Politics is the art of the possible and this is one possibility the President and his supporters just can’t let happen. Debbie Halvorson’s a Dem and avid past Obama supporter running for Jessie Jackson, Jr.’s House seat in the gun-free utopia of Chicago (500+ murders in 2012). She’s a former state senator and was a congresscritter for Illinois’ 11th from ’09 to ’11. But despite her past support for the President, there’s a fly in this Mrs. Smith Goes Back to Washington story. Halvorson’s pro-2A and carries an NRA A rating. And she’s said in no uncertain terms that she opposes an assault weapons ban and magazine capacity limits because they won’t do a damed thing to reduce crime. So in a crowded primary field, it was an easy decision for the Civilian Disarmer-in-Chief to toss her under the wheels of the Presidential bus in favor of another, more compliant candidate . . .
And BHO’s pulling out all the stops to keep make sure the left side of the House doesn’t get another pro-gun rights vote. In addition to Michael Bloomberg and MAIG attacking Halvorson and pouring money into the race to oppose her, anyone who’s anyone in Illinois Dem politics has the long knives out for her and is supporting Cook County Administrator Robin Kelly instead.
As thehill.com reports, people like one-time Halvorson supporter and contributor Rep. Jan Schakowsky are piling on:
“After the State of the Union address (on Tuesday) it’s hard to say gun violence prevention isn’t a top priority for our country, and certainly for the president, who’s engaged in this issue,” Schakowsky said. “Robin Kelly has been a leader on this issue from day one.”
…
Schakowsky stressed that she was speaking for herself, not for Obama or the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
“This is something I’ve done on my own. But it is true at the same time that Robin Kelly and Barack Obama are on the same page when it comes to ending gun violence,” Schakowsky said.
Of course Schakowsky’s acting strictly on her own in opposing Halvorson. The fact that Dicky Durban, David Axelrod and the Godfather are also either attacking or conspicuously sitting this one out is just a happy coincidence.
With a large field of candidates, though, not everyone’s counting Halvorson out.
“If all the candidates stay in that are in, Halvorson still has a shot because the African-American vote is going to be split, to be blunt, and there will be higher turnout in the suburbs,” said Roosevelt University Professor Paul Green, a former Chicago alderman.
All of which may be true, but this is Chicago. Where the fix is always in. Halvorson, the one-time frontrunner for the nomination (and thus, the seat) may be fighting on gamely, but the powers that be have decided Kelly’s the anointed one. Halvorson has as much chance of winning that election as we have of seeing a photo of President Obama shooting a gun. Oh. Wait.