Let me just put it out there from the beginning that I'll be voting for David Hoffman come Tuesday's primaries.
Context, reasoning and links below the fold.
CONTEXT:
There is no want of corruption in Illinois politics. A corrupt Republican Governor replaced a corrupt Democratic Governor, and well. Cook County and Chicago government? Enough said.
So, here we come from a veritable petri dish of flourishing corruption, and we have got to vote with that context foursquare in the front of our choice of candidates for The President's former seat.
One of the things I look for in a candidate is the trajectory of his/her career. To me, if there is a logical consistency to someone's resume it speaks to an orderliness of thought, having an actual plan, and hopefully, to a commitment to public service. That overarching commitment to public service is one of the things I admire so much in The President. Time and again, he opted for public service over prospects for huge paychecks.
This is David Hoffman all over.
REASONING
After graduating from Yale, Hoffman went to work for Senator Boren (D-OK)as Press Secretary and legislative assistant for foreign policy.
He then enrolled in University of Chicago Law School.
Similarly to The President, Hoffman was articles Editor for the UC Law School Review. He also headed UC Law School Democrats. While at the University he was "awarded the University’s President's Award for Volunteer Service for founding Neighbors, a neighborhood-based community service program." Wikipedia
Graduating from UC Law School (where The President taught), Hoffman went to clerk for Chief Justice Rehnquist. "OH! He worked for a conservative, then we can't trust him to be a real liberal." Yes he did. What I care about personally isn't who he clerked for (I'm not an ideological purist), but that he was considered qualified and capable enough to clerk for the Chief Justice of the SCOTUS.
From 1998-2005, he served in the US Attorney's office as a prosecutor, working under Patrick Fitzgerald, for whom I have the highest regard.
In 2005, he was named Independent Inspector General for the City of Chicago, and in that post has stirred quite a few hornets' nests in the Daley administration. In recognition of his integrity as Inspector General, in January 2009, Governor Pat Quinn appointed Hoffman to the 15-member Illinois Reform Commission, which was charged with recommending anti-corruption and ethics reforms in the wake of former Governor Rod Blagojevich’s arrest. Wiki
Mr. Hoffman quit his job as Inspector General in order to seek the senate seat.
Mr. Hoffman has been endorsed as the Democratic candidate for US Senate by every major Newspaper in the state, and like The President during his senate race, has campaigned throughout the state.
So there you have it...a consistent record of public service, consistency in career trajectory, experience in government and the senate, and an unimpeachable reputation for integrity.
David Hoffman was approached by AKPD (Axelrod and Plouffe's campaign firm) and the firm is running his campaign.
By contrast:
Alexi Giannoulias, after starting his degree at the University of Chicago, later graduated from Boston University, because their team was in a better basketball division. After college (1998), he went to Greece for a year, and played basketball there. He then enrolled in Tulane's Law School, and after graduation began working for his family's bank, where he was almost immediately made VP of lending. In 2007 Giannoulias was elected State Treasurer and after only 2 years in office, decided to run for Senate, while not resigning his job.
From the time of his run for State Treasurer, questions about Broadway Bank's lending to mob figures have swirled around Giannoulias, and now, after BB's entering into an agreement with the FDIC to recapitalize, after it's 'aggressive lending practices' during the Real Estate bubble left it on the brink of collapse, more questions are being asked, and not answered, about the candidate's role in the questionable lending practices which caused the bank's current hardships. This on top of the questionable people to whom the bank loaned.
What's at stake in the race
The Chicago reader is known for its in-depth reporting on public figures and this (long) article about Giannoulias' history is revealing about some of the pitfalls to be expected should he make it to the General.
Here are some quotes from that article which jumped out at me:
He'd never run for anything, never been a member of a political organization, never worked on a campaign. "He wasn't very public at all until he started to run for office," says a north-side community activist who didn't want to be named because of ongoing relationships with Giannoulias's family and Broadway Bank. "He didn't go to any community events. He had no policy experience. Then all the sudden he started talking about public service."
So we have a history of Basketball being more important that academics, no history of public service, going to work for the family business, possibly mismanaging his responsibilities there and no experience with the policy issues which are flying into the face of a Senator at every turn.
On the other end of the spectrum, old-school alderman Richard Mell, who commands one of the most powerful ward organizations in the city, also appeared at a news conference to endorse him.
And, I'm sorry to say it, but Dick Mell is not a good endorsement. He made the political career of his son-in-law giving the state and the IL Democratic party one Rod Blagojevich.
and here are a few on the money quotes about the ethics and practice of Giannoulias's involvement with his family's bank:
Chicago Reader reporting on the current flap over the family bank.
Some additional resources about Giannoulias.
Summary:
A person of integrity with a lengthy, consistent career in public service
v
A person of questionable integrity and competence, and a 'from out of nowhere' interest in elected office.
GENERAL ELECTION:
Giannoulias' response to the questions regarding his role in the problems his family's bank is experiencing is to put off answering them, because there will be plenty of time to discuss those come the General Election.
FAIL
The Republicans will be pointing all their collective fingers at him should he win the primary, and squawking "More of the same corrupt, Chicago, Illinois corrupt politics and politicians. It's time to bring integrity back into Illinois politics". That is not the time to be explaining one's ethics and competence.
There isn't a whole lot of difference when it comes to policy between the Democratic candidates, but there is an ocean of difference in terms of service, history, experience and integrity.
Electing David Hoffman will force the Republicans to campaign on policy, not on integrity. And we can win there.
Come Tuesday, I ask my fellow Illinoisans to hue to the purpose of this blog. Let's keep The President's senate seat, and give it to a better Democrat.
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any IL Senate campaign.