Much like his father before him, Cong. Daniel Lipinski is a political creature that is almost extinct in the City of Chicago. He is a conservative Democrat. So, of course, he may not be very popular with the Democratic Left. Their answer to Mr. Lipinski holding office: Get rid of him.
The Southwest Side congressman may be facing a deep-pocketed opponent who is promising to run against him 
in next year’s Democratic primary.
John Atkinson, a managing director with London-based insurance giant Willis Group, says he raised more than $530,000 for his campaign in the quarter ended March 31. Most of that — $300,000 — came from himself and his wife, but the $230,000 netted from others is fairly impressive, given that the election is still a year a way.
He hasn’t formally declared yet, so the money is for an “exploratory” committee.
Mr. Atkinson says he’s running because Congress “needs to get focused on the things that really matter to American families” — especially jobs.
“I’d bring a different kind of voice and perspective” compared to Mr. Lipinski, whom Mr. Atkinson categorized as “(House GOP Speaker) John Boehner’s best ally in the Democratic Party.”
Yeah, you’ll fit right in with Obama, Durbin, Schakowsky and the other “progressive” Democrats in Illinois who are killing jobs and bankrupting the state.
Atkinson and Lipinski hold different views on social questions like abortion and allowing openly gay people to serve in the military. Atkinson says he’s no liberal: “I’m a business guy.”
No, no, of course not, he’s not a liberal.
Atkinson, 50, lives in Burr Ridge. He became wealthy when he sold his insurance brokerage to another firm that later merged with the Willis Group.
Political sources confirm that Mr. Atkinson is in the process of retaining some top political guns to run his campaign. Included are Michael Rendina and Eric Adelstein, who served as manager and top strategist, respectively, for Alexi Giannoulias’ campaign for the U.S. Senate last year, and Pete Giangreco’s Strategy Group, which has close ties to the Obama White House.
We know there are many Conservatives living (secretly) on Chicago’s Southwest Side – and the Northwest Side and the lake front, too. You Southwest Siders need to keep an eye on this race. We don’t know whether Mr. Lipinski can be defeated by someone like John Atkinson, But Atkinson having a big wad of campaign cash and a staff that knows what it’s doing can ,make a difference.
Don’t let it happen.
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