Politics: December 2007 Archives

While the national media continues to be mesmerized by the frozen cornfields of Iowa and has yet to jump into the frozen puddles of New Hampshire, real political junkies are tallying up delegate votes. After all, that's what gets a presidential candidate nominated to carry his or her party's banner come November 2008.

Sort of odd, The Hound thinks, that Congressman Mark Kirk has endorsed Arizona Sen. John McCain for president, but voted against banning waterboarding by U.S. intelligence agencies. McCain believes torture and prisoner abuse "are not American tools, and the easy way is not the American way."

By today we will have learned who has won the New Hampshire primary, the first true electoral test of the 2008 presidential campaign. Of course, the Iowa caucuses will be held Jan. 3. Despite candidates cruising in these two tiny states, do they really matter?

The body politic, or at least potential voters, are mighty ticked at state Rep. Eddie Washington for wanting to change the name of the Amstutz Expressway. Poor Melvin E. Amstutz, caught in the middle of a political donnybrook.

There is a certain contingent hoping for a matchup next November in the 8th Congressional District between incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean of Barrington and GOP hopeful Kirk Morris of Gurnee. That's because Morris supports the Bush strategy in Iraq and Bean backs a phased redeployment plan.