Pulitzer Prize Cartoonist Jack Higgins Defines the Quinn Campaign

My Legion of Reader will note that Paul Vallas was my neighbor and boon chum. I love Paul and his family.

Pat Quinn is no Paul Vallas.  Pat Quinn is Governor of Illinois because Rod Blagojevich went to jail.  Once Governor, Pat Quinn depended solely on the kindness of strange rangers -  Dawn Clark Netsches, Dr. Quentin Youngs, Boss Terry Cosgroves, Ralph Martires, and the canoe guy, Quinn keeps hiring.

Sun Times Cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize recipient Jack Higgins nails the entire Quinn strategy (above).  Quinn could not lead a glutton to a free lunch counter.

Pat Quinn proves the cockroach rule of Darwinian longevity.  Pat Quinn is a dyed in the wool, pure gospel, snake handling Progressive. He survived politics in much the same way that lamprey eels enjoy long and healthy life cycles.  Someone provides an electoral ride, dies, or goes to jail and Pat Quinn . . . well, you get the idea of my sentiments.

Anyway, I am not alone among voters who supported Pat Quinn in his run against Pat Brady and bought all of his 'workingman's best pal and loyalty is my middle-name" BS.   Pat Quinn is only loyal to the Hyde Park Progressive agenda - always was and always will be:  contrarian doctrinaire (if it sounds stupid Quinn is all over it) on law and law enforcement, pro-criminal, pro-radical, abortion happy and tax fabulous.

Pat Quinn has stuck his pinkies in the eyes of African American Democratic voters.  Quinn arrogantly assumes he has 'them' all locked up.  Quinn needs blue collar ethnic white voters, again.  He arrogantly assumes that they will follow the dictates of parish culture and neighborly obligation and vote for a one of them - the Tall Greek with Gorgeous Dutch Wife.

The very people for whom Pat Quinn scorns for their loyalty, their faith and their sense of civic duty - same as the black voters.

Pat Quinn needs Paul Vallas.  The very last thing Illinois needs is Pat Quinn. I love Paul Vallas, as I love myself.

I would not for Pat Quinn, if I were on the ticket with him.

Sweet Hickey's Advice on White House Pest Control

The Face Confronting the Baller Obamas Through the White House Screen Door -" Hi, It's Doug!!  Hello?"

Publicly released records show that embattled former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman visited the White House at least 157 times during the Obama administration, more recorded visits than even the most trusted members of the president’s Cabinet.

 



February 22, 2009,

Dear Mr. Sweet-Hickey,

My husband has an employee, Doug Shulman, who visits OUR HOUSE constantly.  He wants an Easter Roll; He has no duct tape; he borrows the hose; Barack's ratchet sets; wants to shoot Horse; drinks all the Blue Moons and leaves some nasty-ass @#$% called Grain Belt; eats whatever is in plain sight without asking a simple by your leave; uses the bathroom and never flushes.  I am at my wit's end with this. Please, help.  The two girls are creep'd out.

I see his face through the screen door and I want to Maya Angelou his ass!

Signed, Michele O. Wash.D.C.

Dear Mrs. O.

Ho, ho. . . slow down and take that cleansing breath. 

It sure sounds like this bureaucrat has gone Full Kramer on you.  That is the price we all pay for being social animals.  Unless you happen to live on a pillar in the desert, or come from Swedan, you are always going to have the neighbors pop in on you and your family.  While it can be frustrating, it can also be very helpful.

Either you must have your husband, the as this man's boss, gently but firmly set ground rules for visits - " Hey Doug, great to see you and all, but call firs . . .really."

Now, that can hurt feelings and may lead to problems in the work place. Here's what I do.  Put the guy to work with something messy. You see, many drop-in types are just people with not much to do, while others are preying on your good manners.  You can not be sure which type this person happens to be.

I suggest this alternative, because it really has worked for me.  I used to have many neighbors pop-in, bang on the back door, or just let themselves in.  Now, I am a pretty lazy guy as well as a very selfish brute to boot. When Paul Vallas dropped in to see if I had any Colander's Greek Spice, I noticed my sink full of dishes.  I gave Paul the Colander's and said, " Hey, Paul.  I gotta run up to Keegan's Pub with Bernard's monthly issue The Piranha.  Do me solid, Paul and nail them dishes for me?"

Paul sent Sharon on tasks after that - that Dutch Babe is tougher than calculus.

Anyway, I learned that by giving my visitors something to do, visits vanished!

Make Doug a part of the solution to some other problems.  Have him get Doug to  replace  a toilet seal, 

That is a pain . . .easy but the seal is tricky and messy.

Doug, boy!  Do me a Solid -Rod out a sewer line, get up on the roof and clean out the leaves and whirlybirds, or replace the attic insulation.  Nothing says, " Last Visit for Me" like an afternoon in hot crawlspace with spunglass.

Have Your Old Man act all helpless, shrug, scratch the back of his head and kvetch with an issue that requires only Doug's expertise and happens to be  so distasteful that he'll think twice about a pop-in visit.

Good Luck!

Mr. Sweet-Hickey

A Musical Interlude and Passing of Time 2009-2013

April 1, 2013

Dear Mr. Sweet-Hickey,

 I apologize for the delay in thanking you for the very best advice on how to handle Doug - the drop-in Kraemer pest.  Barack and I have been so busy killing Bin Laden, getting re-elected and transforming America that I have been remiss in this task. Sorry.

Well, you were certainly right!  Though Doug is a frequent visitor, he is far less creepy because of the tasks Valerie, David, Samantha and I have given Barack for Doug to do.

Doug is on it!  Thank you so much!

Sincerely,

Michele O, Washington D.C.

May 2013,

Dear Mrs. O.,

That, to be of help. I remain . . .

Your Mr. Sweet-Hickey

Frankly, Blago, No Else is Stunned.

"When the gap between ideal and real becomes too wide, the system breaks down."
— Barbara W. Tuchman (A Distant Mirror The Calamitous 14th Century)




Blagojevich on verdict: "I, frankly, am stunned"

From the Chicago Tribune archives:

Vallas vote
By Kathryn Krumsee | November 2, 2002
I'm with John Kass on this election. I am going to write in Paul Vallas with no care that my vote has gone to waste because I cannot with any conscience vote for either of the two clowns on the governor's ballot. If term limits are the solution to this terrible fix our state and city have gotten into politically, then we need to start working now to put them in place.

In the closing hours of the 2002 Gubernatorial Primary, March I believe it was, several goons from the Blagojevich Campaign vandalized the home of Paul and Sharon Vallas down the block from me. It was in the very early morning hours. Paul was out campaigning and Sharon was home with their three boys, Paul, Gust, and Mark.

A crew vandalized the yard sign, which is de rigueur in urban politics, but took it one step better - they terrorized a woman and her three kids. This was pure Milorod Blagojevich. Some of the political geniuses in the 19th Ward had made a pact with Blago, for whatever Byzantine notions of fortunes to come, and turned the cold shoulder to neighbor Paul. The Joyces and the Sheehans stood with Paul Vallas, as did most of the 19th Ward. The cowards who tried to spook Sharon picked on the wrong woman. Sharon Vallas is as tough as Calculus. Sharon tried to confront them herself, but they bolted - never to be caught. That is also politically de rigueur in this our urban jungle and the Reformer IVO-IPO Progressive Blago squeaked out a primary win and Illinois lost the talents and integrity of Paul Vallas.

Rod Blagojevich, whom our supine news anchors and blow-dried beat reporters called 'Charming' yesterday after Mr. Pistachio racked up 17 of 20 charges.

The Charms of Blagojevich were long lost on this helot voter and most of his neighbors. We viewed Rod Blagojevich as a shameless gate-crasher and serial dope.

Politics is loaded with shameless gate-crashers and serial dopes, but Blago is not just one rotten apple - he is the whole orchard.

This clown was willing to send his bride into the jungle to eat bugs in order to squeeze a few more dollars out of a culture that equates Larry the Cable Guy to Barbara Tuchman and a soul-patched, head-shaved mope like Howie Mandel to Paul Schofield. Why not a Blago over a Paul Vallas? Why not? Who's to say?

Illinois accepted Rod Blagojevich - Mr. Pistachio. He won the 2002 Democratic primary against one solid candidate and the National joke who would take Senator Obama's seat Tombstone Roland, the general election against another solid man Republican Jim Ryan and yet another term against the clownish Illinois Treasurer Judy Barr Topinka in 2006. I wonder who voted for Blago?

WLS tossed this disgracefully 'Charming' bully a few bucks, when his clown act, following the impeachment, in 2009 went National. Having a guest host who would devour used Depends at State and Madison at high noon would have been more dignified.

Blago is going to the Federal iron hotel for many, many, many semesters. His wife and kids will be on their own. Sharon Vallas and her three boys were on their own that night before the primary.

Bill Brady Sounds Like a Good Guy - Democrats Will Vote Him.

Chicago Sun Times reporter Abdon Pallasch wrote a pretty decent feature on the Republican candidate for Governor.

I am for Governor Pat Quinn - he is a good guy, but Pat Quinn believes in the Easter Bunny, in Ralph Martire Pie Charts for More Taxes, that Dr. Quentin Young is not a Red, that there are fifty million GLBTQ Votes in Illinois, Planned Parenthood does some good,
and that playing ball with Progressives never lands a knife in a good guy's back.

Pat Quinn has my vote right now.

However, Bill Brady has all of the right enemies for my tastes - Planned Parenthood -GLBTQ Agenda Clowns - Ralph Martire & etc.

Pat Quinn as I mentioned is a good-hearted guy. He is no Forrest Claypool. Pat Quinn will remember a friend and stand-up for the same.

Bill Brady appears to be a good guy.

"Bloomington is a very conservative area," Snyder says. "It's a white-collar community. You have the two universities -- Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan -- and you have State Farm." Bloomington is a company town -- both Bill and Nancy interned at State Farm.

"You don't win as a Democrat in this area," Snyder says. "My politics are a little bit different than Bill's. But I'll vote for Bill -- though I think he'll have a tough time of it."

Native son Adlai Stevenson lost his home precinct running for president as a Democrat, Brady says.

"It's a wonderful place to raise a family," Nancy says. "We don't have the Chicago night life. We do have indoor plumbing."

Bill Brady's wife, Nancy, is clever, funny and smart woman. Paul Vallas was so blessed - Sharon Vallas might have been Paul's superior out on the hustings. Paul would charm the pants off a single dusty geek of a college professor and Sharon would delight thousands of regular guy and gal voters. It seems to me if you want to know the candidate, look at the girl who married him. Thus - Blago and Patti.

Bill Brady married well and that speaks volumes to me. Bill Brady needs to attract smart Chicagoans (Democrats and Republicans -Trades Union members) into his camp and to stay well-away from the DuPage GOP Toe Shooters. More importantly, Bill Brady needs to bring Nancy everywhere! If a guy like Bill Brady can knock down a treasure like Nancy, he may do well for the State of Illinois.