Friday, March 4, 2011

Aldermanic Debate Scheduled For March 24, 7pm


We are being told that the final details of a debate between 46th Ward Aldermanic candidates James Cappleman and Molly Phelan are being hammered out, but the date and time are set.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 24 at 7pm. Location to be announced soon.

26 comments:

  1. Well I made a remark yesterday that Molly hadn't shown any $1000 plus contributions since February 21. I spoketh too sooneth.

    Today this pops up to the tune of 13 large. Dat's approximately $13,000 for those of you who don't think you're in a Damon Runyon column.

    Apparently the Brendan loves Molly love affair continues.

    What does this have to do with the debate? Nothing, but it's the newest post.

    Cappleman has also collected about half this amount of cash since round one of the election. His came from people in the ward though.

    Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce PAC 200 E. Randolph Street
    Chicago, IL 60601 $5,000.00
    3/2/2011 2A
    Friends of Molly Phelan

    Herro, David
    Occupation: Inv mgmt
    Employer: Halp 65 E Goethe St
    Chicago, IL 60610-2628 $4,600.00
    3/3/2011 1A
    Friends of Molly Phelan 78389P
    CITIZENS FOR REILLY PO BOX 10939
    Chicago, IL 60610 $3,457.53
    2/28/2011 5A
    Friends of Molly Phelan Phone Bank, Mail & Consulting Services

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here is my suggestion for a question...and I am serious..

    Candidates, how long have you lived in the 46th ward?

    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  3. Interesting contribution from David Herro of Harris Associates. Appears *to me* that he's playing a bigger and bigger role in local politics.

    ReplyDelete
  4. How long has James lived in the ward?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rob - Seriously, let it go. How long one has lived in the ward has no bearing on how one will perform as an alderman. None.

    If a re-animated George Washington moved to the ward 2 months ago and wanted to run for alderman, you would really say no? Of course, I think he would have bigger issues on his mind, like trying to understand our "giant metal birds" and "steel horses".

    ReplyDelete
  6. SMC , no, I will not let it go.. and thanks for speaking down to me.. I guess that is the attitude of a certain aldermanic candidates cheerleaders

    How one could possible say that being involved in the community with deep roots is not relevant is beyond me. To take your inane idea further, then I guess a President of the United States should not have to be born in the U.S. either? Your logic on how this is NOT an important factor befuddles and bemuses me...

    ...so SMC, don't ever tell me again to "let it go". I promise not to speak down to you if you promise to get off your high horse

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have to say that I wouldn't vote for George Washington either. He was a slave-owner for Pete's sake.

    Rob, your question sounds silly, especially with your self-gratifying thank you... ohhh... burn sizzle....

    How long has Kaplan lived in the ward? If he lived here longer, would that make him a better candidate?

    Anyway, seriously, if anybody knows I am curious to know how long James has lived in the ward.

    Picard out.

    ReplyDelete
  8. There are all kinds of silly rumors out there regarding Molly.

    She says she's lived in the ward since 2005 or 2006 and I assume the various opposing campaigns checked on her voting record and verified that. I would have.

    There are other reasons to support or not support her than the length of her residence here. The fact that she's a renter is largely irrelevant too. The alderman elect in the 47th Ward, Pawal, is both a renter and only a 3 year resident. I would have voted for him.

    Today I heard the rumor that Molly promised help to Don Nowatny in paying off his campaign debt if he endorsed her.

    What's next?

    James is actually straight and knocked up one of Charlie Sheen's hookers.

    Molly is actually the love child of the first Mayor Daley and Raquel Welch.

    The IrishPirate is a crossdressing felon who seldom bathes.

    Well two out of three ain't bad.

    It's like the rumor Shiller didn't live in the ward. BULLSHIT.

    Let's deal with the real differences between the two candidates.

    They are both good people. They are both imperfect people.

    Either James or Molly will be a vast improvement over the current chairwarmer we call Alderman.

    I hope to see a relatively clean campaign from here till election day. The February 22 election was relatively clean and I think we should keep up the new traditiion.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Could someone please help dispel the ugly rumor that by pledging his endorsement, Phelan would help satisfy Nowotny’s campaign debt?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just a historic note connected (loosely) to IP's hypothetical about one of our aldermanic candidate's being the love child of Raquel Welch... Raquel Welch does have ties to our ward. She was born in Chicago of a Bolivian-born architect father and an Irish-Chicagoan mother. Emery Stanford Hall, Welch's maternal grandfather, was also an architect and a strict Baptist who designed three homes along Junior Terrace - unfortunately all torn down now - they were at 738, 808 and 810 W. Junior.

    No point exactly except that I love a chance to recall our community's history. Length of residency in the ward is probably not as important as the quality of service to the ward.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I guess length of residency isnt an issue if you can buy an endorsement.... alledgedly

    ReplyDelete
  12. @Irish Pirate and everyone else

    Wondering where the large donations to Molly and James are coming from? Check out these interactive maps:

    http://thegeorgist.blogspot.com/2011/03/hey-big-spender.html

    ReplyDelete
  13. Grrr

    I give up. Let's have a nasty election full of rumors and innuendo. Insinuendo as "da mare" might say.

    I'm going to try to kill this Nowotny rumor because I really prefer this not become the next FWY financial disclosure kerfuffle of the next week.

    Nowotny is or was close to Tom "Not So Sharp" Sharpe who endorsed Cappleman.

    Sharpe is the Democratic Committeeman and probably has access to the polling data the Rahm campaign did of ward races a few weeks back.

    The 46th ward specific poll questions asked likely voters two questions. Some of you can verify you received the polling call.

    1. Who do you plan to vote for on February 22nd?

    2. If your candidate doesn't make the runoff who do you plan to support?

    The poll results were very close to the actual results on February 22nd. With one exception. Emily Stewart outperformed her poll results by almost a factor of two.

    She had a real good two closing weeks.

    Now Cappleman outperformed Phelan in the second question of the poll by something like 1.7 to 1. I forget the exact numbers because the discussion I was privy to occurred at a bar on South Western Avenue with a turncoat 19th Warder who supported Rahm over Chico. He saw which way the wind was blowing.

    Now Phelan could certainly win this race. She has a great ballot name and plenty of outside cash and outside "volunteers". She also has a smaller, but dedicated ward following.

    I wouldn't bet on it though because her advantage in outside help is likely to disappear if the SEIU joins the fray. Even if they don't get actively involved Cappleman's level of dedicated local support is higher.

    Now I find the best way to judge what a person will do is to look at what's in their best interest. If Nowotny endorses Phelan and she loses she won't be in much of a position to help him with the campaign debt AND Cappleman might start thinking the ward needs a new Streets and San superintendent.

    I'd guess even "Not So Sharp" Sharpe has told him that.

    If I'm wrong you can all mock me mercilessly. You can taunt me and suggest I have family members who smell like elderberries.

    Now unless something concrete happens on this subject I'm hoping we can concentrate on the real issues of the campaign.

    ReplyDelete
  14. OH ROB,

    that map is good. Not as awesome as your "awesome tweed jacket", yet it's likely the Cappleman campaign can use something similar in a campaign mailing.

    I would take the cash if I were running Team Molly, but you gotz to recognize that it comes at a cost.

    Ask Alderman Elect O'Donnell in the 47th ward about that cost......oops I forget.......he lost to the guy with less outside cash.

    ReplyDelete
  15. As to cost, you'll notice that Molly has received money from the Illinois Restaurateur's PAC. Will that affect her stance on mobile food trucks?

    http://thegeorgist.blogspot.com/2010/12/your-food-your-liberty.html

    ReplyDelete
  16. Maybe these restaurants want to open in Uptown.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Rob,

    Take heart because depending on where you live in the ward, after the whole city is redistricted this fall and ward boundaries are redrawn you could end up being in the 44th, 46th, 47th, or 48th Ward.

    Then your questions of ward origins will get very exciting!

    ReplyDelete
  18. David Herro wants Wal-Marts in Chicago. He gave $75k towards candidates opposing Alderman Joe Moore in 2007 when everyone was talking about the Big Box Living Wage ordinance. He gives tens of thousands of dollars to Republicans and conservative interests. Some pretty out of the mainstream.

    Example:

    BACHMANN, MICHELE
    VIA BACHMANN FOR CONGRESS
    10/30/2008 2300.00
    01/27/2009 2400.00
    04/15/2009 2000.00
    06/08/2009 1600.00
    06/08/2009 2000.00
    09/01/2009 2400.00

    It's my opinion that donations from David Herro carry too high of a price tag in special interests. David Herro does not have anything in common with people in Uptown.

    I don't think Molly Phelan will resist when David Herro comes knocking on her door as alderman. She's not independent thinking. I don't like that.

    ReplyDelete
  19. David Herro and his partner Jay Franken are two of the larger donors to local gay causes. They were instrumental in getting the Center on Halsted funded.

    I am amazed he would give money to Michelle Bachmann.

    This is just one thing she said

    “If you’re involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it’s bondage. It is personal bondage, personal despair and personal enslavement.” — Senator Michele Bachmann, speaking at EdWatch National Education Conference, November 6, 2004.

    Here is a link for others.

    http://www.thebachmannrecord.com/thebachmannrecod.html

    Next time I see his partner Jay around he is going to get an earful from me. I have been at charity events with these two. I should stay away from the booze next time I see them.

    I do not think being gay and conservative is an oxymoron. I do think being gay and giving money to Michelle Bachmann is a f'n expletive of cosmic proportion. That is the kind of behavior I would expect from some closet case not an out gay man in a loving relationship.

    Unbelievable. I had not planned to vote for Molly. I just wish I had a few extra thousand dollars that I could give to Cappleman to offset the gaybarrassment of Herro.

    For the record I have no problem with a gay man supporting Molly. I do not believe that group politics is right. Not all gays should be expected to vote for the gay candidate.

    I do believe that no decent human being gay or straight should be giving money to a vile creature like Michelle Bachman. David Herro has lost my respect.

    ReplyDelete
  20. The Herro donations to Bachmann are interesting. Too much cognitive dissonance for me. That's like a chicken donating money to Colonel Sanders.

    Oh well.

    I also received a vile comment on my little read blog accusing me of prevarication regarding the Rahm poll I wrote about earlier.

    Believe it or not. As my dad would say "no skin off my ass". Perhaps I protest too much, but I can provide one concrete clue that everyone can look up.

    There were 59 votes that were counted by the Board of Elections after election day that showed up in the vote totals. I assume they were absentee and provisional ballots. Cappleman received 25% of those votes. Phelan received 15% resulting in the amusing tie we have today.

    Fifty nine votes is a high enough number to be statistically significant. A ten point differential shows the relative commitment of the campaigns voter base. That differential bodes well for Jimmy C and his Cappleteers.

    Also I was out earlier today at a bar, hard to believe, and someone mentioned to me that they were vote challenged by the Phelan campaign on election day. This was a resident who has been here at least since the 2007 election and perhaps before.

    It hadn't occurred to me before, but it was amazingly stupid to do that in an election where a runoff was a virtual certainty. The challenged voter supported Carroll. What do you think the chances are she will support Phelan in April?

    As a Capplemaniac supporter I have to say I hope the Phelan campaign and their wooftastic advisors challenged hundreds of voters.

    People get angry about stuff like that. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to people quoting bad Star Wars lines and voting for your opponent.

    ReplyDelete
  21. "That's like a chicken donating money to Colonel Sanders."

    HILARIOUS!!!

    How do voters know who is poll-watching for who? How do they know? How does a voter not think someone is poll-watching for James? Or Rahm? Or Kaplan?

    ReplyDelete
  22. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the way a candidate runs his/her campaign is indicative of how s/he will behave in office...the people who fund his/her campaign are the people who are going hold his/her attention (and be heard) after the election...and the sort of people a candidate surrounds him/herself with during his/her campaign are frequently the same people who will staff the elected person's office.

    So, one of the candidates has to be prodded to provide public information...glosses over "details" when it's convenient...has thuggish paid staff who like to manipulate public discourse...gets most of the campaign money from monied special interests and Machine politicians from outside of the Ward...etc., etc.

    Haven't we already had enough of that from the current alderman???

    ReplyDelete
  23. Mr Bear,

    ask not what your aldermanic candidate can do for you, but what you can do for your aldermanic candidate.

    I looked at the Capplemaniac's website earlier to see if there were any upcoming fundraisers. Didn't see any. Did see a link to donate money.

    Did see this tweet from yesterday:

    Big volunteer weekend! Come help out! Sat 10 to 6. Sun 12 to 6. 4133 n broadway.

    Perhaps it's time that those of us who support "James for Change" got off our butts, stopped typing, and did something a bit more concrete.

    Or perhaps not. I certainly like typing away and amusing myself with my oh so amusing, to me at least, comments.

    Anything worth having is worth working for. With the amount of money and outside support Phelan is pulling in those of us who support Cappleman are going to have to work for victory.

    If you don't think working hard and smart can make a difference take a look at the Emily Stewart campaign. If the election had been two weeks later it might have been a Stewart V ? campaign.

    That's why working matters.

    We didn't give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor, Germans?, and we're not going to give up now.

    Just because some balding, pudgy, pasty, wannabee Irish political boss named Downtown Brendan Reilly is trying to buy an election, doesn't mean we have to roll over and play dead for him.

    Reilly thinks he's starring in his own movie. What he doesn't realize is that it's a made for TV movie and that it's not going to be made into a series.

    He thinks he's Tom Hanks in "Saving Candidate Phelan."

    Actually he's more like Charlie Sheen in "2 and 1/2 Candidates". Lotsa money and wind, but nothing substantial.

    ReplyDelete
  24. "So, one of the candidates has to be prodded to provide public information...glosses over "details" when it's convenient...has thuggish paid staff who like to manipulate public discourse...gets most of the campaign money from monied special interests and Machine politicians from outside of the Ward...etc., etc."

    Which one are we talking about? That is the one I want to vote for voting for!!!

    ReplyDelete