Well, if you didn't like Beth Coulson, Jim Koch, Dick Green or Bill Cadigan, it appears that GOP voters in the 10th District may have another choice soon, as former Edgar administration official Renee Thaler is considering throwing her hat into the ring for the chance to replace Congressman Mark Kirk, who is running for the U.S. Senate. Here's Thaler's press release, which I got hold of a little early:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2009
Former Edgar Official Looking at 10th District Congressional Seat
NORTHBROOK, IL – Former Edgar Administration official Renee Thaler today announced that she will form an exploratory committee to consider entering the GOP primary for the 2010 election to replace Congressman Mark Kirk in Illinois’ 10th District.
Thaler, a life long resident of the district, served in Governor Jim Edgar’s first administration as Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue. The owner of a small business in Northfield, IL, Thaler also has been a political activist in the 10th District and, for the last 15 years, a public health care advocate for patients of new emerging diseases.
“I am considering this race because the time has come to end the reckless spending in Washington. The Federal debt continues to climb to an estimated $11 trillion dollars, and if that isn’t bad enough, together with our nation’s unfunded liabilities, we owe nearly $62 trillion dollars,” said Thaler. “That’s more than $200,000 for every man, woman and child in America and it’s growing every day. As a small business owner, I know we cannot afford to continue burdening government with so much debt. It’s time to cut up the government’s credit card and throw it away for good.”
Thaler also expressed concern about the current state of health care in the U.S., including recently proposed legislation to give government more control.
“I support reasonable health care reform. However, we cannot let government take over one-sixth of our current economy and add another trillion dollars to our national debt,” said Thaler. “As a health care advocate, I have worked for common sense changes in the past, and will strongly support legislation to ensure we protect the doctor-patient relationship, achieve meaningful lawsuit reform, and promote health care insurance pooling programs to make it cheaper for small businesses to purchase insurance.”
“As I consider this race, I promise to represent the same tradition of moderate, thoughtful and independent leadership that has served the 10th District so well.”
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25 comments:
This is a game changer folks. For those of you who don't know her Thaler has been a strong supporter of Congressman Kirk and serves on his Finance Committee. She knows many of the key players in the 10th. Hard worker, full of energy and very bright. Fiscal conservative, moderate on social issues and would likely be a strong supporter of Israel. Let's hope she makes the jump and announces her candidacy soon. Julie Hamos look out, you're going to have to work harder in the General than you thought.
Game changer, my big fat ellen.
What we have here is an unprincipled opportunist. Sound familiar? Julie, Dan, Jay, Renee...
Let's look at her contributions, shall we?
http://watchdog.net/contrib/60062/renee_thaler
Only government job: Department of Revenue when they RAISED taxes, not looking great. Plus springfield politician and political consultant. No thanks, takes 4 of our best cards off the table-corruption, taxes, springfield, honesty.
Oh it gets better.
Renee, has Donated to the campaigns of:
LAUREN BETH GASH!!!
Patrick Kennedy, just out of rehab, who recruited gash to run against Porter, then tried to recruit his brother, then funded those vicious ads against Mark in 2000.
BARACK OBAMA. ditto
Melissa Bean, same thing.
Mike Quigley-this WINTER!!!
Democrat National Committee, um hello?
Hillary Clinton.
Barbara Boxer, also known as queen cap and trade.
Tammy Baldwin, a radical liberal democrat congresswoman known for never seeing a tax hike she didn't like.
Lynn Yeakel, a woman recruited by national democrats to defeat a moderate republican U.S. Senator.
Renee, we already have one wacko liberal democrat running in this race, that seems to be your kind of politics so why not just go into that dem primary?
TA, I consider you a stalwart republican, but in light of these repeated contributions worth thousands of dollars used to fund work against 10th Republicans, can you still support her?
FOKLAES
What next out here in the 10th. Foklaes, if you are right, then Anon 11:19 better take off the rose tinted spectacles before this woman makes a spectacle of running to represent us. How did she manage to get herself into the Edgar Administration with her views and background? TA, I will wait to hear what else you uncover before blindly being excited about someone else jumping in to replace Kirk. You can't say this isn't beginning to look like it did back in 2000 when the field to replace John Porter was filled with odd balls and others. Mark Kirk was easily seen as the one who could shine. And he sure has.
FOKLAES, give the woman a chance...
Renee Thaler's been one of Kirk's most stalwart supporters for the last ten years. I didn't see you out there the last couple elections cycles doing even a faction of the work she did on behalf of Mark Kirk. There isn't anyone amongst the vast array of GOP candidates that knows the issues and district inside and out like Renee.
I have met Renee at several Kirk events over the years. As Anon 11:19pm correctly mentioned, she is a strong fiscal conservative and social moderate like Kirk. She is extremely savvy and is the perfect GOP candidate here in the 10th CD. She would be the best fit for this district and is the only candidate that can realistically keep this district red. Instead of pouncing on her like a rabid wolf, keep an open mind and at least hear her out first. Speak to her in person and I guarantee you will change your mind about her…
FOKLAES,
Renee was a Democrat for many years like many of us when we were young and naive. She will never lie about that. Over the past ten years she has begun to see the light. Why don't you mention the Republican donations she has made to Mark Kirk, former State Senator Kathy Parker, Beth Coulson, the IL Republican Party and the Lake County Republican Federation? Obama received 61% of the vote in CD 10 and this district leans D. If she still considered herself a Dem don't you think she would run as one in 2010? It would be much easier. Like many soon to be former Dems, she is disgusted with Obama and the direction of the country and believes the Dems have shown their true stripes as Tax and Spend liberals. I think a lot of voters in the 10th will relate to her. Susan Garrett was a Republican for many years and still gets a lot of cross over votes in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff from it. Thaler could pick up many key independent and crossover voters too. Don't discount her.
Dear Readers - TA is making no endorsements in this race, at least not yet. Right now, we are simply providing information to the public, and encouraging quality candidates to come forward, which adds to the excitement of the race (and brings readers to the blog!)
I think this is one of the cases where the party would benefit from a rigorous primary, as the candidates are going to need to refine their positions, organize their teams, get their fundraising machines going, and be a candidate NOW, not just next October.
So far, everyone I've mentioned on this blog appears to have good attributes as a candidate, and if many or all of them go through with getting on the ballot, this will be a heck of a race. Whichever man or woman is left standing in February will be in a much better positon to take on the Dem candidate and try to keep this seat for the GOP.
Once again TA is correct. The last person left standing after the Primary will be the one we need to talk about, work for and help keep the 10th District sane. As it was in 2000, nobody can just walk into the office without a whole lot of scrutiny. While I can't imagine any of the announced candidates being at the level of Mark Kirk, we have to recognize that this is a new day with new people involved. It became very clear early on that Mark Kirk was the clear leader during the long period of debates and discussions. I'm sure we will go thru that same process. If Renee thinks she's up to the challenge, if Renee thinks she has a grasp of issues that matter to people out here, if Renee thinks that her background and experience will appeal to voters here, she will have to prove it, show it, and win the Primary. It's that simple. Yes, Foklaes, she does have a very unusual background. I'm not sure what Mr. Bateman is referencing when he talks about her work for Mark Kirk. She has given money but that's hardly work. That aside, she will have to earn the right to represent us by winning a Primary. The past is something that's behind her and behind us at this point. Let's see if anyone else decides to jump into this wide open race beginning today. Petitions are us. Get out there and help Mark Kirk fill all those sheets on his way to filing with 10,000 real strong valid signatures.
Foklaes,
I just double checked your accusation that Thaler donated to Barack Obama, Melissa Bean, Patrick Kennedy. Not true, not true and not true. Let's stick to the facts here. The link you posted confirms it. Many of the Democrats she supported in the past have been good on issues relating to the security of Israel or have helped her on health care legislation.
Andy Hochberg was destroyed in the 2000 primary because he had donated to dems. I don't care how involved she's been with Mark, these are treasonous offenses to have donated so much to democrats.
For those of us who are longtime Republicans and have worked on campaigns over the years, it's a kick in the teeth to have someone like this who has donated to democrats a lot of money over a long period of time. Money used against republicans, against us.
She worked for the corrupt republicans in springfield. No thanks.
She donated to JAC-PAC knowing full well those funds were going to democrats, including democrats in this area. That's money used to bus in thugs from the city, fund ads against us, and resources that could have been spent on our people. A real republican would have donated to the gop outright and been done with it. We've had a lot of close eletions here lately, that money could have been the difference between a rep gash or rep bean and a rep mcsweeney or a rep kirk.
FOKLAES
Please take a step back, Foklaes. JacPac DOES act as a conduit for checks in supportof Mark. You are correct in noting that most of the time they support only Democrats. They have, in past cycles, given direct support to Mark Kirk's campaigns. They are not some rabid group of insane women, not at all. They don't share what you and I share politically, but to say what you're saying isn't helpful.
Andy Hochberg had, and continues to write many checks in support of Democrats who are strongly pro-Israel. He had that 'baggage' to explain to hard core Republican leaders in 2000. Renee has supported Democrats, WAS a Democrat herself in the past. Her checks were, as one poster noted, given to those who were supportive of a particular health issue she is interested in advancing. She was a Democrat in a Repubican administration, the Edgar position noted by TA. She will get no endorsement from Mark Kirk. Nobody will at this point. John Porter did not endorse Mark Kirk until very late in the Primary. Renee and all others will have to earn the right to represent this district. Let's please try to lower the rhetoric a bit, pull together and not apart or we will be living under a Hamos banner and that ought to scare the life out of all of us with half a brain cell.
Sorry, the leadership of this party and that includes our pal Mark, doesn't get a free pass after 06 and 08. In case you missed it, we're in the 7th most blue state in America. If I wanted a democrat in our primary I'd go get jay.
This woman NEVER DONATED a cent to john mccain, and supported this jac pac which funneled money to obama. She supported hillary clinton last year, not rudy or mccain. FAIL.
I don't care how much money she's given to Mark, she's not a republican, never donated to bush or mccain, and for all we know the money she gave to this pac could have been re-funneled directly by gash or indirectly by other candidates against us. She's dead meat in a republican primary.
Next.
FOKLAES
Republicans in the 10th are not this moderate. Even Kirk knew that he had to support McCain. I can just imagine what the primary voters, including the women, in Wheeling and Palatine will think about someone who funneled money to Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Don't wish to start rumors here, but wasn't Rene Thaler a member of 'Democrats for Kirk'?
Thaler did not give money to Obama. She gave money to Hillary in hopes that she would beat Obama and voted for McCain in the general. Just spoke with her about this.
jacpac.org
according to their website they supported ZERO republicans in 2008 other than Mark, including many democrats like obama, bean and others who worked to actively defeat Mark. She's done.
She's an avowed democrat who donates to democrats who try to defeat Republicans like Mark. She's done.
Any Kirk supporter who gets behind this woman needs their head checked.
FOKLAES
JacPac has 3 guiding principles: pro-choice, separation of church and state and Israel. Because Mark Kirk is perfect on all three of their guiding principles they have been obliged to support him, nothing more, nothing less. Foklaes, I'm hoping that you just let the process of the Primary settle this and not continue to beat this into the ground. Voters will quickly determine if they're going to get behind this woman over the next several months. Can we please change the damn discussion and move on now. As of this moment I have nobody in the current crop of announced candidates I can support.
The organization gave 3500 bucks to gash directly in 2000, nothing to mark, it gave another 5k to the democrat congressional campaign committee in 2000, nothing to the republican group. That's 8 grand to send him packing in 2000, plus who knows how much money they've given to democrats that's been refunneled to dan and gash. I want REPUBLICAN leaders who aren't going to d.c. to represent democrats.
FOKLAES
Foklaes, I AGREE with you, but let it go for now. Thaler has no chance of winning a Primary, I'm sure of that. I just wish I had someone I felt COULD represent this district when Mark becomes our Senator.
Keep it up FOKLAES. This is NOT the time to keep quiet about the primary candidates. Voters and donors are making up their minds. We do not want these limited Republican resources going to a Democrat wearing an elephant pin.
Sorry,
We all worked our Ellens off to see Mark beat gash in 2000 and this woman was financing her campaign and the campaigns of lots of other democrats. She didn't back mccain. a 10th gop hero for his support for Mark in 2000 and in a wealthy well resourced district we can do a lot better than this junk.
Our party is in a major crisis right now, this state has gotten more democrat every year since 1984 and those of us on this blog are the last of the mohicans for the time being. I'm not entrusting the revival of the party to a democrat. We need leadership, vision, ideas, not some edgar administration retread who gives money to democrats and thinks a few bucks to mark will make it all go away. Those donations are over a 20 year period. She's a dem, not a serious candidate for this seat.
Mrs.Team America would be a much better choice.
FOKLAES
I received a petition from Paul Hamann of Lake Forest. He said "he's a life time resident of Lake Forest, Honest, with Business Savy, and an environmentalist."
Does anyone know anything else about him?
Foklaes,
I understand your point but still disagree with you. Thaler strongly opposes Cap and Trade, ObamaCare, and the Quinn 50% Tax Hike. These are all issues she will take Julie Hamos to task on. She will vote with the Republicans on tax cuts, smaller government and supporting a strong U.S. military force.....Sounds like a Republican to me.
By the way I recall that it was our own Rush Limbaugh who told Republicans to support Hillary in a Democratic primary over Obama. Let's not be quite so hard on Renee for taking his advice.
One last point, Mark Kirk worked for Ab Mikva early on in his career. Kirk still turned out to be a great Republican Congressman. Enough said.
Donating thousands of dollars to the democrats when one is a full grown adult is not the same thing as a 12 year old passing out flyers pre-Reagan as Mark did. This woman actively worked against republicans and tried to fund the end of the Republican party. Words are cheap, actions matter, and this womans actions are a disgrace.
For those of you that aren't getting the message this party is dying in this state and part of the country largely because of leaders like this woman and this twerp Kirk Dillard who are more interested in being in bed with democrats than taking their heads off.
As I pointed out in that link, this woman's support for Democrats goes back to 1989 and includes 2008. During that time the only federal contributions she made to republicans are mark, who she gave money to see defeated, hastert who is just about the worst thing that ever happened to the republican party, and bill frist who was pro-life, pro-arab on oil and pro-church in government negating this woman's argument about jac pac.
In contrast she supported some flaming liberals like hillary, gash, lynn yeakel who tried to destroy a moderate republican, barbara boxer who hates israel and is a big enviro-communist and tax hiker, tammy baldwin who again is a huge tax hiker and anti-national defense person.
She was against us before she was for us, and working really hard to see moderate republicans die out. We aren't that desperate now to have our executioner become our leader?
You can make up all the excuses you want for this woman but these donations prove she is rotten to the core and I will absolutely not work my tail off for a Republican next fall knowing that in 2000 when we were busting our hump to get mark to d.c. she was getting her lauren beth gash on.
FOKLAES
She donated to Barbara Boxer?! Enough said.
There are other choice is also there..
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Britney
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