Apollo 13's Capt. James Lovell Endorses John McCain in Lake Forest; 30th Senate Update

This afternoon, Captain James A. Lovell of the famed Apollo 13 space mission announced his endorsement of Senator John McCain, a Navy vet, for President at a press conference held at Lovell's Restaurant in Lake Forest. Medal of Honor recipient Al Lynch also spoke, and the event was attended by a host of local and state-wide veterans. See the video from Channel 5 here. Over 75 people attended the event.

UPDATE: The Lake County News-Sun has an article with a few good quotes:

"John McCain and I both know what it's like to be in challenging situations that require sound judgment and experience, and I firmly believe he clearly possesses the sound judgment and experience to lead this great nation forward," Lovell said. "John McCain is a man that has always put his country first. He is proud to honor and support his fellow soldiers and now it is our opportunity to honor and support him. I am proud to give him my endorsement, and will do what I can to ensure he is victorious in November."


30th SENATE UPDATE: GOP State Senate Candidate Keith Gray Reports Strong Fundraising for Start of Campaign; Opponent Terry Link’s Disclosures Lack Detail of Expenditures

State Senate District 30 Republican candidate Keith Gray kicked off his challenge to incumbent Democratic Senator Terry Link by reporting strong fundraising numbers for the first half of 2008, while at the same time, Gray raised serious questions as to the completeness and veracity of his opponent’s disclosures.

Gray reported $21,800 in itemized, individual contributions, bringing his total cash on hand to $47,000, which is within striking distance of Link’s own cash balance of about $77,000.

“I think we did great for being a brand-new campaign, with a fresh message and face to bring to the people of the 30th Senate District,” Gray said. “We’re only going to get stronger as this campaign progresses and the voters begin to hear our message.”

Meanwhile, Gray’s opponent failed to specifically list $46,896.71 in campaign transactions, which effectively hides the payout from Link’s campaign fund. Under state law, any campaign transaction over $150 must be itemized.

“Terry Link’s latest filing with the Illinois State Board of Elections is part of a continuing pattern of questionable ethics,” Gray said. “It appears that Senator Link does not want to be held accountable to laws that govern our elections. If $47,000 in expenditures were legitimately not itemized because they were expenditures less than $150, that totals 300 different transactions in that amount. Given how campaigns conduct their business, that simply doesn’t seem likely.”

Gray challenged Link to immediately file an amended report with the State Board of Elections in order to “show the public through bank records exactly what his campaign committee has been up to.”