17th CD: HARE AND SCHWIEBERT, FUNNY NAME DIVISION

In addition to a quad cities address these guys share political funny names. In a district with this many newspapers, how many headline writers will resist using some combination of words which recognize that "Hare" means "Rabbit"? If Phil gets elected and dawdles on some legislation, you can just about bet that someone will ask in an opinion piece whethere hes "A Tortouise or a Hare?" If he casts a bad vote, somebody's gonna call it "Hare-brained" Has nothing to do with anything but it's a funny name for a politician.

So far as I know, Schwiebert's name doesn't mean anything. It just sounds like something Ollie Keebler would bake. Kid comes home from school and has a glass of milk and some Schwieberts.

In all seriousness, these guys gave good speeches. They played the hand they were dealt. Phil emphasized his old line democrat views and his earthy, common man background. He traded the fact Lane's staff would stay and work for him. For those of you have been in another solar system for the last 24 years. Lane Evans' constituent service team is the standard against which all other legislators are measured. Phil punched out his issues, hard core dem., right down the line. He also got his Rock Island Arsenal Ticket punched nicely. For the folks who say Phil is too "Lumpy" to be a congressman, he dressed up very nicely. He is also the only one who worked the door like a true, retail politician. If I could offer once criticism, Phil was very impatient looking while the other speakers were speaking. I don't think he meant to to it, but he kind of rolled his head around and looked at the clock, fidgeting in his chair. One could take from his behavior and attitude of "I shouldn't have to be going through this process."

Still, all told, a good performance by a solid, old-line democrat.

Schwiebert was a new experience for me. I knew nothing about him. A gifted speaker, he also played the hand he was dealt. He gets people to work together. He's electable. He's progressive. Whatever else he is, he's one of those rare people who speak in continuous, beautifully crafted sentences without pauses, jerks, coughs or even changes of expression. His speaking style is a little aristocratic but, like Governor Adlai Stevenson, he speaks coherently, sensibly and thoughtful. With three RI County Candidates, he is operating in the OK Corral but the Mayor showed himself to be a worthy candidate. He would never embarass us on the stump.

So, that's the end of week one on the Speaker's derby circuit. Tomorrow is round two. Look for Sullivan to turn up the heat. Look for Adams County Dems to press Mellon to find another project. Look for Hare and Boland to Press forward and for Schwiebert to continue casually.

Looking at the law, it is my belief that Don Johnston's initial ruling that appointed committeemen will not be able to vote CANNOT STAND. OTOH, I believe that whether to allow proxy voting and mail-in voting are going to be the province of the Chair, so they can be whatever Don wants them to be. He'll have his lawyer sit down with him and get it right before it's over. BTW, he did a beautiful job of playing it right down the middle last week.

Great spectator sport.