Posted on 01/06/2007 7:49:55 AM PST by Chi-townChief
Hurt, incensed and moved to tears, mayoral challenger Dorothy Brown on Friday accused state Sen. James Meeks of sexism and calling her a "loser" unworthy of endorsement in her race against Mayor Daley.
"I am not a loser. I am a winner. I am the epitome of the American dream and Dr. Martin Luther King's dream," said Brown, clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court.
"To make the kind of statement he made in the face of my hard work -- the challenges and discrimination I have overcome in growing up poor and becoming a respected countywide elected official in this town -- I see it as a direct disrespect for me as a human being, as a woman and as an African American."
'I didn't call her a loser' Brown said the Meeks insult is particularly infuriating on the heels of the all-but-endorsement of Daley by vanquished mayoral challenger Bobby Rush. Noting that women make up 80 percent of Meeks' congregation, Brown said, "How much do we have to accomplish [to command respect]? ... We deserve a chance. All I'm asking for is a chance."
Meeks, pastor of the Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Roseland, reacted angrily to Brown's tirade. "I didn't call her a loser. I said I'm not going to support anybody who's going to lose. What does that do for my credibility if I go out and support somebody who doesn't have a possible chance of winning?" he said.
"I've supported Dorothy Brown in every race she's ever been in. Just because she doesn't have a possible chance of winning this particular election, it doesn't mean my comments are sexist. It's reality. She doesn't have the infrastructure, the capacity or the ability to win the fifth floor of the mayor's office."
Earlier this week, Meeks and Daley put aside past differences to issue a joint plea for education funding reform.
Afterward, Meeks appeared to set the stage for a future endorsement of Daley, telling reporters, "When I do that, I want to have a separate press conference so I can get you [media] guys back again. If I say it now, you guys wouldn't have to come."
Asked if he planned to back Brown, Meeks said, "I probably won't be endorsing anybody who's going to lose."
In late November, Rush all but endorsed Daley, calling him a "great mayor" who has done a "fantastic job" and "deserves another term."
Daley also faces Bill "Dock" Walls, who is challenging signatures on Daley's nominating petitions; Ziff Sistrunk and political unknown Syron Smith.
fspielman@suntimes.com
CHICAGOLAND PING
Naw, you're just a loser. There are other human beings, women, and African Americans who are winners. You just aren't in that category.
Oh, I'd contest that. I've unfortunately had to deal with her office and I found the experience far more expeditious and helpful than I had expected. Dorothy Brown is renowned for having made that governmental function work much better than it did when she entered office. I voted for her in the last election; I think she's doing a fine job.
Why even run against Daley? It's a waste of time and money. He's a modern Boss Tweed.
Hey Senator Meeks, what does it say for your creditability when you spent half of last year loudly proclaiming your "Independent, pro-life, pro-family" label in the legislature and said conservatives "owe" you their vote if you run for Governor, only to turn around and file for re-election as a LIBERAL DEMOCRAT and happily endorse Blago once he bribed you?
If you're sooooo "socially conservative" and "Independent", why the hell are you working for the Democrat machine and Jesse Jackson?
Hurt, incensed and moved to tears, mayoral challenger Dorothy Brown ...Oh sheesh, that's all any city needs -- a mayor that cries.
She'd be great in a crisis
(she IS a loser)
A buddy of mine who is a fireman said he was inspecting a printing plant in Stickney that was printing "Junior for Mayor" posters.
The senior was Jesse Jackson.
Meeks ranks right up there with Terkel and Obama on the Illinois' Biggest Phony list.
Another example of the blatant hypocrisy of the press. Replace "Baptist" with "Lutheran" and this story morphs into a demand for an investigation as to why this pastor is endorsing any political candidate to begin with.
No pol should ever say that. For no other reason but that, there is some non-zero number of people whose first awareness of you will come from watching you deny being a loser. They will not be convinced.
Hurt, incensed and moved to tears...
They'll be even less convinced if you're completely whiny about it: i.e., tears. As a political tactic it's the equivalent of checking into rehab.
I am the epitome of the American dream and Dr. Martin Luther King's dream,
Either Martin Luther King had a truly lame dream, or you ain't it.
women make up 80 percent of Meeks' congregation
Where are the men? Here?
Just because she doesn't have a possible chance of winning this particular election, it doesn't mean my comments are sexist. It's reality.
Daley is the king, although they periodically go through the motions of elections, as Stalin said, "it's not who casts votes, but who counts them."
One more thing is keeping Daley in, and that's the awareness of the stark fact that Daley is almost certainly the Windy City's last white mayor. Some day Daley will be unseated, or retire to be replaced, by a black candidate, who will do for Chicago what Coleman Young did for Detroit, and what Deval Patrick is now doing for Massachusetts as Governor (the first crony has already had her DUI case "disappeared." The first tax hikes are under way. Real-estate inventories are growing).
Some places never make the transition from strongman-type government to freedom -- it's more than the citizens' atrophied ability for civic thinking and action can stand. Two glaring examples are Russia and Louisiana.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
Well then I defer to someone who is much closer to the actual person and events. Can't help it though, being mistrustful of all things Democrat.
In dealing with an office like Cook County Circuit Court Clerk or some other office where the job is mostly operational, as opposed to legislative or policy setting, I don't care which party is in it as long as it's run right. That doesn't mean she's qualified or desirable as Mayor, but she's fine as Clerk.
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