As a result of our story last week, Equality Illinois has backtracked from its previous written statement from its Executive Director Bernard Cherkasov saying they had not made an endorsement in the Cassidy-Basta state house race. We have now been told that they have in fact endorsed Kelly Cassidy because it is the organization's policy to endorse all incumbents in 'good standing' on GLBT issues . Equality Illinois has held no interviews of the candidates in this race, nor have they allowed the candidates in this race to answer written questions.
As an organization, Equality Illinois is peering over the precipice of Credibility Gap.
Many GLBT voters across Illinois and in Andersonville look to the organization for direction as to which candidates are good for GLBT voters. What Equality Illinois is saying is that's not their job. They are only telling voters what is good for them, as an organization -- and that is to endorse incumbents. On the north side of Chicago, that does not make you a voice for GLBT voters -- that makes you a front group for the Democratic machine.
Two years ago, former Equality Illinois Executive Director Jim Madigan took on Heather Steans in Andersonville's State Senate race. Illinois has never had a GLBT member in the state senate, and Jim Madigan was a smart lawyer who had helped draft the state's civil union law through his work with Lambda Legal while running in Illinois' most GLBT friendly district. Because of his competition, Heather Steans introduced a bill legalizing same sex marriage -- a bill which has since died in committee and was never re-introduced. Under enormous pressure from the Cook County Democratic machine, Equality Illinois endorsed Steans over their former Executive Director.
Now we have the Kelly Cassidy - Paula Basta race. Kelly Cassidy has worked for Senate President Cullerton and State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and because of those connections was appointed by Carol Ronen to fill Harry Osterman's State House seat. Her challenger is Paula Basta who runs Chicago's largest senior center and has spent 25 years working in Senior issues. Additionally, she spent almost a decade on the board of Equality Illinois -- including the organization's President. They have chosen to endorse Cassidy because she is an "incumbent" who was appointed to office by the machine although she has never been elected by the voters and has spent less than six months in that office -- once again under intense pressure to endorse the Democratic machine's chosen candidate.
This is what we mean when we say organizations line up behind who the machine tells them to support. The right thing to do would be provide BOTH qualified lesbian candidates with their seal of approval. BOTH candidates would be good on GLBT issues in this district. But that would mean Equality Illinois is more interested in protecting their credibility with GLBT voters than protecting their credibility with the Cook County Democratic Party.
More importantly, what does it say about an organization that for the second time in as many elections has turned its back on its own organizational leadership to endorse who the Democratic political machine of Cook County tells them to endorse? Why are these people good enough to lead the organization, but not good enough to represent GLBT voices in Springfield?
Meanwhile the Cassidy campaign has made a claim that I, personally, am Paula Basta's pollster. The only poll I have conducted in the 14th State House race was for the Aville Daily, at my expense, with the results posted here online. Equality Illinois and the Cassidy campaign have claimed that I personally am biased and only support Paula Basta -- discrediting critics is how they challenge anyone that does not fall in line with their candidates. I am a neighborhood blogger who believes it is essential that those in power be sharply questioned. Paula Basta brings an independence from the current machine that Andersonville sorely needs from its elected officials. That is why as a neighborhood resident I have an absolute obligation to not sit on the sidelines of this race.
If you want to hear political conversation in the neighborhood that simply reflects what the current party leadership wants you to think -- you will not like what we write. Civilly disagree with us -- we're perfectly fine with that -- at least we prompt political conversation in a neighborhood that has been sorely devoid of it.
But we speak for ourselves -- not for any campaign or any political organization. Our point of view is that political competition in Andersonville is good and desperately needed to break the corrupting influence of the same people in control for too long. Andersonville has not had a legitimate competitive election in over fifteen years.
But this story happened because Equality Illinois' Executive Director told us in writing they had not made an endorsement which the Cassidy campaign was touting on a website -which we simply found by googling -- and on their campaign literature they are handing out at doors. That is a story. Equality Illinois now is making an endorsement without any process for interviewing candidates or hearing where they stand on issues because they endorse incumbents. That is another story.
Both of those statements are fact, not bias. And it puts Equality Illinois on the precipice of Credibility Gap in providing qualified information to GLBT voters in Andersonville.
By Brendan October 25, 2011 at 1:11 pm
Actually, your claim that Illinois has never had a State Senator who was a member of the GLBT community is incorrect.
Former State Senator Penny Severns (D-Decatur) was a lesbian. Check your facts.
By James Kerridge October 25, 2011 at 7:14 pm
Richard,
Great post! Thank you for continuing to stand up against the machine in Aville and the surrounding neighborhoods. I’m sure Kelly is a fine person and legislator, but the fact that Carol Ronen appointed her to the seat means she will never receive my vote. We have to end this “musical chairs” that is so common in Chicago politics. How can we honestly say we are progressive or independent? It’s a disgrace.
Oh, and one more thing. Steans did not get her endorsement from Equality Illinois because of her “good standing” on LGBT issues. She got it because of her donations and connections. Why does our community continue to eat our own? At the very least EI could have refused to endorse anyone in that race due to the simple fact that Madigan was their former director. What happened to Jim Madigan was inexcusable.
By Jim Johnson October 25, 2011 at 9:34 pm
You are so transparent it is laughable did it ever occur to you that Kelly Cassidy was the more qualified candidate and was picked on her qualifications. If you knew anything about legislating you would not be speaking so foolishly. You are so obviously biased for Paula Basta and that is okay that you support her but stop acting like you are an unbiased journalist . It is insulting to a real journalist and you give journalism a bad name.
By Beverly October 26, 2011 at 7:06 am
Jim,
Call me strange but I actually feel that our elected officials should have a college degree if they are going to stand up for education in Springfield and later receive a pension from the state. Could you get a job in corporate America at their salary without a college degree? The answer is no. So if the person can’t get a job in the private work force why would we hire/elect them on the government payroll? I’m still paying off student loans and no pension in my future. At no point in Kelly Cassidy’s life could she go and get a college education? Paula Basta has both a bachelors and masters degree. I’d rather have her standing up for education in Springfield for my child rather than someone without an education.
Beverly
By Brendan October 26, 2011 at 11:55 am
Something else that I find interesting about Kelly Cassidy’s (and Heather Steans’s) background is her “ethnicity.”
Has anyone noticed that Carol Ronen has a predisposition for promoting females from the Tribe of Judah? Don’t take that the wrong way. I’m a Jew myself and playing devil’s advocate. I just find it interesting the details of political relationship and decision making that go unspoken in public discussion.
By Richard October 26, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Brendan — Don’t want to sound prickly, but I’m trying to understand what relevance two appointments that happen to be of the same religious affiliation has? Not sure I get where you’re going with this.
By Beverly October 26, 2011 at 10:14 pm
It’s true that Carol has a predisposition for female candidates. She understands the importance of having female politicians. Hillary wasn’t able to break that glass ceiling but she did put 18 million cracks in it. I applaud Carol for this but never understood why she didn’t back Hillary. My little girl asked me why there has never been a female President. Needless to say that was an awkward discussion at best — she’s 7. I don’t agree with Carol’s pension manipulation or appointing Kelly without a college education but I do agree with her for appointing females. Oh, and Brendan, not that it matters but Kelly isn’t a real Jew. She converted for her children. Now I wish she would show them what commitment is and the value of education and enroll in college!
Beverly
By Brendan October 26, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Something else just occurred to me, Mr. Czuba…you have your own “credibility gap.”
Seeing as how you are an active & long-time Republican operative, your commentary on Democratic in-fighting shows where your true motives lay.
By Richard October 26, 2011 at 1:43 pm
If by ‘republican operative’ you’re referring to our company’s one Republican campaign since opening — the Joe Schwarz for Congress campaign — then I suppose you would be correct in calling me that. But I’ll happily stand by a Republican that lost his seat in Congress because he refused three weeks before a primary election to vote for a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage.
By Brendan October 27, 2011 at 10:44 am
Deleting honest and non-defamatory comments won’t change the truth.
I repeat, your own company profile describes you as being a GOP apparatchik going back as far 1983. And I quote: “Richard began work with the Michigan Republican State Committee where he quickly rose to Director of Research overseeing survey research and campaign research for Michigan’s Republican Party.”
By Libby October 28, 2011 at 9:55 am
Pretty sure Senator Steans is not Jewish. And Madigan wasn’t the one who put her on the ropes about gay marriage either. That was Elder, two years earlier.
By Brendan October 28, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Libby, Ms. Steans most certainly is Jewish.
At least we know it in the Jewish community – http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/chicago-jewish-star/mi_8098/is_20090206/jewish-dems-blago/ai_n50841830/
By Libby November 3, 2011 at 12:09 am
No, what we know is that the author of that article made a huge assumption about the Senator based on the sound of her name. For cripe’s sake, her grandfather is the name sake of the Service Learning Center at DePaul and her father is a lifetime trustee. What does it all mean? Well, she’s not making alyiah anytime soon because she’s C-A-T-H-O-L-I-C.
By Brendan November 9, 2011 at 11:54 pm
Libby,
Just because they fund a center at a Catholic university doesn’t mean they’re a Catholic family. Were you aware that DePaul’s College of Law was the first law school in Chicago to admit Jews and Women? People give money to institutions for lots of reasons.
By Libby November 14, 2011 at 7:08 pm
Oh, for Pete’s sake, Vincentian theology and DePaul’s inclusive admissions policies are hardly the point; sloppy reporting and (let’s call them) ill-informed assumptions are. Senator Steans is not Jewish. Even Avy Meyer had to concede as much and publish a retraction on this subject 3 YEARS AGO. Carol Ronen is a corrupt, contemptible hack and she’s done a lot of despicable things, including planting the idea in parts of the 7th that Heather was a member of the tribe. But she’s not. Don’t believe me, call Senator Steans and ask her yourself: (773) 769-1717.