POOR LITTLE RICH BOY IN ILLINOIS CAN’T DECIDE WHERE TO BUY A SEAT IN CONGRESS
COLLEGE DROPOUT WANTS TO PROVE ANYBODY CAN BUY PUBLIC OFFICE
(Chicago)(April 25, 2007) College dropout Steve Greenberg has a problem: he can’t decide which public office to buy. Poor fellow. And—no surprise here—the Illinois Republican Party leadership is egging him on. Way to go. Downhill.
I worked on Capitol Hill 41 years ago. Illinois was represented by two of the ablest senators in Washington, Paul Douglas, a Democrat, and Everett Dirksen, a Republican. The Illinois legislature and congressional delegation were vigorously competitive. Under Republican “Big Jim” Thompson the Republican Party established a stranglehold on the Governor’s office. None of these men had a fat wallet.
Today, well today Illinois Republicans are a joke. They spend their time calling each other names. RINO! Old-guard! And Democrats keep winning elections.
The fact that Republicans are treating clown prince Steve Greenberg seriously is evidence they have capitulated completely to their own sense of delusional envelopment.
Greenberg has no experience in anything. He dropped out of college to play hockey. He went to work for dad and today calls himself an investor in “distressed businesses.”
Greenberg should invest in himself. He sounds distressed to me. No direction. No experience. No credentials. He is heir to a 5 and 10 cent fortune. And he wants to go to Washington. Don’t nickel and dime me, please.
I suggest he start with a public tour of the White House. But then, maybe not. He might decide he wants to run for president.
One of Greenberg’s pearls of wisdom in today’s “The Hill” stands out. Greenberg has decided that although Illinois has two Democratic senators, a Democratic governor and both houses of the legislature are controlled by Democrats, Illinois is a Republican state.
Oh, boy. Don’t renew his day pass.
Three years ago the right-wing nut cakes of the Republican Party had their fondest hallucinations come true: conservative entrepreneur Alan Keyes—who makes a fortune by telling fairly tales to wealthy right-wingers—came to Illinois to sell his wares. The result was that Illinois foisted Barack Obama on the national stage.
Keyes said he was in Illinois to stay; anyone seen him lately? He lambasted gays and lesbians while concealing that his daughter was a lesbian.
Keyes was crazy from start to finish. But those who were and are responsible for the Keyes debacle never apologized for their stupidity and incompetence.
Keyes, of course, was never really a candidate, or a Republican. He was and is a political entrepreneur. He makes outrageous statements knowing that 2-3% of the public will pay good money to support his nonsense. So he says, and he sells. A simple and very profitable strategy. When you add up the dollars, Keyes is a rich man peddling foolishness to fools.
Keyes now has a competitor: Steve Greenberg.
Greenberg’s claim that Illinois is a Republican state is sad. The fact that he is a rich college dropout who is wandering through life looking for a role does not mean Illinois Republicans should take him in. But they are trying hard to rope him into running for Congress or the Senate.
“Oh, run, Steve,” they say, “Against that baddie Dirty Dick Durbin, or that baddie Melissa Bean.” “Duh,” says Greenberg, “You mean I can pick? Wow. Cool.”
That is not the way candidates run for office. They focus on a race, learn the issues and do their best to win. They do not flip-flop between offices. They don’t go out and say “I have a fat checkbook; now where can I buy myself a seat?”
And real political leaders do not welcome characters like Greenberg. The fact that Republicans are taking him seriously is evidence of how desperate the Republican Party has become.
Actually, I have announced that I am running for the same senate seat. So I welcome Greenberg and extend my hand and encourage him to run against me. “Spend some of that money fighting me, Steve, and you will see what real politics is like. But come prepared with a big wad. And once I am done with you, if you win, you face Dirty Dick Durbin.”
Finally, in closing, you can see why Republicans face defeat, again, in 2008. Politics revolves around issues. “Reagan Democrats” were Democrats who followed Reagan’s issues. Republicans want to forget that simple truth.
In 2006 I told Republicans they would have to deal with Iraq. The right-wing nuts screamed “no way” and threw up in my face. Last November the Democrats threw them out.
In 2008, they will have to face Iraq again, and terrorism, foreign policy, the military, etc. Are Illinois Republicans looking for someone with experience in those areas? Someone who can attack Dirty Dick on the issues? And challenge him on his failed policies? Not by a country mile. They are looking for money. They ignore experience to covet cash.
Is it any wonder they keep losing?
------------------------------------------
Chicago-based Internet journalist, broadcaster and media critic Andy Martin is the Executive Editor and publisher of ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2007. Martin covers regional, national and world politics with forty years of personal experience. Columns also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Comments? E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com. Media contact: (866) 706-2639. Web sites: ContrarianCommentary.com; AndyforUSSenator.com.
COLLEGE DROPOUT WANTS TO PROVE ANYBODY CAN BUY PUBLIC OFFICE
(Chicago)(April 25, 2007) College dropout Steve Greenberg has a problem: he can’t decide which public office to buy. Poor fellow. And—no surprise here—the Illinois Republican Party leadership is egging him on. Way to go. Downhill.
I worked on Capitol Hill 41 years ago. Illinois was represented by two of the ablest senators in Washington, Paul Douglas, a Democrat, and Everett Dirksen, a Republican. The Illinois legislature and congressional delegation were vigorously competitive. Under Republican “Big Jim” Thompson the Republican Party established a stranglehold on the Governor’s office. None of these men had a fat wallet.
Today, well today Illinois Republicans are a joke. They spend their time calling each other names. RINO! Old-guard! And Democrats keep winning elections.
The fact that Republicans are treating clown prince Steve Greenberg seriously is evidence they have capitulated completely to their own sense of delusional envelopment.
Greenberg has no experience in anything. He dropped out of college to play hockey. He went to work for dad and today calls himself an investor in “distressed businesses.”
Greenberg should invest in himself. He sounds distressed to me. No direction. No experience. No credentials. He is heir to a 5 and 10 cent fortune. And he wants to go to Washington. Don’t nickel and dime me, please.
I suggest he start with a public tour of the White House. But then, maybe not. He might decide he wants to run for president.
One of Greenberg’s pearls of wisdom in today’s “The Hill” stands out. Greenberg has decided that although Illinois has two Democratic senators, a Democratic governor and both houses of the legislature are controlled by Democrats, Illinois is a Republican state.
Oh, boy. Don’t renew his day pass.
Three years ago the right-wing nut cakes of the Republican Party had their fondest hallucinations come true: conservative entrepreneur Alan Keyes—who makes a fortune by telling fairly tales to wealthy right-wingers—came to Illinois to sell his wares. The result was that Illinois foisted Barack Obama on the national stage.
Keyes said he was in Illinois to stay; anyone seen him lately? He lambasted gays and lesbians while concealing that his daughter was a lesbian.
Keyes was crazy from start to finish. But those who were and are responsible for the Keyes debacle never apologized for their stupidity and incompetence.
Keyes, of course, was never really a candidate, or a Republican. He was and is a political entrepreneur. He makes outrageous statements knowing that 2-3% of the public will pay good money to support his nonsense. So he says, and he sells. A simple and very profitable strategy. When you add up the dollars, Keyes is a rich man peddling foolishness to fools.
Keyes now has a competitor: Steve Greenberg.
Greenberg’s claim that Illinois is a Republican state is sad. The fact that he is a rich college dropout who is wandering through life looking for a role does not mean Illinois Republicans should take him in. But they are trying hard to rope him into running for Congress or the Senate.
“Oh, run, Steve,” they say, “Against that baddie Dirty Dick Durbin, or that baddie Melissa Bean.” “Duh,” says Greenberg, “You mean I can pick? Wow. Cool.”
That is not the way candidates run for office. They focus on a race, learn the issues and do their best to win. They do not flip-flop between offices. They don’t go out and say “I have a fat checkbook; now where can I buy myself a seat?”
And real political leaders do not welcome characters like Greenberg. The fact that Republicans are taking him seriously is evidence of how desperate the Republican Party has become.
Actually, I have announced that I am running for the same senate seat. So I welcome Greenberg and extend my hand and encourage him to run against me. “Spend some of that money fighting me, Steve, and you will see what real politics is like. But come prepared with a big wad. And once I am done with you, if you win, you face Dirty Dick Durbin.”
Finally, in closing, you can see why Republicans face defeat, again, in 2008. Politics revolves around issues. “Reagan Democrats” were Democrats who followed Reagan’s issues. Republicans want to forget that simple truth.
In 2006 I told Republicans they would have to deal with Iraq. The right-wing nuts screamed “no way” and threw up in my face. Last November the Democrats threw them out.
In 2008, they will have to face Iraq again, and terrorism, foreign policy, the military, etc. Are Illinois Republicans looking for someone with experience in those areas? Someone who can attack Dirty Dick on the issues? And challenge him on his failed policies? Not by a country mile. They are looking for money. They ignore experience to covet cash.
Is it any wonder they keep losing?
------------------------------------------
Chicago-based Internet journalist, broadcaster and media critic Andy Martin is the Executive Editor and publisher of ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2007. Martin covers regional, national and world politics with forty years of personal experience. Columns also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Comments? E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com. Media contact: (866) 706-2639. Web sites: ContrarianCommentary.com; AndyforUSSenator.com.
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