by Mike Dorning
Chicago's newest congressman, Democrat Mike Quigley, was sworn into office a few minutes ago offering a nod to the profane, take-no-prisoners persona of his predecessor, Rahm Emanuel, now White House chief of staff.
"You may find that Congressman Emanuel and I have different styles, perhaps a slightly different vocabulary," Quigley, said to his new colleagues, drawing a burst of laughter and applause during a speech delivered on the U.S. House floor immediately after he took the oath.
Emanuel, who was standing in the back of the chamber, acknowledged the recognition with a smile and a wave.
"But though we are different in manner, Rahm and I share the same commitment--to fight for working families, to fight for health care, to protect the environment, and of course, to help our new president make good on the promise of fundamental change," Quigley continued.
Quigley was elected to represent Northwest Chicago's 5th Congressional District in a special election on April 7 after Emanuel resigned the seat to take his position on the White House staff.
The district has a history of producing high-powered Democratic leaders: before Emanuel, the seat was represented by Rep. Rod Blagojevich, who went on to become Illinois governor and has now been indicted on corruption charges, and former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan Rostenkowski, a storied baron of Congress whose career also ended with federal corruption charges, on which he was ultimately convicted.
In apparent reference to the corruption charges now swirling around Blagojevich, Quigley vowed to use his seat to fight for reform.
"You all know that trust is hard to come by these days," Quigley said. "The people in my district have given me their trust."
Comments
Sounds like he is going to a Obama Rubber stamp and not a mind of his own.
Posted by: Inky | April 21, 2009 8:17 PM
We'll see how long it takes this democrat from the 5th Congressional District of Illinois to become corrupt like his democratic predecesors: Rahmbo Deadfish, Blago, and Rostinkowski.
The voters in this district remind of Kevin Bacon in Animal House - "Thank You Sir, May I have another"
Posted by: Terry | April 21, 2009 9:14 PM
In the interest of being accurate, Chairman Rostenkowski was not convicted. He pled to two counts of mail fraud, served 17 months and was pardoned by President Clinton.
Posted by: martin | April 21, 2009 10:01 PM
I sort of miss ole Rosty.
He was a Falstaffian trencherman at the public trough.
Someone managed to get multiple kidney transplants while others died on the waiting list. (Or may be it was multiple liver transplants.) The press never looked into that.
Seniors attacked his limo after he too cavilierly tossed off some remarks about cutting their social security.
But, as Gertrude Stein might say, a conviction is a conviction is a conviction, whether it is by plea of guilty or verdict after trial.
Unlike his successors, however, he genuinely cared about his constituents--most of the time.
Posted by: ornery | April 22, 2009 12:47 AM
Inky, you got that right. The corrupt party that runs the state of Il. sends another fine Dem. to represent the Democrats in Congress and I fear not the fine people of Illinois or our nation. However, they are really bringing home the borrowed bacon dollars.
Posted by: bubba Porter | April 22, 2009 7:13 AM
We'll see how long it takes this democrat from the 5th Congressional District of Illinois to become corrupt like his democratic predecesors: Rahmbo Deadfish, Blago, and Rostinkowski.
The voters in this district remind of Kevin Bacon in Animal House - "Thank You Sir, May I have another"
Posted by: Terry | April 21, 2009 9:14 PM
Wont take long if he sides up to Obama.
Posted by: Inky | April 22, 2009 7:24 AM
"Sounds like he is going to a Obama Rubber stamp and not a mind of his own."
Posted by: Inky | April 21, 2009 8:17 PM
And how is that different from all of the Republican Congressmen who rubber-stamped Bush's budgets every year to keep up our occupation of Iraq?
Posted by: BC | April 22, 2009 10:59 AM
The corrupt party that runs the state of Il. sends another fine Dem. to represent the Democrats in Congress and I fear not the fine people of Illinois or our nation. However, they are really bringing home the borrowed bacon dollars.
Posted by: bubba Porter | April 22, 2009 7:13 AM
That sounds like the nonsense spam email I got this morning, trying to sell me something to enlarge an appendage I don't possess. Do you write those too?
Posted by: Cheryl | April 22, 2009 1:05 PM
Inky,
I doubt if there is enough room to cuddle up with BO since he already has Ortega, HUgo, Fiedl, Raul, and Akkkkmenajan.
Posted by: Terry | April 22, 2009 10:18 PM