Illinois Dems shouldn’t be too cocky

Bill Knight column for 10-3, 4 or 5, 2019

The Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) event before the State Fair’s Governor’s Day this summer still echoes through Democrats’ rank and file – almost as much as Washington’s talk of impeachment and 2020 White House possibilities.

But overconfidence is foolish.

(See “Clinton, Hillary: 2016.”)

The Aug. 14 brunch served a menu that was part reflection and part rally, appreciating recent accomplishments and planning for more in Illinois and nationally. However, it came during and before a series of potential setbacks. Starting with the indictment of Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, Cook County Democrats are reeling from a possible rogues’ gallery of figures who must be subjects of a social-media campaign by some GOP consultant claiming political wrongdoing.

Other Chicago officials seemingly swept up in federal probes include Alderwoman Carrie Austin and ex-Aldermen Danny Solis and Mike Zalewski; suburban officials Christopher Getty and Jeff Tobolski last month had offices searched by federal agents; and in Springfield, offices of State Sen. Martin Sandoval have been raided by federal investigators, and State Sen. Thomas Cullerton was indicted in August.

That same month, the IDCCA welcomed U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi to keynote the gathering at Springfield’s Crowne Plaza ballroom, where she noted that it took place on the 84th anniversary of the signing of the Social Security Act –  an example, she said, of the “vitality of the Democratic Party – persistent, bold experimentation.”

Top Democrats celebrated progress made in 2018’s election and legislative action since.

Illinois’ congressional delegation now has a 13-5 advantage over Republicans after last year’s mid-term victories by Sean Casten of Downers Grove and Lauren Underwood of Naperville because voters “had enough of blaming working families and labor unions,” explained IDCCA president Kristina Zahorik, who compared former GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner and President Trump: “We took out one bad leader, and we are ready to take out another.”

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin remarked, “Donald Trump has finally found his wall – a ‘Wall of Nancy’ ” –

weeks before whistleblower revelations about the President’s apparent solicitation of campaign help from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Former Congressman Glenn Poshard of southern Illinois asked, “Will we rise up to defend our democracy and elect a Democrat as the next President of the United States?”

President of the Illinois Senate John Cullerton – a distant cousin of Thomas Cullerton, indicted for lying about a health-care matter, plus a count of conspiracy to embezzle from a labor union (the Teamsters), and 39 counts of embezzlement from a union – commented, “We made a difference, and we’re just getting started. We’re up to the challenge.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker added, “Are you ready to fight for Illinois? Are you ready to fight for America?”

Then Pelosi – the California Democrat who became the first woman elected Speaker of the U.S. House now in her third term in that role – acknowledged Pritzker’s campaign slogan in urging the crowd of 2,100 to build on the momentum of 2018: “You think big. You get big things done.”

U.S. voters, she continued, should “catch the spark of Illinois, the spark of the heartland of America where our victory in 2020 will spring from.”

Democrats may catch that spark, but some hope no one else catches the weakness that a few politicians seem to have displayed when tempted by wealth and power. That may be less severe that what President Trump has exhibited, but it can be a contagious corruption that jeopardizes a basic element of voter support: trust.