Boy oh boy, the shit is starting to fly! Now that the Aldermen and their challengers have taken the gloves off, you better believe it's game on in your neighborhood! This week, we dedicate this edition of the Hump Day Political News Roundup to kickin' ass and talkin' shit. Yee Haw!
32nd Ward Candidate Sues Incumbent. That's right, Scott Waguespack has had it with Steady Teddy's bullshit. So he's filed a $5 million lawsuit against the incumbent alderman. After Matlak sent out a series of mailers around the ward accusing Wags of everything from getting fired from his job in Berwyn to impersonating a lawyer, he went out and hired a real one for himself. Matlak's campaign stands by everything they've sent out so far, pointing out that Waguespack went to law school, so he should know that his suit doesn't mean anything.
Naisy Calls Bernie on his BS. In the 50th Ward, Naisy Dolar has refused incumbent Alderman Stone's most recent offer to debate her. According to the Dolar campaign in "February, Berny Stone told the Chicago Reader that he would debate his opponents one-on-one, and this was reiterated in a WBEZ-FM story later. He has since had two opportunities to appear at a debate: 1) the West Rogers Park Community Organization's Candidates’ Forum on March 11; and 2) on WTTW's "Chicago Tonight," PBS Channel 11, on April 2. He failed to appear at the first, and backed out of the latter." Now his campaign wants to set up a debate for April 12, five days before the vote. Dolar claims that this is too late for the local press to adequately cover the event. She is also raising questions about the legitimacy of the debate, charging that the neutral community groups Stone claims are sponsoring it aren't actually involved. No word yet on Stone's side of the argument.
Correction from a Chicago Tonight Producer: "For the record, Ald. Stone did not back-out of a “Chicago Tonight” appearance. He never agreed to come."
Madeline and Fioretti Go Head to Head on "Chicago Tonight." We'll let the candidates do the talking on this one:
Eddie Aruzza: Alderman, I'll have you have the last say, and it has to be quick, please.
Madeline Haithcock: Well, you know the stalker is a talker. He tells a lot of lies. I don't give my family members money ... I did not ... last night....
Bob Fioretti: Well, wait a minute, I have to answer that ..., Alderman, because you have consistently portrayed lies throughout this campaign. You've lied about setting up ... you just said you have two thousand emails. Last night you said you received two thousand every week. You know what that means? That means a ward that's in lack of leadership.
Madeline Haithcock: You're not listening. I said I get two thousand emails a week....
Bob Fioretti: Oh, Alderman, please.
Madeline Haithcock: ... I did not ... I don't know what you thought I said about the Big Box....
Bob Fioretti: We know what you said last night.
Madeline Haithcock: ... But you were so busy saying a lot of different things that didn't make sense.
Eddie Aruzza: And we'll have to refer to the two of you to our website which will link you to your website....
Madeline Haithcock: I don't need to see his website.
Eddie Aruzza: ... and people can get more information on the two of you.
Madeline Haithcock: This is the last time I'll see him, period.
Image via Ask Art.
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Don Gordon and Joey Moore will be on Chicago Tonight, tonight, talking about the 49th Ward.
classic. my coworker, who lives in the 2nd ward, gave me some wonderful paraphernalia about the haithcock/fioretti mudslinging. does a burgeoning campaign contributor actually say to him or herself, "i'm getting into this for the express purpose of badly photoshopping our opponent's head onto a potbellied caracature drawn by a 9-year-old"?
This is the best aldermanic election in years. Waguespack and Matlak should both be shot. Matlak turned the Ward into Lincoln Park West and Waguespack is the biggest whiner I've heard since....Temoc Morfin! Hah!
The Haithcock thing is hilarious too. Great political theater. You really think about the people you want leading you when all of them are resorting to the most childish behaviour I've seen since...the last time I was in McDonald's Playland...30 years ago!!!!!!!!
the stalker is a talker
he, he...
after seeing her picture for weeks in the Sun-Times (and not her approved campaign shots) I just have to point out Alderman Haithcock's uncanny resemblance to "Family Guy's" Peter Griffin.
Stone's side of the argument will be a lie, as it always is. I am tired of the lies, and tired of his not responding to needs of the community, and not his family's own needs. Naisy Dolar is right to call him on his B.S. I really hope she wins on April 17.
I am glad Naisy is standing up to stone. He is trying like crazy to spin his deficencies as positives. This "debate" debacle is reminicent of how the 50th ward is run.
Has anyone seen Bernard Stone?
Stone had an opportunity to appear in these debates. Where in the world is he?? Wasn't he the only run-off candidate that didn't appear on Chicago Tonight?
And now he wants a debate - mind you, not exactly affiliated with a third-party - a few days before the election?
Looks pretty bad for the Stone campaign...
Who is running the stone campaign? It must be stone himself because it sure looks like a rudderless ship. What can we expect, this is how the ward is run.
Bernie Stone just disgusts me. How dare he try to set up Naisy Dolar with a sham debate that he is staging, when he refused to participate in two legitimate ones by other objective parties!!!!!
Just for the record, I recieved this email earlier today from Jay Smith of Chicago Tonight:
It should be noted that Ald. Stone was invited to more than one date for WTTW. Passover began the eve of 4/2 (and it is a taped show) but Bernie has been given a number of opportunities to debate Naisy and is a consistent no-show! After 34 years in office what are you afraid of Ald. Stone?! Additionally, if you're the candidate (Stone) you don't set up a debate, invite the other candidate (Dolar), invite the hosts (all supporters of yours), set the location and time, and expect people to think it's going to be a fair debate - there's this group called the League of Women Voters - nonpartisan, fair - check 'em out - they've been doing candidate debates for decades and EVERYBODY trusts them!
Matlak is a piece of crap. This loser can't even handle beating an underfunded opponent like Wags, so he has to have the Mayor's hacks come in and run his campaign. Now he's getting sued.
I hate Matlak. I hope he's working as a bank teller at Bank of America in a coupla months. I'd say fry cook at Swank Franks, but there is no more Swanks. Actually, seeing as how Teddy's never been anything but a ward-heeling political hack, he probably isn't qualified to make french fries, let alone work as a bank teller.
I loved the battle last night re: 2nd ward on Chicago Tonight. Cheers to Eddie A. for at least trying to keep it civil and very nearly keeping a straight face. I was laughing out loud watching Haithcock and Forretti try to resist putting up their fists. Politically though, I live in the 2nd ward and am only saddened that these two children are my options. And the mailers both groups have been sending out are utterly ridiculous.
You wanna know how bad the race for 2nd Ward is? My parents keep getting calls on their answering machine. They MOVED OUT OF THE CITY YEARS AGO - from the Southwest Side - TO FLORIDA. The Haithcock/Fioretti people are clueless.
Any idea on how I can get a copy of the Haithcock / Fioretti debate on Chicago Tonight?
Also, woodlawnchuck...your parents are probably still registered to vote in the 2nd ward, which is why they keep getting calls
I live in the 2nd ward and cringed last night - are these two serious. Choosing between these two is worse than Toddler v. Peraica.
spolk - do you have comcast and a recent cable box? If so, hit on demand, select local, and find WTTW. They keep the chicago tonights on there for a week or so, free of (additional) charge. You can also watch check please.
SPOLK - My parents never lived in the 2nd Ward, or even near it. They've only been in the 11th and the 14th, that's Bridgeport and Gages Parks respectively! And, I should note, that's years ago. Further, their phone number is prefixed by 708. So...it doesn't make sense unless somebody was voting out of the 2nd illegally, but had my parents number some 15 years ago...Know what I am saying?
woodlawnchick - I was only offering a possible explination for why they were still getting phone calls. Actually, the 11th ward is right next to the 2nd ward. All of the wards were redistricted a couple of years back, so maybe they lived in the 11th ward and then it was redistricted to be a part of the 2nd ward. Area codes don't matter.
it's woodlawnchuck. they lived in the 11th ward 40 years ago and if they're one ward that wasn't redistricted, believe me, that one is it.
woodlawn -
Check it out. EVERY WARD is redrawn every 10 years. The City Council council is obligated by federal law.
www.chicagoremap.org/background.htm
I'm pretty sure the 11th is included. Unless Daley's home ward is specially exempted.
Kevin thanks for the clarification on the fact that Stone never agreed to debate. I have been watching the Chicago Tonight debates and I believe he is the only one who has not appeared with his opponent. Also, I assumed that it may have been because of Passover but that can't be the case because he appeared on WBBM's "At Issue" this week and that was obviously taped during Passover.
Either way he does appear to be ducking Dolar and she is right not to appear in his shame of a debate.
My parents lived at 39th and Emerald, 40 years ago! That's hardly the 2nd Ward and their phone number (708 prefix) did not exist back then. Haitcock and Fioretti are hairbagged hacks. Long live the 11th Ward, long live Eddie Burke and the 14th, and long live Woodlawn!