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Letters Congrats to Best Editor: Congratulations on Kathleen Best's piece about Gene Callahan (see Illinois Issues, November 1994, page 17). It had enough "schmaltzy" stuff about him. I want to give you a vignette that says more about him than any bouquets I could toss — and believe me, I'd toss them. When Dan Walker beat Paul Simon in the primaries for governor, I was a strategist and advisor to Walker. Gene, of course, was the same for Paul Simon. Later, Alan Dixon hired me to work on his election campaign. Gene was his senior advisor. Gene called me to tell me that he was opposed to my being hired as a consultant, that he didn't trust the Walker people, but he would work with me because he respected Dixon's right to make that decision. About six weeks later, he called me out of the blue. And just as he told me his feelings six weeks earlier, he told me he enjoyed working with me, he had been wrong about me, he trusted me and to forget what he had said earlier. We have been friends ever since.
Editor: Our entire family enjoyed your most recent article about baseball's Gene Callahan by Kathy Best. Most political activists in Springfield during the late '50s and '60s will have more than one story to tell about his dedication to the work ethic and honesty in everything he did. During part of that time, I was, among other things, downstate director of the United Republican Fund, and in all my dealings with Gene he was always straightforward and honest while a Statehouse reporter, and subsequently, a public official. Whatever his job, he did it well in service to his employer and the people of Illinois, Democrats and Republicans alike. He must have known tens of thousands of people from all corners of the state and from all walks of life, including most of the prominent figures in baseball. I'm sure Leo Durocher was not one of them though, or the former [Chicago] Cubs' manager would never have been remembered as the guy who insisted "Nice guys finish last."
Disagrees with Wheeler's take on GOP strategy Editor: In his November column (see Illinois Issues, November 1994, page 6), Charles Wheeler complains about the supposed GOP strategy to block any legislation that might reflect credit on Bill Clinton no matter what its merits and gives as an example the provisions found in the so-called Lobbying Reform Act that was defeated in October. What Wheeler fails to disclose is that the Lobbying Reform Act continued several vague provisions which both liberal (such as the ACLU) and conservative groups believed could chill the First Amendment lobbying activities of average citizens. These vague provisions were put into the bill at the last minute in an attempt to rush them through Congress without careful review by the public regarding their effort. I would have thought that such "good government" types as Wheeler would oppose such rushed legislation on complicated topics. This is not to say that most of the bill did not have merit, but rather that the bill should be considered on its merits and not rushed through Congress at the end of the session so that Bill Clinton could get some credit.
Correction Judy Hughes' name was left off the list of members appointed to the Women's Business Ownership Council in the "Names" section of the December issue (see page 40). Hughes is president of both Travel Alternative and Lubemaster in Springfield. The editors regret the omission. How to write to us Your comments on articles and columns are welcome. Please keep letters brief (250 words); we reserve the right to excerpt them so that as many as space allows can be published. Send your letters to:
Letters to the Editor
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January 1995/Illinois Issues/11 |
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