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* From a column I wrote in October of last year…
The Anti-Harassment, Equality and Access panel set up by the Democratic Party earlier this year released its final recommendations last week. […]
The panel’s report included “paraphrased comments” from participants of the listening sessions like this: “Expecting campaigns or parties to handle harassment internally during a campaign may be unrealistic because everyone, including the victims of harassment, is trying to win the election. This desire to win may be a deterrent to reporting because victims may worry it would hurt the campaign.”
I think that’s why House Republican Leader Jim Durkin’s recent decision to abandon Rep. Jerry Long’s (R-Streator) re-election campaign was so important and so underappreciated by the media and other political observers.
Durkin has said that his best hope in a year like this is to focus lots of resources on picking up and/or holding on to Downstate seats. Long’s Downstate seat was once in Democratic hands, but pro-Trump, anti-Madigan sentiment helped propel him into the General Assembly two years ago.
Yet when a campaign worker reported allegations of harassment, Durkin ordered an outside investigation and then publicly walked away from the candidate. There was no attempt to sweep it under the rug until after the election, which is pretty much what you’d expect in other times.
What Durkin clearly demonstrated by abandoning Long’s campaign is that some things have to be more important than winning. That’s an all-too-rare concept in politics.
It was also prudent in the long term. Covering up the Long situation could’ve seriously endangered his leadership position if the truth emerged.
However you look at it, this was absolutely the right move by Durkin and it took guts, particularly since some House members on his far-right flank are still not condemning Long and the state’s leading newspaper editorial boards have remained silent.
* The Tribune endorsement in that district last October…
76th District: We had high hopes for Rep. Jerry Lee Long, R-Streator, when he took this seat in 2016. A pro-union Republican, his win helped erode Speaker Michael Madigan’s supermajority in the House. But GOP officials withdrew their support after a colleague accused Long of inappropriate behavior. He has admitted he touched the neck of an associate who was complaining of a headache. A third-party investigator hired by the GOP prepared a report damaging enough that prominent Republicans called for him to resign. We don’t know enough to make a determination. But Long stayed in the race and insists the party abandoned him over a minor misunderstanding. His opponent, Democrat Lance Yednock of Ottawa, is an engineer with International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. We fear he would be yet another voice in Springfield promoting anti-business policies and pitting rank-and-file taxpayers against union interests. No endorsement.
“We don’t know enough to make a determination.” The House Republican Leader walked away from a candidate in an all-important swing district and yet the Trib took a pass.
* The Tribune editorial today…
The only silver lining to be extracted from yet another report outlining sexual harassment in Springfield is the potential for further reform. When lawmakers return to the Capitol this month for the fall veto session — their first gathering following two investigations into House Speaker Michael Madigan’s operations — will things be different?
The latest report on sexual harassment, released Wednesday from the office of Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope, largely mirrors the findings of an August report from an outside attorney who examined the speaker’s government and political offices. Both reports concluded that top Madigan lieutenants perpetuated a work environment of harassment and bullying. Madigan, by his own admission, didn’t do enough to stop it. Women got fed up.
Let’s emphasize that point: Women involved in state government came forward as whistleblowers. At great personal and professional risk, they joined the #MeToo movement that swept across the nation. They outed powerful people. If change comes to Springfield with a zero tolerance policy on harassment, and a culture shift from the often-sleazy culture of inappropriate behavior, the credit will belong to them. […]
On the Republican side of the aisle, two lawmakers — Nick Sauer and Jerry Lee Long — faced ouster following accusations of harassmentlike conduct involving women.
“Harrassmentlike conduct”? Sauer was indicted for 12 felonies. Long justifiably lost his reelection by 10 points in a district President Trump won by close to 10, no thanks to the Tribune.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 4, 19 @ 11:25 am
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That “harassmentlike behavior” line is so insane. It’s like the Trib tries to parody itself on a daily basis lately.
Comment by Driving a car Friday, Oct 4, 19 @ 11:49 am
Not that they care, but their identification of Madigan’s “chief political strategist” is hilarious.
Also, inspectors general don’t find people “guilty.” That’s a determination for a court to make. IGs investigate and provide findings.
It may be Tribune Publishing again, but it’s still tronc to me.
Comment by Moe Berg Friday, Oct 4, 19 @ 11:55 am
” women taking action”
Hardly. By all accounts this thing was going on for years. There are senior female legislators on both sides of the aisle that could have had a discussion with the then female attorney general.
It was a fairly low-level person who started the ball rolling.
Comment by Fav human Friday, Oct 4, 19 @ 11:55 am
Props to Leader Durkin and Joe Woodward.
Shame on the Tribune editorial board. They don’t even have enough courage to call out Republicans after the fact.
Comment by Juvenal Friday, Oct 4, 19 @ 11:57 am
Durkin is a good guy. I admire him for a lot of things.
Comment by Soccermom Friday, Oct 4, 19 @ 1:07 pm
Definitely, congratulations to Durkin for demonstrating leadership on this issue. And another round of raspberries to the Trib’s edit page for its persistent, willful peddling of myopic nonsense.
Comment by Linus Friday, Oct 4, 19 @ 1:50 pm
I prefer the much more tweetable “harrassy” or “harrassish.”
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Oct 4, 19 @ 3:53 pm