Mark Pera is challenging Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Western Springs) in the Dem primary for Illinois' Third CD.
I will interview Pera on WJJG (official website), 1530 AM, from 2:05-2:30 PM on "Viewpoints From the Other Side".
Pera is the president of the school board, Lyons Township High School (official website).
There are three main grievances primary voters are likely to have with Lipinski.
- He's exceedingly supportive of Bush's Iraq policy even though he represents a solidly Democratic district.
- He's opposed to abortion rights, although this is arguably more in-sync with the heavily Roman Catholic district.
- Dan Lipinski became the Congressman after his father Bill Lipinski won the primary and then made deals with the Dem committeemen to replace the elder Lipinski with the son on the ballot. The sham was thoroughly planned with a Lipinski engineered patsy as the GOP nominee too.
An inside baseball grievance with Dan Lipinski is that he's not very good at being a Congressman. Congress.org produces a power ranking for all members of Congress. Obviously there's room to quibble with the methodology. But Lipinski is 19th of 19 Democrats elected in 2004. See Congress.org.
Here's the questions I'm planning to ask in a speed round format.
1.What are Congressional Democrats doing right?
2.What are Congressional Democrats doing wrong?
3.What's an important issue that is being ignored or neglegected that you will draw attention to when you are in Congress?
4.Who did you support in the Dem primary in 2006: Lipinski, Sullivan or Kelly? What did you do to support him?
5.What's the best thing you can say about Dan Lipinski?
6.What's the worst thing you can say about him?
7.What did you learn as a school board member that will affect how you represent the Congressional District?
8.What did you learn running for state representative?
9.The district you aspire to represent is both a city district and a suburban district. What should be the relationship between the Chicago Democratic Party and the Democrats who live in the suburbs?
10.What's the one hobby or personal indulgence you would fight to keep as part of your schedule even after being elected to Congress?
Then I'm going to open it up to three phone questions. To call the show, (708)493-1530.
The tower for the station is in Elmhurst, and theoretically, can be heard with a good antenna over most of the Chicago area. If you're listening with a clock radio the range is more limited.