Friday, October 27, 2006

Personal Asides:

David McSweeney 2
melissa bean
It’s McSweeney and Berkowitz on Sunday…How Would Bean, if Reelected, Vote on Speaker if the House Division is Razor-Thin?...There Should be a Future for Tony Snow in Elective Politics…Anti-Topinka Republicans Should Unite to Put the GOP in Conservative Hands.

McSweeney and Berkowitz.

My guests on Sunday’s WLS-AM show will be David McSweeney, Republican candidate for 8th district Congress and Jeff Berkowitz, TV analyst and astute expert on, among other things, suburban politics. Can McSweeney pull it out now that Lynn Sweet, political editor for the Democratic newspaper of record, the “Sun-Times,” decided to take a breather from writing puff pieces for presidential candidate Barack Obama and assume the role of publicity director for Melissa Bean? Make no mistake, Sweet is a partisan journalist in the advocacy style of the late George Tagge of the “Trib.” As I believe newspapers should take an interpretative role in news-gathering, I cannot fault Sweet for doing what she does best as did Tagge. Republicans used to call Tagge for advice in the same way that Democrats are doing with Sweet. Even with the addition of Sweet as adjunct to the Bean campaign, the battle is not over…and McSweeney is by all odds one of the best equipped Republican candidate for the House across the country.

Dick Morris among others is reporting that the so-called “wave” of Democratic victory has subsided and the polls are projecting a rightward backlash. My own personal view is that the liberal mainstream media are capable of generating its own backlash to its discomfiture. For example, listening to Katie Couric interviewing Michael J. Fox on embryonic stem cells, there was no mention of Fox’s earlier published book that admitted he went off his meds in order to present a shaky, jerky and non-coherent appearance before a Congressional committee. Couric said the charge was made by Rush Limbaugh without recognizing that Fox himself had made the admission.

By the way, kudos to our own Sandy Rios who the other day corrected the Smug Savant of Cockiness, Bill O’Reilly on his show. Rios is the locally famed conservative woman who used to host a well-listened-to talk show on WYLL radio. O’Reilly started his show blasting Limbaugh for supposed insensitivity to ex-actor Fox. Rios bravely and intelligently said O’Reilly was wrong and cited chapter and verse where Fox wrote in his own book that he purposely went off meds in order to dramatize his appearance.

Bean.

A meeting of Washington reps working for Illinois businesses featured a talk by Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL) who has courted conservatives and business in particular with her votes and her sunny attitude toward many of their projects. In an off-the-record session not long ago, Bean was asked what she would do if the House wound up almost evenly divided as some analysts, notably Michael Barone, estimates it may.

Specifically the question was asked before an all-Illinois group of lobbyists who lean with great favor on keeping Dennis Hastert as Speaker: would you cast a vote for a Democrat for Speaker that might, in a closely divided House, take the Speaker-ship away from Hastert, given the serious implications this would have for Illinois and its ability to get goodies through the federal pipeline. To the surprise of many who were there, Bean ticked off at least one favorable special interest consideration that might determine her vote for Hastert. This would be enough to set Rahm Emanuel tearing out his hair. Bean has voted for CAFTA and for a Republican strong immigration control bill in the House and was endorsed for reelection by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce.

After carefully analyzing all House races, Barone sees the probability of the Democrats winding up with a 219-216 majority. If so, he says we won’t know the outcome on election night because of many factors—recounts, challenges to canvasses, uncounted absentee votes and the like. He cites the off-year of 1930 with the country in a depression where experts predicted a quick turnover in the House to the Democrats. It didn’t happen that way for a long time. At the outset there was a narrow edge to Republicans retaining control—but a series of deaths evened the score and tipped it slightly Democratic: but not until 1931. Barone points out that Democrat Gene Taylor of Mississippi refused to vote for Nancy Pelosi in this last session of Congress and may refuse to do so again. If it gets that close again, Bean—if reelected, and that’s still an “if”—may decide that her normally heavy Republican district would want her to support Hastert. Now that this is published, Emanuel will pick up the phone and exert the gentle persuasion that he is famous for.

Tony Snow.

Since Tony Snow has taken over as President Bush’s news secretary, the defense of the White House has gained immeasurably. The former FOX anchor and radio talk-show host has everything going for him: looks, presence, wit, surety in vocabulary and a low-key relaxed manner that equals that of the early Ronald Reagan. Moreover, Snow has a sure grasp of conservative issues and an ingratiating way of salesmanship. When Bush leaves office, the national GOP should have a slot in mind for Snow. It should be a run for the U. S. Senate in a fairly accommodative state. Snow is so good that in a few years he should be a contender for the presidency: he’s that impressive to me. Now that we’re elevating Barack Obama to the White House, we should not lose sight of the fact that a five-star telegenic personality should not be sent back to FOX but should be nurtured for what would be an exciting and creative career in Republican politics.

Anti-Topinka Republicans.

With the polls showing that Judy Baar Topinka has received less than even 50% of the GOP base thus far, watch for the mainstream media to downplay this and bewail her defeat solely on Rod Blagojevich’s huge money war-chest. No doubt about it, the governor’s money means a lot at a time when he is being severely scorched by many in his own party—but the spin from the MSM will ignore the fact that Topinka’s social liberalism cut her campaign off at the knees. Other factors responsible for Topinka’s predicted loss will certainly be that she has been the most intellectually vapid candidate possible to find running for governor…with no program…substituting wisecracks for policy…no interest in discussing specifics of government…and a generally exhausted and energetically winded lack of appeal. As long as she has been state treasurer she has not been involved in either governing or details of philosophy so the only thing she exhibits a knowledge about is the mechanics of campaigning.

Immediately after her projected defeat, conservative Republican leaders should determine how to (a) either take over the Republican party or (b) work around it by supporting a third party along the lines of the old New York Conservative Party which gave conservatives an alternative for many years and even elected a United States Senator before it was assumed into the establishmentarian morass. There is some sentiment for Andy McKenna to stay as state GOP chairman because he has a demonstrable skill at raising money and is no great threat to conservative values. My own feeling is that conservatives should strive to make inroads into the GOP and to counterbalance it with support for a responsive and responsible Constitution Party. As for me…as I’ve said before…I’m writing in Randy Stufflebeam for governor, the state chairman of the Constitution Party…and voting Republican all the rest of the way down the ticket.

15 comments:

  1. Will you please stop trying to make a democrat out of me!!!

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  2. You're absolutely right about not supporting Topinka. And kudos to you Tom for having the courage to say it. I think we're all sick of the Cut-and-Run Republicans, or the Cover-Up Republicans...whatever you want to call the remaining lemmings.

    But regarding Andy McKenna, he needs to go too. Don't forget, he had the State Party organization abandon the Protect Marriage petition drive effort. Plus he was clearly working for Topinka in the primary, even as he tried to dishonestly deny. Don't you remember how he tried to use that code of conduct, but only against Topinka's opponents? That's just one example.

    And Tom, please don't forget how McKenna allowed himself to be held out as the Combine's guy who was going to take on Peter Fitzgerald in a primary, if Peter didn't get the hint and go away.

    Tom, Andy McKenna is a traitor, a wimpy one, yes. But a traitor nonetheless.

    I would put McKenna in the same shameful club as Birkett and Bill Brady, two-faced conservatives who sold out their own people and beliefs because they perceived some personal gain to be had.

    Now all three are disgraced, used-up, and not worthy of respect by decent Republicans.

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  3. The housecleaning should not stop with Judy and the traitorous Joe. (Don't be confused by Joe's last minute attempts to get the Parental Notification Act implemented. If this is all he can come up with while Big Bob Kjellander smokes cigars indoors then he is worthless to the conservative cause and must go.)

    Brady, too. Out. He has set back our plans for party domination at least one election cycle.

    And Paul Caprio. He set up the bogus "Conservative Summit" for the sole purpose of duping "the base" into voting against itself and allowing Judy to win. He must go, too.

    Ron Gidwitz. He is through. He is not a conservative, and endorsed Judy after the primary. He does not have Republican values and is the epitome of a RINO.

    Jim Oberweis. He is a turncoat for supporting Judy, and giving her money. To sell out his principles to maintain party viability is shameless. Put him up against the wall and blindfold him.

    Tom Roeser. As chronicled here on this blog, Tom is sooooo old school. Even with all his vast history and knowledge, he was duped by Brady and Birkett. Tom must go so that the next generation of conservatives don't even consider supporting Joe or Bill.

    Jack Roeser. Another old schooler. Showed his true colors by supporting Jesse White. Employs old guard Illinois GOP officials and ex-state employees. Was duped by Oberweis to the point of giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to the man who subsequently endorsed Judy. Gets big money from the federal government and gives it to employees who live in sin.

    Dave Dierson. Was spotted at a campaign event wearing a Judy & Joe sticker. I don't care about all the good work he's doing evey day, that was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.

    I will pause here for brevity sake.

    These must go for us to maintain the ideological purity of the Party and to rebuild a strong Party.

    I could care less about if we ever win. What I do care about is having that good feeling knowing that what I spend my time in and on is 100% (I won't settle for 99 & 44/100%) right as I see it.

    It is better to be pure and right than to win.

    I'll continue the list in subsequent posts.

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  4. Byebye2, you want to get rid of all the current conservatives... and replace them with who??? Aaron Schock is the only viable conservative of the future. Other than him, how would you rebuild the Illinois Republican Party? You have quite a litany of complaints against people, and provide no solutions... maybe you should help rebuild the democratic party. Your values seem to match a little better.

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  5. Looks like official K is our friend Big Bob Kejellander! Along with his buddy Celini! Who was the guy who brought up both names in the primary? It looks as though all the combine stuff was correct. Both of them working with Blago's guys stuffing their pockets!

    BB you can jump on every conservative if you want, some chose the side of power and now stand with the accused! One had the backbone to stand alone and name names.
    Some "conservatives" should say they are sorry to Oberweis and his supporters for siding with the combine, and giving this election away!
    However I do not agree with Tom's post about starting a "conservative party". Why should we allow the crooks to keep the party name and try to start over? 3rd parties NEVER win. I hope Oberweis goes on a "I told you so" tour to point out to the people of Illinois how right he was.

    To start we have to expose the Chicago Tribune as a main Cog in the combine! They tried to do to McSweeny what they did to Oberweis, come out with a poll that has no resemblance to the facts of the race just before election day hoping that it will lower the turnout of the candidate they hate. None of the Tribunes polls should ever be taken seriously again. It is time we all shout from the rooftops "THE COLONEL IS DEAD" until the voters realize that the Tribune is as far left as the New York Times they will be able to dictate to our voters who they want as a candidate. That goes for Jim Edgar as well all of his people are corrupt Kejellander, Celini etc... It's time to break this party out of the death grip of this dead Newspaper!!!!!

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  6. The only coherent point byebye2 makes is that Oberweis did stupidly decide to go over and stand with the crooks. His idiotic endorsement of Topinka after the primary (after he first said he wouldn't without reform commitments), puts him on the losing side of history too.

    Appearently when the reform thing didn't quite make him a winner, he just jumped back into the dirty pool. Hardly the profile in courage we can trust or rely upon again in the future.

    Okay, so Obe's marginally less of a sell-out than Brady and Birkett. But he's a sell-out nonetheless.

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  7. If the folks running the Illinois GOP don't want to give up their jobs, what do the plans to oust them amount to? Wishes?

    Do you know of anyone that will stand up today and oppose Kjellander or McKenna or anyone else? There's a lot of talk about a take-over by conservatives and at the same time a lot of conservatives sitting on their hands. Even to the point of indicating they won't vote for the Republican candidate. Didn't these same people profess during the primary that a vote for Brady was a vote for Topinka? Do they not see now that a vote for Stuffelbeam is a vote for Blagojevich? If they justify it by saying that they are going to send a message to the IRP, they are sadly mistaken. The folks in power aren't going to get that message and we'll end up with Blagojevich for four more years. If you are concerned about the Republican Party, remember, you don’t get out of a hole by digging it deeper. Keep the party strong, then take it over.

    What's with the animosity towards Brady? Is there something in his voting record that indicates he’s not conservative? Or, is this leftover campaign trash-talking because he didn’t drop out and let Oberweis win? Where did the sense of Oberweis being entitled to win come from. If Oberweis would have been thinking of the conservatives, he could have dropped out and let Brady win. If the Oberweis crowd could get over the primary election, maybe they would have a better understanding of the future. We can only move forward from today. Wringing your hands about what might have been preoccupies you with nonproductive inactivity. I think that’s why the conservatives look paralyzed.

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  8. A lot of the filth gets flushed when Topinka loses in just 9 days.

    notquitehip, go back and tell those who remain on Judy's ship to get their resumes ready. McDonald's is hiring.

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  9. Federales who need to go:

    1. Dennis Hastert. I don't care about him being Speaker, I care about kids.

    2. Ray LaHood. I can nevere forgive him for opposing Peter Fitzgerald and making it look like it was Judy that wanted him out. Talk about no guts and hiding behind a skirt.

    3. Don Manzullo. The man who denied Jim Oberweis the Senate nomination after Jack! Ryan bowed out. Don (along with Dave Syverson, Steve Rauschenberger adn Dan Proft) brought us Alan Keyes, and all conspired to make it look like it was all Judy's doing. More hiding behind a skirt. No wonder conservatives can't win. Don (and the others) need to be banished and go back to being a country bumpkin.

    4. President Bush--for getting mad at Peter Fitzgerald when Peter merely told us about their conversation on Air Force One. Bush should have been flattered that Peter told us about his attempts to asssasinate Usama Bin Laden. Instead, the White House turned against him and also made it look like it was Topinka's fault. Another chicken behind the skirt.

    5. Anyone else who criticized anything Peter Fitzgerald ever did. Their toast.

    Others:

    1. Jack Ryan. He challenged Peter Fitzgerald even before Peter decided not to run for reelection. Serves him right what happened to him for double-crossing Peter.

    2. Dave Syverson. Thank him for Alan Keyes and no vote on the Central Committee. Also close to cigar smoking Big Bob Kjellander.

    3. Rauschenberger. A conservative has been who has been an apologist for Judy & Joe--see him at the casino press conference?

    4. Dan Proft. Couldn't come to support Oberweis after Jack Ryan dropped out. Gave us Alan Keyes instead. Has yet to atone.

    5. Chris Lauzen. State Senator against his own wishes. At first opportunity, ran for Comptroller against the charismatic Dan Hynes and lost. His worst kept secret is that he's running for Congress to replace Hastert. Why is he using his current office as a stepping stone? He can't control himself. Proof--he gets into fights with high school coaches.

    6. Aaron Schock. This kid is so niave he didn't distance himself from Topinka, the kiss of death for any real Republican.

    This is just the short list folks. All of the above are totally dishonest sell-outs. They are evil people who deep inside their hearts yearn for the destruction of the base. Every waking hour and sleeping moment they dream of a compromised party.

    I'm happy to know that I don't support these people or the sell-outs that do. I can sleep at night kowing that I'm right.

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  10. Don't even think about sending a resume to the millionaire of Carpentersville anytime soon. He already has his share of ex-state Treasurer employees and ex-IL GOP officials.

    Maybe in a couple more years after Jack moves on.

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  11. byebye2, aren't you the "William" who was banned forever from the CapitolFax blog for posting anti-Arab hate speech?

    Don't worry, it will all be over in just 9 days and you can seek the help you need.

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  12. You're right about McKenna he has raised so much money for the state GOP, I mean, I cant go 30 seconds without seeing an Illinois GOP ad attacking Rod or praising Judy.
    Oh wait, I havent seen the state party do anything this election cycle. The guy has 0 political instinct and needs to be bagged immediately

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  13. byebyejudy, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm Lowell Fischer of Orangeville, and I was Andy Martin's Northern Illinois coordinator.

    You're trying to shift the focus from the truth I proclaim to some fantasy of yours. Why don't you prove it's not true instead of spreading false lies? If you don't cease and desist your defamatory lies I will contact Andy Martin and we'll see you in court.

    I know what I'm talking about. I have firstshand knowledge of these things.

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  14. Notquitehip --

    A vote for Stuffelbeam is a vote for Stufflebeam, but instant run-off voting would strengthen representative government by encouraging more to vote for candidates outside the Dems and GOP without fear of a supposed worse alternative winning when voting for an ideal preference.

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  15. Thanks for the clarification byebye2. That certainly explains a lot.

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