One last tempest in a teapot before election day
From QC Online:
Illinois State Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline, is upset that state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, used his name in an endorsement without his permission.
"On Saturday, after the St. Patrick's Day Parade, I was very surprised and shocked to see a mailer from Mike Jacobs that had my name as an endorsee," Rep. Boland said Monday. "No one ever contacted me to ask to have my endorsement, and I hadn't offered it to anybody."
The only two candidates he has endorsed in Tuesday's primary are longtime friends for races in other parts of the state.
"Whenever I do an endorsement, I hold a news conference with the candidate, and speak about them," Rep. Boland said. After getting the Jacobs mailer, he said he received a number of phone calls from supporters asking him about it.
"I had told everybody that I had pledged to the House Speaker that I was neutral in any kind of local races," Rep. Boland noted. "Generally I stay out of them, unless it's someone who had been a longtime supporter, if they're very well qualified."
Sen. Jacobs said Monday that he thought he had Rep. Boland's clear support and has used his photo in several of his campaign mailers, with no sign of protest from the House representative.
"We all met with the House Speaker and he asked, 'Do you gentlemen agree to support each other?' Mike said `Absolutely,'" Sen. Jacobs said. "Now for Mike to break that truce and take up his old negative tactics, that surprises me."
"I find it amusing that he brings this up the day before the election. It doesn't make good political sense to me," he said. "And I've handled a lot of Mike's bills in the Senate. I have stuck my neck out for him. I'm just mystified by this."
In August 2005, House Speaker Mike Madigan met with Mike Jacobs, Mike Boland and other prominent Democrats in Rock Island. The meeting included Rep. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan; U.S. Rep. Lane Evans, D-Rock Island; Rock Island County Democratic party chairman John Gianulis; former state senator Denny Jacobs; Rock Island County State's Attorney Jeff Terronez, and key labor leaders.
Rep. Boland at one time considered running for the Senate seat. He said the mailer from Sen. Jacobs -- running against Paul Rumler in the primary for the 36th District Senate seat -- was a "sign of disrespect."
Rep. Boland said that for a long time, he didn't get along with Sen. Jacobs' father, longtime state Sen. Denny Jacobs, but ended up having a cordial relationship with him. Rep. Boland will seek his 8th term this fall representing the 71st House District.
After Denny Jacobs retired from the Senate, Mike Jacobs was appointed to replace him in February 2005.
"Mike's endorsement is not really important to me," Sen. Jacobs said. "What's important is (U.S. Sen.) Barack Obama's and Lane Evans'. This is much ado about nothing."
posted by The Inside Dope @ 3/20/2006
13 comments
13 Comments:
From what I hear Obama is not happy about this either. Mike may have finally broken the camel's back.
Another question, why are these guys all meeting together? If it was just a meeting between legislators, why was Denny Jacobs there? Isn't he a consultant? Dirty backroom deals. Not my representation.
Rep. Boland's actions, just hours before polls open, is highly suspect. It's also mystifying because it sends a lot of mixed messages. It's no secret Jacobs and Boland and Verschoore agreed to support each other in front of House Speaker Michael Madigan. They agreed on a strategy to be a united Democratic team. Boland agreed to that strategy.
That's why his action today is mystifying to say the least, and certainly not worthy of a press conference for gosh sakes! If he had a beef with Jacobs he should have called him on the phone. It's simply amazing.
Never believe anything that's announced the day before an election!
Oh, my gosh. Wasn't anyone at the Denny Jacobs' retirement party? That's when Barack Obama called into to praise Denny and endorse Mike Jacobs. 400 people were there to hear that! Fact.
Fact #2. Barack Obama and Denny Jacobs are this/close. They served in the Senate together. They played cards together once a week.
It's amazing the level of cynicism out there. Get over it. Barack Obama has endorsed Mike Jacobs. Fact. Call Obama's office in the morning if you have any doubt whatsoever. Or call Jacobs' campaign mgr Pat O'Brien.
Boland states that he pledged to remain NEUTRAL in local elections, not that he would support Jacobs.
When his picture was used and it was implied that he overtly supported Jacobs, he felt that wasn't accurate. At least that's how I read things.
I believe that Boland simply wants to remain neutral in the Jacobs/Rumler contest.
The only thing to quibble about at this point is whether there was some pledge to openly support each other or whether it was, as Boland says, a pledge to remain neutral.
No one but those in attendance at the Madigan "come to Jesus" meeting knows what happened, and likely they don't even know what Boland agreed to.
I'd say that at this point, Boland should be taken at his word, that he only pledged to remain neutral, and if that is the case, then he has a right to point out that he is not officially endorsing Mike Jacobs candidacy.
Who really cares about endorsements anymore? Most voters make up their own mind. What do you think Dope? :)
I think in one respect you're very correct. But it depends on who the endorsement is from, of course.
Obviously, if you have a star like Obama come and make appearances or endorsements, that has a real effect and likely adds votes. Union endorsements only mean something to union members and not a hell of a lot to average people.
And unfortunately, union membership has been on a steep downward slope for many years.
But in general, I don't know why endorsments get the attention they do. In these small time races, I can see why the candidates seek them and trumpet them, because endorsements are really the only thing available to point to when the issues are so obscure, if they exist at all, or as in the case in primaries, when the candidates are pretty close to each other on issues anyway.
And as to politicians endorsing each other... that's just a game anyway. I don't know that Pat Vershoore endorsing Mike Jacobs is going to add a bunch of votes. It's nearly meaningless and is more of a game than anything else. The only time they get any attention is when something like the Boland situation occurs, and then it's only a big deal because it's out of the ordinary and people try to make it into something it's not. The Boland non-endorsement means nothing except that Boland can't honestly endorse Jacobs. Why would he?
It's really not a big deal except as it shows that Boland has a mind of his own and won't be a good boy and be forced into supporting Jacobs.
Bottom line? I think endorsements are generally overrated.
Dope,
I was at the meeting and Boland and Sen. Jacobs shook hands and agreed to support one and other. Now Boland, the day before election, lets off a depth charge. I think this will have remifications beyond today (if Jacobs' survives) the Dispatch onslought).
That last post is good news for Rumler, Jacobs is already preparing his excuse:
"I couldn't survive with the Dispatch against me."
I can not believe the gaul of the Disgraceful Dispatch. Why on God's greem earth would you not support the Senator who is from our area. Maybe we ought to do a write in for John B. (inside dope) so that he can try to retain the committee's that Senator Jacobs is on. Or is it worth your while, because you have nothing better to do, for us to lose any power for the Q.C. Illinois area. As a christian woman I for the life of me can not understand your ignorance of politics. You feel what you are writting is fact. You better check which side of the bed you got up on because you are not in most peoples reality. I suggest that before the election in November you take some political science classes so that you have a better understanding of our legeslative system. Or maybe you could all go work at the hog plant, for low pay and then ask yourself where is our share of the
money from Springfield.
Bolands antics bring back the memory of his support of Denny Jacobs' republican challenger the year Denny beat him in the senate primary. What a baby.
OK Dope, let me see if I follow the Jacobs line of reasoning:
Handshake = Endorsement
Phonecall to father's retirement party = Endorsement
By that logic, if we assume that Jacobs and Rumler have exchanged a handshake at some point, we can deduct that Jacobs endorses Rumler!
Obviously this Obama thing isn't real, I'm sure Mike tried to get it into the papers, but they wouldn't pring his quotes for fear of having Obama's office call and tell them they were wrong.
Maybe the Republican was a better candidate than Denny or a little less... questionable. There had to be a reason. Boland doesn't love Republicans.
Why do people go along with the mindless support of Jacobs and go along with mindlessly hating anyone who opposes them without even stopping to wonder why?
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