Alexi Giannoulias (photo:phantis.com)
The Sun Times reported Thursday that U.S. Senate candidate and current IL Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said he favors legalization of same-sex marriage and, if elected, would seek to repeal a federal law that defines marriage as being between one man and one woman. In the interview, Giannoulias went on to say that individual states should be able to decide for themselves whether they allow same-sex couples to marry, but that all states should be required to afford legal recognition to same-sex marriages performed in states where thy are sanctioned.
Giannoulias would also vote to repeal the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.
Since IL Attorney General Lisa Madigan opted out, Giannoulias has become the democrat’s front runner for the U.S. Senate seat once held by Barack Obama. His support for same-sex marriages and the like are typical northern democrats running for statewide office. In fact, as nationwide statistics show roughly half the country now supports same sex marriage rights and support likely to be higher in Illinois, Giannoulias cannot as a democrat over look this important issue.
So why is Giannoulias’ statement yesterday noteworthy? Read more…
David Hoffman (photo:CityClub)
Hot Senate Race: The Basketball Buddy, the Reformer and the Scarlet Letter | Chicago Daily Observer:
By Don Rose
The race for President Obama’s former senate seat suddenly got interesting.
Chris, the low-profile Kennedy, decided not to enter the Democratic primary. That made it look like a cinch for State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, whose only serious opposition would then be Cheryle Jackson, head of the Chicago Urban League, who—as former spokesperson for former governor Rod Blagojevich—wears the Scarlet B on her forehead.
All of a sudden, in jumps David Hoffman, Chicago’s inspector general, who spent the past four years shining lights on rats’ nests of corruption in city government—much to the chagrin of Richard M. Daley, who appointed him to the job but did not expect him to actually do it.
Hoffman, a former federal prosecutor, had the further audacity to condemn Daley’s privatization of city parking meters, which causes endless headaches for drivers, the private company and the mayor himself. It’s one of the rare scandals to hit Daley hard and personally. Hoffman twisted the knife by pointing out that the mayor did not get the best possible price. Read more…
Alexi Giannoullias
Illinois Treasurer and U.S. Senate hopeful Alexi Giannoulias isn’t having the best of summers. It all started back in May when fellow Democrat and IL Attorney General was invited (publicly, I may add) to the White House not only to meet with President Obama but also be personally lobbied by him and his campaign team to run against Giannoulias for the Senate seat once held by Obama. Giannoulias, once a basketball buddy of President Obama, was already several months into an exploratory campaign for the seat and was widely expected to be the apparent Democrat nominee.
At the same time Giannoulias was announcing his successful effort to raise a respectable $3 million for his Senate bid, several democrats, including RFK’s son Christopher Kennedy, were being courted to enter the raise to succeed Senator Roland Burris, who has declined to seek (re)election.
Today, veteran political reporter Lynn Sweet reported David Hoffman, Inspector General for the City of Chicago was teaming with AKPD, the now legendary political consulting company once run by Obama confidant David Axelrod, to challenge Giannoulias in the democratic primary. The firm was poised to represent Kennedy had he jumped in the race.
David Hoffman
Hoffman has at times been a critic of Mayor Daley’s administration and most recently issued a damning report of the City’s parking meter sale. More on Hoffman can be found here.
Giannoulias is likely to face criticism for his handling of the State’s finances as IL Treasurer and for suspect business deals as a loan officer at Broadway Bank, owned by his family. The race his also being sought by republican Congressman Mark Kirk of Lake County.
