News

Bernard Schoenburg: Lawyer eyes Shmkus seat

Posted August 17, 2007 11:00 pm

Bernard Schoenburg

Springfield lawyer Joe McMenamin, 54, is considering a run for the Democratic nomination to take on U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, in the 19th Congressional District.

"I'm testing the waters, exploring the options," McMenamin said. "The country's ready for a new direction, and that's the bottom line."

McMenamin is in the Illinois National Guard and served 15 months in Afghanistan in 2004 and 2005 working in the Army's judge advocate corps. He's also had shorter stints in other countries.

He's not sought a partisan office before, but did run for Springfield Ward 10 alderman in 1995, getting 49.28 percent of the vote in a close but losing match with Bruce Strom.

McMenamin also spent a year, ending this spring, as general counsel of the state Department of Veterans Affairs.

"It was a great job," he said of the $82,500-a-year post. "I enjoyed working for (Director) Tammy Duckworth." But he said he left for a "combination of factors," including exploring a possible run for Congress.

McMenamin has been laying the groundwork in an interesting way. He said he's been in touch not only with 10 Democratic county chairmen in the district, but also with several Democratic candidates who ran against Shimkus for Congress.

They include lawyers RICK VERTICCHIO and JEFF COOPER; U.S. Sen. DICK DURBIN, D-Ill.; state Rep. JAY HOFFMAN, D-Collinsville; former U.S. Rep. DAVID PHELPS; TIM BAGWELL; and last year's candidate, DANNY STOVER.

"So far, the response has been very positive," McMenamin said. "A number of people have indicated they want to support an effort."

McMenamin said he was raised in a Democratic family and considers himself an "increasingly strong Democrat - stronger than I've ever been." He says a reason for that is "the last seven years."

Sangamon County Democratic Chairman TIM TIMONEY said that, as another Springfield lawyer, he's known McMenamin for years, including a time McMenamin was a precinct committeeman.

"He's always been active in the community and in the Democratic Party," Timoney said. "I think he would really attract some of the vote away from Shimkus' base with his military background. And I think he'd be a fine candidate if he decides to run."

Timoney said he thinks there is at least one other potential Democratic candidate, but he hasn't yet met that person.

Timoney also said he knows McMenamin lives in the 18th Congressional District - not the 19th. Springfield has parts of both of those districts, as well as the 17th. The law allows anyone living in Illinois to run in any of the state's U.S. House districts, though it has become a political issue used against some candidates if they live outside - even just outside - the districts in which they are running.

Subhead

Some jokes work, and some jokes don't.

I think it's safe to say that JIM NALEPA of Hinsdale, who is considering a run against Durbin in 2008, told one that didn't quite work last week as members of the Republican State Central Committee and Illinois Republican County Chairmen's Association gathered at a hotel to start off Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to take this opportunity and hush the crowd a bit, and like to take a moment of silence in remembrance of a great American. Dear Lord, please watch over your humble servant whose memory we honor today. He brought a lot to this great nation, and mourn your loss, along with our governor, Roderick (sic) Blagojevich, whose idol you are, Elvis Aaron Presley, on (the) 30th anniversary of your death."

I would say kind of a shocked silence ensued.

"Well, I thought I was going to get a laugh out of that one," he said - and at least people chuckled at that line.

"I'm a far better political speaker than I am a joke teller," he said later, "and I would rather have the former than the latter."

In his prepared remarks about Durbin, Nalepa, who twice ran for Congress in the 1990s against then-U.S. Rep. BILL LIPINSKI, D-Chicago, took a distinctly tougher tone. He called the Springfield Democrat "a politician who revels in the cheap shot" and "who has become a national embarrassment."

"Senator Durbin wants to provide scholarships to illegal aliens and send them to our colleges. I want to build the fence and secure our borders," Nalepa said. "Senator Durbin compares men and women at Guantanamo to Nazis, and I call them heroes."

Nalepa said in an interview later that he does not condone torture or illegal acts by Americans. But he thinks Durbin's Senate floor comments in June 2005 comparing the treatment of some prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to that meted out by strong-arm regimes ended up "tarring our every single American man and woman in uniform with the same brush." And he found Durbin's apology "lukewarm at best."

Nalepa, 50, a West Point graduate who now runs an executive recruiting firm, also said he thinks Durbin is "a mouthpiece for the hard-core left."

Nalepa, who rose to captain and whose six years of active duty included three years in Germany, where he was with combat-oriented units, says he participated in the U.S. rescue mission in Grenada in 1983, where he was public affairs officer.

He said Lipinski, during campaigns, made light of that job - but shouldn't have.

"I don't want to characterize myself as the heroes that are in Iraq, but whether you're a cook or whether you're a mechanic, whenever you put on America's uniform and you're in a combat zone, you're in the line of fire," Nalepa said.

While Nalepa hasn't formally announced for the nomination, two announced candidates - ANDY MARTIN of Chicago and Dr. STEVE SAUERBERG of Willowbrook - also spoke. Sauerberg called Durbin "the most liberal and divisive senator in this nation."

MICHAEL DALY, spokesman for Durbin, said it's not yet time to respond to specific allegations from possible nominees.

"These people are running against one another, not Senator Durbin," Daly said. "When they're finished deciding who's going to run and who the nominee is, we'll have plenty of time for this debate."

Subhead

Former Mayor KAREN HASARA is a new trustee of the Springfield Mass Transit District.

The Sangamon County Board approved her appointment last week, acting on a recommendation from County Board Chairman ANDY VAN METER.

She replaces MIKE AIELLO, the CEO of R.W. Troxell & Co. insurance brokerage, who has been on the board for about 13 years and was its chairman for 10. FRANK SQUIRES recently became the chairman.

Van Meter said Aiello has offered his resignation four or five times in the past two years, but Van Meter asked him to stay through planning stages for a new multi-modal transportation hub and through naming of a new managing director. That job went to LINDA TISDALE, who has had a long career with SMTD.

A candidate for that job was former Sangamon County Board Chairman DICK AUSTIN, who has also run the federal General Services Administration. There's still a management position open at SMTD, but it's not certain if Austin will get that job.

There's been some talk that a possible Austin appointment was involved in Aiello's leaving the board, but Aiello said he would be supportive of Austin for the post, given the need to acquire federal funds for planned improvements.

"He knows his way around Washington," Aiello said.

Aiello also said he plans to continue his involvement in transit through his work with the local chamber of commerce. He did say his involvement on various boards is taking a lot of time.

Van Meter said Austin could bring "a wealth of skills and knowledge to the operation" as a former federal Cabinet-level officer and county board chairman. Van Meter also said he's been "trying to coax Karen out of retirement" to get involved.

Hasara said she's had a long interest in the Access Springfield program run by SMTD. It provides rides for people unable to use regular fixed-route service.

Others on the board, which pays $100 per meeting up to $400 per month, are BILLY EARL, the Rev. JERRY DOSS, CAROL JOYCE RODGERS, BRIAN BREWER and TERRY FAIRCLOUGH.

Subhead

So, back in the state fair Twilight Parade, just who was it that directed someone to hand out fliers in the crowd saying "Tell Dan Hynes to pay state workers!"

No good answer here. I did ask REBECCA RAUSCH, spokeswoman for the governor, if his office had anything to do with the flier or its distribution.

"Not that I'm aware," she said.

On a busy day at the Statehouse in the midst of budget wrangling, Blagojevich skipped the parade this year. Comptroller Hynes was in the parade.

Bernard Schoenburg is political columnist for The State Journal-Register. He can be reached at (217) 788-1540 or bernard.schoenburg@sj-r.com.

Article Categories
News