Get off my lawn, you punks! « Illinois Reason

The list of accolades is extensive…

Because of my support for a Congressional candidate who believes in little things like, say, the democratic process and listening to your constituents I and my fellow Mark Pera supporters have been labeled political hate groups (can li’l ol’ me really be considered an entire “group”) and a left-wing extremist punk (I love it when folks call me a “punk” — makes my suburban life seem so exciting and exotic).

Oddly, I don’t know if this anti-Democratic praise is coming from Southwest Sider, blogger, and Dan Lipinski supporter Joe Kulys or from Lipinski himself since he put out a flyer lifting Mr. Kulys’ rant verbatim.

Here’s a copy of that Little Lip/Joe Kulys flyer.

I’ve never understood why partisans (of either side) think that standing up and fighting for what you believe in is “hate”. Opposing someone because you disagree with their record and their proposals isn’t “hate” — it’s debate, it’s politics, it’s democracy.

Of course, I’d expect this sort of anti-American, their way or the highway name-calling from conservative partisans. But, to see this sort of weak, issue-avoiding malarkey coming from a fellow Democrat (if you can consider someone who aligns with Bush on the big ticket issues to still be a Dem)… All I can say is thanks for the compliments!

Sincerely,

Your local extremist liberal hate group…. or something.

(And, by the way, recall that the Tribune endorsed Rep. Lipinski — despite getting basic facts wrong, like how long he’s been in office — specifically because they despised vitriol coming from bloggers… Oops.)

Update: Other ~~chronic complainers and cranks cry~~ Americans stand up for their principles in the face of immature and pointless mud-slinging…

Matt Stoller at the (not) radical, extremist, not from Chicago, hate group “Open Left”
ArchPundit … More. Than. A. Few. Times.
MissLaura at Daily Kos
Michael in Chicago at Prairie State Blue (…wait, I thought all those mean “punks” were not from Chicago… so confusing.)

Money quotes…

A little logic from ArchPundit:

Lipinski Whining that People are Mean to Him. … It’s not personal to point out that Daddy Lipinski is running a PAC disguised as a charity and using it to pay federal employees on Dan Lipiniski’s Congressional staff.

Some perspective from MissLaura, after noting that just about the only thing right in the shrill flyer was the line that, “This is a war for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party”:

The heart and soul of the Democratic party shouldn’t be about using Republican slurs of Democrats. It shouldn’t be about supporting Bush’s war or Bush’s energy policy, it shouldn’t be about opposing choice for women and opposing stem cell research, it shouldn’t be about nepotism and corruption. That’s why it’s so important to support Mark Pera.

And finally, from Chris Bowers (at Open Left), some trivia:

Apparently, we Pera supporters are anti-life and and anti-Irish. My Irish-American mother would be surprised to learn that one.
Also, while I have never lived in any of the placed the flier mentions [San Francisco, Hollywood, New York, Massachusetts], I have lived in Chicago as recently as 2004.

My Irish-American mother too… Heck, my grandfather — God bless him — is born-n-raised Chicago Irish.

Update 2: Michael at PSB notes the guy who wrote that screed, Joe Kulys, doesn’t even live in Lipinski’s district anyway…

Update 3: Mark Pera responds by describing just a few of those punks, radicals and chronic complainers who have been volunteering for his campaign not because they “hate” anything but because they want to bring good old-fashioned Midwestern Democratic values to Washington. And for those readers who may be from Hollywood or San Francisco or wherever else Mr. Kulys and Rep. Lipinski think are “bad” places let me just say that Mr. Pera is straight-up when he notes what a snowy and cold winter it’s been for these folks to be volunteering in. Brrrr…

10 comments

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February 4, 2008 at 12:05 am

Mark Pudil

I live in the 23rd Ward and have Mark Pera signs ringing in my windows and when I park, I put a “Pera for Congress sign” in my car’s windshield. I live on a rare 2 lane street in our Ward and I have received calls threatening my car’s well being because I choose to do that from guys that have jobs tied to the proverbial “machine”. I chose not tot invoke the police in this matter as they have better things to do and I don’t want to get to anyone in trouble and also, castigate myself from my neighbors but my simple reply is, “it is a DEMOCRACY and I have the right to choose what candidate that I feel best represents me, my family and our values.” To me Mark Pera is that candidate.

February 4, 2008 at 12:24 am

robnesvacil

Good for you, Mark.

Were you for Bennett or the other guy you might unfortunately experience that same malarkey. Hopefully nothing comes of it.

February 4, 2008 at 10:56 am

David Martin

You had one piece incorrect, Rob, which I see you caught in your update. The spewing blogger actually did say he lived outside the 3rd in the full post. Lipinski didn’t quite copy the rant verbatum… It was Lipinski who deliberately cut off the ranters out-of-district disclaimer. Obviously, any Chicagoan is not an outsider unless he comes from the lakefront. Then he becomes a punk. Lipinski has even gone so far as to tout it this way on his website:
LINK: Local resident lauds Congressman Dan Lipinski

and a big shout out to the “brilliance” of the tribune editorial board, once again demonstrating their claim as the world’s worst newspaper.

February 4, 2008 at 11:13 am

re that Tribune editorial/endorsement, there’s a letter to the editor in the Forest Park Review rebutting several of it’s points.

http://tinyurl.com/yqg9nx

February 4, 2008 at 11:21 am

David,

As you note, the Lipinski flyer cut off Mr. Kusyl’s editorial before the part where he mentions that he’s not a resident of the district, just like the “punks” he’s railing against. (That said, several of those “punks” actually do live in the district or, like Mr. Kusyl, close to it.)

I never said Mr. Kusyl was a resident of the district, though, so I’m not sure what you consider incorrect. (Although the flyer paid for by the Lipinski campaign sure does make it sound like he is.)

PS: Your “link” didn’t come through. You can just post the URL if you like.

–

FH, Good points.

February 4, 2008 at 3:44 pm

One point that got cut, probably for space, from the FP Review letter –

“But the Tribune, … says “campaign style” is more important. Speaking of style, it’s interesting that Lipinski won the Tribune’s endorsement without even appearing at the editorial board’s videotaped endorsement interview with the other candidates.”

February 4, 2008 at 6:12 pm

Bluegal

I must be a 55 yr old “punk”. I do know that I’m a real Democrat and have been working on Mark Pera’s campaign. Joe Kulys is a GOP enabler - just like his buddy, Little Lip. Real Democrats like myself and the other Pera workers want our beloved troops home where they can be used to protect our own country. Anyone remember the disasters in Louisiana and in Kansas where the governors had few troops and trucks? If Joe Kulys had any brains, he’d feel the same way, but he takes the easy way out and writes this stupid diatribe.

Hey Joey, I’m a born and bred Chicagoan. Are you?

February 4, 2008 at 6:43 pm

David Martin, Marquette Park is right outside of the district. You wouldn’t be so quick to attack the write if you knew that. It just shows how little you know about the 3rd district when you are from the north suburbs.

February 4, 2008 at 7:15 pm

David, huh? Do you realize you’re “talking to yourself”?

And yes, Marquette Park is right outside the district — “outside the district” being the key phrase. Mr. Kusyl was attacking other people from outside the district when he himself is also outside the district.

February 7, 2008 at 11:43 am

Mark Pera: Class Act even in Defeat « Illinois Reason