Dillard Blames Schillerstrom and Ryan for Loss

-By Warner Todd Huston

Kirk Dillard told Pioneer Local reporter Amy Deis that he lost because Bob Schillerstrom dropped out too late and Ryan came in too late, both, he said, took thousands of votes from him leading to a bare primary edge-out by Bill Brady.

He especially pinpoints Schillerstrom for the loss.

“His 7,000 votes would have made the race; I was very much hindered by them,” Dillard said.

It may sound like sour grapes on Dillard’s part, but I cannot dispute that the thought rests on solid ground.

After all, Bill Brady hardly showed up at all in Cook County, DuPage County and the immediate collar counties. On the other hand, Schillerstrom didn’t show up at all south of Interstate 80! And north of that east/west tollway was Dillard country, as well as Schillerstrom’s.

It is very likely that most of Schillerstrom and Ryan’s votes would have gone Dillard’s way since both candidate had their base in the same area from which Dillard hails. The same areas that Brady was very, very weak.

But, that’s the way the primary crumbles, if you will.

There is a final word to say about Kirk Dillard’s conduct in this race. He never much got into mud slinging with his campaign. Oh, sure there were some sharp words, but he never got mean spirited. Additionally, even in this final waiting out of counting the last absentee ballot he’s been above reproach in his actions. He’s firmly invoked his rights to wait for the final counting before a victor is announced but he’s done so without much over-the-top vitriol.

Good for him on that level, anyway.
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Dillard Blames Schillerstrom and Ryan for Loss”


State Rep. Skip Saviano: An Illinois Republican to Dump

-By Warner Todd Huston

77th District State Representative Skip Saviano is a perfect example of the sort of Republican that may as well be a Democrat. Saviano’s latest gaff is to side with the big government, big spending Democrats on the video gambling issue.

On Feb. 1 I wrote about how the Democrats are trying to pull a tax bait and switch on those communities that legally decide to employ the opt-out clause in the State’s new video gambling law. Democrats, and wild spenders on the GOP side like Saviano, want to penalize those communities that have voted their conscience on this destructive gambling measure.
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State Rep. Skip Saviano: An Illinois Republican to Dump”


PuffyPost Shows Political Ignorance Once Again: Joe Walsh ‘The Party Candidate’

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, the Puffington Post has once again shown that it is wholly un-credible as a source for serious political analysis. This time it’s the “work” of HuffPuffer Will Guzzardi who doesn’t seem to know what a primary is or what it does, at least if his headline can be used as an example.

In his titled “Joe Walsh, First Tea Party Candidate To Win Election, Starts Attracting Attention,” Willie Guzzardi attempts to regale us on his deep knowledge of what occurred in the late Illinois primary. Unfortunately, we can doubt that pretension of depth without getting any further than his header. After all, Joe Walsh was not elected to anything as the headline claims. He did win the nomination of his party in order to run for election, but he didn’t get elected.

Additionally, we can easily take issue with Guzzie’s claim that Walsh is “the tea party candidate.” Yes, Mr. Walsh ran as “the tea party candidate” but previous to December 2009 Mr. Joe Walsh had never once BEEN to a tea party event in his life. And to this he admits openly. His running as “the tea party candidate” was a campaign strategy, not a grass roots reality.

Now, just before the primary on Feb. 2, Walsh did get the endorsement of a local tea party group. So, though belatedly, he did become a “tea party candidate.”
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PuffyPost Shows Political Ignorance Once Again: Joe Walsh ‘The Party Candidate’”


Mike Madigan: Say, Let’s Get Rid of Lt. Guv

-By Warner Todd Huston

Dem. Powerman Michael Madigan is proposing to ax the position of Lt. Governor and he wants it down by 2015. To achieve this the Speaker of the House has introduced a bill in Springfield to eliminate the position.

The bill provides that the Attorney General would replace the Governor if he should per chance have to step down… by that we mean go to jail like the rest of them seem to do eventually.

To tell you the truth, I am for this effort. The position is a waste of taxpayer’s money, has no powers anyway, and is ripe for a cost cutting measure.

Amusingly, Madigan can’t even do this small thing with any sense of democracy to his actions. He proposed the bill without even bothering to discuss it with his own caucus this week. Like some Soviet dictator, Madigan just made his pronouncement and that is that.

Anyway, I hope he actually wins this battle. The Lt. Guv’s position is a pointless one.
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Mike Madigan: Say, Let’s Get Rid of Lt. Guv”


False Attacks on Kinzinger

-By Warner Todd Huston

Looks like the Democrats have found a surrogate to attack the honorable service of 11th District candidate Captain Adam Kinzinger. Some fellow named William Walter is trying to use his FaceBook page to smear Capt. Kinzinger’s service.

The Hill has a post on it now, but the long and short of it is that the Democrats must be pretty scared of Mr. Kinzinger’s candidacy if they are stooping to such low tactics.

“I know where I’ve served and I know what I’ve done,” Kinzinger told The Hill.

This Democrat FaceBook plant is questioning Kinzinger’s bio on his website saying that the military history stated there is untrue. After the faux controversy Kinzinger changed the entry to be more explicit of what he did in the Air Force.
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False Attacks on Kinzinger”


Illinois GOP Nominee Likely to be Bill Brady

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, it seems that the GOP nominee for Illinois Governor will remain Bill Brady unless Kirk Dillard wants to spend a ton of money to fund a recount effort.

NBC 5 reports that with the 400 votes still separating Brady over Dillard, that may be too much for Dillard to over come without a recount effort.

And even if Brady has only a 400 vote advantage, the difference may be too great for Dillard to ask for a recount. Not only would Dillard be required to pay — and the prospect is expensive — he’d have to prove fraud or tampering with the vote. No easy task.

I do not believe that Dillard has enough money to float a recount, so it looks like around the middle of February we will get a certified Brady candidacy.
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Illinois GOP Nominee Likely to be Bill Brady”


Ill. Congressional Candidates Added to ‘Young Guns’ List

-By Warner Todd Huston

Three hot Illinois primary winners have been added to the National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) “Young Guns” list of top recruits for 2010.

Added to the list were Bob Dold (10th District), Adam Kinzinger (11th District), and Randy Hultgren (14th District).

Now, being “young” isn’t necessarily the only criteria for being added to the NRCC’s young guns list. Let’s face it Bob Dold and Randy Hultgren are hardly spring chickens! Seriously, what this does is open these candidates for campaign assistance from the NRCC and the national party.
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Ill. Congressional Candidates Added to ‘Young Guns’ List”


Dem Powerbrokers to Ignore Voters, Choose Own Lt. Gov. Candidate

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, with the winner of the democratic Party nomination for Lt. Gov. stepping down, one might think that the Party would give heavy weight to the other candidates that faced Scott Lee Cohen in the Lt. Gov. primary. Of course, if one thought that one would not be remembering that Illinois is Democrat leader Mike Madigan’s plaything.

The Sun-Times is reporting that Dem powerhouse Michael Madigan has decided that he’s going to ignore the second and third place vote getters in the primary and emplace his own, hand-picked buddy to take the Lt. Gov. spot.

So, Art Turner (the number 2 vote getter) and Mike Boland are out despite that the voters picked them as the next runner ups for the Lt. Gov. spot.

On WLS Radio today, GOP Chairman Pat Brady echoed this concern that Democrat powerbrokers are choosing elected officials now and not even bothering with the pretense of the voters having a say.

That is how corrupt the Illinois Democrats really are. They’ve at last revealed what they really think of the voters.
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Dem Powerbrokers to Ignore Voters, Choose Own Lt. Gov. Candidate”


Put Back Amendment: Fight Back against Michael Madigan’s Iron-Grip of the Legislature!‏

Now that the primary election is over, we turn our sights towards the Democrats and ending their destructive reign over the State of Illinois. Of these, none is more dangerous and powerful than House Speaker Michael Madigan. As we all know, he wields complete control over the Illinois General Assembly. Whatever law he does not want considered is dead on arrival. All important legislation he does in a back room free from scrutiny. This needs to end.

That is why the Put-Back Amendment was conceived. Despite the fact that over 99% of Illinois citizens do not, nor cannot vote for Mike Madigan, he is in complete control. We send 177 legislators to Springfield for a reason, so each corner of this state can be represented. It is time to end his iron-gripcontrol.
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Put Back Amendment: Fight Back against Michael Madigan’s Iron-Grip of the Legislature!‏”


Regional Vote Breakdown for Gov./Lt. Gov. Primaries

-By Warner Todd Huston

Ryan Keith and Brian Feldt of the State Journal-Register in Springfield, Ill. did some great work identifying the regional strengths of the candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor of both Parties in this primary season.

I don’t usually do this, but I’m going to reprint their whole piece because it isn’t too easy to excerpt without losing context, not to mention that the info is pretty important in order to uderstand the electoral reality in the state. So, here it is but be sure and understand that it came from the State Journal-Register.

Regional changes could have altered primary election results

By RYAN KEITH (ryan.keith@sj-r.com) and BRIAN FELDT — THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER

Electoral craziness wrote another chapter last week in the zany book of Illinois politics.

The two races for governor ended in virtual dead heats, with two Republicans still waiting for a final count. Both races for lieutenant governor were close.

But the overall results don’t show just how close the losing candidates really came to victory – and how in some areas the tallies were lopsided in favor of those who came up a little short.

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Regional Vote Breakdown for Gov./Lt. Gov. Primaries”


Some Letters Beating Me Up Over My Tea Party Articles

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well I’ve now written six — this makes seven — articles criticizing certain failures of the Tea Party movement thus far. They are all meant to be constructive criticisms, though, not dismissive nor derogatory of them. It’s measured introspection I employ in each of these articles. No name calling, no laughing, no hate. There is just no logical way to construe what I’ve written thus far as hate against the Tea Party movement. But this whole Tea Party thing reveals several things to me. First of all it shows that there is still a lot of passion for them and that is a very good thing. I want the Tea Party groups to succeed and I want them to become a force that can teach the GOP a lesson. The other main thing it shows me is that too many people can’t read for comprehension these days.

The sad thing is that these days even the slightest criticism of a thing is seen by too many as outright hostility. Everyone is so hypersensitive that even a mild criticism meant as an exercise in introspection is seen as an over-the-top attack. It doesn’t just happen on the right, either. Look at what happened to all those Hillary Clinton supporters during the run up to the 2008 presidential elections. The constructive criticism that Hillary fans offered the Democrats was pounded down so hard by the left that many Hillary supporters found themselves aligned — and some permanently — with the side they thought they opposed; the Republicans.

Naturally there’s the name callers and nay sayers always floating around out there. I had one guy, for instance, say, “who asked you for your opinion” of the Tea Parties? This same guy then went on to give me HIS opinion of them evoking the obvious rejoinder of just who the hell asked him for his opinion, anyway? Obviously he wasn’t bright enough to “get” that concept!
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Some Letters Beating Me Up Over My Tea Party Articles”


No One Gains Full Confidence in Top of Ticket Races

-By Warner Todd Huston

Kurt Erickson has some interesting points in his article in the Decatur Herald-Review. His summation of the elections for the top spot for both the Democrats and Republicans is that no one wowed the voters and neither party saw their top guy getting the full confidence of the people.

Erickson seems to be leaning toward thinking Brady is the better choice for the GOP, though I think Brady will find that he can’t get many votes in Chicago and the collar counties.

I find it interesting that Erickson didn’t dwell longer on Lt. Gov. candidate Scott Lee Cohen, though. What an embarrassment to the Democrat Party that was.

But I think he is 100% right with one line close to the end of his piece:
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No One Gains Full Confidence in Top of Ticket Races”


Statement From Kirk Dillard: Count ALL The Ballots

As everyone waits to find out who will be the official GOP nominee for Governor, we see that only 406 votes separates ostensible winner Bill Brady and still hopeful Kirk Dillard.

Still on pins and needles, Dillard is holding out for all absentee ballots and all mail ins to be counted…

Republican candidate for Illinois Governor Kirk Dillard today said at a press conference in Chicago that the ballot counting process in the GOP Primary must continue, “until all of the legal ballots have been counted and verified.”
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Statement From Kirk Dillard: Count ALL The Ballots”


Pia for Pennsylvania’s First District

-By Warner Todd Huston

Pia Varma, an American of Indian background… not not a redskin, an actual Indian… wants you to send her to Congress, Pennsylvania. And so she has announced her run for Pennsylvania’s First District Congressional seat (Philadelphia).

She tells us that her grandfathers were fighters in the Indian Independence movement of the 1960s, though she was born here from parents that immigrated from England. Pia proudly calls herself an American.

From what I can see, she has the right idea about what this “United States of America” thingie is all about…

Now THIS is the sort of ideals we want to see making its way to Congress. It seems to me Pia’s principles are those that have been absent from Washington D.C. since, oh, since around 1933.

Well, I like her! VOTE PIA for Pennsylvania!
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Pia for Pennsylvania’s First District”


CT Senate Race Gets ‘Retarded’ Over Wrestling Queen’s Shows

-By Warner Todd Huston

Retard-gate is growing, apparently, and it’s coming to the Connecticut Senate race over the mistreatment of a developmentally disabled wrestling character that Senate candidate Linda McMahon’s entertainment company created in 2004.

For those of you unaware, wrestling queen Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, is running for the Senate in Connecticut against conservative Rob Simmons.

As it happens, starting in 2004 McMahon’s wrestling shows once featured what was presented as a mentally handicapped wrestler who was stage named “Eugene.” Through the course of this character’s story arc he was savagely beaten in a “cage match,” and was regularly verbally abused by other characters.

For her part, McMahon claims that the character was written as a “hero” that was supposed to inspire “other people with disabilities to strive to achieve their dreams.”

However, McMahon’s opponent Rob Simmons begs to differ. He thinks that the wrestling show mistreated what was presented as a developmentally disabled adult and used him as the butt of jokes. Simmons is calling for McMahon to be held to account for using the developmentally disabled story line.
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CT Senate Race Gets ‘Retarded’ Over Wrestling Queen’s Shows”


John Boehner is Kidding Himself

-By Warner Todd Huston

Yesterday our Republican minority leader in the House of Representatives proved that he still isn’t seeing the problem with the GOP. He’s living in denial, at least he is if we can take his words at face value.

On the Mike Gallagher radio show yesterday, leader Boehner insisted that there is no substantive ideological differences between the Tea Party folks and the Republican Party.

(As reported by The Hill)

“There really is no difference between what Republicans believe in and what the tea party activists believe in,” Boehner said during an appearance on the conservative Mike Gallagher’s radio show.

Boehner went on to say that the GOP has a job ahead of it to, “prove it to the tea party activists that we really are who we say we are.”

I can only shake my head at Mr. Boehner’s blather. Granted it might be mere bombast and hopeful talk from a man hoping to convince voters to buy his product. He may know he’s blowing smoke in part. But let’s assume he’s dead serious.
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John Boehner is Kidding Himself”


Live Blogging the 2010 Illinois Primary Returns

-By Warner Todd Huston

I’ll be poking in to show that Illinois loves their politics crooked and live blogging the poor, poor turnout in the 2010 primary.
(The newest post will appear on the top for ease of viewing.)
Won’t you click… Continue reading


Live Blogging the 2010 Illinois Primary Returns”


Illinois Primary Election TODAY! Go Vote

-By Warner Todd Huston

It’s Groundhog’s Day, do you know where your election ballot is?? Well, it’s at your polling place so go fill it out. TODAY is the Illinois Primary!!

I know, I know, who knew, right?

Here are my endorsements (and here is the post explaining the choices):

SENATE
Patrick Hughes – www.patrickhughesforsenate.com

GOVERNOR
Dan Proft – http://www.proft2010.com
(second choice Adam Andrzejewski)
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Illinois Primary Election TODAY! Go Vote”


Sandy Cole Supporters attack GOP candidates for Governor, Congress, State House

From Paul Mitchell for 62nd District State Rep…

When voters in the 62nd District received a late mailer from Personal PAC on behalf of Sandy Cole for State Representative, they were told ominously that her challenger in Tuesday’s Republican primary, Paul Mitchell, had a 100% rating from the Illinois Federation for Right to Life (IFRL).

The mailer, apparently sent only to female names in the district, boldly announces “Personal PAC Urges You to Vote NO ON PAUL MITCHELL.”

The Mitchell campaign hopes that Sandy’s friends aren’t painting with too broad a brush: Republican gubernatorial candidates Jim Ryan, Kirk Dillard, Bill Brady, Adam Andrejewski, and Dan Proft, as well as Republican 8th District Congressional candidates Maria Rodriguez and Joe Walsh, have all likewise been given 100% ratings from the IFRL.
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Sandy Cole Supporters attack GOP candidates for Governor, Congress, State House”


The Ironclad Case for Adam Andrzejewski (And-G-F-Ski) for Governor

-By Bruno Behrend

This is a long, but important e-mail about the most important political race in Illinois. Please remember that the choices you have in November are dictated by the choices you make in this primary election. You have to get out and vote tomorrow, and you have to get 10 of your friends to do the same. Also, don’t split your vote. Just vote for the conservative newcomer who can win.

This is a personal request that you vote for Adam Andrzejewski, the best Republican candidate for Governor. I would like to tell you about Adam and his campaign, and I have a unique perspective, as I was instrumental in the campaign as Adam’s policy director up until early December. I am still actively involved as a volunteer.
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The Ironclad Case for Adam Andrzejewski (And-G-F-Ski) for Governor”


Video: Berkowitz Visits With Senate Candidate Patrick Hughes

Patrick Hughes is the best candidate to beat Mark Kirk in this primary but he’s had some trouble getting the Old Media to report on his campaign. Well, if you’ve not seen Mr. Hughes, Jeff Berkowitz of the show Public Affairs conducted an interview with the conservative Republican candidate for Senate.

www.patrickhughesforsenate.com


Dirty Trick Robocall Says Dan Proft Quits Governor Race

-By Warner Todd Huston

Earlier today there was news that a fake robocall was making its way across Illinois with the recorded voice claiming to be candidate Dan Proft. This fake voice mimic said that he (as Dan Proft) was quitting the race for Governor. Even more ridiculously the impersonator claimed that he (as Dan Proft) was throwing his support behind the crook Andy McKenna!!

Proft Responds to False and Illegal Robocalls; McKenna Responsible?
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Dirty Trick Robocall Says Dan Proft Quits Governor Race”


8th District Incumbent Democrat, Remember What We Are Fighting

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Palatine Tea Party folks have a very good webpage that reminds us of just what we Republicans are fighting when we are looking for candidates to oust incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean.

Congressman Melissa Bean is a tax and spend, big government, socialist healthcare-supporting, left-winger and needs to be eliminated.
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8th District Incumbent Democrat, Remember What We Are Fighting”


More Illinois Election Web Resources

-By Warner Todd Huston

Way back in 2009 (OK, it was Dec. 26) I posted a bunch of websites that can help you with your info needs on the web for Illinois elections and most especially Cook County. I have another website to add to that list so I thought I’d just repost the whole thing.

The new resource is a site called eVoter.com. On the main page they describe themselves as an “unbiased, non-partisan election information site where Voters can instantly generate a personalized Sample Ballot, view Candidate Profiles, make Contributions, view Organizational Endorsements, find Polling Places and more.”

You can find them at www.evoter.com

For a list of the website of all candidates including Democrats, see www.uselections.com/il/il.htm.

And don’t forget the Chicago Tribune’s candidate questionnaire responses.

State-wide and Cook County and Collar County GOP Candidate’s websites:

U.S. Senate

John Arrington – arringtonforsenate.com
Patrick Hughes – patrickhughesforsenate.com
Mark Kirk – kirkforsenate.com
Tom Kuna – w-e-r-co.com
Don Lowery – judgelowery4ussenate.com
Andy Martin – andyforussenator.com
Kathleen Thomas – kathleenthomasforsenate.org
Ed Varga – e-varga.com
Robert Zadek – robertzadek.com
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More Illinois Election Web Resources”


Which Ill. Candidates Have Signed Taxpayer Protection Pledge?

-By Warner Todd Huston

Americans for Tax Reform (atr.org) has a post up today reminding us all just which Illinois candidates have signed ATR’s no tax pledge.

It’s called the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and you can see the pledge HERE.
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Which Ill. Candidates Have Signed Taxpayer Protection Pledge?”


U.S. Senate: John Arrington Presses President, Pentagon for Manufacturing Jobs at Rock Island Arsenal and Across U.S.‏

From the John Arrington for Senate campaign…

On Friday, January 29th at 2:00 p.m. Senate candidate John Arrington will be holding a press conference at the iWireless Center near the Rock Island arsenal. In response to President Obama’s State of the Union speech, Mr. Arrington will be sending letters to the President, Congress, and the Pentagon today demanding that an assessment be taken of defense systems manufactured overseas, and that all defense related products be returned to the U.S. for production. “Discussing jobs without including our disappearing manufacturing industry is like discussing healthcare without tort reform, it’s a Band-Aid approach,” stated Arrington. “Americans must produce in order to sustain our economic future, and that must start with our Department of Defense.”
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U.S. Senate: John Arrington Presses President, Pentagon for Manufacturing Jobs at Rock Island Arsenal and Across U.S.‏”