IL-05 Primary Weekly Roundup
Signs are up, ads are airing, yet Chicago Public Radio nailed it: Voters Clueless in Fifth District:
One would think that given recent events in illinois politics voters would be more engaged than ever not less engaged; more aware of the need to be vigilant and educated in the voting booth. And this is a particularly high profile seat. It was recently vacated by Rahm Emanuel who left to become President Obama's chief of staff.
What if they gave an election and no one cared? (The answer: they hold it anyway.)
Obviously (if you're reading this), we care, but that's not necessarily transferable to the electorate. While a number of blogs have picked up the slack left by the major media's considerable disinterest in the race (except to complain about not getting their calls returned), most voters are more likely to be aware of the major absense of coverage by the local newspapers (and broadcast media) than the coverage on the internet. I walked into two campaign headquarters this week where I found the same phenomenon -- people walking by wondering what was going on inside (I believe both had tons of campaign signs in their windows).
There is a reason for this. The major media in Chicago has let the electorate down. There's been a lot more coverage of the Chicago Auto Show than there has of the special election. Granted, the papers will probably make more money off the Auto Show and Chicago's media isn't exactly top tier. It has to be easier to cover a presidential election because there is so much other media there and the Chicago outlets can just ride along with the pack. Coverage of this election would have required original reportage. When was the last time you read or heard something *original* from the Chicago-based media. You can take awhile to think about it. But we can stop pretending that the media here acts as some kind of Fourth Estate, pursuing the public interest and keeping us informed about important matters of the day. It's why corruption is so prolific -- and ignored -- here. But the Auto Show (and before that, the Circus) is in town!
Chicago Reader (hardly major media) stands out. This week's issue includes a feature on the race:
Before you can decide which candidate to vote for, it might just be a good idea to think about what you want in a congressman. By my count there are at least six distinct political types who wind up in Congress: outsiders, insiders, wonks, celebrities, legacies, and citizens.
[...]
But whoever wins will probably act as though the mayor and his policies just don’t exist. They’ll go to Washington and instantly forget that they ever lived here—out of sight, out of mind. Actually, it’s not a bad move if you want to get ahead. It worked wonders for Barack Obama.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Tribune started a 5th Congressional District aggregator (although it didn't call it that), comprised mostly of the questionnaires they asked candidates to submit. ABC's local station, Channel 7, has Video up from each Democratic candidate. Sarah Schulte, a general assignment reporter (not a political reporter), did a story on the race. The Sun Times covered the "other candidates" in Political newcomers vie for Congress. The Norridge Harwood Heights News wrote up another candidate forum which was also covered by news radio, WBBM. The Chicago Tribune chimes in on the money race. Granted, it was an easy story to write (it almost wrote itself), but at least it published something. CLTV, which is a cable venture co-owned by the Tribune and Comcast (iirc), reminds us that early voting has begun.
The blogs are another matter. Largely ignored in Chicago, people are starting to realize that they are the real drivers of reportage in this race. The Capitol Fax blog, ProgressIllinois and Prairie State Blue have almost daily coverage of the race, often original reportage. But I wouldn't guess that very many people in the 5th have knowledge of these blogs, let alone read them on a daily basis. This week, Capitol Fax posted on the race on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. ProgressIllinois wrote up pieces on Saturday, Sunday, Monday on mail, Tuesday on ads and endorsements, Thursday on a fundraiser and ads, and Friday on fundraising and policy differences. Prairie State Blue had an interesting post about viability, newspaper endorsements and they live blogged another forum.
Archpundit, widely acknowledged as our Midwest blog father, wrote this accessment of the race in response to Nate Silver's post on Tuesday. DailyKos had two posts about the race on its front page by brownsox, one about endorsements and the other called Open Season. Chad Rubel wrote this for BuzzFlash.
Lynn Sweet (near as I can tell) broke the story about Independent Expenditures in the race, benefiting Feingenholtz and Bryar. The Chicago Reader's Clout City blog wrote up something on Carlos Monteagudo and this one, Don't Call Sara a Reformer. The Chicago Tribune's Clout Street posted on Fritchey's Ad, the Roland Burris influence, the (self-serving) lack of interest in the race, focusing on women's issues and Feigenholtz's $100,000 loan to her campaign.
Paul Bryar
I asked, "How much money did you report on your FEC filing?"
$255,563.00, Bryar for Congress expects to be over $300,000K total raised by early next week.
What other groups are supporting you:
As we learned from Rich Miller (CapFax) on Wednesday afternoon, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY INC POLITICAL COMMITTEE (OPHTHPAC) - issued an IE for a candidate survey and cable buy on our behalf amounting in 59K.
We are receivning very positive feedback on the phones and at the doors. Paul Bryar for Congress launched www.ofritchleyholtz.com because we didn't want March 3rd to come and go without highlighting some key facts about Paul's opponents. People want to talk economy, healthcare and corruption in Illinois politics. Finally, our message to voters is to join Paul on March 3rd because we cannot keep electing the same people to office and expect different results. Paul's opponents have created massive budget deficits, increased their own pay and supported Blagojevich and Stroger until it was popular to oppose them.
I asked about endorsements, and the campaign responded:
In this culture of Illinois political corruption and history of bad decision making by our current elected officials, here is who did NOT endorse us....Todd Stroger, Rod Blagojevich, Sam Pastries Banks, Super Lobbyist Gila Bronner, However, www.ofritchleyholtz.com is on our side. Check it out...
We have been on television since early February. Here is the url to view Paul's commercial. http://www.bryarforcongress.com/videos.html
Fun Facts about the commercial: Since Paul is not a politician and never has claimed to be a polished politician, he had to do several takes of the commercial which in turn the driver consumed over 12 hotdogs, as you can see the driver holding one in the commercial but would not dare take another bite. The commercial was filmed on the Northwest side and attracted an audience during the filming.
What volunteer activities are you doing this week?
Phoning and Canvassing daily. We have a full staff available and walk in volunteers are welcome. Last weekend, we had over 50 people walking for Paul and we want to keep up the momentum. Additionally, we have volunteer appreciation nights every Thursday for people who have worked hard for Bryar for Congress.
Contact Operations Manager Elin Boyle to help.
They will be holding an Open House on Sunday:
BRISKET WITH BRYAR - Open House
1800 W. Berenice
Chicago, IL60613
Sunday February 22, 2009 1:30am-3:30pm
Come to the office to meet Paul, volunteer on the campaign and have the best Brisket Sandwich and sides that you have ever had. Press is welcome.....
Anything else you'd like readers to know?
Paul has an identical twin brother named Colin, According to the U.S House of Representatives Clerk's Office, Paul Bryar, if elected, would be the only current U.S. Congressman with an identical twin.
You can contribute to the Bryar campaign here. His ABC video/questionnaire can be found here.
John Fritchey
John Fritchey is up on the air! He raised the most money during this last reporting period, appears to have the most signs up, has been able to cross the regular democratic/reformer divide, and he has -- by far -- garnered the most endorsements. Had he not waited so long to get in the race, I suspect most people would be calling him the prohibitive front-runner.
John Fritchey started the week joining the picket line in front of the Congress Hotel. There is sudden interest in Fritchey's "son of an immigrant" story, as evidenced by his discovery on the Morocco board, as well as the appearance of Moroccan American for Fritchey. Elsewhere online, Fritchey is under attack (most often by allies of another candidate): Jesse Greenberg tries to connect Fritchey with Roland Burris, questions his FEC filing, and his determination. The Sun Times version of the Burris story includes:
Fritchey is catching political fall-out for interrupting State Rep. Jim Durkin's (R-Westchester) questioning of Burris -- questioning Fritchey's critics say could have forced Burris to admit his extensive contacts with Blagojevich's friends before he was sworn in as senator. Fritchey said Tuesday night he was only being "lawyerly" when he objected to Durkin asking Burris about a hypothetical situation.
"In hindsight, my only mistake was perhaps I should have been more political and less like a former prosecutor," said Fritchey Tuesday night at a fund-raiser for his Congressional candidacy at Tavern on Rush thrown for him by his brother-in-law, zoning attorney James Banks, who has a stake in the restaurant.
Clout Street chimes in:
Fritchey said he was not trying to protect Burris, but rather help build a case against Blagojevich. “My motivation was to find out all the information that we could,” he said.
Timing is everything, and John Fritchey may be caught in the crossfire of the latest political scandal.
I asked, how much money did you raise?
We are very proud to have raised $454,310 since entering the congressional race in January.
What is your message to voters?
John has been a leader on the issues important to the Illinoisans. Whether standing up to government corruption and being a vocal adversary to former Governor Blagojevich or successfully leading the charge to cap property taxes, John continues to fight for the working men and women of our state.
What endorsements have you collected since my last Roundup post?
The Honorable Alexi Giannoulias, State Treasurer
Bosnian-American Democrats
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
What volunteer activities are scheduled for the next week or so?
Volunteer activities occur each day in the office – join our team to help spread John’s message! This weekend’s activities include:
Get Out The Vote (All Day)
Saturdays and Sundays, our team knocks on doors and spreads the message to voters about John's campaign:
Fritchey for Us Headquarters
1511 West Barry (just West of Lincoln)
10:00a.m.
You can contact Brian Gorman at brian@fritchey.com or 773-472-8683 to help out.
They tell us that:
Volunteer activities, public forums, fundraisers and other events to attend are available on our events page
Anything else you'd like for readers to know about your candidate and/or campaign?
John is a proven warrior on behalf of the people of Illinois. He’s behind the cap on skyrocketing property tax assessments, the pay-to-play ban, PayDay lender reform and tax swap legislation that will bring more equitable funding to Illinois’ schools. His efforts have made a difference for children, seniors, homeowners, veterans, environmentalists and all others working for a better Illinois. Now he needs your support as he takes the fight for all Illinoisans to Congress. Volunteer, donate and tell everyone you know to vote for John Fritchey on March 3.
You can donate to the Fritchey campaign here. His ABC video/questionnaire can be found here.
Tom Geoghegan
Tom Geoghegan continues to thrill the blogs. The DFA Endorsement was diaried by Ilya Sheyman and majik thise. Todd Beeton of MyDD offers this challenge, pvlb offers this endorsement and Sandra Verthein offers this appraisal of Geoghegan's Social Security proposal. Julie Sweet, his campaign manager, tell us that, This is how people-power wins elections.
I asked, how much money have you raised:
The Tom Geoghegan for Congress campaign raised $239,669 in campaign contributions for the filing period ending on February 11.
“We called our supporters to action and they responded,” said Julie Sweet, campaign manager. “This shows that Tom’s message of single payer healthcare, increased pensions for seniors, and ending the bank bailout is resonating with people in the fifth district.
“Economic security is the key issue on people’s minds. They trust Tom to make this a priority in Congress.”
Tom Geoghegan formed his campaign on January 5, 2009, several weeks after the frontrunners had filed. Since then, he’s made huge strides in fundraising. Several events have been held in and around the district, as well as in New York; Washington, DC; and California.
Much of Tom’s support has come via ActBlue.com, a democratic fundraising site that has netted him $155,216 from 1,539 supporters as of February 12. Tom is currently the “busiest recipient” of funds on the site.
As of midnight on February 16, Tom had received financial support from 1,698 individuals.
What endorsements have you received recently?
American Nurses Association; Democracy for America; Blogpac; Progress Change Campaign Committee; Global Solutions PAC; Greater Chicago Caucus (GCC; )National Nurses Organizing Committee; Progressive Democrats of America (PDA); Progressive Democrats of America Chicago Chapter; Steelworkers Local 7243; Students for a New American Politics (SNAP); Teamsters Local 743; The Nation Magazine; Hon. Leon Despres; Hon. Abner Mikva; Dr. Quentin Young; James Fallows, The Atlantic Monthly online; Thomas Frank, The Wall Street Journal; Hendrik Hertzberg, The New Yorker online; Alex Kotlowitz, Author; Sara Paretsky, Author; Katha Pollitt, The Nation; Don Rose, The Chicago Sun-Times; David Sirota, The Huffington Post; Rob Warden, Author; Garry Wills, Author.
What volunteer activities are available?
We are canvassing this Saturday and Sunday and have phone banks scheduled every day of the week. We also have outreach programs for Spanish, Polish and other constituencies in the district.
Contact Jacob to volunteer:
Jacob Dusseau
Tom Geoghegan For Congress
4419 W. Irving Park
Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 853-0687
Jacob@tom09.com
You can contribute to Tom Geoghegan here. His ABC video/questionnaire can be found here.
Mike Quigley
Mike Quigley had the best week. He scored a double with the endorsements of Chicago's major newspapers. The Chicago Tribune called him:
Democrats' best choice in the 5th: Mike Quigley
Democratic voters will have no trouble finding a reliable Democrat—there are several who fit comfortably in the party.
We believe they will find one who believes in the party’s principles and has an outstanding record of independent, reform-minded performance in office. That is Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley, who is endorsed today in the Democratic primary.
Quigley has been a forceful, persistent critic of Cook County Board President Todd Stroger. Even better, Quigley has done exhaustive work on how county government could provide better health care and other services to people in far more efficient and cost-effective ways.
His reports on how to improve county government are without parallel in Illinois politics. They’re not goo-goo yammer. They’re tightly researched and spot-on accurate in their assertions about best practices and likely savings. He produces facts, facts, facts. If Quigley’s ideas had all been put in place, the county would not be crying now for more money.
The Sun Times said:
Quigley, 50, is that rare candidate who promises reform -- and delivers.
He's the real deal.
Coming to an ad near you.
How much money did you report?
303 (thousand)
What other groups are out in the field (or on the air) on your behalf?
People powered volunteers and organizers
What is your message to voters?
Message doesn't change if you have a good one, so, same thing. Mike Quigley is, as the Sun-Times said, "the rare candidate who promises reform and delivers."
I asked, Are you on, or going on, television this week?
Coming soon...
What volunteer activities are available this week?
Meet and greet with Mike Saturday morning at 10am [my bad], volunteer canvassing and phone banking every day.
Anything else you'd like for readers to know about your candidate and/or campaign?
A low turnout primary makes the ground game twice as important. At 62,000 voter contacts and a clear path to 80,000, I feel good about Mike's chances.
You can contribute to the Quigley campaign here. His ABC video/questionnaire can be found here.
Victor Forys
How much money did you raise?
In total Dr. Forys' campaign has reported raising $260,000 for the special primary. In the last reporting period we raised just under $64,000. In total, our report shows we have raised $224,000 through February 11. We have reported a total of $46,000 in 48-hour reports, brining our total to $260,000 for the cycle.
Dr. Forys message to voters is that everyone deserves decent health care. We must fix our health care to fix our economy. The two are very much connected. Dr. Forys believes we can get our economy back on track and create jobs but we need to fix health care because that is both a short term and long term help to our economic recovery. Small and medium sized businesses are hurting because of the high cost of health care. If we can help them create jobs, our economy will grow and get moving again.
Are you on, or going on, television this week?
We are on TV. We have had an ad running on Comcast since this past Tuesday, running through the election. We are also continuing our advertising on Polish television and radio, which has been running since January.
We have a free GOTV/Pulaski Day Rally on Sunday, March 1st at the White Eagle, 6839 N Milwaukee Ave in Niles, from 1pm to 4pm. We will be distributing literature and signing up additional volunteers for our GOTV and Election Day activities.
You can contact Katie or Langston by calling our Lawrence Ave office at 773-682-1120 or our Belmont Ave office at 773-322-8608 if you are interested. You can also email info@victorforus.com .
You can contribute to the Forys campaign online here. His ABC video/questionnaire can be found here.
Like every week, a number of candidates choose not to participate. However, there is a bunch of news surrounding them that I'll include here. Sara Feigenholtz wrote another blog piece at BlogHer. Nate Silver thinks she Looks Like [the] Favorite in Emanuel's Old District. Supporter Jesse Greenberg agrees.
Crain's wrote about the Controversial lobbyist [who] donates to Feigenholtz, and both the Sun Times, The Hill wrote about her fund-raising numbers. MOMocrats covered her conference call with bloggers which -- as far as I can tell -- did not include a single blogger from Illinois. Jesse Greenberg writes about her Latest Campaign Ad, Richard Leo Madison wrote a nice diary endorsing her and supporter David Ormsby writes about her latest proposal, pushing Insurance Coverage of Mammograms for Women over 40.
Her ABC video/questionnaire can be found here.
The other female in the race, Jan Donatelli, wrote about why she's running at DailyKos.
Her ABC video/questionnaire can be found here.
Charlie Wheelan also wrote a diary at DailyKos. His appearance on local television is archived here. His ABC video/questionnaire can be found here.
Patrick O'Connor continues to defend Chicago political ways:
Early in his career, O'Connor found himself embroiled in controversy for having members of his family turn up on the city payroll, including other City Council committees, while other aldermen's kin turned up on O'Connor's committee payroll. O'Connor defended the practice, saying he wanted people he knew and trusted working for him.
His ABC video/questionnaire can be found here.
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