I’ve made no secret of my support for David Hoffman for US Senate in the upcoming Democratic primary here in Illinois. I’ve worked for his campaign, I’ve written for him, and I’ve been clear as to why I support him.
Now, especially given the events of the last week, I think it’s
important to write about why I will not support his main opponent,
Alexi Giannoulias.
So, it’s not an controversial thing to say that Alexi Giannoulias has some issues with ethics. He gave loans to mobsters and refuses to come clean about all sorts of Broadway Bank baloney. He played footsie with the facts
on the troubles with the Bright Start program in his Illinois
Treasurer’s office. He ran and hid from voters for the last 6 months, blowing off a debate in Rockford and skipping out on a joint press conference with other candidates. The Chicago Reader tried to watch him interact with voters but Mick Dumke came up empty:
“But I never did get a chance to see Giannoulias campaigning among
voters. In the month after our rendezvous, his campaign repeatedly told
me they didn’t have anything like that going on.”
These are not the actions of a stand-up guy.
But here’s the topper-offer. In a crushing display of personal arrogance and enormous disdain for voters, this is what he had to say last week:
Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias refused to provide
details Thursday about whether his decisions contributed to his family
bank’s financial problems, saying five days before the election that
those questions can wait for another time.“If I’m fortunate enough to make it out of the primary, we can have that conversation,” the Chicago Democrat told reporters.
Wow.
So that’s a main reason I am not voting for Alexi Giannoulias– I don’t think he’s a very good person. And he has not shown very much respect for me as an Illinois voter. And I’m done with people like him.
I say this– “I’m done with people like him”– as a person with a lot of experience in supporting people who have no respect for me.
Hell, I voted for Rod Blagojevich. I don’t think I need to link you anywhere to give you an idea of his disrespect for you and me.
I’ve voted for Richard M. Daley, Mayor. The guy who said that he ran the most transparent city ever. He maintains a straight face, daily.
I’m through with people like this. I’m not getting in line for anybody. Not the SEIU, not Jan Schakowsky, not the dozens of career politicians who threw their support for Alexi early, like nervous dice-throwers. When we ask them why these people deserve our support, they give out bleats and moans about “progressives” and “fight” and other treacly stuffing.
I will not get in line, and neither should you. Vote Hoffman– let’s start earning our respect back.