By Ray Hanania
I was reading the slop that passes for “journalism” these days on the Patch, a web-based platform that just as often reports news as it engages in partisan political activity.
English: Chicagoland map (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The most recent attack is from Barbara Bellar, the Tea Party nut-job who got a free ride at the Tinley Park Patch. Bellar is challenging Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth “Liz” Gorman in the March 18 Republican Primary.
The Patch gave Bellar a self-serving bully pulpit to repeat a litany of distorted accusations against Gorman, who is by far one of the most responsible leaders of the Republican Party and a champion of the taxpayers.
Bellar’s invective drips with anger, hatred and lies against Gorman because, frankly, she has no idea about what the taxpayers of Cook County need or want. It’s all about getting herself into a position of authority.
Never mind for a moment that the Patch should be ashamed of itself for allowing Bellar to use the Patch as her own campaign platform. But worse is that Bellar, in her rundown of some of the most vicious and ignorant accusations ever published in Chicagoland regional politics, doesn’t have one idea on how to make Republicans and taxpayers stronger.
Professionally, the Patch should be ashamed of itself for throwing away its credibility and being used for a selfish political agenda.
Elizabeth Ann Doody Gorman (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
She’ll attack me, I’m sure, but at least I am upfront. I am a former journalist (many awards) and today I work as a media and political consultant, always upfront about who I work for. I don’t work for Gorman, though. I just happen to be believe she is one of the best elected officials in the Chicagoland suburbs, and a role model for what Republicans can be if they turned away from the fanatics and started to listen to what voters want, instead of to themselves.
Yet, I’d rather be aligned with Liz Gorman as a friend, than to be so tackily associated with a pathetic activist like Bellar, who based on her attack against Gorman doesn’t have one intelligent idea to help make the situation of taxpayers better. Not one idea in her rant that includes 16 of the most obnoxious, ridiculous assertions any political candidate can make about another candidate. Not one idea.
Gorman has fought for taxpayers. Her battle to stop and then rescind the Todd Stroger Sales Tax hike is legendary. Neither Bellar nor her Patch pal would know what the taxpayers need.
Bellar’s most obnoxious accusation is to falsely claim she was assaulted by Gerry Gorman, Liz Gorman’s husband. No, Bellar, a nut case who claims to have been a “Nun,”is lying because she has nothing else to say. Yes, Bellar filed a complaint that police totally ignored because it was so clear that it is untrue. It was so politically motivated, it was a waste of police manpower.
Bellar claims to be pro-Choice. For a self-proclaimed “Nun?” Wow. Bellar is a political activist from the lowest rungs of the political ladder, and only with the help of her whacky friends, she is trying to distract voters from her own past.
Click here to read Phil Kadner’s column on Bellar, which should pretty much tell you everything about Bellar. Kadner wrote:
“I wrote a column about Bellar during last fall’s election season because on her campaign literature and website she used the slogan there’s “Nun Better,” a reference to claims she made repeatedly in pubic that she had been a Catholic nun.
“But when I checked into her background, I discovered that Bellar had only been a postulant in the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago and could find no evidence that she ever took vows of fidelity and obedience.
“Bellar refused to answer my repeated inquiries about the discrepancy between her campaign claims and information provided by the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago.”
The real issue is why would the Patch run this false slop without checking it?
Most voters are smart enough to see past these kinds of cheap lies. For a Nun, Bellar can’t even come up with one positive thing to say that she would do if she were ever elected to public office. But she can’t because she has no ideas. All she can do is throw mud.
No one cares about Bellar’s religion. No one cares about Bellar’s vicious attacks. All the people care about is what will their elected officials do to ease the burden of taxes on their families. Gorman has done more for the taxpayers and suburbs than anyone.
Bellar says she wants to debate Gorman, but I would urge Gorman to ignore this nut job and continue to do what you are doing, working hard to champion the needs of the taxpayers. Bellar is a goof who has shamed the Tinley Patch. There’s nothing to debate. Bellar wants a debate obviously so she can repeat all of her stupid claims. And they are stupid.
Bellar proves that there is no contest in the race for the Cook County Board in the 17th District. Liz Gorman is the best candidate for the job and there is no doubt, based on the overwhelming support she has already received from voters, that she will earn another term.
(Ray Hanania is an award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and president is his own media and political consulting firm.)