I introduced the Wheeling Township Dems Donor Drive online yesterday as a way to honor my friend and well-known Illinois Dem "operative" Pat Botterman.
Wow, one day down and only 9 to go and already the Wheeling Dems Donor Drive is off to a great start. That, of course, is thanks in no small part to the wonderful help of local activist and Botterman Alum Aaron Krager over at Faithfully Liberal who set up a goal of $250 over the next ten days.
He is already more than halfway there in 24 hours. He might have to bump that bar up at this rate! Please help bust through that modest goal with your own donation – large or small.
And, Aloha Friday! One of those contributions came from as far away as Hawai'i.
Why are we doing this? To honor the legacy and generosity of Mr. Pat Botterman whose alternately described with phrases like hard-working, integrity of the highest order, patriot to his core, a class act, bulldogged and tough-minded ... or, if you were not in his good graces ... Darth Vader, jerk, major league @#%&!*, and more such well-earned epithets from all the "right" people.
How'd Pat earn such high regard? Less than a year before his untimely passing, Sun-Times columnist Steve Brown explained....
Steering [Alderman Bernie] Stone to victory was Mike Noonan, who emerged as one of the premiere local political consultants for Regular Democrats by piloting Lisa Madigan's first campaign for attorney general.
Directing Waguespack's historic upset of Ald. Ted Matlak was Patrick Botterman, who has made his mark in Illinois politics by running the campaigns of independent-minded candidates willing to take on the Democratic establishment.
In essence, Noonan is Mr. Inside in Cook County Democratic circles while Botterman is Mr. Outside.
What they share is a nuts-and bolts knowledge of winning elections, knowledge that each gained while working in the trenches.
(h/t YDD at Illinoize, I couldn't find that Brown column online at the Sun-Times site anymore)
Please consider adding your contribution to honor Pat. $5 to $50 to $250... or more, it all helps!
Earlier posts in this series...
Friends' posts supporting this donor drive...
(c/p at Illinois Reason)