Friday, October 16, 2009
Nice piece at Politico about our friend Joel Pollak and his run for Congress in Illinois: YouTube star vies for House
The former Harvard law student who won widespread notoriety for his videotaped clash with Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) now wants to join him in Congress.
Joel Pollak, 32, who gained national attention after his heated exchange with the House Financial Services Committee chairman hit YouTube and Fox News, is hoping to unseat Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky in Illinois's 9th District.
His bid caps a whirlwind six months that began in April when, after Frank's speech at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Pollak asked the congressman if he acknowledged responsibility, if any, for the financial crisis.
Frank's peevish reaction -- and Pollak's cool responses to the fearsome debater -- turned Pollak into an instant conservative cult hero...
Read the rest to see how that clip spread and how it affected Joel's course. Remarkable. But Joel is no gimmick candidate. Having met him, heard him speak and read his writing, I can tell you Joel Pollak is a very sharp guy with a serious future. Win or lose (and let's hope for a win), this is a guy to keep an eye on.
