New The Hill Poll: 12 Freshman Democrat Held Districts Show Major GOP Gains

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Wednesday The Hill reported on a new poll it has conducted of the 2010 midterms with initial focus on 12 districts held by freshmen Democrats and the news isn’t good for those incumbent Dems scrutinized. On the other hand, the poll seems to show that it isn’t pat that Republicans will necessarily run away with it all either.

On Wednesday The Hill reported that in 11 of the initial 12 races polled, Republicans are leading Democrat incumbents. In the 12th, the candidates are tied. While this may seem good for the GOP the downside is that none of the Republicans are polling over 50%.

However, a long held axiom states that an incumbent that can’t reach at lest 50% in the polls generally is in major trouble for re-election and if these polls show GOP leads in each case with not one of these incumbent Dems reaching the 50% mark, that says quite a lot about these midterms.

According to The Hill, the poll also shows that Obamacare is hurting Democrats. “A majority of voters in key battleground districts favor repeal of the legislative overhaul that Congress passed this year.”

To the question of repeal of Obamacare, 56% agreed with repeal and only 32% said no to repeal.
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New The Hill Poll: 12 Freshman Democrat Held Districts Show Major GOP Gains”


Hultgren Endorsed By Council For Citizens Against Government Waste

From the Hultgren for Congress campaign (14th District)…

ST. CHARLES – State Senator Randy Hultgren, Republican candidate for Congress, released the following statement today after being endorsed by the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste. In their release, the Council praised Hultgren as “a bona fide fiscal conservative committed to reducing the size of government,” and “a principled advocate for lower taxes and smaller government.”

“I’m proud to be endorsed by the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, a group of concerned Americans who have fought passionately to cut wasteful spending and return fiscal sanity to Washington, DC, and I look forward to joining them in the ongoing effort to protect Illinois taxpayers,” said Hultgren.

Local Realtors Respond To Washington, DC-Based Realtor Ads

ST. CHARLES – The Randy Hultgren for Congress campaign released the following statements from local real estate agents in response to the National Association of Realtors’ television ad campaign on Bill Foster’s behalf.

“I’m honored to have the support of our local realtors. Whatever the National Association of Realtors may say in Washington, DC, our local realtors know that we need common sense, Illinois values in order to restore fiscal sanity in Washington, and that Bill Foster’s unwavering support of Nancy Pelosi, 92% of the time, is what continues to suppress the local housing market,” said Randy Hultgren.

Statements From Local Realtors:

“While the National Association of Realtors has chosen to support the incumbent, as a local Realtor and past president of the Illinois Association of Realtors, I have known Randy Hultgren and support the views that Randy will take to Congress. We need a non-Nancy Pelosi-led agenda in Washington that will not tax and spend us into a stagnant economy that hurts all Illinoisans. Randy Hultgren will work for common sense solutions that will get our economy moving again, and I’m proud to support him.”
— Pat Callan, Realty Executives Premiere; Past President, Illinois Association Of Realtors

“I’m dumbfounded and disappointed that the National Association of Realtors has chosen to support Bill Foster. Bill Foster hasn’t fulfilled the promises he made to us in 2008, has shown no independence from Nancy Pelosi, and has been a willing participant in the binge-spending that has come out of Washington. I don’t consider myself a conservative, but I want to leave something for my kids, and that means we need to get spending under control; I know Randy Hultgren will work to do that in Washington.”
— Chris Hansen, RE/MAX Excels, Geneva

http://hultgrenforcongress.com/


Joel Pollack For Congress (Ill. 9th District)

Joel Pollak is running (really running in this ad, anyway) for Congress in the Illinois 9th District. That district is in Chicago’s near north and side.

Pollak is running to knock out incumbent socialist Jan Schakowsky, one of the most ideologically extreme left-wingers in the House of Representatives.

http://www.pollakforcongress.com/


Chicago Tribune Endorses Dan Patlak‏

From the Patlak for Cook County Board of Review…

Today the Chicago Tribune endorsed our candidate Dan Patlak for Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review. You can read the endorsement below or click here to read it on the Chicago Tribune website.

It would help Dan’s campaign immeasurably if you would forward this e-mail to all of your contacts. Thank you for your support.

From the Chicago Tribune:
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Chicago Tribune Endorses Dan Patlak‏”


GOP Chair Pat Brady: Tuesday – Last Day to Register to Vote in Illinois‏

From Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady…

With all of the busyness of the campaign season, it’s important to make sure all of our votes count. You can’t vote if you’re not registered. Tomorrow (October 5) is the last day to register for the November 2 election.

If you’ve moved recently or you’re not sure whether you’re registered, contact your local election authority, or go to the Illinois State Board of Elections web site to check your registration status. Click here for more on registration. You can download a voter registration form here.
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GOP Chair Pat Brady: Tuesday – Last Day to Register to Vote in Illinois‏”


Lefty Bloggers Eating Each Other, White House Not Amused

-By Warner Todd Huston

Politico has a delicious story detailing how lefty bloggers seem to be on the outs with the Obama administration over their constant stream of complaints unleashed about the president’s lack of supplication to the most extreme left-wing policies.

Politico found Peter Daou, another “progressive” blogger, who thinks he knows why Deputy White House Press Sec. Bill Burton didn’t name any left-wing bloggers along with his absolving of some of MSNBC’s hectoring on-air talkers.

Daou recently wrote a post hyperbolically titled, “How a Handful of Liberal Bloggers Are Bringing Down the Obama Presidency” exploring the idea. In it the blogger slams his own, claims that other lefty bloggers are tearing down the president among the progressives, and says it is damaging the administration.
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Lefty Bloggers Eating Each Other, White House Not Amused”


Roskam Video: The Road We are On is a Recipe for Disaster!

Representative Peter Roskam gives a rip roaring speech about the failures of Nancy Pelosi’s House of Representatives at a recent DuPage Republicans gathering.


Bill Brady for Governor: Change for Illinois!‏

From the Bill Brady for Illinois Governor campaign…

With less than 30 days before Illinois votes to make a clean break from big government insiders like Governor Pat Quinn, The Northwest Herald today endorsed Brady/Plummer for Governor!

In its editorial endorsement, The Northwest Herald cited Bill’s economic plan for creating new jobs, encouraging small business growth, and for fighting job-killing taxes, saying, “Republican Bill Brady represents change for Illinois,” and “offers a level of credibility and leadership unmatched by the others seeking the office.”

Pat Quinn, meanwhile, “…has done little to win our confidence,” it said.
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Bill Brady for Governor: Change for Illinois!‏”


Carl Segvich for Cook County Commissioner (11th District)

-By Warner Todd Huston

Republican Carl Segvich is running against John Daley, soon to be former Mayor Daley’s brother, for Cook County Board from the 11th District. http://www.segvich.com/.

Segvih’s goals are to enhance private sector job opportunities, balance the budget, and cut waste. Segvich wants to cut taxes to promote economic growth and will stand up for families & American values. He will get public transit working for everyone and end the red light camera program. Segvich will also enhance support for law enforcement.

His opponent, Segvich says, has:
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Carl Segvich for Cook County Commissioner (11th District)”


Values Voter Summit: Why winning is not enough

Paul A. Ibbetson

The recent Values Voter Summit in Washington gave people a chance to hear from some of the potential Republican presidential candidates for 2012. Indiana Congressman Mike Pence, the lesser known of the political lineup that spoke at the event, took first place with 24 percent, narrowly beating former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee who received 22 percent of the votes from the 700 plus attendees of the event.

While straw polls have no real validity as a gauge of the future political waters, they do show us that the Republican Party has begun to think about the future. It is now that the GOP and the American people must do some careful thinking. As much as we all would love to know the primary candidates now, strategic reasoning places most of those declarations further down the road. The most important reason for this is that when politicians announce their candidacy, they are immediately placed under attack, often attacks frivolous in nature, and must expend valuable time and resources defending their names. Strategically, this is a fight best scheduled for months before an election, not years. While this kind of baseless mud throwing demeans the process, it has unfortunately become so common that we are shocked when politicians at any level of government simply square off on their platform issues. At my last count, Delaware senatorial candidate Christine O’Donnell, who just won her primary, is currently accused of being a mentally unstable, litigious, satanic witch who improperly uses campaign funds to gain the allegiance of a radical right-wing Tea Party movement. Did I miss anything? A stroke of the keys on your computer in a week will probably bring forth accusations that make these look tame, and a presidential candidate will have it much worse.
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Values Voter Summit: Why winning is not enough”


Bill Brady for Ill. Gov.: The Clean Break Candidate for All of Illinois‏

from the Brady for Governor campaign…

Just as we predicted, polls show this race is may come down to the wire!

With just over one month before Election Day, this week showed Bill Brady receiving two important endorsements for his campaign to bring more jobs to Illinois.

Days after beloved former Governor Jim Edgar’s endorsement, Bill was endorsed by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce for his commitment to enacting pro-growth policies that create new jobs and help small businesses succeed.
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Bill Brady for Ill. Gov.: The Clean Break Candidate for All of Illinois‏”


Bill Foster: A Lockstep Vote For Nancy Pelosi’s Big-Spending Agenda

From the Hultgren for Congress campaign (14th District)…

ST. CHARLES – The Randy Hultgren for Congress campaign issued the following statement today regarding Bill Foster’s steadfast support for Nancy Pelosi’s big-spending agenda, after Foster once again voted to keep the money flowing.

“Congressman Foster’s vote last night to keep on spending wastefully, without a budget, is just more of the same from Big Spending Bill, who has voted for every spending bill since he went to Washington,” said Gill Stevens, a spokesman for the Hultgren campaign. “Bill Foster’s record of voting with Nancy Pelosi 92.6% of the time has been well-documented, but even more troubling is his 100% record when it comes to wasteful spending.[1] Even more outrageous than his support for the Pelosi agenda is his attempts to hoodwink voters: Bill Foster has regularly trumpeted his opposition to the Democrats’ big-spending budgets while still voting for those hundreds of billions of dollars in wasteful government spending.
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Bill Foster: A Lockstep Vote For Nancy Pelosi’s Big-Spending Agenda”


The Chicago Machine Strikes Against Property Owners Again

From the Patlak for Cook County Board of Review Campaign…

Once again the Chicago Machine has pulled a fast one on Cook County property owners. They have conveniently arranged for property tax bills to be issued after the November 2nd election. In fact the bills will arrive just before Thanksgiving with payments due right before Christmas. How’s that for a happy holiday season? We can make a change in the culture of corruption that has enveloped Illinois, Cook County and Chicago by helping to elect reform candidates like Dan Patlak who are interested in empowering taxpayers instead of confusing them. Please visit Dan’s web site to volunteer or request a yard sign.

Dan has released the seventh in a series of Property Tax Facts videos. This one addresses the question of what grounds people use to appeal their assessments. Please take a look and forward it on to your friends who may need to appeal their assessment.
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The Chicago Machine Strikes Against Property Owners Again”


Analyzing Extremism: O’Donnell vs. Coons

-By Selwyn Duke

Unlike for most Americans, the Delaware senatorial primary was not my first introduction to Christine O’Donnell. I remembered her from as far back as approximately two decades ago, making appearances on shows such as “Politically Incorrect.” So when I heard about her supposed “extremist views,” I had to wonder if I was overlooking something. It’s hard to forget such a pretty face, but did I fail to recollect some strange aspect of her ideology?

So I did a Google search and quickly found criticism of her at the Huffington Compost. “What better source for getting the dirt, real and imagined, on a Tea Party candidate?” I thought. Yet I figured I knew what I’d find, and I was right. Had she ever proclaimed herself a Marxist? No, that was her opponent, Chris Coons. Had she ever belonged to a socialist party? No, that was Barack Obama in the 1990s. Did she once advocate forced abortions and sterilization? No, that was the president’s “science czar,” John Holdren. Had she headed up an organization that promoted “fisting” for 14-year-olds and books featuring sex acts between pre-schoolers? No, while Obama’s “Safe Schools Czar” Kevin Jennings did do that, O’Donnell’s sin is far different:
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Analyzing Extremism: O’Donnell vs. Coons”


Consumer Confidence Drops to Lowest Level Since February

From the Schilling for Congress…

Schilling: “We need to elect new leadership that will turn this country around.”

EAST MOLINE, IL–Bobby Schilling, Republican candidate for Congress in the Illinois 17th District, commented on a recent report that consumer confidence had dropped to its lowest level since February. The Conference Board stated that their monthly Consumer Confidence Index currently stands at 48.5, down from 53.2 in August.
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Consumer Confidence Drops to Lowest Level Since February”


Statement On Two-Year Anniversary Of Foster’s Government Bailout Vote

From the Hultgren for Congress campaign (14th District)…

ST. CHARLES – Randy Hultgren, Republican candidate for Congress in the 14th District, issued the following statement on the two-year anniversary of Democrat Congressman Bill Foster’s disastrous vote to bail out Wall Street.

“Two years ago today, Congressman Bill Foster disregarded the concerns and views of his constituents to support Nancy Pelosi’s Wall Street bailout bill,” said Hultgren. “Unfortunately, that was just the first of Foster’s many votes for bailouts; since then he has voted repeatedly to bail out the private sector using scarce taxpayer dollars while exploiting any opportunity for government intrusion into the marketplace.”

“I’ve spoken to people all across the 14th District and what I’ve consistently heard is they want and expect a more accountable Congress, one that spends responsibly and adheres to a budget,” said Hultgren.

http://hultgrenforcongress.com/


How To Tell If You’re a Conservative‏

-By Nancy Morgan

For too long, conservatives have allowed the left to define them. With more Americans becoming disillusioned with Obama, it’s time to counter the media’s portrayal of conservatives as radical, illegitimate extremists, concerned only with amassing wealth and kicking gays. Here’s a quick guide to help identify the basic differences between leftists and conservatives.

Conservatives understand that the system of capitalism is the greatest engine of wealth creation the world has ever known. They don’t think profit is a dirty word. Leftists argue that feelings, not the bottom line, should be the motivating factor in all of life’s decisions.

Conservatives believe that a man’s fate is determined by the life choices he makes. Leftists believe if they’re not successful, its because racist capitalists are hogging all the wealth. And that’s not fair!
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How To Tell If You’re a Conservative‏”


The Old Media: More Distrusted Than Ever

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Gallup polling agency has released its annual assessment of how Americans view the Old Media establishment and it isn’t good for the Old Media. Gallup found more people than ever have no trust in the Old Media (57 percent) and those that do trust the media have fallen to an all time low (43 percent). These are the most extreme ratings that Gallup has ever seen.

“For a fourth straight year,” Gallup says, “the majority of Americans say they have little or no trust in the mass media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly.”

Even more striking is the overwhelming feeling among Americans that the Old Media is too liberal.
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The Old Media: More Distrusted Than Ever”


(14th District) Hultgren To Foster: Call For A Vote On Tax Cuts!

From the Hultgren for Congress campaign (14th District)…

ST. CHARLES – State Senator Randy Hultgren issued the following statement today regarding Congress’s pending failure to pass an extension of expiring tax cuts; Congress is scheduled to adjourn Thursday, part of an effort to give Democrats more time in their districts as they desperately try to save their jobs.

“Taxpayers and small business owners across the 14th Congressional District of Illinois continue to fear what the federal government will do to them while the economy sputters,” said Hultgren. “Rather than going along with efforts to postpone a vote on taxes till after the election, Bill Foster should urge his close, personal friend Nancy Pelosi to hold an up-or-down vote on the extension of all expiring tax cuts prior to this week’s adjournment.”
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(14th District) Hultgren To Foster: Call For A Vote On Tax Cuts!”


Peter Rosakm: A Few Op Eds for Your Interest

From the office of Representaive Peter Roskam (R, Ill.)…

When you get a chance, take a look at two op-eds I wrote last week.

The first in National Review Online discusses the Republican agenda for the fall, including our plans to spur job creation, reel in government spending, establish predictability in the marketplace, and replace Obamacare with reforms designed to actually lower health care costs.
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Peter Rosakm: A Few Op Eds for Your Interest”


Shuttering New Jersey Abortion Mills: Another Reason Why Christie is a Hero

-By Warner Todd Huston

Aside from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie taking the fight to the state’s greedy, education-killing teachers union the Gov has also struck a blow against rampant abortion in the Garden State by taking away state funding to abortion mills. Steven Ertelt reports that at least one Planned Parenthood office is closing down and others are looking to “creative” budgeting to stay open.

In July Governor Christie vetoed a bill that would restore the $7.5 million of state funding that the legislature tried to implement after Christie removed that funding from the budget. Democrats in Trenton thought they had enough votes to override Christie’s veto, but at the last minute state Republicans backed out of signing onto the override.

Parenthood of Southern New Jersey president Lynn Brown told the newspaper, “We are in think mode and creative mode and we are doing all that we can to try and salvage to see as many people as we need to see.”

“We all know it’s strictly ideological,” Brown said of the funding cuts to the abortion business. “This is a very frustrating and perplexing time for us.”

Perplexing? What is so hard about understanding that the state is nearly bankrupt and can’t be wasting money on killing babies?
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Shuttering New Jersey Abortion Mills: Another Reason Why Christie is a Hero”


Rep. Roskam on The ‘Pledge To America’ (Answers to Earmarks Question)

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last week the House Republicans issued their update of the 1994 “Contract With America.” They have labeled it the “Pledge To America,” and it was launched to a standing ovation from House Republicans. On Friday I spoke to Representative Peter Roskam (R, Ill.) and asked a few questions about this new effort.

Roskam said that the preamble of the pledge, “which is really, I think, moving,” was met with a standing ovation when it was presented to all the Hose Republicans and the representative was pleased that the National Review said that the new pledge was bolder than the original 1994 contract.


Click to download document

He also threw out a little taunt to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi saying, “our members are game on and ready to go… if the Speaker wants to mock this stuff then the best way for her to deal with it is to call us out, which of course she won’t.”
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Rep. Roskam on The ‘Pledge To America’ (Answers to Earmarks Question)”


Rep. Hare Misleads Public on Outsourcing

From the Schilling for Congress campaign (17th District…

Schilling: “How can you lecture me on outsourcing when you vote for policies that directly cause it?”

EAST MOLINE, IL–Bobby Schilling, Republican candidate for Congress in the Illinois 17th District, challenged Rep. Hare to explain his voting record on outsourcing.

Rep. Hare recently told the Quincy Herald-Whig, in regards to the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement, “I’m not going to vote for this agreement or any other one that costs even one America job. Enough is enough.”
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Rep. Hare Misleads Public on Outsourcing”


Chicago Trib’s State Senate Campaign Endorsements

-By Warner Todd Huston

“Change will come to Illinois only if change comes to the Illinois General Assembly,” so says the Chicago Tribune as it lays out the “change” they hope to see on election day this November.

The Trib is feeling a tad anti-incumbent, it appears, as they’ve endorsed some challengers for the state senate in Springfield.

Here are the Republicans that the Trib is endorsing:
10th District (Northwest Side) Brian Doherty
19th District (Southwest suburbs) Adam Wojcik
22nd District (Northwest suburbs) Steve Rauschengberger
24th District (West suburbs) Chris Lauzen
28th District (Northwest suburbs) John Milner
31st District (North suburbs) Suzi Schmidt

The Democrat the Trib endorsed is Heather Steans of the 7th District.

Interesting in that some of these names are challengers. Schmidt is a challenger of Democratic incumbent Michael Bond, Rauschenberger is the challenger of incumbent Mike Noland, and Wojick is the GOP challenger of incumbent Maggie Crotty. The incumbents the Trib endorsed are Chris Lauzen, John Milner and Heather Steans.
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Chicago Trib’s State Senate Campaign Endorsements”


Charlie Crist VIDEO: ‘I’m Not Gonna Change My Stripes’

-By Warner Todd Huston

Despite some fool with his car alarm blaring in the background, in this video it is quite clear that Charlie “Fliparoo” Crist is claiming that the voters can trust him because he’s not going to “change my stripes.” Of course, he said this not long before he “changed” his Senate run from Republican to a sudden “independent,” too… but, hey, consistency is overrated anyway, right?

This from the SharkTank

I stumbled across a classic clip of then Republican Charlie Crist, standing firm on his position of supporting Roe v. Wade at the Christian Family Coalition breakfast earlier this year in Miami. Crist goes on to defend his position by stating,

“… this is about trust, we are asking them(voters) for their vote, and by doing that we are asking people to trust us- and place that trust in us.”

Governor Crist also goes on to say that, “I’m not gonna change my stripes.” This of course was said before the Governor supported Abortion Rights Activists by vetoing a bill that would have required a woman seeking an abortion during the first trimester to pay for an ultrasound

Since this Miami event, Governor Crist has left the Republican Party and is running the U.S. Senate as an Independent-current polls show Crist lagging behind Rubio by double-digits.
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Charlie Crist VIDEO: ‘I’m Not Gonna Change My Stripes’”


Mitt Romney Endorses Bobby Schilling for Congress

From the Schilling for Congress campaign (17th District)…

Romney: “It is more important than ever that we elect candidates who are dedicated to enacting the pro-growth policies Illinois — and our country — needs.”

EAST MOLINE, IL–Former Presidential nominee Mitt Romney has endorsed Bobby Schilling for Congress in the Illinois 17th District, along with several other Republican candidates in the state of Illinois.

Romney released the following statement in a press release:
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Mitt Romney Endorses Bobby Schilling for Congress”


On Those Bill Foster Ads Slamming Hultgren? Hultgren Says ‘Not True’

From the Hultgren for Congress campaign (14th District)…

St. Charles – State Senator Randy Hultgren, candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives IL-14, today responded to deceptive ads paid for by Congressman Bill Foster, D-Batavia.

“Bill Foster’s allegations against me are not true,” said Hultgren. “Bill Foster hopes with his millions of campaign dollars, that he can fool you into believing his lies.”

“Democrat Bill Foster is lying in a calculated gamble to hide his atrocious record of support of Nancy Pelosi 92.6% of the time including government bailouts, higher taxes, massive spending increases and a health care overhaul,” said Hultgren.[1] “If Foster can stay off the issues through lying about my employment, he is able to avoid his miserable record as a Congressman.”

http://hultgrenforcongress.com/


Brady for Gov: Pat Quinn Is At It Again

From the Bill Brady for Illinois Governor campaign…

As a strong supporter of Bill’s campaign to stop job-killing taxes and to make government live within its means, we thought you might like to see our new television ad called, “The Truth.”

The new ad sets the record straight on Governor Pat Quinn’s misleading attacks against Bill, and highlights the Governor’s record of spending, borrowing and taxing Illinois into a fiscal crisis with double-digit unemployment.
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Brady for Gov: Pat Quinn Is At It Again”


At Bargain Ticket Prices Obama Can’t Even Fill a 650 Seat Room!

-By Warner Todd Huston

Over at the left-wing Daily Beast, Gail Sheehy has a story that should make every Obamaite tremble in fear of November 2. As Sheehy reports it, in New York President Obama couldn’t even fill a room that holds 650 even though they slashed the ticket prices from $500 to $100 a person to get in.

On the 22nd Obama appeared in New York for a fundraiser but organizers found that attendees were harder to come by than ever. As Sheehy points out, this is six weeks before the elections. Less than two months and Democrats can’t garner enough enthusiasm to sell 650 tickets to see the president up close and personal.

Initially tickets were priced at $500 a person but as the event neared, panic set in and emails began to gush from the organizers offering bargain basement, slashed ticket prices in order to fill the room. Sheehy paid just $100 to stand in the same small room with The One and she only anted up after half a dozen emails pleading that she come.

Then there were the protesters. I guess the lowball ticket prices didn’t serve to keep the riff raff out as Obama faced sudden chants taking him to task for the military’s don’t ask, don’t tell policy.
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At Bargain Ticket Prices Obama Can’t Even Fill a 650 Seat Room!”