimination of corruption [See here].

Peraica is optimistic that Commissioners Bobbie Steele and Earlean Collins, Cong. Danny Davis [D-Chicago, 7th Dist] and other west side African American politicians could support him for President of the Cook County Board because they are upset with the way they and their community were treated by President John Stroger’s decision to keep his position as President and Commissioner even though it is unlikely he will be healthy enough to attend meetings and function as the County’s CEO of the more than three billion dollar entity that is called County Government.

Peraica noted that a major goal of his is to deliver the reforms necessary to improve the plight of the economically depressed south and west sides of the City of Chicago, which Peraica contends have been ignored and deprived of quality services from the City, County and State governments over the last twenty to thirty years. Commissioner Peraica is confident those goals of his to turn that situation [Peraica cited 50% unemployment, 50% school drop out rates, lack of economic opportunity due to high city and county real estate taxes] around should bring him substantial African American support in those communities.

Republican Nominee for Cook County Board President Peraica appears tonight on Chicago Tonight at 7:00 pm [WTTW, Ch. 11] on a panel hosted by Carol Marin [if she can stop sobbing long enough for poor Robert Sorich, who is alleged, among other actions relating to the City of Chicago hiring scandals, to have committed criminal acts in furtherance of a scheme to violate the the Federal Court's Shakman decree. He said the panel would also include County Commissioner Forrest Claypool [D-Chicago] and someone from the “Stroger Camp.”

I asked Peraica if he thought he could get Commissioner Forrest Claypool [D-Chicago] off the fence tonight and have him stop straddling votes and decisions on the John Stroger issue [as Claypool has done since he lost to Stroger in March for the Democratic Nomination for Cook County Board President [53.5% to 46.5%].

Peraica said he would “continue to try,” but he emphasized it is not about Claypool, it is about the 50% [actually, 46.5%] of the Democrats who voted for Claypool. Tony Peraica said, “That’s where my interest is, not on one person, although I have tremendous respect for Forrest.” Cook County Board President candidate Peraica added, “All of those people who voted for Claypool and who support good, honest, open transparent government will have a second chance on Nov. 7 by voting for me.”
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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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Better than Baseball: McSweeney, Giuliani & Thompson on TV

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: And, here’s what Democrats just don’t understand. They don’t get it. George Bush reduced taxes two years ago with the Republican Congress and we’re going through tremendous economic growth. The last president to do that was Ronald Reagan. He did that in 1981-- we had tremendous economic growth. The president [to cut taxes] before that was John Kennedy, and we had tremendous growth.
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Rudy Giuliani: And, Dave McSweeney’s election, although it’s real important to the people here in Illinois...it’s [also] real important to all of us, too. Because--I don’t know how close this election is going to be—and to pick up a seat, here, is enormously important to us... It’s also important to the war on terror. Because the thing President Bush and the Republicans in Congress understand is-- you have to be on the offense against terrorism. You can’t be on defense. Up until September, really up until September 20th, 2001, we were on defense against terrorism...
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"Public Affairs," is featuring this week in 35 Chicago Metro suburbs a video of a Fundraiser that David McSweeney, 8th Cong. Dist. Republican Nominee from Barrington Hills, held on June 7 with his guest speaker, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, followed by a short interview with former four term Governor Jim Thompson[See, below, for a detailed suburban airing schedule] on Comcast Cable; this coming Monday night [July 3] through-out the City of Chicago on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21 at 8:30 pm; And, by this weekend, on the "Public Affairs," podcast page on your computer [See here].
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For more about this week's show with 8th CD Republican candidate David McSweeney, potential Republican Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani and former Republican Governor Jim Thompson , including additional partial transcripts of the show, go here and here.
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The "Public Affairs," podcast page gives you a choice of more than twenty different and recent episodes of “Public Affairs," in addition to a show with Deputy Governor Bradley Tusk, this week's suburban Public Affairs show with McSweeney, Giuliani and Gov. Thompson--and our show with State Rep. John Fritchey [D-Chicago] each of which is expected to be posted by this weekend on our video and audio podcast page[See here]. The podcast page also includes a one on one interview with 8th Cong. Dist. Republican Nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills], press conferences held recently with Governor Rod Blagojevich and his Republican Challenger, State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, State Rep. Julie Hamos [D-Evanston], a show with Republican Presidential candidate John Cox, a show with Kevin White, the Republican nominee for the 5th Cong. Dist. seat currently held by Cong. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago), Professor Barry Chiswick, Distinguished Professor of Economics, University of Illinois at Chicago and Professor Hoyt Bleakley, Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business discuss and debate immigration, Mayoral Candidate Bill Dock Walls, State Senate Republican Nominee [27th Dist.] Matt Murphy; a recent joint press conference with Senator Obama [D-Illinois] and Congresswoman Bean [D-Barrington] dealing with, among other issues, Iran, Iraq, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and tax cuts, Senator and Republican nominee for State Treasurer Christine Radogno, the Republican nominee and Democratic incumbent in the 8th CD, David McSweeney and Congresswoman Bean, respectively; Tony Peraica, Cook County Commissioner and Republican nominee for Cook County Board President and much, much more.
[See here].
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Current and Coming attractions on Public Affairs in the suburbs:

This Week: full coverage of the McSweeney funder featuring Mayor Rudy Giuliani at Mike Ditka’s restaurant in the Loop and a short interview with Governor Jim Thompson

Next week: Deputy Governor Bradley Tusk

Two Weeks from now: Ald. Ricardo Munoz [Chicago, 22nd Ward], possible 4th CD Democratic Primary candidate to replace Cong. Gutierrez in 2008.
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Mayor Rudy Giuliani: …We have a country to get through the next two and one half years and it is going to make a very, very big difference if there is a Republican Congress or a Democratic Congress. And, it is going to make a very big difference to our economic recovery. At the core of our economy growing are the policies of the Republican Congress to lower taxes. They just voted to extend those tax cuts. Democrats mostly voted against it. Republicans voted for it.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: The minute they [Democrats] get control of Congress or the White House, taxes will go up again. And, the last time they went up very severely, we had a Democratic president, Bill Clinton. You know if we end up with another Democratic president or a Democratic Congress, or a combination of both, taxes will go up.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: And, here’s what Democrats just don’t understand. They don’t get it. George Bush reduced taxes two years ago with the Republican Congress and we’re going through tremendous economic growth. The last president to do that was Ronald Reagan. He did that in 1981-- we had tremendous economic growth. The president [to cut taxes] before that was John Kennedy, and we had tremendous growth.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: The reality is that for our economy to grow, you have to keep taxes at a fairly moderate level, so the private economy can grow, because we’re essentially a private economy, not a government-dominated economy. Republicans understand that and Democrats don’t.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: And, Dave’s election, although it’s real important to the people here in Illinois, obviously, because your district needs very, very good, strong representation, it’s real important to all of us, too. Because--I don’t know how close this election is going to be—and to pick up a seat, here, is enormously important to us. So, thank you for supporting him.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: It’s also important to the war on terror. Because the thing President Bush and the Republicans in Congress understand is-- you have to be on the offense against terrorism. You can’t be on defense. [Lots of applause]. Up until September, really up until September 20th, 2001, we were on defense against terrorism. Basically, the way we responded to terrorism was--sometimes we did, sometimes we didn’t and it was an inconsistent approach to it. We let them sort of set the agenda. They would attack, and sometimes we would respond, sometimes we wouldn’t.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: For years we let Europe deal with terrorism, and Europe dealt with terrorism very often by releasing terrorists. Starting with the attack on us, the worst attack in our history, President Bush, within a few days, changed the policy of our government-- with the strong support of all of Congress, then. Now, just with the support, basically, of the Republicans in Congress.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: But, [President Bush] changed our policy to being on—being on offense against terrorism, being pro-active, going out and searching for them, and trying to stop them before they attack us again. That’s what we did in Afghanistan. That’s what we did in Iraq. That’s what we’re continuing to do in trying to put governments together—in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: The fact that we were willing to do that is the reason why Qaddafi decided to give up his weapons of mass destruction. That would not have happened if we were back in that old phase of being just defensive about terrorism. Qaddafi saw what we did in Afghanistan. He saw what we did in Iraq. He saw our hundred and fifty thousand troops sitting there. He saw what happened to Saddam Hussein-- being driven into the ground. And, decided, “Gee, there’s a better way to end my life than that.”

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: You need—you need that kind of commitment if we’re going to be successful against in our effort against terrorism. If we’re going to be successful not just militarily, but we are going to be successful diplomatically. Iran needs to know that America is a strong military power and that America is not unwilling to use that military power.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: It doesn’t mean we will. It doesn’t mean that we don’t prefer to negotiate. It doesn’t mean we don’t prefer to try to work out a solution, and, in most cases, we can. And, I’m hopeful that we will be able to do that in Iran. I’m hopeful we will be able to do it in North Korea. I’m hopeful we’ll be able to do it in other places where we have challenges. But, what we found is that we’re much more successful in those efforts when we have a President and a Congress that are strong and determined.


Mayor Rudy Giuliani: That’s how Ronald Reagan broke the back the back of Communism. He broke the back of Communism by being strong, by increasing our military spending to the point that Gorbachev used to say that he spent the Soviet Union into oblivion. And, we need a President who understands that and we need a Congress that supports that. And, that’s the difference—that’s the difference between Republicans and Democrats.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: So, you have a really terrific candidate [David McSweeney] here. This is an election that we’re going to win but we’re only going to win it if—if you give him the money that he needs to do it. These are expensive enterprises, unfortunately. You’ve got to be on television, you’ve got to be on radio, you have to have an organization, you have to have an outreach effort, you have to have a get out the vote effort. All of these things cost enormous amounts of money…and you need people who believe in you. And, from the enthusiasm in this room, you’ve got those people, Dave [Big Applause]…We’ll take two or three questions.

David McSweeney: This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Please, speak up.
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Public Affairs, a video of a David McSweeney fundraiser and a short Gov. Thompson interview held on June 7, was supplemented with an introduction and conclusion for the show by host Jeff Berkowitz, recorded on June 18, 2006 and is airing on the Suburban edition of Public Affairs this week [week of June 26] and on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs on Monday night, July 3 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. See, below, for a detailed, regular suburban airing shedule for Public Affairs . The show with Congressional candidate McSweeney, former Mayor Giuliani and former Governor Thompson will also be available, by this weekend, 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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In twenty-five North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the show airs tonight in its regular Tuesday night time slot: 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or 35, as indicated, below.

In ten North Shore suburbs, the show is also airing in its regular airing slot at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 this week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as indicated, below.

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The episode of Public Affairs, featuring 8th Cong. Dist. Republican nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills], former Mayor Giuliani and former Governor Thompson airs tonight:

at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

And at 8:30 pm 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.

and this Wednesday and Friday night at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
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Transcript draft 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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John Fritchey on TV tonight: Running for Mayor ?

"Public Affairs," is featuring State Rep. John Fritchey [D-Chicago], Chairman, House Civil Judiciary Committee, tonight [June 26] through-out the City of Chicago on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21 at 8:30 pm; And, by this weekend, you can watch the Fritchey show on the "Public Affairs," podcast page on your computer [See here].

For a partial transcript of the show with State Rep. John Fritchey, go here.
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The "Public Affairs," podcast page gives you a choice of more than twenty different episodes of “Public Affairs," in addition to the show with State Rep. John Fritchey [D-Chicago] that will be posted by this weekend[See here]. The podcast page also includes 8th Cong. Dist. Republican Nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills], press conferences held recently with Governor Rod Blagojevich and his Republican Challenger, State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, State Rep. Julie Hamos [D-Evanston], a show with Republican Presidential candidate John Cox, a show with Kevin White, the Republican nominee for the 5th Cong. Dist. seat currently held by Cong. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago), Professor Barry Chiswick, Distinguished Professor of Economics, University of Illinois at Chicago and Professor Hoyt Bleakley, Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business discuss and debate immigration, Mayoral Candidate Bill Dock Walls, State Senate Republican Nominee [27th Dist.] Matt Murphy; a recent joint press conference with Senator Obama [D-Illinois] and Congresswoman Bean [D-Barrington] dealing with, among other issues, Iran, Iraq, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and tax cuts, Senator and Republican nominee for State Treasurer Christine Radogno, the Republican nominee and Democratic incumbent in the 8th CD, David McSweeney and Congresswoman Bean, respectively; Tony Peraica, Cook County Commissioner and Republican nominee for Cook County Board President and much, much more.
[See here].
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Coming attractions on Public Affairs in the City of Chicago:

Next Monday night: full coverage of the David McSweeney [8th CD Republican Nominee, Barrington Hills] funder featuring former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani at Mike Ditka’s restaurant in the Loop and an interview with Governor Jim Thompson [This show is airing this week on the suburban edition of "Public Affairs."]

Two weeks from tonight: Bradley Tusk, Deputy Governor to Rod Blagojevich

Three Weeks from tonight: Ald. Ricardo Munoz [Chicago, 22nd Ward], possible 4th CD Democratic Primary candidate to replace Cong. Gutierrez in 2008.
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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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8th CD Scheurer files and claims fraud by Democratic Party

Bill Scheurer, seeking to run on the “Moderate Party,” ticket in the 8th Cong. District, stated this afternoon that he filed petitions today with 13,000 to 15,000 signatures to place him on the ballot on November 7. Scheurer noted that he filed quite a few more signatures than the Democrat first term incumbent in that race, Congresswoman Melissa Bean [D-Barrington, 8th CD], whose total he said was about 3,000 signatures.

Scheurer acknowledged that he may be short of the requisite 13,950 “good signatures,” needed to get on the ballot. Scheurer claims that his campaign had 10,000 to 12,000 signatures fewer than it would have had, if it had not been the victim of criminal fraud. Scheurer is still suspicious of the involvement and connection of one Anthony Constantine, who works in Cong. Dan Lipinski’s office, to the activities that led Scheurer to believe someone using the name of Anthony Constantine would be providing approximately 10,000, or more, signatures to support Scheurer’s candidacy. [See here].

While in Springfield today, Scheurer visited with Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office and the state Board of Elections counsel’s office to complain and discuss issues related to his view that the “Democratic Party committed fraud on democracy.” It is fraud on “the people,” not just fraud on him and his campaign, Scheurer said this afternoon in a phone interview. Scheurer plans to raise similar concerns and issues with the office of the State’s Attorney of Lake County, Mike Waller; and the office of the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Patrick Fitzgerald.

Scheurer has also raised previously the possibility of civil actions and defenses to any legal challenges to his petitions that would include legal arguments of the following nature: (1) estoppel, e.g., the Democratic Party can’t involve itself in improper actions to retard his petitions and then argue the petitions are insufficient and (2) constitutional due process standards are violated by the out-sized requirement of 14,000 signatures for a third party candidate for Congress relative to the requirement of 850, or so, signatures for major party candidates.

Asked this afternoon if he had evidence tying the Democratic Party to his allegations of fraud, Scheurer said, “Yes…but [I] can’t talk about it anymore. I mean, I probably can, from time to time, in the future, as the investigations go forward and I am allowed to-- basically, cleared to-- talk about it, because I definitely want to tell this story. There are more details than I have told you before.”

Scheurer indicated that he would drop his complaints if there were no legal challenges to his petitions because “the benefits of the fraud are no longer being claimed by the people who committed it.”

Asked this afternoon if he thought the Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee [Cong. Rahm Emanuel] or anybody affiliated or working with the Chairman or that Committee is involved in this fraud, Scheurer said, “Well, it [Rahm Emanuel’s organization] is a Democratic Congressional Campaign but my thoughts are really irrelevant at this point; what’s going to be relevant are the facts that come out during the criminal fraud investigation, and we have facts to give to these public servants and they certainly have ways to uncover many other facts…like I said, we believe the Democratic Party has committed fraud on democracy.”

The 8th Cong. Dist. is generally assessed by knowledgeable pols and pundits as within the Top 20 competitive races in the country. Bean’s Republican challenger is investment banker David McSweeney, who won a six candidate primary in March, with 42% of the vote. [See generally, here].

McSweeney’s May, 2006 financial disclosure form indicates he has assets totaling approximately two to eight million dollars. High net worth individuals often have trouble raising funds, with potential donors wondering why they should help finance a campaign, if the candidate can do so himself. However, candidate McSweeney managed to raise about a half million dollars during the primary and contributed about two million dollars of his own wealth to the primary effort, but virtually all of that 2.5 million dollars was spent on winning that race.

In an effort to demonstrate his fundraising ability and thus persuade donors over the next four months to hop on the bandwagon, McSweeney, like most competitive candidates, has been trying to get his numbers up for the second quarter, which pundits and donors will look at when the reports are disclosed on July 15. Vice-President Dick Cheney was featured in a McSweeney fundraiser on Friday at the Hilton Towers that had about 300 supporters in attendance and raised more than $200,000, and that followed a funder earlier this month that featured Rudy Giuliani at Mike Ditka’s Restaurant—with that event pulling in about $70,000.

Yesterday Speaker Hastert was featured in another big name funder for candidate McSweeney at a private home in Barrington Hills. The event pulled in about 150 supporters and raised another 75K, or so. Starting things off in July for McSweeney will be House Majority Leader John Boehner [R-Westchester, OH] , who will be featured at an evening event in Schaumburg [Wingate Inn] on July 6.

Democrat Bean, although not possessing quite the net worth as her opponent, has been very busy raising funds both before and since she was elected, and it is expected her July report will reveal cash on hand for the Barrington Congresswoman of more than two million dollars, and counting. Extremely popular U. S. Senator and potential ‘08 Presidential candidate Barack Obama has held several funders for Bean-- and the 8th CD is a race that Congressman and DCCC chairman Rahm Emanuel keeps a close eye on, along with the open seat in the neighboring 6th CD, and perhaps twenty-five others.

If Moderate Party, anti-War, anti-Bush tax cut Bill Scheurer does manage to get on the ballot, he will probably be lucky to have 50K to 100K available to spend on his campaign. So, the Scheurer campaign will definitely be “no frills,” relative to Bean and McSweeney.

The 8th CD was won by President Bush 56 %-44% in 2004, held by Republican Cong. Phil Crane for 35 years until he ran into Melissa Bean and it is still thought to be an oasis of Red in the predominantly Blue upstate Illinois. About half of the likely voters in the District are in west Lake County, 35% in suburban northwest Cook County and 15% in relatively rural McHenry County.
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Dirty tricks against Bill Scheurer's campaign in 8th CD?

On Wednesday night, while not being specific on the numbers, Bill Scheurer was singing a tune of much more confidence than Thursday night, implying to me he would have the requisite 14,000 signatures to get on the ballot as an independent party candidate in the 8th CD. [See here] Thursday night? A very different tune. Scheurer now told me he realized early this week that he had been a victim of a scam, sting or dirty tricks. He just was not ready to go public with that statement on Wednesday night, as he was still fact gathering.

Scheurer said someone came to him, about a month ago, offering to help with the petition signature process. The person said his name was Anthony R. Constantine and he claimed to head A R Consulting, giving Bill a business card with that information on it. For a certain sum of money, he said he would obtain 8,000 to 10, 000 signatures to help get Scheurer on the ballot.

Scheurer was counting on the signatures from AR, but learned earlier this week he would get none, with vague, peculiar stories about health problems, etc. He also learned that one Anthony Constantine works in the legislative office of Cong. Dan Lipinski, and Constantine has a company named A R Consulting, but Constantine told Scheurer earlier this week that he did not meet with Scheurer previously and he is not the person who Scheurer met with and spoke with over the last month, and who committed to the 8,000 to 10,000 signatures to support placing Scheurer on the ballot in the 8th CD race.

Scheurer estimated he has about 9,000 signatures now and he would like to get 6,000 more in the next three days to get some buffer over and above the requisite 13, 950. He said he will be soliciting unions and progressive activist groups throughout the country to check his website for contact information [See here]—and then to travel to the 8th CD to help him collect the signatures this weekend. 2000 signatures per day, that’s a demanding workload.

Scam, Sting, Sabotage or identity theft. Scheurer is not sure what is happening here. But he wants an investigation and he will start, tomorrow, with the IG in the Secretary of State’s office. As to Cong. Bill and Cong. Dan Lipinski, they sure do seem to have a lot of coincidences: Cong. Bill happens to decide not to run in 2004 after the primary. Cong. Dan was ready, willing and able to take his father’s place on the ballot. And, there happened to be a plant as a Republican placeholder, so no true Republican candidate could be appointed to run against Cong. Dan Lipinski in November, 2004. Imagine that.

And, in March, 2006 Democratic Primary, in comes a plant during the primary election to drain votes from the opponent of Cong. Dan Lipinski. Now, somehow, someone in Cong. Lipinski’s office is alleged to be tied into this mess. Chicago political techniques exported to the 8th CD? Who says Democrats don’t like free trade?

Does Bill Scheurer think Cong. Bean [D-Barrington, 8th CD] is connected to any of this? Bill Scheurer says that he hears from the media that Bean’s staff have been frantically trying to kill stories about his third party campaign and asserting that there would be no third party candidate. Scheurer asks how would they know where his petition drive stood. He said his campaign does not even tell his staff where it stands. Scheurer says that his Republican opponent to be, David McSweeney [Barrington Hills] has said he would not support a challenge to Scheurer's signature petitions and he has said he would urge his supporters and others to do likewise. Scheurer thinks Cong. Bean should make a similar statement to that of McSweeney's. Stay tuned. This story may have legs.
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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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Ponce v. Berkowitz: Who interviewed Dock Walls better?

Congrats to WTTW: filling the public policy void in the media by bringing you more sports. What next for Public TV in Chicago? World class poker? Your pledge dollars at work. Ante up, donors.
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On April 30, 2006, Jeff Berkowitz, host and producer of “Public Affairs,” interviewed Bill Dock Walls, who is the only publicly announced challenger to Mayor Daley in the February, 2007 City of Chicago election. Chicago Tonight’s Managing Editor and host, Phil Ponce, gave it a shot tonight, and you can watch his interview when Chicago Tonight is re-run at midnight, 1:30 am and 4:30 am on WTTW, Ch. 11 in the Chicago Metro area.

To compare and contrast, you can watch the Public Affairs interview with Dock Walls on your computer [by going here], and scrolling to the April 30, 2006 show with Mayoral candidate Walls on our podcast page.

Of course, when you tune in WTTW tonight to watch Dock Walls and learn more about his run for Mayor, you’ll have to wait twenty minutes, or so, because, somewhat ironically, the lead items for tonight’s Chicago Tonight are news of the current Mayor’s effort to snag the 2016 Olympics for Chicago and then the latest on prostate cancer treatment.

There was a time on Chicago Tonight when hard public policy news and analysis came first, but no more. Indeed, on May 23, 2006, when all eyes and ears were interested in when, where and how did the Governor break the news of his education funding program that had persuaded Rev. Meeks not to run against Governor Blagojevich, Chicago Tonight took the night off and ran off the court, so to speak.

If you tuned in for Public Policy that night looking for analysis of the Governor's education funding plan, instead you got Women’s Professional Basketball [Chicago Sky, Tonight, that is]. This would be why we have Public TV? To fill the gap in commercial sports coverage? Who would have thunk it. WTTW’s management, such as it is, that's who.

Chicago Tribune columnist and fellow blogger Eric Zorn once was worried about the direction of Chicago Tonight. But, then he wrote, about a year ago, not to worry. Zorn was convinced that Chicago Tonight was still the place to turn when you wanted to learn what had happened during the day involving public policy. Well, not on May 23, 2006. Not unless you think Chicago Sky basketball is the public policy event of the day.

Then last Thursday night-- yet another substitution on WTTW of women’s basketball for public policy. And, nobody seemed to notice. Further, WTTW is scheduled to substitute Basketball for Chicago Tonight about two nights per month for May-August, 2006. Well, maybe Lincoln was wrong: You can fool all the people all the time. Or, at least the 30,000 to 40,000 viewers who might have taken the pledge to watch Chicago Tonight. Congrats, WTTW, filling the public policy void in the media by bringing you more sports. What next for Public TV in Chicago? World class poker? Your pledge dollars at work. Ante up, donors.

Talking about your pledge dollars, during the last WTTW pledge drive, Chicago Week in Review host Joel Weisman, who doubles as an agent for various media personalities [new and old], including some of the guests booked for his show and John Callaway, the man who made Chicago Tonight famous for his serious interviews before the show was turned into a food, health, gadget and sports features magazine format, sat across from each other talking about how great and noble WTTW is, realitive to the barbarians in commercial TV. Do they really think that?

If so, somehow Weisman and Callaway neglected to discuss the noble effort to replace Chicago Tonight, from time to time, with basketball. Or, to replace public policy discussions with a roundable on the Bulls coach. Or, to replace interviews of serious public policy decision makers and analysts with interviews of entertainers and sports figures. All unintentional oversights, I am sure. Perhaps a budding, young, not so noble, commercial, investigative reporter will do a story on this-- assuming that up and comer has no conflicts with anyone at WTTW, that is.
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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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8th CD is now “Leaning Republican Takeover," says Evans-Novak

Revised slightly on Thursday at 5:00 pm.

Evans Novak, in its political report for last week, assessed the damage to Cong. Melissa Bean’s [D-Barrington, 8th CD] campaign of the decision of Change to Win and AFL-CIO unions not to endorse her. Of course, this decision is all about Cong. Bean’s vote for the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and about the unions' difference of opinion with Cong. Bean as to what commitments she had made to the unions regarding her vote on NAFTA and CAFTA type agreements.The Congresswoman has defended her vote in support of CAFTA as good for her district and she has argued that CAFTA possesses the kind of safeguards that she requires to support such trade agreements [See here].

The Evans-Novak report opines that because “unions provided much of the muscle that helped Bean oust Rep. Phil Crane (R) from this heavily Republican district in 2004,” Bean is now in a very difficult position. The political report argues that although the unions will not back McSweeney, they may back a third-party candidate, Bill Scheurer, which Evans-Novak thinks would be “devastating for Bean.”

Scheurer, a generally far left, pro-union, anti-Iraq war, anti-Afghanistan war, anti-free trade [although he disagreed with that characterization of his trade views when we spoke on Wednesday evening], pro-balanced budget candidate [See here] has to survive his first hurdle, which is getting and filing more than 13,950 “good signatures,” by this Monday so that he can get his name on the ballot as the “Moderate Party’s,” 8th CD candidate. Scheurer didn’t want to say, last night, how many signatures he planned to file, nor would he say how many signatures he needed to survive what I view as a likely challenge from the Bean campaign. Scheurer said he is not sure Cong. Bean will file a challenge to his petition. Although, pragmatic politics would suggest a supporter of hers will.

Scheurer is a smart, thoughtful, articulate proud father of four grown children. He has been married to the same woman, an artist, for the last 35 years, with the last 27 spent in the 8th CD, in Lindenhurst in Lake County. Scheurer told me, last night, he got about 23 % of the vote in the Democratic Primary against Melissa Bean in 2004, and he claims he did no campaigning in that race. Moreover, Scheurer argues that running as an independent against Cong. Bean and David McSweeney, he will do much better than he did in the primary because the Democrats voting in the general election will be much more diverse than they were in the primary and Scheurer also will have much greater access to Independents and Republicans in the general election. Scheurer disputes the notion that he will pull votes primarily from Democrats.

Although I have placed some labels on Scheurer, he doesn’t much like labeling himself and he is a bit more nuanced than the labels suggest. For example, some have labeled him Pro-Life, but his views don’t fit that position as commonly defined in politics. He views life as sacred, whether the issue be the War, Capital Punishment or Abortion. As to abortion, though, he would like the issue to be returned to the state legislatures and he would urge them to make abortion illegal, with extenuating circumstances, e.g., life of the mother, health of the mother, rape, incest and perhaps other exceptions. Scheurer might be willing to narrow the health of the mother exception, but not by enough to satisfy most pro-lifers.

So, what would an Scheurer entry in 8th CD mean? I don’t know about “devastating,” for Bean as Evans Novak asserts, but Bean won by only 4 points or 9,000 votes when she took the District from Republicans and term limited 35 year incumbent Phil Crane in 2004. A little late, some Republicans would argue; Indeed Cook County GOP Chairman Gary Skoien, retired U. S. Senator and McSweeney booster Peter Fitzgerald and McSweeney, himself, tried to knock out Crane in the 90s.

The election could be close enough for even a point or two by Scheurer to tilt the election to David McSweeney, who characterizes himself as an “independent conservative,” running in a district that went 56-44 for Bush in 2004, but gave Senator Obama a good majority over Alan Keyes, as did most of Illinois, with Senator Obama winning that race, 70% to 27% statewide. .

The Evans Novak report concludes that the 8th CD is now “Leaning Republican Takeover.” However the Report notes that some top Republicans remain skeptical. Very likely those could be the Country Club Republicans in the U. S. Chamber of Commerce who are likely to roll out their endorsement of Congresswoman Bean fairly soon. This will be based, no doubt, on their assessment that Congresswoman Bean has voted their way more than 70% of the time, including the CAFTA vote, and their strong desire to reward Dems, e.g., the CAFTA House 15, who go the Chamber of Commerce way from time to time.

The Chamber’s critics would argue that McSweeney is likely to be with them 90% to 95% of the time and he would be voting for Speaker Hastert, as opposed to Speaker Pelosi.

The Chamber’s response? We’re Country Club Republicans, we don’t have to give a response.
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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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John Fritchey: Getting closer to supporting Topinka and Vouchers?

"Public Affairs," is featuring State Rep. John Fritchey [D-Chicago], Chairman, House Civil Judiciary Committee,this week in 35 Chicago Metro suburbs [See, below, for a detailed suburban airing schedule] on Comcast Cable; this coming Monday night [June 26] through-out the City of Chicago on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21 at 8:30 pm; And, by this weekend, on the "Public Affairs," podcast page on your computer [See here].
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The "Public Affairs," podcast page gives you a choice of more than twenty different episodes of “Public Affairs," in addition to the show with State Rep. John Fritchey [D-Chicago] that will be posted by this weekend[See here]. The podcast page also includes 8th Cong. Dist. Republican Nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills], press conferences held recently with Governor Rod Blagojevich and his Republican Challenger, State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, State Rep. Julie Hamos [D-Evanston], a show with Republican Presidential candidate John Cox, a show with Kevin White, the Republican nominee for the 5th Cong. Dist. seat currently held by Cong. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago), Professor Barry Chiswick, Distinguished Professor of Economics, University of Illinois at Chicago and Professor Hoyt Bleakley, Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business discuss and debate immigration, Mayoral Candidate Bill Dock Walls, State Senate Republican Nominee [27th Dist.] Matt Murphy; a recent joint press conference with Senator Obama [D-Illinois] and Congresswoman Bean [D-Barrington] dealing with, among other issues, Iran, Iraq, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and tax cuts, Senator and Republican nominee for State Treasurer Christine Radogno, the Republican nominee and Democratic incumbent in the 8th CD, David McSweeney and Congresswoman Bean, respectively; Tony Peraica, Cook County Commissioner and Republican nominee for Cook County Board President and much, much more.
[See here].
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Coming attractions on Public Affairs in the suburbs:

Next Week: full coverage of the McSweeney funder featuring Mayor Rudy Giuliani at Mike Ditka’s restaurant in the Loop and an interview with Governor Jim Thompson

Two weeks from now: Deputy Governor Bradley Tusk

Three Weeks from now: Ald. Ricardo Munoz [Chicago, 22nd Ward], possible 4th CD Democratic Primary candidate to replace Cong. Gutierrez in 2008.
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State Rep. John Fritchey: And he [Governor Blagojevich] filed this [McCain –Feingold type caps on the amount of money individuals, unions and corporations can contribute to political candidates] a couple of weeks before we adjourned in 2005 and no steps have been taken to move that bill. If you are going to file it, mean it. And, if you mean it, try to move it. All Kids was filed, passed and signed in about two weeks.

Jeff Berkowitz: You support All Kids?

State Rep. John Fritchey: I support the concept of access to quality healthcare. As far as how we pay for it—listen, there are a lot of things that we can put on our wish list. And, I actually agree with Judy Baar Topinka on this one. We’ve got to be able to pay for these things. Whether it’s healthcare, whether it’s education, we could propose everything under the sun. We have a responsibility to be able to prudently pay for these programs.

Jeff Berkowitz: Do you agree with Judy Baar Topinka that this [All Kids] should be means-tested? You shouldn’t have All Kids health insurance, basically unlimited, going to anybody with as high an income as can be?

State Rep. John Fritchey: What we need to focus on first and foremost is a responsible means of taking the people that are falling through the safety net and getting them covered. We need to cover the children. We need to cover their parents. We need to get their parents back into the workforce. But, that doesn’t mean that a family making a hundred and twenty five thousand dollars a year should be able to drain these resources.

Jeff Berkowitz: So you agree with Judy. You agree with Judy on universal pre-school? Same thing, it should be means-tested? Shouldn’t be available to everyone, no matter how high their income?

State Rep. John Fritchey: I think that not only do I agree with Judy, I think that the public agrees with that. And the public’s comfortable with that level as well.

Jeff Berkowitz: Do you agree with Judy that this idea of selling—or leasing the lottery—as a way of getting a large [up front] payment, say ten billion dollars [is not good policy]? Use four billion dollars for the next four years [on supplemental education funding from the state]. Also, buy an annuity [for six billion dollars], so over next twenty years [education] continues to get similar payments [650 million dollars per year]... as it gets ... from the lottery [now]. And, then twenty years from now, the whole thing’s over, and you got nothing [in terms of additional supplemental education funding]. So, Judy says that’s the wrong way. She doesn’t agree with leasing the lottery. You agree with Judy Baar Topinka?

State Rep. John Fritchey: I prefer to say maybe Judy agrees with me.

Jeff Berkowitz: All right. So, you agree with Judy on all these things. Are you voting for Judy Baar Topinka?

State Rep. John Fritchey: I’m not voting for Judy Baar Topinka.

Jeff Berkowitz: You supporting Judy Baar Topinka?

State Rep. John Fritchey: I’m taking no position right now.

Jeff Berkowitz: So right now, you’re supporting neither Rod nor Judy. You’re in between, right?

State Rep. John Fritchey: The discussion right now is the issue of these programs. I think that the concept of selling or leasing off the lottery to get us out of our educational bind is a short-sighted and misguided one. I don’t believe that it has a long term fix in place. And, furthermore, it doesn’t deal with the two critical questions: How we fund schools in general? And, our over-reliance on property taxes.

Jeff Berkowitz: How should we fund schools? …

State Rep. John Fritchey: …We trail the country in funding and equity between school districts.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, how should we be funding schools? What should we change?

State Rep. John Fritchey: Jeff, in the past I have openly advocated, and I was one of the sponsors, with Senator Meeks, of a tax swap bill. As I’ve told you, and as I’ve said publicly, numerous times, whether it’s via a tax swap or another mechanism, we have to change the over reliance on property taxes. We have to get the state’s percentage of education funding from the mid thirties back up to around fifty percent, where it should be. If there is another means of doing that, other than raising the income tax, I am open to it. But, the debate on this issue—I’m forty-two years old—the debate on this issue is almost as old as I am. And nobody’s come up with a better idea.

Jeff Berkowitz: But the, now the, tax swap—House Bill 750, at least one form of it, —would have raised the income tax, to five percent from three percent. Some characterize that as a two thirds increase.

State Rep. John Fritchey: Yeah, depending on what side you’re on.

Jeff Berkowitz: And it would have lowered property taxes, or endeavored to try to do so. But, there would have been, some say, a massive increase in taxes in general, of three to four billion dollars in Illinois. Two billion or so would go to education. Two would go elsewhere. Would you come out and tell the taxpayers of Illinois, in your district and elsewhere, that you favor a tax increase of three to four billion dollars?

State Rep. John Fritchey[D-Chicago]: My constituents will tell you that I have steadfastly, repeatedly spoke on this issue, supporting some variant of this concept. What we need to deal with right now are two things. We need to get the state’s share of education funding up. And, we also have to deal with the massive pension obligations that are going to be hanging out there. So, [at] some point in line, the structural deficit that our expenditures are outstripping our revenues is going to have to be dealt with. Politicians are very quick to put their head in the sand and think in terms of election cycles.

Jeff Berkowitz: Okay.

State Rep. John Fritchey: This is not a two year or four year fix.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, [education funding is] another area in which you would agree with Judy Baar Topinka over Rod Blagojevich, because he’s taken a pledge, which he’s renewed for the next term, not to increase the sales tax, not to increase the income tax.

State Rep. John Fritchey: Is Judy supporting an income tax [increase] now?


Jeff Berkowitz: She said she’s going to have to take a look. She’s not going to pledge that she won’t raise taxes. She doesn’t want to raise taxes. But,
that’s really closer to your view. Or, you’re saying taxes have to go up. If she were to say that, might you support Judy Baar Topinka?

State Rep. John Fritchey: That would go a long way. If there were a commitment that this was going to be a primary focus of the next administration, it would go a long way. I’m saddened that the Governor took the pledge again. I don’t think he needed to. I don’t think it was prudent. We really need to keep our options open. There are tough times ahead of us.

Jeff Berkowitz: All right. We’re going to continue to speak as the credits roll, but I very much want to thank our guest, State Representative John Fritchey, who is a Democrat from Chicago. He’s in the 11th district. His sister state representative would be Sara Feigenholtz. His state senator-

State Rep. John Fritchey [D-Chicago] : John Cullerton.

Jeff Berkowitz: John Cullerton. John [Fritchey], of course, will continue to be rumored as running for Mayor [of Chicago] and Governor and God knows a number of other offices-

State Rep. John Fritchey: [laughs]

Jeff Berkowitz: And some day, John, when you’re running for any of those offices, you’ll continue to come back as you have-

State Rep. John Fritchey: At this point, I may owe you to make the announcement on this show.

Jeff Berkowitz: Absolutely. We very much want to thank State Rep John Fritchey for coming here. Seriously, John, thanks so much.

State Rep. John Fritchey: Jeff, it’s been a pleasure, as always. Thank you.

Jeff Berkowitz: Let’s finish off on education, here. We had hoped to get to real estate tax assessments, but you’ll come back and talk about assessments?

State Rep. John Fritchey: Acquisition-based assessments.

Jeff Berkowitz: You want to cap those assessments more. You want to keep the assessments down, right.

State Rep. John Fritchey: We have to give predictability to people, to businesses, to homeowners. In my area, my own property taxes have gone up five fold in nine years.

Jeff Berkowitz: Back to education, quickly. You’d like reform. You’d like to see competition. You might support school vouchers, school choice?

State Rep. John Fritchey: I’m getting closer to looking at it with every passing year, Jeff.

Jeff Berkowitz: Seriously?

State Rep. John Fritchey: I kid you not. It’s got to the point now.

Jeff Berkowitz: Give kids choice, right?

State Rep. John Fritchey: Hmm?

Jeff Berkowitz: Give parents choice?

State Rep. John Fritchey: In some form, we have to figure out—we have a system that if nobody’s going to work to fix it, maybe we need to change it.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, maybe you’d be the person to be the entrepreneur to come to the city of Chicago and say you favor school vouchers, school choice. Let them choose. Let the parents choose. Competition. Innovation.

State Rep. John Fritchey: We’ve had great innovation with the charter schools program, with our magnet schools. The 2010 program—I think the jury is still out. But, whether the issue is vouchers or choice, I think everything should be on the table. And, then decide through those choices what the best … But, in short, whether it is a no tax pledge or ruling any potential idea off the table, out of hand, is short sighted and it is maybe more for political gain than policy furtherance.
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Public Affairs, State Rep. John Fritchey [D-Chicago] was recorded on June 11, 2006 and is airing on the Suburban edition of Public Affairs this week [week of June 19] and on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs on Monday night, June 26 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. See, below, for a detailed, regular suburban airing schedule for Public Affairs . The show with John Fritchey will also be available, by this weekend, 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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In twenty-five North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the show airs tonight in its regular Tuesday night time slot: 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or 35, as indicated, below.

In ten North Shore suburbs, the show is also airing in its regular airing slot at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 this week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as indicated, below.

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The episode of Public Affairs, featuring State Rep. John Fritchey [D-Chicago] airs tonight:

at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

And at 8:30 pm 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.

and this Wednesday and Friday night at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
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Transcript draft 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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Better than NBA play-offs: David McSweeney on TV

David McSweeney[8th CD Republican Nominee]:...Melissa Bean has taken four stands on immigration. She is for an enforcement bill. She voted to kill it. She voted against an effort to reduce the penalties in the bill from a felony to a misdemeanor. And, recently, she came out in favor of amnesty for people who are in this country illegally. I oppose that.
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Tonight, the city of Chicago edition of “Public Affairs,” features 8th Cong. Dist. Republican Nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills]. The show airs throughout the City of Chicago on Cable Ch. 21 at 8:30 pm. And, later this week, you can watch the show on the "Public Affairs," podcast page on your computer [See here]. For more about our show with McSweeney, including a partial transcript, go here.
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Another partial transcript of the show is included, below.
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Jeff Berkowitz: Mr. McSweeney has been giving us almost quarterly reports. During the primary, he was on our show five times. We want to thank you for coming on. This is your second time, now, [since] running in the general election. Congresswoman Bean [D-Barrington, 8th CD] came on in August of 2004 when she was running against [then Congressman] Phil Crane [R]. We appreciate that. And, she came on in January of this year. And, we hope to see more of her on this show. We’ve invited her certainly both in her individual capacity and also to debate and discuss the issues with Dave McSweeney. And, you’re amenable to that?

David McSweeney: Absolutely, it is very important. The reason I am here today is because I think that the people of this district deserve to know where I stand on the issues [and] they deserve to know where Melissa Bean stands on the issues. She’s taken multiple stands on the issues. And, she is using her taxpayer advantage through her staff, through her automated calls through the mailings [from her congressional office] to run her campaign as opposed to coming out and discussing these issues. I’ve challenged her to twenty-four debates, one in each of the townships in the Eighth Cong. district and she has not responded. She has to come out and explain why she has taken multiple positions on the issues, why she supports [House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi, the radical liberal from California, as Speaker of the House and she needs to come out and discuss the issues that are so important to people here in the district. Gas prices, immigration, taxes, spending in Washington. I’ve always willing to discuss those issues and Melissa Bean has got to stop hiding. She ran against [Congressman] Phil Crane in 2004 and said he was “out of touch.” Melissa Bean is out of touch. She doesn’t live in the district at this point. She still lives in [Cong.] Mark Kirk’s district [the tenth, which covers the north and northeast Cook County suburbs and east Lake County suburbs].

Jeff Berkowitz: She has said that there is plenty of time to do debates and that she’s focusing on the people’s business in her district. She’s said they’re basically scheduling five day a week sessions in Congress now, and so she needs the weekends to meet with her constituents and meet with people in her district. She’s telling us come August, when the scheduled recess-- then we’re anticipating she’ll be coming on the show and meeting with you. Is that good enough?

David McSweeney: Anybody can go to the United States House of Representatives web site and look at the congressional calendar. Congress has met the least amount of times this session than it has since 1948. There’s plenty of time. Look at the schedule. Saturdays, Sundays, most Mondays are available, the whole month of August. A good part of September and most of the month of October. She could be here today. We’re sitting and taping this show on a Sunday afternoon. There’s no reason Melissa Bean cannot be discussing issues [here] with people in this district.

Jeff Berkowitz: Now, if it were flipped. If you won this election and you were running in 2008 and you had a Democratic opponent who was challenging you to twenty four debates in twenty four townships, are you taking a pledge that you would do that? Twenty four debates in twenty four townships.

David McSweeney: Absolutely, I’m not a hypocrite.

Jeff Berkowitz: You would do that in 2008?

David McSweeney: Absolutely, I think it’s important that the people of this district find out where I stand and where Melissa Bean stands on these important issues. She cannot rely on taxpayer dollars to fund her campaign, or rely on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, [Congressman] Rahm Emanuel and his attack machine. She needs to come forward and defend her record. She needs to tell people where she stands. I have been very clear about that for over a year.

Jeff Berkowitz: …I think most people characterize her, or many do, as a moderate Democrat, and I think you characterize yourself as an independent Republican, right?

David McSweeney: I am an independent conservative [Republican]. Melissa Bean has voted with the liberals in Congress eighty three percent of the time. She’s taken a few stands where she votes with Republicans. For example, on immigration reform, she voted to kill the bill a few minutes before. Melissa Bean has taken four stands on immigration. She is for an enforcement bill. She voted to kill it. She voted against an effort to reduce the penalties in the bill from a felony to a misdemeanor. And, recently, she came out in favor of amnesty for people who are in this country illegally. I oppose that.
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Public Affairs, with 8th Cong. Dist. Republican nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills], was recorded on June 4, 2006 and is airing on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs tonight, June 19 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. . The show with 8th CD Republican Nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills] will also be available, by this weekend, 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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Transcript draft 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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Gov. Jim Thompson on Topinka, Blagojevich, Giuliani and McCain

To listen to a complete, unedited interview with former Governor Jim Thompson, conducted by Jeff Berkowitz, “Public Affairs,” show host and Illinois Channel contributing correspondent, please go to the Illinois Channel home page and click on the picture of Governor Thompson. A partial transcript of the interview is included, below:
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Jeff Berkowitz: Governor Thompson, what do you think about the [Governor’s] race. We’re standing here [outside Mike Ditka’s restaurant in the Chicago Loop] on June 7, 2006, five months away, or so, from the fall election pitting [State Treasurer] Judy Baar Topinka [R] against Governor Rod Blagojevich [D]. How do you handicap that race, now?

Jim Thompson: I think it is going to be a very close race right down to the end. Either candidate can win and it is all going to depend on what happens between now and then: what the standing of the President is, what the standing of the Governor is-- it’s a horse race.

Berkowitz: What’s your role in this race?

Jim Thompson (smiling]: I don’t have any role in this race.

Berkowitz: Well, you know, you are a former Governor [1977-1991], a former leader of the [State] Republican Party—

Jim Thompson: Yeah, but I don’t have any role in this race.

Berkowitz: Well, do you feel torn because—

Jim Thompson: [smiling some more]: I’m just a citizen.

Berkowitz: But, because your [law] firm, Winston & Strawn, is doing work—

Jim Thompson: Yeah.

Berkowitz: For [Democratic] Governor Rod Blagojevich—

Jim Thompson: Right.

Berkowitz: Do you still feel you can say you are a Republican pulling for Judy Baar Topinka?

Jim Thompson: [Go here and click picture of Thompson for the answer]

Berkowitz: What do you see as the major issue as we come down to it? I know there are a lot of things that can happen nationally, but in terms of the state of Illinois, do you see a major issue between Judy Baar Topinka and Rod Blagojevich?

Jim Thompson: [Go here and click picture of Thompson for the answer]
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Jeff Berkowitz: What do you think of the Governor’s proposal regarding leasing of the lottery [to supplement the current funding of education], a long-term lease? [See here].

Jim Thompson: [Go here and click picture of Thompson for the answer]
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Berkowitz: One quick thing … on national issues since I assume you were here for the fundraiser for Dave McSweeney—

Jim Thompson: Right.

Berkowitz: [Former New York City Mayor] Rudy Giuliani was speaking [at the fundraiser]—
Jim Thompson: Right.

Berkowitz: What do you think about Rudy Giuliani as a presidential candidate for the Republican ticket?

Jim Thompson: Well, I think Rudy Giuliani would be a very strong presidential candidate. He’s a favorite of mine. [Senator] John McCain is a favorite of mine. I don’t know…[See here for Giuliani on McCain]

Berkowitz: You were on the 911 Commission. Apparently that commission, or its members, are upset with the United States [federal government] for not doing enough to follow those recommendations or to implement the recommendations, do you agree with that?

Jim Thompson: Well, the Congress has…
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The above is a partial transcript of an informal interview with Former Governor Jim Thompson. Governor Thompson attended a fundraiser for 8th Cong. Dist. Republican nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills] on June 7, 2006 at Mike Ditka’s restaurant in the Chicago Loop. [See here] Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani was the featured speaker at the event. Governor Thompson graciously consented to a short interview as he was leaving the event. To listen to the complete interview, please go to the [Illinois Channel home page] and click on the picture of Governor Thompson. The Illinois Channel will also Cablecast [See here for an airing schedule for your community] and stream [from its home page] this coming week [of June 19] a video clip of a portion of the McSweeney fundraiser featuring Mayor Rudy Giuliani, filmed by Jeff Berkowitz, who was attending in his role as contributing correspondent for the Illinois Channel. [The first half hour of the Illinois Channel two hour cablecast is an immigration show Berkowitz hosted, see below, and that show is followed by a seven minute video clip from the funder with McSweeney and Giuliani.]
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Jim Thompson was the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and after that served four terms as the Republican Governor of Illinois from 1977 to 1991. He argued more than 200 cases before the Illinois Supreme Court and he argued the landmark Escobedo case before the U. S. Supreme Court. He has been Chairman and CEO of the Chicago based law firm of Winston & Strawn [which currently has more than 800 attorneys] since 1993 and Chairman of the firm’s Executive Committee since 1991.
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The Illinois Channel will also cablecast and stream this week a show focusing on immigration. The program, moderated by Jeff Berkowitz, featured Professor of Economics Barry Chiswick [University of Chicago at Illinois] and Professor of Economics Hoyt Bleakley [University of Chicago Graduate School of Business]. The show can also be watched now or later on your computer as a video podcast [See here].

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Our recent full interview show with 8th CD Republican Nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills] airs tomorrow night [Monday] at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 throughout the City of Chicago. For more about the show, including a partial transcript of the show, 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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McSweeney’s virtual debate with Cong. Bean: On TV and Streaming

Jeff Berkowitz: [Bush] Tax cuts. You’ve said that you want to make those permanent. Congresswoman Bean has supported the President when he has sought to extend the tax cuts. Is that the major difference between the two of you?

David McSweeney: Melissa Bean will take no stand, whether it be on your show, whether it be with multiple reporters in making the tax cuts permanent. That’s a fundamental issue in this race and she refuses to take a stand. She cannot hide from that issue. Let’s talk about her vote for the short term extension of capital gains and dividend tax cuts. What has she done- she voted a couple weeks back against the enabling legislation to allow that legislation to occur on the floor of the House. So, if [minority leader] Nancy Pelosi [D-San Francisco, CA] were speaker of the House, which Melissa Bean wants, that [Tax cut extension] legislation never would have appeared on the floor of the House.
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"Public Affairs," is featuring David McSweeney this week in 35 Chicago Metro suburbs [See, below, for a detailed suburban airing schedule] on Comcast Cable; this coming Monday night [June 19] through-out the City of Chicago on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21 at 8:30 pm; And, by this weekend, on the "Public Affairs," podcast page on your computer [See here].

David McSweeney [R-Barrington Hills] has been challenging, often, first term, incumbent Cong. Melissa Bean [D-Barrington, 8th CD] to 24 debates, arguing they should hold a debate in each of the 8th Cong. District's 24 townships. While that sounds like a lot, when there was an open seat in the 10th Cong. District on the North Shore in 2000, Mark Steven Kirk and then State Rep. Lauren Beth Gash held 33 public forums. The winner of that race, now Cong. Mark Kirk [R-Highland Park, 10th CD] has held, at best, only a few forums with his Democratic opponents in 2002 and 2004.

So, perhaps we should ask, using the 10th CD as a benchmark, is the 8th CD race this year more like an open seat? One could reasonably argue yes. Cong. Phil Crane held in 2004 one forum, I believe, with his opponent, Melissa Bean [and I believe it was similar for Crane-Bean in 2002. And, for a variety of reasons, it could be argued Republican Cong. Crane [first elected to the Congress in 1969] was in hiding through-out much of the 2002 and 2004 election seasons and did not really run campaigns. So, although Melissa Bean was out there, in 2003-04, as she was in 2001-02, she really had few if any debates, from which the voters in the 8th CD could gather information about her views on the issues, while she was being challenged. Perhaps for those reasons, but more so for other reasons, McSweeney argues now is the time for Cong. Bean to engage her challenger numerous times in front of the 8th CD voters.

For her part, Cong. Bean says there will be plenty of time for debates, arguing she is busy at the moment with five day per week congressional sessions and demands on her time to meet with constituents. Congresswoman Bean's press secretary, Brian Herman, has indicated to me she would have more time to debate her challenger on our show, Public Affairs, when Congress begins its scheduled recess in August. We look forward to multiple appearances by Democrat Cong. Bean with her Republican challenger, David McSweeney, on our show, starting in August.

BTW, none of the above comments should be construed as giving Cong. Mark Kirk a pass for his reluctance to hold more than one or two public forums with his opponents in 2002 and 2004. Even an incumbent who was tested with thirty- three forums in his initial run ought to engage his opponent in at least eight true debates each election season.
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The "Public Affairs," podcast page gives you a choice of more than twenty different episodes of “Public Affairs," in addition to the show with 8th Cong. Dist. Republican Nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills]that will be posted by this weekend[See here]. The podcast page also includes press conferences held recently with Governor Rod Blagojevich and his Republican Challenger, State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, State Rep. Julie Hamos [D-Evanston], a show with Republican Presidential candidate John Cox, a show with Kevin White, the Republican nominee for the 5th Cong. Dist. seat currently held by Cong. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago), Professor Barry Chiswick, Distinguished Professor of Economics, University of Illinois at Chicago and Professor Hoyt Bleakley, Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business discuss and debate immigration, Mayoral Candidate Bill Dock Walls, State Senate Republican Nominee [27th Dist.] Matt Murphy; a recent joint press conference with Senator Obama [D-Illinois] and Congresswoman Bean [D-Barrington] dealing with, among other issues, Iran, Iraq, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and tax cuts, Senator and Republican nominee for State Treasurer Christine Radogno, the Republican nominee and Democratic incumbent in the 8th CD, David McSweeney and Congresswoman Bean, respectively; Tony Peraica, Cook County Commissioner and Republican nominee for Cook County Board President and much, much more.
[See here].
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David McSweeney: …Remember what the so-called President of Iran has said. He has denied that the Holocaust exists and he multiple times has said that he wants to destroy Israel, he wants to destroy Western Civilization

Jeff Berkowitz: President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad-- did I get that right?

David McSweeney: You can call him the President, but he is a dictator of Iran and as far as I am concerned, we need to put the international pressure on. I have been very clear, but that’s another example—Melissa Bean said that she wanted to talk “offline,” when that question was asked [by you], I watched that press conference.

Jeff Berkowitz: If people want to watch that press conference, they can watch it on my blog [by going to our podcast page].
and watch the joint press conference held by Senator Barack Obama and Cong. Bean on April 17, 2006. That’s where you saw it? On my podcast page?

David McSweeney: I did. And, Senator Obama answered the questions. I happen to disagree with him in a number of areas, but at least Senator Obama will answer questions and he will put himself out there. Melissa Bean needs to go out there and she needs to answer questions and respond to where she stands on the important issues [of this race].
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Jeff Berkowitz: [Bush] Tax cuts. You’ve said that you want to make those permanent. Congresswoman Bean has supported the President when he has sought to extend the tax cuts. Is that the major difference between the two of you?

David McSweeney: Melissa Bean will take no stand, whether it be on your show, whether it be with multiple reporters in making the tax cuts permanent. That’s a fundamental issue in this race and she refuses to take a stand. She cannot hide from that issue. Let’s talk about her vote for the short term extension of capital gains and dividend tax cuts. What has she done- she voted a couple weeks back against the enabling legislation to allow that legislation to occur on the floor of the House. So, if [minority leader] Nancy Pelosi [D-San Francisco, CA] were speaker of the House, which Melissa Bean wants, that legislation never would have appeared on the floor of the House. How do you explain why you vote for final form of the legislation to pass, but to kill it a few minutes before? It’s worse than John Kerry. And, that’s why she needs to explain herself to people …I am looking forward to debating these issues and having her finally explain where she stands on these multiple issues and reconciling all of her past statements and votes.

Berkowitz: Health insurance…Do you think something needs to be done by the government to make health insurance more economically attractive than it currently is?

McSweeney: I favor lawsuit reform, which will bring about a reduction in medical malpractice reform, cap off the enormous judgments that are driving doctors out of this state. I favor allowing small businesses to pool together for their insurance purchases. I also favor allowing people to buy insurance on a national basis over the internet. You can’t do that now. And, I am a big supporter of health savings accounts, that will help bring down healthcare costs.

Berkowitz: You favor imposing caps on non-economic damages [trial verdicts for pain and suffering] and making it so those federal caps would apply throughout the country?

McSweeney: Federal caps of $250,000. I am very supportive [of that]. There was [such] legislation that was voted on by the House; I support it, Melissa Bean voted against that last year.

Berkowitz: The caps on Non-Economic Damages?

McSweeney: Yes, it was HR-5.

Berkowitz: Is there an issue of federalism and states rights [regarding Non-Economic Damage caps]?

McSweeney: No, it is a federal issue. It is an issue of interstate commerce.

Berkowitz: On education, you have said that you would repeal No Child Left Behind, right?

McSweeney: I would because it is an unfunded federal mandate and it takes the focus off improving our math, science and engineering skills so that we can compete in a global market. What we should be doing is focusing on classroom education, not testing, and those should be set at the state and local level, not the federal level.

Berkowitz: And, yet you favor school vouchers. Is that a state and local issue? Would you do anything on the federal side to promote school vouchers?

McSweeney: Well, I am supportive of the efforts, for example, in Washington, DC, where they have an experimental [federally legislated school] voucher program.

Berkowitz: Cong. Bean-- did she have a chance to vote on that, do you know?

McSweeney: There has not been a vote [on that while she has been in Congress] to the best of my knowledge but she has come out in opposition to that [School vouchers for DC schools] in the past.

Berkowitz: Has she? Do you know if she is generally opposed to school vouchers?

McSweeney: We are going to have to ask Melissa Bean. My understanding of her record-I have read most of her record- is that she opposes vouchers, but again, she needs to come out in public and stop hiding behind the taxpayers’ expenditures that she uses for her mail [and] for her staff to run her campaign. She needs to tell people where she stands. I am for [school] vouchers, I think competition is good. ****************************************************
Public Affairs, with 8th Cong. Dist. Republican nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills], was recorded on June 4, 2006 and is airing on the Suburban edition of Public Affairs this week [week of June 12] and on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs on Monday night, June 19 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. See, below, for a detailed, regular suburban airing schedule for Public Affairs . The show with 8th CD Republican Nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills] will also be available, by this weekend, 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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In twenty-five North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the show airs tonight in its regular Tuesday night time slot: 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or 35, as indicated, below.

In ten North Shore suburbs, the show is also airing in its regular airing slot at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 this week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as indicated, below.

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The episode of Public Affairs, featuring 8th Cong. Dist. Republican Nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills] airs tonight:

at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

And at 8:30 pm 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.

and this Wednesday and Friday night at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.

In the ten suburbs identified immediately, above, there is a special airing of our show with State Rep. Julie Hamos [D-Evanston] tonight, Tuesday night, June 13 at 9:00 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19.
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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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