Chicago LGBT Pride Parade and Jewish Folk Festival Juxtaposed with Politics

Written by: Bob Rosenstein on Jun 16, 2008 12:27 AM EDT

1. Today I attended the Jewish Folk Festival in Morton Grove Cook County Forest  Preserve District. I was delighted to encounter the exhibit set up  by the Dan Seals for Congress Campaign in IL 10th Congressional District. To my knowledge, the race between Dan Seals and incumbent Republican Mark Kirk is now viewed as a tossup.  Kirk over the years has attempted to wrap himself in the Israeli flag and present himself as Israel's best friend in Congress. Rep. Kirk has considerable support within the local Jewish Community and with the  leadership of the Jewish Federation because of his ability to represent himself as a cheerleader for Israel. The presence of Dan Seal's campaign organization at the Folk Festival indicate to me candidate Seals is making a determined effort to indicated that the policies Congressman Kirk has supported on initiating the Iraq War, and  following up today with surge tactics repudiated last year by the bipartisan Baker/Hamilton Commission are harmful to Israel's security in the region.

Today,so many Jewish voters in IL10th and else where think Israel first and then consider all other issues.  So contesting the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice/Lieberman/Kirk policies on stampeding the country into war with Iraq  and cheerleading for the surge tactics now in place there,seems like sound political strategy. I understand further that Kirk is presenting to the Jewish Community in IL 10th a message that  the American  military presence in Iraq is a godsend for Israel's security in the region. Hopefully, the Seals Campaign will contest vigorously this misguided statement.

Incidentally, I am proud Northside DFA is supporting with vigor the Seals campaign in IL10th.

2. I found this notice on the most recent e-mail received from IL Tenth Dems

Sunday, June 29, 11:30 a.m., at Belmont Avenue and Halsted Street in Chicago. Join the LGBT community as it shows its support for Senator Barack Obama and other Democratic candidates. Call us at 847.266.VOTE or email volunteers@tenthdems.org for more information.

Hopefully, members of NorthSide DFA will join "brothers and sisters" from  IL 10th Dems in marching to pay tribute to inclusiveness,diversity, and equality of opportunity in America.

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