A Celebration of History Over 300 Revelers Celebrate the Inaugural in Deerfield
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In This Issue: Tenth Dems Party . .1 Party Pics . .4 Over 300 Revelers Celebrate Historic Celebration .1 Pics from D.C. .5 Partisanship . 2 A New Hope . .6 Congress Watch . .3 Tenth Dems U . .8 the Inaugural in Deerfield Healthcare Reform . .3 by Paul Kelly For information or to volunteer call: Over 300 revelers of all ages partied Tuesday evening, 847.266.VOTE (8683) January 20th, in Deerfield at the 10th District Presidential Or write to: Inaugural Celebration, cheering the 44th President of the Hon. Lauren Beth Gash, Chair, Tenth Dems United States, Barack Obama. P.O. Box 523, Deerfield, IL 60015 Visit the website: www.tenthdems.org Hosted by the Tenth Dems, this family-friendly party had a little of everything to celebrate the Inauguration. Pastry Chef Gale Newsletter: [email protected] Gand of Tru brought her children while volunteering her Editor: Barbara Altman services to sweeten the event with some sweet treats. Editorial Staff: Joan Attenberg, Michael Fisher, Showing that it’s a true family affair, much of the music was Hon. Lauren Beth Gash, Ellen Beth Gill, Paul provided by The Big Band Sound of Deerfield, conducted by Kelly, Adrienne Kirshbaum, Leslie Lipschultz, Ross Nickow, George Rosenblit, Sharon Bob Gand, Gale's father, with vocalist Angie Lyons. The Jazz Sanders, Steve Sheffey, Laurie Kaplan Singh Ensemble of Highland Park High also was present to warm up the crowd. There was plenty of dancing to be had. Design: Terry Jones th Distribution: Glenn Stier, Dave Du Bordieu, The room fell silent only when the Tenth Dems played back Cosette Winter 10 video of the Inauguration and the inaugural address. As soon The opinions expressed are those of the writers, continued on page 4 and not necessarily endorsed by Tenth Dems www.tenthdems.org FEBRUARYTenth 2009 Illinois Tenth Congressional DistrictNews Democrats Newsletter Volume 6, Edition 2 Messages from the Mall: A Celebration of History Photo Essay Inside, See Page 5 opening ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial from their taxi, as they made their way through heavy traffic from the airport. Pre-inaugural events Lauren and Gregg attended included the Foreign Diplomats Ball, where ambassadors and diplomats from many locales were entertained by Grammy-nominated artists, Illinois- related gatherings, and a Senate reception at the Library of Congress. Though most of the ticketed guests were in the standing sections, Lauren and Gregg were fortunate to witness the Inauguration from excellent seats on the Capitol lawn. However, Lauren noticed that, The new Obama administration dances onto the national stage. standing or sitting, and by Adrienne Kirshbaum regardless of sight lines, everyone in the crowd Many of us watched every minute of the inaugural proceedings and seemed to share a common wondered what it would be like to really be there in Washington. purpose. “There was an Fortunately, our Tenth Dems Chair, Hon. Lauren Beth Gash, was on incredible sense of unity in the ground in Washington that week and was happy to recount some the air—a joy, and a of her experiences. knowledge that we were The helicopter carrying Bush away gets an As a Presidential Elector (member of the Electoral College), Lauren not only witnessing history, enthusiastic good riddance from the crowd. received two tickets to the Inauguration. She and her husband Gregg but that we’d all done this Garmisa, who years ago met and married in Washington, arrived in together. It was quite powerful.” In weather that was Chicago-style the capital city on Sunday, January 18th. They got a good view of the cold, the vast crowd of roughly 1.8 million people included dignitaries, continued on page 5 Congress in the 110th Congress, when he “only” voted with his party In Defense of Partisanship slightly more than eight out of every 10 times, was number 62 in the Republican-controlled 109th Congress, voting with his party nearly by Steve Sheffey nine out of every 10 times. “In our District, we vote the person, not the party.” So said the 10th Can anyone seriously argue that there is little difference between the District’s Republican Congressman Mark Kirk in his successful bid for agendas of John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi? If not, it is equally re-election in a Democratic-leaning district. Kirk attempted to brand fatuous to argue that party labels don’t matter or that party affiliation himself as an independent moderate above the partisan fray, going so should not be considered when voting. far as to omit his Republican affiliation from yard signs and bumper Too many ideological organizations that claim to want friends on both stickers. Kirk thus convinced Illinois’ 10th Congressional District voters sides of the aisle don’t get it either. There are some issues—support to elect a Republican at the same time they were voting for Democrats for Israel is one example—where there is little difference between the Barack Obama and parties, and where it therefore Richard Durbin by does make sense for single- margins of issue pro-Israel approximately 61 organizations to support percent and 68 candidates in both parties. percent. But on many issues, But as Stanley Fish including reproductive points out, “voting the choice and the person rather than the party is environment, the parties about the dumbest thing you can strongly differ. Yet in a misguided do…Voting the person, however attractive or impressive he or she attempt to appear nonpartisan, certain groups go out of their way to may be, could very well get you four years of policies you detest. In find supportive Republicans, ignoring the reality that every Republican other words, policy differences are party differences, and it is hard to will vote to elect Boehner Speaker of the House and vote with fellow see how you could be a responsible voter if you held your nose at a Republicans the vast majority of the time, a result that could not be whiff of party politics.” Calling oneself an independent is a nice feel- more harmful to the causes these groups support. good affirmation, but we live in a two-party system where partisan There is nothing wrong with uniting behind the one party that supports politics is the only politics that matters. your beliefs. By supporting “good” Republicans, these groups hurt On January 6, 2009, Kirk cast his first and most important vote of the their own cause by empowering a political party whose agenda is not new Congress: to elect John Boehner (R-Ohio) Speaker of the House theirs. A more effective and intellectually honest approach would of Representatives. Kirk ran as a social moderate, a pro-choice, pro- oppose candidates who join parties that are ideologically opposed to environment, pro-gun control reformer. Yet he voted for Boehner. the positions taken by the advocacy group. If you care about stem cell Boehner received zero ratings from NARAL Pro-Choice America, research, reproductive choice, separation of church and state, and the Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the environment, it does not make sense to support candidates whose League of Conservation Voters. The National Education Association election will empower the Republican Party. gave Boehner an F. The National Right to Life Committee gave Some people who voted for Obama voted for Mark Kirk because they Boehner a rating of 100, the Gun Owners of America gave Boehner a were concerned about one-party rule. But if you agree with Obama, rating of 100, and the National Rifle Association gave Boehner a rating why would you want to block progress by empowering a party of A. That’s the agenda Kirk voted for when he voted to elect Boehner diametrically opposed to what Obama stands for? James Madison Speaker of the House. explained in Federalist No. 51 that checks and balances refer to the Either Kirk supports Boehner’s agenda or Kirk didn’t have the guts to institutional differences between the House and the Senate, as well as break with his party to support what supposedly is his own agenda. Is the division of power between the three branches of government: it unreasonable to expect a Republican congressman to oppose the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. The idea is that competing Republican running for Speaker of the House? Well, yes. That’s why interests will check and balance each other, not that voters will party labels matter. Voters who ignore party affiliation are as blind as deliberately vote against their own interests to create gridlock. those who vote solely based on party affiliation. The Washington Post I am not advocating mindlessly supporting one party’s positions over compiled the percentage of votes on which lawmakers agreed with the other, or condoning behavior from one party that you would not the position taken by a majority of his or her party members. The party excuse in the other party. Neither party is correct on every issue. voting average for all members of the House of Representatives in the There are some people who would vote to have the garbage picked up 110th Congress was 89.4 percent. Only five members of Congress on Tuesday solely because they knew the Republicans supported voted with their party fewer than eight out of ten times, and Mark Kirk Monday pick-up, and would switch positions if the parties switched was not one of them. The most “independent” member of Congress, positions. That kind of stupidity is what gives genuine partisanship a Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), still voted with his party 74.7 percent of bad name. the time. The kind of partisanship I’m advocating means standing up not only for In the 110th Congress, with the Democrats in control, 18 of the 20 most your beliefs, but also for those who share your beliefs.