InVanceAble

Happy Birthday Cyrus Vance!

Not shy

Happy Birthday Schuyler Colfax!

 

Primarily in Illinois

He's from Texas, but he was mayor of San Francisco. Happy Birthday Willie Brown!

 

A Study In Contrasts

While most of America is drinking, getting ready to drink, or sleeping it off, Home Team is asking a serious question. First, let me present the birthday boys....

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Roger Brooke Taney. Federalist from Maryland. 11th Attorney General, Secretary of War, 12th Secretary of the Treasury, and 5th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

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Bayard Rustin. Social Reformer from Pennysylvania.

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Since in the modern polemic it is incorrect to phrase a question as follows....

Who was worse for America?

 

A new era

James Madison, our fourth President, was born in Virginia. Today. Long ago. He considered himself a Democratic Republican during his tenure. What might he consider himself in today's political environment?

 

 

 

Well...

Today would be William Casey's Birthday. He died in 1987, silenced before his testimony could be given before Congress.

If you are at all interested in our country's involvement in Afghanistan, you might also find this man's involvement in the region significant. 

Long John and The Justice

Only one of these Classics developed "a reputation for competence". Sounds like a backhanded compliment, but when you stop a moment to think about life in the 21st century that might be a very strong endorsement.

Happy Birthday John Wentworth!

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Happy Birthday Robert Cooper Grier!

DanCon LIVE!

I'll be inking these, and many more, today from 10a-4p at DANCON, 14750 S Ravinia Ave in Orland Park, IL 60462. Bring at least 2 dollars.

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Inked final version coming after 5pm central. Stay Tooned!

Clark Street and North Avenue

For anyone under the mistaken assumption that Machine Politics in Chicago started with a Daley, Meet Home Team Classic Fred Busse. 

Interesting day, if you're not into politics.

Happy Birthday Gladys Spellman! Our favorite kind of Classic Home Teamer, Gladys was not involved in any scandals and was so well-liked she was reelected while she was comatose. I wish I was joking.

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In the POP world, however, the real birthday celebration is for Bill Gaines, Booker Huffman, and Ke$ha. We're classy like that.


Kesha - ''Blow'' - Official Music Video... by love93music1983HD

Not A Blagojevich

If you read yesterday, you may now be thinking "Waitaminnit, if the dude yesterday was a lobbyist and he was in Players, why is this lobbyist dude in Classics?" ANd the answer is, Bart Stupak (whose birthday is today, every four years) served as a U.S. Representative from Michigan from 1993-2011. So he's retired. Kinda.

Oh, and Happy Birthday Mr. Stupak!

Timeslip

Marc Grossman is not today's Birthday Boy. But he was the man I practiced using a new (to me) digital drawing program for a popular tablet device. I am quite pleased with the interface and the result of ArtStudio, and I will append the digitally inked version  via link when I have had time to play with it a bit more. 

Today's real birthday is for another unelected member of our Federal government, Alyssa Mastromonaco.

Here also is the pre-promised Home Team Card for Dennis C Blair. Happy belated Birthday, Admiral.

The Candy Desk

Other than being fun to draw, I will always remember Senator Thomas because I had never heard of the Candy Desk before reading up on him.

I know, not very politically important, but it's little things like that that help me keep track of what's going on in the chamber, and when.

Jeremiah Jones Colbath

Happy Birthday to Henry Wilson. He was much more interesting than he looked.

More Social Reform

Happy Birthday to Susan B Anthony!

Now that was a community organizer.

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Now, in the news today is a fellow named Jeff Zeints. He's slated to appear in Executive Fun, but as I was doing my research on Wikipedia today I came across a curious alert for the first time. Call me naive, but I hadn't even considered this at any point executing this HOME TEAM project. I did make sure any image I used as reference was public domain, but I trusted that Fair Use and Free Speech precedents would cover my use of the politician's likenesses. Mr Zeints is apparently the only one who is so worried about his personality representations in the mass media that he or his staff have gone so far as to post an alert on his wiki article. Also, no birthdate is listed, so nobody will be able to tweet him happy wishes.

SO, anyway, here's a goofy caricature of some guy. He's probably gonna end up in the Classics after his gaffe at a press conference today. And by gaffe, I mean he actually told the truth.

>meanwhile, on TMZ...

"The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous."

Happy Birthday to a true Home Team Classic, Frederick Douglass.

Active versus Passive

I'm not sure what point I would be making if I caricatured Abraham Lincoln and Omar Nelson Bradley, both of whom have birthdays today. I can tell you that John L Lewis and Arlen Specter, both Home Team Classics, had very different strategies for accomplishing the things they believed in.

Skipping A Gimme

I am not getting involved in state-level politics on this project. Governors, yes. But State Senators, no. Not even a Republican state Senator for District 37 in Maryland whose birthday is today and who I really want to caricature. I am standing by my precedent.
Until after the 2012 election, at least. I have a lot of work to finish before then. Oh, and then after, too, when I have to revise the whole book and fill in all the newly-elected and swapped around politicians from redistricting. But THEN, oh yes, I would LOVE to caricature all of the governments in all of the states. ALL OF THEM!


Also...

Today's Classic is Thomas Paine, because, COME ON!

( Yes, I realize he was not born in America.)

Big Day for Denial

By way of explaining that title, let me just tell you that when I started this project I planned on caricaturing any and everybody whose bio on Wikipedia struck me as interesting... But mainly politicians and pro wrestlers. As I discover more and more about the politicians I am less and less inclined to caricature the wrestlers, whom I legitimately respect. And today is a doozie for wrestler birthdays, so thanks for reading this sidebar as I wish Happy Birthday to Paul Wight! More popularly known as The Big Show, Paul shares his birthday with Hall Of Famers like Sherri Martel and Freddie Blassie. My denial is of the urge to caricature those entertainers. Instead…

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Today's Classic is William Tecumseh Sherman!

(hopefully next year I can forget the politics, but I doubt it.)

No comparison intended.

Todays Classic is Aaron Burr. Fascinating story, really…

And our modern day Player is Luke Ravenstahl, youngest Mayor in Pittsburgh history. Big Toby Kieth fan. Read up on him!

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There were lots of other amazing political caricature to be done today. Birthdays include Ronald Reagan, James Ewell Brown Stuart, William M Evarts and Charles Lee. They're on my list, believe me.