Better than a New Year’s eve kiss: Berkowitz w/Paul Vallas on school vouchers-school choice and w/ an Obama-O’Reilly cameo;Cable & NOW streaming

Important links added at 1:25 pm on Monday, January 1, 2010 regarding Barack Obama's "evolution," on school choice during the last eight years.
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Jeff Berkowitz: … You have said, “you can’t be against school choice and be for kids.”

Paul Vallas: That’s right.
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You can now watch an upcoming edition of “Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz,” featuring Paul Vallas, Superintendent of the Recovery School District of New Orleans, streaming here.

The show with Mr. Vallas, former Candidate for Governor in Illinois and Supt. of the Chicago Public Schools as well as the Philadelphia Public Schools, covers a broad range of public policy topics, including local and national education issues, e.g., the importance of school vouchers and charter schools to school reform, government reform, the Obama Administration’s “Race to the Top,” and economic stimulus program, supply side and demand side macro-economic policies, social issues and much, much more.
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School Vouchers- School Choice in Philly and New Orleans

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you say it is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition, to have school choice to reform schools… especially in the inner cities?

Paul Vallas: …Let me preface my remarks by saying I support [school] vouchers and I support a voucher program that is not limited, or that is not targeted. But, by the same token, I think there are different ways of expanding school choice. Also, [there are] charters. In Philadelphia, a third of our schools, when I left, were either run by charter [school] providers or private managers, and, of course … two-thirds of the children who are educated in schools in New Orleans are being educated in charter schools. And, of course the City [of New Orleans] actually has a voucher program for primary grade kids.

Jeff Berkowitz: …The number of kids who are attending voucher schools [in New Orleans] would be roughly how many?

Paul Vallas: The number of my kids, kids in the [New Orleans] Recovery School District, attending [voucher schools], I would say it is about five or six percent.

Jeff Berkowitz: … you have said, “you can’t be against school choice and be for kids.”

Paul Vallas: That’s right.

Jeff Berkowitz: I got that quote right?

Paul Vallas: That’s right. Absolutely. Anything that expands educational opportunities for kids, I’m going to support…
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Barack Obama's accommodation on school vouchers-school choice?

Jeff Berkowitz: Barack Obama, in 2002, sat where you are sitting, on “Public Affairs,” June 27, 2002

Paul Vallas: I know. I saw him. You showed me the tape.

Jeff Berkowitz: It was the date of the U. S. Supreme Court decision [declaring school vouchers constitutional], kind of one of the ironies of life. He didn’t know he was going to be President but he said at that time, “I would support anything that is going to be better for the children of Illinois [including school vouchers].” …in 2003, when he is running for the U. S. Senate [Obama] said [on Public Affairs], “I am not for school vouchers, Jeff, I am for charter schools.” What happened to change Barack Obama’s mind from June, 2002 to July, 2003?

Paul Vallas: You would have to ask him.

Jeff Berkowitz: He became a serious candidate for the U. S. Senate and he realized in the Democratic Primary nobody can win that race…if they are going to oppose the teachers’ unions and support school vouchers. I mean, that’s a fair reading of that, right? I’m not denigrating Barack Obama. He’s a good politician. [For a discussion of Barack Obama's "evolution," on the school choice issue, with extensive direct quotes from Obama's appearances on "Public Affairs w/Jeff Berkowitz," go here. For a discussion by John McCain's presidential campaign advisors of how they planned to use Obama's changing views on school choice during the 2008 campaign, go here].

Paul Vallas: All candidates. All candidates when they enter those primaries—sometimes they undergo a metamorphosis. Sometime they make adjustments and sometimes they make compromises…obviously in order to get elected…

Obama the Accommodator

Jeff Berkowitz: To accommodate. Would that be the word? Barack Obama, the accommodator. He is an accommodator. [Watch relevant footage of Obama in 2002, discussed by Berkowitz with Bill O’Reilly].

Paul Vallas: Well, who doesn’t accommodate when…

Jeff Berkowitz: I am not saying it to denigrate [Obama].

Vallas is not an accommodator?

Paul Vallas: There are a few exceptions. I like to think that I am not an accommodator.

Jeff Berkowitz: You would not accommodate during an election?

Paul Vallas: Look, I held my same position on school choice during the election that I kind of staked out before the election in front of an American Federation [of Teachers gathering].

Jeff Berkowitz: In 2002? [Paul Vallas ran for Governor in the 2002 Democratic Primary, coming in a close second to Rod Blagojevich, and finishing slightly ahead of Roland Burris, who was appointed by Rod Blagojevich at the end of last year to replace Barack Obama, after Blago was arrested on charges of public corruption, but, of course, before Blagojevich was impeached]

Paul Vallas: Yeah.

Jeff Berkowitz: You went to the union and said you are for school vouchers?

Paul Vallas: I said that I would not oppose vouchers.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you didn’t say you were for vouchers?.

Paul Vallas: If you remember, I said I went from being—

Jeff Berkowitz: An evolution, now you are in favor of school vouchers.

Paul Vallas: That’s right. That’s right…when I ran in 2002, I staked out my position as not one opposing school choice, and not one opposing vouchers…
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Paul Vallas, taped on December 27, 2009 and as airing in twenty-f our select Chicago Metro North and Northwest suburbs this coming Tuesday night.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans, 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park), Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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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 Proft and McKenna on ABC-7's NewsViews: Berkowitz w/10th CD Republican Primary candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. on Cable and NOW Streaming

Updated at 12:05 am on Wedmesday: Our show w/ 10th CD Republican candidate Arie Friedman, M.D., is now streaming from our youtube page here.
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Jeff Berkowitz: You would endorse Republicans, generally?

Arie Friedman, M.D. [10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate]: Absolutely.

Jeff Berkowitz: Because [State Rep.] Beth Coulson [R-Glenview], when she was given the chance on this show in 2000 [Sep.14] to endorse George Bush, said she didn’t know, her district is sophisticated, she wouldn’t endorse. You would have endorsed George Bush?

Arie Friedman, M.D. [R-Highland Park]: I would have endorsed George Bush.
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Arie Friedman, M.D.: I think that most of "security theater," started up after 9/11. I mean there were private organizations in charge of security before that. And, after 9/11, it became primarily the TSA. And, since then, it’s been what we’ve just seen, which is now we’re going to tell everybody to sit still and not move, not out of their seat for the last hour strong>[of a flight]. How does that fix any of the problems that we’ve dealt with?
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Jeff Berkowitz: So, what do you think about Coulson? Is she, as some people say, a RINO, a Republican in name only?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Unequivocally, yes?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Unequivocally, yes… I have been running against [Beth Coulson] for a few months now and know a little bit about her positions and I don’t see any other way to describe her.
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Tonight’s Chicago metro suburban edition of Public Affairs features 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Dr. Arie Friedman. Dr. Friedman resides in Highland Park and he has done so since he was six years old. The Chicago Metro suburban airing schedule is included, below.
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Our show with 10th CD Republican Primary candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. is NOW streaming here.
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Arie Friedman, the newest kid on the block in the 10th CD Republican Primary, started his campaign late but he could surprise his three major competitors. He has a strong background for Congress in the domestic and foreign public policy arenas. After graduating from the University of Chicago college, Arie Friedman became a naval flight officer, flying fixed and rotary wing aircraft. His seven years of active and eleven years of reserve duty in the navy had multiple deployments, including Operation Desert Storm.

Further, on the domestic public policy side, Arie Friedman is not without ideas on healthcare, having graduated from University of Illinois’ Medical School at the top of his class and has had a group pediatric practice for the last nine years.

Apparently, Dr. Friedman is the only Jewish candidate in the race, which could be significant in the 10th CD, with its significant Jewish population. Increasingly, those voters are taking a Republican Primary ballot as the Democratic Party continues its drift to the left on healthcare, Israel and national security, in general. On the other hand, Friedman may not have enough time to raise money and build the coalitions necessary to win.

However, unlike Republicans Coulson, Dold and Green, Dr. Friedman is willing to be questioned, in depth, on important issues of domestic policy, foreign policy and cultural issues, as well as give his views about his competitors. Take a listen, watch the show tonight and watch the show now streaming here.
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Has Beth Coulson historically been reluctant to endorse other Republicans?

Jeff Berkowitz: You would endorse Republicans, generally?

Arie Friedman, M.D. [10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate]: Absolutely.

Jeff Berkowitz: Because Beth Coulson, when she was given the chance on this show in 2000 to endorse George Bush, said she didn’t know, her district is sophisticated, she wouldn’t endorse. You would have endorsed George Bush?

Arie Friedman, M.D. [R-Highland Park]: I would have endorsed George Bush.
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Is Beth Coulson a RINO?

Jeff Berkowitz: So, what do you think about Coulson? Is she, as some people say, a RINO, a Republican in name only?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Unequivocally, yes?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Unequivocally, yes… I have been running against [Beth Coulson] for a few months now and know a little bit about her positions and I don’t see any other way to describe her.
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Is there substance to Dick Green?

Jeff Berkowitz: Dick Green does an ad …and he says yeah, yeah, yeah. Is that basically what he says?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: I mean, Dick…people think the 10th is a fairly sophisticated District, they need people who say more than "yeah, yeah, yeah."
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Can the United States win in Afghanistan?

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you have sent the 40,000 troops that [General McChrystal in Afghanistan] wanted?

Arie Friedman, M.D.[R-Highland Park]:I would have sent him whatever he wanted...[O]n the people that we have in the military, from the Generals on down to the Lance Corporals, they are extremely intelligent people, highly trained. They spend their lives doing this work. We shouldn’t be micro managing how they fight any more than you’d micro manage your surgeon as he is performing an operation. What really makes me angry as a former military officer is the idea that we can’t win [in Afghanistan].
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Is the Obama Administration getting airport security right?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: I think that most of "security theater," started up after 9/11. I mean there were private organizations in charge of security before that. And, after 9/11, it became primarily the TSA. And, since then, it’s been what we’ve just seen, which is now we’re going to tell everybody to sit still and not move, not out of their seat for the last hour [of a flight]. How does that fix any of the problems that we’ve dealt with?

Jeff Berkowitz: What should they do?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: What they should do is start being more intelligent about who they focus on. There are a lot of resources here to be used. Somebody who comes from Nigeria. Somebody whose father has reported him [to the U. S. embassy as a possible security threat]. Somebody who is on various no fly lists is somebody who should be targeted very carefully for investigation.

Jeff Berkowitz: This guy [the Christmas day bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab] wasn’t on a no fly list. He was on some sort of list that had 500,000 people on it.

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Right, he was on a security list of some sort. A watch list.

Jeff Berkowitz: A watch list, but not where you could do much about it.

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Right.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, he probably should have been on the “no fly,” list?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Certainly.

Should we try to profile potential terrorists?

Jeff Berkowitz: At least based on what we knew. And, is it the reluctance to profile people…

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Of course, it is.

Jeff Berkowitz: As some people say, we can profile objects…because it is more than security theater. It is about political correctness because somebody is going to say not everybody getting on a plane in Nigeria is a security risk-- but somebody getting on a plane in Nigeria whose father is a well established guy, big time banker…he thinks somebody should keep an eye on his son [and tells the U. S. Embassy in Nigeria that], that should be a tip-off…and then [the son] got on the plane—was it in Amsterdam or Nigeria-- that he bought a one-way ticket

Arie Friedman, M.D.: A one-way ticket.

Jeff Berkowitz: [paid for in] cash?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Are we starting to build a profile here? The Obama Administration said we were going to use science…so, if you are using science, shouldn’t they be building this profile, tracking these things and say, when enough of these factors pile up…

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Right

Jeff Berkowitz: Then, what you want to do is…talk to the person. Ask him a few questions. Do we have anybody in this country who is experienced in- what do we call it- intelligence operations? So, we want somebody to talk with him or her and see whether that person is a risk and if they decide that person is—they don’t go on the plane.

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Right.

Are some foreign airports doing improper screening of security risks?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: One of the criteria should be when you are deciding whether it is a high risk airport or not is whether the airport itself will accept our security people to go and investigate what their situation is. So, you can have a high risk airport, even the airport that this guy originated from, but if were able to send our own people pro-actively forward to have it be a more secure environment, that would be one thing. If they said no, then that’s an airport perhaps we should consider [barring flights from departing there and coming into the U. S.]
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Arie Friedman, M.D. [10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate], interviewed on Sunday, December 27, 2009 on Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, and airing this evening in 24 Chicago Metro North and Northwest suburbs on Comcast Ch. 19 or Ch. 35, as indicated, below.
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From Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, taped on December 27, 2009
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring this week's guest,10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Dr. Arie Friedman,M.D.,airs:

tonight, Tuesday night, 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, Tuesday night, 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.

The Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," usually airs, as well, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.

Due to a transfer this month of control of broadcast facilities from Comcast to the Village of Highland Park for the above referenced ten suburbs, the airing of Public Affairs in those ten suburbs has ceased for the month of December, but will resume, on the same airing schedule, on January 4, 2010. We anticipate airng the Public Affairs show featuring 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Dr. Arie Friedman,M.D., discussed above, during that first or second week of January, 2010 in the aforementioned ten suburbs, in the same time slot we have previously aired, i.e., Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19
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The Public Affairs show, featuring 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Dr. Arie Friedman,M.D.,also will air on Monday night, January 11, 2010, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park), Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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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 Dillard on ABC-7’s NewsViews: Berkowitz w/ Gov candidate Sen. Dillard on Obama, Ryan, Proft, McKenna,Insiders & more;cable & now streaming

Jeff Berkowitz: You knew [Prrsident Obama} pretty well. He was a state senator-you were a state senator [Ed. note, they overlapped in the state senate for eight years].

IL Republican Gov candidate Senator Kirk Dillard (Naperville): I also disagree with him on most things that he is doing as the President of the United States. But, you know, this country, this state, needs people, in a limited fashion, to be able to work across party lines, across racial lines, across geographic lines and while I disagree with the President...[Watch show with Senator Kirk Dillard here]
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You can now watch our show with IL Republican Gov candidate Senator Kirk Dillard (Naperville) streaming here.

Topics discussed include, without limitation, Obama, Gov. candidates Ryan, Proft, Brady, McKenna, Andrzejewski, Schillerstrom, Quinn and Hynes; McKenna the Insider? Stu Levine, should Jim Ryan have known more? Tax increase and tax cuts; making Illinois into a destination economy; who believes in democracy? who might be trying to "Buy the election." Who is least likely to raise taxes as governor? And much, much more

The "Public Affairs w/Jeff Berkowitz," episode, featuring IL Republican Gov candidate Senator Kirk Dillard (Naperville), also airs next Monday night at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 through-out the City of Chicago.

For more on the show with Senator Dillard, the Governor’s race and additional partial transcripts of the show, please go here.
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Did Senator Dillard endorse Obama?

Jeff Berkowitz: …they would say you endorsed Barack Obama, essentially.

Republican Gov Candidate State Senator Kirk Dillard: I certainly did not endorse Barack Obama. I was a McCain delegate, raised money for McCain. That little snippet, five [or] six seconds, twenty some works, limited-limited by agreement to a Democrat Primary, was about ethics. The President, when he was a State Senator, I was the lead sponsor, he was the co-sponsor of the first ethics changes in Illinois law in more than twenty five years, and he took immense grief from his caucus for co-sponsoring an ethics bill with me, a Republican, and anytime, Jeff, a Democrat works with me on a Republican principle like ethics, I’m going to say ..I’m going to acknowledge that they did it. And, it was limited, it had a limited scope. It certainly wasn’t an endorsement. And—

Dillard worked with Obama?

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you worked with Barack over the years on other things, too. You worked with him on capitol punishment reform, right?

Senator Kirk Dillard: Correct.

Jeff Berkowitz: You respect Barack Obama, don’t you?

Senator Kirk Dillard: I do, in limited ways. Yes, it depends on the issue.

Jeff Berkowitz: You knew him pretty well. He was a state senator-you were a state senator [Ed. note, they overlapped in the state senate for eight years].

Does Dillard disagree with Obama's Presidential policies?

Senator Kirk Dillard: I also disagree with [President Obama] on most things that he is doing as the President of the United States. But, you know, this country, this state needs people, in a limited fashion, to be able to work across party lines, across racial lines, across geographic lines and while I disagree with the President probably on 95% of what he does, when it comes to trying to fix a system that put innocent men on death row, or when it comes to passing the first ethics bill in twenty-five years, I’m going to work with the gentleman.
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From "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," taped December 20, 2009.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/ Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;

Better than David Gregory w Nicole Kidman; Berkowitz w/Cong. Danny Davis on gun control and much more; Cable and Streaming

Jeff Berkowitz: So, you don’t believe in the 2nd Amendment?

Cong. Danny Davis: No, I don’t.

Jeff Berkowitz: You would repeal the 2nd Amendment?
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Tonight’s City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs features Congressman Danny Davis (D-Chicago), running in a five candidate Democratic primary for the right to run for re-election to a 7th term in the U. S. House. The show airs throughout the City of Chicago tonight on Cable Ch. 21 at 8:30 pm. For additional partial transcripts of the show and more about the 7th CD race, please go here and here.
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Cong. Danny Davis on youtube:

To watch the show w/ Cong. Davis on your computer, please go here.
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Republican Guv candidate State Senator Kirk Dillard on youtube:

To watch the latest addition to our youtube page, our show with Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate State Senator Kirk Dillard, please go here.
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A right to possess a gun in your home?

Jeff Berkowitz: Should everybody in the 7th Cong. District have a right to possess a gun, if they want to, in their home?

Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th CD): Absolutely not. I think that guns—

Jeff Berkowitz: If somebody lives in an unsafe area, they still can’t have a gun in their home—

Cong. Danny Davis: I think that guns are made to kill people and the more guns that they are around the more people will get killed. As a matter of fact, I am of the opinion that the only people who should have a weapon are really people in law enforcement.

Cong. Davis “doesn’t believe,” in the 2nd Amendment?

Jeff Berkowitz: So, you don’t believe in the 2nd Amendment?

Cong. Danny Davis: No, I don’t.

Jeff Berkowitz: You would repeal the 2nd Amendment?

Cong. Danny Davis: Let me tell you. I think that laws are made to reflect times. And, I don’t want to see everybody running around with a handgun under the seat of their car.

No handguns even in your home?

Jeff Berkowitz: What about in their home?

Cong. Danny Davis: Or, behind the door in their house. Or, some uzis in—

Jeff Berkowitz: You don’t want to see them have a handgun in their home?

Cong. Danny Davis: I don’t want to see them have an uzi in their home.

Jeff Berkowitz: …just a handgun?

Cong. Davis and his father debate gun control:

Cong. Danny Davis: Well, I don’t want to see handguns because I think only law enforcement people—you can conceal these, too easily. And, so certainly I wouldn’t’ want to see any proliferation of handguns. And, of course, much of the way we feel about guns really has to do with what the environment produces. I grew up in the rural south and everybody there pretty much had a shotgun and a rifle. When I moved my father, he had both, as well as a Derringer. And I said, Daddy, don’t you know that I am for gun control. He said, ”well, you can be for whatever you want to be for…but I have been controlling guys from coming in my house.” [where he lived and lived alone].
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Post Game comments, December 13, 2009
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/ Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;

Cong. Danny Davis, running in a contested 7th CD Dem. Primary, on Abortion, ACORN and Rev. Moon: on Cable in Chicago and Rockford, and Streaming

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Jeff Berkowitz: Even a partial birth abortion—you think that should be legal?

Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th Cong. District): I believe that a woman should have the right to decide what she does to try and protect her health and how she views it. [Watch the show here]
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Jeff Berkowitz: Rev. Moon. Did you crown Rev. Moon?

Cong. Danny Davis: No [laughing], I didn’t crown anybody.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you brought a crown to Rev. Moon?
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Jeff Berkowitz: …I very much want to thank Cong. Danny Davis, running for re-election in the 7th Cong. District. He’s been a good sport. A lot of [politicians] won’t come on this show. He’s an incumbent. He’s got challengers. And, he deserves a lot of credit for coming here…Cong. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) , in the 10th CD, we couldn’t get him here when...
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The "Public Affairs," show featuring Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago), who is running for re-election in a five candidate 7th CD Democratic Primary, airs throughout the City of Rockford (and in surrounding areas) tonight, Dec. 24, at 8:00 pm on Cable Ch. 17. The surrounding areas reached by Ch. 17 include Byron, Cedarville, Cherry Valley, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Mount Morris, New Milford, Portions of Ogle County, Oregon, Polo, Stillman Valley, Winnebago, Portions of Boone County and Poplar Grove.
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Next Thursday night's "Public Affairs," show in Rockford features Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate State Senator Kirk Dillard.
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The Public Affairs show featuring Cong. Davis also airs this coming Monday night, Dec. 28, 2009, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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You can now watch the show with Cong. Davis here.
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Jeff Berkowitz: …I very much want to thank Cong. Danny Davis, running for re-election in the 7th Cong. District. He’s been a good sport. A lot of [politicians] won’t come on this show. He’s an incumbent. He’s got challengers. And, he deserves a lot of credit for coming here…Cong. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) , in the 10th CD, we couldn’t get him here when he was running as an incumbent, but we got Danny Davis and we appreciate that. You’re a good sport and you’re participating in democracy.

Cong. Danny Davis(D-Chicago, 7th CD): And, I’ll be re-elected on February 2nd .

Rev. Moon

Jeff Berkowitz: Rev. Moon. Did you crown Rev. Moon?

Cong. Danny Davis: No [laughing], I didn’t crown anybody.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you brought a crown to Rev. Moon?

Cong. Danny Davis: No, I brought it to [the show ends].
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Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, featuring Cong. Danny Davis, taped on December 13, 2009
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Rev. Moon, the Messiah and ACORN

Jeff Berkowitz: Didn’t [Rev. Moon] say he thinks of himself as a Messiah?

Cong. Danny Davis: I don’t know that he did or not. I haven’t heard him say it.

Jeff Berkowitz: If he did, would you then be more reluctant to bring him a crown, or his wife a crown?

Cong. Danny Davis: I don’t think he ever said anything about Messiah, to my knowledge. And, the ceremony that was taking place was really describing Rev. Moon and his wife as true parents. And, I think that there were people who are Moon haters and people who would deny other people the right and the opportunity to express themselves in the way that they do, just like there were people who just thought that we need to stop doing business with ACORN. Well, fortunately the courts decided—

Jeff Berkowitz: You voted against that?

Cong. Danny Davis: I most certainly did.

Jeff Berkowitz: Congress voted to defund ACORN, but you voted against that.

Cong. Danny Davis: I voted against it.
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Partial-Birth Abortions.

Jeff Berkowitz: …Third-term abortions, late term abortions, should they be banned? They are banned now. Congress has said you cannot have late term abortions, partial birth abortions. Right? Congress has said that and the Supreme Court has affirmed it. Do you disagree with that?

Cong. Danny Davis: I think that women have a right to determine to the fullest extent how they protect and deal with their health—

Jeff Berkowitz: Even a partial birth abortion—you think that should be legal?

Cong. Danny Davis: I believe that a woman should have the right to decide what she does to try and protect her health and how she views it.
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Post-game comments, December 13, 2009.
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For more about the Public Affairs show with Cong. Davis, including additional partial transcripts and links to shows with some of Cong. Davis' opponents, please go here.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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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. *************************************************************

Better than Charles Thomas w/ Obama:Berkowitz w/Sen. Dillard, who takes a few swings at Ryan on Levine & McKenna as "insider";Cable and Soon Streaming

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Senator Kirk Dillard [Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate]: …You know, many of us remember [Jim Ryan] said he was for House Bill 750 [the tax swap], which is the largest income tax [increase] in Illinois history, but you know he’s sort of dusted himself off after not having been in politics for a while to run again. And, apparently [Ryan] has changed his position with respect to where he’s at on taxes. You know, his biggest, his bigger problem is he’s going to have to explain why he brought probably the mastermind of Rod Blagojevich’s corruption scheme, a man named Stuart Levine into state government. Jim Ryan’s taken almost three quarters of a million dollars from this gentleman and Mr. Levine was one of the first people actually going to jail in the Blagojevich administration, so, you know, Jim’s got, he’s got other issues, along with...
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Senator Kirk Dillard: and I’m not criticizing him for-- but to call Andy McKenna an outsider--he’s much more inside than I am.

Jeff Berkowitz: Is his father, Andy McKenna, Sr…is he somebody who’s been involved with the Democratic Party and Mayor Daley?
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Senator Kirk Dillard [Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate] debates and discusses a broad range of Illinois public policy and cultural issues with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz on this week’s suburban edition of “Public Affairs.”
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Senator Dillard comes out swinging

Jim Ryan, candidate for Governor in the Republican Primary, may be the only one of the seven Republican Gov candidates who joined Joe Louis as a former Chicago Golden Gloves champ, but it was one of Ryan's competitors, State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Naperville), who came out swinging on the Sunday before Christmas, when he taped “Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz.” The show airs in twenty-four Chicago metro north and northwest suburbs tonight [See the airing schedule, below].

Ryan’s return from political retirement

Polls in primaries are notoriously inaccurate, as they seldom pick up the intensity of the activists who dominate the primaries for both major political parties. Nevertheless, Jim Ryan, who came out of political retirement recently, after a long and continuing stint in the ivory towers of academia and a few years on the board of Ralph Martire’s left wing Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, is in second place in the recent Chicago Tribune poll with 26 % of the vote, trailing only “undecided,” at 31%. Senator and gubernatorial candidate Dillard, with 9%, is in 5th place in the poll, bunched with Senator Brady and businessman [and former State GOP Chairman] Andy McKenna, Jr. at 4th and 3rd Place, with 10 % and 12 % of the vote, respectively.

Only 90,000 votes to win the Republican Gubernatorial Primary?

The 2002 Republican Gubernatorial Primary (won by Jim Ryan with 44% of the vote over conservative Senator Pat O’Malley and moderate Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood) drew around 700,000 voters statewide. With the election scheduled for February 2, 2010 instead of the usual mid-March date, making snow and ice perhaps the climate du jour, and the possibility of the vote being split relatively equally among seven candidates, it is possible that the voter turnout could drop to 500,000 votes, with the winning plurality less than ninety thousand votes. If that happens, any one of the seven candidates could win, including the wealthy, small businessman Adam Andrzejewski, media personality Dan Proft or DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom. Those three candidates polled individually at 6%, or less, in the recent Tribune poll.

Dillard, riding tall with the still popular Jim Edgar

Fifteen-year State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Naperville) has been endorsed by perhaps the most popular Republican in the State, the last elected Illinois Governor not to be indicted, Jim Edgar. Dillard was Chief of Staff for Edgar during Edgar’s first term as Governor, a period in which Edgar and Dillard guided the state out of a recession. Senator Dillard, somewhat immodestly, recently characterized (on WBBM’s “At Issue) that 1991-94 period of governance as “flawless.”

Dillard: throwing heavy punches and sharp elbows at Ryan and McKenna; the Stu Levine story

In Sunday’s taping of “Public Affairs,” in addition to outlining the positive program Senator Dillard would put forward to promote economic recovery and make the State a “Destination Economy,” for business, Dillard threw some heavy punches and sharp elbows at his opponents. One of his targets was Jim Ryan, the aforementioned “leader of the pack.” [except for undecided, that is]. Ryan has what many pundits view as a “Levine problem,” relating to Jim Ryan’s long time close association with and receipt of campaign contributions from Stu Levine, the now convicted felon and co-conspirator with Tony Rezko in the alleged rape of the State by the impeached, arrested, indicted and awaiting trial Rod Blagojevich.

Jim Ryan’s previous support for a big time income tax increase

People have been wondering when the six trailing competitors of Ryan were going to “go negative on Jim.” Of course, each of those guys would prefer a “SOD,” action. That is, they want “some other dude,” to do it. Whoever goes negative on Ryan risks driving his own negatives up as he drives the positives of Jim Ryan down and the negatives of Jim Ryan up. In any case, Senator Dillard started chipping away at Ryan’s lead on Sunday. Senator Dillard also threw a jab, or two, at Jim Ryan’s previous support for “the largest income tax increase in Illinois’ history.” Read about it, below.

McKenna: political outsider or insider?

Another one of Dillard’s targets on Sunday was Andy McKenna, Jr., known for his recent “hair ads,” that cost a million dollars, or so, to try to persuade voters that McKenna, albeit State GOP chairman for five years, a candidate for the U. S. Senate in the 2004 Republican Primary and a part of a family that is said to have been immersed in the Chicago Civic, Business and Democratic Party establishment for decades, is a “political outsider.” Senator Dillard started stripping away, on Sunday, that “political outsider capital,” in which McKenna, Jr. has so heavily invested. Read about it, below.

McKenna and Ryan: ducking and dodging?

Both McKenna and Ryan, by the way, have declined to appear on “Public Affairs,” preferring less rigorous questioning and more of a “Rose Garden,” setting. Jim Ryan avoided the show completely during his last gubernatorial run, as well. McKenna did appear once when he ran for the U. S. Senate but he declined numerous invitations during his five year State GOP Chairman’s tenure.
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Our show with Senator and Republican Gov candidate Kirk Dillard will soon be streaming here.
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Jim Ryan’s tax problem and Stu Levine problem

Senator Kirk Dillard [Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate]: …You know, many of us remember [Jim Ryan] said he was for House Bill 750 [the tax swap], which is the largest income tax [increase] in Illinois history, but you know he’s sort of dusted himself off after not having been in politics for a while to run again. And, apparently [Ryan] has changed his position with respect to where he’s at on taxes. You know, his biggest, his bigger problem is he’s going to have to explain why he brought probably the mastermind of Rod Blagojevich’s corruption scheme, a man named Stuart Levine into state government. Jim Ryan’s taken almost three quarters of a million dollars from this gentleman and Mr. Levine was one of the first people actually going to jail in the Blagojevich administration, so, you know, Jim’s got, he’s got other issues, along with that tax increase to explain.

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, [Ryan] says he didn’t know anything about that; that was a secret life, [Ryan’s] implying even Levine’s wife didn’t know anything about it. She’s divorcing him now-divorcing Stu Levine. So, what are you holding Jim Ryan accountable for? Are you saying he did know what was going on? When he took that money?

What should Ryan have known and when should he have known it? The judgment issue.

Senator Kirk Dillard: Having been a Governor’s Chief of Staff, you better know who’s around you. I mean, we’ve seen this before and when you’re the Chief Executive of the State, you better know who’s around you, who are your friends—and, you know, [Ryan’s] going to have to answer how, as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of this State [and before that], the State’s Attorney of my county [DuPage], how in the world could you not know that a man who when he pled said he was a career criminal since adulthood and masterminded one of the biggest corruption schemes and started to unravel the Blagojevich administration. He’s one of [Ryan’s] closest friends. You know, you’ve got to have judgment. As the Governor, you better know who’s around you. And, you know, [Ryan] can come on here and he can explain that, but, there’s a lot of us that have raised eyebrows about whether you’ve got the judgment as to who’s around you when you’re in the Governor’s office or not, when you have a friend like Stu Levine.

Jeff Berkowitz: Now, McKenna says we need an outsider [for Governor]. He would say you’re an insider. You’ve been …what do you say to McKenna. Do you concede that you are an insider? What do you say?

Dillard: Experienced or an insider?

Senator Kirk Dillard: I concede that I have very unique experience and that’s why I’m running. I was Jim Edgar’s Chief of Staff. I’ve managed the State before in a recession. Managed it well. Downsized state government and we grew manufacturing jobs, Jeff, at a rate greater than the national average …I think that experience is what Illinois needs at this time. We need a Governor that knows how to create jobs and my destination economy plan is the best of any candidate that’s out there. And, there has been nobody who has had the experience in this race of myself in managing the state like it is. You know, I kind of laugh, as do most of the pundits in Illinois—I mean, Andy McKenna was the Chairman of the [Illinois] Republican Party. He comes from a family that is as socially and civically tied in in Chicagoland as anybody, so you know I just kind of laugh when he’s-

Jeff Berkowitz: Is Andy tied in—

McKenna, Jr.: A political insider?

Senator Kirk Dillard: and I’m not criticizing him for-- but to call Andy McKenna an outsider--he’s much more inside than I am.

Jeff Berkowitz: Is his father, Andy McKenna, Sr…is he somebody who’s been involved with the Democratic Party and Mayor Daley?

The McKennas and Obama

Senator Kirk Dillard: That I don’t know. I do know that the McKennas have made contributions to Barack Obama and you know I’m sure if you look at the McKenna family donations, they probably have given money to Democrats over time.
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From Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, taped on December 20, 2009
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring this week's guest, Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Naperville), Republican Primary candidate for Governor, airs:

tonight, Tuesday night, 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, Tuesday night, 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.

The Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," usually airs, as well, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.

Due to a transfer this month of control of broadcast facilities from Comcast to the Village of Highland Park for the above referenced ten suburbs, the airing of Public Affairs in those ten suburbs has ceased for the month of December, but will resume, on the same airing schedule, on January 4, 2010. We anticipate airng the Public Affairs show featuring Senator Kirk Dillard, discussed above, during that first week of January, 2010 in the aforementioned ten suburbs, in the same time slot we have previously aired, i.e., Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19
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The Public Affairs show, featuring State Senator and Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard also will air on Monday night, January 4, 2010, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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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 Chris Wallace w/John McCain:Berkowitz w/Patrick Collins on Campaign Finance Reform & 21st Century Public Corruption; Cable & Streaming

Jeff Berkowitz: How certain are you that Rod Blagojevich will be convicted?

Patrick Collins [Lead prosecutor in the trial and conviction of former Governor George Ryan]: I am not certain. I mean I think it is a strong case. If you compare the evidence in [George] Ryan and the evidence in Blagojevich, I would...
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From Tonight's Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, featuring Patrick Collins [Lead prosecutor in the trial and conviction of former Governor George Ryan], airing in the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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Jeff Berkowitz: How certain are you that Rod Blagojevich will be convicted?

Patrick Collins [Lead prosecutor in the trial and conviction of former Governor George Ryan]: I am not certain. I mean I think it is a strong case. If you compare the evidence in [George] Ryan and the evidence in Blagojevich, I would take the Blagojevich evidence in a heartbeat. But, I also learned in the Ryan case that it takes one juror to think that the case is not strong and what I see in Rod Blagojevich in his defense is that they are going for one or two jurors who think the government is overbearing, who think the government is overzealous, who think—

Jeff Berkowitz: All the [Blago] publicity and book tour is going for that one juror, right?

Blagojevich as a victim

Patrick Collins: It is going for one or two jurors who think the government-- that Rod Blagojevich is somehow a victim of this. Some people may think that is crazy and laughable. I don’t think that is.

Jeff Berkowitz: …If the Supreme Court knocks down the “honest services,” defense, [oral argument was heard recently], do you think that makes it a much harder case against Rod Blagojevich?

Patrick Collins: I think it makes it a harder case. I don’t know about “much harder,” case. They have a case—

Will the U. S. Supremes strike down the "Honest Services," doctrine
Jeff Berkowitz: …Do you think the Supreme Court will reverse the honest services defense?

Patrick Collins: I would predict many things. That, I wouldn’t predict. They have chosen three cases on honest services. They are going to do something. If they tweak it, I don’t think there is any measurable change in the case. If they gut [the defense], the government has to change gears a little bit. But, they still have a good case.
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Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the now defunct Illinois Reform Commission and former Ass’t U. S. Attorney (N.D. IL); currently a partner heading up the Investigations and White Collar practice at the Chicago office of Perkins, Coie; post game comments made after the taping of “Public Affairs, December 6, 2009.
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For another partial transcript of the show and a summary of the topics discussed, please go here.
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To watch our show now with Patrick Collins, please go here
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th CD), Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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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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The beginning of the end for the Giannoulias U. S. Senate Campaign?

The frontrunner in the U. S. Senate Democratic primary in Illinois, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, feigned indignation Wednesday morning as he charged one of his three opponents, David Hoffman, with the “hypocrisy,” of owning stocks in some big banks at the same time Hoffman criticizes the banks’ lending/ investment behavior and drawdown of their reserves. Hoffman, a former federal prosecutor and Chicago Inspector General, seemed to relish the opportunity to “duke it out,” with his taller, but perhaps less vigorous debater, the thirty-three year old wunderkind, Alexi Giannoulias. Hoffman probably thought he was going to have to goad Alexi into a fight. Instead, Alexi was looking for an opportunity to engage the third place candidate at Wednesday morning's Union League Club of Chicago Forum.

Man bites dog

What went on here? A man bites dog story? Why would Giannoulias at 31% go after a third place candidate, Hoffman, at 9% in the polls, leapfrogging over Cheryle Jackson, at 17%.

Tom Bowen, Giannoulias’ campaign manager, responded to my inquiry with this statement:

When Giannoulias was a self-funder

Alexi is laying out Mr. Hoffman’s hypocrisy, that is all. There is no disputing that [Hoffman] is using his own money in this campaign and that he has hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in banks that were bailed out by the taxpayers.

But, Tom, it is hard to see voters, or even Alexi, getting indignant over that, even if true. Yes, Hoffman is self-funding a good chunk of his campaign. Not unlike the way Giannoulias self-funded a good chunk of his first campaign [for Treasurer in 2006]. That was before Alexi had built up trust, with union donors and other special interests, that his policies would appear to be favorable to them, and thus unions and others are now funding Alexi confident that they will get a handsome rate of return for their contributions. Not an illegal qui pro quo but a quid pro quo nonetheless. [If there is hypocrisy here, it is in Bowen’s or Giannoulias’ criticism of anyone else for self-funding].

Who invests in diversified portfolios

And, what is Tom Bowen’s problem with Hoffman having a diversified portfolio that includes some banks? No doubt, Treasurer Giannoulias understands modern diversified portfolio-finance theory and employs it in his own investment decisions at the Treasurer’s office. Are you telling us, Tom Bowen, that Giannoulias is boycotting investments in banks? That would be a news story.

Hoffman triggers the food fight?

Moreover, Hoffman’s ownership of bank stocks hasn’t stopped Hoffman from criticizing banks. Indeed, what Hoffman said Wednesday morning to trigger the food fight with Giannoulias was:

We need to increase the capital requirements for the big banks and community banks who have been irresponsible, irresponsible in terms of withdrawing too much money and putting their banks in harms way.

Alexi had heard this kind of criticism before and he thought he could knock Hoffman around a bit, intellectually that is. Yes, Alexi heard it as a slap at his family’s community bank, Broadway Bank. But, the real reason for Alexi’s response was that he wants to take Hoffman out now before he can grow a base.

Hoffman’s growing support

Alexi has seen, firsthand, the positive response that Hoffman got when he gave his independent, corruption fighter stomp speech on the North Shore, and Team Giannoulias does not want that to spread [In 2004, it was the North Shore that ignited Obama’s sweeping victory in the U. S. Senate primary, and in a sense that helped catapult Obama into the White House]. A strong three- way race between Giannoulias, Jackson and Hoffman is a race that anyone could win, or lose. [See the 2002 Democratic Primary for Governor, more on that in a subsequent post].

So, Alexi feigned indignation, saying:

[Hoffman] has hundreds of thousands of dollars of stock of these big Wall St. banks that is protected by TARP and he is now using that money to fund his campaign…The hypocrisy of going after big Wall St Banks when he uses that money to fund his campaign is staggering.

Well, the moderator, Chris Robling, with a smile and quip, or two, was doing his best to ignore the “debate within the debate,” and ask another substantive question to Hoffman, which Hoffman made short shrift of and then pounced again at Giannoulias. Clearly, Hoffman was licking his chops in anticipation that Alexi, like a big bear, would take the bait, and Hoffman was ready with his response.

Hoffman pounces:

I, like many Americans own stocks…I do own stocks in two of the big banks…my holding in those banks amount to less than one ten millionth of a percent of the ownership of those banks but the person to my right owns a much greater amount of a bank where not only was he …and still is a large owner, but for three years, he helped to run that bank and let’s be clear, it has nothing to do with my work, my history or anything like that, but for the person on my right, it’s a critical part of his experience. In fact, he has only held two jobs and the job just before this one was as the Vice-President and chief loan officer of a bank that is one of the worst performing in the country, so I am happy to continue this discussion at any time. [big time applause].

Note what happened here. A third place candidate had just been given an opportunity to showcase his skills as a corruption fighter, as a courtroom lawyer. Notice the prep in that answer: the highly structured language—the person to my right [individual G]—is repeated twice; And note how Hoffman emphasizes—if you are upset with fat cat bankers [as President Obama put it], please note that “I, David Hoffman am not a banker,” but for the person on my right, banking is a “critical part of his experience.” And, further, the person on my right was a banker at “one of the worst performing banks in the country.”

And, folks, where is Giannoulias looking as he is getting berated? Right at Hoffman, and he is doing so almost cordially. He clearly has been taught that he should do that –look at the other person speaking at a debate and smile respectfully. That usually is good advice. This time, not so much.

Giannoulias captured on video tape by Team Hoffman

Further, all of this is getting caught on tape, tape that the Hoffman campaign has. So, the above choice moments are not going to be seen merely by the 250, or so, attendees of the Union League Club forum. Nope, this has the potential to be cut up into 30 second or 60-second commercials, and then portrayed in the most negative light, shall we say, for Alexi Giannoulias.

But there is more. You almost think there should be some kind of “piling on penalty,” assessed against Hoffman, as he says:

Comparing the records: Giannoulias’ bad performance

[Giannoulias] says it is not fair to talk about banking when it is about his family. What the voters …deserve is a comparison between the records….when you are thirty-three years old and you have only held two jobs and your first job was as the chief loan officer of your family’s bank, it’s worth looking at how your performance was. That. bad performance is showing up in the bad performance of the bank now. It has nothing to do with his family. It is about his bad job performance when he was at the bank. …and I don’t know how he can ask us to trust him with the nation’s business in Washington when he couldn’t even protect the people’s money in his job as Treasurer. With regard to the Brightstart program, [that is] a program that on his watch lost 85 million dollars when money was invested in risky mortgage backed securities and junk bonds after families were told that their money was safe.

Notice again the structured, well thought out repetitive language: “Bad performance, bad performance, bad performance,” of this thirty-three year old who “has had only two jobs,” in his whole life and now wants to be your U.S. Senator. Even Barack Obama, who of course is the gold standard, had at least six jobs before he became your U. S. Senator—and Alexi wants to do it with only two? Well, think about that.

Giannoulias knocked to the ground

But, wait, there is even more. Hoffman has knocked Alexi to the ground and he kicks him one more time, just for good measure:

We have to be honest about the harmful effect of money in politics. Mr. Giannoulias talked about his pledge to not take certain kinds of PAC money or lobbyist money but what he left out was that he still takes some PAC money and some lobbyist money and I am the only one who takes no PAC money and no lobbyist money...

Has Giannoulias lost the honesty issue?

Note again the language choice—with Alexi looking on—“We have to be honest.” And, again, the repetitive framing. Just the right cadence:

He takes some, I take none. If you ever get to a point in a campaign where the voters identify you with honesty and the “the man on your right,” as lacking in honesty, well, then, the campaign is over: point, set and match.

Of course, we don’t think that has happened yet. Alexi had a healthy lead in the polls on Tuesday and he still has it. But, Hoffman got a lot of very good video footage of Giannoulias and Hoffman, side by side, and Hoffman should be able to make some very good commercials. Moreover, a lot of that can be Giannoulias in his own words--- and Hoffman responding to those words, and if Team Hoffman taped this right, they will have Hoffman and Giannoulias in the same frame; they may have reaction shots, or non-reaction shots, as the case may be.

Here is the Hoffman campaign's first effort to work with video from Wednesday. It doesn't knock your socks off. But, it is a start. And, they only spent a day on it. You can’t rush genius.

AKPD Media, Axelrod's ghost

However, as is well known, Hoffman’s outside media advisers are AKPD Media, David Axelrod’s old firm. If anyone knows how to maximize the impact of Wednesday morning’s video, that would be AKPD Media.

It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. Giannoulias still has a big lead, no doubt. Cheryle Jackson is still in 2nd place, with a shot.

Team Giannoulias gave Team Hoffman some crumbs

But, the guy in the 3rd place, David Hoffman, now has a shot, too. [The candidate in 4th place, Jacob Meister, with less than 1% of the vote, is not expected to be a factor in this race]. Good trial lawyers say they are too dumb to figure out how to win a trial. They prepare their case and they do their best. But, they sit or stand attentively and watch for the crumbs that their opponents, the man on the right, will throw their way. And, then, good trial lawyers pounce, opportunistically, and pick up those crumbs and strengthen their case. And, win, often, by virtue of the crumbs from their opponents.

Well, someone on Team Giannoulias gave Team Hoffman some crumbs on Wednesday. And, if Hoffman does win this election, the political wiseguys will mark the beginning of the end for Alexi Giannoulias, the man on the right, as Wednesday, Dec. 16. You can take that to the bank, maybe even Broadway Bank-- and collect interest.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th CD), Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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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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Bill Cadigan drops out of 10th Cong. District Republican Primary: Insufficient funds to compete, a tale oft told.

Updated on Thursday at 1:10 pm: Links added for Cong. Davis video, Bob Dold and Beth Coulson.
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Cadigan drops out of 10th CD

Winnetka attorney Bill Cadigan [watch here] called last night, around dinner time, to let this journalist know that he had filed a notice of withdrawal as a 10th Cong. Dist. Republican Primary candidate. Simply put, he had not raised sufficient funds to execute the plans that would be required to win the primary. As the saying goes, money is the mother’s milk of politics, and the milkman was stopping too infrequently and dropping off too little milk when he did, at Team Cadigan.

A boost for Coulson?

Cadigan, who had been endorsed by Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission and former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger, said if he does endorse any of the remaining candidates it will not be until after January 1. Bill Cadigan worked for former 10th CD congressman John Porter and Cadigan was kind of a Porter look and sound alike in terms of demeanor, style and philosophy, i.e., a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. Although it doesn’t necessarily mean he would endorse her, Cadigan seemed to view State Rep. Beth Coulson as his closest competitor in terms of the voters he was seeking to support him.

Still four major candidates in 10th CD Republican Primary

That leaves four major candidates in the 10th CD Republican Primary: Bob Dold, State Rep. Beth Coulson, Arie Friedman and Dick Green. Dold probably has the most polish, best ground game and a decent amount of money. Coulson is the only candidate with a pre-existing political organization. She has run six general elections, including at least two and maybe more very competitive contests. Green has the most monetary wealth and therefore the ability and most likely the desire to run an intense air war.

Arie Friedman joins the foursome

I had thought until recently that Friedman was not a major candidate. I thought he had the right background, experience, knowledge, smarts and style to be a contender, but that he had entered the fray too late to compete. On spending some time with him, I have re-assessed him to be a major candidate.

Friedman's coalition

Although he probably will have a similar funding problem to that of Cadigan, Friedman has a few offsetting advantages: Jewish, a former military officer and a medical doctor. The Republican Jewish population in the 10th CD is significant and growing. The number of vets is substantial, as is the number of doctors. Friedman is far from the favorite, but it looks he has a shot. Non-traditional coalitions are difficult, but not impossible, to pull together.

Cadigan and Friedman, some shared values?

Say goodbye to Cadigan. He is a good sport and a good guy. Say Hello to Friedman. He is a good sport and a good guy who, like Cadigan, believes in transparency and democracy. Proving all of those things, he is scheduled to tape an episode of Public Affairs next week. Unlike Green, Dold and Coulson, Friedman seems to think he knows the issues and he is not afraid to let the voters see and hear how he thinks about the issues. What a refreshing change from Beth, Bob and Dick.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th CD), Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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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 Dellimore and Ryan w/Jim Ryan:Berkowitz w/Cong.Danny Davis on the Tamil Tigers,Afghanistan, jobs and education; Cable and now streaming

Updated on Thursday at 12:45 pm: You can now watch our show with Cong. Danny Davis here.
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Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th Cong. District): The one thing that I did agree with and I really liked was the fact that President Obama said…we are going to have a surge and we are going to start pulling out at a time certain…but I am not enthralled that we are sending 30,000 additional troops [to Afghanistan].
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Jeff Berkowitz: Sri Lanka? You know… the Tamil Tigers [are] known as a terrorist group, right?

Cong. Danny Davis: I went to Sri Lanka.

Jeff Berkowitz: …Was that paid for by the Tamil Tigers?
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Jeff Berkowitz: We have to go on, Glass Steagall. You get criticism of that because you voted in favor of repealing Glass Steagall. Ald. Dixon [challenging Cong. Davis in the 7th CD Democratic Primary] says that compounded and caused some of the economic crisis in the country. What do you say to Ald. Dixon?

Cong. Danny Davis: Well, I think Ald. Dixon wouldn’t even know what that is. Or, wouldn’t know how to evaluate it...
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Jeff Berkowitz: You said no to those parents who want to have [school] choice.

Cong. Danny Davis: Because the few people who were going to have vouchers were only a small portion of the kids who go to DC schools?

Jeff Berkowitz: And, it only cost a small portion [of what is currently being spent on the DC schools].
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This week's Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," features thirteen year incumbent Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-Chicago, 7th Cong. Dist. The Chicago Metro Suburban airing schedule for Public Affairs is included, below. The show was recorded on Sunday, December 13, 2009.
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You can NOW watch here the show w/ 7th Cong. District Congressman Danny K. Davis, , who is facing challenges in the Democratic Primary from Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon [Watch Dixon] [24th Ward], Darlena Williams Burnett [Watch Burnett], Jim Ascot [Read about Ascot] and Desmond Clemons.
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Cong. Danny K. Davis debates and discusses a broad range of domestic policy, foreign policy and cultural issues with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz on this week’s suburban edition of “Public Affairs.” **************************************
A trip financed by the Tamil Tigers?

Jeff Berkowitz: Did you take money for a trip that was financed by the Tamil Tigers?

Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th Cong. Dist.): Take money?

Jeff Berkowitz: Sri Lanka? You know… the Tamil Tigers [are] known as a terrorist group, right?

Cong. Danny Davis: I went to Sri Lanka.

Jeff Berkowitz: …Was that paid for by the Tamil Tigers?

Cong. Danny Davis: I don’t know if it was or not. There have been some allegations that some of it may have been put into the trip, but the group that paid for the trip technically were not Tamil Tigers, but let me just tell you…the Tamil Tigers is a group that while they were on terrorist lists and that kind of thing, I don’t think they were anymore terrorist than the government.
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Parental Choice of Schools?

Jeff Berkowitz: What about school vouchers? You know we’re spending $15,000 per kid per year in the Chicago Public Schools (“CPS”)?

Cong. Danny Davis: No, we’re not.

Jeff Berkowitz: Yes, we are. Six billion dollars is the budget [for the CPS]. Do you dispute that? The budget is six billion dollars. 400,000 students [in the CPS]. You divide 400,000 into six billion dollars and you get $15,000 per kid per year.

Cong. Danny Davis: Then talk to Mayor Daley and the people who run the schools.

Jeff Berkowitz: Give them a voucher. Do you want to have [school] vouchers?

Cong. Danny Davis: Talk to Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education. Talk to the people who run the schools. All I do is get money into Chicago for them to use.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, would you like to …have the Federal Government encourage [school] vouchers, so parents who want to leave the public schools can do that?

Cong. Danny Davis: No, I’m not interested in extending any more vouchers.

Jeff Berkowitz: You’re not going to give [parents] choice. You don’t believe in parental choice [in schools]?

Cong. Danny Davis: I’m interested in making sure that our schools are equipped to educate all of the children. And, if the failure of the Chicago Public Schools is so bad, then talk to the people who’ve been running them. I’ve never run them. Talk to Arne Duncan. Talk to Mayor Daley.

Jeff Berkowitz: You can encourage, as a Congressman. You can encourage these things.

Cong. Danny Davis: Yeah, you can encourage but you don’t run the Chicago Public Schools.

Jeff Berkowitz: You [Congress] run DC’s schools. In Washington, DC, there’s a school voucher program, did you vote as a congressman for vouchers in DC? [The school voucher program, for new students [most of the students are minority], was terminated recently by President Obama's Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan].

Cong. Danny Davis: No.

Jeff Berkowitz: All right. That was a direct vote. You had control over that and you said no.

Cong. Danny Davis: Yeah.

Jeff Berkowitz: You said no to those parents who want to have [school] choice.

Cong. Danny Davis: Because the few people who were going to have vouchers were only a small portion of the kids who go to DC schools?

Jeff Berkowitz: And, it only cost a small portion [of what is currently being spent on the DC schools].

Cong. Danny Davis: And, there are some terrible problems.

Good idea for Cong. Davis to have supported Glass Steagall?

Jeff Berkowitz: We have to go on, Glass Steagall. You get criticism of that because you voted in favor of repealing Glass Steagall. Ald. Dixon [challenging Cong. Davis in the 7th CD Democratic Primary] says that compounded and caused some of the economic crisis in the country. What do you say to Ald. Dixon?

Cong. Danny Davis: Well, I think Ald. Dixon wouldn’t even know what that is. Or, wouldn’t know how to evaluate it, though, wouldn’t have any—

Jeff Berkowitz: She said, she said it’s—

Cong. Danny Davis: But, but—

Jeff Berkowitz: You know what Glass-Steagall is. It requires the separation of commercial banking from investment banking.

Cong. Danny Davis: Yeah.

Jeff Berkowitz: And, the repeal of that legislation said those folks could interact [in the same company]. They could do both.

Cong. Danny Davis: Well, let me just tell you about the banking system. I disagree with much of—

Jeff Berkowitz: That’s what [Ald. Dixon said], did she get that right?

Cong. Danny Davis: what is around with the banking system. But, some of that, all of that, has to do with the state of the economy. The biggest impact on our economy [is] One, we’ve been spending an enormous amount of money on war and warlike activity. We’ve had trade policies that have taken—

Jeff Berkowitz: Afghanistan. Do you support that? The 30,000 troops in Afghanistan?

Cong. Danny Davis: No, I don’t

Support Obama’s surge of 30,000 troops in Afghanistan?

Cong. Danny Davis: The one thing that I did agree with and I really liked was the fact that President Obama said…we are going to have a surge and we are going to start pulling out at a time certain… …but I am not enthralled that we are sending 30,000 additional troops [to Afghanistan].

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you have recommended to him any additional troops.

Cong. Danny Davis: You’ve got to replace troops. Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, no additional troops. You wouldn’t increase the number that is there [in Afghanistan]…?

Cong. Danny Davis: …it is possible that President Obama may have known something that I don’t know…there are briefings, there is confidential information; there is information that he may have [been] privy to and so, I give him some benefit of the doubt and I still don’t agree that there ought to be 30,000—
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From Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, taped on December 13, 2009
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring this week's guest-- Cong. Danny K. Davis (D-Chicago, 7th Cong. Dist.) airs :

tonight, Tuesday night, 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, Tuesday night, 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.

The Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," usually airs, as well, on

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

Due to a transfer this month of control of broadcast facilities from Comcast to the Village of Highland Park for the above referenced ten suburbs, the airing of Public Affairs in those ten suburbs has ceased for the month of December and will resume, on the same airing schedule, on January 4, 2010. This episode of the "Public Affairs," show will air in the above referenced ten suburbs at a date to be determined in January, 2010.
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The Public Affairs show, featuring Cong. Danny K. Davis also will air on Monday night, Dec. 28, 2009, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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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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Berkowitz w/Comptroller Candidate Krishnamoorthi on the State's Fleet of airplanes and assessing Senate Candidate Giannoulias; Cable and Streaming

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you are not willing to make a statement here and now, saying… cut that fleet of state airplanes?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I have to take a look at it.
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Should the State of Illinois be operating a fleet of airplanes to benefit top State Government officials and employees? Another example of the budget being cut to the bone?

Raja Krishnamoorthi (Candidate for State Comptroller in Democratic Primary): the larger point is one of what are needs, what are wants? Airplanes, a fleet of cars and vehicles. I think we have to seriously look at whether its--

Jeff Berkowitz: Can’t [the top state governmental people] take commercial flights if they have to fly? Why do they have to have the state doing it? Is that the core competency of the State to be an airline? Illinois airlines?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I think that is a valid question. We have to take a look at it.

Jeff Berkowitz: …That is a valid question. But, what’s the valid answer? Yes or no, should they cut these things out?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I think the valid answer is nothing is off the table. Nothing is off the table. We have to look at every single one of these expenditures.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you are not willing to make a statement here and now, saying… cut that fleet of state airplanes?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I have to take a look at it.

Jeff Berkowitz: When are you going to look at it? I mean the election is Feb. 2, are you going to look at it before?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: …I think the main point is that nothing is off the table. Everything is subject to cuts. Everything is subject to freezes. And, we have to take the conversation from there.
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Are Giannoulias' alleged mob ties an issue for Krishnamoorthi?
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Raja Krishnamoorthi: …[Treasurer Giannoulias] has not sought my endorsement…I am just not that prominent.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you know there are issues raised about the Broadway Bank, [Giannoulias’] family bank-- draining funds recently. Lending money to mobsters, to people allegedly mobsters, when [Alexi Giannoulias] was VP, Loan Officer. Do you shrug those off as being non-issues?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I know Alexi Giannoulias as a friend and as a individual, as a manager of a large state office, and what I know about him is that he is an excellent, excellent public servant. And, he is one of the best state treasurers in the nation.

Jeff Berkowitz: You have complete confidence in him?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: Yeah, I believe he is one of the best state treasurers in the nation.

Jeff Berkowitz: And, those allegations about what was going on in Broadway Bank when he was the VP, loan officer and loans were being made to some questionable individuals?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I think the main point is that what I know about him has been extremely positive and I have no reason to believe in any of that other stuff.
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From Tonight's Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, featuring Comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi, airing in the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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For another partial transcript of the show and a summary of the topics discussed, please go here.

To watch our show now with Comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi, please go here.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/ Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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