Thursday, March 9, 2006

Topinka Will Boycott WTTW-City Club Debate

Evidently miffed because one of her opponents released an interview with her ex-deputy who said she received money from George Ryan’s notorious McCook commercial license center, State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka has told WTTW that she will not attend the debate the station co-sponsors with the City Club of Chicago March 16. Efforts are being made to turn that decision around but it’s anybody’s guess if they will be successful.

Whether she doesn’t want to face the heat or has decided on a “Rose Garden strategy,” she is running the risk of being regarded as too fragile to take on the attack leveled by Jim Oberweis. While Topinka has been scored by a number of journalists, she has been defended against Oberweis by two—Rich Miller in Capitolfax and Carol Marin, of the Sun-Times who cited Miller’s research in defending Topinka. Miller and Marin are extraordinarily sensitive persons, known for aesthetic sensibilities. They have used similar kid language to disparage Oberweis’ attack on Topinka. Miller, a veteran in Illinois politics, describes the Oberweis criticism as “icky.” That’s right: icky. Icky! What about icky poo? That’s little kid language. I didn’t know Miller was such a delicate flower. My goodness, if he were in Washington covering the séances between Bill Clinton and Monica and Dick Morris massaging a prostitute’s toes Miller might faint dead away. It’s good this gentle person has been spared such indignities.

Now, for her part, Marin said the issue involving Topinka and her deputy was “creepy.” That’s right: creepy. Little girl talk. What’s creepy—the idea of a Treasurer and her Deputy dating? Or that money came from Topinka by his testimony from the notorious McCook facility delivered by a future convict? That’s not evidently creepy since Marin doesn’t mention it in her column. She added that to her Oberweis is creepy just as that other tender flower Miller says Oberweis is slimy. Goodness, dwacious! A marvelous and sophisticated terminology for these tender blossoms who supposedly know something about politics. This enlarged pretense of fainting dead away comes as a jointly managed theatrical device to produce mock horror at one who is a social conservative and both Miller and Marin know it. Icky. Creepy. These words should rank with the all-time lexicon of top Chicago journalists—Howard Vincent O’Brien, Finley Peter Dunne, Sydney J. Harris, Mike Royko. Icky. Creepy.

Incidentally, what ever happened to the promise from Terry Barnich, Topinka’s campaign manager, that he would produce the two women Kovarik named as witnesses to the deal—women who would deny all? Unless I missed it, there has been no appearance. That’s icky, too.

What these two Big Foot journalists should do to help their favorite, Topinka, is to get her to dry her tears and show up for the debate as she had promised. Anyone who can’t face up to attacks from a Republican after having dealt with old Bill Lipinski to torpedo Jim Nalepa and swap high-fives with that solemn minister Bobby Rush to hustle black votes from Tom Dart ought to be able to manage an appearance.

7 comments:

  1. Hey Tom, consider picking up a democratic ballot this primary season. You are certainly acting like one. You can't defend Oberweis (your guy), so you attack the people defending Judy. Quit sticking up for the 11th commandment breakers.

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  2. Greg
    We are in a primary where people of the same party run against each other! Then AFTER the GOP VOTERS , not the party leaders, choose a candidate then everyone falls in line. There is nothing wron with going after each other in a primary. Do you think Blago didn't know about Kovarik? Do you think he would not bring up the hotel deal? The daily Herald used as as part of the cons in a pro con piece about Judy when she announced. If she wins she will still have to answer questions about it. The primary is practice for the General Election to make sure your campaign is ready for prime time. By the looks of it Judy should have gotten in when everyone else did. She need the practice

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  3. I don't think it's a Rose Garden strategy when she's already had half a dozen debates. The underlings won't be satisfied until *they* are ahead in the polls, then the calls for more debates will sound again.

    RD, Judy is still in the lead, so I guess her strategy is working.

    Oberweis' strategy, on the other hand, is costing him credibility and votes. I heard a primary voter refer to him as "the Mad Cow".

    What wasted millions. I suspect Brady will top him.

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  4. Come on Judy, when the going gets tough, Judy picks up her dolly and goes home...
    Judy dear it is called POLITICS!
    You know the game but you would rather be hugging that "rainbow" baby in the GAY PRIDE PARADE! than face the DEBATE! Is the Gay Pride crowd a more friendly group for you Judy than the City Club/WTTW debate!

    Whats the matter Judy? Can't you take the heat? Or are we getting to the hub of the matter.

    And then there is all that money YOU left on the table because YOU, JUDY, did not want to go after companies for not collecting Illinois Income Tax on "undocumented workers"! And what about your buddy Edgar's connections to businesses that play the "undocumented worker" game? Embarrassing isn't it JUDY?

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  5. What State Constitution are you reading???

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  6. ....protect Illinos' assets by ensuring the highest rate of return possible? If so, what happens if that return isn't found in Illinois?

    Does the State Treasure invest in Illinois communities, not New York banks? If so, what exactly is an "Illinois bank"? What does it mean to invest in Illinois communities?

    Does the the State Treasure protect Illinois consumers by withholdng state funds from banks that exploit Illinois families? If so, why not identify those banks BEFORE the primary election? Which banks with state funds currently have ownership interests in pay day loan type operations?

    Who will answer these questions: Topinka? Giannoulias? Mangieri? Dan Rodriguez-Schlorf?

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  7. Again the 11th Commandment is invoked. And again, it is applied incorrectly. Reagan didn't invoke any such "commandment" until after he himself was an incumbent. Also, it applied to Republicans only and using the GOP Platform as the measuring rod, Judy does not qualify.

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