Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Better than Berkowitz w/Obama: Berkowitz w/ Sen. Rauschenberger on Obama, Cable and Streaming

Former State Sen. Steve Rauschenberger[Watch here]: [Barack Obama] didn’t work on building that bill—any more than he worked to write the ethics legislation. He was a show pony. He was [Democratic Senate President, Chicago machine pol and Obama mentor]Emil Jones' —

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, then, who did it? Because Emil Jones didn’t do it.

Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin): He was Emil Jones’ show pony.
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This week's suburban edition of Public Affairs features former Illinois State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin) reflecting, among other things, on Barack Obama's performance as a state legislator. Rauschenberger entered the state senate in 1992 as a charter member of the "Fab 5" and gave up his seat to run unsuccessfully for Lt. Gov. in the 2006 Republican Primary. Thus, his tenure in the state senate gave him an eight year overlap with now Presidential candidate Obama. One might call it a Bird's eye view of the Presidential Phenom by someone who was generally acknowledged to be one of the smarter, more reasonable and better informed Illinois legislators.
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Next week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," features the Republican nominee for the U. S. Senate, Dr. Steve Sauerberg (R-Willowbrook). Dr. Sauerberg, who has had a family medical practice for about a quarter of a century, is fresh off of a win in a contested primary and he had a bit of a campaign team shake-up just a few days before the show's taping on Sunday, February 17. Team Sauerberg brought on a new campaign manager for the race against the Senior Senator from the State of Illinois, Dick Durbin, who is also No. 2 in the Senate Leadership to Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid.
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The suburban schedule for Public Affairs is included, below.
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The show with Senator Rauschenberger also airs throughout the City of Chicago this coming Monday night at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 (CANTV) and in Aurora and surrounding areas on Monday night at 7:30 pm on ACTV, Cable Ch. 10.
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Former Illinois State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin) debates and discusses with show host and Executive Legal Recruiter Jeff Berkowitz Barack Obama's performance as a state legislator; compares the presidential capabilities of Hillary and Barack; assesses Obama as a “reformer;” assesses Obama’s judgment on the War; asks what is Obama’s “vision of change;” suggests “Obama was eight years of Senate President [and Chicago Machine Democrat] Emil Jones in a better looking suit;” assesses whether Speaker Mike beat Hot Rod on the Mass Transit bill; assesses whether the Republicans who supported the regional sales tax increase made a mistake; assesses whether the State GOP has a vision or a brand; discusses whether State GOP Chairman McKenna has increased shareholder value for the Republican Party in his three year tenure; discusses the lack of ideological balance at WTTW-- one of Chicago’s public TV stations, and much, much more.
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This show is now available for viewing on your computer at our Youtube page, 24/7. You can also watch the same Rauschenberger show here. (See, below) for more information about the Public Affairs computer airings.
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This episode of Public Affairs was taped on February 10, 2008.
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A partial transcipt of this week's suburban edition of Public Affairs is included below.
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Former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin): People need to know that [state senator] Barack [Obama] was not particularly bi-partisan. His voting record and [Democratic Senate President] Emil Jones’ were about 96% exactly the same. Barack did not vote for Republican bills. Barack was not a builder. He worked together with Kirk Dillard (Republican State Senator and then DuPage County Republican Chairman; Dillard appeared in an ad that was used by Barack in the Iowa Caucus and recently in an ad that aired nationally) on a couple of major issues that were handed to him by Emil Jones…Barack talks a lot about reform, but remember when he had his chance to help change Cook County, he was there in support of Todd Stroger as a replacement for Todd Stroger’s father[Ed. note: more accurately, he did nothing to prevent the ward bosses from installing Todd as a replacement nominee for his father]; he did not argue for [reformer] Claypool or argue for the reformers on the [Cook] County Board… This was a guy who was then U. S. Senator with all the prestige in the world and he did what the Chicago machine politicians do, bunker down and stick with what works, so he wasn’t a reformer. I don’t think he was a particularly bi-partisan legislator, not to say he is not smart and charming and you know people talk about him being a visionary but you have to ask what his vision is. Besides change—I didn’t see a vision in the Illinois Senate. I certainly haven’t seen one in his term in the U. S. Senate and now for President. It’s great to be for change, but I mean changing what. I mean I think it’s time for Barack—

Jeff Berkowitz: Changing the tone, just to play a little bit of a devil’s advocate

Steve Rauschenberger Sure.

Jeff Berkowitz: He wants to change the way business is done. He says Washington is broken. So, he wants people to work together to bring about legislation—

Steve Rauschenberger: The same way he effectively did not work together in the Illinois Senate. The same way his and Kirk Dillard’s much heralded ethics reform—there hasn’t been a single person in the State of Illinois convicted or charged under that ethics legislation. It was obviously pretty effective ethics legislation.

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, what do you mean. Maybe this shows it worked. Has it stopped improper activity?

Steve Rauschenberger Well, no, there have been eighty federal indictments in the same period that Barack and Kirk Dillard’s bill has gone nowhere.

Jeff Berkowitz: What about racial profiling? Did he champion that bill? It’s a bill that he and I spent a half hour talking about [on this set] in 2001. So, you’re not going to take that away from him.

Steve Rauschenberger No, he stuck his neck out on that and I think some people think—

Jeff Berkowitz: And, it passed and now people don’t talk about [racial profiling] so much. Racial profiling. So, apparently it has worked. At least in the driving area, which was the main area [dealt with by the bill]. Are people getting pulled over for, as they used to say for, DWB, driving while black?
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Jeff Berkowitz: Answer that one question. In 2001, he was working on that legislation. I think it passed in 2002. Would you say that since then there have been fewer instances of African-Americans and other minorities being pulled over simply because of their race or ethnicity.

Former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin): I wouldn’t have any idea. But, if that was his signal—

Jeff Berkowitz: If that is the case, then it was successful.

Steve Rauschenberger: If that is his signal accomplishment in eight years in the Illinois—

Jeff Berkowitz: Not signal. But, that’s one. What about capital punishment [reform]? You just pushed [that legislation] away and said it was nothing because you said it was handed to him [Obama].

Steve Rauschenberger: Well, that was a Chicago Tribune campaign. He and Kirk Dillard carried it on the floor.

Jeff Berkowitz: Somebody had to get it done. [do the legislative job].

Steve Rauschenberger: You can give me just as much credit for capital punishment reform as you give Barack Obama.

Jeff Berkowitz: Really, were you sponsoring that legislation?

Steve Rauschenberger: No, but my point was—all he did was carry it on the floor of the Senate.

Jeff Berkowitz: He was sponsoring it.

Steve Rauschenberger: He didn’t work on building that bill—any more than he worked to write the ethics legislation. He was a show pony. He was Emil Jones—

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, then, who did it? Because Emil Jones didn’t do it.

Former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin): He was Emil Jones’ show pony.

Jeff Berkowitz: Who did it?

Steve Rauschenberger: Which bill?

Jeff Berkowitz: Capital punishment.

Former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin): That was written by the staff of the judiciary committee in the Illinois Senate—to the Tribune’s specifications because that was the Tribune’s big march to get their Pulitzer…
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This week’s suburban episode of Public Affairs with guest former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin) 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 at 8:30 pm airing on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka. ******************************************************
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 Obama and McCain-- and many other pols, as well as this week's suburban edition of Public Affairs with Sen. Rauschenberger and last week's suburban edition with Crain's political columnist Greg Hinz at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
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Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs Youtube page include, among others, this week's show in the suburbs with Sen. Rauschenberger, a discussion with State's Attorney for Cook County Republican nominee Tony Peraica; and Anita Alvarez, Chief Deputy to current State's Attorney for Cook County Dick Devine and now the Democratic nominee for State's Attorney of Cook County.
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