* The wheels keep falling off Republican 8th Congressional District nominee Joe Walsh’s campaign. The latest began with an open letter from two top staffers who resigned…
We had to go public and announce our resignation from the campaign shortly following his choice to stay in the race. We came to this conclusion after doing some intense investigations into the lies that Joe had told us since October. Again we would like to apologize for unintentionally misleading supporters and voters throughout the primary process. If we would have known who the true Joe Walsh was, we never would have supported him. Don’t make the same mistake we made. Make sure you always question your candidate thoroughly.
They also posed a series of questions…
Ask about his drivers license and insurance ( If it has ever been suspended )
Ask him about his taxes ( If he owes the IRS )
Ask him about his questionable fundraising and accounting ( If he ever bounced checks )
Ask him if he ever inflated his donations in his FEC filings to make himself appear to have more money then he actually raised.
Ask him if he ever handled a firearm in his life ( Why he was anti gun in his past races )
Ask him what his opinion is of Obama and then why he would hire an ex Obama intern to be his Press Secretary.
Ask him if he has ever been evicted from his residency.
Ask him if he has ever had any court judgements or leans against him.
Ask him where the $28,000 he loaned his campaign came from after only making $41,000 last year and $25,000 the year before.( And ask him about his taxes again )
“We’re basically just done,” Walsh field director Richard Cape said. “Everyone is walking. We’ve just had it.”
Cape, Walsh’s former campaign manager, said he and fellow field director Ted Livengood are among the 200 volunteers who have left the campaign in recent weeks.
At 6 p.m. Sunday, Cape said, volunteers will “shut down” the 218 Barron Blvd. office, which opened just weeks ago. Cape has termed the event a “campaign kick out” party.
But the cops were called and the resigned staffers were foiled…
Police were called to Walsh’s Graylake campaign office Sunday afternoon after Cape and others went there to retrieve office equipment and other property they claim is theirs. They were not allowed in the campaign office, and officers told them it was a civil matter and they would have to go to court to settle their dispute.
The Lake County GOP Chairman didn’t ask for Walsh’s resignation, but they didn’t exactly give him a ringing vote of confidence, either…
But the Republican leadership in Lake County was concerned enough to meet for two hours Sunday behind closed doors to discuss Walsh’s future. They declined to ask him to step down.
“Joe Walsh is still our candidate, we’re not gonna get involved in a campaign dispute,” said Lake County Republican Party Chairman Bob Cook.
But when pressed on Walsh’s future, and how recent issues might affect the general election in November Cook said “We’re always concerned when there’s something that could hurt our chances of beating Melissa Bean in the General election.” He said it’s up to the voters to decide if those chances will be hurt if Walsh stays in the race.
What a craptastic campaign. Considering how this year has been going, the GOP should be able to put anyone without a rap sheet in this campaign and have a decent run.
Walsh has to go. The GOP should muscle this guy out ASAP.
Steve
How does a guy from outside the district have grassroots support enough to beat people who are well known and better funded; and from the district?
These two guys and their level of grassroots literacy. They seem to have done a great job for the guy. How does a former pro choicer from Evanston become a victorious conservative grassroots candidate? On his own? I think Mr Walsh is done, and these guys are heros to stand up and tell the truth. They could have just sat back and collected their checks and Walsh could never have fired them because of their field work now watch Joe or his new management attack yet more former employees and supporters like he did with his campaign manager(s)
If Walsh kited checks, will he become a valued advisor to the president like Bob Cremer? Hey, both men lived in Evanston, so that’s something else that they have in common.
I hear how the staffers angry and up set regarding the candidate.
But a person is not perfect. We all have problems,fears and baggage.
we must ask, who among us has not had a check return, who among us has not at one time or another owed money for taxes. these are human and personal problems within our life we face day in and day out.
These are the things that make us stronger, better and more open to the people around us that we wish to serve. So we can reach out to help each other in good and bad times.
We must stop thinking that candidates are perfect, they are only human. And because of that fact they all have problems. Such as fears and baggage.
Steve Martin once said in a movie, Do you want to talk to a pasty face priest about cheating. Or do you want to speak to a person who been in the same place as you are now.
Or even better in the TV show west wing, a story was recanted about a man walking down the street that fell into a swear. The man yelled for hours until another man heard his cry’s for help. That man jumped into the swear. With that the first man said “why did you do that now we both will be stuck hear” The second man said to the first, No we wont. I been here before and I know the way out.
We need leaders how has been thru bad times, people have lost faith and the belief that no one care. I like to think that we do care and that a better way is just around the corner.
Cheers, Matt Harrington
The people who have mad it out of bad times are the people who we need. if not for their will then for their courage.
I live in IL-8 and I am a hard R, however I wouldn’t vote for this clown if he were running against Jim Traficant.
The one consistent in his campaign has been poor decision making.
I know Cape and Livengood. They are two guys who will never blow you away with intellect or ingenuity. However, they are honorable, hardworking guys who always give 100 percent to a candidate they believe in. In this case, it appears they are smart enough to not be the last ones on a sinking ship.
Unfortunately this dishonest fool of a candidate is what we got stuck with because of a crowded primary field where nobody managed to get their message to the voters. My only hope is that the Republican party is smart enough to run away from this guy, don’t give him a dime and take away his voice….unless someone has the magic to get him off the ballot, which would be GLORIOUS!
As a strong supporter of Joe Walsh through the primary and beyond, I have “Had Enough”. Joe Walsh has repeatedly deceived his volunteers and staff. I spoke at length with Joe regarding all of the allegations being thrown around. His response to each and every allegations was an excuse as to how it was somebody elses fault. This is what convinced me to remove myslef from his campaign. We have enough Ivory Tower Elitists in Washington.
This “Tea Party Candidate” has made a mockery of Tea Party movement.
If he and the Republicans will not do the right thing, we will do it for them.
Joey do the right thing and get out. Give the voters of the 8th and the Tea Parties that got you the nomination a chance to replace the Bean.
Follow the money… how much money were those two staffers making for putting up signs?? Rumor has it their pay was cut big time recently and they weren’t too happy about it.
@Nero
Fitting name I can hear you fiddling while Joe’s campaign goes up in Flames.
@Matt Harrington
Spend a little more time in reality. Steve Martin movie references and the West Wing. A more fitting analogy would be “Bozo’s Circus” with more than a little bit of “Lie to me”. If only Joe would go on “To Tell the Truth” But alas we shall soon hear the Donald say “Joe Walsh your fired”
[…] IL-08: Scratch This Race off The Target Lists!! Wow. Staffers leave campaigns all the time, and it is often a fairly acrimonious exercise. This, however, is pretty awesome. Leading staffers for GOP Congressional nominee Joe Walsh (challenging third-term Democrat Melissa Bean) are walking, but they are making considerable noise on their way out the door. […]
The people of the 8th district must really dislike Melissa Bean, because even with all the bad press Joe Walsh is getting the polls are showing he’s competitive with Bean.
If Walsh were competitive with Bean the NRCC wouldn’t have abandoned the campaign and he would have actually raised some money in the last quarter…the campaign is a joke and it has as much chance as Alan Keyes did 6 years ago.
Yes they are disgruntled, he mislead them, that is not what they signed up for and won’t support a person who says one thing and does the other. They could have kept thier mouths shut and kept collecting a big paycheck but they walked away from that because joe mislead them and all the voters. They lost alot of money a month for the next 6 months but kept their morals by walking away from a politician who mislead them. I am friends with Rick and he was so gung-ho for joe in the begining but as time went on he started to see joe was not as he led them to belive. I had several conversations where he said how dirty he was feeling working for Joe and how misled he felt. Ask yourself what would you do in their place. They work like dogs to put joe where he is, and joe said himself the night he won could not have done it without Rick and Ted. You find out he mislead you and you helped him get there and he’s not fit to even run for dog catcher let alone a congressional seat, do you shutup and take the money or work to remove him by quitting and calling for him to step down and lose your fat paychecks. For someone who stands by their morals there is only one thing to do.
Why wont joe walsh give them their belongings. Everything in that office except the toilet paper and staplers is Rick Capes. I know because I helped him move it from his house to the office. There was nothing in that office but a toilet and echoes when we got there. Oh yea, joes wife brought staplers and tape. Joe is stealing the property of others by not returning the desks, computers, cabinets and chairs and so on. Dont be a thief joe walsh, return whats not yours or is thievery and not paying your bills the platform you are running on. By the way how many lawsuits are you up to now. Who gets dragged to court that often.
LIVE session coverage...
- Small Town Liberal - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 10:00 am:
- Ask about his drivers license and insurance ( If it has ever been suspended ) -
Does his Maserati do 185?
- shore - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 10:01 am:
they should learn how to spell lien. It’s a wealthy area and with the wind at the gop’s back someone should be willing to give it a shot.
- just sayin' - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 10:15 am:
Well, hey, at least he has an account payable to the IRS, and that assumes he’ll eventually pay some taxes at least.
He doesn’t need to get out of the race. He needs Bill Brady’s tax accountants. LOL
- KeepSmiling - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 10:16 am:
I think Scott Lee Cohen just found a running mate.
- steve schnorf - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 10:17 am:
Given their level of literacy, he may be better off without them.
- wordslinger - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 10:47 am:
Schnorf, you’ve got that right. What a couple of ingrates.
- VanillaMan - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 10:54 am:
What a craptastic campaign. Considering how this year has been going, the GOP should be able to put anyone without a rap sheet in this campaign and have a decent run.
Walsh has to go. The GOP should muscle this guy out ASAP.
- votecounter - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 10:55 am:
Steve
How does a guy from outside the district have grassroots support enough to beat people who are well known and better funded; and from the district?
These two guys and their level of grassroots literacy. They seem to have done a great job for the guy. How does a former pro choicer from Evanston become a victorious conservative grassroots candidate? On his own? I think Mr Walsh is done, and these guys are heros to stand up and tell the truth. They could have just sat back and collected their checks and Walsh could never have fired them because of their field work now watch Joe or his new management attack yet more former employees and supporters like he did with his campaign manager(s)
- Old 8 - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:01 am:
Maybe Melissa Bean will spend some of her massive financial resources helping Democrats in her district … Oh wait. No she won’t.
- Levois - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:22 am:
Some of that spells Meh. The others could be huge problems.
- just sayin' - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:24 am:
I’m shocked!….shocked!… that a politician has been less than honest in this state!
Seriously, is this really the first guy that should go since Scott Lee Cohen? (and even he’s coming back appearently)
No one is going to knock Bean out anyway. She’s popular and well established.
- Honest Abe - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:42 am:
If Walsh kited checks, will he become a valued advisor to the president like Bob Cremer? Hey, both men lived in Evanston, so that’s something else that they have in common.
- Bill - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:54 am:
Anybody who constantly refers to Bean as a “liberal” has a serious perception and credebility problem.
- Ghost - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:55 am:
Rocky Mountain Way….
- Rubbernecker - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 12:12 pm:
I think it’s Funk #49 for Mr. Walsh.
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 12:22 pm:
Re: Rubbernecker…
If you’re gonna act that way
I think there’s trouble brewin’
- Matt Harrington - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 12:23 pm:
I hear how the staffers angry and up set regarding the candidate.
But a person is not perfect. We all have problems,fears and baggage.
we must ask, who among us has not had a check return, who among us has not at one time or another owed money for taxes. these are human and personal problems within our life we face day in and day out.
These are the things that make us stronger, better and more open to the people around us that we wish to serve. So we can reach out to help each other in good and bad times.
We must stop thinking that candidates are perfect, they are only human. And because of that fact they all have problems. Such as fears and baggage.
Steve Martin once said in a movie, Do you want to talk to a pasty face priest about cheating. Or do you want to speak to a person who been in the same place as you are now.
Or even better in the TV show west wing, a story was recanted about a man walking down the street that fell into a swear. The man yelled for hours until another man heard his cry’s for help. That man jumped into the swear. With that the first man said “why did you do that now we both will be stuck hear” The second man said to the first, No we wont. I been here before and I know the way out.
We need leaders how has been thru bad times, people have lost faith and the belief that no one care. I like to think that we do care and that a better way is just around the corner.
Cheers, Matt Harrington
The people who have mad it out of bad times are the people who we need. if not for their will then for their courage.
- A.B, - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 1:30 pm:
I live in IL-8 and I am a hard R, however I wouldn’t vote for this clown if he were running against Jim Traficant.
The one consistent in his campaign has been poor decision making.
I know Cape and Livengood. They are two guys who will never blow you away with intellect or ingenuity. However, they are honorable, hardworking guys who always give 100 percent to a candidate they believe in. In this case, it appears they are smart enough to not be the last ones on a sinking ship.
Unfortunately this dishonest fool of a candidate is what we got stuck with because of a crowded primary field where nobody managed to get their message to the voters. My only hope is that the Republican party is smart enough to run away from this guy, don’t give him a dime and take away his voice….unless someone has the magic to get him off the ballot, which would be GLORIOUS!
- Samuel Adams - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 1:37 pm:
As a strong supporter of Joe Walsh through the primary and beyond, I have “Had Enough”. Joe Walsh has repeatedly deceived his volunteers and staff. I spoke at length with Joe regarding all of the allegations being thrown around. His response to each and every allegations was an excuse as to how it was somebody elses fault. This is what convinced me to remove myslef from his campaign. We have enough Ivory Tower Elitists in Washington.
This “Tea Party Candidate” has made a mockery of Tea Party movement.
If he and the Republicans will not do the right thing, we will do it for them.
Joey do the right thing and get out. Give the voters of the 8th and the Tea Parties that got you the nomination a chance to replace the Bean.
- wordslinger - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 1:40 pm:
–I wouldn’t vote for this clown if he were running against Jim Traficant.–
Traficant is out of the can and running as an indy for his old seat in Ohio. Best rug this side of Ron Santo.
Little-known fact: Traficant played quarterback at Pitt, where his favorite receiver was a certain tight end named Ditka.
- wordslinger - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 1:44 pm:
–This “Tea Party Candidate” has made a mockery of Tea Party movement.–
LOL, that can’t be too hard.
- A.B, - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 1:50 pm:
Wordslinger! Wonderful Traficant trivia! “Well beam me up!”
- Nero - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 1:59 pm:
Follow the money… how much money were those two staffers making for putting up signs?? Rumor has it their pay was cut big time recently and they weren’t too happy about it.
- 10th Indy - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 2:06 pm:
Traficant’s one-minutes are reason enough to vote for the guy. C-span just hasn’t been as much fun since he’s been gone.
- Been There - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 5:12 pm:
As Small Town Liberal suggests, I think he has accountants pay for it all. And he can’t be evicted if he can’t find the door.
- Samuel Adams - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 8:51 pm:
@Nero
Fitting name I can hear you fiddling while Joe’s campaign goes up in Flames.
@Matt Harrington
Spend a little more time in reality. Steve Martin movie references and the West Wing. A more fitting analogy would be “Bozo’s Circus” with more than a little bit of “Lie to me”. If only Joe would go on “To Tell the Truth” But alas we shall soon hear the Donald say “Joe Walsh your fired”
Pingback Polling and Political Wrap-Up, 5/3/10 | Politic blogs - Monday, May 3, 10 @ 10:56 pm:
[…] IL-08: Scratch This Race off The Target Lists!! Wow. Staffers leave campaigns all the time, and it is often a fairly acrimonious exercise. This, however, is pretty awesome. Leading staffers for GOP Congressional nominee Joe Walsh (challenging third-term Democrat Melissa Bean) are walking, but they are making considerable noise on their way out the door. […]
- Honest Abe - Tuesday, May 4, 10 @ 8:44 am:
Congressman Guitterez is under investigation for his questionable real estate activities, but Joe Walsh is imploding?
I guess there is really a double standard for Democratic and Republican candidates.
- Kathy Barkulis - Tuesday, May 4, 10 @ 9:42 am:
The people of the 8th district must really dislike Melissa Bean, because even with all the bad press Joe Walsh is getting the polls are showing he’s competitive with Bean.
- A.B, - Tuesday, May 4, 10 @ 10:32 am:
If Walsh were competitive with Bean the NRCC wouldn’t have abandoned the campaign and he would have actually raised some money in the last quarter…the campaign is a joke and it has as much chance as Alan Keyes did 6 years ago.
- Gordon Kouba - Tuesday, May 4, 10 @ 4:03 pm:
Yes they are disgruntled, he mislead them, that is not what they signed up for and won’t support a person who says one thing and does the other. They could have kept thier mouths shut and kept collecting a big paycheck but they walked away from that because joe mislead them and all the voters. They lost alot of money a month for the next 6 months but kept their morals by walking away from a politician who mislead them. I am friends with Rick and he was so gung-ho for joe in the begining but as time went on he started to see joe was not as he led them to belive. I had several conversations where he said how dirty he was feeling working for Joe and how misled he felt. Ask yourself what would you do in their place. They work like dogs to put joe where he is, and joe said himself the night he won could not have done it without Rick and Ted. You find out he mislead you and you helped him get there and he’s not fit to even run for dog catcher let alone a congressional seat, do you shutup and take the money or work to remove him by quitting and calling for him to step down and lose your fat paychecks. For someone who stands by their morals there is only one thing to do.
- Gordon Kouba - Tuesday, May 4, 10 @ 4:04 pm:
Why wont joe walsh give them their belongings. Everything in that office except the toilet paper and staplers is Rick Capes. I know because I helped him move it from his house to the office. There was nothing in that office but a toilet and echoes when we got there. Oh yea, joes wife brought staplers and tape. Joe is stealing the property of others by not returning the desks, computers, cabinets and chairs and so on. Dont be a thief joe walsh, return whats not yours or is thievery and not paying your bills the platform you are running on. By the way how many lawsuits are you up to now. Who gets dragged to court that often.