The Chicago Tribune is reporting that incumbent GOP Congressman Mark Kirk outraised his Dem opponent "Professor" Dan Seals by about $100,000 in the first quarter of 2008. Read the story here. Kirk's totals for Q1 were about $715,000, compared to about $613,000 for Dan Seals. A lot of that money was raised and spent in Seals' primary battle against fellow Dem Jay Footlik, however. Meanwhile, Mark Kirk has been hoarding his cash, with about $2.25 million in the bank, compared with only around $715,000 cash on hand for Seals. Kirk has also roughly doubled Seals' total fundraising efforts for this cycle.
We won't know how Kirk did in terms of comparison to candidates nationwide until the official results are reported, but he is usually at the very top.
If this trend continues, Seals will have to rely heavily on DCCC to ride in on a white horse and save him, just to remain competitive. While D-Trip has reportedly pledged its support, there clearly have been no specific dollars committed. Maybe they are Team America readers and they are a little concerned about writing that big check while Seals is still taking media hits on Professor-gate and other issues...
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Mark Kirk has helped many people along the way over the years and is nowhere near tapped out for fundraising sources. I wonder how many places has left to go?
Ooops. I wonder how many places Seals has left to go?
TA,
The Daily Herald ran this graph earlier
"Last week, Kirk reported raising more than $625,000 from Jan. 16 through March 31, with more than $2.2 million on hand. On Monday, Seals reported raising more than $613,000 from Jan. 1 to March 31, with about $750,000 cash on hand. "
I'll be waiting to seeing Dan's actual FEC filing for Jan 16-Mar 31 - the money he raised after the primary.
I would not be suprised if Seals is trying to spin his numbers by including contributions collected during the primary and already reported.
If you're going by Seals math, Kirk raised over close to $740k from Jan. 1 to March 31.
TA:
A close look shows that Seals raised less money than Kirk but spent more.
Kirk now has a three to one advanatge over Seals in funding.
What is Seals spending so much money on? Another $25,000 for himself?
Hey Dan, as a Democrat, stop spending money! Kirk is pulling ahead.
Now at last we know what Kirk has been doing with his time.
What use is Kirk going to be in an Obama administration?
Hey Dan -- did you call the cops on the students in your class AGAIN?
Anon 9:38, here's an answer to your rather moronic statement. In any administration Congressman Mark Kirk moves UP within the Appropriations Committee. Get it. He will be completing 8 years of successful achievements as our Representative in Congress. He has steadily advanced his position on the sub-committees within the full committee. In short, Congressman Mark Kirk is a very valuable member with an enviable record. Sorry to deflate your balloon. Get over it, Congressman Mark Kirk is highly regarded on both sides of the aisle, has proven that he works well in bi-partisan efforts benefitting our district, our nation and the world.
Well said, Anon 10:31!
Has a breakdown been done on Seals' money? Do we know how many "Voters in the 10th District...fed up with the Bush-Kirk policies..." actually donated and how many were from the other 434 districts?
Thanks, TA, I was only stating a very well known fact about our Congressman and his enviable position within the Appropriations committee issue. Those folks from the "dark side" must have been absent from class when discussions about congressional committess was discussed. It's either that or they like to say stupid things in this silly season. Congressman Mark Kirk, regardless of who occupies the Oval Office come January of 09, moves up to the second seat on Appropriations or HIGHER if we're lucky. One thing is certain: Seals wouldn't even make it to the Agriculture committee or anything close should he ever win a seat. He'd be wandering around trying to locate stairs and other important places as his first order of business.
It's more than clear: Congressman Kirk has earned his re-election through hard work, dedicated service, commitment to making important differences for all of us and yes, working in a strongly bi-partisan manner. Enough said, TA, it's just sad that those "dark side folks" want to distort Mr. Kirk's record. The coming campaign will show and prove all that we've been saying on your Blog. And to quote that woman of long ago, yes, facts ARE stubborn things and she and her 2 or 3 buddies will be confronted with the truth of Mr. Kirk's votes to prove the point. And let this campaign begin!
It is sad that the argument for our Republican candidate comes down to appropriations. Isn't this the kind of thing that got the Illinois GOP in trouble in the first place? (I know Andy McKenna doesn't thinl so) Is it any wonder that New England, which used to be a Republican fortress for fiscal conservatism, no only has Chris Shays left? The southern tilt of the party is such a millstone.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aRAotaKwU1l0&refer=politics
Great job Anon.
Besides does anyone REALLY believe Barack is going to win?
Accomplishments in the State Senate: Zero
Bad Judgement Calls:
Big bucks fundraisers by Tony Rezko
Bizarre land acquisitions with Tony Rezko
Hanging out with Reverend Wright for 20 years.
Giving large sums of money to Reverend Wright.
As a lawyer, attempting to write off political contributions on tax returns.
Missing 80% of the votes in Congress but showing up to vote AGAINST the patriot act.
Expansion of welfare programs.
Taxing to death the hard-working citizens of this country.
Let's put it this way: if you have a job, you can't afford to vote for Obama. If you don't have a job and you don't want a job - well, then, Obama is your guy.
What we need to calculate is how many folks are employed in this Country and how many are unemployed. There's your answer!
Kirk helped kill the Bridge to Nowhere and joined the anti-earmark caucus.
Seals wants to raise your taxes, just like:
Blagojevich
Stroger
and
Obama
It's good news for Mark, but he has to define Dan. Democrats hate blago, and stroger, as much if not more than Republicans and Mark has to make that case.
McKenna really pisses me off, this is a nightmare to have the democrats screwing us like this in the state right now, and we can't make any headway against them-thus the reason we are endanger of losing Mark. Dennis Byrne wrote a column a few weeks ago about how the party won't recover until we get rid of the leaders scratching the chicago democrats back. McKenna is on the board of every major company in the city and sometimes I wonder if he's playing not to lose that $$ while we walk precincts.
Either way he's got to go-and I am a moderate.
What is the point in electing Kirk when he's going to get redistricted out of existence in 2010?
anonymous 7:36 needs to learn that the first election after redistricting will be in 2012. Blago will be gone and who knows who the next Governor will be.
Anon 10:31 and everyone:
Quick, without looking...who is the top Republican (ranking member) on the House Appropriations Committee? Pretty invisible, right?
And Kirk is way down on the seniority totem pole in Appropriations Committee, and will continue to be in the minority party! The best part about being a senior member of the majority party on Appropriations is that you got priority for earmarks. Them days are over for Mark. No wonder he's now against earmarks.
This session of Congress he's had a lot of time on his hands to raise money!
Actually, Anon 9:22, you should take a look at the list of retiring Republicans. You'll notice a huge chunk are appropriators, which means Kirk moves way up next year.
Additionally, because Kirk is a moderate, he is more likely to break from his party to vote for the Democratic appropriations bills than other members. For that reason, he actually probably gets more for his district in appropriations now than he did in the majority -- the Dems need to keep him happy to vote for the bills!
So, he's a Republican because...um, why again?
Hey, Anon 10:36 (Mr. (ms.?) Herndon, Virgina), I appreciate that you've discovered my humble Blog and have offered several comments over the last few days (all critical of Mark Kirk), but why would someone like you care about little old us here in the podunk Midwest and our undying support for Mark Kirk? Unless maybe you're on the D-trip payroll or something...?
Way to go, TA. I hope that our long distance "visitors" continue to realize that Mark Kirk has a great deal of support in this district. I hope our VA "visitor" understands that WE elect Mark Kirk because we appreciate the kind of leadership he provides, the outstanding record of proven success that's well known and very appreciated. Isn't it great that this Blog is read far and wide! As I said, TA, way to go!!!!
TA (geek wannabe)
Anon 10:36 here. I've lived (and continue to live) in Highland Park and I travel regularly to my company's office near Washington Dulles Airport. MapQuest, part of AOL...you may have heard about it. Is it OK with you if I use my laptop while I'm traveling? Something called "the Internets" allow us to do that (interestingly, Dubya was accidentally accurate when he used that term).
I'm actually in the 10th District more often than Kirk and especially his wife, who has permanently moved out of Illinois and hasn't even visited there since the last election.
Don't jump to conclusions just because your off-the-shelf cheap blogging software can tell you the DNS of a visitor. How brilliant.
Anon 6:24,
I'd be very, very careful if I was you. If you want to take a shot at a man's wife, I hope you've done your homework on Mia. Kirk's wife is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Dan's questionably legalized American wife has a lot of skeletons. How about we leave spouses out and keep our eye on the ball.
Dear Anon 10:36/6:24: Good morning to you as well! For someone who is so busy travelling across country, you certainly have a lot of time to sit on my Blog. But, apparently not enough time to pick a nickname so we don't have to work to follow your seditious comments and figure out that they are all coming from one person.
But, please, continue to post comments here. Unlike over at EBG, we like people who challenge our thinking and attack Kirk (notice you haven't been deleted? Try getting that from EBG). It gives us insight into what the criticisms are, and allows us to understand and address them, which helps us make Kirk stronger. I will even admit that since Kirk has faced strong opposition, it has made him an (even) better Congressman, so please, Mr. Highland Park/Virginia Traveller, continue to let us know your views.
BUT, if you don't want to get stuck with a TA-imposed nickname ("Flounder" was the one we picked for the last anonymous troll who didn't want to pick one for himself), please pick a moniker.
And, no doubt my wife will be pleased that I am only a "geek wannabe" rather than a full-fledged geek; she'd probably disagree with you.
Here's a suggestion for Mr. Mapquest: print some directions for Dan so he can find the 10th.
Mr. Mapquest: Since you're so good with the computer, why don't you figure out who at Northwestern altered Dan Seals's faculty bio to delete the fact that he is a candidate for Congress, as TA pointed out a few posts ago. THAT would be impressive, and you can help uncover the cover-up.
TA:
Does any of the DCCC people on this blog live in the 10th?
No.
Does Dan Seals live in the 10th?
No.
Does Dan Seals have a job?
No.
Does most of Seals's fundraising come from out of the 10th?
Yes.
Kirk lives here, grew up here and fights for us here.
TA:
Thank you for exposing the IPs of the Pelosi staffers on this site.
Hey Dan, got any friends in the 10th? Oh, you don't live here either.
OK, TA. I chose a moniker. I hope you love it!
I'm glad you're not afraid of my "seditious" comments and even welcome them because it helps you sharpen your arguments.
But I don't think your arguments need much sharpening (which is why I actually enjoy your blog), although some of the other robots on this blog have only regurgitated talking points.
I have met Mark Kirk a number of times in the District. In my opinion he is a good and smart man, upbeat and charismatic, and I respect his service to our country in the military and Congress.
At times he has disagreed with the Republicans' official line almost as much as I do.
But he has to start talking again about getting us out of this civil war in Iraq and putting pressure on the Iraqi government to step up. He made some promising efforts for a while, but then he got quiet.
Fair enough, PF. Welcome!
Although I will say that I thought "Mr. Mapquest" was clever too.
Possible Future: I'm sure you'd call me one of the robots on this Blog. I am a very proud Kirk supporter because I have seen, up close and personal, all that this leader has done. So, call me a robot, call me anything you like, but my posts come from my clear understanding of who and what Mark Kirk represents. You didn't mention that Mr. Kirk has led on Stem Cell Research, leading the charge to override the Bush veto. You didn't mention the fact that Mr. Kirk's leadership has made him Israel's best friend in the Congress. Those aren't robotic words, those are just reasons to support this man.
I'm glad you've met him, I'm glad that you can see that he's his own person, not some clone of the administration. Those deeply partisan folks who want to hang that title on him will not be able to do so as we move forward and the Mark Kirk record is out there for all to see. I'm not talking about procedural votes, just the votes on the issues themselves that have placed Mark Kirk squarely in the center of the US House.
Glad to have you commenting on TA's Blog - all the action is here!
There already is a Mr. Mapquest -- an iconic figure in the company. Definitely not me.
Anon 5:04, you're definitely not a robot. Nor is Kirk, as he has taken some brave positions in the past.
But the big crisis facing the nation now is the civil war in Iraq. How can we pull ourselves out of the deepening quicksand without leaving the region worse off?
If Kirk could show the same enthusiasm and creativity he had when we were getting into this misguided invasion and use his moderate credibility to get both sides working together to solve this problem...he might find his place in history and be more than worthy of re-election.
This is no time to sit on the sidelines.
And what's this about Mrs. Kirk not visiting the district? I was out to lunch at a local 10th District restaurant few weeks ago, and she was sitting two or three tables away from me. I don't think this was some rare sighting.
I'm not going to say anything more about Kirk's wife, but his father's funeral was a few weeks ago, wasn't it?
RNC did a good job, you guys might enjoy these, though I want his quote telling the Prez how good Iraq looked in 2004 when Mac was telling him we were fucked and need ed the surge. THAT's judgement.
Goes to further show that he like Dan, and Blago and Stroger is a worthless resume building hack (1 Bill passed in 4 years!).
OBAMA'S FOREIGN POLICY RESUME
Armed With Self Described Qualifications As College Trip To Pakistan And Childhood Of Living Overseas, Obama Declares Himself Foreign Policy Leader
______________________________________________________________________
This Week, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Claimed Foreign Policy Is The Area He Is "Most Confident" That He Knows More And Understands The World Better Than Sen. John McCain (R-AZ):
Obama: "[F]oreign policy is the area where I am probably most confident that I know more and understand the world better than Senator Clinton or Senator McCain." (Mayhill Fowler, "Obama: No Need For Foreign Policy Help From V.P.," The Huffington Post, www.huffingtonpost.com, 4/7/08)
* Click Here To Listen
Obama Claims He Has Best Judgment On Foreign Policy; Cites Life Experiences:
Obama: "One thing I'm very confident about is my judgment in foreign policy is, I believe, better than any other candidate in this race, Republican or Democrat." (Jake Tapper, "Obama: 'Better Judgment' On Foreign Policy," ABC News, 7/25/07)
* Obama Said He Drew On Experiences From "A Life Of Living Overseas" In Approaching Foreign Policy. Obama: "What I was drawing on [in dealing with Iraq] was a set of experiences that come from a life of living overseas, having family overseas, being able to see the world through the eyes of people outside our borders." (Jake Tapper, "Obama: 'Better Judgment' On Foreign Policy," ABC News, 7/25/07)
OBAMA'S TOP 5 FOREIGN POLICY CREDENTIALS
Foreign Policy Credential #1: "Life Of Living Overseas" For 4 Years ... In Elementary School:
Obama Lived Overseas From Ages 6 To 10. (Linda Matchan, "A Law Review Breakthrough," The Boston Globe, 2/15/90)
Foreign Policy Credential #2: Took Some College Courses In International Relations:
In January, Obama Noted His Degree In "International Relations" When Discussing His Foreign Policy Credentials. Obama: "[M]y experience in foreign policy is probably more diverse than most others in the field. ... You know, I majored in international relations." (ABC's "Good Morning America," 1/24/07)
* Another Obama Exaggeration?: On His Official MySpace Webpage, Obama Lists His Major As "Political Science." (MySpace Website, www.myspace.com, Accessed 4/10/08)
Foreign Policy Credential #3: Has Passed Only One Bill As A Senator ... It Dealt With A Foreign Country:
In The 110th Congress, Obama Is The Lead Sponsor On 55 Bills. (S. 114, Introduced 1/4/07; S. 115, Introduced 1/4/07; S. 116, Introduced 1/4/07; S. 117, Introduced 1/4/07; S. 133, Introduced 1/4/07; S. 433, Introduced 1/30/07; S. 453, Introduced 1/31/07; S. 674, Introduced 2/16/07; S. 692, Introduced 2/27/07; S. 713, Introduced 2/28/07; S. 737, Introduced 3/1/07; S. 767, Introduced 3/6/07; S. 768, Introduced 3/6/07; S. 795, Introduced 3/7/07; S. 823, Introduced 3/8/07; S. 906, Introduced 3/15/07; S. 976, Introduced 3/23/07; S. 1067, Introduced 3/29/07; S. 1068, Introduced 3/29/07; S. 1084, Introduced 4/10/07; S. 1151, Introduced 4/18/07; S. 1181, Introduced 4/20/07; S. 1222, Introduced 4/25/07; S. 1271, Introduced 5/2/07; S. 1306, Introduced 5/3/07; S. 1324, Introduced 5/7/07; S. 1389, Introduced 5/14/07; S. 1430, Introduced 5/ 17/07; S. 1513, Introduced 5/24/07; S. 1574, Introduced 6/7/07; S. 1713, Introduced 6/27/07; S. 1790, Introduced 7/16/07; S. 1811, Introduced 7/18/07; S. 1817, Introduced 7/19/07; S. 1818, Introduced 7/19/07; S. 1824, Introduced 7/19/07; S. 1873, Introduced 7/25/07; S. 1885, Introduced 7/26/07; S. 1977, Introduced 8/2/07; S. 1989, Introduced 8/3/07; S. 2030, Introduce 9/6/07; S. 2044, Introduced 9/12/07; S. 2066, Introduced 9/18/07; S. 2111, Introduced 9/27/07; S. 2132, Introduced 10/3/07; S. 2147, Introduced 10/4/07; S. 2202, Introduced 10/18/07; S. 2224, Introduced 10/24/07; S. 2227, Introduced 10/24/07; S. 2330, Introduced 11/8/07; S. 2347, Introduced 11/13/07; S. 2392, Introduced 11/16/07; S. 2428, Introduce 12/6/07; S. 2433, Introduced 12/7/07)
* None Of The Bills Sen. Obama Has Introduced In The 110th Congress Have Been Signed Into Law.
In The 109th Congress, Obama Was Lead Sponsor On 61 Bills. (S. 697, Introduced 4/5/05; S. 918, Introduced 4/27/05; S. 969, Introduced 4/28/05;S. 1180, Introduced 6/7/05; S. 1194, Introduced 6/8/05; S. 1426, Introduced 7/19/05; S. 1630, Introduced 9/7/05; S. 1638, Introduced 9/8/05; S. 1685, Introduced 9/12/05; S. 1770, Introduced 9/26/05; S. 1920, Introduced 10/25/05; S. 1975, Introduced 11/8/05; S. 2045, Introduced 11/17/05; S. 2047, Introduced 11/17/05; S. 2048, Introduced 11/17/05; S. 2125, Introduced 12-16/05; S. 2149, Introduced 12/20/05; S. 2154, Introduced 12/20/05; S. 2179, Introduced 1/18/06; S. 2201, Introduced 1/26/06; S. 2247, Introduced 2/6/06; S. 2257, Introduced 2/8/06; S. 2259, Introduced 2/8/06; S. 2261, Introduced 2/8/06; S. 2280, Introduced 2/14/06; S. 2286, Introduced 2/14/06; S. 2319, Introduced 2/16/06; S . 2348, Introduced 3/1/06; S. 2358, Introduced 3/2/06; S. 2359, Introduced 3/2/06; S. 2441, Introduced 3/16/06; S. 2446, Introduced 3/16/06; S. 2484, Introduced 3/30/05; S. 2506, Introduced 4/4/06; S. 2984, Introduced 5/23/06; S. 3155, Introduced 5/25/06; S. 3156, Introduced 5/25/06; S. 3157, Introduced 5/25/06; S. 3158, Introduced 5/25/06; S. 3159, Introduced 5/25/06; S. 3160, Introduced 5/25/06; S. 3161, Introduced 5/25/06; S. 3162, Introduced 5/25/06; S. 3163, Introduced 5/25/06; S. 3243, Introduced 5/26/06; S. 3244, Introduced 5/26/06; S. 3245, Introduced 5/26/06; S. 3249, Introduced 5/26/06; S. 3250, Introduced 5/26/06; S. 3251, Introduced 5/26/06; S. 3475, Introduced 6/7/06; S. 3554, Introduced 6/21/06; S. 3627, Introduced 6/29/06; S. 3631, Introduced 7/11/06; S. 3694, Introduced 7/19/06; S. 3757, Introduced 7/27/06; S. 3822, Introduced 8/3/06; S. 3969, Introduced 9/28/06; S. 3988, Introduced 9/28/06; S. 4069, Introduced 12/7/06; S. 4102, Introduced 5/25/06)
* Only One Of These (1.6%) Has Passed The Senate (The Bill Went On To Become Law). S. 2125, a bill to "promote relief, security, and democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo" became law in December 2006. (S. 2125, Became Law 12/22/06)
Foreign Policy Credential Number #4: Visited Pakistan For Three Weeks While In College:
"To Counter Opponents' Accusations That He Lacks Experience In Foreign Policy, Senator Barack Obama ... Has Added A New Personal Detail To That Resume: A Trip To Pakistan While A College Student." "To counter opponents' accusations that he lacks experience in foreign policy, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois often cites his ties to relatives in poor villages in Kenya and the years he spent growing up in Indonesia. Now he has added a new personal detail to that resume: a trip to Pakistan while a college student." (Larry Rohter, "Obama Says Real-L ife Experience Trumps Rivals' Foreign Policy Credits," The New York Times, 4/10/08)
* Obama Spent "About Three Weeks" In Pakistan. "According to his campaign staff, Mr. Obama visited Pakistan in 1981, on the way back from Indonesia, where his mother and half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, were living. He spent 'about three weeks' there, Mr. Obama's press secretary, Bill Burton, said, staying in Karachi with the family of a college friend, Mohammed Hasan Chandoo, but also traveling to Hyderabad, in India." (Larry Rohter, "Obama Says Real-Life Experience Trump s Rivals' Foreign Policy Credits," The New York Times, 4/10/08)
Foreign Policy Credential #5: Member Of Foreign Relations Committee ... Reluctantly.
"Listening To A Bloviating Colleague At His First Meeting Of The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama Slipped A Three-Word Note To A Member Of His Staff: 'Shoot. Me. Now.'" (Ben Wallace-Wells, "Destiny's Child," Rolling Stone, 2/7/07)
Now you understand what I mean by "talking point" robots? Hot off the fax machine, no doubt.
Anon 9:34 - Language please! And i have to agree with Possible Future the pasted list is too much.
Here is how we can "pull out of Iraq":
http://www.electdave.org/iraq.html
EBG has been deleting my comments again whenever I remind her that Green Party candidate Dave Kalbfleisch is in the race and makes Seals' "anit-war" position look weak.
The Daily Herald has an article today about the Green Party running a record number of candidates this cycle.
Anon 11:11- It's no shock to me that EBG, that self-appointed champion of 'free speech', only believes in it for herself.
You Dave-heads are welcome to post your comments here--in fact, you can feel free to adopt our Blog until you come up with your own.
I think it spices up the 10th Dist race, myself. Looking forward to some three-way debates, perhaps.
EBG has been regularly deleting me too. Don't feel bad. She gets upset when she rants against a national ID card and I respond that if we end up with a federal or national health insurance plan, this would result in a national ID card.
Deleting this argument will not make it go away!
Louis G. Atsaves
"Perfesser" Dan will be onWBBM780 AM this Sunday on their "At Issue" program. Should be interesting to see if he gets the tough questions...
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