Diersen’s News, Clips and Upcoming Events, February 9th

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
February 9, 2010

Fellow Republicans:

News clips and upcoming event information:

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

• Could trickle of absentee, provisional ballots lift Kirk Dillard over Bill Brady? Could close Republican governor gap, but it’ll be a surprise if he wins – Mark Brown ¹

(THE ARTICLE: Six days after the polls closed, 213 more ballots for Illinois’ primary election turned up Monday in Cook County.

But don’t get your blood pressure up. These ballots didn’t just materialize in some musty warehouse as in elections past. This was all perfectly normal, expected and legal.

These were all absentee ballots that arrived in Monday’s mail. They still count because they were postmarked by Feb. 1, the day before the election.

By comparison, DuPage County took in five more absentee ballots on Monday with just two more in Lake County.

Such straggler absentee votes are one of the main reasons it’s still too soon to call the outcome of the Republican race for governor, now reduced to a two-way battle between Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington and Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale.

In a normal election, nobody would care about these last few votes, but this year every vote will truly count.

Brady is clinging to an unofficial 400-some vote lead over Dillard, an amazingly close contest that had been pushed to the back burner while everyone was understandably distracted by Scott Lee Cohen and the debacle over the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.

Now that the Cohen saga has quieted down with his decision to withdraw, attention will return to the far more important business of deciding which Republican will face Gov. Quinn in November, even while Quinn and the Democrats go about the job of picking Cohen’s replacement.

Of immediate interest is the tallying of late-arriving mail absentee and provisional votes. A provisional ballot is one cast by a voter whose registration has been challenged by election judges at the precinct level. Those ballots are kept separate and counted later if it is determined the voter was properly registered.

In most of Illinois’ 102 counties, election officials save these mail absentee and provisional votes, then cast them all at once on Feb. 16, the legal cutoff date.

Lake County is now sitting on 302 Republican ballots waiting to be cast — 232 absentees and 70 provisionals — according to Lake County Chief Deputy Clerk Cindy Pagano. DuPage County has 126 absentee ballots yet to be counted, three-fourths of which are expected to be Republican, along with 256 Republican provisional ballots, less than a third of which are expected to go into the final count.

In Cook County, officials try to update their vote totals as the ballots are processed, which makes the statewide vote totals something of a moving target.

or instance, Cook County Clerk David Orr posted his latest results Friday night, adding 62 votes for Dillard and 20 for Brady, shaving a net of 42 off Brady’s lead.

Of the aforementioned 213 ballots that arrived in Monday’s mail, the clerk’s office — which administers elections in suburban Cook — accounted for 118 of those, while the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners received the other 95.

In addition, the county has almost finished processing its 838 provisional ballots, 231 of which are Republican. But only about one-fourth of those are expected to be allowed.

Orr’s office plans to update its totals again sometime today, while the Chicago election board said it will update either today or Wednesday.

There’s no reason to expect Cook County to produce a big shift in the GOP race. Only 28 of those uncounted suburban absentee ballots are Republican. While no party breakdown was available for the city absentees or provisionals, fewer than 10 percent of city primary voters took Republican ballots.

I realize I’ve just thrown a lot of numbers at you. Bottom line: Dillard may close the gap, but it would be a surprise if he erased Brady’s lead.

On election night, I got all jazzed up thinking we were in store for a rare double recount — with the gubernatorial nominations of both major political parties going down to the wire.

But as close as the race between Quinn and Dan Hynes was — less than one vote per precinct — in the end it wasn’t that close, unofficially winding up somewhere in the neighborhood of 8,000 votes.

While a recount is still a possibility in the Republican race, that would also seem unlikely if the Brady lead holds in the 400 range.

What was less apparent to me on election night than it is in the cold light of day is that even 400 votes is a significant margin in this era of technologically advanced voting equipment.

When I started covering elections, a victory margin of 5,000 votes in a statewide race was cause to seek a recount. Now, nobody is quite certain where the cutoff line is. Is it 500? Is it 200?

Dillard could have a very tough decision facing him after Feb. 16.)

• Dan Hynes doesn’t want Scott Cohen’s lieutenant governor post, but who will get it? Talk swirls around people who didn’t run – Chris Fusco and Mark Konkol ²
• Cohen election exposes total system failure Government, media and voters all caught napping – Mary Mitchell ³
• Palin making ka-ching she can believe in Can her fans really relate to quitting job, making millions? – Richard Roeper ⁴
• Video poker king target of federal investigation Can’t remember how much of firm he owns, but he allegedly runs gambling business for mob – Steve Warmbir ⁵
• Ex-Cohen girlfriend: ‘Politicians should be beyond reproach’ – Chris Fusco, Mark Konkol, and Dave McKinney ⁶

HERALD REVIEW

• Plummer reaches out to Brady and Dillard – Chris Essig ⁷

DAILY HERALD

• GOP: Still no governor candidate – Joseph Ryan ⁸
• Walsh, Biver, local activists center stage at tea party convention – Russell Lissau ⁹
• Search is on for Democratic lt. governor candidate – Joseph Ryan and Chase Castle ¹⁰
• Cohen controversy renews debate over value of the job – Timothy Magaw ¹¹
• State can’t make rent? Get roommates – Editorial ¹²
• Making Scott Lee Cohen folk hero says more about (DEMOCRATS & RINOS) – Burt Constable ¹³
• DIERSEN HEADLINE: VERY SAD: Maureen E. Yates of Barrington a) demonizes and denigrates Republicans and b) blames all past, present, and future problems on Republicans ¹⁴
• DIERSEN HEADLINE: VERY SAD: Gail McPike of Carol Stream wants Democrats and Republicans to give everyone their “basic needs” ¹⁵

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

• Quinn says no payback for pawnbroker out $2 million for lieutenant governor – Rick Pearson and Monique Garcia ¹⁶
• VERY SAD: Don and Roma Wade: Using Scott Lee Cohen – Eric Zorn ¹⁷
• ‘Disappointer-in-chief:’ Marist Poll – Mark Silva ¹⁸

ABC7

• Cohen denies deal was made for resignation (Includes video clip) ¹⁹

CBS2

• Who Will Replace Scott Lee Cohen? – Mike Flannery ²⁰

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER

• Have open process to fill out Dem ballot – Editorial ²¹
• Regional changes could have altered primary election results – Ryan Keith and Brian Feldt ²²

(FROM THE ARTICLE: Republicans *This race was dominated by the splits – as in seven candidates splitting the votes.

Five candidates received nearly 15 percent of the votes or more. Dillard and Brady essentially tied at right above 20 percent. A vote or two difference in dozens of counties could have given the nomination to any of three or four GOP candidates.

Brady won 76 counties, compared to just seven for Dillard. Conservative rookie Adam Andrzejewski actually won 11 counties, but he finished fifth in total votes. Businessman Andy McKenna won six counties, while former Attorney General Jim Ryan won two.

*Much of Brady’s support was downstate, where he’s from. Dillard won only a handful of downstate counties, but did much better than Brady in the suburbs and Cook County.

Ryan handily won suburban DuPage County, while McKenna won Cook by about 15,000 votes.

Brady received only 5 percent support in Cook County. He had only about 8,200 votes there, compared to 47,000 for McKenna, 32,000 for Ryan and 29,000 for Dillard.

*Head-to-head, Brady did better than Dillard in 84 of the 102 counties. In some counties, Brady stomped Dillard. But those were mostly smaller, low-vote counties.

Dillard’s stronger showings in the more populous DuPage, Cook, Will, Kane and Sangamon counties kept the margins extra-close.)

SUBURBAN CHICAGO NEWS

• Red alert on red tape Government bureaucracy seen as hurdle for economic growth – Mike Cooper ²³

ST. LOUIS TODAY

• Illinois politics again cause spinning in Lincoln’s tomb – Editorial ^{24 25}

QUAD CITY TIMES

• Nation will watch Illinois races closely – Mike Riopell ²⁶
• Illinois voters should be crying – Editorial ²⁷

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS

• DIERSEN HEADLINE: This outrageous article implies that parents are obligated to buy cars for their children. ²⁸

(DIERSEN: In 1964, when I was a junior in high school, I bought my first car, a 1958 Chevy, with money that I had saved doing yard work. I 1966, when I was a senior in high school, I bought my first new car, a 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint, with money that I had saved washing dishes in the basement of the S.S. Kresges in Chicago Heights. In 1967, when I was a freshman in college, I bought a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 with money I had saved building railroad cars, pumping gasoline, and delivering mail. In 1968, when I was a sophomore in college, I bought a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE with money that I saved delivering mail.)

ILLINOIS STATE HOUSE NEWS

• Quinn Yields to Party Leaders for Running Mate – Bill McMorris ²⁹

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR

• County breakdown shows where gov, lt. gov candidates got support – Ryan Keith and Brian Feldt ³⁰

BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH

• Cohen: Another reason to end position of lt. governor – Editorial ³¹

SOUTHTOWN STAR

• 11th Congressional District: Kinzinger sets sights on Halvorson – Joe Biesk ³²
• Quinn rally makes for almost perfect night – Rich Miller ³³

TOM ROESER

• Chicago Public Radio Web Editor Justin Kaufmann explains his vote for Cohen Zorn equivalences Plummer to Cohen ³⁴

CHICAGO DAILY OBSERVER

• Purely Partisan, Duplicitous Drivel from Zorn – Tom Roeser ³⁵

ILLINOIS REVIEW

• Illinois Qualifies for Bankruptcy – State Rep. Bob Pritchard ³⁶

REPUBLICANS FOR FAIR MEDIA

• Bill Brady Wins IL GOP Gubernatorial Primary: Not So Fast, Where’s Media Coverage? – Daniel T. Zanoza ³⁷

RED COUNTY

• Lisle GOP Chairman Claims Youtube Video a Set up – Alex Keown ³⁸

PROGRESS ILLINOIS

• DIERSEN HEADLINE: VERY SAD: U.S. Democrat Senators, Congressmen, and Congresswomen from Illinois lead the nation in promoting dependency on government, socialism, and worse. ³⁹

CAPITOL FAX

• Who’s to blame (for Cohen)? And what way forward? – Rich Miller ⁴⁰

THE HILL

• OUTSTANDING: NRCC adds slew of names (INCLUDING DOLD, HULTGREN, & KINZINGER) to ‘Young Guns’ candidate recruitment program – Tony Romm ⁴¹

POLITICS DAILY

• DIERSEN HEADLINE: Race based politics is extremely divisive. Any country, company, organization, or individual that promotes race based politics is promoting divisiveness. ⁴²

CONSERVATIVE BLOG WATCH

• David Frum, Time’s ‘Must Read’ Expert, Trashes CPAC, Misquotes Limbaugh ⁴³

EXAMINER

• Where are Illinois conservatives? – Kent Moore ⁴⁴

(DIERSEN: Moore should not ignore SB600. Illinois conservatives overwhelmingly support SB600. Some Illinois conservatives voted for Dillard instead of Brady in part because Dillard supports SB600.)

(THE COMMENTARY: If you resided outside of Illinois and looked at the ideology of your typical Illinois Republican, you would think they were a Democrat. That is the problem with the Illinois GOP. Suburban Republicans, soccer moms, and Cook County Republican’s all have very liberal views when it comes to social issues like abortion and gun control.

At least one Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate would be a Democrat if he didn’t live anywhere but here, and that is State Senator Kirk Dillard. Talking to Republican strategists throughout the week I have heard one constant theme, Dillard is the one candidate who has a legitimate chance to win in November.

That is because he isn’t a Republican.

The Illinois Republican Party will never nominate a true conservative for our state’s highest office, because they don’t agree with our philosophy. Even GOP hero Jim Edgar wasn’t a conservative by any stretch of the imagination. Illinois Republicans even excuse Dillard’s endorsement of Barack Obama.

Should a Republican who openly supported the most incompetent President in history be Governor? Mark Kirk is a disgrace for a Republican. His views on abortion and gun control should be enough to disqualify him immediately as a Republican, but in Illinois he is hailed by many as the ideal candidate.

We have accepted mediocrity in exchange for victories, and look where it has gotten us. The Illinois Republican Party has not won a statewide race in seven or eight years. There are several good conservative candidate out there for the voters.

My job isn’t to endorse anyone, you all are smart enough to make your own decisions. I would like to hear from you to find out who you think is a good Illinois conservative.

We have to quit excusing all of these candidates who run as conservatives during the primary only to move to the left during the general election. Only through electoral defeats can the Illinois conservative movement retake the Republican Party.)

RASMUSSEN REPORTS

• 75% Are Angry At Government’s Current Policies ⁴⁵

(FROM THE ARTICLE: Male voters are definitely angrier than women.

Voters earning $60,000 to $100,000 per year are more frustrated than those in any other income group. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of Republicans are angry with the government’s current policies, which is perhaps not surprising with the White House and Congress both in Democratic hands.

But 78% of voters not affiliated with either major party agree. Sixty-one percent (61%) of Democrats share that anger, but Republicans are three times as likely as Democrats to be Very Angry.

The divide between the Political Class and Mainstream voters, however, is remarkable. Eighty-eight percent (88%) of Mainstream voters are angry, but 84% of the Political Class are not.

Those numbers include 57% of Mainstream voters who are Very Angry and 51% of the Political Class who are not angry at all. But then 68% of Mainstream voters don’t think the leaders of either major political party have a good understanding of what the country needs today.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of the Political Class disagree. By comparison, the majority of Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliateds don’t believe the current political leaders have a good handle on what is needed today.

Older voters and higher-income voters share that belief most strongly.)

USA TODAY

• VERY SAD: National college data in recent years show a 57%-43% split favoring women, both in enrollments and graduation rates. Richard Whitmire, author of Why Boys Fail and a former USA TODAY editorial writer, talks to reporter Mary Beth Marklein about how we got there, why we should care, and what should be done about it. ⁴⁶

WASHINGTON TIMES

• Palin delivers sparkle, warmth Smug sages of mainstream politics shouldn’t underestimate her – Tony Blankley ⁴⁷

WASHINGTON POST

• Quinn: Illinois lieutenant governor hopefuls should speak up – Deanna Bellandi ⁴⁸

NEW YORK TIMES

• Blacks Question Obama’s Approach to Race – Sheryl Stolberg ⁴⁹

(DIERSEN: Since the 1960s, the federal government, has given Blacks preference. What percent of Blacks who voted for Obama did so expecting that Obama would make the federal government give Blacks even more preference — 85%?, 90%?, 95+%?)

NEWSWEEK

• VERY SAD: U.S. of Who? Why China is no longer interested in following America’s lead. – Melinda Liu ⁵⁰

(DIERSEN: What percent of those who do NOT want America to lead the free world any more voted for Obama – 98%?, 99%?, 100%? Which county do they want to lead the free world?)

TAMPA BAY

• Criminal investigation needed for Florida GOP? ⁵¹

(FROM THE ARTICLE: As a volatile election season gets underway, the Republican Party of Florida is facing its biggest crisis of confidence in decades. Donors and party activists are livid over newly revealed records that suggest outgoing chairman Jim Greer used the party as a personal slush fund for lavish travel and entertainment. The records also show that executive director Delmar Johnson padded his $103,000 salary with a secret, $260,000 fundraising contract and another $42,000 for expenses – at the same time the once mighty Florida GOP was having to lay off employees amid anemic fundraising. Another sign of trouble came Monday with news that incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon transferred $665,000 of party money in the days surrounding Greer’s resignation to a separate political committee called the Florida Liberty Fund, suggesting lack of confidence in the party election machine.)

• Secret contract, lavish spending push Republican Party of Florida to crisis – Adam C. Smith and Beth Reinhard ⁵²

ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS

• DIERSEN HEADLINE: During the last 6 months of 2009, the Illinois Republican Party raised $282,742.67, spent $292,030.55, and ended the period with $36,047.58 on hand – Dave Diersen ⁵³

According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, during the last 6 months of 2009, the Illinois Republican Party raised $282,742.67, spent $292,030.55, and ended the period with $36,047.58 on hand. Major contributions included $100,000.00 from Craig J. Duchossois Revocable Trust, $45,000.00 from Elizabeth Christie, $40,000.00 from Don Wilson, $30,000.00 from Bruce Rauner, $15,000.00 from Terence Graunka, $15,000.00 from Christopher Reyes, and $10,000.00 from Ronald Gidwitz, Major expenses included $30,000.00 to Patton Boggs LLP in Washington, DC for “Consulting: Legal” and $10,300.00 to The Stonehedge Group LLC in Georgia for “Website” and “County Websites.”

WHEATON PARK DISTRICT

• Fourth of July 2010 “America the Beautiful” ⁵⁴

(FROM THE POSTING: Welcome to the 2010 Fourth of July Parade & Fireworks Events Event Schedule: Fireworks on the evening of July 3rd at DuPage County Fairgrounds with viewing from Graf Park Parade at noon on July 4th along Main Street. Interested in participating? Click on the following files for details: Parade Route Map (PDF) Parade Entry Form (PDF) Parade Contract (PDF) Check back soon for additional event details! Questions, email: julyparade@wheatonparks.org)

OPERATION SUPPORT OUR TROOPS ILLINOIS

• July 17 Wheaton concert brochure ⁵⁵

UPCOMING EVENTS: FOR EVENT DETAILS, VISIT THE EVENTS PAGES AT: www.illinoisreview.com, www.weareillinois.org, and/or www.dupagegop.com

2/9 Event: Fort Dearborn Group meeting in Chicago
2/9 Event: Deadline to for SCC candidates to notify the IRP
2/9 Event: Geneva Township GOP meeting
2/9 Event: Lake County Young Republicans meeting in Libertyville
2/10 Event: Republican National Lawyers Association meeting in Chicago
2/10 Event: Town Hall meeting in Chicago
2/11 Event: Wayne Township GOP meeting
2/11 Event: RALC meeting in Mundelein
2/12 Event: McCain to discuss Obama foreign policy at IL GOP luncheon in Chicago
2/12 Event: Lincoln Summit in Oakbrook Terrace
2/13 Event: Tazewell County Unity Breakfast
2/15 Event: Lisle Township GOP meeting
2/15 Event: DGTRO organizational meeting
2/16 Event: Winnebago County Republican Central Committee meeting in Rockford
2/17 Event: Winfield Townhip GOP meeting
2/18 Event: Addison Township GOP meeting
2/18-20 Event: CPAC 2010
2/20 Event: TAPROOT breakfast meeting in Lombard
2/22 Event: Northwest Lincoln Day Dinner in Schaumburg
2/22 Event: Vernon Township GOP meeting
2/23 Event: Bloomingdale Township GOP meeting
2/23 Event: York Township GOP meeting
2/24 Event: Milton Township GOP monthly meeting
2/24 Event: DuPage Young Republicans meeting in Wheaton
2/25 Event: Family Pac Federal fundraiser for Rubio
2/26 Event: Pankau fundraiser in Medinah
2/27 Event: NTRO monthly meeting
3/3 Events: County Party Conventions
3/8 Event: Republican State Senate Campaign Committee Reception in Springfield
3/12 Event: Senator Cronin’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner at Diplomat West Banquets, Elmhurst
3/14 Event: Addison Township GOP Annual Brunch
3/19 Event: Rove to speak at DuPage GOP Lincoln Day Dinner
4/9 Event: NTRO Annual Pizza Party
5/5 Event: Cinco de Mayo RNHA fundraiser in Aurora
7/4 Event: Wheaton & Glenn Elyn Indepence Day parades
7/17 Event: Operation Support Our Troops concert in Wheaton
11/2 Event: General election

Each and every morning, I send a GOPUSA ILLINOIS email to each and every GOPUSA ILLINOIS subscriber. If the email does not appear in your inbox, to view a copy of it, please visit: http://www.gopillinois.com. Also each and every morning, I post a link to that copy on the Illinoize page at http://www.capitalfax.blogspot.com. Since January 1, 2005, GOPUSA ILLINOIS has brought to your attention 59,474 internet postings and information on many upcoming events free of charge and without any advertising. GOPUSA ILLINOIS asks that its subscribers use the information in the emails to help elect and reelect Republicans who can and will defend and advance the Illinois Republican Party platform.

Thanks,
Dave Diersen
Phone: 630-653-0462
Fax: 630-653-9665

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