McHenry County Blog reported earlier that 8 District Democratic Party Congresswoman Melissa Bean was not happy about having to return home in the middle of the Democratic Party Convention to appear at the Surface Transportation Board’s hearing in her home town of Barrington.

When I read the Chicago Tribune account the Thursday before last, I saw the photo of a woman in a red shirt waving her arms.

The cut line said,

“Patty Ancona of Barrington reacts to comments by Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-Ill.) during a public meeting on the proposed purchase of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad by the Canadian National Railway Co.”

It doesn’t get much better than that for a congressman in the Tribune.

The text of Robert Channick’s article said,

“More than 1,000 people crowded into the (high) school’s gymnasium where a visible upset Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-Ill.) told representatives of the federal board that the draft report underestimated the number of affected rail crossings that could be blocked.

“’It gives new meaning to the word “railroad,”’” he said.”

Bean’s testimony is referenced right below that in the article.

I didn’t see either Barrington Hills Village President Robert Abboud, non-incumbent challenger to Manzullo or Bean opponent Steve Greenberg mentioned in the article.

There are advantages to incumbency.

Especially when you are talking to Federal officials and are in Congress.