Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2009

Mr. Lucky and the retreating rumor-mongers

Tuesday, Dec 29, 2009

* Mark Kirk must have a leprechaun for an uncle or something, because this week’s little kerfuffle couldn’t have played out in a more perfect way.

Imagine, for a moment, that a vicious rumor has been circulating about you for years. Pretty much everyone in politics has heard it at one time or another. Many don’t believe it, but it’s still out there and, like a zombie, refuses to die.

Well, what better way to have to confront it and flatly deny it than when a perennial and often outrageous candidate whom the entire political/media establishment views as a complete leper airs out the rumor via a tiny radio buy during the zero awareness zone between Christmas and New Year’s Eve? Oh, and this all plays out while you’re on active duty with the military. Oh, yeah, one more thing: The ad is based on two public statements by a couple of far-right sworn enemies, but both men are now in full, cowardly retreat.

Perfect, eh?

It almost reminds me of those scenes in the Godfather movies where all the Corleone enemies are wiped out in one bloody moment. Except Mark Kirk didn’t have to do anything but sit back and watch from wherever he is right now.

* Let’s run down the coverage. Actually, the coverage was more like a game of “Attack the Attacker.” First, the AP…

Top Illinois Republicans condemned a perennial candidate’s decision Monday to air a political ad questioning the sexual orientation of the party’s front-runner in the U.S. Senate race.

The Republican Party said it would no longer consider Andy Martin a legitimate candidate.

“His statements today are consistent with his history of bizarre behavior and often times hate-filled speech which has no place in the Illinois Republican Party,” said party chairman Pat Brady.

Fellow Senate candidate Patrick Hughes said the radio ad has no place in the campaign. Dan Proft, a GOP candidate for governor, called it repugnant.

Tribune…

A perennial candidate with a history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and legal disputes in federal court launched a radio ad for his Republican U.S. Senate campaign Monday that questioned the sexual orientation of the front-runner in the race.

Andy Martin, who has been sanctioned in federal court for filing hundreds of lawsuits and was found unfit to practice law by the Illinois Supreme Court, has previously used the airwaves to attack political opponents including presidential candidates George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Sun-Times…

U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, the front-runner in the Republican primary election for U.S. Senate, finds himself the object of an unusual attack ad from one of his lesser-known opponents.

Andy Martin, once known as Anthony Martin-Trigona, who has run for numerous elective offices over the last three decades in Illinois, Florida and Connecticut, taped a commercial questioning whether Kirk is gay.

From here on out, if anybody ever brings up this rumor again, Kirk and the media can just associate that future comment with the “discredited” Andy Martin. Case closed.

Like I said, Kirk must be related to a leprechaun.

Heck, even the two people behind the rumor being peddled by Martin are backtracking as fast as their little legs will carry them. Which brings us to…

…Another important point. Here’s the ad itself…

I’m Andy Martin, Republican candidate for United States Senator. I approved this message because Illinois Republicans deserve the truth about their candidates.

I have over forty years of experience and integrity fighting corruption, and fighting for the truth in politics.

I helped expose many of Barack Obama’s lies in 2008.

Today, I am fighting for the facts about Mark Kirk. Illinois Republican leader Jack Roeser says there is a, “solid rumor that Kirk is a homosexual.” Roeser suggests that Kirk is part of a Republican Party homosexual club. Lake County Illinois Republican leader Ray True says Kirk has surrounded himself with homosexuals.

Mark Kirk should tell Republican voters the truth.

I’m Andy Martin a Republican you can trust for U.S. Senator.

Please vote for Andy Martin.

Paid for by Illinois Republicans for Andy Martin.

ABC7 got responses from both Roeser and True…

Roeser told ABC 7, “I don’t really want to be associated with Andy Martin. He’s made a lot of legal statements and cases that I think are irresponsible. Whatever he says I don’t support.”

True said, “I request through the media that Andy Martin cease and desist from making any additional statements that are incorrectly attributed to me.”

Trouble is, both Roeser and True said exactly what Martin claims they said in his ad - a point mostly ignored by the media. Click here to listen to Roeser and True on WIND AM radio…

Jack Roeser: “And you got Mark Kirk, who’s been so strong on his homosexuals so long, that the solid rumor is that he, himself is a homosexual. Does the party really need these people clubbing up inside the Republican Party and ruining it for their own purposes…?”

Ray True: “It’s more or less an open secret in Lake County that Mark has surrounded himself with people that have, I guess they call it now a ’special orientation,’ but we all know what that means.”

The fact is that Roeser and True got busted outside their little ultra-conservative comfort zones. And instead of owning up, they ran away from their own comments. That was probably predictable. But what bothers me far more is that nobody in the media has yet bothered to press Roeser and True to come clean. After all, without those comments, Martin couldn’t have run that radio ad. They are as responsible as he is.

Roeser and True are both longtime Illinois political players. They regularly make endorsements and contribute money to campaigns, whether directly or through their respective organizations. So while we’re all publicly bemoaning Andy Martin’s little ad, perhaps we should also be focusing on the source of this hateful nonsense - and on the candidates those two guys support.

As for me, I’m going back to the beach. I’m supposed to be on vacation, not dealing with goofiness like this.

- Posted by Rich Miller Comments Off

Illinois Republican Primary Candidate weighs in on social media

Tuesday, Dec 29, 2009

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Rafael Rivadeneira, Republican Candidate for State Representative of the 41st District, says the new social media site, eVoter.com gives his campaign online leverage.

“eVoter.com is an opportunity to level the playing field and give all candidates the opportunity to get their message out there,” said Rivadeneira. “With evoter.com, it doesn’t matter how much money you have. Elections can now be won based on your vision for the people, not money and insider politics.”

Rivadeneira, who recently signed-up for an enhanced profile at eVoter.com, has been using eVoter for extra online communication, search engine optimization, and an added venue to raise support.

“eVoter lets candidates who are not part of the establishment effectively communicate their message to the voters,” he said.

To see how eVoter can help your campaign and to view Rivadeneira’s Candidate Statements, Endorsements, and Video Postings – including “My Republican Story” go to: http://www.evoter.com/rafael

- Posted by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department Comments Off

Morning Shorts

Tuesday, Dec 29, 2009

Election 2010

* Jackson axes her campaign manager

Campaign Manager Rodney Shelton was informed his services would no longer be required.[…]

“It’s just an internal move,” campaign spokesman Bob Kettlewell said Monday, offering no further explanation. Deputy Campaign Manager Lisa Hargrove will move up to replace Shelton.

* Alexi Giannoulias’ lost Illinois millions

* Brady bashes suburban competition

State Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington ripped into some of his suburban challengers in the Republican governor’s primary Monday for opening the possibility to tax hikes if elected.

* Brady starts to campaign locally today

* Brady calls for second hearing on Thomson

* Governor candidates mostly accept evolution

* Candidates: State has a long way to go on reform

* Health care debate in 10th falls along party lines

* Schock part of congressional meeting with Karzai

* U.S. Rep. Schock visits Afghanistan

* Fooled ya again!

You read that here in an Oct. 9 commentary piece for the Tribune by U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill. He insisted that a government-run insurance plan was the key to affordable, accessible, quality health care. “A public option must be a central component of any health insurance reform legislation,” he wrote.[…]

He even threatened to conduct his own filibuster.

Gotcha!

Burris voted, along with every other Democrat in the Senate, for a bill that doesn’t include even a whiff of the public option.

* Incumbent and predecessor square off in District 21

* Russell believes his outsider status is what sheriff’s office needs

* Patlak: GOP Candidate Called Out for Being a Democrat

* The Grinch who stole immigration reform

How gullible can you get? Democrats only care about one thing, and it’s the same thing that Republicans care about: re-election. And any controversial issue that might get in the way - gay marriage, “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and, yes, illegal immigration - usually gets shoved far back in the cupboard.

* Why Illinois citizens always come up short

State Government
* ICC approves plan to buy power from wind farms

The Illinois Commerce Commission has OKed a plan that would allow the agency that buys electricity on behalf of utility customers to seek proposals for long-term wind-power contracts.

* Texting while driving: State ban starts Friday

* New traffic laws for 2010 to go into effect Friday

* Motorists, police prep for ban on texting while driving

* How to deal with the new Illinois ban on texting while driving

* New Penalties for Calling in Bomb Threat to Schools to take Effect

* New Illinois Law Treats 17-Year-Olds as Juveniles for Misdemeanors

* Fewer complaints, more fines in smoking ban’s second year

* Illinois logs 8,000 smoking complaints

* Some DUI Prisoners Released Early Re-Arrested

* Revised law has 30-day window Safe Haven adds time to make life decision

Beginning Jan. 1, parents can relinquish newborns anonymously and without penalty to personnel at hospitals, emergency medical facilities or police or fire stations for 30 days after birth. Now the law only gives parents seven days and that’s considered insufficient to make a decision that can profoundly affect many lives.

* DuPage County hacked off by ComEd’s tree management

DuPage County officials are seeking the state legislature’s help to ensure vegetation is properly replaced along the Illinois Prairie Path and the Great Western Trail after ComEd trims or removes trees near its power lines.

The County Board turned to state lawmakers earlier this month after being told ComEd could not continue future management of vegetation along the trails to a standard officials said was agreed to earlier this year.

* Water leak damages reception area in governor’s office

* 2002: Blago becomes governor

* Illinois River flooding threat called minimal

* COLUMN: Maybe coal will be the symbol for this area’s Valentine’s Day in 2010

Michael Mudd, CEO of the FutureGen Alliance, said recently that he still expects a final decision by late January on the project for Mattoon.

FutureGen, as most of you know, is a $2 billion-plus project planned for Mattoon. It is awaiting final approval by the U.S. Department of Energy with the feds scheduled to make a final decision by late January.

* Our Opinion: Public access counselor bolsters FOIA

* Citizens need to make good use of amended FOIA

Miscellaneous

* Foreclosures aren’t fading

Home foreclosures, which have pummeled many Chicago area neighborhoods, are expected to continue to mount in 2010, and high unemployment will be the driver, experts say.

* Chicagoans Bracing for Single-Digit Temps

* Holiday retail sales up a tad over 2008

The spending bounce means retailers managed to avoid a repeat of last year’s disaster even amid tight credit and double-digit unemployment. Profits should be healthier, too, because stores had a year to plan their inventories to match consumer demand and never needed to resort to fire-sale clearances.

* Weather hampers post-Christmas sales

* Great Lakes at or near historical water levels

The Detroit News reports Monday that the latest estimates from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers show levels in the Lake Michigan-Huron system and Lake Superior are between 5 inches and 9 inches above levels from one year ago.

* Invasive species lawsuit expands

* Minnesota AG: Keep Asian carp out of Great Lakes

* Minnesota Weighs in on Asian Carp Debate

* Report: Coal use pushes mercury emissions up in Illinois

* Mercury pollution increases in Illinois

Legal forces in the Upper Midwest arrayed against the invasive Asian carp Monday, as Minnesota joined a lawsuit with Ohio and Michigan applying legal pressure to seal off Illinois’ carp-infested waterways from the Great Lakes.

* Bradley University offers computer gaming

BU’s computer science department is a partner with the interactive media program in the communication school on a range of offerings that, pending faculty approval, could mean that Bradley students would soon be able to opt for a minor in computer game technology.

* State says it will demolish Cline extension

* CTA offers penny rides on New Years Eve

* Winter hazard in new LED signals

Towns across Illinois and nationwide have switched to LED traffic signals because they burn brighter, last longer and save money by using 90 percent less energy than older incandescent bulbs. But they also emit less heat, meaning they sometimes have trouble melting snow.

* Illinois company to pay $1.25 million for lead in train toys

* Chicago company takes Yahoo to court over defamatory posts

* O my! Chicago pop culture center stage in 21st century

* Chicago Library projects record circulation in ‘09

* Water secret revealed decades of tainted well use

For more than two decades, residents in Crestwood filled their bath tubs, poured glasses at their dinner tables and washed their clothes without giving it a second thought.[…]

But this community of 11,000 did so not knowing their water wasn’t being piped completely from Lake Michigan as they believed.–

Water from a well tainted with cancer-causing chemicals was being used to supplement the flow, in an alleged scheme by the village to rake in a few extra dollars.

* Elmwood Park outage affected nearly 2,000

* County hopes to cut deputy layoffs with expedited retirements

* Our Opinion: County should not give in to deputies

* Fines possible, but unlikely, for snow-covered sidewalks

* Despite budget cuts, snow plows get thumbs up

* Aging CityLink fleet rusting away

* Springfield airport beefs up security; passengers urged to arrive early

* No. 3 Story of the Decade: 9/11 attacks shock Springfield

* After many delays, Orland Township moving this week

* NAACP opposes cutting community relations position

* Bloomington Council OKs $1.9 million in downtown projects

* Bloomington delays $1.4 million payment to developers

* Bloomington hires agency to collect on unpaid ambulance bills

- Posted by Mike Murray Comments Off

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