September 13, 2004
Senate Round-up
I've been away from Polis for a while. I'm going to ease back into it. What better way than with a news round-up of our favorite local political contest?
- Obama uses rather strong language in rebuking the UN on Darfur and making a call for intervention on the part of our European allies. A cynic might say that's easy to do now that you have the cover of your Secretary of State, but he has been talking about it on the campaign trail.
- Laura Washington writes in the Sun-Times about how Obama's state Senate seat will be filled "if" he wins in November, and uses words like "garrulous" and "obstreperous" to describe the committeepersons in charge of the process. Lots of jockeying for position here, as one might expect for a job that has catapulted Harold Washington, Carol Moseley-Braun, and Obama to prominence. The outstanding question is, will Obama try to leave legacy (and have a friendly face back home) by influencing the choice of his successor?
- Hip-hop raconteur and Chicagoan Common name-drops Obama in the Top 20 remix to Jadakiss' "Why?" and takes us to 2012: "Why is Bush acting like he trying to get Osama?/Why don't we impeach him and elect Obama?"
- A Young Republican down in Urbana/Champaign delivers the understatement of the minute, reflecting on Alan Keyes after a picnic rally: "I think he's having trouble getting that message out because he's getting hung up on one-liners." Well, actually, I think everyone else is getting hung up on them. And the two-liners (he blamed 9/11 on abortion: "I think that's a way of Providence telling us, 'I love you all; I'd like to give you a chance. Wake up! Would you please wake up?'"), and the two-hundred-liners, for that matter.
- The Associated Press discovers Alan Keyes. Welcome to the party, fellas!
- The AP discovers Barack Obama's legislative record. Actually, a handy list, but culled from the spartan General Assembly web site and therefore without any context. Some of the votes, of course, speak for themselves, such as "Successfully sponsored requirement that law enforcement videotape interrogations of suspects in some serious crimes. (SB15, 2003)"
- And finally, J. Grant Swank, Jr. of MichNews.com puts to bed the issue we've all furrowed our brows over in a vain attempt to understand: ALAN KEYES IS RIGHT: JESUS WOULD NOT VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA. Thanks, J.! P.S. I have it on good authority that the Big Guy is all-in Libertarian this year.
