RSS Contributor Archives: TerryBlaurock

Blog: Will It Ever End?

July 21, 2010 – 12:05 pm

During the past ten years, we’ve personally heard Mark Kirk talk about his teaching career several times. Surprise, surprise. The New York Times is reporting that Mark Kirk made some that up. No one is denying he was a teacher, but he “misremembered” some important facts. The non-partisan CapitolFax blog sums it up nicely:

Mark Kirk is an accomplished, decorated Naval veteran who blew that reputation out of the water with unfathomable exaggerations about his military record. He’s an intellectual graduate of the London School of Economics who lied about his experience with liberal nursery school students carrying guns.

These accusations against Mark Kirk are no longer about mere “embellishments” or “exaggerations.” This campaign is now about whether anything he says is true, and why. Read More »

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Blog: Somewhere Over the Rainbow

June 29, 2010 – 12:27 pm

Hey All!

It’s Jilly and Monica!
So, while most of you were sleeping in your beds last Sunday, the ever-so efficient Tenth Dems Interns were out parading in Chicago. This weekend our city hosted the Pride Parade, and of course we were there to join in on the fun. We met up with the energetic Giannoulias team, and also met some of the other fantastic candidates.

The streets were lined with colorful flags, bright costumes and enthusiastic people. It was wonderful to see the city united for one cause. It was great to see so many candidates committed to such an important human right. Walking with the Giannoulias team, we were impressed by “Sexy Alexi’” ‘s charm and ability to persevere through a sweltering hot day. Giannoulias connected with voters on a personal level, as well as appealing to their ideals.

Through the hubbub, there was this overwhelming feeling of optimism that brought everyone together regardless of their political ideologies. It was so amazing to see a city whose beliefs are diverse come together to celebrate something so beautiful.

Surprisingly, we learned that parades don’t end where they start… but that was secondary to the experience of being amidst the campaign and its candidate.

Here’s  a picture for your entertainment and proof that we were really there :)

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Blog: Jan Schakowsky Deserves Pro-Israel Support

June 29, 2010 – 12:26 pm

Jan Schakowsky Deserves Pro-Israel Support. I rarely write about elections I cannot vote in, but the unfair attacks against Rep. Jan Schakowsky have become so over the top that it’s time to set the record straight. Jan is a good friend of Israel. Her record on issues of concern to the pro-Israel community is perfect. Jan is the clear choice over self-proclaimed Tea Party Republican Joel Pollack. If you live in Jan’s district, if you know someone who lives in Jan’s district, or if you’re just interested in the facts, read my article in the Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-sheffey/jan-schakowsky-deserves-p_b_627394.html

AIPAC Midwest Political Director Jonathan Greenberg will provide a briefing on Thursday, July 1 from 7:00 to 8:30pm at a private residence in Deerfield. It is critical that we educate ourselves on Israel and Iran. Jonathan is a dynamic, informative speaker, and a real mensch. If you want to learn about what’s going on, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better way to spend your time. The evening is free but space is limited, so please reply to this email if you’d like to attend. If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, there’s still room.

Meet Alexi Giannoulias in Highland Park on July 7. Many people who formerly supported Mark Kirk are now realizing that he is not who they thought he was. Here is a golden opportunity to meet Alexi Giannoulias for free.

Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate, will be the guest speaker at this Tenth Dems University (TDU) event. Like all TDU events, there is no charge to attend and it is open to all. At this TDU event he will talk about the importance of this election, why he is the best choice for Illinois in 2010, and will answer questions from those in attendance.

DATE: Wednesday, July 7
TIME: Doors open 6:45 p.m., Program begins 7:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Highland Park Public Library, 494 Laurel Ave., Highland Park

Advance registration is not required, but if the number who show up for the event exceeds room capacity, those who register in advance will be given priority admission. So, advance registration is strongly recommended. To do so, go tohttp://tdu.tenthdems.org/.

The Highland Park Public Library provides library meeting space as a community service. The Library neither sponsors nor endorses this / these event(s) nor the presenting individual(s) or organization(s).

Israel is a strategic asset. This is self-evident to most Americans, which is why support for Israel in Congress is so strong and bi-partisan (Iran sanctions passed the Senate unanimously last week, and only eight House members voted against). But if you need a reminder of the details about our strategic alliance with Israel, click here:http://www.aipac.org/NearEastReport/20100624/Israel_A_US_Strategic_Asset.html

Elton John performs in Israel. After several artists canceled performances in Israel, Elton John (whose early stuff is pretty good) played in Israel. You can free up space on your iPod for Elton John by deleting Elvis Costello, Carlos Santana, Gil Scott-Heron, the Pixies, Klaxons, Gorillaz, and Dvendra Barnhart (whoever he or she or it is).http://www.jta.org/news/article/2010/06/17/2739673/elton-john-performs-in-israel

Obama administration calls Gaza flotillas “irresponsible.” http://www.jta.org/news/article/2010/06/24/2739758/us-flotillas-to-gaza-irresponsible

Is Kirk blowing the Illinois Senate race? For those of you who just returned from Mars, the answer is yes. http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/is-mark-kirk-blowing-the-illinois-senate-race.php

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Blog: Tenth Race for Congress: Bob Dold

June 29, 2010 – 12:25 pm

Running for the Congress in the 10th district, Bob Dold claims to be the ‘small business candidate’. At first glance this seems logical, considering Dold’s greatest achievement is receiving the job of president of Rose Pest Solutions from his father in 2007.
However, after reading about Dold’s plans to use his small business experience to rebuild the economy, it became clear logic was not at all part of his campaign.

Dold’ resume includes two short stints in Washington at less than prestigious jobs, as well a few years at a struggling multi-million dollar communications company. Yet despite jumping between government and corporate jobs for most of his career, Dold’s campaign ads show him as an ‘innovative’ entrepreneur.

Leaving behind a career at a struggling corporation to return home to his parents’ company was not very innovative. Neither is Dold’s economic policy. Recycling any key phrases he could remember from FOX News, Dold threw them all together in a policy that makes no sense.

Dold’s proposal to rebuild the economy has two main prongs: give tax cuts to small businesses, and reduce the federal debt. The only problem with this plan is that it cannot work.

With tax cuts, less revenue coming in would mean the government the deficit increases. To account for this, Dold would evidently prefer to cut spending along with cutting taxes. Add this to Dold’s commitment to fiscal austerity and reducing the federal debt overall, and the result is a giant reduction of government spending. If these strategies sound vaguely familiar, it’s because Herbert Hoover used them during his presidency – and we all know how that ended.

As any college student learns in introductory economics, the last thing to do in a recession is to slash government spending. Today, unemployment are very high. The government is not only a major employer, but a major consumer of the services and products of firms in the US.  The double cuts in government spending Dold is advocating would lead to many more jobs being lost (not only in the public but also in the private sector), and would further depress the entire economy.  (If you do not believe me, read what Paul Krugman has to say in his New York Times editorials). Even with tax cuts, businesses will be discouraged from expanding if the economy continues  collapsing and they are losing customers directly or indirectly due to lower government spending.

Dold’s plans for economic recovery, just like his resume, sound good for about 30 seconds.  Until you realize both are pretty much worthless.

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Blog: Mark Kirk’s Amazing Stories

June 25, 2010 – 12:19 pm

If you’d rather not read the email, just watch this
just watch this—it’s only two minutes long.

Friends,

It’s been almost two days since Mark Kirk has done something crazy, so maybe it’s safe to send an email that won’t be outdated in a matter of hours. Remember the boxing scene in “Cool Hand Luke”? All the prisoners watch Paul Newman and George Kennedy duke it out, but after it becomes painfully clear that Newman doesn’t stand a chance, they begin to walk away. They just can’t watch Newman take that beating. It’s beginning to feel the same way about Mark Kirk, but the key difference is that Kirk’s wounds are self-inflicted.

If nothing is a cool hand (that’s where the title of the movie comes from), Kirk has it in spades. Here’s the latest:

Updated list of Kirk’s military misrememberings. From Washington Monthly: Kirk (1) falsely claimed he served “in” Operation Iraqi Freedom; (2) falsely claimed to “command the war room in the Pentagon”; (3) falsely claimed to have won the U.S. Navy’s Intelligence Officer of the Year award; (4) falsely claimed to have been shot at by the Iraqi Air Defense network; (5) falsely claimed to be a veteran of Desert Storm; (6) falsely claimed to be the only lawmaker to serve during Operation Iraqi Freedom; (7) falsely claimed to have been shot at in Kosovo; (8) falsely claimed to have been shot at in Kandahar; (9) falsely claimed to have been repeatedly “deployed” to Afghanistan; and (10) falsely claimed not to have violated Defense Department rules on mingling politics with his military service.

Kirk and his amazing stories. Four-minute segment from Rachel Maddow that summarizes some of Kirk’s latest misrememberings

Kirk runs from reporters. “Kirk ran from a pack of reporters after speaking for about 20 minutes at a forum held by the Metropolitan Planning Council where Giannoulias had spoken earlier. Kirk ran through a back door through a kitchen prep area and onto a loading dock where a car waited for him.”
Chicago Tribune
The Capitol Fax Blog

Kirk’s teaching career. Kirk claimed he was a nursery school teacher, but on June 18 the New York Times quoted a school official as saying “He was never, ever considered a teacher.”
ProgressIllinois.com

If anyone still cares about the issues, remember that Alexi Giannoulias is endorsed over Mark Kirk by organizations that share our values, such as the League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and the Human Rights Campaign. For more on the issues, click here.

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