ANDY MARTIN
“He Works for the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406, 30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-ANDY
Toll-free fax (866) 707-ANDY
Web site: www.AndyforUSSenator.com
E-mail: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com
[Web link:
http://www.pr-inside.com/andy-martin-asks-illinois-republicans-to-r382898.htm]
January 12, 2007
Dear Illinois Republican:
In a few days you will be called on to pick a candidate for United States Senator. You will occasionally read insulting remarks about me because I am not a professional politician and a career politician. I have lived a full life in the real world.
Newspaper editors, a remarkably cloistered group, think only professional politicians are fit to seek office and to serve in office. On the contrary, I believe that citizen soldiers make the best public servants.
But, you don’t have to take me on my word. Unlike my opponents in the primary, who have no experience and avoid no opportunity to advertise that fact, I have a public record you can examine.
A year ago, the Republican Party was fearful. The Democrats were in ascendancy. President Bush was proposing an unpopular “surge” in Iraq.
Senator John McCain saw that the surge could save our policy and permit us to eventually withdraw. So did I.
If you read my column for January 27, 2007, you will see that I saw a way to success for President Bush. The president has been following my prescription like a road map. Like us or dislike us, what Senator McCain and I share in common is deep experience. Experience in war, and experience in peace. Experience in fighting entrenched interests. I am not supporting McCain and this letter is not intended to be support for him; it is just a recitation of our mutual experience and record of predicting the future. And courage to do so.
Aren’t you proud that Illinois Republicans can actually offer a serious, experienced opponent to Dick Durbin? Aren’t you proud that Illinois Republicans have a pragmatic, progressive Republican senate candidate whose foreign policy experience will save lives and bring our troops home? When I say that I have a worldwide reputation for integrity and competence in foreign policy and intelligence analysis, I am not exaggerating. I have a published, proven record you can review. As Paul Harvey would say, “Now you know the rest of the story.” Just read part of it below.
I hope that after reading my public record, and especially what I wrote one year ago, you will agree that I am the only candidate for United States Senator on February 5th. You need a candidate with wisdom and judgment and experience to expose the phoniness of Dick Durbin. Can you trust any other Republican to represent you against Dick Durbin? Please be there for me on February 5th; I will be there for you on November 4th.
And please feel free to share this letter with family, friends, neighbors and other Republicans, and all of my critics and detractors in the mainstream media. Maybe the liberal media know something you may not have yet realized: I am the strongest, the only opponent to run against Durbin. Maybe that’s why the liberals don’t want me to win. Think about it.
For victory on November 4th,
ANDY
AM:sp
"Kabuki Democrats" may save President Bush's surge in Baghdad
Category: Politics International Posted Thu Jan 25,2007 5:32 PM Last Edited:
CONTRARIAN COMMENTARY FOR JANUARY 25, 2007INSIDE THE BUSH WHITE HOUSE, PART TWO: HOW BUSH CAN WIN THE WAR IN IRAQ AND DEFEAT THE DEMOCRATSTHE “KABUKI ARMY” ON CAPITOL HILL MAY YET SAVE GEORGE BUSH IN BAGHDAD
(CHICAGO)(January 25, 2007) The Republican Party Army of the Potomac is dispirited and demoralized. There are murmurs of rebellion in the ranks. Washington has just fallen to the Democratic Party Army. Is there no hope? Well, yes, there is.
In politics, it pays to be lucky. Just ask Barack Obama. And George Bush. Both men went from obscurity to national office due to happenstance and sheer luck. But they made it.
And Bush may be on the verge of becoming lucky again. Only this time he will have to make his own luck, not inherit it.
Republicans are trembling at the imminent passage of the “non-binding resolution” decrying Bush’s “surge” in Baghdad. Georgie, you’re a lucky boy.
The Democratic Party Army is inexorably morphing into the Kabuki Army. If you feel “Kabuki” is too stereotyping a term, please substitute the “Alphonse and Gaston Army.”
Why is Bush lucky? Because if he has to have an adversary on Capitol Hill, the Kabuki Army is the best adversary possible.
“Cognitive dissonance” is the condition where someone believes one thing and does another. We might also call this the Cognitive Dissonance Congress. Or the Contradiction Congress.Senator James Webb went on TV to rebut Bush’s state of the nation and said “If Bush doesn’t do it, we will.” Well.
Congress indeed has the power to “do it,” by law. But no one is expecting imminent passage of a law to order the troops withdrawn or to suspend funding for their mission as part of the withdrawal process. Instead, Democrats are trying to have it both ways, trying to claim a belief in the wrongness of the surge while taking limp-wristed steps to stop the same program. (This reminds me of Barack Obama's religious beliefs, but I won't go there today.)
Is it any wonder this weekend we are likely to see the left protesting in Washington? Against the Democrats?
We all know politicians are hypocrites. But the Kabuki Congress is taking duplicity to new levels of artistic performance. Like a carefully choreographed Kabuki dance, Democrats are simultaneously mouthing “support for the troops” and opposition, though a “non-binding opposition,” for the policy the troops are there to enforce.
The U. S. senate is confirming a new commander in Baghdad, and promoting him to four stars, while telling the good General David Petraeus that his mission is malarkey. Talk about support. And cognitive dissonance.
I feel the Democrats are about to “swift boat” themselves. And they don’t even know it. Talk about repeating the past.
If Bushie came to me (and he hasn’t called yet) I would say, “Bushie (no obsequious “Mr. President” for me), give’em hell.” Do a Truman. Attack, attack, attack. Point out the gross inconsistency and world-class hypocrisy in praising a general and condemning his mission, in saying the mission is wrong but not having the guts to stop it.
Luckily, our men and women in Iraq have more guts and, one hopes, more brains that their Kabuki Army detractors in Congress.
As Joan Rivers would say, Bushie, “Can we talk?”
I marched against the invasion of Iraq in Washington on January 18, 2003. I marched in New York. I couldn't believe Bush would be stupid enough to invade. I couldn’t believe Powell would believe the nonsense he was being spoon fed. I couldn’t, I couldn’t, I couldn’t. But they did. And I ended up in Baghdad a few days after Saddam went undercover.I preached from the minarets: this is wrong, and going wrong. And getting worse. I exposed corruption and incompetence. My payback: Bushie and Bremer trashed me while lifting weights together in the White House. Bremer got my award. Life’s not fair.
So why am I now predicting Bush could win his war against the Kabuki Army? Have I switched sides? Not really. We call’em the way we see’em. And right now the Kabuki Democrats (not to be confused with the Atari Democrats) look primed for a big fall--if only Bush will seize the initiative and become a bold leader. We were reminded a few days ago that our late President Ford once said, “I’m a Ford, not a Lincoln.” It is time for a President who is a Lincoln. I come from the Land of Lincoln. I know. Just ask me.
How does Bush counterattack and defeat the Kabukis on Capitol Hill? First, just keep telling the people the truth.
Bushie, I know it’s painful. But just keep saying “I got bad advice.” Everyone will believe you because no one thinks you know anything about foreign affairs. Just say “We made mistakes. Big mistakes.” Mean it.
But then say “What the Kabuki Democrats are doing is a disgrace to America. We can and will get it right.”
And remember, you live in an American Idol era. Be entertaining, be forceful, be dramatic and most of all be persistent and repetitive. My professor in undergraduate school who got me started in politics, Louis Volpp, used to say “There is no repetition for undergraduates.” And there is no repetition for Americans. We have a short attention span. We want instant gratification. And we are lazy. We want it bite-sized and digestible. We have the attention span of (insert choice, but please abuse no animals). So say it over and over again.
Tell the people what another great American statesman (who shall remain anonymous in the interests of computer decency laws) once said: “Help is on the way.” Tell’em “I will not abandon General Petraeus and neither should the American people.” Over and over again.
Why do I feel for Bushie? Because I have always liked the man, even on my talk radio program, while I hated and condemned his policies. And, in the hour of danger and disaster, I will not abandon my president. Bushie, invite me to the White House and I will give you a big, fat kick in the butt, and say ”Just do it.” And, “Be a Lincoln.”
Yes, we are in a big, big mess in Baghdad and Iraq. But the realty is that we are stuck there. The mendacious Kabuki Democrats realize that. Which is why their calls for withdrawal are always hedged with more weasel words than a Wall Street lawyer’s, such as “not precipitously” or “phased?”Bushie, here’s how you win:
1. Attack the Kabuki Democrats as I have just stated.
2. Put an end to Palestinian/Israeli bickering and adopt the Andy Martin Peace Plan, which I first announced in 2000. Just do it. Officially recognize the State of Palestine as encompassing the 1967 borders, and send an Arabic-speaking Foreign Service Officer as ambassador to Abu Mazen, to be accredited in Jerusalem. Next week. Within hours, you will be a hero in the Arab world. “Abu Bush” will be the new caliph. We will have moved from “Help is on the way” to “Help has arrived” using the awesome powers of our Constitution. Within hours.
3. Go to Baghdad. Again. Only this time no phony turkeys and posed shots. Do a “President Reagan-at-the- Brandenburg Gate” (“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall”) and tell the Iraqi people we have made mistakes and we will help them to recover. Be humble. Do it in person, and be sincere and at risk. You need to leave the Green Zone. (Visit my old apartment in Baghdad.) More hurrahs from the Arab world.
4. Recognize that the war you are fighting, that you hideously brought on yourself, will not be won at “Fort Apache The White House.” It will be won on the streets of the Middle East. Period. No exceptions. Be there.
5. Finally, send Vice President Cheney to an undisclosed location and lock him in a closet. The man does not help the cause. He is a hopelessly counterproductive supporter.
You can’t win the war militarily, but with the surge and bold, decisive political actions in the Middle East you can reverse field and win the war psychologically.
Then bring our fighting men and women home and hug all of them from me and from every American. We love’em.
Now about that medal you gave Bremer, Bushie.
Editorial note: Inside the Bush White House, Part Two: The Saudi Connection, was scheduled for today; that has been rescheduled for tomorrow as Inside the Bush White House, Part Three.________________________________________________Chicago-based Internet journalist, broadcaster and critic Andy Martin is the Executive Editor and publisher of ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2007. Martin covers national and world politics with forty years of personal experience; he is America’s most respected independent foreign policy, military and intelligence analyst. Columns also posted at politicalgateway.com; contrariancommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Web sites: AndyMartin.com, AndyforUSSenator.com. Comments? E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com. Media contact: (866) 706-2639
WEB LINK:
http://bill.politicalgateway.com/main/columns/read.html?col=721
Friday, January 11, 2008
Senate candidate Andy Martin says President Bush is on right track to Middle East peace
NEWS FROM:
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124
ATTENTION: DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 11, 2008
ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEWS CONFERENCE: January 12, 2008
U. S. SENATE CANDIDATE ANDY MARTIN SALUTES PRESIDENT BUSH FOR MOVING FORWARD ON MIDDLE EAST PEACE
“THE ANDY MARTIN PEACE PLAN OF 2000 IS CLOSE TO BECOMING REALITY,” MARTIN SAYS
(CHICAGO)(January 11, 2008) Republican U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin will hold a Chicago news conference Saturday, January 12th at 1:00 P.M. to announce that he congratulates President Bush on his renewed Middle East peace efforts and looks forward to supporting the president in his endeavors to bring Israelis and Palestinians together.
“President Bush has changed,” Martin will state. “He has learned from his mistakes in the Middle East. I can only say I am thrilled by the president’s progress in seeking to impose a settlement on the Israelis and Palestinians this year.
“Eight (8) years ago, I proposed the Andy Martin Peace Plan for the Middle East. My family’s roots go back over 100 years in that part of the world. I know the area well. It has been a part of my life. And step-by-step the State Department and President have come to accept the broad outlines of my peace plan. I am ecstatic. I saw the solution in 2000. Now president Bush shares my vision.
“I spent New Year’s Eve with my Jewish friends who are like ‘family.’ Truth be told many of them were downbeat about the prospects for peace. I was not. I believed that peace is inevitable. But even I am stunned at President Bush’s new reality.
“He has stated flatly that the ‘occupation’ must end. Yes, occupation. He has told the Israelis in the most polite terms that the settlement activity just end. End. He has told the Palestinian people that many will receive compensation; I have always felt that if we offered a reasonable program of compensation we could whittle down the ‘return’ issues to manageable proportions. And President Bush saw an Israeli roadblock. That must have been a sobering experience. President Bush has exploded the myth that Palestine is going to be a ‘nation’ of Bantustans. He used the words ‘sovereign and independent.’ I will hold him to his word. Palestine’s water resources will be returned to Palestinian control.
“Personally, I believe that the Gaza Strip will not be an impediment to peace. Gaza is part of Palestine, and it will be incorporated in the borders of the new state. But wise heads will recognize that leaving Gaza to the new Palestinian state will provide a practical solution while still allowing an overall peace plan to be signed by 2009. The borders of Gaza are not in dispute. Gaza’s chaotic conditions have largely been created by Israelis and the U. S. boycott. Once we acquire an interest in a peaceful Gaza, we can and will take steps to make that happen. Rockets and bombs and killings are no solution for two civilized peoples.
“I am glad the president made this trip. He got a dose of reaction and intransigence on both sides. The very essence of my plan was that until the United States saw and treated both parties as equals, peace could never be achieved. Bush has gradually begun to accept that principle, and to implement it. By treating both sides as equals we create the conditions for mutual acceptance.
“I stand ready to help the president in any way possible. The American Jewish community overwhelmingly supports the peace process. The same is true for American Arab community. We must mobilize public opinion; the partisans of peace can and will succeed now that the president has taken up the cause. Peace will not be easy, and violence on both sides will not disappear overnight. Occupation and repression have established constituencies. But we will prevail because we must prevail. I am delighted to stand with the president in his crucial mission.
“What a tonic on the eve of the Illinois primary. Thank you, Mr. President.
“Now if he would only listen to me on Iraq,” Martin will conclude. “I want to help him bring or troops home.”
NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:
WHO: U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin
WHERE: Southeast corner of Wabash and Huron Streets,
Chicago, (St. James Cathedral)
WHEN: Saturday, January 12, 2008 1:00 P.M.
WHAT: ANDY MARTIN salutes President Bush for moving
forward on Middle East peace
MEDIA
CONTACT: (312) 440-4124
WEBSITE: AndyforUSSenator.com
E-MAIL: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com
------------------------------------------
Chicago-based Internet journalist, broadcaster and media critic Andy Martin is the Executive Editor and publisher of ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin covers regional, national and world events with forty years of experience. He has almost forty years of experience in the Middle East, and is America’s most respected independent foreign policy and intelligence analyst. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Columns also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Comments? E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com. Media contact: (866) 706-2639. Web sites: ContrarianCommentary.com.
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124
ATTENTION: DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 11, 2008
ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEWS CONFERENCE: January 12, 2008
U. S. SENATE CANDIDATE ANDY MARTIN SALUTES PRESIDENT BUSH FOR MOVING FORWARD ON MIDDLE EAST PEACE
“THE ANDY MARTIN PEACE PLAN OF 2000 IS CLOSE TO BECOMING REALITY,” MARTIN SAYS
(CHICAGO)(January 11, 2008) Republican U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin will hold a Chicago news conference Saturday, January 12th at 1:00 P.M. to announce that he congratulates President Bush on his renewed Middle East peace efforts and looks forward to supporting the president in his endeavors to bring Israelis and Palestinians together.
“President Bush has changed,” Martin will state. “He has learned from his mistakes in the Middle East. I can only say I am thrilled by the president’s progress in seeking to impose a settlement on the Israelis and Palestinians this year.
“Eight (8) years ago, I proposed the Andy Martin Peace Plan for the Middle East. My family’s roots go back over 100 years in that part of the world. I know the area well. It has been a part of my life. And step-by-step the State Department and President have come to accept the broad outlines of my peace plan. I am ecstatic. I saw the solution in 2000. Now president Bush shares my vision.
“I spent New Year’s Eve with my Jewish friends who are like ‘family.’ Truth be told many of them were downbeat about the prospects for peace. I was not. I believed that peace is inevitable. But even I am stunned at President Bush’s new reality.
“He has stated flatly that the ‘occupation’ must end. Yes, occupation. He has told the Israelis in the most polite terms that the settlement activity just end. End. He has told the Palestinian people that many will receive compensation; I have always felt that if we offered a reasonable program of compensation we could whittle down the ‘return’ issues to manageable proportions. And President Bush saw an Israeli roadblock. That must have been a sobering experience. President Bush has exploded the myth that Palestine is going to be a ‘nation’ of Bantustans. He used the words ‘sovereign and independent.’ I will hold him to his word. Palestine’s water resources will be returned to Palestinian control.
“Personally, I believe that the Gaza Strip will not be an impediment to peace. Gaza is part of Palestine, and it will be incorporated in the borders of the new state. But wise heads will recognize that leaving Gaza to the new Palestinian state will provide a practical solution while still allowing an overall peace plan to be signed by 2009. The borders of Gaza are not in dispute. Gaza’s chaotic conditions have largely been created by Israelis and the U. S. boycott. Once we acquire an interest in a peaceful Gaza, we can and will take steps to make that happen. Rockets and bombs and killings are no solution for two civilized peoples.
“I am glad the president made this trip. He got a dose of reaction and intransigence on both sides. The very essence of my plan was that until the United States saw and treated both parties as equals, peace could never be achieved. Bush has gradually begun to accept that principle, and to implement it. By treating both sides as equals we create the conditions for mutual acceptance.
“I stand ready to help the president in any way possible. The American Jewish community overwhelmingly supports the peace process. The same is true for American Arab community. We must mobilize public opinion; the partisans of peace can and will succeed now that the president has taken up the cause. Peace will not be easy, and violence on both sides will not disappear overnight. Occupation and repression have established constituencies. But we will prevail because we must prevail. I am delighted to stand with the president in his crucial mission.
“What a tonic on the eve of the Illinois primary. Thank you, Mr. President.
“Now if he would only listen to me on Iraq,” Martin will conclude. “I want to help him bring or troops home.”
NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:
WHO: U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin
WHERE: Southeast corner of Wabash and Huron Streets,
Chicago, (St. James Cathedral)
WHEN: Saturday, January 12, 2008 1:00 P.M.
WHAT: ANDY MARTIN salutes President Bush for moving
forward on Middle East peace
MEDIA
CONTACT: (312) 440-4124
WEBSITE: AndyforUSSenator.com
E-MAIL: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com
------------------------------------------
Chicago-based Internet journalist, broadcaster and media critic Andy Martin is the Executive Editor and publisher of ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin covers regional, national and world events with forty years of experience. He has almost forty years of experience in the Middle East, and is America’s most respected independent foreign policy and intelligence analyst. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Columns also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Comments? E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com. Media contact: (866) 706-2639. Web sites: ContrarianCommentary.com.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin says Tony Rezko’s sweetheart real estate deal with Senator Barack Obama was a de facto bribe
NEWS FROM:
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124
ATTENTION: ASSIGNMENT/DAYBOOK EDITORS
ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEWS CONFERENCE: January 11, 2008
U. S. SENATE CANDIDATE ANDY MARTIN EXPLAINS BASIS FOR ACCUSATION THAT CHICAGO INFLUENCE PEDDLER TONY REZKO PAID SENATOR BARACK OBAMA AN ILLEGAL BRIBE IN HOUSING TRANSACTION
WEB LINK:
http://www.pr-inside.com/andy-martin-news-conference-will-explain-r381538.htm
(CHICAGO)(January 11, 2008) Republican U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin will hold a Chicago news conference Friday, January 11th at 4:00 P.M. to explain the factual and legal basis for his claim that indicted Chicago influence peddler Tony Rezko paid and intended to pay a bribe to Senator Barack Obama.
“There has been a great deal of confusion over what Obama did and what Rezko did, and how their combination and action in concert to purchase Obama’s home in Chicago constituted a federal criminal offense,” Martin will state. “I am here today to clarify and explain the legal theories behind the accusations and behind their structured and coordinated real estate transactions.
“It is also critical to place the Rezko-Obama relationship in context. Obama sent letters on his Illinois State senate stationary on Rezko’s behalf. Obama cannot take refuge in what federal courts call the ‘Ostrich defense,’ where Obama merely says he was ‘boneheaded’ and gets away with criminal actions.
“But while the machinations of Obama and Rezko may be confusing to a lay person, they are nothing out of the ordinary to experienced criminal and political investigators in Illinois,” Martin will state. “I stand by my view that Tony Rezko is going to try to implicate Barack Obama in criminal activity as a means of escaping punishment for his own behavior.”
NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:
WHO: U. S. Senate candidate/Internet
Columnist-editor/critic Andy Martin
WHERE: Southeast corner of Huron and Wabash Streets, Chicago
(St. James cathedral)
WHEN: Friday, January 11, 4:00 P. M.
MEDIA
CONTACT: (312) 440-4124
WEBSITE: AndyforUSSenator.com
E-MAIL: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com
-----------------------------------------------------------
Chicago-based Internet journalist, broadcaster and media critic Andy Martin is the Executive Editor and publisher of ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin covers regional, national and world events with more than forty years of experience. Martin is currently a candidate for United States senator. AndyforUSSenator.com. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Columns also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Comments? E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com. Media contact: (866) 706-2639. Web sites: ContrarianCommentary.com.
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124
ATTENTION: ASSIGNMENT/DAYBOOK EDITORS
ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEWS CONFERENCE: January 11, 2008
U. S. SENATE CANDIDATE ANDY MARTIN EXPLAINS BASIS FOR ACCUSATION THAT CHICAGO INFLUENCE PEDDLER TONY REZKO PAID SENATOR BARACK OBAMA AN ILLEGAL BRIBE IN HOUSING TRANSACTION
WEB LINK:
http://www.pr-inside.com/andy-martin-news-conference-will-explain-r381538.htm
(CHICAGO)(January 11, 2008) Republican U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin will hold a Chicago news conference Friday, January 11th at 4:00 P.M. to explain the factual and legal basis for his claim that indicted Chicago influence peddler Tony Rezko paid and intended to pay a bribe to Senator Barack Obama.
“There has been a great deal of confusion over what Obama did and what Rezko did, and how their combination and action in concert to purchase Obama’s home in Chicago constituted a federal criminal offense,” Martin will state. “I am here today to clarify and explain the legal theories behind the accusations and behind their structured and coordinated real estate transactions.
“It is also critical to place the Rezko-Obama relationship in context. Obama sent letters on his Illinois State senate stationary on Rezko’s behalf. Obama cannot take refuge in what federal courts call the ‘Ostrich defense,’ where Obama merely says he was ‘boneheaded’ and gets away with criminal actions.
“But while the machinations of Obama and Rezko may be confusing to a lay person, they are nothing out of the ordinary to experienced criminal and political investigators in Illinois,” Martin will state. “I stand by my view that Tony Rezko is going to try to implicate Barack Obama in criminal activity as a means of escaping punishment for his own behavior.”
NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:
WHO: U. S. Senate candidate/Internet
Columnist-editor/critic Andy Martin
WHERE: Southeast corner of Huron and Wabash Streets, Chicago
(St. James cathedral)
WHEN: Friday, January 11, 4:00 P. M.
MEDIA
CONTACT: (312) 440-4124
WEBSITE: AndyforUSSenator.com
E-MAIL: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com
-----------------------------------------------------------
Chicago-based Internet journalist, broadcaster and media critic Andy Martin is the Executive Editor and publisher of ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin covers regional, national and world events with more than forty years of experience. Martin is currently a candidate for United States senator. AndyforUSSenator.com. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Columns also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Comments? E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com. Media contact: (866) 706-2639. Web sites: ContrarianCommentary.com.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin says the era of newspaper endorsements may have passed
ANDY MARTIN
“He Works for the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406, 30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-ANDY
Toll-free fax (866) 707-ANDY
Web site: www.AndyforUSSenator.com
E-mail: mailto:AndyforIllinois@aol.com
January 10, 2008
Mr. Sam Zell
CEO
Chicago Tribune
435 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
WHY NEWSPAPERS ARE LOSING READERS
Dear Sam:
I thought I would send you an open letter as the new CEO of the Chicago Tribune to explain why newspapers are losing readers and losing credibility with the American public and the People of Illinois.
Newspapers often complain that not enough people run for office. Papers decry the fact that successful business people avoid politics like the plague. But when individuals with some experience in life actually do run for office, they are abused and insulted by the print media. Consequently, only a complete idiot or someone who cares very deeply about our democracy will run the gauntlet of being a candidate for office.
Let me compare and contrast the way newspapers treat candidates, with the way they are increasingly treated by broadcasters.
Recently your competitor for advertising dollars, Channel 7, ABC Chicago decided voters wanted more information and less filtered information about candidates. They invited me (and others) to either submit a prepared 5-minute statement or offered to produce one for free at the station. I accepted the free offer.
The three candidates who are running are now juxtaposed on a web site:
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/feature?section=news/politics&id=5778052
You can get a sense of who the candidates are, how they present themselves, and what is important to them, since the candidates obviously prepared their own unfiltered presentation. I hope voters like me and decide to vote for me. But anyone and everyone can compare and contrast me to my opponents, and also get some answers to questions which the station created.
I don’t know when print media started “endorsing” candidates for office, but they have persisted with this practice long after the public has lost any confidence in newspaper endorsements. Why is that?
Perhaps my experience as a senate candidate will offer you and other publishers, and ordinary citizens, some perspectives on the flawed and very likely outdated process of endorsing candidates.
I was invited to a debate at the Chicago Tribune in December and appeared. One of my opponents was “too busy” and failed to make the date, although his campaign schedule (on the web) showed it was vacant on that day. The Tribune editors could not have been more gracious and professional. But wait. How will I appear on the day of judgment (endorsement)? As an ignorant buffoon with the temerity to challenge the corrupt Combine? As a caricature? No one knows.
As a young law student, my professor Roger Finley said “Nothing is so unrecognizable as your own case when it is being regurgitated by a reviewing court that is ruling against you.” I guess the same is true for newspaper endorsements.
Last month I also appeared at the Pioneer Press for an editorial interview. They kept me for 1-1/2 hours and we had a spirited and intelligent debate. But when the Pioneer press decided to endorse my opponent, I was reduced to an epithet. There was no mention of my worldwide reputation, my experience in the Middle East, my year in Baghdad, or my successful battles against corruption in Illinois [see AndyMartin.com]. Reading the Pioneer paper you would have thought I was something of a jerk who wanted to ride on a train. Is that a reasonable portrayal? Most people would say no.
Last month I also had to break an appointment with the Peoria Journal Star. I offered to reschedule, but they said they were too busy. To date I have not heard. Running a statewide campaign in a state 400 miles long, in bad weather, is a challenging process, especially given Illinois highways. Add normal family challenges and you often need to revamp a schedule. If a newspaper is too busy to hear from a candidate for statewide office, what are they too busy doing? A few days ago a Journal Star reporter reduced my campaign to an epithet. Maybe that’s what readers in Peoria want and expect. Maybe Peoria voters will go on the net and find the Channel 7 videos. The information is there for them to access.
Yesterday I was interviewed at the Daily Herald. The editorial page editor seemed to be in a hurry, even though I was the invitee, not the initiator. He was interested in a 25 year-old lawsuit. As a public interest lawyer I have filed hundreds of public interest lawsuits. These cases are designed to vindicate public rights. I have one pending to block the budget shenanigans by the Governor concerning the RTA/CTA. There were no questions about that case, which is of vital concern to Herald readers.
And so it goes.
Here are my conclusions. People today expect facts, unfiltered, so they can make their own decisions about politics and candidates. “Editorials” that smear and abuse candidates for office turn people off. The Pioneer Press reported in deadpan fashion that one of my opponents wants to take away jury trials to protect the assets of wealthy doctors, as though that was a rational suggestion. What? As Senator Bob Dole would have said, “Where’s the outrage?” The Pioneer papers endorsed the comic book candidate-to be cannon fodder for the Democrats in November.
On the issue of the First Amendment, I take a very liberal approach, despite my generally conservative views in other areas. I am close to an absolutist. Let people publish. But hold publishers accountable for the truth. I do not favor censorship. But, on the other hand, if publishers persist in abusing participants in the political process, it won’t be long before more and more readers turn off, and tune out the newspaper channel.
For myself, I love print media. I read the Tribune, Sun-Times, New York Times and Wall Street Journal every day for starters. Frankly, despite my conflicts with a small number of Tribune reporters, I think the Tribune is an outstanding editorial product. I hope that you make changes gradually, and only on a very measured basis. I’ll have more on that later.
My guess is that unless the print media start telling their readers the truth, and reporting factually and accurately about candidates for office, without “endorsements” that reduce successful individuals to rubble, qualified candidates will continue to avoid entering the political arena, and newspaper readership will continue to decline. That would be sad.
You and I are alike in many ways. We have both survived by defying the conventional wisdom. And perhaps in this letter I am again suggesting where you may again defy the conventional wisdom of newspaper editors of yesteryear, so that future newspaper readers will have access to candidates on a more reasonable and unfiltered basis.
Voters as well as writers are free to disagree with me, but no one can erase my outstanding career of 40 years public service. Trying to do so only undermines confidence in the publishing industry.
See you on February 6th.
With personal regards,
ANDY MARTIN
AM:sp
P.S. Thirty years ago, Tribune editors wrote that I was an “absolutely brilliant campaigner.” The views of that era did stand the test of time. You will be happy to know that the Durbin/Martin race is going to sell a lot of newspapers between February and November.
“He Works for the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406, 30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-ANDY
Toll-free fax (866) 707-ANDY
Web site: www.AndyforUSSenator.com
E-mail: mailto:AndyforIllinois@aol.com
January 10, 2008
Mr. Sam Zell
CEO
Chicago Tribune
435 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
WHY NEWSPAPERS ARE LOSING READERS
Dear Sam:
I thought I would send you an open letter as the new CEO of the Chicago Tribune to explain why newspapers are losing readers and losing credibility with the American public and the People of Illinois.
Newspapers often complain that not enough people run for office. Papers decry the fact that successful business people avoid politics like the plague. But when individuals with some experience in life actually do run for office, they are abused and insulted by the print media. Consequently, only a complete idiot or someone who cares very deeply about our democracy will run the gauntlet of being a candidate for office.
Let me compare and contrast the way newspapers treat candidates, with the way they are increasingly treated by broadcasters.
Recently your competitor for advertising dollars, Channel 7, ABC Chicago decided voters wanted more information and less filtered information about candidates. They invited me (and others) to either submit a prepared 5-minute statement or offered to produce one for free at the station. I accepted the free offer.
The three candidates who are running are now juxtaposed on a web site:
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/feature?section=news/politics&id=5778052
You can get a sense of who the candidates are, how they present themselves, and what is important to them, since the candidates obviously prepared their own unfiltered presentation. I hope voters like me and decide to vote for me. But anyone and everyone can compare and contrast me to my opponents, and also get some answers to questions which the station created.
I don’t know when print media started “endorsing” candidates for office, but they have persisted with this practice long after the public has lost any confidence in newspaper endorsements. Why is that?
Perhaps my experience as a senate candidate will offer you and other publishers, and ordinary citizens, some perspectives on the flawed and very likely outdated process of endorsing candidates.
I was invited to a debate at the Chicago Tribune in December and appeared. One of my opponents was “too busy” and failed to make the date, although his campaign schedule (on the web) showed it was vacant on that day. The Tribune editors could not have been more gracious and professional. But wait. How will I appear on the day of judgment (endorsement)? As an ignorant buffoon with the temerity to challenge the corrupt Combine? As a caricature? No one knows.
As a young law student, my professor Roger Finley said “Nothing is so unrecognizable as your own case when it is being regurgitated by a reviewing court that is ruling against you.” I guess the same is true for newspaper endorsements.
Last month I also appeared at the Pioneer Press for an editorial interview. They kept me for 1-1/2 hours and we had a spirited and intelligent debate. But when the Pioneer press decided to endorse my opponent, I was reduced to an epithet. There was no mention of my worldwide reputation, my experience in the Middle East, my year in Baghdad, or my successful battles against corruption in Illinois [see AndyMartin.com]. Reading the Pioneer paper you would have thought I was something of a jerk who wanted to ride on a train. Is that a reasonable portrayal? Most people would say no.
Last month I also had to break an appointment with the Peoria Journal Star. I offered to reschedule, but they said they were too busy. To date I have not heard. Running a statewide campaign in a state 400 miles long, in bad weather, is a challenging process, especially given Illinois highways. Add normal family challenges and you often need to revamp a schedule. If a newspaper is too busy to hear from a candidate for statewide office, what are they too busy doing? A few days ago a Journal Star reporter reduced my campaign to an epithet. Maybe that’s what readers in Peoria want and expect. Maybe Peoria voters will go on the net and find the Channel 7 videos. The information is there for them to access.
Yesterday I was interviewed at the Daily Herald. The editorial page editor seemed to be in a hurry, even though I was the invitee, not the initiator. He was interested in a 25 year-old lawsuit. As a public interest lawyer I have filed hundreds of public interest lawsuits. These cases are designed to vindicate public rights. I have one pending to block the budget shenanigans by the Governor concerning the RTA/CTA. There were no questions about that case, which is of vital concern to Herald readers.
And so it goes.
Here are my conclusions. People today expect facts, unfiltered, so they can make their own decisions about politics and candidates. “Editorials” that smear and abuse candidates for office turn people off. The Pioneer Press reported in deadpan fashion that one of my opponents wants to take away jury trials to protect the assets of wealthy doctors, as though that was a rational suggestion. What? As Senator Bob Dole would have said, “Where’s the outrage?” The Pioneer papers endorsed the comic book candidate-to be cannon fodder for the Democrats in November.
On the issue of the First Amendment, I take a very liberal approach, despite my generally conservative views in other areas. I am close to an absolutist. Let people publish. But hold publishers accountable for the truth. I do not favor censorship. But, on the other hand, if publishers persist in abusing participants in the political process, it won’t be long before more and more readers turn off, and tune out the newspaper channel.
For myself, I love print media. I read the Tribune, Sun-Times, New York Times and Wall Street Journal every day for starters. Frankly, despite my conflicts with a small number of Tribune reporters, I think the Tribune is an outstanding editorial product. I hope that you make changes gradually, and only on a very measured basis. I’ll have more on that later.
My guess is that unless the print media start telling their readers the truth, and reporting factually and accurately about candidates for office, without “endorsements” that reduce successful individuals to rubble, qualified candidates will continue to avoid entering the political arena, and newspaper readership will continue to decline. That would be sad.
You and I are alike in many ways. We have both survived by defying the conventional wisdom. And perhaps in this letter I am again suggesting where you may again defy the conventional wisdom of newspaper editors of yesteryear, so that future newspaper readers will have access to candidates on a more reasonable and unfiltered basis.
Voters as well as writers are free to disagree with me, but no one can erase my outstanding career of 40 years public service. Trying to do so only undermines confidence in the publishing industry.
See you on February 6th.
With personal regards,
ANDY MARTIN
AM:sp
P.S. Thirty years ago, Tribune editors wrote that I was an “absolutely brilliant campaigner.” The views of that era did stand the test of time. You will be happy to know that the Durbin/Martin race is going to sell a lot of newspapers between February and November.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Andy Martin Fights to Save Fermilab
NEWS FROM:
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FERMILAB: PART TWO
ANDY MARTIN ASKS PRESIDENT BUSH TO SAVE FERMILAB
(CHICAGO)(January 7, 2008) As President George Bush comes to Chicago to meet with business leaders on our economic future, U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin issues a plea to the president to maintain funding for Fermilab and basic scientific research at the University of Illinois and nationally.
In a letter to the president, who is visiting Chicago Monday, Andy Martin asks President Bush to reverse funding cuts for Fermilab in Illinois, and to maintain budgets for basic science research at the University of Illinois and other research centers.
Martin's letter follows below in this release.
Martin has previously commented on the need to preserve funding for Fermilab:
http://www.pr-inside.com/andy-martin-says-illinois-lacks-a-r371520.htm
------------------------------------------
© Copyright by Andy Martin 2007. Chicago-based Martin holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Comments? E-mail: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com. Media contact: (312) 440-4124. Web site: AndyforUSSenator.com.
ANDY MARTIN
“He Works for the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406, 30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-ANDY
Toll-free fax (866) 707-ANDY
Web site: www.AndyforUSSenator.com
E-mail: mailto:AndyforIllinois@aol.com
January 7, 2007
President George Bush
The White House
Washington, DC
Re: Preserving Fermilab in Illinois and
basic scientific research at the
University of Illinois and nationally
Dear President Bush:
I am writing to ask that your administration restore funding cuts for Fermilab, a basic science research facility in Illinois, as well as maintaining research budgets at the University of Illinois and other scientific research centers.
Basic research is crucial to our national survival and to our economic leadership and survival in the world economy.
Please don’t punish the People of Illinois because they made the mistake of electing Richard Durbin and Barack Obama to the U. S. Senate. I know that they are not very effective advocates for either Illinois or basic science research, but I will be.
We live in an increasingly competitive world where America's scientific leadership is being challenged by China, India and other nations. Basic research is not a procurement program that can be turned on and off with a political spigot. Basic research is a long-term investment in scientific inquiry. Looking into the unknown mysteries of science is not like reading a road map. It is more like a voyage of inquiry, a voyage into the unknown that yielded the New World in the Fifteenth Century.
Illinois has been a technology leader from time immemorial. Enrico Fermi conducted the world's first controlled nuclear reaction in Chicago in 1942. Fermilab is named for Dr. Fermi. The University of Illinois has also been a leader in high-tech industries. Many of the basic scientific inquiries led to productive information and eventually to commercial and governmental innovations. Cutting basic science inquiry is putting a cap on the future productivity of our economy.
Tomorrow's tax dollars will come from industries and products that are being researched today in our scientific laboratories.
Please ask your administration to reconsider restoring funds for research at Fermilab, and maintaining research budgets at the University of Illinois and other scientific research centers. The world will be better for your action; our economy will be stronger. Please don't punish Illinois.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/
ANDY MARTIN
AM:sp
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FERMILAB: PART TWO
ANDY MARTIN ASKS PRESIDENT BUSH TO SAVE FERMILAB
(CHICAGO)(January 7, 2008) As President George Bush comes to Chicago to meet with business leaders on our economic future, U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin issues a plea to the president to maintain funding for Fermilab and basic scientific research at the University of Illinois and nationally.
In a letter to the president, who is visiting Chicago Monday, Andy Martin asks President Bush to reverse funding cuts for Fermilab in Illinois, and to maintain budgets for basic science research at the University of Illinois and other research centers.
Martin's letter follows below in this release.
Martin has previously commented on the need to preserve funding for Fermilab:
http://www.pr-inside.com/andy-martin-says-illinois-lacks-a-r371520.htm
------------------------------------------
© Copyright by Andy Martin 2007. Chicago-based Martin holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Comments? E-mail: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com. Media contact: (312) 440-4124. Web site: AndyforUSSenator.com.
ANDY MARTIN
“He Works for the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406, 30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-ANDY
Toll-free fax (866) 707-ANDY
Web site: www.AndyforUSSenator.com
E-mail: mailto:AndyforIllinois@aol.com
January 7, 2007
President George Bush
The White House
Washington, DC
Re: Preserving Fermilab in Illinois and
basic scientific research at the
University of Illinois and nationally
Dear President Bush:
I am writing to ask that your administration restore funding cuts for Fermilab, a basic science research facility in Illinois, as well as maintaining research budgets at the University of Illinois and other scientific research centers.
Basic research is crucial to our national survival and to our economic leadership and survival in the world economy.
Please don’t punish the People of Illinois because they made the mistake of electing Richard Durbin and Barack Obama to the U. S. Senate. I know that they are not very effective advocates for either Illinois or basic science research, but I will be.
We live in an increasingly competitive world where America's scientific leadership is being challenged by China, India and other nations. Basic research is not a procurement program that can be turned on and off with a political spigot. Basic research is a long-term investment in scientific inquiry. Looking into the unknown mysteries of science is not like reading a road map. It is more like a voyage of inquiry, a voyage into the unknown that yielded the New World in the Fifteenth Century.
Illinois has been a technology leader from time immemorial. Enrico Fermi conducted the world's first controlled nuclear reaction in Chicago in 1942. Fermilab is named for Dr. Fermi. The University of Illinois has also been a leader in high-tech industries. Many of the basic scientific inquiries led to productive information and eventually to commercial and governmental innovations. Cutting basic science inquiry is putting a cap on the future productivity of our economy.
Tomorrow's tax dollars will come from industries and products that are being researched today in our scientific laboratories.
Please ask your administration to reconsider restoring funds for research at Fermilab, and maintaining research budgets at the University of Illinois and other scientific research centers. The world will be better for your action; our economy will be stronger. Please don't punish Illinois.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/
ANDY MARTIN
AM:sp
Friday, January 4, 2008
Andy Martin says Illinois lacks a U.S. Senator in Washington, and Fermilab suffers
NEWS FROM:
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FERMILAB: PART ONE
WHY ILLINOIS NEEDS A REPUBLICAN
U. S. SENATOR (WHO FIGHTS)
(CHICAGO)(January 1, 2008) Today's Chicago Sun-Times editorial says it all: Illinois is losing funding for basic scientific research. High-tech jobs will be lost; America's technology future will be impaired and endangered. It didn’t have to be this way. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/726081,CST-EDT-edit04B.article
In early December I went to a meeting of the Chicago Tribune editorial board. One of the writers asked, "How can you justify losing Senator Richard Durbin's power and influence in Washington?" (My recollection of the words but not an exact quote; the Tribune recorded the session.) I responded, "Durbin has built a mighty political empire for himself but he is a legislative pygmy when it comes to representing Illinois' interests." Durbin was powerless, I said, to represent Illinois because he was a hyperpartisan who could promote himself but who could not promote bipartisan agenda for progress. At the very time I was making those claims Durbin and Barack Obama were losing the battle to protect funding for Fermilab.
Democrats in Illinois are addicted to patronage. Thirty-five years after the Shakman litigation reached a high point, the Dems still find ways to shoehorn people into political jobs. They are less concerned with high-tech employment, where merit, not clout, is the key. Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois is a national treasure. It is part of our hope for energy independence. It Fermilab's continued funding is essential if we are not to slowly slip into banana republic status as other nations take the lead and we slip into scientific irrelevance. China and India are building new technology universities and graduating tens of thousands of scientists. We are closing down our basic research. Is something wrong?
The University of Chicago is one of the cradles of nuclear physics. Likewise, the Digital Computer Laboratory at the University of Illinois led the way with the computer revolution. Today Illinois is becoming a has-been. It's tragic. Based on my university background, I can be a spokesman for basic science and scientific research, conducted here in Illinois. I understand the problems; I understand the solution.
During much of the Twentieth Century Illinois had a tradition of electing one Democrat and one Republican to the U.S. Senate. This informal approach to government made sense. Illinois is ultimately a middle-of-the-road, a moderate state. Some of us are more liberal, and some of us are more conservative, but very few of us are on the extreme of either ideology.
As the low man on Senator Paul Douglas's office staff in 1966, I got to shuttle between Senator Douglas' office and Senator Everett Dirksen's office. The two men could not have been more different in personality and approach. But today we live in Dirksen/Douglas America, a land formed by Everett Dirksen's legislative compromises and Paul Douglas' vision. The two senators cooperated fully when it came to Illinois issues. Together, they were an odd couple, but a powerful one. And Illinoisans benefited.
Fast forward to 2008. Illinois is represented by two of the most liberal senators in the Senate. Eighty percent of the state feels unrepresented in Washington. Hyperparstisanship closes off the corridors of compromise and accommodation. And both Durbin and Obama are focused on building and expanding their own personal political empires and national reputations, not getting the nitty gritty done for Illinois and the nation.
The result: Fermilab is suffering, the budget is being cut, and our technology leadership is slowly passing to China, India and Europe. Sad but true. Is the U. of I. next?
Today I am working to reverse the disenfranchisement of Illinois citizens. I am fighting to elect a Republican to the U. S. Senate. I told the Tribune editors what I write here: I will work with both sides and all sides to get the job done for Illinois.
My campaign slogan says it all: "He works for the People of Illinois." I will never be as good at personal empire building, self-aggrandizing politics as Durbin. He knows how to feather his nest. I care about the disenfranchised citizens and future generations of Illinois. Now that he has finally served in a formal leadership role, Durbin has proven he can’t get the job done. Yes, he has fooled the Tribune's editors. But he can't fool the people who are losing their jobs; he can't fool our science graduates who will move elsewhere to conduct basic research.
At a time when Illinois' science budgets are being cut in Washington, we have to face reality. Illinois today has no senator in Washington. We have a puny voice with pigmy politicians who are totally focused on building up themselves, not this state. We have no influence. We have nothing. Just ask the people at Fermilab how influential our representatives in the U.S. Senate are.
Illinois needs a real senator in Washington. A Republican. I want to serve. On February 6, 2008, the real campaign begins for the U. S. Senate. The real debate. I'm ready. Are the media? Are you?
------------------------------------------
© Copyright by Andy Martin 2007. Chicago-based Martin holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Comments? E-mail: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com. Media contact: (312) 440-4124. Web site: AndyforUSSenator.com.
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FERMILAB: PART ONE
WHY ILLINOIS NEEDS A REPUBLICAN
U. S. SENATOR (WHO FIGHTS)
(CHICAGO)(January 1, 2008) Today's Chicago Sun-Times editorial says it all: Illinois is losing funding for basic scientific research. High-tech jobs will be lost; America's technology future will be impaired and endangered. It didn’t have to be this way. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/726081,CST-EDT-edit04B.article
In early December I went to a meeting of the Chicago Tribune editorial board. One of the writers asked, "How can you justify losing Senator Richard Durbin's power and influence in Washington?" (My recollection of the words but not an exact quote; the Tribune recorded the session.) I responded, "Durbin has built a mighty political empire for himself but he is a legislative pygmy when it comes to representing Illinois' interests." Durbin was powerless, I said, to represent Illinois because he was a hyperpartisan who could promote himself but who could not promote bipartisan agenda for progress. At the very time I was making those claims Durbin and Barack Obama were losing the battle to protect funding for Fermilab.
Democrats in Illinois are addicted to patronage. Thirty-five years after the Shakman litigation reached a high point, the Dems still find ways to shoehorn people into political jobs. They are less concerned with high-tech employment, where merit, not clout, is the key. Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois is a national treasure. It is part of our hope for energy independence. It Fermilab's continued funding is essential if we are not to slowly slip into banana republic status as other nations take the lead and we slip into scientific irrelevance. China and India are building new technology universities and graduating tens of thousands of scientists. We are closing down our basic research. Is something wrong?
The University of Chicago is one of the cradles of nuclear physics. Likewise, the Digital Computer Laboratory at the University of Illinois led the way with the computer revolution. Today Illinois is becoming a has-been. It's tragic. Based on my university background, I can be a spokesman for basic science and scientific research, conducted here in Illinois. I understand the problems; I understand the solution.
During much of the Twentieth Century Illinois had a tradition of electing one Democrat and one Republican to the U.S. Senate. This informal approach to government made sense. Illinois is ultimately a middle-of-the-road, a moderate state. Some of us are more liberal, and some of us are more conservative, but very few of us are on the extreme of either ideology.
As the low man on Senator Paul Douglas's office staff in 1966, I got to shuttle between Senator Douglas' office and Senator Everett Dirksen's office. The two men could not have been more different in personality and approach. But today we live in Dirksen/Douglas America, a land formed by Everett Dirksen's legislative compromises and Paul Douglas' vision. The two senators cooperated fully when it came to Illinois issues. Together, they were an odd couple, but a powerful one. And Illinoisans benefited.
Fast forward to 2008. Illinois is represented by two of the most liberal senators in the Senate. Eighty percent of the state feels unrepresented in Washington. Hyperparstisanship closes off the corridors of compromise and accommodation. And both Durbin and Obama are focused on building and expanding their own personal political empires and national reputations, not getting the nitty gritty done for Illinois and the nation.
The result: Fermilab is suffering, the budget is being cut, and our technology leadership is slowly passing to China, India and Europe. Sad but true. Is the U. of I. next?
Today I am working to reverse the disenfranchisement of Illinois citizens. I am fighting to elect a Republican to the U. S. Senate. I told the Tribune editors what I write here: I will work with both sides and all sides to get the job done for Illinois.
My campaign slogan says it all: "He works for the People of Illinois." I will never be as good at personal empire building, self-aggrandizing politics as Durbin. He knows how to feather his nest. I care about the disenfranchised citizens and future generations of Illinois. Now that he has finally served in a formal leadership role, Durbin has proven he can’t get the job done. Yes, he has fooled the Tribune's editors. But he can't fool the people who are losing their jobs; he can't fool our science graduates who will move elsewhere to conduct basic research.
At a time when Illinois' science budgets are being cut in Washington, we have to face reality. Illinois today has no senator in Washington. We have a puny voice with pigmy politicians who are totally focused on building up themselves, not this state. We have no influence. We have nothing. Just ask the people at Fermilab how influential our representatives in the U.S. Senate are.
Illinois needs a real senator in Washington. A Republican. I want to serve. On February 6, 2008, the real campaign begins for the U. S. Senate. The real debate. I'm ready. Are the media? Are you?
------------------------------------------
© Copyright by Andy Martin 2007. Chicago-based Martin holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Comments? E-mail: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com. Media contact: (312) 440-4124. Web site: AndyforUSSenator.com.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Barack Obama responds to Andy Martin's criticism
NEWS FROM:
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
ATTENTION: ASSIGNMENT/DAYBOOK EDITORS
ANNOUNCEMENT OF TELEPHONE NEWS CONFERENCE
U. S. SENATE CANDIDATE ANDY MARTIN SAYS HIS JOURNALISM "MOVES THE NEWS" AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BARACK OBAMA RESPONDS TO MARTIN'S CRITICISM OVER SILENCE ON KENYA
WILL WE NOW STOP HEARING ABOUT OBAMA'S GRANDMOTHER WHO LACKS A TOILET AND RUNNING WATER?
"THINK OF HOW NICE IT WOULD BE IF ILLINOIS HAD A VOICE IN THE SENATE, AGAIN" MARTIN CHORTLES
(CHICAGO)(January 3, 2008) U. S. Senate candidate and international human rights activist Andy Martin will hold a January 3rd telephone news conference to take credit for shaming Senator Barack Obama into making a statement on the carnage in Kenya.
Tuesday, Martin published a column criticizing Obama for remaining silent on the mass murder in his "home" state of Kenya. http://www.pr-inside.com/andy-martin-asks-why-barack-obama-r367418.htm
Upon learning of Martin's challenge, Obama's "defensive" team "surged" into action and called the Voice of America, according to a report in the Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/724286,CST-NWS-sweet03.article
A Kenyan supporter of Obama also contacted Martin.
"I have been wearing two hats in this election season," Martin says. "On the one hand, I have continued my journalism. We are having a worldwide impact. Just this week, from Saudi Arabia, to Kenya, to Iowa, my comments are drawing reaction and having an impact on events. On the other hand, I am also on the ballot myself.
"Barry Obama and I have had a 'love-hate' relationship during his campaign for the presidency. Going all the way back to 2004 I have been writing about his weaknesses, and he knows I am out there watching. The media have told him so. Tuesday was a classic example. Within hours of my column reaching the world stage, criticizing Obama for [1] remaining silent on the carnage in Kenya and [2] failing to provide a toilet for his grandmother, after mentioning her deprivation in debates, Obama swung into action.
"According to Lynn Sweet, after Obama received my column his staff called the VOA to make a statement. I was also contacted by a Kenyan who told me Obama's granny had refused toilet aid from her step-grandson.
I have lived in Kenya, I have visited Sarah Obama in her home outside of Kisumu and she personally told me that she refuses to take money from Barack. Kenyans are not westerners; they have different values, priorities and traditions. She respects were autonomy and you should respect her right to privacy and not comment on things you do not understand. [Full e-mail available on request]
"And so, Obama is never too busy to pay attention when he hears that ContrarianCommentary.com is on guard for the American people. A couple of weeks ago we took credit for driving some of the agenda on presidential coverage. Once again, Obama has confirmed our influence. He saw what I had to say, and he reacted to belatedly cover his backside over the tragic events in Kenya.
"Likewise, earlier this week I came to the assistance of a Saudi dissent who has been imprisoned in violation of international law. Once again, the worldwide reaction was immediate. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8297166642
"I am not even in the senate yet, and yet my ability to identify issues and to get action and reaction is proof positive of the difference one man could make in giving Illinoisans a voice in Washington again. Today, Obama views Illinois as an occasional rest stop and photo op for his national ambitions, and 'Hollywood' Durbin spends more time fundraising among the glitterati than he does back home in Macoupin County. I am committed to 'working for the People of Illinois,' and giving them a strong new voice in Washington. I have proven I can do that. Has anyone else even come close? Illinois needs a 'working' senator again. Today we don’t have one.
"Finally, I call on Mr. Obama to stop trading on his grandmother's deprivation in speeches and debates. It is obvious that she denies herself a toilet and running water, and refuses to take assistance. Therefore, she is not the deprived person Obama makes her out to be. She is intentionally and voluntarily denying herself
modern conveniences and sanitation. As such, Obama's granny is not the poster girl for poverty Obama has been making her out to be. Enough, already, Barry."
"I will continue to work to rebuild our great state, and our great nation, and to speak on behalf of human rights and constitutional rights here and abroad," Martin will state.
NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:
WHO: U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin
WHERE: Telephone news conference:
Toll-free call-in number: (866) 295-5950
Worldwide number: (978) 964-0031
Participant code: 2090340
WHEN: Thursday, January 3, 2008 3:00 P.M. (CST)
WHAT: Andy Martin moves the news, as Barack
Obama responds to Martin's criticism of silence on Kenya
MEDIA
CONTACT: (866) 706-2639; (312) 440-4124
WEBSITES: AndyforUSSenator.com; ContrarianCommentary.com
E-MAIL: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com
------------------------------------------
Chicago-based Internet journalist, broadcaster and media critic Andy Martin is the Executive Editor and publisher of ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2007. Martin covers regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He has 37 years of experience in the Middle East, and is America’s most respected independent foreign policy and intelligence analyst. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Remarks are also posted at AndyforUSSenator.blogspot.com and AndyforUSSenator.wordpress.com. See also ContrarianCommentary.com.
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
ATTENTION: ASSIGNMENT/DAYBOOK EDITORS
ANNOUNCEMENT OF TELEPHONE NEWS CONFERENCE
U. S. SENATE CANDIDATE ANDY MARTIN SAYS HIS JOURNALISM "MOVES THE NEWS" AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BARACK OBAMA RESPONDS TO MARTIN'S CRITICISM OVER SILENCE ON KENYA
WILL WE NOW STOP HEARING ABOUT OBAMA'S GRANDMOTHER WHO LACKS A TOILET AND RUNNING WATER?
"THINK OF HOW NICE IT WOULD BE IF ILLINOIS HAD A VOICE IN THE SENATE, AGAIN" MARTIN CHORTLES
(CHICAGO)(January 3, 2008) U. S. Senate candidate and international human rights activist Andy Martin will hold a January 3rd telephone news conference to take credit for shaming Senator Barack Obama into making a statement on the carnage in Kenya.
Tuesday, Martin published a column criticizing Obama for remaining silent on the mass murder in his "home" state of Kenya. http://www.pr-inside.com/andy-martin-asks-why-barack-obama-r367418.htm
Upon learning of Martin's challenge, Obama's "defensive" team "surged" into action and called the Voice of America, according to a report in the Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/724286,CST-NWS-sweet03.article
A Kenyan supporter of Obama also contacted Martin.
"I have been wearing two hats in this election season," Martin says. "On the one hand, I have continued my journalism. We are having a worldwide impact. Just this week, from Saudi Arabia, to Kenya, to Iowa, my comments are drawing reaction and having an impact on events. On the other hand, I am also on the ballot myself.
"Barry Obama and I have had a 'love-hate' relationship during his campaign for the presidency. Going all the way back to 2004 I have been writing about his weaknesses, and he knows I am out there watching. The media have told him so. Tuesday was a classic example. Within hours of my column reaching the world stage, criticizing Obama for [1] remaining silent on the carnage in Kenya and [2] failing to provide a toilet for his grandmother, after mentioning her deprivation in debates, Obama swung into action.
"According to Lynn Sweet, after Obama received my column his staff called the VOA to make a statement. I was also contacted by a Kenyan who told me Obama's granny had refused toilet aid from her step-grandson.
I have lived in Kenya, I have visited Sarah Obama in her home outside of Kisumu and she personally told me that she refuses to take money from Barack. Kenyans are not westerners; they have different values, priorities and traditions. She respects were autonomy and you should respect her right to privacy and not comment on things you do not understand. [Full e-mail available on request]
"And so, Obama is never too busy to pay attention when he hears that ContrarianCommentary.com is on guard for the American people. A couple of weeks ago we took credit for driving some of the agenda on presidential coverage. Once again, Obama has confirmed our influence. He saw what I had to say, and he reacted to belatedly cover his backside over the tragic events in Kenya.
"Likewise, earlier this week I came to the assistance of a Saudi dissent who has been imprisoned in violation of international law. Once again, the worldwide reaction was immediate. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8297166642
"I am not even in the senate yet, and yet my ability to identify issues and to get action and reaction is proof positive of the difference one man could make in giving Illinoisans a voice in Washington again. Today, Obama views Illinois as an occasional rest stop and photo op for his national ambitions, and 'Hollywood' Durbin spends more time fundraising among the glitterati than he does back home in Macoupin County. I am committed to 'working for the People of Illinois,' and giving them a strong new voice in Washington. I have proven I can do that. Has anyone else even come close? Illinois needs a 'working' senator again. Today we don’t have one.
"Finally, I call on Mr. Obama to stop trading on his grandmother's deprivation in speeches and debates. It is obvious that she denies herself a toilet and running water, and refuses to take assistance. Therefore, she is not the deprived person Obama makes her out to be. She is intentionally and voluntarily denying herself
modern conveniences and sanitation. As such, Obama's granny is not the poster girl for poverty Obama has been making her out to be. Enough, already, Barry."
"I will continue to work to rebuild our great state, and our great nation, and to speak on behalf of human rights and constitutional rights here and abroad," Martin will state.
NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:
WHO: U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin
WHERE: Telephone news conference:
Toll-free call-in number: (866) 295-5950
Worldwide number: (978) 964-0031
Participant code: 2090340
WHEN: Thursday, January 3, 2008 3:00 P.M. (CST)
WHAT: Andy Martin moves the news, as Barack
Obama responds to Martin's criticism of silence on Kenya
MEDIA
CONTACT: (866) 706-2639; (312) 440-4124
WEBSITES: AndyforUSSenator.com; ContrarianCommentary.com
E-MAIL: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com
------------------------------------------
Chicago-based Internet journalist, broadcaster and media critic Andy Martin is the Executive Editor and publisher of ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2007. Martin covers regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He has 37 years of experience in the Middle East, and is America’s most respected independent foreign policy and intelligence analyst. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Remarks are also posted at AndyforUSSenator.blogspot.com and AndyforUSSenator.wordpress.com. See also ContrarianCommentary.com.
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