Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Jones-Scully-Somer's Alliance breaks up CFL Block

Word on the street is that the "east end" deal that slated Linzey Jones, George Scully and T.J. Somer threatens the benefits that the Chicago Federation of Labor brings to the table in their own endorsement of Linzey Jones, George Scully and John Griffin in the 15th sub-circuit judge races. As I mentioned previously, the Chicago Fed expects its endorsees to support the other CFL-endorsed candidates -- and certainly not to actively oppose them.

But that was before the local Republican committee, Families United for Effective Leadership, started mailing to voters on behalf of Jones, Scully and Somer. F.U.E.L. is Somer's local campaign committee, started in 1998, and used to promote his favored candidates while he was the Bloom Township Republican committeeman.

The longtime Republican PAC paid $30,501.80 to The Public Response Group for the joint mailings. Word is that labor committees and labor supporters have expressed outrage to the Chicago Fed about the new mailing. How, people in the South Suburbs continue to ask, can anyone support the controversial former Republican committeeman T.J. Somer as a Democratic nominee for judge? As Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia made clear, there are dramatic differences between Republican and Democratic judicial philosophies and how people are treated from the bench.

The Chicago Fed apparently has had enough. The benefit of the Fed's endorsement was not simply a line-item on one's endorsement mailing, but its ability to mail on its own dime to union members and labor supporters (through the America Works program). The Chicago Fed could expect endorsees not to oppose one another simply because the Fed's mail program would ask that union supporters vote for all the CFL-endorsed candidates. As a result of the recent Republican mailer, the Fed appears likely to drop Jones and Scully from their GOTV efforts, in its mail program, robocalls and canvassing program. Today, the Chicago Federation of Labor pulled their listing of Jones and Scully off their website.

John Griffin -- having kept his word to support the other CFL-endorsed candidates -- will continue to be promoted by the Chicago Fed's campaign communications. He, alone, remains listed on the CFL endorsement list.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Circuit Court judges decide facts and apply existing law; they do not, unlike supreme court and appellate justices, make law. The only concern should be that persons with decades of legal experience want a job that pays less than a first year associate at a top firm, County judgeships are something only crappy lawyers would ever aspire to.....

John Devitt said...

Its a shame that candidates for the position of Judge that is Jones and Scully have endorsed a mailing that depicts Judges as the villians in this foreclosure mess we are now embroiled in. The Judiciary should be above the sleaze-ball tactics employed by candidates for political office, I am not surprised to see that Judge John Griffin stayed above the fray, Griffin is a man of integrity with the highest scruples who within the law would give any homeowner in foreclosure every possible advantage.
John Devitt

Anonymous said...

Interesting - the owner of the Public Response Group is Lloyd Betourney. Betourney is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tom & Dan Hynes political machine. Betourney would never crap where he eats and he loves to eat. The Hynes operation must have OK'd Scully's deal with the Republicans. I wonder what deal the Hynes kid got to screw Griffin?

John Halvorson said...

To "anonymous" (there's a courageous guy for you)
The internet is a wonderful thing, but it too often empowers crazy people who have little, if any regard for facts or truth. The problem, is that far too many people are more interested in information than knowledge
and that is what makes the internet and people like "Mr A" dangerous.
Mr "A"...clearly you don't know Lloyd Betourney and have probably never met him. Obviously, you have an ax to grind with the Hynes family for whatever reason, but your made-up comments do no service whatsoever to the truth or facts. But I guess I don't need to tell you that, that's why you chose to be Anonymous. Do us all a favor and remain thus.
John Halvorson Flossmoor