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| GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - February 8, 2010
DIERSEN: While candidates might win primary elections with nasty skeletons in their closets, it is far less likely that they will win general elections. Needless-to-say, it is very important that the news media, party leaders, elected officials, opposing candidates, etc. bring these skeletons out during the primary. As everyone knows, voters hold conservative Republican candidates, that is, platform Republican candidates, to much higher standards than they hold other candidates.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
-- Cohen says he's dropping out of race - Kristen Schorsch and Rick Pearsonhttp://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2010/02/speaker-madigan-met-with-cohen-urged-him-to-quit-.html(FROM THE ARTICLE: The state central committee is not bound to select any of the candidates who lost to Cohen in last week’s primary. State Rep. Art Turner of Chicago, a member of Madigan’s House leadership team who was backed by the powerful Southwest Side lawmaker, finished second to Cohen. Even before Cohen stepped off the ticket, some Democratic leaders said privately that they would like to expand a search beyond the primary election contenders and look to fill the vacancy to provide some regional balance--namely a downstate resident. Currently, all of the nominees on the Democratic statewide ticket come from Chicago - a point Republicans have used in the past to contend that city-controlled politics dominates state policy. Republicans faced a similar problem on their statewide ticket in 2004, when the primary-elected nominee for U.S. Senate, businessman Jack Ryan, dropped out of the race amid damaging disclosures contained in his divorce file. The Illinois GOP held an open casting call for the post but ended up settling on controversial conservative Republican activist Alan Keyes from Maryland to run as the nominee. Keyes was swamped by then-state Sen. Barack Obama in the 2004 general election. Turner, said he would make a case to the state central committee that he was the most qualified of those who sought the lieutenant governor nomination - but that his second-place finish should not automatically give him the spot. “I don’t think it ought to be an automatic. The fact that you finished second, I would not want to set a precedent for that,” Turner said. “What I’m saying is that of the people interested in the job-- others could have expressed an interest but didn’t--I am the most qualified.” Ryan dropped from the ticket in late June and the GOP didn’t pick Keyes as a replacement until early August. Democrats, however, could actually benefit from the early February primary by quickly forging a new teammate for Quinn to try to put Cohen's nomination behind them before general election voters tune into the fall contests. Still, Republicans are expected to use the Cohen debacle, on top of the scandal that put Quinn in office - the ouster of disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich - to campaign against the Democrats’ one-party rule of state government. "It will be among the things we'll bring up," said Pat Brady, the state's Republican chairman. "We'll point out what the Democrats have done to get this state where it is. But it's more important to have our candidates talk about what we're going to do.")
-- Cohen quits race for lieutenant governor Mounting pressure over scandalous past forces him to drop out - Kristen Schorschhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/news/elections/ct-met-madigan-cohen-criticism-20100207,0,3284935,full.story(FROM THE ARTICLE: Democrats now face the prospect of filling Cohen's vacancy on the ticket, a decision to be made by the 38-member Democratic State Central Committee. The committee, the governing board of state Democrats, is headed by powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan, the state Democratic chairman. "The speaker is prepared to work with the members of the (Democratic) State Central Committee, Gov. Quinn and Senate President (John) Cullerton to work on selecting a replacement," said Madigan spokesman Steve Brown. "We'll start with members of the central committee and work on ideas." The Democratic panel is scheduled to meet March 17, though a meeting could be held sooner. The state central committee is not bound to select any of the candidates who lost to Cohen in last week's primary. State Rep. Art Turner, of Chicago, a member of Madigan's House leadership team who was backed by the powerful Southwest Side lawmaker, finished second to Cohen.)
NBC5-- Cohen. . .Cohen. . .Gone Gov. Quinn calls it the "right decision" - B.J. Lutz
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/cohen-steps-down-83685472.html(The vacancy leaves state party leaders -- not the electorate -- with the responsibility of replacing him on the ballot. Sunday's announcement came after a meeting with House Speaker Michael Madigan in Chicago where Cohen was encouraged in a "very direct and frank" manner to drop out of the race, Madigan aide Steve Brown told the Chicago Tribune. Madigan will work with members of the Democratic State Central Committee, Gov. Quinn and Senate President John Cullerton to find a replacement, Brown said. The selection task falls to the DSCC, which is made of a male and female representative from each of the state's 19 congressional districts. The DSCC is not required to pick from Cohen's primary competitors.)
CBS2-- Embattled Lt. Gov. Nominee To Quit Race Democratic Candidate Tearful As He Explains Decisionhttp://cbs2chicago.com/local/Scott.Lee.Cohen.2.1478229.html(FROM THE ARTICLE: Madigan, as party chairman, will get feedback from Quinn and Senate President John Cullerton, Brown said. The party's State Central Committee will determine the replacement nominee in a vote, he said. There are two committee members per congressional district, and the vote is weighted based on primary-election turnout. The committee is slated to meet in mid-March but could get together sooner, Brown said.)
-- 212,902 reasons Cohen shouldn't have quit - Chuck Goudie (FROM THE ARTICLE: Disclosure: I wasn't among those who handed a 30,000 vote margin of victory to Mr. Cohen, so I have no personal stake in this. Actually, I skipped over the lieutenant governor's candidates altogether on Election Day in silent protest of the usually inconsequential state office.) (DIERSEN QUESTION: Did the voting machine reject Goudie's ballot for undervoting?)http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=357502
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS
-- Gov. Pat Quinn's primary win gives him a few more months to show he's up to the job - Greg Hinz (DIERSEN: The Illinois Democrat Party (IDP) platform is vehemently anti-business. Crain's Chicago Business is supposed to be an advocate for Illinois business, but it acts like it is an advocate for the IDP. Why is that?) http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?articleId=32993(FROM THE COMMENTARY: Officially, the GOP line is that Republicans can't talk taxes until the Democrats get serious about cutting costs — like pensions for some of those state employee unions that are so generous in filling the political coffers of Democratic candidates. Frankly, it's a good line. "What I sense from my caucus is that they're really not for a tax increase, short of fundamental reform in state government," Senate GOP Leader Christine Radogno says. Mr. Madigan's spokesman throws the ball right back to the Republican side of the line. Filling the budget hole "will require a bipartisan solution," he says. But House Republican Leader Tom Cross is in no mood for bipartisanship. "How many (Democratic) votes does the speaker have in the House? Seventy. You only need 59 to pass a bill," he says, pretty much daring Mr. Madigan to pass a bill himself. "Before we have any discussion about taxes, we're going to have to have discussion of reform" - everything from pensions and Medicaid to helping businesses expand and further tightening of the state's ethics laws.)
KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE
-- Local Republicans unite following Tuesday's election - Eric Schelkopfhttp://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/2010/02/07/77382118/index.xml(THE ARTICLE: Local Republicans are confident the GOP will regain power at both the state and national level come November. "I think we have the opportunity to have a clean sweep in Illinois and across the nation," said State Sen. Randall Hultgren, R-Winfield, during Saturday's Kane County GOP Unity party at Riverside Receptions in Geneva. Hultgren won the GOP nomination in the 14th Congressional District Tuesday in a close race with Ethan Hastert, who was seeking his father's former seat. Hultgren will face incumbent Democrat Bill Foster of Batavia in the Nov. 2 general election. Saturday's event served as a way for Republicans to unite after the election, which turned testy after Hultgren's campaign produced a mailer that alleged the law firm Hastert works for lobbies for companies that have a history of human trafficking. Hultgren later apologized for the mailer, and praised Hastert during the event. "I know you will make a huge difference in anything you do," Hultgren said. "You will make us so proud." Hastert in turn has thrown his support behind Hultgren. "We need to do everything we can to send him to Washington," Hastert said. "Bill Foster has to go." Kane County GOP chairman Mike Kenyon also was upbeat about the Republican party's chances in November. "This is our time," Kenyon said. "We're going to get this state back in shape.")
WASHINGTON TIMES
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
-- Actions, that hopefully, DuPage County Republican Party Chairman candidate Dan Cronin will soon take - Dave Diersen
-- Schedule a major DuPage County Republican unity event as soon as the gubernatorial primary election issue is resolved.
-- Immediately post on the DuPage County Republican Central Committee's (DCRCC) website a) the Illinois Republican Party (IRP) platform; b) DCRCC's by-laws (now posted in searchable PDF format on the www.gopillinois.com Files page); c) information, including hyperlinks to campaign websites, for all Republican candidates who will be on November 2, 2010 ballots in DuPage County; d) the names of the Chairs and members of all DCRCC committees; e) etc. -- Publish the names of those he wants to serve as the IRP State Central Committee (SCC) members for each of DuPage County's three congressional districts, DCRCC Secretary, DCRCC Vice Chairman, DCRCC Treasurer, DCRCC Chairwoman, DCRCC Committee Chairs, DCRCC Committee Chair members, and DCRCC employees.
-- Invite all precinct committeemen and elected officials to attend monthly DCRCC Executive Committee (EC) meetings, post the agenda for the meetings well in advance of the meetings, include an open comment period in each of the meetings, and limit items discussed in executive session to only those items traditionally discussed in executive sessions. According to Article V, Section 5 of DCRCC's by-laws, those invitees who "can contribute to the ideals and welfare of the Organization" can attend monthly county party meetings as "observers."
-- Send out an email on the first of each month to all DuPage County Republican precinct committeemen and elected officials that a) summaries the minutes of the DCRCC EC meeting during the month just ended, b) lists DCRCC's accomplishments during the month just ended, c) lists what DCRCC will do during the month ahead, d) reports on township party meetings held during the month just ended, e) lists the schedule of township party meetings for the month ahead, f) provides hyperlinks to major articles posted during the month just ended that directly impact DuPage County, g) lists funds raised and money spent during the month just ended, h) summaries the DCRCC Chairman's report on the Republican County Chairmen's Association meeting during the month just ended, i) summaries reports from the three IRP SCC members that represent DuPage County, j) etc.
-- Provide DuPage County Republicans with information on the party's financial condition. According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, during the last 6 months of 2009, the party raised $49,226.36 (including $375 from Diersen), borrowed $25,000.00, and spent $93,550.96. It began the period with $70,718.28 on hand and ended with $51,393.68.
-- Report on efforts by individual township parties and their success in a) having an active elected precinct committeeman in each of their precincts, b) maximizing Republican turnout for each election, c) maximizing attendance a monthly township meetings, d) having the best possible election headquarters, e) etc.
-- Announce when and where the first "annual coffee" for DuPage County "Constitution Club" members will be held.
-- Per Article V, Section 8 of DCRCC's by-laws, appoint and establish an Advisory Committee that would suggest ways to reach out to DuPage County conservatives, that is, to DuPage County platform Republicans, that is, to the base of the DuPage County Republican Party.
-- Propose that the DCRCC adopt a resolution similar to, if not stronger than, the one that the RNC recently adopted -- "RESOLVED, that the Republican National Committee urges that no support, financial or otherwise, be given to candidates who clearly do not support the core principles and positions of the Republican Party as expressed in the Platform of the Republican Party."
-- Make it clear that he will not appoint or reappoint anyone to any DCRCC position who a) endorses Democrats, b) gives money to Democrats, c) accepts money from Democrats, or d) demonizes or denigrates conservatives.
-- Go back to supporting SB600 like State Senator and 14th Congressional District candidate Randy Hultgren did.
-- Respond to the aforesaid suggestions at TAPROOT's February 20 breakfast meeting, or sooner, if possible.
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
-- New GOPUSA poll: Which statewide candidate are you going to work the hardest to elect?
-- U.S. Senator - Mark Kirk
-- Governor and Lieutenant Governor - Bill Brady or Kirk Dillard and Jason Plummer
-- Attorney General - Steve Kim
-- Secretary of State - Robert Enriquez
-- Comptroller - Judy Baar Topinka
-- Treasurer - Dan Rutherford |
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