Of all the Senate seats the Republicans have to defend in 2016, Illinois is probably the one they dread most. Mark Kirk is a weak candidate with an undistinguished, uninspiring record in a blue-leaning state. Although there are no party registration statistics available, recent elections gave the Democrats 40 seats in the Illinois state Senate to the GOP's 19 and 71 in the state House to the GOP's 47.
Illinois Democrats can do a lot betterIllinois is one of the most Democratic-leaning states with a vulnerable Republican seantor-- Mark Kirk-- up for reelection in 2016. Local fave Hillary Clinton is likely to sweep the state comparable to how Obama did in 2008, when he thumped McCain 3,419,348 (62%) to 2,031,179 (37%). Kirk himself was elected in the 2010 midterm, low voter turnout, with just 48% of the vote against a weak Democrat who got 46%.
Steve Israel and the DCCC freaked out when they realized that a progressive grassroots candidate, George Gollin, was serious about running against freshman GOP corporate shill Rodney Davis. With Dick Durbin at their side, they did everything they could to undermine Gollin and, in the end, Israel's mystery meat candidate, Ann Callis, won the primary, with 54.65%, having significantly outspent Gollin. From the moment she won the primary, the Democrats could have written off the swing district.
There is no way to shame a Republican. None of their selfish, narcissistic behavior ever seems to embarrass them. As Wall Street attorney Oliver Budde explained, "[O]ur ethos in a nutshell: grab every dollar you can, for as long as you can, using every scheme you can think of, and pay out to yourself and your cronies as much as you possibly can, as quickly as you can.
If you read DWT with any regularity, you already know that not all the worst villains in American politics are Republicans. And even worse than bungling junior crooks like Steve Israel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Joe Crowley, is the slimy gonif the three of them emulate and aspire to replicate.
Despite the hairdo, Susanne Atanus is not from EMILY's ListEvery good progressive deserves their own opponent like Susanne Atanus. Recall that last January we had a chuckle over the crackpots running against Jan Schakowsky in her Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Des Plaines, Arlington Heights district (IL-09).
"Josh Lanning has the worst job"A year or so ago, I found myself at the fabulous Beverly Hills restaurant of one of the world's most celebrated chefs, José Andrés, The Bazaar. But my dining companion was even more famous-- perhaps infamous-- than Andrés who has won James Beard awards and who beat Bobby Flay on Top Chef.
Sunday, as part of an introduction to Blue America's latest endorsed candidate, George Gollin in central Illinois, we mentioned in passing that the mediocre Republican incumbent, careerist Rodney Davis, has a primary to worry about next month.
