Jim Dodge for Comptroller: Topinka’s ‘Business as Usual’ Won’t Cut It‏

From the Jim Dodge for Comptroller campaign…

Voters No Longer Putting Up With Business as Usual and that includes Topinka

Jim Dodge, Republican Candidate for Illinois Comptroller issued a statement today saying Senator-elect Brown’s Massachusetts victory along with the wins in New Jersey and Virginia explicitly show that voters no longer want “political insiders” or individuals who will conduct business as usual. And that includes Illinois voters who will be going to the polls for the February 2 primary. Dodge directly mentioned voter reaction to his opponent, three-time Treasurer and failed gubernatorial candidate, Judy Baar Topinka.
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Jim Dodge for Comptroller: Topinka’s ‘Business as Usual’ Won’t Cut It‏”


8th District: Dirk Beveridge Cautions Republicans

From the Dirk Beveridge for Congress campaign…

Conservative Congressional Candidate Warns Against Complacency

Last night at a voter rally for Beveridge for Congress, Dirk Beveridge, Republican candidate for the 8th Congressional Seat, surprised some voters with his comments about Republican Scott Brown’s epic Senate victory in Massachusetts.
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8th District: Dirk Beveridge Cautions Republicans”


14th District: The Ethan Hastert Candidacy Mystery

-By Warner Todd Huston

14th District voter Steve Youhanaie had a few thoughts on the 14th District race between newbie pol Ethan Hastert, son of former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, and current State Senator Randy Hultgren. Like myself, Mr. Youhanaie is irked by the outsiders that have flooded into the 14th District to shower money and support on Ethan Hastert and Youhanaie wonders why they are doing it when we have a perfectly good candidate in the person of Randy Hultgren? Hultgren is a candidate that has a proven record of electability in the very district in which he’s running. So, Ethan’s support from outside the district is somewhat of a mystery to Mr. Youhanaie:

When I found out that Ethan Hastert would appear on the ballot for the GOP nomination in the14th Congressional District, I thought to myself, “This doesn’t make sense.” Could it be true that people with a lot of money believe that a 31-year-old with no background in the community could move into the district and in less than two years become the Republican nominee for the United States House of Representatives? Additionally, do they honestly believe that this 31-year-old could defeat an incumbent Congressman in a near 50/50 Congressional District just because of a name, a party affiliation, and a few well chosen words?
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14th District: The Ethan Hastert Candidacy Mystery”


Two Comptroller Candidates debate on WTTW TV

Two of the three candidates for comptroller, Jim Dodge and William Kelly, sat down on the TV show Chicago Tonight on Channel 11 (PBS). The debate was lively and highlighted the differences between these two candidates rather well.

If the video isn’t working, go to WTTW’s website.


10th District: Dold Receives Key Endorsements from Chicago Tribune & Sen. Richard Lugar‏

From the Bob Dold for congress campaign…

It’s only Tuesday, and Dold for Congress is already having an outstanding week. Today we received two major endorsements that have catapulted us into the media spotlight. The first endorsement is from the Chicago Tribune, who announced this morning their support of Robert Dold. We are thrilled to have the endorsement of Illinois’ number one newspaper. Dold was also endorsed today by U.S. Senator Richard Lugar, the most senior Republican in the Senate.
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10th District: Dold Receives Key Endorsements from Chicago Tribune & Sen. Richard Lugar‏”


5th Districtt: Chicago Sun-Times Rebuffs Conservative “Firebrand” Candidate Ratowitz

From the David Ratowitz for Congress campaign…

“I embrace the conservative banner,” Ratowitz retorts. “The people are calling for substantial reform; moderation will only bring us more of the same.”

CHICAGO – January 19, 2010 – U.S. House candidate David Ratowitz has released the following statement in response to the Chicago Sun-Times endorsement of his Illinois District 5 opponent Ashvin Lad.
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5th Districtt: Chicago Sun-Times Rebuffs Conservative “Firebrand” Candidate Ratowitz”


8th District: Dirk Beveridge EARNS Chicago Tribune Endorsement

From the Dirk Beveridge for congress Campaign…

Republican Candidate for Illinois’ 8th Congressional Seat Builds electability Profile for Battle Against Democrat Incumbent, Melissa Bean

Today, the Dirk Beveridge for Congress campaign earned the Chicago Tribune’s Editorial Board endorsement.
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8th District: Dirk Beveridge EARNS Chicago Tribune Endorsement”


8th District: Joe Walsh Announces Three More Conservative Endorsements

From the Joe Walsh for Congress campaign…

Joe Walsh, candidate for congress in the 8th Congressional District, is announcing support from three separate conservative sources.

  • Family PAC Federal, headed by Paul Caprio
  • Illinois Conservative Action Network
  • Talk Radio host and Conservative Icon Tom Roeser

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8th District: Joe Walsh Announces Three More Conservative Endorsements”


Dan Proft: Renounce that Union Endorsement, Kirk

-By Warner Todd Huston

I asked the same question as Mr. Proft… just what did the teachers union the Illinois Education Association (IEA) see in Mr Dillard so that they felt comfortable endorsing him?

Dan Proft wants Dillard to renounce the union endorsement. Proft says we need someone to “take the fight to the IEA,” not bend to their desires.

I agree.

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Dan Proft: Renounce that Union Endorsement, Kirk”


Zaruba Endorses Lt. Governor Candidate Dennis Cook

From the Dennis Cook for Lt. Gov. campaign…

DuPage County Sheriff Joins Long List in Endorsing Cook

DuPage County Sheriff John Zaruba has endorsed Illinois Lieutenant Governor Candidate Dennis Cook. Sheriff Zaruba is the latest important Republican official to endorse Cook, signaling a change in Republican leadership in the state.
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Zaruba Endorses Lt. Governor Candidate Dennis Cook”


Dillard: More Endorsements

The Kirk Dillard for Governor campaign is announcing two more endorsements for his campaign for Governor.

Illinois Congresswoman Judy Biggert (R-13) today endorsed Republican candidate for governor Kirk Dillard. “I believe in his vision for Illinois,” Biggert said at a joint news conference.

“Senator Dillard has the experience to be the next governor of Illinois,” Biggert continued. “His plan to make our state a ‘Destination Economy’ is right on track to create jobs and transform Illinois’ economy from worst to first.”
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Dillard: More Endorsements”


We-Do-Care Founders and Military Supporters Endorse Joe Walsh for 8th

From the Joe Walsh for Congress campaign…

Lake Zurich, Illinois -January 18, 2010 – Joe Walsh, Candidate for Congress in the 8th Congressional district, today received the endorsement of We-Do-Care founders Jeanmarie Kapp, and Tom & Cara Kretz, along with We-Do-Care military supporters Joe Cantafio and Capt. Mike Saubert (Ret.). Miss Kapp and Mr & Ms. Kretz are three of the five Barrington residents who started We-Do-Care in 2004 with its first and biggest Barrington Freedom Festival, created to support and honor the troops.
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We-Do-Care Founders and Military Supporters Endorse Joe Walsh for 8th”


Jim Ryan: Let Me Be Clear — Taxes Would be a Poison Pill for Our Economy

From the Jim Ryan for Governor campaign…

While some candidates try to distort my position on taxes — I made my intentions perfectly clear in last week’s gubernatorial debate: I won’t raise taxes, because it would be disastrous for our economy.

We have a major spending problem in this state — a problem that would not have occurred had I been elected in 2002. At that time, I proposed a common sense Constitutional amendment that would have capped Illinois government spending.
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Jim Ryan: Let Me Be Clear — Taxes Would be a Poison Pill for Our Economy”


Another Fake Republican On the Ballot in Illinois

-By Warner Todd Huston

So, with a headline like that above perhaps you might imagine that I, a conservative, will launch into another attack on a Republican that just isn’t Republicany enough for me, right? You might think that this will be just another hard-line blogger attacking another “moderate” Republican, right? Well, by “fake Republican” I mean just that: fake.

Putting fake candidates on the ballot is a game that Chicago Democrats play in every election. Every election they put fake Republicans up against real Republicans in primary elections. What the Democrat Party does is put several shill candidates on ballots to drain votes from the real Republican candidate and to confuse voters. Sometimes Democrats even float fake Democrat opponents in order to make sure a particular Democrat wins by splitting away dissident votes to shill candidates.
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Another Fake Republican On the Ballot in Illinois”


Corrupt Politics in Cook County Illinois, Some History

-By Warner Todd Huston

There is a saying about Chicago’s weather: if you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes it’ll change. This, of course, is an allusion to the fact that the weather in Chicago is often unpredictable with every season but winter seeming all too short. The rains come, the winds blow, the snow falls and the chill descends with amazing rapidity. Naturally, this saying can be adapted to Cook County politics as well as the weather. If you don’t like a politician, wait a few weeks and they’ll likely be in jail.

Of course, it isn’t just Cook County, home of the City of Chicago, but it holds for the entire state. Illinois has had three governors sent to prison and a fourth, Rod Balgojevich, waiting to find out if he will become the next to take up residence behind bars. The “Land of Lincoln” has had over 80 legislators sent to prison since the 1970s. But Cook County deserves special recognition for its corruption and criminal politicians.*

Robert Lombardo wrote an excellent history of Cook County corruption where political corruption is front and center. Speaking of an early criminal politician, Lombardo paints a colorful picture of one Michael Cassius McDonald.
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Corrupt Politics in Cook County Illinois, Some History”


Publius Forum Republican Primary Endorsements

-By Warner Todd Huston

As a follower of politics who wants to associate with other followers of politics, the worst thing one can do to muck things up is to make a public endorsement of a candidate for office. As soon as you pick a candidate you risk a schism with friends. It won’t take long before some of them will begin to look aghast at you, raise a pointing finger and start making that screeching noise that the pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers made when they found an evil human amongst them. It is the best way to get people to scream “you’re no REAL (insert party affiliation here)!!”

Yes, politics is a hard game; it ain’t bean ball, as the saying goes. Still, we are all compelled to make our choice to show that we’ve been paying attention at least. Then there’s that whole citizenship “thang” where it’s our duty as citizens to make an informed choice. So, at the risk of becoming an enemy to the masses, here are my choices for the upcoming primaries.

Senate
There are only two credible candidates for Senate, John Arrington and Patrick Hughes.

Mark Kirk’s campaign commercials portray him as a “center right candidate.” This is a lie. Kirk’s career rating from nearly every conservative group shows him to rank 50% or less on a conservative scale. This makes him a center left candidate, not a center right candidate. So, Kirk is not a contender for me.
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Publius Forum Republican Primary Endorsements”


Eagle Forum Ill. Primary Endorsements

Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum has made some endorsements in the 2010 Illinois primary.

Here is what the EF folks have thus far…

US Senate

US Congress

Lt. Governor

State Comptroller

State Senate

State House


Gallup Report Indicates Andrzejewski Would Be Most Likely To Succeed In November General Election

From the Adam Andrzejewski for Governor campaign…

Andrzejewski Embodies Conservative Principles, Traditional American Values—

Keys To Winning the Majority in the General Election

Elmhurst, IL: As more political independents find themselves gravitating toward the conservative platform, Adam Andrzejewski emerges as the most likely candidate to reflect that trend. Andrzejewski’s endorsements and support derive from the strongest voices of conservatism, a clear indication that he represents the people and organizations who will determine the outcome of the general election.
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Gallup Report Indicates Andrzejewski Would Be Most Likely To Succeed In November General Election”


Cook County Official Arrested for Misuse of County Funds

-By Warner Todd Huston

It is being reported that on Jan. 14 the superintendent of the Cook County Regional Office of Education, Charles Flowers, was arrested for giving “large cash advances” to his sister and girlfriend.

Apparently, Flowers has been a long-time troublemaker cloaking himself in the guise of an elected official. In 2006 Flowers somehow beat incumbent Robert Ingraffia (Republican) for the office yet even as he prepared to take his new office Flowers seemed to imagine that he was going to also keep his seat on the District 209 School Board.
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Cook County Official Arrested for Misuse of County Funds”


8th District: Joe Walsh calls on Melissa Bean to explain what is an ‘extreme candidate’

From the Joe Walsh for Congress campaign…

Lake Zurich: Joe Walsh, candidate for Congress in the 8th Congressional District, is calling on Melissa Bean to be more specific about what issues she views as “extreme”. In a recent e-mail blast to her supporters Bean refers to the Republican Primary field of candidates as possessing “extreme right wing views.”
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8th District: Joe Walsh calls on Melissa Bean to explain what is an ‘extreme candidate’”


14th District: Hultgren Signs Club For Growth’s ‘Repeal It’ Pledge

From the Randy Hultgren for Congress campaign…

State Senator Randy Hultgren today signed the Club for Growth’s “Repeal It” Candidate Pledge. In doing so, Senator Hultgren promised to the voters of Illinois’ 14th Congressional District that he would work to repeal any government takeover of health care.

“I have consistently opposed the Obama/Pelosi plan to nationalize our health care,” said Hultgren. “Congressman Bill Foster stood with Nancy Pelosi and against the people of Illinois when he voted for this terrible legislation.”
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14th District: Hultgren Signs Club For Growth’s ‘Repeal It’ Pledge”


Dillard Outlines “Best in Class” Education Plan

From the Kirk Dillard for Governor campaign…

Helping Students Succeed for the Jobs of Tomorrow

(Peoria, IL) – Republican candidate for Illinois governor Kirk Dillard today called for more local control for school districts and a greater emphasis on math and science as part of his “Best in Class” Education Plan.
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Dillard Outlines “Best in Class” Education Plan”


5th District: David Ratowitz Picks Up Two More Endorsements

From the David Ratowitz for Congress campaign…

“David Ratowitz brings experience from multiple sectors of the economy, credibility from serving his nation in the Army, and the courage to make the IL-5th not only respectable again, but winnable for Republicans.”

CHICAGO – January 14, 2010 – U.S. House candidate David Ratowitz (IL-5) has received the endorsements of Republican Liberty Caucus of Illinois and Loyola College Republicans officer Brian Williams.
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5th District: David Ratowitz Picks Up Two More Endorsements”


Ill. GOP Chairman Reacts to Guv’s State of State Report

-By Warner Todd Huston

Just got a reply to Governor Pat Quinn’s laughable State of the State address issued by Chairman Pat Brady of the Illinois Republican Party…

“Governor Quinn’s State of the State address today exemplifies the Illinois Democratic Party’s disconnect from reality. We are a state on the verge of financial collapse. A laundry list of government created jobs, government programs and a bail-out from the Federal Government is not a serious approach to economic and fiscal recovery. We can’t wish away a $90 billion unfunded pension liability.”

“The People of the State of Illinois will have a clear choice in November between the failed policies of the Quinn/Blagojevich/Madigan single-party rule Democrats and the fiscally responsible approach to running this state articulated by each of our Republican Gubernatorial candidates.”

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Ill. GOP Chairman Reacts to Guv’s State of State Report”


Lt.Gov.: Cook Endorsements

From the Dennis Cook for Lt. Governor campaign…

Lockport Township and Frankfort Township have endorsed Dennis Cook for Illinois Lt. Governor, he announced today. The Will County townships are just the latest in a steady stream of endorsements for Cook.

Cook, Consolidated District 230 School Board President, said gaining the two endorsements is crucial to his campaign.
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Lt.Gov.: Cook Endorsements”


62nd District: Eagle Forum of Illinois Endorses Paul Mitchell for State House Seat

From the Paul Mitchell for the State House campaign…

Gurnee-IL: Eagle Forum of Illinois yesterday announced its endorsement of businessman Paul Mitchell in his race for nomination to the Illinois House in the 62nd District. “I am thrilled to receive Eagle Forum’s endorsement,” said Mitchell this morning. “The Eagle Forum is not only a powerful force in Illinois, but across our nation in the effort to foster conservative values in government,” Mitchell said. “I’m honored to receive this endorsement and proud to stand with the Forum in its efforts to strengthen families, fight for life, and protect our freedoms.
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62nd District: Eagle Forum of Illinois Endorses Paul Mitchell for State House Seat”