Cedra Crenshaw receives the 'Obama' treatment, Dems invalidate her nominating petition

While running for the Illinois state senate in 1996, Barack Obama - the master of Chicago-style politics - invalidated the voting petition signatures of three of his challengers [because of mere technicalities], which enabled him to run unopposed and to cruise to victory. Likewise, Cedra Crenshaw, a Republican candidate for the 46 district of Illinois - which includes several of Chicago's suburbs - was removed from the November ballot on Wednesday after her Democrat opponents invalidated 1300 signatures from her nominating petition, allowing her Democrat challenger to run unopposed and to cruise to victory come November.

Illinois law required that Ms. Crenshaw's nominating petitions be circulated between March 30 and April 19, but her petitions did not indicate the dates they were circulated. When Crenshaw's attorneys requested that the board convene a hearing so that those who circulated the petitions could testify to the dates of the signatures, the board refused to heed their request and sent Crenshaw packing.

Jay Stewart of Chicago's Better Government Association commented on Barack Obama's 1996 state senatorial run: "He came from Chicago politics. Politics ain't beanbag, as they say in Chicago. You play with your elbows up, and you're pretty tough and ruthless when you have to be. Sen. Obama felt that's what was necessary at the time, that's what he did. Does it fit in with the rhetoric now? Perhaps not."

CNN added: "As a community organizer, he [Obama] had helped register thousands of voters. But when it came time to run for office, he employed Chicago rules to invalidate the voting petition signatures of three of his challengers."

Chicago Tribune columnist, John Kass, remarked: "That was Chicago politics. Knock out your opposition, challenge their petitions, destroy your enemy, right? It is how Barack Obama destroyed his enemies back in 1996 that conflicts with his message today. He may have gotten his start registering thousands of voters. But in that first race, he made sure voters had just one choice."

Likewise, on Wednesday, in the suburbs of Chicago, Democrats took their cue from their revered leader - the former card carrying member of the Chicago Machine and current head of America's new Socialist order - and they too, made sure, that come November, the voters have but one choice. They made them an offer they can't refuse.....