Thanks for keeping us updated on this political issue of Rep. Lane Evans (IL) being attacked over his health vs. his job ability. I believe Ms Andrea Zinga has hung herself politically on this one! Peggy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Linda J Herman" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 11:18 PM Subject: NEWS ARTICLE on Lane Evans > The Associated Press State & Local Wire > January 26, 2004, Monday, BC cycle > HEADLINE: Incumbent's health becomes an issue in Illinois congressional > race > DATELINE: ROCK ISLAND, Ill. > > " A challenger's accusation that longtime U.S. Rep. Lane Evans is unfit > for > another term because of Parkinson's disease has touched off a rancorous > start to > a U.S. House race that won't go to voters for more than nine months. > > Evans, a Rock Island Democrat who has battled the neurological > disorder since > 1995, denies Republican Andrea Zinga's allegation, which also has sparked > debate > over whether health is fair game on the campaign trail. > > "Should it surprise us that this kind of boundary has been crossed? > I'm > afraid not," said George Gordon, an Illinois State University political > science > professor. > > Zinga, a former television news anchor and reporter, raised questions > about > Evans' health as she launched her campaign during a series of news > conferences > across the 17th district, which covers 23 counties in western and central > Illinois. > > She claims the disease has slowed the 11-term congressman, preventing > him > from spending enough time in the district to understand all its issues > and from > working in Washington to solve them. > > "As the disease advances, his sheer ability to do those things is > going to be > further diminished," said Zinga, who is unopposed in the March primary > and will > square off with Evans in November. > > Evans said that medication and exercise are controlling the disease, > which he > said has made him move a little slower but has not affected his job > performance. > > "He's upset about it and feels that it shouldn't come up because he's > able to > do his job. The election should be about issues. It certainly shows a > lack of > ideas on her part," said Steve Vetzner, a spokesman for Evans. > > Parkinson's support groups criticized Zinga, arguing that health > should not > be a campaign issue because most victims of the disease continue to work > effectively for 20 years or more. > > That includes several members of Congress, including the late Morris > Udall of > Arizona and Joe Skeen of New Mexico, who died last month after a long > battle > with the disease, said Jeff Martin, chairman of the board of the > Parkinson's > Action Network. > > "I think she should apologize and move on to the issues. I'm a > Republican and > I don't like it when Republicans do things like that," said Martin, a > lawyer who > served in the first Bush administration and was diagnosed with > Parkinson's eight > years ago. > > Political observers said the contentious race is just another example > of an > ongoing trend in American politics. > > "Studies seem to suggest that negative campaigns work, so it shouldn't > surprise anyone that health could become an issue. Almost anything is > fair game, > " said Frank Mackaman of the Dirksen Congressional Center, a nonpartisan > research and education facility in Pekin. > > But accusations generally surface through whisper campaigns rather > than > announcements by the candidates themselves, said Keith Boeckelman, an > associate > political science professor at Western Illinois University. > > "It's probably a sign that she's a strong underdog. This is a way to > get > attention probably and get some name recognition. The risk is that some > people > are going to see this is as mean spirited," Boeckelman said." > > LOAD-DATE: January 27, 2004 > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn