49TH WARD DEMS CRUMBLING

PART ONE IN A SERIES: The Embarrassing Lightness of Being Westgard Rogers Park is a Chicago neighborhood with its share of nutjobs. Attorney Thomas J. Westgard is one of the nuttier of the local nutjobs. Known to many as "Wee Wee," he just keeps trying to convince us that he is a deeply troubled man. Westgard is currently attacking 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore. But don't be fooled. Westgard is simply parrotting other local bloggers, bloggers who have always been anti-Moore and never defended Moore. Why is Westgard doing this? It's not a simple answer. Westgard deserves no attention as a weak minded, pitiful man. But his fringe involvement with the 49th Ward Democratic Party bears watching in the same way that a barometer does. Westgard's current actions, oddly, mirror the national family quarrel between the Obamacrats and the Clintonistas. His attacks against Moore probably signal the beginnings of a schism within the 49th Ward Democrats' world, a parting of the ways, a chink in the armor. One year and a month ago, on February 26, 2007, Wee Wee Westgard was the Campaign Chair of Jim Ginderske's campaign to unseat 16-year incumbent alderman Joe Moore in the 49th Ward. Ginderske was one of two losers in a four-way race; it went into a run off election between Don Gordon and Moore. Suddenly, on February 28, 2007, Wee Wee found himself out of influence. It has been driving his weak mind closer toward complete melt down ever since. Most of us in Rogers Park have been convinced of this for some time now. But Westgard, leaving no stone unturned, is out to convert even the doubters that he is, to borrow one of his phrases, "nuttier than squirrel shit." During the 2007 campaign for alderman, the Westgard-Ginderske team spent considerable political capital on painting Alderman Moore as a liar who is in the pockets of developers and liquor store owners. At this point I must confess (again) that I was a supporter of Ginderske's effort to become alderman. I confess (again) that I was mistaken in my choice; in the run off I supported Gordon against Moore. But Ginderske joined an influential zoning advisory committee. But don't worry, Ginderske told people who had supported his campaign, he wasn't going to support Moore. Most of Ginderske's supporters hated, and still hate, Moore. But Ginderske did support Moore. So did Westgard. In fact, Moore had at least one secret meeting at Moody's Pub (5910 N. Broadway in Edgewater) with Ginderske and Ginderske campaign members Terry Feingold, Kathy Sprattling, Francis Scudellari , and others. Westgard was not invited. In fact, according to one of the people present, Westgard was pointedly kept out of the meeting. The Moore camp cannot stomach Wee Wee Westgard. It's one of the few good things one can say for Joe Moore's gang. They may tolerate and even recruit scum into their ranks. But the likes of Westgard? No way, too rancid. Westgard's exclusion from Joe Moore's inner circle has eaten at him ever since. He has been, by and large, a cheerleader for Moore and for Democrats in general. But on a rare occasion he has jabbed at Moore or his supporters. He was quickly shut up, most likely by a phone call or tap on the shoulder. It explains, in large part, why Westgard so frequently deletes all of his past blog posts. Ginderske used to get red-faced angry at Westgard's blogging during the campaign, because of his poisonous nature. Ginderske yelled at him more than once to tone down his blog posts. While not cruising for internet pornography, Westgard was often busy painting Don Gordon as a Nazi. Don Gordon is a progressive Democrat. He will not be voting Democrat in November. But the Ginderske and the Moore campaigns portrayed him as a "Republican" and, worse, as a neo-Nazi who hates black people. The irony: Joe Moore was painting Ginderske as a conservative during the same campaign last year. More irony: After joining Moore's campaign, Ginderske happily helped Moore continue to falsely portray Gordon as an anti-black ultra-rightist. It has come full circle. Loose cannon Westgard is off his leash and biting the man he wanted so badly to be his master. In a tirade against Alderman Moore this week, Westgard is saying things that many of Moore's detractors agree with. It is bizarre to read something that Westgard writes and find yourself agreeing with it. But do not be fooled. Westgard is not sincere. He is vindictive, and that is the reason for his current attacks on Joe Moore. TO BE CONTINUED... RELATED: * Get Your Facts Straight, Westgard