The Straight Dope

Go Back   Straight Dope Message Board > Main > The BBQ Pit

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-01-2004, 11:31 PM
dropzone dropzone is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Home of the Unabomer
Posts: 20,483
Time to retire Crane and Hyde -or- Fingers crossed in Illinois

With any luck Tuesday will mark the beginning of the end of the careers of two of Illinois' longest serving Congressmen, Henry Hyde and Phil Crane. Henry has been my representative for many years and before that I was represented by Crane, who replaced Don Rumsfeld in 1969, so you can see why I wince when I think about how much voice I have in Congress. Actually, Henry has mellowed some the past eight or ten years, but it's time for him to take his Jabba the Hutt impression to a permanent home in a coffee shop in Woodale. Hyde has become a national figure from his chairmanship of the Judiciary Committe, especially when he presided over the Clinton impeachment, but in recent years just hasn't been doing what a Congressman with rank and seniority is supposed to do: bring home the pork.

I take special, personal, pleasure in the though that Crane may actually lose in his heaviliy Republican district. Though my years as a TeenAged Republican corresponded with his first couple terms, I never worked on any of his campaigns. However, I recall how wet the Republican wimmins I knew got when they thought of how handsome he was and it nauseated me then and now. Now, though, the thought that anybody would be hot for him is preposterous because he apparently got hoodwinked when he tried to get the same deal as Dorian Gray because every debauchery of the past thirty five years, and there have been many, shows on his face while a portrait of him made in 1970 stays smiling, tan and handsome.

In his defense, though, Crane seems to have become a Libertarian because he does remarkably little considering his seniority. House leader Dennis Hastert, who should be looking out for Illinois' interests by top-loading committees with locals, passed over Crane in 2001 when he named a new chairman of the Ways and Means committee. Instead, Crane has developed a reputation for having never seen a free trip he wouldn't take.

Both men are opposed by bright, energetic women and it will be a pleasant irony to see women defeat those men, considering the womanizing reputations both have built up. I make no predictions that either Christine Cegelis or Melissa Bean will win but making those old goats sweat out an election for once has to be worth something.
Reply With Quote
Advertisements  
  #2  
Old 11-01-2004, 11:40 PM
Kat Kat is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Mar 1999
Oh, god, those "Melissa Bean doesn't care" commercials annoy me so much that I'd be voting for Melissa Bean if I were in her district. I swear, they run one in almost every commercial break.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-02-2004, 07:53 AM
Jonathan Chance Jonathan Chance is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: On the run with Kilroy.
Posts: 14,798
Phil Crane...wow, that takes me back.

I was 11 years old in Wilmette, IL in 1978. I was hanging out in a head shop on Lake Ave just where the Eden's Expressway was...

A woman came in asking the manager if we was interested in volunteering to work to defeat Crane. He said no and I said maybe and that she should call my mom. She called that night and mom said 'yes'. I spent a big chunk of the fall handing out literature for Gil Bogen at grocery stores and such with the team.

Interesting experience.

We got smacked, of course.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-02-2004, 07:59 AM
Chairman Pow Chairman Pow is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
When in doubt, toss 'em out!

Or, if they're currently in office, toss 'em out!
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-02-2004, 08:44 AM
dropzone dropzone is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Home of the Unabomer
Posts: 20,483
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jonathan Chance
We got smacked, of course.
Jon, I didn't know you were a local boy! Anyway, things might turn out differently this time. Bean got 43% two years ago and the district has grown more Democrat. And the ads to which Kat refers are pathetic! Nothing more than an unflattering photo of Bean and the standard "tax and spend liberal!" claims that could be, and are, used by Republicans to tar all Democrats. Truly uninspired. It's like Newt Gingrich's parrot wrote the ads.

Hyde isn't hardly trying this year; his signs are outnumbered by those for a guy running for coroner! They are almost outnumbered by the signs for a guy running unopposed for judge!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-02-2004, 06:41 PM
Frostillicus Frostillicus is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
I was especially amused when the RNC commercial claimed that Melissa Bean was out of touch with the people in her district. Phil Crane of course, lives in Virginia and only returns home when he is running for re-election. I swear that the Repugs take whatever their own greatest weakness is and try to label the Democrat with it.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-02-2004, 07:16 PM
Ferret Herder Ferret Herder is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frostillicus
I was especially amused when the RNC commercial claimed that Melissa Bean was out of touch with the people in her district. Phil Crane of course, lives in Virginia and only returns home when he is running for re-election. I swear that the Repugs take whatever their own greatest weakness is and try to label the Democrat with it.
Heh, not to mention the "carpetbagger"-style accusations, considering that Keyes can be more handily pegged with that label.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-02-2004, 09:55 PM
Otto Otto is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Madison WI
Posts: 22,506
CNN is projecting Bean to win.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-03-2004, 08:50 AM
Governor Quinn Governor Quinn is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Yep, it's official. Phillip Crane's political career is over.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

Send questions for Cecil Adams to: cecil@chicagoreader.com

Send comments about this website to: webmaster@straightdope.com

Terms of Use / Privacy Policy

Advertise on the Straight Dope!
(Your direct line to thousands of the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks.)

Publishers - interested in subscribing to the Straight Dope?
Write to: sdsubscriptions@chicagoreader.com.

Copyright © 2013 Sun-Times Media, LLC.