Willinois's blog

There's no group more powerful in the Democratic Party than organized labor so its hard to overstate the importance of Joe McMenamin's endorsement by the Illinois AFL-CIO. Schoenburg calls it a "boost" for McMenamin in his column today.

That's in addition to endorsements by the Democratic party organizations in the two largest counties in the district (Madison and Sangamon) along with several others. Leaders across the district know that McMenamin is our best shot at defeating John Shimkus in November!

Democrats in the Illinois 19th Congressional district think Republican incumbent John Shimkus is more vulnerable than ever this year which is why three candidates are running in the Democratic primary. Shimkus' involvement in the Foley page scandal cover-up, the violation of his term limit pledge, his offensive statements about Iraq, and the likelihood that 2008 will be a good year to unseat a Bush rubber-stamp gives new hope to local residents who are tired of John Shimkus. So far only one candidate, Joe McMenamin, shows signs of being a serious threat to Shimkus.

I first met Joe McMenamin a few weeks ago after the showing of a documentary movie in Springfield. He spoke during the group discussion period about why he felt Bush leading us into Iraq was misguided. He mentioned speaking in front of the Springfield city council in favor of a resolution opposing the war even before it began.

The third Tuesday of each month Liberty Brew & View will show a film on the big movie screen at Capital City Bar & Grill in the Capital City Shopping Center on Dirksen Drive in Springfield.

The movies will focus on a different political or social issue each month and we'll invite a local group to provide information about how to take action. This is your chance to meet new friends, see a great movie and do something to make a difference.

Cross-posted from www.thereisaway.us
There are a few news items about fuel economy that I've been meaning to write about. The Star Tribune has a good editorial about legislation that passed the Senate to improve fuel efficiency. Also, if you missed coverage of the Senate energy bill, check out this New York Times article. The Senate's support for better fuel standards is encouraging but pro-pollution Republicans managed to block legislation that would have encouraged a responsible course on clean energy generation.

[promoted by leo]

I voted early today at the Sangamon County Clerk's office. I saw a story about it on TV 20 News last week but I don't think early voting will catch on in Sangamon County until there are additional voting locations besides the County Courthouse and there's a bigger effort to promote it. I imagine that will take a little more money and a commitment on the county board's part.

I've been keeping up on the election but I was still surprised at how many different offices there are to vote for this year besides Alderman and Mayor, including the Park Board, LLCC Board, SMEAA Board, and School Board. I also voted on the resolutions about city council term limits and instant run-off voting for military ballots. So, remember to know who's running for the boards that get less attention before you go to vote.

[promoted by leo]

This is a mishmash revision of two posts at http://www.thereisaway.us

Towns across Illinois held primary elections Tuesday. In Springfield there's nothing I was hoping for more than to see ultra-conservative Alderman Joe Bartolomucci eliminated in the primary and I got my wish. Besides his embarrassing comments about the homeless in Springfield, he was the most openly hostile to the Sierra Club clean energy agreement, even calling the Sierra Club "extortionists" during a council meeting.

His resounding defeat in the primary gives me renewed hope in the voters of Springfield. Ward 5 won't stand for Rush Limbaugh-style conservatism. It also means the seat will now be held by a Democrat, no matter who wins the general election.

[promoted by leo]

Tuesday night I attended a Ward 7 Springfield Aldermanic forum hosted by the Washington Park Neighborhood Association. They handed out their candidate survey that included answers from all four Ward 7 candidates: Mark Beagles, Debbie Cimarossa, Joe Rock, and Jim Zerkle. The SJ-R www.sj-r.com has a story on the forum but the online version is only available to subscribers.

In response to a question from the audience, I learned that Joe Rock is a Democrat, while the other three are Republicans.

There were several questions related to environmental concerns, beautification and growth patterns.

Several organizations will join with the Sangamon Valley Group of the Sierra Club to present a Clean Energy Film Festival in Springfield over the next several weeks. This is your chance to learn more about the problem of global warming and new, innovative solutions for meeting our energy needs.

All events will have information about Springfield's new clean energy plan and how to get involved locally.

The Power of Community
February 12 - 7:00 pm
Siena Hall, 1237 West Monroe.
Co-sponsored by Pax Christi Springfield

Kilowatt Ours

[promoted by leo]

Cross-posted from www.thereisaway.us

I'm sure Dick Durbin will receive the usual mountain of insults and virulent attacks from the conservative hate-radio crowd for delivering the Democratic response to Bush's proposal to escalate the war in Iraq. Once again, I'm proud to have Dick Durbin representing me in the US Senate.

I'm proud that Durbin was one of only two US Senators up for re-election that year who voted against the Iraq war resolution. The other was Paul Wellstone. I'm proud that he called Bush to task for manipulating national feelings about the 911 tragedy to advance an unrelated agenda. I'm proud to have a Senator who thinks acts of torture are beneath our national standards as the world's leading democracy.