Tag: Chicago

Progressives often claim that they will gladly support Greens when they see a Green campaign that can win. Well, here's a Green who can win and a chance to put your money where your mouth is:

Jeremy Karpen's clean-money Green campaign for the IL State Assembly is poised to pull off an upset victory against his Chicago Machine opponent.

Jeremy and his volunteers have already knocked on 7,000 doors and made 3,000 phone calls. Jeremy has earned enthusiastic endorsements from leading newspapers, unions, and voter groups.

At this critical moment, Jeremy needs to raise $3,000 to air a bilingual TV ad, “I support Jeremy Karpen/Yo Apoyo a Jeremy Karpen.”

Watch the ad and make a donation at www.jeremykarpen.org/content/put-jeremy-tv.

Jeremy Karpen is running for Illinois State Assembly in the 39th District, which covers Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. Karpen first ran against incumbent Toni Berrios, the daughter of gambling lobbyist and Chicago Democratic machine insider Joseph Berrios, in 2008, earning 21% of the vote despite being massively outspent. This year, Karpen's strong grassroots campaign and commitment to clean, progressive politics have earned him endorsements from Independent Voters of Illinois, Chicago Progressive Democrats of America, and the Chicago Tribune.

In endorsing Karpen, the Chicago Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America called him “an advocate for single payer health care” and proclaimed that he would be “the progressive voice in the Illinois General Assembly”.

The Chicago Sun-Times endorsed Karpen over Berrios in 2008, but the Chicago Tribune endorsement was unexpected, since the Tribune had previously sided with Berrios. This year, the Tribune called Berrios a “loyal soldier siding with entrenched power in Springfield” and agreed with Karpen's statement that his election would “shake the foundation of the political machine”. The Huffington Post reported on the game-changing endorsement:

“'This one would be a big story, being able to win against the daughter of Joe Berrios, who is a symbol of the Democratic machine and everything that is wrong with the machine,' Karpen said.
In 2008, Karpen won 21 percent of the vote against Berrios in the same race. This time around, though, he's raised more money, organized more volunteers and is co-ordinating his campaign with Green Party candidates for governor and U.S. Senate.
And with the endorsement from the Tribune, the unlikely Green Party candidate is heading into October with momentum at his back.”

Jeremy Karpen works as a therapist with at-risk boys and their families. He described his motivation for running in an interview with HuffPost Chicago: “Rather than being a janitor cleaning up the failings of the state, I'd like to be working on a legislative level, so when you give a referral to a family, you're making sure there actually is a mental health clinic, there is a hospital you can go to.” Karpen's platform calls for affordable housing, fully-funded schools, single-payer health care, affordable housing, and cleaning up Illinois' notoriously dirty politics. His campaign is funded entirely from individual contributions, while his opponent is busy shaking down her father's cronies and corporate interests. From the Huffington Post:

“Berrios has over $100,000 in her campaign coffers, donated from pharmaceutical PACs (she's the chair of the Biotech Committee), downtown lawyers (many of whom lobby her father about property taxes at the Board of Review), and a massive contribution from Joe Berrios himself. Karpen sends email blasts trying to scrounge up enough for his next mailer.”

A Green win against a corporate-sponsored Chicago machine insider would be a win for all progressives. Karpen needs money to get his message to voters and pull off an upset. Learn more about Jeremy Karpen's campaign and how you can help.

Wednesday, Sept 22, 2010  Headlines, we have headlines….

1. Rahm Emanuel Could Leave White House In October.

I’ve always wanted to type this, and now I can:

Anonymous White House Aide says Anonymous White House Aide might be leaving the White House.

If he chooses to go forward with the mayoral race, Emanuel intends to be sensitive to the fact that his dual role could create the appearance of using his government office to his personal advantage, say two people familiar with internal deliberations.

__

The aide says Emanuel will not make a decision about whether or not to run this week, but was otherwise vague about when the decision would be made – or exactly when he might step down.

2.  Larry Summers, Director of National Economic Council, to Leave White House After Election

Again, the 3 anonymous Horsemen of the Impending Electionypse were quoted:

…. according to three people familiar with the matter.

His departure would leave Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner as the only member of President Barack Obama’s original top-tier economic team. Summers, 55, and the president have discussed his future plans, according to one person.

Administration officials are weighing whether to put a prominent corporate executive in the NEC director’s job to counter criticism that the administration is anti-business, one person familiar with White House discussions said. White House aides are also eager to name a woman to serve in a high-level position, two people said. They also are concerned about finding someone with Summers’ experience and stature, one person said.

Dear White House.  

About that token genderism thing.

We are not fooled by how the present is wrapped if we’re still finding it still doesn’t fit.  

So that’s Peter Orszag, Christina Romer, Larry Summers, and perhaps Rrrrahmbo Anonymous gone.  That leaves Timmy Geithner.  Who now has to look at Elizabeth Warren.  

Duncan to call for change in teachers’ education

WASHINGTON (CNN)  — Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is expected to push for reforms in how teachers are taught when he speaks at Teachers College at Columbia University in New York on Thursday.

According to advanced quotes released by the U.S. Department of Education, he will say that “schools, colleges and departments of education are doing a mediocre job of preparing teachers for the realities of the 21st-century classroom.” He will call for a “revolutionary” change in teacher preparation programs.

Duncan estimates that about 200,000 new teachers will enter U.S. school systems annually.”

Homemade Pizza – it’s what’s for dinner!

Inspired by Edwardo’s, my favorite Chi-town pizza.  

Stuffed Spinach and Sausage Pizza

Dough-

4 t. sugar

3 pkg rapid rise yeast

2 c. warm water

5 c. all-purpose flour

4 t. salt

6 T. butter, melted

6 oz. bag fresh baby spinach, washed and spun dry

1 lb. part skim mozzarella

8 oz. monterey jack

1-1/2 c. pizza sauce

1 c. diced tomatoes

2/3 lb. sweet italian sausage, browned and drained

1/2 c. parmesano reggiano

Preheat oven to 475F.  Lightly oil 14-inch deep dish pizza pan.  

Combine yeast & sugar in warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes.  It should foam up.  Combine flour and salt.  Add the butter, then add the yeast mixture. Combine and knead on floured surface until dough is soft and smooth.  Let rise 1 hour.  

Shred cheese. Put spinach in food processor to chop fine (or use frozen chopped spinach – defrosted and well drained). Mix mozzarella and jack cheese with the spinach. (You can use any cheeses you want – I added a little asiago because I had it in my fridge).   Reserve parmesano for topping.  Mix pizza sauce with tomatoes (canned or fresh).  Cook sausage.

Assembly instructions below…

Recipe based on Stuffed Pizza with Spinach in The Chicago-Style Pizza Cookbook (Pasquale Bruno, 1983).  

What happened at that Chicago manufacturing plant brought back alot of memories of how extremely talented workers fought for what they knew were their rights, decent wages for their labor, on the job safety, trading wages for benefits like health and welfare directly and much much more. Fights that shouldn’t have really happened in a real model of capitalism where all should share directly in the quality and growth of their work and the companies they work for.

We need to return to that pride in company and product, quality products and customer service, correcting the defaults, and growth for all, owners, workers, and investors.

Cross posted from DailyKos.

Please join me in a protest against the war.

On March 19, 2003 (US time), the US invaded Iraq on a search for “Weapons of Mass Destruction” – the first of many excuses claimed by the Bush Administration for this illegal war.

On the five year anniversary of that invasion, I ask you to join me in protest.

More over the jump.

First, thanks to Sheddhead for the essay and great pictures. 

This would have been sooner, but I’m kinda’ new at this digital stuff and uploading on a public site, etc.

As Sheddhead said, the day turned out beautiful, although a little brisk.

I did not attend the Union Park Rally, or the march, but instead went early to Federal Plaza, where all protestors ultimately gathered.

Early arrival at Federal Plaza

There’s more:

Crossposted from Daily Kos

Yesterday turned into a beautiful day in Chicago.  It started out grey and drizzly, but by the time people met in Union Park, the rain had passed – and when people started to march, the sun came out.

Thank you to dmsilev for agreeing to go to the rally and march and I’m sorry we missed you to Got A Grip.  We had the sign out, but we completely missed you.

Please join me over the fold for many photos.