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February 21, 2001
He's never accomplished anything.
Yet Sen. Peter G. Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) is quick to find fault with others. His gratuitous criticism of House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and Gov. Ryan is getting a lot of attention. But it is difficult to take him seriously.
Fitzgerald, 40, who gave or loaned himself $14 million of his personal fortune to buy his senatorial seat, is the least productive senator from this state in recent memory. He is trying to make himself look good at the expense of others. He has publicly questioned Hastert's integrity and suggested last week that Ryan should not run for re-election next year. The senator is making a fool out of himself.
What is surprising about Fitzgerald's assault on Hastert is the senator's audacity. In Hastert's two-decade public career, he has been untouched by scandal. On both sides of the aisle, the bearlike Hastert is liked and respected. Until Fitzgerald began wagging his tongue, Hastert's integrity never had been questioned.
When Fitzgerald sought to hold up funding for the Lincoln Presidential Library, Hastert outmaneuvered him. Fitzgerald sounded like a pipsqueak in alleging that Hastert's intervention was "morally and ethically wrong."
Fitzgerald is getting even by declining to seek Hastert's advice in the selection of U.S. attorneys for this state. Hastert isn't challenging Fitzgerald's senatorial privilege to recommend federal prosecutors. But it would be smart for Fitzgerald to seek Hastert's input. As a member of Congress, Hastert has taken an active role in criminal justice issues, including the war on drugs. Fitzgerald is misguided in implying that Hastert wants to cut short the investigation of public corruption in this state. Hastert takes public corruption seriously and doesn't think that anyone is above the law, regardless of his or her political party.
The senator's treatment of Ryan has been cowardly and mean-spirited. His suggestion last week that Ryan should not seek re-election was typically self-serving. There is speculation in GOP circles that Fitzgerald is goading Ryan to run for another term and that the senator wants to run against him in the primary. Fitzgerald said last week that he will encourage others to run against Ryan if the governor runs again.
Fitzgerald has suggested that public corruption will be a litmus test in his selection of federal prosecutors and has made it known that Ryan's advice isn't welcome. Though Ryan hasn't been accused of wrongdoing, he is a potential target in the federal probe of the bribes-for-licenses scheme. Ryan said that he welcomes the probe and isn't trying to influence the selection of federal prosecutors.
From the start of the federal probe, Fitzgerald has taken unfair advantage of Ryan. During the GOP convention last summer, he demanded a meeting with presidential nominee George W. Bush and told an intermediary that he would be willing to take Ryan's place as state chairman of the Bush campaign. Fitzgerald's camp leaked that this was a done deal. According to Bush insiders, Fitzgerald set several conditions: Ryan was to be dumped, and none of the senator's staffers would work for any of Ryan's staffers. Fitzgerald got shot down.
Fitzgerald isn't pulling his weight as a member of the state's congressional delegation. He recently refused to sign a letter with colleagues from the delegation asking Bush's help for Illinois projects. Fitzgerald self-righteously wrote Hastert that "the mere fact that a project is located somewhere in Illinois does not mean that it is inherently meritorious and necessarily worthy of support." Just last week, Fitzgerald was a no-show at an Illinois delegation luncheon attended by 16 of his 21 colleagues.
At some point in his legislative career, Fitzgerald may need a favor from one of his colleagues. Most of them are appalled by his lordly manner and loose tongue.
The key to understanding Fitzgerald is that he is a spoiled rich kid who bought himself high political office as the result of the wealth loophole in federal election law.
Under a 1976 ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court, the $1,000 limit on contributions was upheld with the exception of what candidates may donate to their own war chests. Without this loophole Fitzgerald wouldn't be a senator. He spent an Illinois record of more than $17 million, more than double former Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun's war chest. His expenditures were greater in this election than the combined spending of the four major party nominees in the two previous Illinois elections for the U.S. Senate.
Among the faults that Fitzgerald finds with his senatorial colleagues is that they spend too much time raising money. That's because most of them have to do it in $1,000 increments. Fitzgerald, though, may have to learn more about fund-raising. He's just been named chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee's premier contributors club and is selling access to $10,000-a-year GOP donors. It would be more admirable if he was putting in this kind of effort for the working people of Illinois.
Conrad (ND)... 20%
Fitzgerald and Arizona's Jon Kyl (well, along with Helms) are the Senate's two staunchest anti-collectivist statesmen. No way Arizona will EVER dump Kyl (McCain, otoh, is in bad jeopardy), but, as with Rod Grams of Minnesota, the Left sees an opening with regard to Sen. Fitzgerald.
All you Illinois FReepers should be spending a couple hours a week now and a couple dozen hours a month down the road, to keep this good man in office.
Letter will be written in the morning when I have more energy to fire off a cogent letter.
Heads up! Time to write to the Sun-Times and let them know what we think!
He's never accomplished anything.
Yet Sen. Peter G. Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) is quick to find fault with others. I wonder what he thinks of Hillary? America's smartest woman? (If that's the case we should take back sufferage. Not that it is the case. Every woman I know except one is more intelligent and just all around better than Hillary.) Though Ryan hasn't been accused of wrongdoing
Wha...?[sounding confused] Fitzgerald isn't pulling his weight as a member of the state's congressional delegation. He recently refused to sign a letter with colleagues from the delegation asking Bush's help for Illinois projects. Fitzgerald self-righteously wrote Hastert that "the mere fact that a project is located somewhere in Illinois does not mean that it is inherently meritorious and necessarily worthy of support." There is a political figure with correct principles and the guts to stick to them. In other words, a statesman. And don't you just love how "pulling your weight" means grabbing as much as you can in a kind of geographic looting contest?
P.S. Where is the URL for the Illinois FR list? TIA
I wish Fitzgerald wasn't such a gun hater though.
Here.
Though Ryan hasn't been accused of wrongdoing Accuse away.
Italics begone.
What the Sun-Times is worried about here is that Senator Fitzgerals will excersize his privilege to name the next U.S Attorneys for Illinois.
Ryan and Daley are scared s***less that Senator Fitzgerald won't pick one of the 'good old boys' hand picked by Ryan and Daley.
L
When Fitzgerald sought to hold up funding for the Lincoln Presidential Library, Hastert outmaneuvered him. What gives? Isn't it a little late for a Lincoln Presidential Library?
FITZGERALD
Illinois * 2002
>> I wish Fitzgerald wasn't such a gun hater though.
He's not. Fitzgerald is not AS pro-gun AS you'd like him to be, but he's no gun grabber. He just throws some moderates a bone ONCE in a while. That is, unless you think the Illinois Rifle Association (of which my father is a member) is lying when they pass out their "2nd amendment scorecards":
PETER FITZGERALD (R-IL)-- B
Again, I will remind you... OUR Republican congressmen are MORE conservative than Michigan's delegation overall.
;-)
Disagree.
Fitzgerald voted with LAUTENBERG and DURBIN on the gun bill. Not even Spence Abraham, who wasn't my favorite AT ALL, did that. And Hyde I don't think much of either. Like Kalamazoo's Fred Upton IMO. If Pete voted against that bill, Gore wouldn't have broken the tie. If it's between Blagojevich, Lane Evans, or Bobby Rush and Fitzgerald, you have to do what you have to do.
We have Stabusall now, and that's another story. At least my new congresscritter Mike Rogers is solid on the 2nd amendment.
As for overall delegation - On the state level, I doubt it(At least until 2002). I'd put Sue Tabor, Larry Julian, Valde Garcia, and the West Michigan(Your southern Illinois) gang up against anybody.
On our federal reps - We suck. Two awful repubs(Ehlers and Upton), 8 awful dems(including Durbin's best buddy Lenin and idiot stab). One dem that's bad outside abortion(Kildee) and one that is great on guns, but not much else(Dingell), and one I'd vote for without hesitation(Jim Barcia). 6 fairly solid repubs and one solid dem in Congress. No John Hostettler's or Don Manzullo's(sp) here though.
Italics be gone
I like Sen. Fitzgerald MORE after this article. He seems to be against knee jerk spending (pork barrel). Why is Neal for it? What's wrong with spending his own money to run for Congress? Isn't that allowed? I never understand Senate finance reform. Money doesn't buy votes--it only buys advertising. Anyone with brains can find details about the candidates and decide whom to vote for.
BY STEVE NEAL SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
Neal's column is totally out of left field. His selective outrage is amazing for a center-left political writes who ususally TRIES to be neural and objective. Note that according to Neal:
When Fitzgerald spents $14 mil of his own money to get a Senate senate, it makes him a "spoiled rich brat", but when Jon Corzine spent TWICE that of HIS money in New Jersey to the same thing, it showed the committment of an honest man "fighting against the establishment". Also note that according to Steve Neal, it's OKAY for Hastert to butt-in on Fitzgerald's job (naming district Attn.), but NOT okay for Fitzgerald to butt-in on Hastert's. The list of hypocracy goes on and on. I think he's just angry that most conservative senator from the midwest got elected in a CENTRIST state and still 10X more popular than his liberal sucessor. Compared Fitz to other midwester Senator's lifetime records of voting conservative:
Dorgan (ND)... 17%
Kerrey (NE).... 8%
Hagel (NE)..... 82%
Daschle (SD)...13%
Johnson (SD)...21%
Wellstone (MN)..4 %
Dayton (MN).......??%
Grassley (IA).... 82 %
Harkin (IA)..........9 %
Kohl (WI)............5 %
Feingold (WI)......10 %
Durbin (IL)........... 8 %
Fitzgerald (IL)..... 94 %
Lugar (IN)............78 %
Bayh (IN)............14 %
Levin (MI).............6 %
Stabenow (MI)......?? %
DeWine (OH)........83 %
Voinovich (OH)......76 %
Bond (MO)............81 %
Carnahan (MO)......?? %
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To: Mr_Magoo, MamaLucci, Mrs_Stokke, STD, jreb, fu-fu2, MarketR, A.J. Armitage
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FOR
GOVERNOR
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To: Dan from Michigan
HENRY HYDE-- (R-IL) C+
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Well, I think the Illinois Rifle Assoc screwed up with a B.
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I think a "nice" letter to this columnist is in order; thanks for the heads up...
Thank you!
The snail-mail address of the Sun-Times is:
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
E-mail for:
Michael Cooke, Editor-in-Chief
I can't find direct e-mail for Steve Neal.
Letters to the editor can be directly submitted by e-mail to letters@suntimes.com.
401 N. Wabash, Chicago, Illinois 60611
312-321-3000
The Chicago Sun-Times reserves the right to use and post comments submitted via e-mail or otherwise and edit such submissions without any compensation to or approval from the sender. The Chicago Sun-Times may freely choose to publish or not to publish comments or any related topics at its own discretion and the Chicago Sun-Times may, at its sole discretion, choose to include the sender's name and e-mail address in connection to comments or thoughts submitted for publication. All comments received by the Chicago Sun-Times via e-mail or otherwise shall become "content" as that term is used in the Chicago Sun-Times Online Terms and Conditions of Use.
Letter is on its way........
Grazie, MadAsHell! Will do.
Very good! Maybe they'll publish only one of our letters, but the more they get, the more they'll get the message that we're paying attention out here, and we don't like the slanted tripe they published out of Mr. Neal's word processor.
I hope they publish what I am writing, although I will feel so dirty having my words published in the Sun-Times.
Just take a long shower :-).
I just sent them this letter:
Steve Neal's column exemplifies everything that's wrong with modern American political discourse. He writes that Fitzgerald is not "pulling his weight" as a member of the Illinois delegation because he isn't engaged in the geographic looting contest that seems to be all that's left of our once-great Congress. I, and the other people who supported him in 1998, see his mission not as our designated beggar, but as a supporter of limited government. It is inappropriate for a member of Congress to beg the executive branch for favors, so Fitzgerald was exactly right in refusing to sign the letter humbly seeking the blessing of our still imperial presidency.
I can see why the Left in this state is worried about Fitzgerald's selection of federal prosecutors for Illinois(a privilege left over from the days when the President deferred to Congress, not the other way around). Necro-Americans(dead people) as a base of support for the Democrats of Cook County may be a source of humor, but election fraud undermines our system of government and must be ended. I can also see how Governor Ryan would be concerned about the same issue, in light of his own past. And also in light of Fitzgerald's own criticism, which was yet another thing Neal attacked Fitzgerald on that is, in fact, something of which Fitzgerald and his supporters can be proud. In short, Neal's attack points to Fitzgerald's positives, not his negatives. And as to whether Fitzgerald's ever accomplished anything, I have two questions for Mr. Neal. First, since when does accomplishment consist only of finding new and exciting ways of expanding the government? And second, is this as opposed to that great paragon of past accomplishment Sen. Hillary?
Letter sent.
I think they are getting tired of hearing from me...
Might try (I repeat try) steveneal@suntimes.com.
His email address is not publushed, but this is the Sun-Times email template.
Good luck!
Fitzgerald self-righteously wrote Hastert that "the mere fact that a project is located somewhere in Illinois does not mean that it is inherently meritorious and necessarily worthy of support."
It is obvious that Fitzgerald doesn't understand "big gummint". In many cases a "record of doing nothing" is the best of conservative credentials.
Though Ryan hasn't been accused of wrongdoing
Accuse away
Oh, Ryan's certainly been accused alright: by me, the media, and members of his own party. Or how about the Willis family, who lost 6 of their children in a firey crash on I-94 several years ago, due to a truck driver who bought his CDL in the "licenses for bribes" scandal under Lyin' Ryan's watch as Secretary of State.
Funny how like EX-RIPOTUS Clinton, everyone around Ryan is guilty of something or another, but (again, like EX-RIPOTUS) Ryan didn't know.
George Ryan makes Bill Clinton look like Mr. Clean by comparison.
good enough for ya?
Necro-Americans(dead people) as a base of support for the Democrats of Cook County may be a source of humor, but election fraud undermines our system of government and must be ended.
ROTFLMFAO!!!!! What a great line, and a great letter. I hope it makes it to print. WTG!!
Very, very good! Excellent! Here's hoping it'll make the print edition!!!
I tried it and it hasn't bounced on me .... yet. Maybe it'll get through.... but that doesn't me (ahem) he'll read it. But I feel better anyway! :-)
LOL - I guess I'm one of the diehards out here who still have faith that the written input does get through. I'm always inclined to write the letter then cc a whole lot of levels of hierarchy within the editorial staff to make sure they get the message loud and clear.
Yes, I love A.J.'s flair with words. Ain't it great? I sure as heck am glad he's on our side :-).
Yes, I love A.J.'s flair with words. Ain't it great? I sure as heck am glad he's on our side :-).
Thank you.
Dear Mr. Editor, Since when was it immoral to spend your own money to run for office? When did they make it a crime for our US Senator to appoint Federal Judges? Ask Mr.Neal when it became unacceptable to support the Constitution and the Second Amendment.
What the socialists are really afraid of here in Illinois is the loss of control at the Federal level. When a free thinking patriot like Sen. Peter FitzGerald does his duly elected duty and appoints good people untouchable by the corrupt Daley/Ryan machine, Mr. Neal wets his pants. I want a government in Chicago, Springfield and Washington representing Illinois that we don't have to be ashamed to call our own.
When I travel people still ask me about our Illinois' League of Political Rogues. It's embarrassing! I'm tickled pink that we have a new Senator that won't stoop to their level. Attaboy!
Dear Mr. Editor,
Since when was it immoral to spend your own money to run for office? When did they make it a crime for our US Senator to appoint Federal Judges? Ask Mr.Neal when it became unacceptable to support the Constitution and the Second Amendment.
What the socialists are really afraid of here in Illinois is the loss of control at the Federal level. When a free thinking patriot like Sen. Peter FitzGerald does his duly elected duty and appoints good people untouchable by the corrupt Daley/Ryan machine, Mr. Neal wets his pants. I want a government in Chicago, Springfield and Washington representing Illinois that we don't have to be ashamed to call our own.
When I travel people still ask me about our Illinois' League of Political Rogues. It's embarrassing! I'm tickled pink that we have a new Senator that won't stoop to their level. Attaboy!
Idle rich are foolishness' playground
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Golly, would this include the sainted Kennedys???? |
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I knew nothing of the senator until reading this article and seeing his voting record- sounds good to me. Also tend to like Fitzgerald for taking on Hastert, who I classify with Trent Lott.
Fitzgerald IS a "winner". I've done a lot of campaign work in the past, and one of the things that attracted me to throw my hat in the ring to help out his campaign in 1998 was SPECIFICALLY the fact that he was using his own money to finance the campaign just so he wouldn't be beholden to special interests (and the Rep. National Committee, as well).
STD's letter was right on target, in that regard.
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