Sen. Harmon, Rep. Lilly, Galewood town hall, September, 2013. The alderman had sat down after declining to comment on the questions and complaints which she had just heard from her constituents over the past hour of the meeting which she had not called.
As the meeting drew to a close, a woman called for Lilly and Harmon to “be a moral voice” in their roles as public officials.
Something in her voice set Lilly off. “My morals cannot be questioned,” she responded, as the woman protested that she had been misunderstood. Lilly ignored her. “You are talking about me as an individual,” she said, reaching her highest state of indignation yet.
The meeting ended a few minutes later. Lilly thanked all for coming, adding as a pledge of continuing interest, “I want you to contact me.”
She did not say how to do this, but people could look it up. I did after the Franklin Park meeting in July and tried to contact her, as I said earlier. Got no answer.
Harmon closed with thanks of his own.
More to come, from Illinois Blues: How the Ruling Party Talks to Voters— available in paperback, epub and Amazon Kindle formats.
Blithe Spirit 