FOR U. S. SENATOR—Mark Kirk (R). I swore I’d never vote for Kirk whose principles are on a swivel and whose beliefs if he ever had any are indistinguishable from his personal expediency. Imagine a guy who votes for Cap and Trade in the House because it suits the political temperament of the Libs in his North Shore district but who promises to vote against it if it comes up again in the Senate and he’s there (which it probably won’t since it’s all but interred).
What did Edmund Burke write to his constituents in his Letter to My Bristol Electors? I will vote not as you want me to…but from my conscience. If you disagree with me, you are welcome to defeat me at the next election. Kirk is a nominal Republican, not conservative, not libertarian. He is a political survivor—as constant as fluid mercury in a glass. He once told me: I know you disagree with me on social issues, Roeser—but you must agree with me on national security issues. I said I understood.
Then the public tide turned against the Surge in Iraq and Kirk formed a House caucus to oppose the Surge. When the Surge proved out, it seems Kirk is on board again.
During the primary campaign I contributed $1,000 to Kirk’s Republican opponent who lost. In the general campaign it was discovered that Kirk who has a very laudable military resume in the Naval Reserve, exaggerated his exploits. He said he was a manager of the Situation Room in the White House but in reality he was far down the pecking order of staffers—maybe the guy the Joint Chiefs sent out for coffee. Why the hell will I vote for him then?
Because his Democratic opponent, Alexi Giannoulias, was a certifiable banker to the Mob—a proven case. The choice then has become voting for a chronic exaggerator and resume-puffer or a mob banker. Why won’t I vote for a third party candidate? Because he has absolutely no chance of winning. Originally I said I would not vote for Kirk which meant I’d vote Libertarian---but that was before Giannoulias was nominated and before we knew about Giannoulias’ horrific record. Voting for a third party candidate who can’t win would be a vote that would redound infinitesimally to help Giannoulias go to the Senate. Also there is a chance Republicans will control the Senate and if they fell short by one Senate vote or a handful of them as appears likely, I could never forgive myself.
This is a case which Aquinas would call the principle of double effect illustrated in his defense of homicide to spare other lives…such as killing a berserk mass murderer before he kills more. Voting for Kirk would reward duplicity but might also support goodness since a change in public temperament and voting habits would cause Kirk, a wind-sock, to vote right. And I conclude not voting for him and ipso facto helping Giannoulias get in would be irredeemably worse. Moral: Voting is far more than not deviating from the perfect; it is summoning up the responsibility to make an imperfect choice. Voting Libertarian in this instance would be bailing out and dodging the responsibility to the nation by summoning up the guts to make an imperfect choice.
For Governor of Illinois—Bill Brady (R). I supported to the limit of my ability Kirk Dillard for the nomination. Dillard has not just the philosophical credentials but also the experience to have been a first-rate governor. But a late entry of an elderly cancer-victim, a former state Attorney General, with a popular name who gleaned justifiable sympathy by enduring a life of personal familial tragedies complicated the mix. The former AG is a board member in good standing of a public policy committee known for knee-jerk espousal of higher taxes, the Council for Tax and Budget Accountability. His latter years as AG were marked by his moving Leftward on gay rights. I suspect without being conspiratorial that his entry was a ploy by Republicans and some Dems to defeat Dillard. What happened is that whoever “they” are, they outsmarted themselves and got a real social conservative, Bill Brady, nominated. Now Brady may very well become governor showing that in politics maneuvering can be too cute. Hence I am happy to vote for Brady and his lawn sign is in my yard.
FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL—STEVE KIM (R). Of South Korean birth and extraction, Kim is woefully short of money in opposing Lisa Madigan but he is an inestimably better lawyer, a former senior vice president of Time-Warner Cable and a special assistant to Gov. Jim Edgar. His support of basic constitutional principles of law and experience in business make him highly if not superbly qualified.
FOR SECRETARY OF STATE—ROBERT ENRIQUEZ (R). He was born in Honduras and graduated from the U. S. Marine command school, Enriquez is far better than the aging, slipping Jesse White who has been cashing in on the Tumblers too long.
FOR CONTROLLER—JULIE FOX (Libertarian Party). She’s a very bright CPA without a partisan axe to grind who passionately believes in latch-key abstemious government leading to a consolidation for efficiency of Treasurer and Controller. Far preferable to the Republican candidate, Judy Baar Topinka, an old warhorse longtime pro-abort Catholic who is a regular rider in the Gay Pride parades blowing wet kisses to the crowds…who has been on the public payroll since 1980, having served with maximum pragmatism in the state House, state Senate, State Treasurer and now…because she can’t stand to miss a payday from the taxpayers, board member of the RTA. Topinka is noted for refusing as State Republican Chairman to support Sen. Peter Fitzgerald when he was determining whether or not to run for a second term—her failure to do so being a stunning departure from tradition and clear notice that she was opposed to his signal efforts to make the party responsible by bringing in reform U. S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald (no relation).
FOR TREASURER—DAN RUTHERFORD (R). Excellent legislator with a superb business background, articulate and forceful with encyclopedic knowledge of state government.
More tomorrow.
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