Joe+Walsh
Congressman Joe Walsh Has a Message for the Illinois GOP and America
-By Warner Todd Huston
Is Congressman Walsh Making a Populist Run for Illinois Governor?
Joe Walsh is not a rock star like Joe Walsh. Joe Walsh (the Congressman) is not Joe Walsh (The rock singer from the 1970s band The Eagles) yet both were in town this weekend working political ends. Singer Joe Walsh was stumping for Democrat Tammy Duckworth, a practically vacant, establishment Democrat who is good for little else but spewing talking points it doesn’t seem she fully grasps, while Congressman Joe Walsh was across town warning voters at a well attended townhall that thanks to Obamacare, the 2012 election may be our last chance to save America. (http://walsh.house.gov/)
Walsh was in the Elk Grove area to talk chiefly about the historic and historically bad Supreme Court decision that gave Obama a win on his nationalization of America’s healthcare industry. So, Obamacare was the big topic this day.
“I was overwhelmed by the close to 400 people who turned out for today’s forum,” Congressman Walsh stated. “It was clear from the crowd that this decision was not only historic, but also tragic. It’s even more clear that the only way to repeal this unpopular law is to do so legislatively. This health care plan is a job killing bureaucratic mess that is now recognized by the Supreme Court as a massive tax on the struggling middle class. I have made it clear that getting Americans back to work and repealing the President’s health care plan are my top priorities.”
More on healthcare in a moment, but first, after the townhall I had the chance to ask the Congressman some questions about his ideas and his campaign for reelection to his 8th District Congressional seat.
At the outset of our interview, Congressman Walsh had some very stern words for the Illinois Republican Party. In fact, he said the Illinois GOP is currently part of the problem, not the solution.
Here is a transcript of Walsh’s warning to the Illinois GOP.
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Congressman Joe Walsh Has a Message for the Illinois GOP and America”
Rep. Walsh Schools National Park Service Director About Occupy DC
-By Warner Todd Huston
Why does the National Park Service think they should treat Occupy DC with kid gloves? Because they have “occupy” in their name… er… something. At least that is according to the head of the National Park Service, Jonathan B. Jarvis.
8th District Congressman Joe Walsh (R, ILL) wonders why Park Service personnel are not just tolerating the OWSers but actively assisting them and giving them aid for their protests!
Are we paying our taxes so that the Park Service can become part of an anti-American protest movement? Apparently we are.
Congressman Walsh did a great job showing that these OWSers are not something to be coddled.
(H/T Marathon Pundit)
FULL VIDEO: Rep. Walsh Picks 8th District for 2nd Run
-By Warner Todd Huston
On Thursday night I attended the Chicago Tea Party meeting which featured a jazzed up first term Congressman Joe Walsh who came to announce in which District he’d take a crack at running to affect his reelection to Congress. Without stringing you along, Walsh chose the newly redistricted 8th for his run.
The Chicago Tea Party event was held at Chicago’s famous Cubby Bear restaurant right across the street from The Cub’s Wrigley field stadium.
With the Democrats in control of how Illinois’ electoral map was redrawn — due to the fact that the Illinois GOP has practically no power at all in the state — Walsh became the chief target that Democrats wanted to eliminate for 2012. Walsh’s home is currently in his 8th District, but redistricting casts his home into the 14th District, a district that is already represented by Randy Hultgren, also a solid Republican (and also a freshman congressman To boot).
A full House for Joe’s announcement at Chicago’s favorite Cubby Bear Pub
Initially Walsh announced plans to primary Hultgren and run in the newly jiggered 14th District. But as the weeks rolled on that prospect seemed an increasingly dismal idea. To primary another Republican would have meant a very, very bloody primary fight, one that would do neither Hultgren nor Walsh — nor Republicans for that matter — any good at all regardless of who won the primary.
This led Walsh to a hard decision and that is what brought him to the Cubby Bear that night.
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FULL VIDEO: Rep. Walsh Picks 8th District for 2nd Run”
Freedom Works Picks Walsh Over Hultgren for 14th District Primary
-By Warner Todd Huston
Denver, Colorado- Max Pappas, Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Freedom Works, has announced that the FW candidate evaluation committee has chosen to support Congressman Joe Walsh in the upcoming 14th District GOP primary.
Pappas appeared at Blogcon 2011 as a member of a discussion panel focused on the suitability of the various 2012 primary candidates when the discussion turned to the Illinois 14th District.
Pappas said that in a survey of 80 votes, Joe Walsh only voted badly on one. “Walsh is with us 99.9% of the time. Hultgren only 60%,” Pappas said.
The only vote that Freedom Works disagreed with Walsh on was his vote favorable to Big Labor. Walsh voted against a right-to-work measure making that the only strike against his record.
Going solely on voting record, then, Freedom Works is supporting Joe Walsh for the 14th District primary.
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Freedom Works Picks Walsh Over Hultgren for 14th District Primary”
Video: Walsh Gets a Bit Testy With Constituent
-By Warner Todd Huston
The Internet tubuals have been heating up with a video showing 8th District Republican Congressman Joe Walsh getting — shall we say — a bit testy with a constituent at a recent townhall.
The townhall was held in North Suburban Gurnee at Uno Bar and Grill and Walsh was being grilled about a lack of banking regulations by at least one voter.
Walsh was having none of it, as you saw. He’s exactly right about his point, too. It was Congress that was the problem, not any lack of banking regulations. I stand with Joe on the idea of getting government out of the economy not, as the voters on the video was trying to urge, get government more involved in the economy.
However, I feel Joe’s comportment was over the top and inappropriate. I support his passion on that issue, but he was simply too harsh in reply.
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Video: Walsh Gets a Bit Testy With Constituent”
Is Rep. Walsh Supporter’s Facebook Page ‘Cyber Bullying’ of Rep. Hultgren?
-By Warner Todd Huston
One of the Daily Herald’s bloggers is wondering if the attack page against Congressman Randy Hultgren put on Facebook by a Rep. Walsh supporter qualifies as “cyberbullying.” It is an absurd charge, but the page in question is an interesting page of which to take note.
For those unaware, because of Democrat’s having redisticted Illinois and because the state lost a congressman because we lost residents in the last census, Rep. Joe Walsh (currently elected to the 8th District) announced that he will run against Rep. Randy Hultgren (currently of the 14th District). Instead or running again in the newly reconfigured 8th District, Walsh is challenging Hultgren in the 14th District.
Walsh feels he has to do this because his District was turned from a moderately GOp District to a leans Democrat District and because a lot of his constituents were switched over to the 14th district. This out come, where it is Republican against Republican, is precisely what the Democrats wanted. And boy are they getting it.
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Is Rep. Walsh Supporter’s Facebook Page ‘Cyber Bullying’ of Rep. Hultgren?”
Rep. Joe Walsh Discusses Obamacare
-By Warner Todd Huston
Representative Joe Walsh appeared at a conference earlier this month and he was asked to address some of the troubles that this nation is going to suffer once Obamacare really kicks in.
Walsh is 100% right about his contentions over this destructive Obamacare mess.
Representative Walsh has already announced that he will run against Republican Congressman Randy Hultgren in the newly re-configured 14th District in the upcoming primaries.
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Rep. Joe Walsh Discusses Obamacare”
Another Strong Fundraising Quarter
From the office of Rep. Joe Walsh (R, Illinois 8th District)…
Rep. Walsh on another strong fundraising quarter
“This continued support tells me that people are happy that I have kept my promises to cut the size of government, cut taxes, cut red tape and kill Obamacare.”
McHenry– Last night Congressman Joe Walsh released his third quarter fund-raising numbers. As of September 31st, Congressman Walsh has now raised over $800,000 dollars. This latest quarter now puts him on pace for raising over one million dollars for the year. These numbers contrast with his potential opponent Randy Hultgren who has only raised roughly $650,000 for the year. Other highlights from this reporting period are:
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Another Strong Fundraising Quarter”
Rep. Walsh WILL Run Against Hultgren in the New 14th District
-By Warner Todd Huston
I spoke to Rep. Joe Walsh in Lake Villa, Illinois this past weekend and one of his first questions to me was about running against Hultgren in the new 14th District. Obviously the question was weighing heavily on him that weekend.
I told him it would be a tough fight but that I felt Joe had gone a long way to get his name recognition up in his first big year in D.C. Other than that, I had no advice on whether or not Joe could win there.
Well, now Congressman Walsh has made the final decision and will run against Republican Randy Hultgren in the new 14th District.
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Rep. Walsh WILL Run Against Hultgren in the New 14th District”
Rep. Walsh: Obama’s Jobs Speech, It Was Political
From Rep. Joe Walsh (Ill., 8th District)…
Last week, I announced that instead of attending Obama’s political speech, I would host a small business job forum. I told you I would not be a political prop in Obama’s latest campaign game.
It looks as though I have been proven correct.
The Democratic National Committee just released their latest web ad promoting Obama. What is the topic? You guessed it: Obama’s joint session. The video is titled “14 Months”, the remaining time until the next election. As reported by “The Daily Caller”, it is evident the ad’s purpose is to raise money for the democrats.
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Rep. Walsh: Obama’s Jobs Speech, It Was Political”
Joe Walsh’s Interview With Ginni Thomas of The Daily Caller
From the office of Rep. Joe Walsh (Ill., 8th District)…
Leaders with Ginni Thomas: Rep. Joe Walsh
One Republican freshman from Illinois has the audacity to tell the president he lies, to tell Chris Matthews he bullies guests, and to say the Tea Party movement seems bigger than either the Republican or Democratic parties.
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Joe Walsh’s Interview With Ginni Thomas of The Daily Caller”
Ill. Congressman Walsh Picks Up Re-Election Endorsement of Club for Growth
-By Warner Todd Huston
The Club For Growth, one of the most influential conservative groups in the country, strongly endorsed GOP Congressman Joe Walsh (currently of the Illinois 8th District) for re-election.
This is an interesting development as redistricting in Illinois has truly caused some major heartburn for Republicans in the next congressional elections in the Land of Lincoln, a state that sent five new Republicans to The Hill last year.
Mr. Walsh apparently will run in the newly reconfigured 14h CD and chances are he might be forced to compete with one of the other newly elected GOP congressmen that made their way to Washington in the tidal wave of 2010.
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Ill. Congressman Walsh Picks Up Re-Election Endorsement of Club for Growth”
Rep. Walsh Tells Obama to ‘Quit Lying’ About Soc. Sec.
Illinois Republican Representative Joe Walsh takes it hard to President Obama. Mr. Walsh says that Obama is lying and he wonders if the president even has any clue about how the country works.
Walsh asks, “Have you no shame sir?” …
It’s about time someone in Washington talks straight about this budget mess.
Joe Walsh represents the current 8th District.
Rep. Walsh to Spitzer: Obama ‘Acted Like a 10-Year-Old’
-By Warner Todd Huston
I am happy to say that Rep. Joe Walsh (R, IL) has been doing a great job of taking it to the president and the Democrats since he went to Washington. Here is yet another media visit by Rep. Walsh…
You can help support Joe at: http://walsh.house.gov/
Obama’s Media Passover: Rep. Walsh Takes it To The Media
-By Warner Todd Huston
Joe Walsh (R, 8th District), a Tea Party backed Congressman from Illinois, slams the Old Media on why Obama has been allowed to present not one, but two budgets without the media saying a word about it.
Exactly right, Joe. If any Republican president had issued a budget that failed to win any support and then was forced to make a second run at it, the media would be talking about nothing else but “the president’s first failed budget plan.” The media would be repeating this drumbeat over and over until even the second budget would be DOA because the president would have been so undermined.
But in this case, Obama failed miserably with his first budget offering and has come back to the table with a second one and the media has been wholly silent on the first failure, giving Obama a total pass on the debacle and treated as if his second proposal is the only one he’s ever presented.
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Obama’s Media Passover: Rep. Walsh Takes it To The Media”
Rep. Walsh Introduces H.R. 1501 to Stop U.N. Bias Against Israel
From the office of Rep. Joe Walsh (R, 8th District)…
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joe Walsh (IL-08) introduced H.R. 1501 to withhold U.S. contributions to the regularly assessed U.N. biennial budget until it officially retracts the Goldstone Report, a 2009 U.N. report that accused Israel of war crimes. This bill is a response to last week’s Washington Post Op-Ed by the report’s author, Dr. Richard Goldstone, in which he recanted the entire report. He wrote that the report’s central accusation—that Israeli soldiers deliberately targeted Palestinian civilians during its invasion of Gaza—is false. Goldstone has now concluded that “If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone report would have been a different document”.
“This is just another example of the United Nations’ long-time bias against Israel,” said Walsh. “I find it outrageous that the United Nations has yet to distance itself from a report that even its author has discredited and disavowed.”
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Rep. Walsh Introduces H.R. 1501 to Stop U.N. Bias Against Israel”
Rep Joe Walsh on a Gov’t Shut Down
Newly minted Republican Congressman Joe Walsh of the 8th Illinois District recently spoke to CBS News about the possibility of a government shut down due to the Democrat’s reticence to come up with their own budget policies.
It should be remembered that the Democrats never DID pass a budget in 2010 and the House of Representatives newly taken over by the GOP is playing catch up.
ABC: Joe Walsh on ABC Report on ‘Tea Party Freshmen Return Home’
Take a look at the ABC News piece on Joe Walsh (R, 8th Dist) and other Tea Party candidates returning home for town hall meetings.
“Tea Party Freshmen Return Home“
Congressman Joe Walsh (8th District) Townhall Meeting
From the office of Congressman Joe Walsh (8th District)…
Congressman Walsh of Illinois’ 8th District will be holding an open to the public town hall Wednesday night, January 12th from 7-8:30pm in Wauconda, IL. Walsh will discuss his first week in Congress, the upcoming House agenda, and the events in Arizona over the weekend. Walsh looks forward to answering constituent questions on these and any topics.
“What happened in Arizona Saturday was tragic. I’d like to honor Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords by doing what she loves to do and what I love to do, which is meeting with and speaking with my constituents” said Walsh.
All are welcome. The town hall will be held at the Wauconda Township Hall, located at 505 W. Bonner Road from 7-8:30pm Wednesday night.
Congressman-Elect Walsh to Sit on Three Committees
From the office of Congressman-Elect Joe Walsh (8th District)…
Washington, DC. – Congressman-elect Joe Walsh (R, Illinois-8) will be a busy man during committee time in the 112th Congress that begins in January. The Republican Steering Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has assigned Walsh to three committees: Homeland Security, Small Business, and Oversight and Government Reform.
“I am proud to accept these positions, and I thank the Steering Committee for entrusting me with these responsibilities. I believe that these committees will allow me to advocate for the issues that I campaigned on and those issues which are important to my constituents in the eighth district,” Walsh said.
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Congressman-Elect Walsh to Sit on Three Committees”
Rep-Elect Joe Walsh Comments on Importation of Guantanamo Bay Terrorists to Illinois
From the office of Congressman-Elect Joe Walsh (8th District)…
Today Rep.-elect Joe Walsh made the following statement regarding the Obama Administration’s plans to import Guantanamo Bay terrorists to Illinois:
“It is imperative that terrorists from Guantanamo Bay not be brought to Illinois. Such action would pose a grave national security threat and create unnecessary challenges in the war against Al Qaeda. As the only member from Illinois serving on the Committee on Homeland Security, I will make this one of my top priorities on the committee.”
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Rep-Elect Joe Walsh Comments on Importation of Guantanamo Bay Terrorists to Illinois”
Joe Walsh Launches Listening Tour (8th District)
From the office of Congressman elect Joe Walsh, 8th District…
I will launch a series of town hall meetings across the district during the month of December. I expect the meetings to give my constituents an opportunity to voice their thoughts and concerns. Please check the schedule below for dates, times, and locations. These meetings are open to the public and all opinions are welcome.
Please forward this e-mail to your friends, neighbors, and co-workers, especially those who may not have voted for me. I would like this to be an opportunity to hear the concerns of the 8th District regardless of political viewpoint.
Joe Walsh,
Congressman-elect of the 8th District
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Joe Walsh Launches Listening Tour (8th District)”
Congressman Elect Joe Walsh: Let’s Take The Country Back
From Congressman elect Joe Walsh…
I’m pleased that the decision of the people of the 8th District voting on November 2nd has been confirmed. Representative Bean telephoned me earlier this evening and congratulated me for winning the 8th District seat in the United States House of Representatives. I am grateful to each and every individual who cast their ballot for me, and for all of the thousands of volunteers, Tea Party members, regular Republicans, friends and staff people that have made this victory possible. I congratulate Representative Bean on her vigorous campaign and thank her for her six years of public service.
With the voting and counting now complete, we can turn all of our energies to advancing the legislative agenda the people of the 8th District have told me to pursue: more responsive government, less borrowing against our children’s future, and a common sense approach to deal with the economic challenges facing our country. I will be busy here in Washington for several more days before returning to Illinois to personally thank all those who worked so hard to send me to Congress.
We have a lot to do, and I am eager to get at it.
Congressman-elect Joe Walsh will be holding a press conference on Wednesday, November 17 at 11:30 AM Eastern Time at RNC Headquarters.
Walsh Wins by 290 Votes in Ill 8th
-By Warner Todd Huston
The ballots are finally all counted for the race for the 8th Congressional District in Illinois. Congratulations goes to Republican Joe Walsh who beat incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean by a scant 290 votes.
The vote tally has yet to be 100 percent certified, but it looks like Walsh is the winner.
This is quite a pickup for the GOP, too. Not only did party wonks assume that Walsh never had a chance to win this race and therefore didn’t give Walsh much help, the other side was so sure that Bean was a shoo in to be returned to Congress that they didn’t spend much money on her race either.
This one is a shock to just about everyone. One suspects even Walsh is surprised.
So, congrats to Congressman elect Joe Walsh, 8th District.
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Walsh Wins by 290 Votes in Ill 8th”
Walsh Campaign Again Faces Lawsuit
Former Campaign Manager Files Amended Complaint for Unpaid Services
MORTON GROVE, IL — This morning in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Keith Liscio, former Campaign Manager for 8th Congressional District Republican nominee Joe Walsh, filed an amended complaint against Walsh’s campaign for unpaid campaign management services on behalf of his firm Patrickson-Hirsch Associates. Liscio originally brought suit against the campaign in January seeking payment of $20,000 in unpaid fees but that complaint was dismissed without prejudice last month on a pair of legal technicalities.
Specifically, the judge in the case ruled that Liscio’s complaint must explicitly state that Mr. Walsh and Mr. Liscio’s agreement in the case was oral and that the complaint must list Liscio’s campaign duties and responsibilities. The new complaint addresses both of those issues.
Walsh Campaign Again Faces Lawsuit”
Troubles Mount for Walsh Campaign (R, 8th District) — Walsh MUST Step down NOW!
-By Warner Todd Huston
Last December Joe Walsh, the primary winner for the GOP nomination for the 8th District Congressional seat, lost his campaign manager Keith Liscio. Liscio quit the Walsh campaign over unpaid consulting fees adding up into the thousands. Now two more top campaign operatives are quitting Walsh’s campaign adding to worries of financial problems, missed filing dates for federal paper work, and other questions of Walsh’s suitability for office.
Richard Cape and Ted Livengood, the campaign manager and field director respectively, have announced that they are quitting the Walsh campaign. In a recent email to supporters and media both the pair have also said they no longer endorse his candidacy. In the email are listed quite a few questions that have come to trouble Cape and Livengood about candidate Walsh.
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Troubles Mount for Walsh Campaign (R, 8th District) — Walsh MUST Step down NOW!”
Walsh: Not a Perfect Candidate, but the Perfect Candidate to Defeat Melissa Bean
From the Walsh for Congress Campaign (8th District)…
8th District Republican Congressional Nominee spent an hour last night speaking with, listening to, and answering questions from more than 100 Eighth District residents at a candidate forum last night.
“I am not a perfect candidate,” Walsh said, “But I am the perfect candidate to defeat Melissa Bean,” he said to great applause from the audience.
“I wasn’t the establishment choice,” Walsh said. “And the fact that I am neck-and-neck with Rep. Bean in the polls makes those who benefit from the status quo nervous. That’s okay. I’m not going to make the same mistakes Melissa Bean has made by putting her political party ahead of her district. You elected me and it is your interests that will fight for and your values that I will represent in Congress.”
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Walsh: Not a Perfect Candidate, but the Perfect Candidate to Defeat Melissa Bean”
Chicago Fox Attacks 8th District Candidate Joe Walsh
-By Warner Todd Huston
Fox News Chicago ran a piece on 8th Congressional District Republican candidate Joe Walsh who topped a field of five candidates in the primary. They found that Walsh’s campaign never filed his financial disclosure forms as required by federal election law. The Fox correspondent pointedly asked Walsh, “how come you didn’t file your personal financial disclosure forms as obligated by federal election laws?”
Fox News also found a couple of local pols that said they would ask Walsh to resign his primary win if these things were not figured out. Of course, neither of the guys they found supported Walsh during the primary, so it shouldn’t be surprising that they’d immediately jump to calling for Walsh to quit the race.
But my biggest problem with these stories about Walsh’s financial troubles is that they never came before the primary. They’ve all come after the primary. Even I wrote about Walsh’s financial troubles before the primary and I don’t have the investigative tools that TV and newspapers do! Yet all these high falutin’ Old Media outlets in Chicago ignored the issue until Walsh won the primary.
It is hard not to imagine that the Chicago media waited to “report” these matters until after the primary specifically so that they could hurt the Republican pickup of this seat.
Walsh’s campaign did file the disclosure forms and paid a $200 fine after Fox News brought it to their attention. Walsh says it was but an oversight. Here I’ll make no judgment, you decide.
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Chicago Fox Attacks 8th District Candidate Joe Walsh”