Monday, July 07, 2008

Better than Stephanopoulos w/Lieberman: Berkowitz w/ Rep. Beaubien on Obama, McCain and Blago, Cable and Streaming

Jeff Berkowitz: …Almost two separate careers. One military, and one congressional. But, as John McCain would say, he’s older than dirt. And has more scars than Frankenstein. That’s the phrasing that McCain used to describe himself. You don’t think that’s relevant?

Rep. Mark Beaubien [R-Wauconda]: No, as long as he’s in good health. I know many people in their seventies or even their eighties who are just very actively involved; they still have all their faculties together. I’m not concerned about the age issue.
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Public Affairs City of Chicago and City of Aurora airing schedule: featuring State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda) tonight.

The "Public Affairs," show with Rep. Mark Beaubien airs tonight throughout the City of Chicago, , at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 (CANTV) and on cable in Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV-10. The Aurora station, Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.

You can also watch the show with Rep. Beaubien by clicking here.
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Public Affairs show with State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda) will be featured on the Illinois Channel next week, airing across the State of Illinois.

The "Public Affairs," show with Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda) will air throughout the State of Illinois next week, starting a week from today and continuing thru Sunday of next week on the Illinois Channel. You can watch it on the web, starting Monday, July 14, 2008 at the Illinois Channel website by clicking the picture of Beaubien and/or Berkowitz and also you can watch the show on the Illinois Channel's cable outlets.

The Illinois Channel cable outlets air a two hour, weekly block of programming on cable.. The portion of that two hour block that will contain Beaubien will be announced on this blog later this week. Please click on Distribution at the Illinois Channel website or click here to find the cable airing days, time at which the two hour block of programming begins and the channel for your location.
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For more about Public Affairs, including information about tonight's guest, show topics and a partial transcript, go here.
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A partial transcript of tonight's show is included, below:

Wright, Pfleger, Rezko, Bitter and Obama’s judgment

Jeff Berkowitz: You know Barack.

State Rep. Mark Beaubien [R-Wauconda]: Right.

Jeff Berkowitz: An honest guy?

Rep. Mark Beaubien: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Can you explain away Reverend Wright, Father Pfleger, Tony Rezko, the “bitter” comment, all of that negative stuff that came up in the last two months, three months, prior to his nomination [essentially] for President in the Democratic Primary?

Rep. Mark Beaubien: I think the Pfleger Wright thing is a little bit unfair. I mean he was a member of the church, I have had some experience with black churches and they have rhetoric and a style that—well, some people might find offensive. But, he was a member there and I don’t think Wright should have attacked him. I can’t explain Rezko. It was a mistake.

Jeff Berkowitz: Bad judgment to get associated with him?

Rep. Mark Beaubien: Yes. But I don’t know how much he knew about him. He claims-

Jeff Berkowitz: Everybody knew that Rezko was a mover and shaker, right?

Rep. Mark Beaubien: Oh yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: I don’t know how much he knew, but Gary McDougal, the former chairman of the Republican Party—you know Gary? I said something on this set a year or so back, “everybody had some involvement with Tony Rezko, Democrat and Republican.” Gary said, “I didn’t.” McDougal didn’t, because he knew [Rezko] wasn’t the type of guy to get involved with.

Rep. Mark Beaubien: It was probably a bad judgment. He’s spoken up on it, and I think it’s behind him.

Beaubien re-assess, based on additional info about Obama-Rezko?

Jeff Berkowitz: But he also gave the impression, early on, that [when] he’d worked at a law firm, he as an associate had done work five hours of work for Rezko, who was a client of that law firm. But the truth which came out is that over eight or nine years as a state senate candidate, US senate candidate, Rezko had raised for Obama, or given, a quarter of a million dollars to his campaigns. And, when he was running for the US Senate, it came out, Barack would admit this, there were times when Obama and Rezko were speaking almost daily, about the campaign. He wasn’t a casual acquaintance, is what I’m saying.

Rep. Mark Beaubien: Okay.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, re-assess? Re-evaluate? Are you more concerned about Barack Obama, assuming I got that right.

Rep. Mark Beaubien [R-Wauconda] : I would be a little more concerned. Assuming your facts are correct, I’d be a little more concerned. I think you learn early on there are some people you don’t want to associate with. Whether they be legislators or lobbyists, or people within the community, you just don’t want to be associated with them for one reason or another.

Rep. Beaubien comfortable with an Obama Presidency?

Jeff Berkowitz: Eight years with him, Barack Obama, in the General Assembly, dealing with him on various things, observing him, your eight years with him—I know you’re a Republican, but putting that aside—would you be comfortable with Barack Obama as President of the United States?

Rep. Mark Beaubien [R-Wauconda]: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Because?

Rep. Mark Beaubien: I think he’s an outstanding individual. I think the office of the Presidency has its own confines. You talk about the rhetoric of the campaign—what you’re going to do, what you’re not going to do—but once you get into the Congressional setting, there’s certain limits to what you can actually accomplish or not accomplish. So, I think the people that are concerned that he’s going to be way out on the left side—there’s constraints that hold you back in. You talk about things, but not everything can actually be done. The key is—and I call it a Kennedy concept—you’ve got to surround yourself with good people. And that will be the test of his presidency. If he can get good people around him, he’ll be a good president. And that’s the key.

Choosing between McCain and Obama

Jeff Berkowitz: Now, you are a Republican. John McCain, of course, is the presumptive nominee in the Republican Party for President of the United States. Between McCain and Obama—you got a preference?

Rep. Mark Beaubien: I like McCain. I like his experience. I’ve met him but I wouldn’t say I know him. I’ve met him on a couple of occasions. Very forthright, very presentable. The thing with McCain is—I don’t agree with all his positions. We differ on some things.But, out of eight or nine or ten things, I probably agree on seven, but I know what they are. I know what I’m buying in to. With Barack—I don’t think anybody’s quite sure what he’s going to do. He’s kind of here, and there—which you have to do during a Presidential election. You start on the left, and you gotta go back to the middle. It’s just part of the process. But, what he is actually going to do is the key, and McCain will tell you exactly what he’s going to do.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, right now, who are you supporting for President of the United States?

Rep. Mark Beaubien: John McCain.

Jeff Berkowitz: Is it mostly because you are a Republican, have been a lifelong Republican? Or, if you were an independent, and had gone both ways, do you think you’d still be supporting McCain?

Rep. Mark Beaubien: I would say, based on my background, and my father’s time in the service, I would probably go with someone with a strong military background. That would just be my natural inclination.

Jeff Berkowitz: And John McCain’s the person, with almost a quarter of a century in the military… almost a quarter of a century, in the Congress, right?

Rep. Mark Beaubien: Right.

Jeff Berkowitz: …Almost two separate careers. One military, and one congressional. But, as John McCain would say, he’s older than dirt. And has more scars than Frankenstein. That’s the phrasing that McCain used to describe himself. You don’t think that’s relevant?

Rep. Mark Beaubien [R-Wacounda]: No, as long as he’s in good health. I know many people in their seventies or even their eighties who are just very actively involved; they still have all their faculties together. I’m not concerned about the age issue.
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Thanks to "Public Affairs," intern Amy Allen for preparing a draft of the above partial transcript of tonight's City of Chicago and City of Aurora editions of "Public Affairs."
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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, McCain, Giuliani and Cox, tonight's Chicago and Aurora show with State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda), last Monday night's show in Chicago, Aurora and across the state of Illinois with 13th CD Dem. Nominee Scott Harper, last week's show in Chicago and Aurora with State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago); our prior show featuring State Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago), our prior shows with Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago), State Rep. Candidate Joan Solms (R-Aurora), 6th CD Democratic candidate, Colonel Jill Morgenthaler (Ret.), State Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) and shows with many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
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A very recently posted show on the Public Affairs YouTube page is tonight's Chicago and Aurora show with State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda). Recently posted shows include this past Monday night's show in Chicago, Aurora and across the State of Illinois with 13th CD Dem. Nominee Scott Harper, last week's show in Chicago and Aurora with Sen. Kwame Raoul(D-Chicago), our prior show with Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago)- watch here; our prior shows with State Rep. candidate Joan Solms (R-Aurora), Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago) on the Obama Presidential campaign and shows with many other pols