Monday, February 25, 2008

Better than Abrams or Hannity: Berkowitz w/ Rauschenberger on Obama, Cable and Streaming

Steve Rauschenberger: If you look at [Barack Obama’s] roll call votes in Springfield, it was eight years of [Dem. Senate President] Emil Jones in a better looking suit, okay?
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Jeff Berkowitz: Cong. Mark Kirk [R-Highland Park, 10th CD] probably votes 87% of the time with Republicans and he is viewed as an Independentgive me a break, every Republican votes with Republicans and every Democrat votes with Democrats…
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Jeff Berkowitz: ... So, what do you do with a CEO when he presides over a decrease in the capitalization of a company?

Steve Rauschenberger: Well, just keep in mind that this [State GOP] CEO wasn’t around when they made all the bad mortgage loans but he [Andy McKenna] also has not instilled new confidence. You know, I think that—

Jeff Berkowitz: Time for [State GOP Chairman] Andy McKenna to go?
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Tonight’s City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs features former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin). The show airs through-out the City tonight at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 (CANTV). See, below, for a partial transcript of tonight’s show with Senator Rauschenberger.

Among other topics discussed tonight (See here for a list of topics covered in tonight's show and a partial transcript of the show), Senator Rauschenberger compares some of the relative strengths of Senators Obama and Clinton and he assesses some of the State GOP’s major problems and discusses some solutions.

Can’t watch the show on Cable tonight? Not to worry. Go here to watch the show with Senator Rauschenberger on your computer.

This week’s suburban edition of Public Affair’s and next week’s City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs features Republican nominee for the U. S. Senate, Steve Sauerberg. To watch the Sauerberg show on your computer, go here.

Next Week’s suburban edition of Public Affairs features State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston), who chairs the House Mass Transit Committee and passed major RTA legislation last month. To watch the show with Rep. Hamos on your computer, go here. Rep. Hamos thinks she got a pretty good look at Presidential candidate Barack Obama when they were both serving in the Illinois General Assembly from 1998 to 2004 and when she was supporting and working hard to help him get elected to the U. S. Senate in 2003-04. Among other show topics, including state budget spending and tax issues, Hamos reflects on Obama’s performance in the State Senate and on what that tells us, or doesn’t, about a President Obama.

Also, tonight’s City of Aurora edition of "Public Affairs," features Senator Rauschenberger, airing at 7:30 pm tonight 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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Remember, if you're not on "Public Affairs," you are not doing politics and public policy. Just ask Hamos, Rauschenberger, Sauerberg, Chris Matthews, Hinz, Peraica, Obama, Cullerton, Oberweis, Richardson, McCain, Lauzen, Laesch, Blagojevich, Stein, Giuliani, Jesse Jackson, Jr. and 500 other political figures appearing on "Public Affairs," in the last decade, Go here and click on the Archives.
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A partial transcript of tonight’s show with Senator Rauschenberger (recorded on February 10, 2008) is included directly, below.
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Obama: A new kind of politician? Or Same old, same old?

Former Illinois State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin): If you are going to be the candidate of change, tell us what you are going to change. If you look at his [Obama's] roll call votes—

Jeff Berkowitz: His tone. He is not going to play games—

Steve Rauschenberger: If you look at his roll call votes in Springfield, it was eight years of Emil Jones in a better looking suit, okay? [Emil Jones is the Democratic Senate President in Illinois and also a Chicago machine pol and long time mentor of Barack Obama].

Jeff Berkowitz: That’s an unfair statement. That’s an unfair statement.

Steve Rauschenberger: He voted essentially the same—he voted the same as his legislative leader. He was not—

Jeff Berkowitz: Republicans vote like Republicans and Democrats vote like [Democrats]—

Steve Rauschenberger: You’ve got Kirk Dillard (State Senator and former DuPage County Republican Chairman) doing commercials for him—

Jeff Berkowitz: Cong. Mark Kirk [R-Highland Park, 10th CD] probably votes 87% of the time with Republicans and he is viewed as an Independent—give me a break, every Republican votes with Republicans and every Democrat votes with Democrats, Steve, how many times did you vote with the Democrats? What percentage of the time when you were there? 10%?

Steve Rauschenberger: Probably close to zero. I don’t think it was anywhere near that.

Jeff Berkowitz: Yes, so you’re [saying you’re] better than—

Steve Rauschenberger: But, I am not out there saying I am a new kind of a Republican or that I am all about change or that I am the change agent that’s going to change the status quo when I spent the last ten years playing the game.

Jeff Berkowitz: For gosh sakes, every Republican running for office this year is talking about change. Are you going to criticize them, too?

Steve Rauschenberger: Sure.

Jeff Berkowitz: Are you going to criticize Jim Oberweis in the 14th Cong. Dist. for saying that government is broken and he is going to fix it (Oberweis won two Republican primaries on Super Tuesday, making him the nominee of his Party in a special March 8, 2008 general election to replace the retired former Speaker, Cong. Hastert, as well as the nominee of his Party in the November, 2008 general election.

Steve Rauschenberger: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Go ahead, tell us what is wrong with Jim Oberweis.

Steve Rauschenberger: Well, I think that that’s a bad message.

Jeff Berkowitz: All right, did you tell him that when he was running. [Ed. Note, he is still running]. Did you stand up publicly and say that?

Steve Rauschenberger: He didn’t ask me. I am out of politics.

Jeff Berkowitz: Okay.

Steve Rauschenberger: I mean, do I think mindless messages that mislead the public are good politics? No. I don’t know whether you really do or not, either. I mean I think it is time if we are going to really change things we start honestly talking about public policy that matters.
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Steve Rauschenberger: But, I mean you asked me whether his record in Springfield reflects what he says today and I said no. And, I’ll say no tomorrow and I’ll say no the next day.
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Time to fire State GOP Chairman Andy McKenna, Jr.?

Jeff Berkowitz: The State GOP has as its chairman, Andy McKenna, Jr. He has been there [as Chairman] for three years, after they booted out Gary MacDougal, for reasons unknown. Has shareholder value for the Republican Party in the State of Illinois increased under Andy McKenna, Jr.?

Steve Rauschenberger: I think the Republican Party, if you want to compare it to the stock market, is a little bit like a bank stock today. So, people don’t know whether it has been completely devalued yet.

Jeff Berkowitz: It’s gone down.

Steve Rauschenberger: It’s gone way down.

Jeff Berkowitz: Way down. So, what do you do with a CEO when he presides over a decrease in the capitalization of a company?

Steve Rauschenberger: Well, just keep in mind that this [State GOP] CEO wasn’t around when they made all the bad mortgage loans but he also has not instilled new confidence. You know, I think that—

Jeff Berkowitz: Time for Andy McKenna to go?

Steve Rauschenberger: I think it is time for a lot of the leaders of the Republican Party to decide to lead or get out of the way.

Jeff Berkowitz: Should he go? Should he go?

Steve Rauschenberger: I don’t know. I don’t know.
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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 Obama and McCain-- and many other pols, as well as Tonight's City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs with Sen. Rauschenberger and last week's City of Chicago 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, tonight's show in the City of Chicago and City of Aurora with Sen. Rauschenberger, assessing Barack Obama, this week's show in the suburbs with Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dr. Steve Sauerberg, discussing his opponent--Senator Durbin-- and domestic, cultural and foreign policy issues, next week's show in the suburbs featuring State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston,IL), discussing Barack Obama, as well as various Illinois Budget issues (spending, mass transit, capital budget, education, gaming and taxes) and possible 2010 Illinois gubernatorial candidates and 2010 U. S. Senate candidates (assuming Obama moves up to President in 2008) , 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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