McHenry County Blog

Joe Walsh at the Wauconda Town Hall Meeting at which he was twice asked about when he would compromise.

Chicago Sun-Times reporter and columnist Lynn Sweet also helps write editorial endorsements.

As I read her column entitled,

Ask your pol: Can you compromise?

I immediately thought of Congressman Joe Walsh.

When he came back for his first summer break Town Hall Meeting in Wauconda, several people asked him about why he didn’t compromise on the Debt Ceiling issue. You can read both of his answers here.

Walsh basically said that as a former government teacher he understood the role of compromise in government, but that President Obama was so far out on the left wing of American politics that now was not the time for compromise, that Obama had not compromised.

Michael Medved said this week on his radio show that it had been months since Obama had talked with Republican Congressional leaders…not since he played golf with Speaker John Boehner.  That was in mid-June.  Hard to compromise, if the leaders don’t talk.

Lynn Sweet's Chicago Sun-Times column extolling the virtues of compromise.

So, getting warmed up for the editorial that will blast Joe Walsh’s quest for re-nomination to Congress and be repeated prior to the general election if he wins the 8th District nomination are Sweet’s words:

“Candidates this election season should be asked what do they value more, the argument or advancing a piece of legislation.

“Freshman Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) made a name for himself in part by being a Tea Party hardliner…

“Of course, candidates should discuss their issues and positions–but they should also be asked about their views on effective governance and if they believe compromise and consensus are dirty words.”

As far as Joe Walsh goes, I’m reminded of what the lawyers say in court:

“Asked and answered.”

Don’t believe me?

Read this article.

Chicago Sun-Times Washington reporter Lynn Sweet had a column Friday entitled,

“Durbin a voice of reason; Walsh a screamer.”

Attacking freshman Congressman Joe Walsh and linking him to three-term U.S. Senator Dick Durbin makes me wonder if Lynn Sweet is trying to damage Walsh, sensing he may challenge Durbin in 2014 (assuming Walsh is re-elected, of course).

That made me wonder if she has figured out that Walsh might be Durbin’s next Republican opponent.

Why else talk about a freshman congressman in the same breath as the second-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate?

Durbin is the consummate insider.  When he was Parliamentarian of the Illinois Senate, working for Lt. Gov. Paul Simon, I worked with him in a campaign to elect Denny Kelley mayor of Springfield.  Republican Bill Cellini was the main man behind the unsuccessful effort to beat Sangamon County Coroner William Telford.

All that talent (not referring to mine) was not enough to capture the mayor’s office.

Durbin is at all the important meetings about the budget and debt ceiling, Sweet points out.

Walsh’s only role is to use the bully pulpit on TV shows like Chris Matthews’ “Hardball,” where he presents the Tea Party viewpointas articulately as any politician I have ever viewed, even in the face of withering attacks on his position.

Chris Matthews was not speechless after the interchange with Joe Walsh when I took this image, but he was grasping for words.

And, even ideological opponents running the shows like Matthews want him to come back, because of the fire in his belly.

When Walsh is on TV, he is not boring.

“I came here figuratively to scream from the mountaintop,”

the man who beat three-term Melissa Bean told the Sun-Times reporter.

Durbin, on the other hand, who will hold a press conference at the drop of hat every times he comes to Chicago, does not throw off sparks of excitement when he talks.

Sweet mentions Walsh’s use of the Chris Matthews’ interview in a fund raising pitch: “I need your help to stand up to the liberal media and Democrats.”

I give Sweet credit for pointing out the obvious.

She ends her article with this statement: “Lawmakers run on platforms and pledges–but they are not solo acts.”

Undoubtedly, the sentence was written before Walsh gathered 86 signatures on a letter to Republican House Speaker John Boehner.

What can one possibly say about a politician who refers to himself in the plural or by his own name?

Since Roland Burris beat me by over a million votes in 1982 when I ran against him for State Comptroller, it would be unseemly for me to offer criticism.

Nevertheless, someone who has taken some courses in psychology might be able to offer some observations.

= = = = =
The article by Lynn Sweet appeared on page 2 of Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times.

What can one possibly say about a politician who refers to himself in the plural or by his own name?

Since Roland Burris beat me by over a million votes in 1982 when I ran against him for State Comptroller, it would be unseemly for me to offer criticism.

Nevertheless, someone who has taken some courses in psychology might be able to offer some observations.

= = = = =
The article by Lynn Sweet appeared on page 2 of Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times.

I arrived early at South Elementary School Tuesday to pick up my son, but with the snow falling rapidly, there were a lot of parental figures taking up all the spots in front of the school.

So, I parked on Nash Road across from the Dole Mansion.

No problem, because I was listening to coverage of the stunning arrest of one of the guys I ran against for governor on the Libertarian Party ticket in 2002. (I got all of 2% of the vote with what Chicago Sun-Times political reporter called “a real campaign.”)

Then the kids started walking, running down the unshoveled sidewalk on the other side of the street.

I knew I had to shovel our not short (at least it seems that way snowy days) driveway when I got home.

In this shot you can see how much energy the running kids had.

I arrived early at South Elementary School Tuesday to pick up my son, but with the snow falling rapidly, there were a lot of parental figures taking up all the spots in front of the school.

So, I parked on Nash Road across from the Dole Mansion.

No problem, because I was listening to coverage of the stunning arrest of one of the guys I ran against for governor on the Libertarian Party ticket in 2002. (I got all of 2% of the vote with what Chicago Sun-Times political reporter called “a real campaign.”)

Then the kids started walking, running down the unshoveled sidewalk on the other side of the street.

I knew I had to shovel our not short (at least it seems that way snowy days) driveway when I got home.

In this shot you can see how much energy the running kids had.

The day after Barack Obama used the phrase “Lipstick on a Pig,” three liberal writers for the Chicago Sun-Times covered the subject. Two jumped to his defense.

I can’t remember the time when

wrote about the same topic with pretty much the same twist.

Political writer Lynn Sweet wrote a balanced news story.

First in the paper was Mark Brown.

“Palin cornered the market on lipstick”

He advises the Obama campaign to “leave her alone.”

Next was Lynn Sweet’s

“Lipstick flap leaves McCain sitting pretty”

“What Obama knew or should have known was that Palin has appropriated as a signature expression the word ‘lipstick…’

“Obama had his political radar turned off on this one when it should have been on.”

On the facing page was Richard Roeper’s column:

“McCain outrage fake, but Obama knows better”

So, if a party’s candidate is not swift enough to figure out that some women might take offense at his intimating that the opposite party’s good looking female vice presidential candidate was a pig, is he up to being president?

That’s a pretty big lapse in judgment, it seems to me.

= = = = =
Thanks to Heck of a Guy blogger Allan Showalter for putting lipstick on one of my pig pictures. You can get a closer look at the pig with lipstick by clicking on its touched up photograph.

If you want to eat some good pig, although probably without lipstick, Crystal Lake’s Second Chance House is holding a pig roast at the Dole Mansion from 1-5 Sunday. $10 for those 12 and over; free for those younger.

And, an update on the pig parts shown on poster:

Thanks for the continued interest in our charity.

I was going to attempt to cook the pig again this year (sans Italian sausage) but the Board of Directors felt that my energy would be of better use by networking with the attendees!

At least that’s what they told me.

I think it might have been just a nice way of telling me they were afraid of me burning the Last Chance House down.

So they’ve decided to have the pig roasted by professionals this time!

The picture you saw on the flyer was just something our web coordinator got off the web. Hope to see you at the Dole Mansion on Sunday. I think we’ll be inside if it rains.

Gerry Winkelman

The day after Barack Obama used the phrase “Lipstick on a Pig,” three liberal writers for the Chicago Sun-Times covered the subject. Two jumped to his defense.

I can’t remember the time when

wrote about the same topic with pretty much the same twist.

Political writer Lynn Sweet wrote a balanced news story.

First in the paper was Mark Brown.

“Palin cornered the market on lipstick”

He advises the Obama campaign to “leave her alone.”

Next was Lynn Sweet’s

“Lipstick flap leaves McCain sitting pretty”

“What Obama knew or should have known was that Palin has appropriated as a signature expression the word ‘lipstick…’

“Obama had his political radar turned off on this one when it should have been on.”

On the facing page was Richard Roeper’s column:

“McCain outrage fake, but Obama knows better”

So, if a party’s candidate is not swift enough to figure out that some women might take offense at his intimating that the opposite party’s good looking female vice presidential candidate was a pig, is he up to being president?

That’s a pretty big lapse in judgment, it seems to me.

= = = = =
Thanks to Heck of a Guy blogger Allan Showalter for putting lipstick on one of my pig pictures. You can get a closer look at the pig with lipstick by clicking on its touched up photograph.

If you want to eat some good pig, although probably without lipstick, Crystal Lake’s Second Chance House is holding a pig roast at the Dole Mansion from 1-5 Sunday. $10 for those 12 and over; free for those younger.

And, an update on the pig parts shown on poster:

Thanks for the continued interest in our charity.

I was going to attempt to cook the pig again this year (sans Italian sausage) but the Board of Directors felt that my energy would be of better use by networking with the attendees!

At least that’s what they told me.

I think it might have been just a nice way of telling me they were afraid of me burning the Last Chance House down.

So they’ve decided to have the pig roasted by professionals this time!

The picture you saw on the flyer was just something our web coordinator got off the web. Hope to see you at the Dole Mansion on Sunday. I think we’ll be inside if it rains.

Gerry Winkelman