NTD NEWS
October 25, 2017
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 This week,
started off with two Republican senators, Bob  Corker and Jeff Flake, condemning the leader of their political party, President Donald Trump, for his incessantly un-presidential conduct. To me, their protests were long overdue.
Sure, I know we've heard such criticism before. But it  has pretty much all come from Democrats. (The exception would be Senator John McCain, who loathes Trump in general.) The White House and Republican leaders chalked up those past criticisms to party politics. However, this time the criticism was from Republicans, U.S. Senators no less.
So, is this the start of something big? Will a growing number of Republican Congress-members join in a public censure of Trump's behavior? I wouldn't hold my breath. The two Senators who were so outspoken have also said they aren't running for reelection. - So much for political bravery.
I suppose more Republican legislators could speak out  if Trump were to become even more outrageous in his actions. Like if he started a name-calling Twitter attack against Pope Francis, or even more shockingly, Rush Limbaugh. Then Trump's Republican voter base might start to doubt.
Yes, it's enjoyable for us liberals to see Donald Trump called out for being the ignorant fool that his is. But it's naive to think  criticism is going to change him. A hefty portion of Republican voters still view Trump's willful ignorance as an admirable quality. The style of a maverick challenging the establishment's 240-year history of presidential  decorum. And beyond all that, we know his impulse control is virtually nonexistent. After 10 months of President Trump's embarrassing behavior, it seems the only way to restrain him would be to lock him in the oval office trussed up like Hannibal Lecter.
So I've concluded that spending more than a minute or two savoring news items about Trump's latest mouthy missteps is a waste of time. It's true that continually reminding the American people that the President's actions are aberrant is a good thing. We should do everything we can to make sure we don't slide into thinking that Donald Trump's juvenile behavior is the acceptable norm for every future president. This appears to be one of the concerns of Senators Corker and Flake as they spoke of the impression Trump is making on the younger generation.
But beyond that noble goal, I'm afraid that continuing to treat Donald Trump's boorish actions as "headline news" is producing   a harmful distraction. And I suspect that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan are very pleased about it. Right now there is life-changing legislation being rushed through Congress that isn't getting nearly the public attention it deserves. There should be detailed discussions about it every day and evening in every newspaper, and every TV and radio news show. If "tax reform" legislation passes with the "reforms" being pushed by Mitch and Paul, America's middle class and its poor will see the distance between them and wealthiest 1% of American citizens start to resemble the days of European royalty.
For instance, the complete obliteration of inheritance tax (now less than 1% of the federal government's income, but still about $20-billion annually) will create even more generational wealth for a fortunate few Americans, solidifying even more leverage for affecting our elections for decades to come. And what reasonable person can buy into the idea that the Republican's promise to lower taxes (an especially nice reward for the top tax bracket) while increasing military spending and the cost of building a gigantic border wall will not result in a further shredding the social safety net. The results of this tax "reform" will not be pretty.
We can, however, hold on to hope that our Congressional Democrats working with a small number of fiscally responsible Republicans, may be able to keep the worst measure of this "reform" from becoming law.
The more informed we are about this issue, the better chance we'll have to influence the bill's outcome. And if we don't succeed, we will at least have some clear arguments for throwing rubber stamp Republicans like Peter Roskam out of the U.S. House in 2018.
So don't let Donald Trump's bizarre behavior distract you from what's really important. It's true, his loose language can sometimes be dangerous but while he distracts us, the laws being pursued every day by the Republicans in Congress are much scarier.
Nels Howard
NTDO member since 1973
Are your NTD annual dues up to date? You can only vote at endorsement meetings if you're paid up.
Check with the NTD office if you're not sure when your "annual dues date" is.
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To renew your NTD membership or to become an official member of the New Trier Dems for the first time,
visit our
NTDO website. You'll see information on all your membership options.
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Other events of interest:
This Saturday, Oct. 28 in Glenview -
The Democrats of Northfield Township Fundraiser Luncheon
with U.S. Reps. Schakowsky and Schneider.
 
Saturday, October 28, from 12:00 noon - 2:00pm
Where:
The Glen Club, 2901 W. Lake Ave., Glenview
What:
The Democrats of Northfield Township hold their annual Fundraiser Luncheon featuring remarks from Congressional Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Brad Schneider; and Resistance Recognition Honorees Action for a Better Tomorrow - Northern Suburbs, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, United Advocacy, and Northbrook Working Families Coalition.
Luncheon proceeds support field efforts to keep Northfield Township blue and our primary and general election Township mailings.
This Sunday, October 29 in Glencoe -
A reception for Daniel Biss
When:
Sunday, October 29, from 4:30 - 6:00pm
Where: Address provided upon RSVP
What: You are invited to a reception for Daniel Biss, a Democratic candidate for Governor of Illinois.
For more information or to RSVP, email Lauren Krupp at [email protected] or call 773-372-6488.
Sunday, November 5 in Skokie - The Indo-American Democratic Organization Annual Banquet
When: Sunday, November 5, at 5:30pm
Where: Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore, 5300 Touhy Ave., Skokie
What
: Indo-American Democratic Organization Annual Banquet "This Is What Democracy Looks Like!"
More information to follow.
Thursday, November 2 in Chicago - A Personal PAC Reception for Pro-choice Leaders.
When: Thursday, November 2, from 6:00 - 7:30pm
Where: Weinberg/Newton Gallery, Suite 203, 300 W. Superior St.
What: Personal PAC hosts a reception for State Representatives Michelle Mussman (D-56), Sam Yingling (D-62), Deb Conroy (D-46), John Connor (D-85), Marty Moylan (D-55), and Jonathan Carroll (D-57).
Monday, November 6 in Chicago -
The EMILY'S List Ignite Change Chicago Luncheon
When: Monday, November 6,
10:00am Political Briefing;
11:00am Host & Sponsor Reception;
12:00pm Luncheon & Panel Discussion
Where
: JW Marriott Chicago, 151 W. Adams St., Chicago
What
: EMILY's List, the nation's largest resource for women in politics, holds its Chicago luncheon, Incite Change. Featured guests include President Stephanie Schriock; Congresswoman Jacky Rosen (D-NV), candidate for U.S. Senate; Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams; Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx; Philadelphia City Councilwoman Helen Gym, and Colorado gubernatorial candidate Cary Kennedy.
Carpools may be available from the North Shore - call Lauren Beth Gash at 847-266-VOTE (8683).
Tuesday, November 14 in Evanston -- Rep. Robyn Gabel's Annual Fall Recption.
 When: Tuesday, November 14, from 5:30 - 7:00pm
Where: Curt's Café, 1813 Dempster St., Evanston
What: A fundraiser supporting State Representative Robyn Gabel (D-18).
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Here is a list of the local and statewide Democratic candidates seeking your vote in the 2018 Primary Election. You have several months to get acquainted with the positions and qualifications before the Democratic Primary this spring and the NTDO Endorsement Meeting in January.
Because some web browsers will not accept e-mailings with a large number of Internet links, they have been erased from this candidate list.
To see all the available links, visit our NTDO website at ntdo.org. (If it isn't posted tonight, it should be soon.)
Governor:
Chris Kennedy
JB Pritzger representative-Andrew Pryzbylo, Mayor of Niles
Bob Daiber
Teo Hardiman
Robert Marshal
Alex Paterakis
Daniel Biss, State Senator 9th District
Illinois Attorney General:
Jesse Ruiz, Board of Commisioners, Park District
Kwame Raoul, IL State Senator13th District
Nancy Rotering, Mayor of Highland Park
Aaron Goldstein, 33rd Ward Committeeman
Scott Drury, IL State Rep, 58th District
Renato Mariotti
Illinois State Representative -
17th District:
Candace Chow
Alexandra Eidenberg
Mary Rita Luecke
Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
58th District:
Bob Morgan
6th District:
Carol Cheney
Cook County Assessor:
Frederick (Fritz) Kaegi
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Your Legislators:
 Democratic Legislators
who represent New Trier Township in
Washington, Springfield and Cook County
You'll be hearing a lot from these exceptional public servants. --
And they want to be hearing a lot from you.
The fact is, they need to hear from you and want to hear from you in order to represent you most effectively. So, the first thing you can do is get to know who these people are. The links below to their campaign websites are a good place to start.
Jan Schakowsky
, 9th U.S. Congressional District Representative
and Chief Deputy House Democratic Whip. The new Ninth District boundaries include all of New Trier except for Glencoe.
Brad Schneider
, 10th U.S. Congressional District Representative which includes a number of precincts in Glencoe.
Daniel Biss,
State Senator for Illinois' 9th State Senate District.The Ninth District includes all of New Trier Township.
Julie Morrison, State Senator for Illinois' 29th State Senate District. The district includes New Trier's northernmost precincts.
Robyn Gabel,
IL 18th District State Representative. The 18th District includes much of New Trier up to Hazel Avenue and Dundee Road.
Laura Fine
, IL 17th District State Representative.
The 17th District includes the East Glenview and West Wilmette areas of New Trier Township.
Scott Drury
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IL 58th District State Representative.
The 58th District includes the northernmost precincts in Glencoe.
Larry Suffredin, Cook County 13th District Commissioner. The 13th District includes all of New Trier, Evanston and Niles Townships.
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Have you visited Senator Biss' website "The Road Back" --
click on the link to his video -- then, throughout the year follow his plan's development on the website.
Daniel explains a lot about how Illinois got where it is today and how we can begin the journey on the road back toward achieving our state's tremendous economic potential.
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| Dear Fellow Democrats, If you are not already an NTDO member, and enjoy our Newsletter, we hope you consider joining us as a dues-paying member. NTDO is a not-for-profit political action organization. We depend on our membership dues to support our Democratic causes and candidates. There are two options for dues payments: by check or credit card. By Check: Make check payable to NTDO and mail to our office: NTDO 800 Oak St., Suite 112 Winnetka, IL 60093 OR By Credit Card: visit our website by clicking here Click on the "Join/Contribute" button
Find the link for "contribute with ActBlue"
or go directly to ActBlue by clicking here.
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Still not a member of the New Trier Dems? Your participation in grassroots political action will make a difference. -- Come join us.
 When you're a member of the New Trier Democratic Organization, you have an active role in affecting the political process; participating in grassroots campaigns, staying in touch with elected officials, playing a role in deciding which candidates are endorsed. You'll also gain free admission to select forums and events throughout the year.
Come be a part of New Trier's grassroots political community.
About Us:
The New Trier Democratic Organization is made up of hundreds of grassroots volunteers dedicated to advancing progressive ideals through the political process. We welcome your participation.
Sincerely,
Dean T. Maragos, Committeeman New Trier Township
We are located at 800 Oak Street, Suite 112, in Winnetka, IL. Ph: 847-446-8030
*This Internet communication paid for by the New Trier Democratic Organization and not authorized by any federal or state candidate or campaign committee. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is available for purchase from the State Board of Elections in Springfield, Illinois.
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