Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Sen. Garrett on Cable and Streaming: Kirk, Seals, Footlik; the Circus and more

Jeff Berkowitz: A lot of [Cong. Kirk's] views, you like. He’s pro-Choice. You’re pro-Choice. He’s strong on environmental rights. So are you. He’s strong on gun control. So are you.

Senator Garrett: Yeah. But, you know, the difference I think between let’s say a Dan Seals or Jay Footlik and Mark Kirk is that I think Dan and Jay will be much more, either one, would be much more accessible and ready to put themselves in front of the public, the real voters—answer questions.
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Commentary by Jeff Berkowitz: ...we will keep a watchful eye on Seals, Footlik and Cong. Kirk over the next four and half months and let our faithful readers and viewers know how they do, on this score. Democracy does not work well if its participants “duck and dodge,” the media and the citizenry during the democratic process.
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Commentary by Jeff Berkowitz: You may agree or disagree with Senator Garrett on the issues, but it does seem hard to fault her on her accessibility to her constituents and the voters.
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This week’s Chicago metro suburban edition of Public Affairs features State Senator Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest, 29th Senate District). See below for the Public Affairs suburban airing schedule.
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The show with Senator Garrett also airs through-out the City of Chicago this coming Monday night [September 24] at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] and on Monday night [Sep. 24] at 7:30 pm on Aurora Community Television, on Comcast Cable Ch. 10 in Aurora and some surrounding areas. The Aurora station reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
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You may also watch the show with Senator Garrett and very recently posted shows with 14th CD Republican Primary candidate Mayor Kevin Burns and former Senator Rauschenberger on your computer at PublicAffairsTV.com. In addition to the very recently posted shows, prior shows on the "Public Affairs," podcast page feature a show with Senators Durbin and Dodd, Cong. Kucinich and others; Democratic Presidential Candidates Senator Barack Obama and Governor Richardson; possible Republican opponents to Senator Durbin next fall: Dr. Steve Sauerberg and Jim Nalepa; and 14 TH Cong. Dist. Democratic Primary Candidates Jotham Stein and John Laesch and 14th Cong. Dist. Republican Primary candidate Senator Chris Lauzen (R-Aurora). Additional previously posted shows feature Presidential candidates Giuliani, McCain and Cox, and many other pols and opinion makers. You may also watch these "Public Affairs," shows, and others, at www.itunes.com
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Senator Garrett's Background and description of 29th District:

State Senator Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest, 29th Dist.) was in the State House for four years and is now in her fifth year in the State Senate. The 29th District, which she represents, includes all or part of: Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Highwood, Highland Park, Deerfield, Bannockburn,Northbrook, Mount Prospect, Des Plaines, Fort Sheridan, Glencoe, Riverwoods, Glenview, Prospect Heights, Niles, Park Ridge and Knollwood. See www.Garrett98.com for more on Garrett and her District.

Garrett was previously a businesswoman and was also President of the League of Women Voters for a portion of the North Shore. She currently chairs the Public Health Committee and is Vice Chair of State Government and Veterans Affairs.

Topics discussed with Senator Garrett:

Senator Garrett debates and discusses with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz what she perceives as a core difference between 10th CD incumbent Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) and his potential Democratic opponents: Dan Seals or Jay Footlik; the different objectives and styles of Governor Blagojevich and Speaker Mike Madigan, how things might play out between the Four Tops, Blago and Mayor Daley regarding a capital budget, mass transit, health insurance, expanded gaming and new taxes; the Springfield six-ring circus; how the 29th District’s suburbs came out regarding state spending on education in their districts; Garrett’s proposals for budget process reform; RTA and CTA reform, education spending and education reform; charter schools in Chicago and much, much more.
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A partial transcript of the "Public Affairs," show with guest Senator Susan Garrett is included, below:
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Could Garrett support Kirk?

Jeff Berkowitz: I said, it might have been the case—you were almost a Republican to start with. Cong. Kirk is a moderate Republican. Many of the Democratic constituencies [in the 10th Cong. Dist.] have been co-opted by Kirk. Could you see yourself possibly supporting Mark Kirk in the general election ? [Ed. Note: Democrat 10th CD celebrity Scott Turow supported Republican John Porter, Kirk’s predecessor, at least some of the time in the 10th CD during Porter’s 21 year tenure].

Senator Susan Garrett [D-Lake Forest]: No. No.

Jeff Berkowitz: Because? Why?

Senator Garrett: You know. He’s—well, you know, it’s not that--.

Kirk and Garrett: Similar views?

Jeff Berkowitz: Come on, you like the guy. You’ve met him. You’ve worked with him.

Senator Garrett: I’ve worked with him.

Jeff Berkowitz: A lot of his views, you like. He’s pro-Choice. You’re pro-Choice. He’s strong on environmental rights. So are you. He’s strong on gun control. So are you.

Comparing Seals, Footlik and Kirk

Senator Garrett: Yeah. But, you know, the difference I think between let’s say a Dan Seals or Jay Footlik and Mark Kirk is that I think Dan and Jay will be much more, either one, would be much more accessible and ready to put themselves in front of the public, the real voters—answer questions.

Jeff Berkowitz: He’s [Cong. Kirk] coming out a bit in terms of making himself more accessible.

Senator Garrett: I hope so.

Kirk and the War protestors:

Jeff Berkowitz: He had a Palatine Township meeting and a lot of War protestors showed up and he engaged them—

Senator Garrett: Yeah

Jeff Berkowitz: That went for about two hours and about an hour [was devoted] to a discussion, a civil discussion about the Iraq War. I think that was a real plus for Mark Kirk. [See here]. The question is—will he continue that? But, if he does, and he is accessible, then maybe you would support Mark Kirk?

Senator Garrett: Jeff, here is the thing. It’s not about having a one time only town hall meeting--

Jeff Berkowitz: What if he had ten.

Well-publicized town-hall meetings:

Senator Garrett: that doesn’t get publicized. And you and I talked about this. When my reps [in the 29th Senate District] and I have town hall meetings, we send out fliers to the entire [29th ] District, whether people are Republican voters or Democratic voters.

Jeff Berkowitz: Yeah, but yours is a Democratic District—re-districted [in 2001-02] to be Democratic.

Senator Garrett: We send [the fliers] to everybody.

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you do it if it were a Republican District and you were a Democrat?

Garrett’s advice to Kirk:

Senator Garrett: I absolutely—you know what, I did. I’ve done that. But, I think this is a key point. It’s about reaching out in an inclusive way to make sure that everybody has the information, that anybody can come to a town hall meeting and voice their concern. That’s where I would like to see Mark go. Honestly, I think that would make a big difference. He would be much more appealing if he did that.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, that’s advice you are giving?

Senator Garrett: Yeah.

Jeff Berkowitz: Open, public advice telling Cong. Mark Kirk [R- Highland Park, 10th Dist] how to be more appealing—

Senator Garrett: I believe all of us, whether we are Republicans or Democrats at any level of government, are public servants. And, that means we have to make ourselves available to the public and listen to arguments on maybe votes people don’t like that we’ve taken.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, the model of good government would be the Democratic Party in the state of Illinois and the six-ring circus that they run down in Springpatch, or is it Springfield, IL?

Senator Garrett: The six-ring circus. Springfield, yeah.

Jeff Berkowitz: Tell us about the six-ring circus. What does that mean?
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Commentary by Jeff Berkowitz.

Comparing and contrasting Seals, Footlik and Cong. Kirk on accessibility:

In terms of candidates and the 10th CD incumbent being willing to face tough, but fair, questioning in front of their constituents and potential voters, there may not be a lot to differentiate Seals, Footlik and Cong. Kirk.

10th CD 2008 Dem. Primary candidate Jay Footlik has scheduled two appearances in the last three months on Public Affairs and canceled both. We have been told Footlik will try to appear on Public Affairs in the fall. We, our viewers and 10th CD voters look forward to Footlik’s appearance.

10th CD Candidate Dan Seals declined to appear on “Public Affairs,” in the primary or general election race in the 10th CD in 2006; his opponent in the primary, Zane Smith, appeared several times. We have been told Dan Seals, 2008 10th CD Dem. Primary candidate, may schedule an appearance on Public Affairs soon. We, our viewers and 10th CD voters look forward to Seals’ appearance.

Then 10th CD candidate Mark Kirk appeared a number of times on Public Affairs in both the 2000 primary and general election, with and without his opponents. He made several appearances subsequently, but has not appeared on Public Affairs in the last four years, declining because he now “does not like the show’s format.” We, our viewers and 10th CD voters hope Cong. Kirk will re-consider his decision.

While we don’t endorse candidates for office, Public Affairs does endorse the notion that candidates and incumbents should appear with and without their opponents on shows like Public Affairs that do not serve up softballs but provide tough, but fair, questioning for the candidates on the issues.

Public Affairs, in addition to other areas, airs in one half of the villages that make up the 10th CD.

In this election cycle, so far, Kirk appeared on Chicago Tonight and Footlik appeared on Fox Chicago Sunday. So, they can both argue they have made appearances on TV. However, they have been relatively short segments that avoided detailed, tough questioning on the issues and the segments appeared to give the candidates a fair amount of control over the content of the interview. This reporter and TV show host doesn’t think that is what the 10th CD wants to see out of its candidates and representatives.

Moreover, in the last few months that make up the 2008 election cycle, there appear to have been no public events in the District in which the public could get a sense of Footlik or Seals, and their positions on the issues. Cong. Mark Kirk appears to have had at least one such recent event [see here], but, as discussed above, that was not publicized to his 10th CD constituents, at large.

True, the 2008 primary campaign is early. So, we will keep a watchful eye on Seals, Footlik and Cong. Kirk over the next four and half months and let our faithful readers and viewers know how they do, on this score. Democracy does not work well if its participants “duck and dodge,” the media and the citizenry during the democratic process.

To her credit, Senator Susan Garrett [D-Lake Forest] has appeared numerous times during the last nine years, with and without her opponents, on Public Affairs, as a State Rep. and both as a candidate for the state senate and as a state senator. Moreover, she has held and publicized, to all, a number of forums in her district on the issues. You may agree or disagree with Senator Garrett on the issues, but it does seem hard to fault her on her accessibility to her constituents and the voters.
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Senator Susan Garrett, as she is airing this week on Public Affairs in 35 Chicago Metro suburbs. [See below for the suburban airing schedule] and as will be airing on this comingMonday, Sep. 24, 2007, at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21, CANTV on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs and on Monday, Sep. 24, 2007 at 7:30 pm on Aurora Community Television, on Comcast Cable Ch. 10 in Aurora and some surrounding areas. The show was recorded on Sep. 9, 2007.[You may also go here to watch Senator Garrett and many other politicians on PublicAffairsTV.com].
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The airing schedule for the Chicago Metro suburban edition of "Public Affairs," is included directly, below.
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In twenty-five North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the "Public Affairs," show airs every Tuesday night in the regular weekly Public Affairs slot, 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or 35, as indicated, below.

In ten North Shore suburbs, the Public Affairs show airs three times each week in its regular slots at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as indicated, below. ********************************************************
The suburban episode of Public Affairs with guest State Senator Susan Garrett 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 tonight 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 week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday night at 8:30 pm, airing on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
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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. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Richardson, Obama, McCain, Giuliani and Cox and many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
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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. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Richardson, Obama, McCain, Giuliani and Cox and many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
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