He
didn’t actually say that (he said he realizes the political fight is over, and
that his side lost). But to me, the key moment came at several points during
the event when Oberweis stressed the significance of political bipartisanship.
WHICH
BY HIS definition means people should cast their ballots for him against
Durbin, and should also shift control of the U.S. Senate to the Republicans,
while keeping control of the House of Representatives with the GOP as well.
Because,
he explained, Republicans would then be able to push their ideological agenda
without Democratic resistance. Then, President Barack Obama would have to
legitimately negotiate with Republican interests on issues of significance,
instead of being able to ignore issues because a Republican House passed
something and a Democratic Senate rejected it before it could get to a
president for consideration.
I
find it interesting to hear someone say that bipartisanship means putting Republicans
entirely in control of Congress.
Because
it really reinforces in my mind the concept that the modern-day Republican isn’t
capable of governing a thing unless the process is rigged in their favor. “Bipartisan”
is the ultimate dirty word (or maybe just as filthy-minded as “progressive” or “liberal”)
to these people.
I
ALWAYS THOUGHT the ideal situation was to have a legislative branch of government
that is split between the political parties, with the head of the executive
branch being the tie-breaker, of sorts, for the balance of power.
Which
is what makes “president” or “governor” to be the ultimate political prize.
Oberweis,
obviously, disagrees. Then again, the only political office he’s ever been able
to win is a state senate seat from his Sugar Grove home town where he is in the
minority party. It doesn’t exactly give him much in the way of influence.
So
this is all about Oberweis wanting to be a part of a political caucus that
actually has influence. There’s nothing more insignificant than a freshman
member of the minority party – which Oberweis has been in Springfield, Ill.,
for the past two years.
MY
OWN IDEOLOGICAL leanings were heavily influenced two decades ago – the November
1994 election cycle saw Republicans take just about everything in state and
federal government.
Chicago
the city proper kept its Democratic officials, but everybody else went for
Republicans that year. It resulted in Springfield in a two-year period
(1995-96) where the GOP ran everything – and Madigan was reduced to “minority
leader” who was blatantly ignored.
During
that time, Chicago interests were made so secondary. The city was blatantly
snubbed on so many occasions. It’s no wonder to me that city voters cast
ballots for Democratic candidates so overwhelmingly. The current election cycle
really is urban versus rural more than Democrat versus Republican.
It
was the large part of why, when I cast my ballot Friday at an early voting
center, I wound up backing Gov. Pat Quinn for re-election. And even Sheila
Simon for state Comptroller – even though I’m not convinced she can beat
incumbent Judy Baar Topinka of suburban North Riverside.
BUT
BACK TO Oberweis, who has dreams of going to Washington, D.C., as part of a
majority caucus of GOPers who will push their ideological agenda through the
nation.
Instead,
we’re likely to keep Durbin (whom I’ll admit I also cast a ballot for on Friday),
with the real question being whether enough other states will feel compelled to
dump Democratic incumbents for Republican insurgents to make Capitol Hill a GOP
bastion – and give Obama serious headaches for the two remaining years of his
presidency.
And
Oberweis can remain on the Springfield scene for two more years in the minority
party!
-30-
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