Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Hamos makes mistake, Birkett may change mind and Kirk’s secret tour

Hamos makes mistake, Birkett may change mind and Kirk’s secret tour

Friday, Jul 31, 2009

* If you go to state Rep. Julie Hamos’ 10th Congressional District campaign page and click the “Contact Julie” button, you are directed to a page with this info…

Contact Form

Thank you for your interest.

Julie’s state legislative office is at:

820 Davis Street, Suite 103
Evanston, Illinois 60201
(847) 424-9898

Listing a state legislative office as a contact for a congressional campaign?

You gotta be kidding me.

I thought the announcement video was the worst thing she’d done. This is just downright goofy, and possibly against federal campaign law.

UPDATE: The Hamos campaign has now removed the contact info.

* I’m never thrilled linking to a website with Bizarro World headlines like “Is there co-pay with forced abortion?,” but they did have a little story today which piqued my interest…

With high name recognition and a statewide network, Birkett could be one of the front-runners in the GOP Gubernatorial Primary. We’re told he’s weighing his options. A decision will have to come soon.

I’m now hearing the same. Joe Birkett is now reportedly mulling a gubernatorial bid. That’s after he told a Daily Herald reporter this…

Birkett, meanwhile, said the attorney general position is his best fit, regardless of whom he faces on Election Day.

So far, no one else has officially declared for the post. It’s Birkett’s third attempt at statewide office and his second for attorney general.

“You have to be who you are,” the 54-year-old Wheaton man said. “I’m a prosecutor. I’ve come to the conclusion I should remain one. That’s where I belong. It’s my passion.”

Apparently, Birkett may have a new passion.

* And, what’s up with the Mark Kirk for Senate campaign? As I told you this morning, Kirk is apparently about to embark on a Downstate campaign swing. There’s nothing at his website (actually, there’s not much of anything at that website), there’s nothing on his campaign FaceBook page, and his Twitter page - well, maybe that’s a sore point.

I asked a couple of reporters if they’d heard anything from the campaign and they said they hadn’t. I contacted the campaign an hour or so ago, but haven’t heard anything back yet.

- Posted by Rich Miller

21 Comments

- Ghost - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 2:37 pm:
Mark Kirk

status of military command headquarters, ok for public release.

Decision to tour the state of Illinois, confidential for your eyes only.

Knowing he holds a position in military intelligience, priceless.

- The Doc - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 2:39 pm:
Yet another example of Rich carrying water for the Dems and MJM (snark).

Hamos has updated her contact page, BTW. It now lists a Wilmette address (beneath her GA address) stating she has not yet opened her Congressional campaign office.

Oy.

- Shore - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 2:41 pm:
She’s done this before. As for Kirk’s statewide tour. I assume there’d be a media advisory to let journalists know to cover him, although one of the bloggers mentioned he was on a tele-town hall with shimkus and perhaps he’s just setting up events and doing it non-press.

Hamos has done this before. This is the kind of stuff that helped team america snuff out seals.

http://web.archive.org/web/20021208081122/www.juliehamos.org/contact.htm

- siriusly - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 2:58 pm:
Team America claims credit for Seals losses? wow, that’s a new one on me.

I’ve been on that blog, didn’t think they were delusional.

- wordslinger - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 3:02 pm:
–Listing a state legislative office as a contact for a congressional campaign?–

Yeesh.

- wow thanks - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 3:02 pm:
Wow! A button on her site was directing people to the wrong address. I better not vote for her because this shows a clear intent to mislead. Is the news really that slow?

- Shore - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 3:08 pm:
Team America drove a number of stories into the msm last year. The gas stunt, the resume distortions, iran for peace, princess nudelman. He’s a force.

- Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 3:09 pm:
===Is the news really that slow? ===

In this Illinois environment, using a taxpayer funded address and phone on your campaign page is really a stupid idea and newsworthy.

- Red Ranger - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 3:09 pm:
While Im not defending her actions, is it possible that Hamos pays for all of her legislative office out of campaign funds. I know some GA members do that, so they can do everything out of one office and its all legal. While it looks bad, its not illegal IF thats what she does.

- wndycty - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 3:14 pm:
Let me get this straight. Birkett is scared of Lisa so he is running for Governor? LOL If he runs for anything but Attorney General his primary/general election opponents should have a field day with this.

- phil - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 3:27 pm:
Don’t worry, Doc,

I got a Pdf of how it used to be. It would be interesting to see if it indeed violates FEC laws, wouldn’t it.

Nice start, Julie. Like I posted a couple of days ago. The Chicago way won’t work in the 10th. But, Julie, I sincerely hope you bring Jan up north as often as possible. Your close ally is VERY VERY popular in the 10th Congressional District, trust me.

- 47th Ward - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 3:27 pm:
===is it possible that Hamos pays for all of her legislative office out of campaign funds. I know some GA members do that, so they can do everything out of one office and its all legal===

That’s a good question Red Ranger, with an easy answer–still wrong. In this case, even if the office isn’t taxpayer funded, it is a possible federal campaign finance violation since her state campaign fund cannot be used to support her congressional race.

- Red Ranger - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 3:40 pm:
Didn’t even think about the state/federal issue. Good point.

- ...Just Sayin' - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 3:49 pm:
Maybe Birkett and Schillerstrom can run as a team and talk about how they wanted to raise taxes in DuPage to fill a budget shortfall. “We’ll do the same for the state of Illinois!”

- sal-says - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 4:06 pm:
“There’s nothing at his website (actually, there’s not much of anything at that website), there’s nothing on his campaign FaceBook page…”

Maybe there’s not ‘much of anything’ to the candidate?

- Don - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 4:39 pm:
Congress finishing today and Kirk getting on the road downstate next week - sounds about right to me.

- Rob_N - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 4:46 pm:
Rich, still thinking the Kirk roll-out is all bright and shiny?

And when did you access Hamos’ contact page w/ the lege office info? I was just there yesterday and I don’t recall seeing the lege office listed (wasn’t looking for it either, but still).

I’m thinking the fact the info was specifically presented as being her legislative office (rather than a campaign office) may give her as much of an out as Kirk’s campaign saying a staffer tweeted during his duty instead of the candidate himself.

–

And Shore tries out some comedy, “Team America drove a number of stories into the msm last year.”

Uh, no. That’d be the Kirk campaign that did those things.

Team is simply another recipient of the campaign’s info along with “reporters” like Susan Kuczka (no longer at the Trib), etc.

All the more reason why it was surprising to see Team get cut off from info before Kirk’s cap and trade vote a few weeks back. Team was usually in the first wave of media-types to get info.

- Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 4:56 pm:
Rob, I found the link today. It was there, as my sore ears can attest after the campaign saw this post. lol

- Rob_N - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 5:02 pm:
Well there ya go. Give Sweet my best.

- phil - Friday, Jul 31, 09 @ 9:18 pm:
Oh, Ron_N it was there. It was there.

- Squideshi - Saturday, Aug 1, 09 @ 11:29 am:
The announcement video on YouTube has been removed by the user.

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