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Best Congress Critter: Captain Kirk
Dick Durbin - The guy is just a hard working smart and honest. He tells people when they are wrong and he's not afraid to go after political allies when he needs too. Plus, he's got the President-elect's phone number and he's the number 2 guy in the US Senate - come on this should be a slam dunk based on his clout alone.
Most importantly, because I nominated both of them!
Durbin. Just because he survives so well, and is much more likely to bring home the bacon to Illinois - statewide, not just Chicago
Dick cause he's compassionate.
durbin. at the top of his game. unlike kirk, durbin is a powerhouse on the hill. durbin can actually move his party to action. they will follow his lead. there's really no other choice (between these two).
Congresscritter, without the umbrage: Mark Kirk. He has sailed against a tough wind twice in recent history, and worked hard to earn the votes and respect of his district.
Madigan. Axeli's fine, but Lisa strikes me as smarter, tougher and a harder worker. Really, both positions are governor/senator in waiting.
Kirk.....true to his district. would have said Durbin, but the Ryan bit skews the whole picture.
Durbin: The essence of a public servant.
Durbin--can't add anything to C. Deforestation's comments above.
Kirk because he has always looked out for the interests of his district. Durbin has his problems with insulting the military and many other issues
Kirk -- Because you can't put Durbin up after that undefensible proposal to commute Ryan's sentence. Plus, Kirk beat a strong Dem challenge in the year of Obama -- he and madigan are rising stars.
I vote Durbin, an actual honest guy in government. (Qualified by the fact I don't know Kirk well.)
Madigan- Alexi's pension plan a big dud IMO
Durbin. He's taking heat for the Ryan thing, but it's important to look at his whole body of work. He stood up against the Iraq war when few had the courage to. He raised his voice when he saw vets getting shafted in VA centers. Yes, he's a partisan, but he stands up for the state and he does what he believes is right.
Madigan--effective AG. Not more I can really say here.
Dick Durbin- possibly the best senator Illinois has ever had.His integrity is beyond question. He is a champion for human and civil rights. The #2 man in the Senate will be crucial in advancing Pres-elect Obama's progressive agenda. The men from Illinois will change this country and return the US to its rightful place as a respected world leader.
Durbin: Every time I have spoken with him or his staff, they are positive and helpful. I am not anybody (politically speaking), but, in my limited experiences, Sen. Durbin and his staff stop what they are doing, listen and respond, and follow up.
Lisa has really stressed that the AG's office is a consumer protection office. Remember when they made a issue of her lack of courtroom experience. What a bunch of baloney.
Durbin - a Senate heavyweight who delivers for Illinois and liberal interests. He recently forgot that Paul Simon began as a newspaper publisher and as such would not so easily forgive George Ryan, but Durbin deserves our respect and thanks for so much that he has done and will do for all of Illinois. Kirk is hampered by politically surviving election to election; he has to vote like a moderate but in so doing loses Right Wing PAC support. Not as quick to criticize his own party leaders as Ray LaHood did, but the Republicans need more quality candidates like Kirk.
Kirk
Kirk - Has character. Durbin - give me a break. After royally insulting the troops he had the nerve to try to tie himself to them in his re-election tv ads.
Not only is he a departure from the Illinois power structure that has messed up the state, he has shown what you can do with the will to fix things. His success at making government working more efficiently and cost effectively go to the heart of what needs to be fixed in Springfield.
Senator Durbin -- Rated one of the top 10 Senators, in Leadership, and his guy is President. Need we say more?
Alexi -- I like every decision he has made. His only fault is that he is from Chicago.
I am a Republican and thus have nothing positive to say about either of the other 2 people you mentioned.
An even-handed D that is not establishment and is not afraid to push for smarter use of state money. It's time for Dems to tackle taxes and budgets with more than gradeschool notions of money. How is this not exactly the direction we need for the future of this state?
Durbin
His gaffe with the Ryan pardon, and even his outburst regarding Gitmo several years ago only prove that he runs on his heart at times. Give him a break, he is a Dem for a reason after all. Congressmen get credit for representing their district through their style, philosophy, and hard work. Some credit should be given for a man who does just this over a larger area, for longer period of time. Durbin is truly a U.S. Senator for the STATE of the Illinois. He does it from a loveless position, during a contentious period in American history, and he does it with class.
Durbin, as No.2 in the Senate, how could you vote for house minority moderate, Kirk?
Durbin, whereas I don't agree with his politics, he is a very honest and hard working senator.
Durbin - have always liked him, is candid, is powerful, brings the bacon home for IL, and whether you liked Gov Ryan or not, Durbin coming out the way he did took a lot of, well, virility...
And as for the statewide official it's a close call. I'm going to go with Madigan because I have a bit more information to go on and I like what I've seen.
2) Mark Kirk - He may not be as conservative as I like but he is the one of the few stars of the IL GOP. He campaign hards and works harder as a congressman.
Durbin- Hands down. Approachable, down to earth, hardworking, and for all of the other reasons people have mentioned.
Nothing against Giannoulias, I like him too and think he is off to a great start in politics. He has a bright future.
Mark Kirk is a chamleon, changing political views between the district (moderate) and DC (conservative). I prefer his moderate side, but then I guess we'd need to keep him in Illinois.
Federal : Dick Durbin. Hands down. I'm biased (aren't we all), but Durbin is everthing that we should expect/demand from our public servents: as smart as they come, hard-working, fearless, humble, compassionate & HONEST. He's the best.
Dick: for his heart and Obama work
I am heartened by the selection of both U.S. Dick Durbin and U.S. Congressman Mark Kirk. Both are fair-minded, albeit politically savvy, public servants. Again, I throw my support behind U.S. Senator Durbin for his unassuming strong, and steadfast leadership and his willingness to buck public opinion and do the right thing by former Governor George Ryan.
Kirk - willing to put partisanship aside for the betterment of all. Ignoring the Ryan fiasco, Durbin generally is too partisan in Washington as opposed to a true leader, who forges a path, vs. someone who will parrot the party line.
Congress -- although I'm a D, I have to say Kirk. I'm just impressed by how he does what he does, although I dislike his conservative votes
Durbin - the Ryan commutation request shows (again) that he has the courage of his convictions, even when they might cost him.
Durbin over Kirk. Kirk hasn't done anything of note and is a big step down from John Porter. Durbin has risen very quickly in a decade, and Illinois is better for it.
Also, Durbin + Alexi is the only real chance we have for changing Illinois' broken system. The Madigans should take their share of the blame for where we are, since he has been speaker and in charge of the party longer than Rod has been Governor.
Kirk over Durbin: Just because of the Ryan issue.
Finally fiscal responsibility has entered the lexicon of state government. I'm only dissapointed that it didn't come from my party. Since no Republican has a chance of righting the course on S.O.S. Springfield, Giannoulias is this state's only real hope for putting our fiscal house in order and creating an environment that will foster growth in Illinois' economy. Despite the comments of others above, the myth of Lisa's "independance" from the Speaker is something that should concern all Illinois voters should she run for Governor.
Kirk over Durbin. I haven't moved to a red state yet, so I have to keep whatever Rebublican office holders I can get. His consistancy of voting with Bush however earns him no better than a "B" in my book.
Congress-Both are good in different ways, but I have to say Kirk because he wins out on the independence and integrity fronts. Durbin is too hyperpartisan and he is something of a media hound. Kirk gets in the press a lot for a House member but it's because he does something proactive. Durbin just gloms on to everything that comes along.
Dick Durbin - one of the most honest and caring individuals in Congress; delightfully stubborn but willing to compromise and apologetic if he believes he's made a mistake; cares first and foremost about Illinois; was a mentor to Barack Obama; a natty dresser with an insanely long attention span and obssession with details; a fabulous orator who never needs notes.
Durbin - Smart man who has done great things for illinois
I respect Alexi and think he does a decent job, but I am starting to think that he governs by press release. His office constantly releases news about things "he will be doing" instead of things he has done. I think he needs a few more years of experience and work.
MY PICK IS LISA MADIGAN.
Plus, he doesn't have the same ties to the same-old, same-old, as Madigan does, and he is ideally positioned to ride the "change" wave that won't peak until after 2010 (in my opinion).
Durbin - because he is an upstanding senator who has always stood up for Illinois. Also he has silently shown the kind of clout he really has, by throwing it behind Obama early on, and thereby helping to lay the groundwork for Obama's victory.
The good senator because he flies commercial.
HWAS: Ya sittin' on a tack?
Both Madigan and Giannoulias are excellent choices, and both are clearly competent and intelligent officials brimming with integrity.
While Madigan has brought a steady hand to the Attorney General’s office, the question here should be one of reform. Our state is in dire circumstances—confidence in state government has been decimated by a seemingly endless parade of scandals and the citizens of this state are struggling to make it through this recession. As such, under such conditions, the measure of excellence should not be mere competence or good job performance. Rather, the “best statewide official†should be the one that has exhibited an extraordinary understanding of the plight of the middle class, and the one that has melded both passion and pragmatism into that which our state has so desperately needed for so long—common sense and compassionate leadership.
I would submit that the State Treasurer’s record on this front clearly makes him the “best statewide official.â€
Putting aside the fact that his election was in and of itself an amazing feat in a state where one’s fortune in politics is too often dictated by the strength of a family name, Giannoulias has simply *performed*. And he has performed *well*. In a year where the financial collapse has shocked both private and public institutions alike, he has not shirked from the responsibilities of his office, nor has he has been intimidated by the gravity of the situation.
But again, it is not merely the *performance* of an elected official that should be considered. It’s the manner of execution of that performance which separates the good elected officials from the best ones. Lisa Madigan has performed her duties well. But Alexi Giannoulias has not hesitated to go beyond the expectations of the status quo. He has articulate bold and innovative plans to both strengthen the financial condition of this state as well as to advance the interests of state citizens in a more general fashion. In other words, he has not just performed today’s tasks, but he has performed them in such a way as to secure the welfare of this state in the future.
Many of the commenters have rightly pointed out that Lisa Madigan is a hard worker who has kept the public trust well. This is true, but with due respect, that is the minimum we should expect from our elected officials. Her dedication and everyday resilience make Lisa Madigan a great statewide official. But it is Alexi Giannoulias’s bold vision, valuable pragmatism and fresh insight that make him the best official in the state.
Best Congresscritter: Dick Durbin
Between Mark Kirk and Dick Durbin, I see no contest when it comes to the issue of who has best represented the interests of Illinois citizens in Washington.
For the simplest explanation, one need look no further than Donald B. Farmer. Army Staff Sgt. Farmer was the first Illinois casualty of the Iraq War. He left the streets of Zion for the streets of Iraq, and on December 2004, at the too-young age of 33, Farmer died in the deserts of a foreign land.
Since then, some 4,208 more American soldiers have lost their lives in that war. While Kirk was the only member from Illinois who both helped to craft the initial Iraq War resolution and has voted against ending this war some two dozen times, Durbin has become a consistent and clear voice for the responsible redeployment of troops from the region.
Aside from the war, Durbin is the best congresscritter for this state because he has done so much more than simply vote on bills, send pork home, or look after local interests. He is a national leader, and has been an integral player in crafting the federal strategies that are needed to bring not only Illinois into the 21st century, but to lift the entire nation out of the plethora of debacles which currently plague us.
Kirk has performed well as a representative for his district, but Durbin has excelled as a leader. And he has done so not just for Illinois, but for the entire nation. For that reason, he is the best congresscritter in the state.
Mark Kirk over Durbin. I trust him more. Period.
The State Treasurer has brought new ideas to a once dormant office. He has executed ideas that are meaningful to the people of Illinois (BrightStart, state property on ebay, taking control of the politically connected hotels, to name just a few) Even this week, he proposed a new idea to streamline pension investments. Treasurer Giannoulias has already fulfilled his campaign promises, with 2 years to go. He needs a bigger challenge and we need a better Governor.
Senator Durbin has been a thoughtful politician for many years. His biggest acheivement will have been recognizing the tremendous talents of and supporting a young, inexperienced Senator who will be our next President.
Kirk because he is a North Shore guy.
Durbin's a more effective legislator, both for the state and the party -- and he was in the House as well, for those who will say "but the Senate's a bigger platform".
I like how Giannoulias is using the powers of his office to affect policy and how he has dealt with cleaning up after the prior administration (such as the woman who defrauded the state for a couple of hundred thousand dollars, which was discovered earlier this year).
Dick Durbin, for all his years as an effective Senator and leader. His leadership on a variety of issues, such as veterans benefits, has been great. Plus his office is very good at replying when I contact them to complain about something. He's one of the best Senators out there.
Since the economy is melting down, I base my nomination on current job performance, and I give it to Lisa. Her early work (which dates back at least two years) on mortgage fraud has paid off beautifully this year, with landmark lawsuits and settlements that are a model for the nation.
I appreciate Alexi as a young, energetic idea guy, but Lisa's focus and foresight puts her in front of the whole pack of constitutional officers. She has really delivered, when we need it most.
I'll have to simmer down on the Ryan issue before I weigh in Durbin v Kirk, so if I miss the deadline, so be it.
LM ---- great track record that leaves naysayers banging their gums to no avail.
I am shocked and dismayed Capt. Fax omitted other great IL leaders...Hollywood...JaytheJiantHead, etc
Federal - Durbin. Again, not even a contest. Best service and he's around the state - even when he's not up for election. Kirk is almost a stranger except for general elections.