Jackson, Lipinski, Rush for Congress

Jackson, Lipinski, Rush for Congr
October 30, 2006
THE ISSUE: Incumbents seek re-election in contested races in the 1st, 2nd and
3rd congressional districts.

WE SAY: Rush, Jackson and Lipinski have earned re-election in these Southland
districts.

Today the Daily Southtown publishes the rest of its endorsements in contested
races for U.S. Congress in the Southland:

In the 1st Congressional District, comprising portions of the South Side of
Chicago and portions of the southwest suburbs, incumbent Bobby Rush, a Democrat
from Chicago, is seeking an eighth term in the House. We endorse Rush over
Republican Jason Tabour, of Evergreen Park, who is president of the village
library board and works as vice president of a technology consulting firm. Rush's
critics would never have expected the former Black Panther Party leader to be
talking about encouraging entrepreneurship in the inner city or creating
incentives to bring supermarkets that sell fresh produce into his district, but
those are the issues Rush is talking about these days, and he's right about them.

As we've said before, Rush needs to pay more attention to the suburbs that
make up half his district. Some local mayors were upset with Rush for scheduling
a meeting with them last spring and billing it as an endorsement
announcement; some said he did so without their consent. Rush contends some of the mayors
had promised to endorse him but then backed away. In any case, the congressman
needs to develop better relations with his suburban constituents.

To demonstrate his suburban involvement, Rush cites funding he acquired
recently for suburban projects, including engineering for an interchange at I-80
and Ridgeland Avenue in Tinley Park and for road work on Pulaski Road in Alsip.
He also secured engineering funds for a Metra station at U.S. Cellular Field,
a project we have been advocating for years.

In the 2nd Congressional District, which includes portions of the South Side
and most of the south suburbs extending into northern Will County, we endorse
the incumbent, Democrat Jesse Jackson Jr., who has held the seat since 1995.
Jackson has become the most vocal advocate in government for the south suburban
region and its residents, and by being so he has earned another term.

Jackson has worked long and hard to get a third Chicago area airport built in
the south suburbs, and we believe he deserves full credit for that. Without
Jackson's efforts, we're not sure anyone would even be talking about the
airport. The project may be stymied right now, thanks to political bickering and
arguments over turf, but Jackson's support for the project has been consistent
and creative.

Jackson also has made an important positive contribution to the Southland by
recruiting and supporting effective and hardworking individuals to run for
local and state offices in his district. In response to the Southtown's stories
about political corruption and police misconduct in Harvey, Jackson called on
state and county police officials to step in to protect the citizenry of the
city. He's been outspoken about public corruption in government at the state and
city levels, particularly in Chicago.

Jackson now is talking about running for mayor of Chicago next year,
challenging Mayor Richard Daley on corruption issues and favoritism in city
government. That does not dissuade us from enthusiastically endorsing Jackson for
another term in Congress. His opponents are Republican Robert Belin, of Lansing, a
teacher; and the Rev. Anthony Williams, of Dolton, the Libertarian candidate.

In the 3rd Congressional District, Democrat Dan Lipinski is seeking his
second term, and he gets our endorsement. Lipinski has taken a special interest in
transportation projects, in particular a much-needed major effort to
reconfigure rail lines through the region, as did his father before him. Lipinski seems
to have become more knowledgeable of the region and its issues than he was in
his first campaign two years ago, after his dad, William Lipinski, stepped
aside and handed the party's nomination over to him. The method by which the
father anointed his son will probably remain an issue in the district until
Lipinski defeats a strong challenger. That won't happen this year, because
Lipinski's opponent is perennial candidate Ray Wardingly, a Republican from Chicago's
Morgan Park community.