A picture is worth a thousand words

I was amazed when I saw it on the front page.  I never expected the election to end with such an image.


But it was a relief.


Yes, there it was, Mark Kirk and Alexi Ginnaoulias end the campaign over a beer at the famed Billy Goat Tavern.


Coke, no Pepsi, chips, no fries.


Thank you Sam Sianis.


You would think, if not hope, that most campaigns would end on some kind of positive note.  Two candidates who slugged it out realize that the election is over and while one is disappointed, perhaps angered, the has an image as to what lies ahead and moves forward with the issues at hand.


You would think.  You would hope.  


The meeting at the Goat between Kirk and Giannoulias provided a bit of levity to a long and bitter campaign.  Levity can be good. The key word -- can.


There was another front page picture that also surprised, make that shocked me.


Buffalo Grove Village Board President Elliott Hartstein "dressed" like Lisa Stone who was recalled by nearly 70 percent of the voters who voted in Tuesday's election.


Seeing Hartstein donned in a long black wig was like seeing Little Black Sambo at a KKK rally or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  at a Bar Mitzvah.  In other words, it did not work. Not by a long shot.
To cite the headline in the Daily Herald, "what was he thinking?"


If he thought  he was being funny, save you gas money folks, Hartstein won't be at Zanies this weekend.


The picture was a surprise because Hartstein has been  a dedicated public servant in the village for more than 30 years.  You would think he knows better.  If he's trying to gain support among trans-gender and cross-dressing voters, the effort failed.


After 18 months of attacks by Stone, I was anticipating that Hartstein would be more humble and quite honestly, classy in accepting "victory."  A simple statement wishing Stone well would have sufficed.  But that did not happen -- not by a long shot.


What's needed here is for Hartstein to not just write an apology, which to his credit he did quickly, but to call Stone and personally apologize.  Here's the tricky part -- is her hatred of Hartstein so deep that she would not listen?  Who knows.  My guess is probably not.  


Hartstein's sophomoric antics do not diminish his years of public service.  He is well versed in public issues and has held things together reasonably well during the past 18 months.


His antics do not diminish the vote.  Hartstein's antics are not a political issue. Members of the Board, especially Jeff Berman who has expressed his displeasure on AOL's Patch, are more than just a little upset with Hartstein.


I think it's a safe bet to say that Stone is too.  As well as she should be. Pundits will want this to become a political issue.  It's not.  It's an issue of stupidity.  The reality is, we've all had moments like that and while they may eat at us, we move on.


Again, not to diminish the poor taste of Hartstein's stunt Tuesday night, the Board has to move on and get back to business.  Stone's antics were a distraction, which drove board members and residents crazy.  They wanted her gone and now she is.  Move on. 


It may be easier said than done, but while we'll all remember Hartstein in a wig (anyone remember when Mike Ditka did the same thing) we can't overlook what needs to be done in the village. Once the votes are certified and Stone is officially off the Board, the Stone Age is over.  


There's no reason to discuss her tenure on the Board or how she ridiculed other board members.  Stunts that belittle her, or anyone in the public eye for that matter, are not needed.  You won -- move on.  Be gracious and accepting and move on.


If it does not exist already, I am proposing that Hartstein be given an award for Tuesday night.  I think he should receive the first ever "Michael Dukakis Award for Worse Photo Opp."  It can be presented to the public official whose photo opportunity turns into a photo opposite.


While it's likely the Stone camp won't let this die, this cannot be the focus of the Village Board.  It was Hartstein who decided to mock Stone, not the Board.


The Board meets again Nov. 15.  I'm not sure how Hartstein will be attired -- I just hope to hell he doesn't come dressed as a landfill.