* This post from Progress Illinois is not entirely correct…
Last Friday, we learned that State Sen. and Democratic congressional candidate Debbie Halvorson’s stepson, Jay Bush, was seriously injured while serving in Afghanistan. According to an account in the State-Journal Register today, Bush “had been riding in a truck that came under fire at night … Ordered to evacuate, Bush jumped out of the side of the truck. He did not realize the vehicle was parked on a bridge, so he fell 25 feet, landing on rocks.” The Register also reported that Halvorson and her husband were visiting Bush at Walter Reed Hospital in D.C., where he was flown over the weekend. Before heading East, Halvorson said that Bush had “broke his back, and they think his neck.”
If you’re the GOP candidate in the 11th District race, common sense should instruct you to lay off your opponent until she’s gotten through this ordeal.
Well, think again. At least if you’re Marty Ozinga.
That’s right. While Halvorson is in Washington dealing with a family emergency, the Ozinga campaign has apparently put out a robocall attacking her. We have it on good authority from a contact in the field that the call hit district residents’ phones earlier today.
Pretty despicable when you think about it. Especially from a guy who claims he “not a politician.” To the contrary, it looks like politics are foremost in his mind.
But we already had an inkling that Ozinga lacks a certain … decency.
* The Ozinga robocall was a disproportionate response, but it was a response. The DCCC spent over $40K on recent mailers, at least one of them whacking Ozinga for supporting more tax breaks for Big Oil. Here’s the Ozinga campaign’s e-mail sent out in response…
The DCCC made a scurrilous charge that Marty “supports more tax breaks for Big Oil.” As proof, they cite Ozinga’s support of tax credits to encourage refinery expansion and construction – a long-overdue development that would increase supply and lower gas prices.
The rub for the DCCC is: Halvorson also supports “increasing oil refinery capacity,” in addition to supporting “tax incentives for companies who devote resources to the research and development of renewable sources of energy” – incentives for which Big Oil companies would qualify[1]. So Halvorson also supports “more tax breaks for Big Oil.”
The DCCC mailer also claimed that Majority Leader Halvorson “led the fight” for electric rate relief, when it was Senate President Jones who fought that relief for months.
I talked with some Republicans the other day who said Ozinga couldn’t just let the attacks stand (there was also another somewhat negative mailer from Halvorson in the boxes at the time), so they responded.
It may backfire, however, because the response could be seen as disproportionate, particularly when her military stepson is in the hospital.
*** UPDATE *** I’m told that the Ozinga campaign sent a letter to the Halvorson campaign last week offering a mutual truce on negative attacks. No reply.
The DCCC and Halvorson have sent out 4 mailers with some negativity in them in the past few days, plus a Halvorson robocall responding to Ozinga’s robocall, plus a WHOI TV interview on Friday during which Halvorson is quoted as saying this about Ozinga’s lack of political experience…
Halvorson says her experience makes her the better candidate.
“Theres so many things we need to talk about, what we are there for, and you know, if you are a patient, who would you want to do your surgery? Someone whose done it before or someone whose not?” said Halvorson
That’s not exactly hugely negative. Again, Ozinga has been mostly responding, so some of the criticism is unfair. But this is a very difficult high-wire act and Ozinga needs to be extremely careful or this meme could move into the MSM.
* I mentioned the other day that Rep. Aaron Schock’s speech was a bit flat. He tried his best to throw some red meat at the crowd, but the GOP congressional candidate showed once again that he’s not always the most prepared candidate…
“The last time we had this level of socialism being proposed and inexperience at the helm was Jimmy Carter,” said Schock (who was born four months after Democrat Carter left office in 1981).
I later asked Schock what he meant by the “level of socialism” Obama represents.
“Well, he’s promoting what I would term a government takeover of the health system,” Schock said. “He has said he wants to mandate free college tuition for every student in America.
“Unlike TED KENNEDY (he meant JACK KENNEDY, of course) who said, don’t ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country … he (Obama) says, we’re the wealthiest country in the world; you should get this, you should get that. You’re entitled to this, you’re entitled to that. To me, that’s a move toward socialism.”
Schock was not specific, at that point, on Obama’s programs.
“I’m familiar with what his work was here at the state Capitol, and to me, the best indicator of future behavior is past behavior,” Schock said. “And he has supported what I would consider to be socialistic moves on health care as a state senator.”
“I don’t remember the exact bills,” he said.
* Related…
* Fake Ozinga ad crosses political line
* Schock, Callahan pander to train enthusiasts
* Marin: Time out for update on political scene
* 2008 Election Forecast: Illinois is Sweet Home for Obama
- Ken in Aurora - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 7:28 am:
Rich, we’re missing the hotlink to “Schock, Callahan pander to train enthusiasts”. Thanks!
- Ghost - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 8:37 am:
I think Shock left school too quickly, he needs to go back and learn about true socialism, but then again he may just proppose we send nucelar missles to chicago to thwart its advances.
I would be interested in Shocks view on why he thinks it would be bad for more Americans to obtain college education. Perhaps he thinks we will be better poised to come up with new ideas, compete globally, stay ahead of Japan, China, the European Union etc if we limit the number of educated in the US. AFter all, we may have decided that compulsory education was the best for our society, but at a time when we are losing manufacturing jobs who wants a sytem of education for our population.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 8:47 am:
Ken, it’s now fixed. Thanks.
- Undercover - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 8:48 am:
For someone who spends so much energy positioning himself as a young overachiever, Schock’s understanding of history and government is abysmal. I’m almost embarrassed for him.
- Cassandra - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 8:57 am:
You know you’re getting old when you can’t believe somebody could mix up the Kennedy brothers.
- wordslinger - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 9:32 am:
The way I read Obama’s plan, everyone who doesn’t qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP would be required to BUY into a public or private healthcare plan. Socialism ain’t what it used to be, comrade.
- Rob_N - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 9:39 am:
I can’t figure out which is worse: That Schock has been able to position himself as some sort of wunderkind in the GOP or that so many in the GOP view him as such.
Where’s the beef?
- VanillaMan - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 10:14 am:
The Ozinga response is what I warned them about. His staff must remember that Halvorson’s public image differs from reality. Her public image innoculates her from supercharged negative attacks because those kind of attacks will backfire against the “sweet mommy” image she has cultivated. Especially with her son in the hospital.
Listen guys, you were warned. Even though you were right to respond, and responded with the facts, your tone was too much so it damaged you.
The DCCC is full of public whiners, so you can’t give them a reason to whine - they do it anyway. The MSM loves an underdog and whenever they can paint Ozinga as the “tycoon” and Halvorson as the nursing mommy, they will do it. You guys benefitted by being the underdogs against Halvorson up to now - so don’t make her one to even up the polls again.
With Jay Bush in the hospital, fighting a war you support, Halvorson is back to her public image strengths.
Don’t beat up a hero’s mommy, or you will lose.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 10:16 am:
To Schrock:
Take a vacation. Lose your voice. Go to Iraq and visit the troops. Go away.
Don’t remind voters you are a twerp and you’ll win walking away.
- archpundit - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 10:21 am:
I was thinking the same thing about Schock–there’s only one way for the inevitability train to go off the tracks–Schock’s mouth.
- zatoichi - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 10:59 am:
Robocalls from anyone, at anytime are a huge turn off. Immediate hangup. Pretty stupid move in this situation.
As for Schock, slow down son, you have alot to learn about how to handle the spotlight. Whatever you are racing for will still be there. Sometimes going the speed limit works.
- Skeeter - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 11:09 am:
The Schock thing is interesting.
If he was a student of history, he would know that the last real attempt at socialism (as opposed to merely labeling stuff he doesn’t like as socialist) was the wage and price controls under Nixon.
Of course, given Schock’s knowledge of history, we probably would also have to tell him that Nixon was a Republican.
- Bill - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 12:22 pm:
Word,
That is not Obama’s plan. He would not “require” people to buy insurance. He would make insurance affordable so that anyone who was not covered would be able to buy it if they wanted to. Hillary’s plan would have forced people to buy it or face some untold penality.
The platform committee does not necessarily reflect the candidate’s views.
- cermak_rd - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 12:36 pm:
Yes, Hil’s plan would have required one to purchase insurance. My understanding is that Obama’s plan would not require you to purchase insurance, but if you got ill and needed care you couldn’t afford, you might have to pay back-premiums. Is that still the case, or has the plan changed? Not that it really matters, because it’s the congresscritters’ jobs to come up with something.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 12:36 pm:
===you might have to pay back-premiums===
He’s talked about a penalty in the past.
- wordslinger - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 12:41 pm:
It aint socialism.
- True Observer - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 1:48 pm:
Once upon a time, everyone’s employer provided health insurance and those who didn’t have it purchased it for a nominal amount.
Then the liberals or shall we say socialists (same difference) appeared on the scene to help with government assisted health care (medicare/medicaid and lots of other medical related government assistance).
Net result, many employers don’t furnish health insurance and buying private insurace almost costs the same per year as housing or food.
And, everyone complains about what Schock has to say.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 1:51 pm:
TO, your cause and effect are way, way out of whack, man. Way.
- Skeeter - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 2:23 pm:
TO,
That is the most ridiculous post I’ve seen on this forum. Ever. I’m serious.
Employers no longer provide health insurance, and liberals are to blame?
Are you claiming that employers feel that since government is there, the coverage would be redundant?
That is simply insane.
Employers don’t provide health insurance because it costs money and some employers that don’t care about their work force and don’t care about attracting a quality work force realized that they didn’t have to pay for it.
If there is cause/effect it is the “right to work” strategy in which employers realized that they could get away with dirt cheap wages.
- JonShibleyFan - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 3:59 pm:
Shorter TO:
All cats die.
Socrates is dead.
Thus, Socrates was a cat.
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 4:04 pm:
True Observer, I hope that’s satire. Otherwise, it’s just nostalgia for a time that never existed.
- Heartless Libertarian - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 5:59 pm:
Schock doesn’t know what he is talking about. He voted for the smoking ban. Some neo-prohibitionist complaining about the lack of freedom in healthcare. Sounds about right. Ray Lahood, why did you retire?
- Ghost - Monday, Aug 18, 08 @ 7:06 pm:
Technically TO there was a time when no employers provided health care. Novles started to appear like “TRhe Jungle” exposing the horrible working conditions and injuries which were occuring to many workers. Then the employees decided to gather together to force their employers to provide them certain levels of pay and benefits, then health insurance was provided by employers who faced unionized labor forces. Absent the advent of unionized labor there would have been no health care.
In the end we have unions because employers failed to provide decent health care and working conditions, so all the problems we have today, including the problems with unions, is the fault of greedy employers who owuld not provide basic things like pay and health care for their employees.
- T.J. - Tuesday, Aug 19, 08 @ 5:50 am:
Pretty clear from the response Schock is a huge threat to Democrats; Ozinga is not. Schock brings a lot to the table, whereas Ozinga is like Oberweis without the warmth.