The Seat Of Power

Illinois Leader ^ | 28 April 2003 | Kevin McCullough

[Ford Fairlane]

Food for thought

If it is between these 2 I will probably vote for Poshard, unless the Senate is very close & Edgar makes a comittment to back the President & not be another Lincoln Chafee.

Poshard has already said if he were currently in the Senate he would go along with the likes of Zell Miller & support Estrada & the other judicial nominees.

[arkfreepdom]

Poshard has already said if he were currently in the Senate he would go along with the likes of Zell Miller & support Estrada & the other judicial nominees.

So did that idiot dimowit from Louisiana. Guess what? She voted against Estrada anyway.

[#3Fan]

If Poshard is pro-gun, pro Estrada, etc., why doesn't he just run as a Republican? Three words would make me never vote for a Dem in the Senate: Democratic Majority Leader.

[Ford Fairlane]

Poshard feels like Zell Miller - he doesn't want to leave the party he was born in

I think he thinks that with time, conservative democrats can bring the party back to what it used to be before the liberal (socialist) takeover

[Ford Fairlane]

If who controls the Senate comes down to Illinois, the President needs to ask someone he can trust totally to run for that seat

Someone like Illinois resident Donald Rumsfeld - that would be another shock & awe campaign, I don't believe the dems could beat him.

[TheRightGuy]

Someone like Illinois resident Donald Rumsfeld - that would be another shock & awe campaign

Not only shaock and awe, it would make my job as a GOP Precinct Captain fun again!

[#3Fan]

The Dems are so corrupt I don't think that'll be anytime soon.

[#3Fan]

He's probably happy where he's at. :^)

[MainstreamConservative]

I hope Rumsfeld stays where he is. The army really needs to be reformed and less dependent on heavy weapondry that is not easily deployable.

Regarding the senate race, it would be a tough choice between Edgar and Poshard. Edgar would vote for tax cuts, spending cuts, and against pork spending. Poshard would not. However, Poshard would vote to protect the second amendment and stop the slaughter of the unborn. Edgar would be an enthusiastic supporter of abortion (although he would vote to ban partial birth abortion) and would probably lean anti-gun, but I doubt (and someone is welcome to prove me wrong) he would vote for something like a national handgun ban.

[Ford Fairlane]

He's probably happy where he's at.

You're probably right, but if he was a senator the President would know he had one more senator he could trust

[Ford Fairlane]

The Dems are so corrupt I don't think that'll be anytime soon

Yea, but if the republicans keep going to the center, the people (like the older members of my family) who were conservative democrats before the socialist took over the party will think twice about supporting the republicans and might, maybe retake the democratic party (given time)

In 2002 half of my extended family voted libertarian because they were disgusted with both parties

[alwaysconservative]

Not to change the subject, but what was wrong with Fitzgerald anyway? I thought he was a real fiscal conservative, one of the shining stars of the party, or at least the articles I read about him made him sound principled and conservative. And he bumped off CMB for the seat.

I'm genuinely confused about why there's no sadness about him leaving the seat.

[Ford Fairlane]

Some people thought he was too moderate, on anything I cared about I had no problem with him

He pissed off the Republican establishment in the state, especially when he pushed for the other Fitzgerald (no relation) to be US Attorney to root out the massive corruption in both parties in Illinois

He also pissed off the Daley machine by opposing money for expansion of O'hare airport, which in my opinion is one of the worst run & most dangerous airports in the country (Yes, I am a pilot)

Generally, he has no friends to support his re-election

[facedown]

Someone like Illinois resident Donald Rumsfeld - that would be another shock & awe campaign...

Not only shock and awe, it would make my job as a GOP Precinct Captain fun again!

Wouldn't it be loverly.

[#3Fan]

It'd be good to actually have a Senator from this state that was actually conservative for a change, that's for sure.

[#3Fan]

He killed ANWR drilling.

[Ford Fairlane]

Forgot about that - did you have any other reasons not to like fitz?

[#3Fan]

In 2002 half of my extended family voted libertarian because they were disgusted with both parties

Consider yourself lucky. My extended family votes straight RAT that I know of. (Except for me, of course, my brother, my dad, and I think one cousin. Blag's stance against guns may have cured some of them of that though, they were cussing him big time at the last get-together.)

[#3Fan]

No, he was pretty quiet, it seemed. I have to admit I don't follow the locals too much, I vote straight Republican and that's it. My anger toward the Dem's shenanigans over the last couple decades has galvanized me to vote for majorities, so I try to help the Hasterts and the Frists keep the Dems down. I really don't expect too much out of Republicans in this state because of the big gorilla in the living room...Chicago, and all the fraud that goes on up there. I didn't vote for George Ryan though 5 years ago, I voted Reform Party, the only time I've ever skipped over a Republican. I know Poshard seems like a good guy, but the lowliness of the Dems makes it impossible for me to give them a boost.

[Ford Fairlane]

I voted for Poshard 5 yrs ago, partly because he bought me a couple of beers, but we had a discussion about some things & we agreed on most of them

Besides, I knew things about George Ryan that would never allow me to vote or him - he should have been in jail or maybe even the chair 25 - 30 years ago but the only witness wouldn't testify after his wife & kid were threatened by the mob (can't say that I blame him)

Poshard is at least an honest man, he will stick by what he says, won't lie to you, and will admit when he is wrong

For example, he told me that he (and a few other congressmen) made a huge mistake voting for the 94 assault weapons ban, but at the time he thought something would be passed & he was afraid it would be much worse than what we got - of course, on the bright side the deal he made is the reason there is a sunset date in the bill & we might be able to kill it next year