IL-10: Brad Schneider Taking Heat for Too-Close-For-Comfort Suggestion of Obama Endorsement (UPDATED)

If you are a Democrat, an Obama endorsement is often seen as the Golden Ticket to a win, and people go to sometimes desperate lengths to get it... or at least appear like they have gotten it. IL-10 hopeful Brad Schneider may well have crossed the line, however, in sending out a mailer that prominently displays the picture of the President in the company of other endorsers, such as former Congresswoman Melissa Bean, the Chicago Tribune and the Daily Herald.

Schneider got called out on this by front-running opponent Ilya Sheyman (who recently won a huge victory (73%) in the 10th Dems straw poll this past weekend), and the story has attracted the attention of Huffington Post and Politico. Our friend Ellen of the Tenth, who is a rabid John Tree supporter, had no love for Schneider before this (giving money to Mark Kirk, as has Schneider, is pretty much the kiss of death in her book), and is now just beside herself.

Check out the mailer, below, and decide for yourself.



As a bonus, click here to see a 10 minute video of the IL-10 Dem hopefuls on WTTW's Chicago Tonight beating the snot out of each other. Keep at it, boys.

UPDATED 3/9/12 5:00 pm: The Daily Herald, via Russell Lissau, is up with their take on the story. Russell gets a couple of choice quotes from the field:

[John] Tree called Schneider’s use of Obama’s image on the flier “deplorable.”

“This blatant attempt by Brad to inflate his own campaign with misleading and patently false associations should be called out for the shameful act that it was,” Tree said in an email.

[Ilya] Sheyman took a shot at Schneider, too.

“It’s disappointing ... Brad Schneider’s campaign would resort to such desperate tactics to mislead the voters of the 10th District,” Sheyman said in an email.

Also noting.... One of my good Democratic friends attended a Brad Schneider fundraiser at a posh Highland Park home the other night. He thought that Schneider, on the whole, was a much better fit for the district and thought that the issue of his donations to Republicans would be a benefit, IF he can emerge victorious in the primary. But he also said that Schneider was a "terrible communicator" and he needed to learn how to cut it short. Apparently Scheider is in love with the sound of his own voice.

My friend did say that if Sheyman was the nominee, he was voting for Dold. Here's hoping there's a lot more like him out there.

Turelli-Neerhof 58th Legislative District Tussle Gets Media Attention

As we have been reporting lately, the GOP primary battle between Lauren Turelli and Dr. Mark Neerhof has been progressively escalating in the past couple weeks, with Turelli challenging Neerhof's stance on Medicaid and Neerhof's personal interest in protecting such payments (given that Neerhof is a physician), and with Neerhof firing back at Turelli's claimed educational credentials and casting aspersions on Turelli's truthfulness in representing her coursework at the prestigious Cambridge University.

A new piece in The Patch, by one of its editors, is highly critical of Turelli and outlines the Neerhof campaign attack on her credibility. Sometimes when you read a piece like this, you wonder if it is just a plant from the opposing campaign (which kind of pieces The Patch seems to post all the time), but this one is by one of The Patch's editors and seems legit. It appears to be just another case of the Mainstream Media picking up on a story from your own Team America Blog. But since they gave us a link in their story, we could hardly avoid mentioning it, could we?

58th District GOP Wars Continue: Turelli to File Ethics Complaint Against Dr. Mark Neerhof (UPDATED: Neerhof Response and Counterpunch)

Just when you thought the press release war between Republican candidates Lauren Turelli and Dr. Mark Neerhof in the 58th Legislative District (retiring State Rep. Karen May's seat), couldn't get any more contentious, Turelli has just now upped the ante by accusing her opponent of failing to make required disclosures of payments he received in the course of his medical practice. Turelli notes that other doctors who do business with the State of Illinois, such as 29th Senate Candidate Dr. Arie Friedman, have made such disclosures. We are contacting the Neerhof campaign for a response, as usual, so stay tuned...


Dr. Neerhof Fails to Disclose Medicaid Payments to State Officials

LAKE FOREST — Republican State Representative candidate Lauren Turelli announced today that an ethics complaint will be filed against Dr. Mark Neerhof for his failure to disclose Illinois Medicaid payments on his mandatory Statement of Economic Interest form.

“Each candidate for state office is required to answer 8 very specific, financial questions which determine whether you or any entity you are associated with is making money from, and in, the State of Illinois. Dr. Neerhof answered ‘None’. The Illinois Department of Human Services released a list of Medicaid providers that included a payout to Dr. Neerhof of $86,659.00 in 2011 and $71,386.00 in 2010,” said Turelli.

“When confronted with the facts, Dr. Neerhof refused to respond. While he may be able to ignore voters and reporters, he will not be able to ignore the law enforcement officials who will be provided a copy of his Medicaid financial history.

Each candidate completing the mandatory financial disclosure forms provided by the Secretary of State must swear to the following: I declare that this Statement of Economic Interests (including any accompanying schedules and statements) has been examined by me and to the best of my knowledge and belief is a true, correct and complete statement of my economic interests as equired by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. I understand that the penalty for willfully filing a false or incomplete statement shall be a fine not to exceed $1,000 or imprisonment in a penal institution other than the penitentiary not to exceed one year, or both fine and imprisonment.

"Dr. Mark Neerhof is well known in the community and in the media for his extreme rhetoric. In the past few weeks, Dr. Neerhof’s extreme accusations have reached new levels, having falsely labeled me as ‘corrupt’ and virtually calling me a liar, without any basis other than his imagination,” said Turelli. “Despite his outlandish claims against me, and the obvious fact that he is apparently hiding something from state officials, I will not reciprocate. I will not call Dr. Neerhof ‘corrupt’ or label him a ‘criminal’ or a ‘liar’. I will simply ask state officials to draw their own conclusions from their investigations.”

Turelli added that other doctors doing business with, and in, the State of Illinois, such as Neerhof’s colleague, Dr. Arie Friedman, who is running for State Senate from the same area, have fully disclosed their financial relationships with the government.

UPDATED 2/29/12 12:00 pm: Right on cue, this is the response I received from the Neerhof campaign, along with a counterpunch going back to the "Cambridge" issue; Neerhof is essentially claiming that Turelli's claim to have received a degree from Cambridge was not an isolated incident (you may have to click on and enlarge the picture below to see the example to which Neerhof is referring). Read on below:

I have reviewed my disclosure and it is accurate. With respect to claims about Medicaid payments, I receive no direct payments for services rendered for Medicaid patients. I am a salaried employee of NorthShore University HealthSystem.

As far as claims by my campaign concerning Ms. Turelli, we need use no other words other than her own. Turelli has claimed a graduate degree from the University of Cambridge, but the University says that she dropped out “without gaining any qualification…” Lauren Turelli’s claim of graduating from Cambridge is false. She has been making this claim for at least the last 5 years, including in written representations to obtain positions in public service. Attached, for example, is a copy of Turelli’s 2007 application to volunteer for the City of Lake Forest obtained through a FOIA request. Under education, it comes as no surprise that she claimed a Cambridge degree. Those are her words, not ours. We already have enough people in Springfield who don’t tell us the truth; we don’t need to add another.

Duel of Press Releases in 58th Legislative District Escalates; Now It's Getting Personal (UPDATED)

As Team America readers know, 58th Legislative District candidate Lauren Turelli has been challenging her opponent, Dr. Mark Neerhof, on the best way to reform the state Medicare system, with part of that challenge playing out right here on the blog with dueling press releases.

Well, things have now risen to a new level, with Neerhof deciding he's played enough of the defensive game on Medicaid and declining to substantively respond to Turelli's most recent press release, but then going on the attack with a claim that Turelli has misrepresented her educational credentials.

First, Turelli's latest shot on Medicare:

TURELLI CHALLENGES OPPONENT TO JUSTIFY
OPPOSITION TO COMMON-SENSE MEDICAID REFORMS

LAKE FOREST – Republican State Representative candidate Lauren Turelli challenged her opponent in the March 20th primary election, Mark Neerhof, to justify why he opposes common-sense reforms to Illinois' Medicaid program that could save Illinois taxpayers over $2 billion per year.

"As the Medicaid rolls skyrocket due to mismanagement and fraud, it's time to implement key reforms to ensure that the Illinois citizens who truly need this assistance are being served, and that taxpayers are not being fleeced," said Turelli. More to the point, Turelli noted that, "my opponent’s refusal to support common-sense reforms that save billions of dollars show he is not the real deal – not a true fiscal conservative."

At a recent candidate forum where Turelli reiterated her support of $2 billion in proposed Medicaid cuts, her opponent said ‘that makes no sense’. Turelli’s proposed reforms will look at all components – providers, patients, managed care, income tests and asset verification – of the broken Medicaid system to achieve significant cost reductions. These reforms and other common-sense measures are estimated to save taxpayers over
$2 billion per year.

"In order to fix Illinois, we need transparency and an end to currying favor with special interest groups. Dr. Neerhof needs to explain why he is opposed to common-sense reforms – a true fiscal conservative will back $2 billion in common-sense cuts", concluded Turelli.


I sent that along to Neerhof's campaign, which responded as follows:

"I received the release from Lauren Turelli's campaign. The release is so false and untruthful that is does not deserve a response."


Neerhof then changed the subject and upped the ante, claiming:

Lauren Turelli Claims Degree From Cambridge Which The University Says She Does Not Have
Lauren Turelli Has Questions to Answer
　
Lake Forest—Today, Republican candidate for Illinois’ 58th district Dr. Mark Neerhof’s campaign is calling for Lauren Turelli to explain why she has been telling voters since 2009 that she is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, while the school says in a letter "she was unsuccessful in her studies and withdrew."
　
Turelli, as an unsuccessful candidate for West Deerfield Township Supervisor claimed to have graduated from the University, and she continued to make these claims during her failed run for State Representative in 2010 and to this very day.　 Voters are entitled to the truth, and they are entitled to not send someone who misleads voters about their credentials to Springfield.　 Clearly, Ms. Turelli’s untruthful claim would make her unelectable in a general election.　
　
Brad Goodman, an aide to Neerhof’s campaign said, "Lauren Turelli has a lot of explaining to do because the Republican voters of the 58th District want a viable general election nominee.　　 We have plenty of corrupt people in Springfield who do not tell the truth already, and we certainly do not need any more of them.　 It’s unfathomable that Turelli thought no one would ever look at her back ground and it makes a pretty strong statement about her that she has been running with this storyline for several years."　
　
An Illinois Review article posted on 2/21/12 shows Turelli avoiding responding to this important question and then sending a convoluted response which only seems to show more so that her claim of graduating from Cambridge is untruthful.
　
In short, Turelli has serious questions to answer, but the answers are simple. Prove you graduated from Cambridge even though the school says you did not, or explain why you have been misleading voters in your campaigns for the last 3 years.
　

Turelli in turn responded with this statement:

I attended Cambridge University where I fulfilled the requirements for an advanced course of study in International Relations, conducted research and wrote a thesis on U.S. Aid Policies to Israel and Egypt. It has come to my attention that some biographical notes on websites not under the control of my campaign for State Representative may inaccurately reflect my post-graduate work at the University of Cambridge. I am working now to ensure those sites have the proper information.

Got all that? Wonder what's next...

UPDATED: Well, I asked for what was next, didn't I? And so, here's the next salvo coming from the Neerhof campaign:
　
"Lauren Turelli has misled voters for the last 3 years. She never graduated from the University of Cambridge, even though she repeatedly made this claim on websites and submissions to surveys that were under her complete control, and even on her own letterhead. She refused to acknowledge that she never graduated and that she has no qualification from the University of Cambridge whatsoever. Lauren continues to fail to accept responsibility by admitting she was wrong and acknowledging it was her responsibility and no one else’s. Lauren Turelli insults the intelligence of Republicans and all voters with the statement she released today. We already have too many corrupt politicians in Springfield that do not tell us the truth. We do not need another."

So there.

Keith Brin Endorsed by Daily Herald for Lake County Circuit Court Clerk

My friend Keith Brin got the nod from the Daily Herald today in the Republican primary race for Lake County circuit Court Clerk. Says the Herald, "Keith Brin, a Highland Park resident and chief deputy for outgoing clerk Sally Coffelt, acknowledges the need for technological growth but points out that it must be done in a way that is both secure and fiscally responsible. ...we believe Brin’s experience as the deputy clerk and his realistic approach to moving forward with technological advances make him the stronger candidate." Nice.

Coincidentally, Brin is having a "Closing Arguments" fundraiser at Mickey Finn's tomorrow (Monday) beginning at 5:00 pm. See ya there!

Dr. Arie Friedman Hits Dem Julie Morrison on Tax Evasion (Evading the Issue, That Is) with New Video (UPDATED)

Dr. Arie Friedman, who is running unopposed as the GOP candidate who wants to take over State Senator Susan Garrett's seat in the 29th Senate District, is coming out swinging against West Deerfield Township Supervisor Julie Morrison in a new video that showcases Morrison's evasion on the very important question of whether she would have voted in favor of the infamous Illinois income tax increase, which jacked up our personal income taxes by 66%.

Friedman's ad is hard-hitting, and is also remarkable given that Morrison does not have a clear shot at the nomination, since she faces fellow Dem Milton Sumption in the Dem primary.

Some of the clips of Morrison in the video are just precious. Here's a sample:

Questioner: ".... I asked you the question about taxes."

Morrison: "You did!"

Questioner: "That was, like, back when you first started."

Morrison: "Right."

Questioner: "Have you thought about that at all? Do you have a position on it?"

Morrison: "I think about it every day."

Questioner: "Do you have a position on it?"

Morrison: "You know....no, I don't. Not that I can share right now. Sorry."




Watch the whole thing - it's under a minute. Frankly, you wouldn't usually believe any serious politician would think he or she could prevaricate on such an issue for long, and actually get away with it before being called out on it... but apparently that's the game Morrison is trying to play.

Most likely, Morrison's plan is to keep mum on this issue through the primary, and hope that no one presses the question, since she can't be caught saying she opposed the tax increase, or would vote against it, say, if the issue of making the tax increase permanent (since it was only supposed to last a few years) comes up, which many expect it will. To do so would give her opponent a clear opening. But, don't be shocked if after the primary, Morrison clearly comes out and takes a stand against the tax increase, just like her mentor Susan Garrett.

Just sayin'.

UPDATED 2/24/12 8:45 am: In today's Daily Herald, the editors came out to endorse Morrison over her primary opponent, Milton Sumption. What's missing from the endorsement?.... that's right, a discussion of Morrison's position on TAXES! The DH lauds Morrison for her supposed commitment to job creation, but how can they do so without asking her about her position on taxes, which are obviously a key component of the overall employment environment? Tsk, tsk, tsk...

Turelli and Neerhof Continue Battle on Medicare Reform in 58th Legislative District Race

So, what do you do if you are running for the Illinois General Assembly, and there simply aren't frequent enough debates scheduled to engage your opponent on the issues? Well, how about a proxy war by dueling press releases? It seems, anyway, that this is the strategy that Lauren Turelli and her opponent, Dr. Mark Neerhof, have worked out.

Think of Team America as no-man's-land on the 58th District front: one candidate sends me a press release, so we send it to the other side for a response. And respond they do!

As before, since we gladly provide this public service, Team America has the first crack at putting these releases back to back to continue the heated discussion about how to best reform the Illinois Medicaid program.

Here's Turelli's next shot:


TURELLI CHALLENGES OPPONENT TO JUSTIFY
OPPOSITION TO COMMON-SENSE MEDICAID REFORMS

LAKE FOREST – Republican State Representative candidate Lauren Turelli challenged her opponent in the March 20th primary election, Mark Neerhof, to justify why he opposes common-sense reforms to Illinois' Medicaid program that could save Illinois taxpayers over $2 billion per year.

"As the Medicaid rolls skyrocket due to mismanagement and fraud, it's time to implement key reforms to ensure that the Illinois citizens who truly need this assistance are being served, and that taxpayers are not being fleeced," said Turelli. More to the point, Turelli noted that, "my opponent’s refusal to support common-sense reforms that save billions of dollars show he is not the real deal – not a true fiscal conservative."

At a recent candidate forum where Turelli reiterated her support of $2 billion in proposed Medicaid cuts, her opponent said ‘that makes no sense’. Turelli’s proposed reforms will look at all components – providers, patients, managed care, income tests and asset verification – of the broken Medicaid system to achieve significant cost reductions. These reforms and other common-sense measures are estimated to save taxpayers over
$2 billion per year.

"In order to fix Illinois, we need transparency and an end to currying favor with special interest groups. Dr. Neerhof needs to explain why he is opposed to common-sense reforms – a true fiscal conservative will back $2 billion in common-sense cuts", concluded Turelli.



And Neerhof fires back:
　
Dr. Mark Neerhof Supports Bold Medicaid Reform
Turelli-Quinn Plan Fails to Address Medicaid’s Problems and Worsens Patient Care
　
Lake Forest, IL 2/21/12-　 Last week Lauren Turelli, Dr. Mark Neerhof’s Republican Primary campaign opponent came out in support of Liberal Democrat Governor Pat Quinn’s Medicaid plan.　 Republicans, conservatives, patients and physicians alike have lambasted the Turelli-Quinn plan.　 The Turelli-Quinn plan worsens the problems of access to care and Illinois’ unpaid bills.
　
Under the leadership of Governors Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn 20% of Illinoisans are now on Medicaid.　 Just like Quinn, Lauren’s ideas of reform worsen the problems created by the Blagojevich and Quinn Administrations.　 Turelli’s comments today claiming that Dr. Mark Neerhof does not support ‘common-sense’ reforms is a foolish accusation from a candidate that does not understand the fundamentals of what Medicaid is and what reform should look like.
　
Dr. Neerhof has dedicated his career to providing patient care to all patients including those on Medicaid. His plan for Medicaid calls for bold reforms, something that the Turelli- Quinn plan rejects. Medicaid already has 2.5 billion dollars of unpaid bills from last year.　 This year, Illinois is expected to have in excess of 3 billion dollars in unpaid bills, and the Civic Federation has recently announced that the total of unpaid Medicaid bills is expected to total 21 billion dollars by the end of 2017.　Nowhere in the Turelli-Quinn proposal is there a plan for paying off the state’s Medicaid debts.　 These debts must be paid under law along with the ever-compounding interest the taxpayers owe providers each month, when the state misses payments.　
　
Dr. Mark Neerhof:　 "Ms. Turelli claims that I am motivated by special interests. She is right. They are called patients.　 Lauren does not understand what the problems are with Medicaid. She does not work within its confines every day.　 As a physician, I see the problems in Medicaid and know what must be changed. Unlike Lauren, I do not support the Democrat Governor’s Medicaid plan.　 Rather, I support bold reform."
　
Dr. Neerhof’s plan would provide means-based premium assistance to patients in need to assist them in obtaining their own low cost health insurance policies.　 By doing so, we will provide lower cost, higher quality healthcare to the patients that need it the most.