Saturday, August 1, 2009

Weekend Update: Cadigan, Bond, Tweets, Tenth

Cadigan and Collins: Health care attorney Bill Cadigan, who is a former John Porter staffer and who may jump into the IL-10 race on the GOP side, may have snagged an endorsement from prosecutor Patrick Collins, reports the Daily Herald.

Bond and Schmidt: As we reported yesterday, Michael Bond will drop his congressional bid in the 10th and came slinking back to his senate district with his tail between his legs. Except this time, he'll have pit bull Suzi Schmidt, Lake County Board Chairwoman, as a challenger. As we suspected, Laura Tomsky was merely a placeholder, and instantly capitulated when Bond announced he was coming back to his senate district. Schmidt's county board race is not up in 2010, so she gets a free run at Bond, who has damaged his political reputation by allowing himself to be intimidated by State Rep. Julie Hamos, after much bragging about how Bond didn't care who else was in the congressional race. Bond's lackluster fundraising success probably was also a factor.

Kirk and Tweets: As one might expect, the News-Sun jumped on the questions regarding Congressman Mark Kirk's "tweeting" while on active duty with the naval reserves, where he is a commander, and threw up a story on the front page. I wonder if most Dems realize that every time they bring up this issue, they remind everyone that Kirk is a veteran. It won't be long before public opinion rises to Kirk's defense if the Dems keep pushing this 'story.' UPDATED: I knew it wouldn't take long for Ellen of the Tenth to jump on this story. The funny part is that she labels Capitol Fax Blog as "right-wing, Kirk-leaning." That's a hoot.

Another Tenth District Candidate: TA hears that another GOP candidate with strong ties to Congressman Kirk and a lot of energy is poised to jump into the increasingly-crowded tenth district race. Watch this space for more details soon.

What else is going on this weekend? I'm going sailing.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

TA,

Rich Miller scooped you on a chance to nail Hamos on a possible FEC violation.

Hamos listed her legislative office as a contact on her website. oooops!


"Hamos makes mistake, Birkett may change mind and Kirk’s secret tour

Friday, Jul 31, 2009

* If you go to state Rep. Julie Hamos’ 10th Congressional District campaign page and click the “Contact Julie” button, you are directed to a page with this info…

Contact Form

Thank you for your interest.

Julie’s state legislative office is at:

820 Davis Street, Suite 103
Evanston, Illinois 60201
(847) 424-9898

Listing a state legislative office as a contact for a congressional campaign?

You gotta be kidding me.

I thought the announcement video was the worst thing she’d done. This is just downright goofy, and possibly against federal campaign law.

UPDATE: The Hamos campaign has now removed the contact info"




http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/2009/07/31/hamos-makes-mistake-birkett-may-change-mind-and-kirks-secret-tour/

Team America said...

Yeah, I know, but TA can't be everywhere. This is a big sailing weekend. ;-)

At least Miller is being an equal opportunist since he created the Kirk 'tweet' issue as well.

Anonymous said...

As I've said before on this blog, every hamos campaign site going back to 1998 has that same info on it, so she could get nailed easily for pay to play. It's all preserved online so a gop candidate will easily be able to use this issue repeatedly. She's a hog ready for the slaughter. That will be a great arrow in the quiver next october as blago trial deliberations head into their final stages.

Collins is not a great endorsement. The guy failed on reform and is not a well-known or serious political player.

FOKLAES

kellyann1293 said...

"While I wonder if most of their readership even knows what a "tweet" is, "

No need to insult our intelligence up here, dear.

Team America said...

Yeah, you're right, KellyAnn, it was rather an unworthy dig, but I was annoyed at the News Sun for jumping on Kirk like that. Considering I'm a subscriber myself, I guess I was also making a potential dig at myself.

Anonymous said...

I dont expect the tweet thing to get much play. Alexi wants nothing to do with national security or the uniform. Also in 2010 Mark gets to reassert the national security card as we'll be on our way out of Iraq, but stuck in afghanistan where he knows as much as anyone about the topic and will be able to kick the helmand out of alexi's bhutto. Puns intended for your isaf pleasure.

FOKLAES

Unincorporated Middle said...

Team -

I thought the news-sun piece makes the folks pushing this story look like, well, tools.

The military encourages the use of social networking by members.
Good lord - the joint-chiefs tweet:
http://twitter.com/thejointstaff

The idea that Mark's tweets were campaigning is stretch at best -- because his tweeter site has a ling to his campaign website? Give me a break! Instead of smearing Kirk, they are giving his campaign a chance to demonstrate Mark's depth of service to this country and his opponents total lack of it.

Anonymous said...

Remember the biggest bias with media is their location. Coastal journalists look down on middle america. Big city reporters don't get rural issues. Rich Miller has never lived in the 10th and is a city/downstate guy. He has always been highly skeptical of Mark and will never pick up on the nuances of this district that we will such as the fact that Hamos is very weak on Israel, that Evanston values are not deerfield values, that dan's lying and unemployment are a big deal in a district that values the rule of law and hard work and so on.

FOKLAES

Anonymous said...

1. Despite their OWN request for decorum and respect from the rest of us, TA continues to provide a venue for insults, half-truths, and mud. In fact, they seem to lead the way! (Much like Vitter and Foley being on the forefront of morally upstanding policies and enforcement, as well as Gingrich and Hyde in previous decades. Consistency is not always a good thing).

2. Given that he serves a few weeks a year which I am not questioning, I would think that Kirk would have passed up on the
21st Century version of the quick photo op (Tweeting) and actually look busy. To me, he was tooting his own horn. Also, some of the content of the tweets may have been lackluster bordering on patting one's self/campaign on the back. Of course, if a GOP member does something, it cannot be wrong. I call it the Waller/Helander rule.

I also don't see how this is an issue the Dem's risk hurting themselves by. We all know that Kirk has been in the military, his confusing votes on some Veterans' issues not-withstanding (also, his stances against much needed stimulus funds to the States and his recent stance with well-paid executives that cannot help Veterans that much, in addition to his propensity to have sold the war despite our military equipment not being up to snuff make Kirk a psychological conundrum).
By the way, it was none other than Donald Rumseld who stated that "You go to war with the military and the related equipment you have, not the military and equipment you'd like to have."

First, this is a slap in the face to our military. Second, given that the war in Iraq was an unnecessary and costly effort (by lapsed fiscal conservatives), at the least, the Republican Bush Administration could have delayed said pre-emptive strike and/or set fiscal limits on the related expenditures.

Hence, the born-again fiscal conservatives like Cantor and Kirk are acting in a duplicitous manner.

Given Session's $1.5 Million ear-mark for dirigible research (think Goodyear blimp) and the above, tell me again why I should vote for most Republicans - "Oh the humanity"

Anonymous said...

1. Sorry you want to see what nasty looks like brother, I am happy to treat you to what Democrats did to our leader Michael Steele when he ran for office, throwing oreos at him because he was well educated and because dems didn't want black people voting for republicans-oreo (black on outside, white on inside)they did same thing to obama when he ran in primary in 2000. The cuts julie hamos is voting for to education and the futures that have been ruined because her government in springfield has spent the last 8 years doing politics and partisanship rather than policy and policy, are nothing compared to calling her out on ethics violations.

2. The swing area in this state is downstate where they love the military, Alexi doesn't want that fight because while mark's been playing boy next door done good for his country in the navy, Alexi has been doing his best playboy at downtown nightclubs.

3. I dare Alexi to try to swiftboat Mark like Dan did with that disgusting ad last fall. He will make Alexi's campaign look like nagasaki after the bomb fell.

FOKLAES

Anonymous said...

Right on, Foklaes. Thanks for so clearly stating the obvious. This Blog, TA and other posters won't need to apologize for anything when one compares what the other side blogs about Kirk. The viciousness of the attacks against Mark, his former wife, those around him have given vitriol a new meaning. And someone has the nerve to criticize this blog?
Julie Hamos, her mentor and best friend Schakowsky and jail bird husband thief, Bob Creamer, are exactly what we rise up against not just in the 10th district, but in other parts of the State. There is a huge difference between how life is lived and viewed in the 10th and in the 9th. It's also refreshing to see that the once great 'messiah' in the White House has feet of clay, also suffers from foot in mouth disease. Our country is beginning to awaken from the hypnotic state of change. Good grief, I'll take our money and those far left, socialistic commies and keep the change.
So let Hamos think she has this all locked up. Not so fast. People in this district are wise enough to see, to hear, to listen, to take a look at what she and her fellow travelers have given us in Springfield the last several years. I don't think we're ready to sign up to send that sickness to add more sickness to DC.
Foklaes, keep up your posts and keep on telling it like it really is.

Anonymous said...

Oh my! A politician tooting his or her own horn?

When did THAT start? : -)

Louis G. Atsaves

Anonymous said...

King Louis if you ran for state rep, I assure you you would not face the fate of your brother Louis quatuorze in France.

Cadigan is underwhelming. He'll be seriously outraised in q3 by hamos, unless he gets a porter endorsement which is unlikely and from talking to friends in d.c. who are NRCC/NRSC alumns it will be hard to see a southern conservative dominated party dumping major money in this race when hick districts down south that cost no money to run ads in (rural areas are cheaper) and are much more pro-life, pro-gun and pro-gop are ripe for the taking.

FOKLAES

Anonymous said...

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs tweets. You would have thought the News Sun knows that.

Anonymous said...

I don't agree that this "story" will work in Kirk's favor each time it's brought up because it will remind everyone that he wears "the uniform" and Alexi doesn't.

Voters are a bit smarter than that.

Anonymous said...

Oh Anon 6:-2 I think the voters will catch on very quickly that Alexi offers little next to Mark Kirk. That Mr. Kirk wears the uniform and serves his nation with pride is only one aspect that helps define him. When everything that Alexi has done, or, perhaps not done in his 33 years is laid side to side with Mr. Kirk's accomplishments it's a no contest with Mark Kirk way ahead. But this promises to be a very interesting campaign about to unfold. I'm betting on Mark Kirk doing what he did in 2000: hitting the ground running and leaving the others behind. Can't wait for the first debate between Alexi and Mark.

Anonymous said...

Only republicans can destroy democrats who wear the uniform see, cleland, max, kerry, john forbes, dukakis, Michael. Democrats look goofy when they do it, they're good at cheating on election day, we're good at dirty campaign ads. Alexi wants this campaign all about bush, obama and Kirk's votes for halliburton. Anything else and alexi is looking through the plum book for some cushy 135k a year job in the obama administration passing paper and taking expensive trips to madrid to get drunk, eat great food and meet with the spanish minister for finance on some trade deal trying to become the next israel hernandez or antonio garza-Mark's bff at Embassy Mexico City.

This story happened over august when the only people that pay attention to this stuff are the people that 12 months from now when things start to matter will be having convulsions over the latest alexi "is tony soprano in the senate", mark is "cheney's lackey in the senate" ads. Game Plan from pollster John Mcclaughlin to Mark right now is solidify conservative support, raise boatloads of cash, build a strong organization and get polls that show him winning 97 percent of republicans and conservatives with 88 percent excited about his candidacy numbers so february 4 he can start stealing democrats and independents and not have to look over his shoulder.

Fan of King Louis Astaves the Ellen Slayer

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:10, I was specifically referring to the the "tweets story". You are being general in your response.

I have no doubt that Kirk will win all debates with Alexi.

The "tweets" story adds no value.

Anonymous said...

You know this is going to be a real strange campaign season when Ellen "don't argue with me I'm always right" of the 10th and Andy "Internet Powerhouse" Martin agree about Mark Kirk's military record.

And Martin isn't even threatening a law suit? What's going on here?

What's next?

Martin will be marching during Lake Forest Day (August 5th) Parade and claims that he will be "confronting" Kirk. He also claims that legions of Lake Foresters have invited him to attend and confront. Let's see if legions of marchers for Martin show up, shall we?

Believability factor: less than zero.

184 days to the primary election.
457 days to the general election.

My friends who live out of state who hear about Illinois politics and our campaign seasons think we are goofy. Next week we begin circulating petitions!

Louis G. Atsaves

Anonymous said...

========
...Mark right now is solidify conservative support...
========

Well, if that's the case, someone had better get over to IR because there's one poster who seems to be a Kirk supporter who is now claiming that Kirk doesn't need the "non-Establishment" until after the Primary, and someone on this blog called IR Readers "know nothings".

That's not to say that all Conservatives read IR, but I can assure you that word from the IR blog gets round quickly.

I think we should all play nicely with the other "kids" to help Kirk.

Team America said...

===He also claims that legions of Lake Foresters have invited him to attend and confront.===

Since when is Nancy Thorner a "legion"?

LOL

Anonymous said...

Louis,

You spoke too soon. Take another look at A. Martin's blog.

Anonymous said...

If Mark doesn't get the conservative support in the state locked up right now it's over. He'll have to spend next year in the crosshairs between the base of the party which is prolife everywhere but this district, while he gets trashed from the left for not being pro-obama enough. He wins the right this late summer/early fall, he can spend all of next year winning indepedents and eating away at alexi's base talking up his cap and trade vote and not having conservatives destroy him when he announces in a debate that he would have voted for sotomayer and probably roberts and alito.

IR bloggers aren't the cocern, it's what he reads in his polling and whether he can get the heavies in the conservative movement both here and in dc as well as the local party chairs to give him a pass on some abortion and guns stuff so that they can get his votes on economics, national security and guarantees he won't pull a specter and quit the party or be an endless pain in the neck like he's considered to be by A LOT of house republicans.

This is 2nd level, not obvious stuff but it's where the campaign is really going to be.

FOKLAES

Anonymous said...

Dearest FOKLAES,

While you're right on target about some of your statements, I don't agree with your analysis of how the Conservative base and hence, their Leadership work in IL. They won't listen to a Republican "Axelrod".

Also, the "Kirk supporter"--who previously had said that Kirk doesn't need the "non-Establishment" until after the Primary--followed up last night with another posting on IR.

In the same breath, he or she is now challenging them to put up their own Candidate and is correcting Kirk's e-mail on the Rauschy error.

Anonymous said...

Conservatives don't need to put up a U.S. Senate candidate because we already have one, Dr. Eric Wallace. He announced his campaign in June, and he agrees with most of the republican platform, unlike Kirk. Please read his site, www.wallaceforillinois.com.

Conservative Veteran

Anonymous said...

Mark's ability to win over conservatives this summer is the kind of political craftsmanship that separates great congressmen from senators in that they are able to win over constituencies opposed to them on issues for senate. Porter couldn't do it, comrade jan couldn't do it-thank god, jesse jackson junior couldn't do it, obama could do it, peter fitzgerald couldn't do it the second time.

Mark needs to have a well choreographed sit down/courtesy call with conservative leaders in Illinois and do what he's artfully done to democrats here over the last 10 years, get them to think he's one of them. As Rob Schneider would tell bobby boucher, He can do it.

FOKLAES

Anonymous said...

conservative veteran,

wallace won't get any fundraising support from anywhere, this is now according to gallup, the 6th most democrat state in America, and kirk in the senate in a pro-life gop caucus is better than alexi in a pro-choice democrat caucus. Plus, using the threat of an aaron schock or roskam primary challenge in 2016, you'll be able to have more power over Mark than a liberal democrat.

FOKLAES

Anonymous said...

Dear, Lord, FOLKLAES.

"...well choreographed...artfully done to democrats...get them to think he's one of them. As Rob Schneider would tell bobby boucher, He can do it."

Unless his supporters bring him down first.

This is beginning to sound more and more like one of the camps in the 04 Senate Race. Heaven help us.

Anonymous said...

He scooped a chance it seems..
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