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Geoghegan Running for Congress
GEOGHEGAN RUNNING FOR CONGRESS....Via Jim Fallows and others, I see that Tom Geoghegan (pronounced Gay-gan) is running for the House seat vacated by Rahm Emanuel. I can't say that I've read a huge number of Geoghegan's books and essays, but I've read enough to be pretty impressed. I guess this comes from two sources:
He has a fascinating writing style. I don't really have the vocabulary or esthetic sensibility to describe it properly, and if I did it would almost certainly seem like it shouldn't work. But it's sort of the writing equivalent of the bumblebee: it shouldn't be able to fly, but it does. (And stings, too!) I'd kill to be able to write as effectively and idiosyncratically as Geoghegan does.
He's a labor lawyer who's completely dedicated to the cause, but I've always gotten the sense that his eyes are wide open. He know which side he's on, and he knows why, and he can explain it in very plain English, but he never makes the mistake of thinking that unions are beyond reproach. They're human institutions, sometimes they suck, sometimes they're shortsighted, but they're still necessary and they're still the best bet we have to counterbalance the massive influence of corporations and the rich on the political and economic process.
The basic Geoghegan bio is on his Facebook page here. Kathy G. has a more personal account here. Fallows has this to say:
The remarkable thing is that in Geoghegan's case writing has been a sideline. Day by day for several decades he has been a lawyer in a small Chicago law firm representing steel workers, truckers, nurses, and other employees whose travails are the reality covered by abstractions like "the polarization of America" and "the disappearing middle class." Geoghegan's skills as a writer and an intellectual are assets but in themselves might not recommend him for a Congressional job. His consistent and canny record of organizing, representing, and defending people who are the natural Democratic (and American) base is the relevant point.
Geoghegan is running against a gaggle of competitors, including Cook County commissioner Mike Quigley, State Representative Sara Feigenholtz, Alderman Pat O'Connor, State Representative John Fritchey, and several others. I have no idea how to handicap the race, but it should be an interesting one to watch.
UPDATE: TNR has just posted a collection of Geoghegan's writings for them here. They're all more than ten years old and I haven't read any of them, but they might be worth checking out.
But it's sort of the writing equivalent of the honeybee: it shouldn't be able to fly, but it does.
Actually, I believe it's the bumblebee that shouldn't be able to fly. I'm not aware that science has identified any particular problems with the aerodynamics of honeybees.
What's "the natural American base"?
Does Kevin (or anyone) have an example of this fascinating writing style that you can point to?
David: Right you are. I've fixed it. Gotta make sure to get my cliches right in the future.
Stand: The one that comes to mind is "The Law in Shambles," which is very good. But I don't think it's online. You have to buy it. Maybe somebody else has a recommendation for a good magazine piece he's done recently?
Dear Sir, I am 62. Self employed phone man. I am in foreclosure. My work van insurance was cancelled in Dec. Non-pay. You probably have never had Utility Companies shut off your electrity, or water or phone. These are, everyday happenings to people, who just make enough to survive. If, I am late on my payments. the Utility Comp. Hit me with a late charge. If I can't make my payment. Why would anybody in their right mind. Justify putting a late charge on me. Then demand, that late charge be paid first, before restoring my service. Then, on top of that demand a deposit be paid before restoring service in some cases. This is a POOR MAN'S TAX. I hope to God, you are never in my situation. I never thought, I would be. Things happen.
Banks also use the POOR MAN'S TAX. I over drafted Sun Bank by two dollars. They laid a $35 tax on me. I did not have the Thirty Five dollars, so one week later the put another $35 tax on me. I now owe Sun Trust $72. Right now I don't know where I'll get this money. If I can find a source to make enough money to buy some food. The bank will scoof up the $72. Before I can pay a bill or buy food. Is this the American dream I keep hearing about, but not seeing.Yours Respectfully, Jim Nolsheim
I found some articles linked from his wikipedia page. One from the Nation written in 2000 is interesting:
My worry is that the conservative Justices Bush might appoint will be around long after he leaves office. If a more progressive administration succeeds him and pushes through new labor law that would give US workers a real right to join unions, a Bush Supreme Court packed with Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas types would gut it. Suppose, for example, that a future Democratic Congress, stripped of a filibuster, passed a law similar to Canada's, where if enough workers sign cards saying, in effect, they want a union, there is no election--a union is in place. The Bush Supreme Court might declare that such a law violates the employer's First Amendment right to present the anti-union view, to "speak" to (i.e., to intimidate, threaten) the workers before they sign the cards.
Nice! This is the district I used to live in so I have an interest in this race.
I read "Which Side Are You On: How to be for Labor When It Is Flat On Its Back" in 1995, and it has stayed with me ever since.
He wrote a great little pamphlet on the law for the great little pamphlet press called Prickly Paradigm. One of the best short things I have read on the condition of the legal system, and very timely post-Bush as we try to sort it out. Plus, echo Kevin: he doesn't write like a lawyer.
Link to his little "The Law in Shambles":
http://www.prickly-paradigm.com/catalog.html#sp05
and no, I have no connection with him or the press.
As a fellow labor lawyer, I have to voice my admiration for a man who has not let his JD prevent him from being a really fine writer.
Good luck to him. Those who are so inclined can help him out at Act Blue.
I'd kill to be able to write as effectively and idiosyncratically as Geoghegan does.
Probably just a figure of speech, but if not, I know somebody who'd like to meet you.
Your move from WM to MJ really was a huge step down in terms of accessibility, Kevin. I posted a fairly simple comment here early yesterday afternoon, but I made the mistake of including two links -- one to an article in the NYT & one to an article in Slate -- resulting in a delay so that your moderator could ensure that those links wouldn't blow up the world. Nearly 24 hours later, my comment still hasn't appeared. I'll be the first to agree that I wasn't offering any breaking news or terribly brilliant insight. But really, what's the point of a comments section if commenters are viewed with such suspicion?
Junebug: Our system automatically holds comments with multiple links because so many of them are spam. We did the same thing at the Monthly, I think, so this is nothing new.
In any case, this will change soon when we move to a new back end system. To be honest, I still don't know exactly how the new software will work, but I assume it will be an improvement. Keep your fingers crossed!
We did the same thing at the Monthly, I think, so this is nothing new.
Fair enough (though I seem to recall that the threshold was three links, rather than two), but I'm left wondering exactly how long it takes to determine that the links I included in my comment yesterday don't have anything to do with pharmaceuticals or offshore diplomas.
Good luck with the new system. This one isn't serving you or your readers very well.
I agree the unions have totally ruined schools with their unionized teachers. The auto workers have bankrupted the auto industry. Let's unionize every one and turn our great country into a third world nation. That way no one could afford any thing. And we could all have the same wonderful lives as the people in Russia or Mexico. Way to go. Good thinking. You XXX.