Thursday, January 7, 2010

Bob Dold Criticizes President Obama for Stepping On Illinois Primary With Rescheduled State of the Union (UPDATED)

Robert Dold, one of the top candidates for the GOP nomination for the 10th Congressional District race to succeed outgoing Congressman Mark Kirk (who of course is running for U.S. Senate) is criticizing an apparent decision by President Obama to re-schedule the State of the Union address for Tuesday, February 2, which is our primary election day. This does seem especially inconsiderate, at the least, given that the whole reason why our primary election is so early was that the Dem-controlled state legislature wanted to give favorite son Obama a leg up last year in the presidential primary battle against Hillary Clinton.

The Dold campaign told Team America, "The primary season was already shortened to the dead of winter after the holiday season, giving voters little opportunity to learn about the candidates. Now Obama is trampling on the days leading up to election night by scheduling a historic State of the Union address to compete with the election."

Dold's complaint is getting some attention from The Hill; we'll see how many folks pick this up as a cause célèbre.

Here's the Dold press release:

Dold Calls on Obama and Congress to stop the State of the Union from Interfering with the Illinois Primary

10th District Republican Congressional Candidate Robert Dold Thursday called on Obama to hold the State of the Union on a different day than Illinois’ Primary Election. Dold said the decision to hold it on February 2nd is not only intended for political gain, but it tramples the Illinois Primary Election.

“The 10th District sits directly in President Obama’s backyard, and of all people, he should know February 2nd is Illinois’ Primary Election Day,” Dold said. Either he’s living and breathing in the Washington bubble and doesn’t realize the significance of the date in Illinois, or he’s acting with complete disregard for the Illinois voters.”

Dold continued, “In the best interests of our voters, I am calling on Obama to keep the date as originally planned and not to push it forward to February 2nd."

###

UPDATED 1/9/10 8:30 a.m.: THIS WILL TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT THE COMMON VOTER: From what I can see, people are more annoyed that the tentatively rescheduled State of the Union Address may interfere with the premier of "Lost" than the Illinois primary. Now, to be sure, "Lost" plays nationwide and only people in Illinois care (assumedly) about the Illinois election, but I found this to be pretty typical.

As the poet Juvenal said in ancient Rome, all the people want are bread and circuses. Sad.

36 comments:

Gold Fish said...

If Dold is concerned about a speach that will take place after the polls close then he has bigger problems. Concentrate buddy. Obama doesn't want Illinoians to see the disaster that he has become as we will be watching election results. Smart move on his part.

Anonymous said...

The polls will close. It will be a mandate. Dold can call Friedman or Coulson to concede then be home in time for the speech. I don't see the problem.

Anonymous said...

I dont see why this is news. But, with less than 4 weeks to go and Coulson gets Porter I guess you got to put something out. Bob you had me at hello, but doesn't look good. Do what you can.

Rep.

Anonymous said...

dolt has run a horrible campaign. coulson was easy easy easy prey. he has not made what was an easy sale and a political enviornment perfectly tailored to him.

i'd call doug o'brien, get a pro in there to close it out and start laying waste to coulson.

FOKLAEAPS

Anonymous said...

Dold took some shots tonight at Coulson at the debate tonight, FOLKHERO. I can't remember exactly what--something about passing bad budgets and that she voted for Cap & Trade in Illinois.

Green was a no-show, what gives with that guy.

Anonymous said...

Coulson once again called Dold out on his baseless attacks. Like at the Trib endorsement session, when he cannot back up his claims. That little munchkin that works for Dold sure is cocky though. Something tells me the Dold crew is lost in the echo chamber.

Anonymous said...

I agree. There are plenty of shots to take at Coulson that are easily backed up. Why shoot blanks?

Here is a bit of advise for Dold's campaign - take a look at Beth's voting record on Medicaid programs. Should be easy pickings seeing as she is so hot health care reform here in Illinois. Tag line for your commercial: "Is this the sort of healthcare reform we need in Washington???"

Anonymous said...

I think Green is out. He probably has some media purchases out there, but as a businessman he's got to understand that he would be making a bad investment to spend a few hundred thousand of his own at this point.

Anonymous said...

Who?

Anonymous said...

Dold has run a horrible campaign. From that tacky music video to BS'ing his way through editorial interviews, to having some pretty mediocre staff. I mean, why should I be compelled to vote for a guy to fix Washington when his own campaign is a mess?

Anonymous said...

Arie has done more than you in a month than Green has done since he started his campaign back in the olden days. Now Green doesn't show up to the debate.

Anonymous said...

There hasnt been a real debate in this race yet. There should be. Just boring forums with the same rehearsed, mindless dribble. "And I seek you represent you as a Scout Master". Funny, didnt Dold used to have a picture of himself in his scout uni on his website. Didnt the Boy Scouts reprimand him for politicizing the scouts and make him remove it? Who would you trust lost in the wilderness anyways, Arie or Dold?

Anonymous said...

I hear Dold is considering dropping out. Everyone says he is sucking wind on fundraising and people found out he lives in a home his daddy bought him. Who is this shadowy Caroline Wyss anyways? And why is she paying his property taxes? Seems like an improper gift to me. I guess hes got that event with Quayle coming up, which looks like it will cost more money than it will take in. Im not paying to see that guy and eat a potato...

Anonymous said...

You mean, potatoe?

Anonymous said...

I love the sound of Dick Green's desperation.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Team America said...

Anon 1:59, you got deleted for being uncivil. People, please start toning it down a notch and refrain from engaging in ad hominem attacks. Stick to the facts, let's not attack candidates personally.

Feel free to repost if you can disagree without being disagreeable.

Anonymous said...

Green, Dick: Is it that he is scared to debate his Republican opponents? Or that he knows that the more people get to know him, the less they like him.

Looking more and more like an exercise in futility.

Anonymous said...

I've been involved in 10th GOP politics since Porter's first attempt on Mikva.

It seems the "educated" consensus is this district is going Blue and/or vanishing with the census. Why else would we have such a lackluster group of competitors on the GOP side. Maybe it's simply the nasty state of media politics that deters our best.

The only "optically" valid alternative at this point seems the Dr. and Mr. Dold. The former seems to have no traction and the later has no gravitas as an accomplished adult for such a big job.

Mr. B.

Anonymous said...

To the Dick Green and other candidate bashers:

Get a life! I am supporting another candidate getting equally bashed but this is just outrageous.

Whoever you are - get on some meds....

Anonymous said...

I thought I was the uber uncivil jerk on here, then I met team coulson's postings. I am actually shocked people from the city democrat machine that is her campaign can read and use the internet to find this blog.

Mr. B don't give up. happy days will be here again.

Mckenna, my archnemesis, no I don't work for burger king, got the trib endorsement which could be a good thing for dold. they seem to want blood this year, so he might have a trick up his rodent killing uniform's sleeve.

another week off the calendar andother week without pat hughes making noise.

overheard at hughes dinner table

pat:"we need more money to win

wife:you are polling at 0 percent is it worth 500k of our money to lose by 45 percent.

pat:cap and trade

wife:college educations

pat:hes gay

wife:you will still lose by 20 points.

pat:he voted against the surge and kirk is gay.

wife:you can't find fallujah on a map. and you'll lose by 55 points-even alan keyes did better.

pat:yes dear, but he's still gay.

wife:you'll have plenty of time to be soccer coach, at least we'll still have our retirement and you'll always be my elephant.

hughes:fallujah is a food served in Israel-see I know my stuff! done. "

it's over.

fan of king louis astaves the ellen aleaxi pup slayer

foklaeaps

Anonymous said...

To lighten the mood:

Q. Why did Obama cross the road?
A. Actually, Obama promised to cross the road, but then he didn't.

The Oracle of Mirth

Anonymous said...

I will agree with one thing from above. These "forums" are a disservice to us voters. The one last night in Northfield was particularly bad. Let's see, "tell us in 60 seconds what you would do as a congressman to convince your fellow republicans that they are baby eating monsters? And what would you then do to get the democratic agenda passed?"

Drivel.

Anonymous said...

anon, the press is drivel so don't expect your local rotary club member to get their inner russert on.

sadly the media know how to do 3 things:write fawning stories about obama, be stupid-team america is better, and hate republicans.

the days of novaks and calloways and russerts and ink stained wretches who reported and thought for a living and actually would say to tricky dick durbin why can't we do better than thomson or ask pat hughes why a guy off the street should handle national security issues or dolt why he spends more time cleaning his teeth than thinking about actual issues or coulson why she's been a blago hack and not an actual republican or dan seals why he hates israel so much or julie hamos how someone who has done so much awful to our state could think us so stupid that we couldn't see her record of sh-t for the heap of sh-t that it really is or cheryle jackson why America should leave afgahnistan to piss another generation down the drain in her failed coulson loving teacher union destroyed schools of urban america.

at least we have king louis and his robin team america and once a week commander kirk to keep us sane.

FOKLAEAPS

Anonymous said...

The forums are not perfect, but at least they are better than a pure media campaign. Green's folks claim the forums suck to help voters, but the only thing he has done are tv commercials and fliers, which do an even greater disservice to voters.

Anonymous said...

True enough.

Anonymous said...

FOKLAEAPS,

How is this race and political environment perfectly tailored for Bob? He is up against a center Republican who is an elected official with name recognition in a Blue district (which is getting more Democratic by the day). Edgar, Porter, Schock are successful pols who endorsed Beth because they believe she has the best chance in our very unique district. An open seat in IL-15, 18, 19 etc. (deep Red) is tailor made for Bob.

I support Bob and I truly believe he will prevail because he DOES have better grassroots. He is simply out working Beth. He and Kelley keep the press releases, Facebook and Twitter active on a daily basis which engages new voters. The Keats Manufacturing work was nice and their effort to get people on computers to win the IR poll demonstrates determination. He will work around the clock over the next 23 days to win this thing. He will work every corner of this district hard -- walking door-to-door, shaking hands, meeting local business owners. Will Beth read another forum opening statement? Frankly, that's embarrassing. I want a Rep in DC who will work and fight their tail off for me and my family.

What clouds all of this, however, is the looming census. As you well know, Rahm has made it clear: states in the south and west will gain seats in 2012 (presumably R seats). To counter this effect, the states in the midwest and northeast that will loose seats will redistrict R seats out. If Bob or Beth ultimately previal, they will have to go head-to-head with Jan S. in 2012 in a much more democratic new district. If Hamos wins in November, Shock's district will get spliced-up (hence his support of Coulson).

(By the way, "FOKLAEAS" is better...Pup will loose big on Feb 2nd)

Anonymous said...

1. it's an economy election about jobs and fiscal restraint. he's not capitalizing. winning an online poll does not matter.

2. it's turning blue because leaders like beth are incompetent democrat loving stooges who surrender what principles they pretend to have for survival. dolt is ignorant and out to lunch. he's running the mcsweeney campaign in a more liberal district.

3. the population loss has been in the afroamerican areas in the city and downstate, not here. the well educated parts of the state like this are doing well. its the low income, black and downstate economies that are shedding jobs and people.

I think the democrats will keep this district, add some of evanston to it and go to town on johnson, manzullo, schock, shimkus, roskam, and biggert. biggert is due for retirement-they'll combine her with roskam, then they'll try to get at least one more seat out of downstate. so game plan for them-close out the suburbs, and try to pick up a seat or 2 downstate.

4. thank you for making a point about redistricting that I have made for 2 years. I am glad you are reading my posts.

5. pup stays until he is defeated. king louis has earned his seal clubbing badge in the title after 2 tough wins. sorry.

6. dolt does not strike me as articulate from what i've seen. he is running a perfect campaign for 1955.

fan of king louis astaves the ellen alexi and pup slayer

Anonymous said...

Dold sends out meaning-less press releases. He is calling on Obama?

Who the heck does this guy think he is?

Just as a quick refresher Bob...you have not won nor do I think you will win as your campaign is too busy sending out releases about Santa's endorsement.

Dold: Lack-luster, amateur, and begging for endorsements.

Coulson: Porter, Edgar, Schock, Shimkus, etc.

Friedman: Not sure what to say here

Green: Expects to buy this seat and won't get above 20% come Feb. 2nd.

Hammen (sp?): Uhhh, don't really know what to say here...


Fact: Coulson vs. Hamos.

That will create the showdown of the country and all of your Coulson haters will be behind her in November regardless of what happens now because it is either her or Schakowsky Jr.

Take your pick.

Anonymous said...

Correction, Coulson is Shakowski Jr., so unless we get behind someone else, we have Shakowski Jr. locked in come Feb 4.

Anonymous said...

Sorry but the culumative endorsements of all these people you mention coulson has aren't worth a bowl of warm spit, they certainly haven't helped the party do anything over the course of the last decade instead just the opposite. I honestly can't remember the edgar administration, that's because it was 16 years ago. 1994 you'll recall was kind of a long time ago. Aarron Schock is known more for his stomach than brain on the hill and I've never seen a race won up here because of our bumpkin bretheren downstate.

the porter crown helped mark 10 years ago, it hasn't helped him against pup the last 2 times out and it did nothing for dear fellow cadigan.

I still havent heard one thing from coulsons people about what if anything shes done in springfield to merit any sort of promotion to d.c. she's a nice old woman who votes against the democrats once a year. So what.

shes slept with more unions (who kill jobs, raise taxes and wage war on small biz)than tiger has women, she has no national security credentials, and offers nothing in the way of vision for our party going forward. she's been a good soldier for the democrat party in springfield and has been rewarded by politically incompetent Republicans for it and politically dangerous democrat special interests. She's not a RINO, she's a donkey and hopefully one that won't be grazing in our area come february 4.

FOKLAEAPS

Anonymous said...

Here's what you can say about Friedman: "Thank you for your service, sir."

D. Miller said...

Anon 7:29,

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for respect for veterans like Dr. Friedman from Coulson's democrat handlers.

Friedman did more for us as a country in one landing on a ship than Coulson's dem peeps have done in all of their lives combined.

Anonymous said...

Anything anyone has to say that refers to the Illinois Primary as February 4th is just not credible.

How about this...Learn the correct date of the Primary Election and then come back with your argument. When you try and bash a candidate and then say how gloomy it will be with Coulson as our nominee on Feb. 4th you look just a little, oh how should I say it...ignorant? uneducated? not credible? dumb? Take your pick.

I will give you a hint. With all of the Coulson mailers I have now received, I plan on voting on February 2nd, not the 4th.

Seeing as some of you hate Coulson, by all means, feel free to vote at your convenience on Feb. 4th. Let me know how that turns out for you.


Boom! Roasted!

Anonymous said...

Wow, so burned, I guess...

Anonymous said...

With all the Coulson mailers I've received, I'm papering my bathrooom.