* This is obviously a significant boost for Krishnamoorthi over Tammy Duckworth…
Democratic congressional hopeful Raja Krishmanoorthi just added a big - and often elusive - name to his list of supporters.
He says that former 8th District Congresswoman Melissa Bean, of Barrington, plans to release a statement supporting the Hoffman Estates lawyer and laboratory president. We got first dibs.
“Raja’s priorities are well aligned with the families and businesses of Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. He and his wife have been raising their two sons in Hoffman Estates, so they know the challenges that families here are facing and are invested personally in the success of suburban public schools. As President of a small business, he also recognizes that greater innovation is critical to our economic strength. His candidacy brings extensive public sector experience, an impressive academic background, and a Midwest work ethic to the race,” the statement reads.
Krishnamoorthi is a perpetual motion machine. He never stopped working even after he lost that close statewide primary to David Miller last year. He called me so many times that I started getting irritated. Like I cared about a guy who lost a primary. But I knew he’d be back, I just didn’t know where. Duckworth is a good candidate, but she has her work cut out for her here.
* Not unexpected…
A former state representative from Madison County said he may challenge U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Urbana, in the new 13th Congressional District.
Jay Hoffman of Collinsville is the second Democrat to express interest in the race. David Gill, a physician from Bloomington, said Wednesday that he also may seek the Democratic nomination in the newly redrawn congressional district that runs from Urbana through 14 central and southwestern Illinois counties to the Metro East suburbs. It also includes Decatur, Springfield and most of Bloomington-Normal.
“The district is such,” Hoffman said Thursday, “that I think the issues I’ve always stood for — job creation, ensuring that working families have a voice — would be a good fit for me.
“But I’m also looking at other options, including returning to the Illinois General Assembly.”
Hoffman said “a lot of people,” including officials with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, have contacted him about the 13th District seat.
Hoffman told me this week that he’d probably decide by the middle of July whether to make the congressional bid. There are those who think that Johnson won’t run again if he draws a tough Democratic challenger. We’ll see. Hoffman, of course, has his downsides. He was Rod Blagojevich’s House floor leader back in the day. But he played no role in the two trials, so that helps his cause.
* And Springfield fixture Gene Callahan’s daughter appears to be gearing up hard for the 17th District seat…
East Moline Alderwoman Cheri Bustos is moving toward a Democratic bid for the 17th Congressional District nomination.
Bustos said Wednesday she will resign her position as vice president of communications for Iowa Health System at the end of the month and tentatively plans to make an announcement about a candidacy on June 30. […]
Bustos, a former Quad-City Times reporter, joined Trinity about 10 years ago and went to Iowa Health System in 2008. She was elected as East Moline’s 4th ward alderwoman in 2007. […]
Already, state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, has announced his candidacy and made his first visit as a candidate to the Quad-Cities on Tuesday. Former Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert, former state Rep. Mike Boland of East Moline and Porter McNeil of Moline have said they might make bids, too. McNeil was the spokesman for former state comptroller Dan Hynes.
* Roundup…
* Illinois’ 5 Republican freshmen reflect on first 6 months in Congress - Lawmakers discuss their votes, priorities, impressions, successes and frustration
* Democrats target female voters, portray Republican moves as a war on women: Emily’s List cited the Medicare plan as it singled out nine House Republican freshmen as its first targets next year, months earlier than in the last election. They are… Robert Dold and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois…
* GOP Civil War Erupts: Tea Party Freshman Rips Chamber CEO Tom Donahue: Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) appeared on Fox News, where he tore into Donohue for threatening House Republicans: I found Tom Donahue’s comments outrageous, tone-deaf, totally establishment, and doesn’t understand at all where we’re at right now…If Tom Donahue is more comfortable having Nancy Pelosi as Speaker next year because he wants to get rid of all of us tea party, fiscally-conservative freshman who came here on a mission to save our kids from the debt we’re placing on their backs, then fine. He can have Nancy Pelosi as his Speaker.
* Some deficit hawks have major debts: In other cases, freshman lawmakers had been living on more modest means. Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., who squeaked to victory with tea party backing, reported that his assets might be as low as $3,004.
* Prominent Congressmen Dumped BP Stock After Oil Spill
* House Retirement Watch Begins: Although both GOP Reps. Judy Biggert (Ill.) and Joe Barton (Texas) have signaled they plan to run for re-election, the proposed maps in their respective states include lots of changes to the territory they represent. Democrats are keeping tabs on both.
* Gill considering another challenge to Johnson
* Third airport plan still circling
* Kinzinger plans Ottawa small business roundtable
LIVE session coverage...
- Anonymous - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 12:22 pm:
Are the articles saying Joe Walsh and Mark Kirk are going to the “World Culture Festival” in Berlin, along with Pelosi and a few others, on 7/3-4 real? Would taxpayers be picking up the bill for that?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klsrAZEBtO8
- Anonymous - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 12:26 pm:
Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Mike Quigley (D-IL), and Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), too?
Seriously. Are all these polls going to this at our expense when people here, at home, are out of work?
- wordslinger - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 12:28 pm:
–I found Tom Donahue’s comments outrageous, tone-deaf, totally establishment, and doesn’t understand at all where we’re at right now…–
Who knew that the head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was “totally establishment?”
“Where we’re at” is default if the debt ceiling isn’t raised. Someone needs to explain to Walsh and the other self-proclaimed “fiscally conservative” freshmen that the United States defaulting on its debt is a wee bit more problematic than Walsh’s experience in defaulting on his mortgage and other obligations.
Being in the majority means making a tough vote sometimes. It’s called governing.
Also, could Congress pass a rule to keep Walsh, Quigley and others from taking up residence in their Capitol offices? That’s public property, not a flophouse. Getting elected to Congress shouldn’t allow you to live rent-free and wander the halls of Congress at night in your boxers. Get a room!
- Newsclown - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 12:37 pm:
Jay Hoffman? Really? Is he expecting that every voter in the district will get a blow to the head and suffer amnesia? There was testimony during the Blago investigations that put Hoffman in the same room when the “donation” envelope was put on the table. The dude was glued to Rod’s hip like a fashion accessory, his biggest booster and number one fan. We’re supposed to just forget all that because he wrote a book about environmentalism or something? It’s a new day and a new way, time to make a clean break from all things tainted by Blago.
- Lakefront Liberal - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 12:57 pm:
Not to encourage our new friend here — but until we find a way to live on other planets we, like it or not, are all part of a “one world family.” Unless the fact that we all live on planet earth is now up for debate as well … anyone heard the Tea Party take on that? :-)
- Team Sleep - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 12:59 pm:
Hoffman. Ugh. His associations with Blago and the Lakin Law Firm will cause him serious problems on a stage that is much bigger than Madison County, which until recently was fairly friendly territory.
Word, I’m sure Congress could pass such a law, but it would be akin to Congress cutting its own healthcare or voting itself out of the federal employee matching 401(k) plan. Why would they do it? It saves a lot of members money and, in all honesty, it often guarantees that members work later and are better prepared or know more about legislation and policy.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 1:01 pm:
–..in all honesty, it often guarantees that members work later and are better prepared or know more about legislation and policy.–
Why? You can read/talk/call/think anywhere. It’s a disgusting practice.
- A river runs through it - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 1:16 pm:
Good news for Raja. Can’t remember the last time Bean endorsed anyone. She must really be on-board.
- Precinct Captain - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 1:34 pm:
Hoffman has a much better shot at Johnson than Dr. David Gill, a perpetual loser (literally). Gill seems like a nice guy (I saw him speak once), but the results show that he has no shot against Tim Johnson, who went so far as to not debate him in the last cycle.
Hopefully, the Democrats can find someone to give Johnson a good race. Frerichs versus Johnson would’ve been great.
- Mike Murray - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 1:42 pm:
Technically, its an statement of praise from Bean. Not an endorsement.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 1:54 pm:
Word, the distractions of D.C. essentially guarantee members don’t pay attention or care all that much when they leave their offices. Most members are booked so solidly outside of the office that they go non-stop from sunrise to midnight. I don’t understand the hubbub about them staying in their offices. It doesn’t really cost the taxpayers anything except for the extra water they use to take showers, shave and brush their teeth and maybe the extra energy to watch TV and use their laptops and Blackberries. And MOCs and their staffs already get free access to Congressional gyms.
- Independant Thinker - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 1:57 pm:
it looks like Walsh knows he is a one termer unless he can get to be the darling of the national tea party crowd like Christine O’Donnell. I expect he will make more and more outrageous statements during the election cycle. It is an interesting gambit but he literally has nothing to lose.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 2:05 pm:
Precinct, I don’t even know if Johnson will run. His staff has suffered a few losses and he is getting up there in age. He hasn’t been a decent fundraiser for a long time. I think it’s a 50-50 shot that he even runs. But I wonder who the other options would be.
- shore - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 2:06 pm:
“He called me so many times that I started getting irritated.” Care to disclose why.
Walsh to me is the kind of bomb throwing congressman-not quite on the level of an allan grayson who is either a big hit or a big miss. I don’t see there being many people next year who are unsure of where they stand on him. What he says probably does not make sense to some moderate republicans and democrats, but I think embodies the feeling of a lot of republicans and conservatives right now.
wordslinger-president obama also lives on public property.
- Whistler - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 2:11 pm:
It would be nice if Walsh were using the extra time in the office to study the issues, but it seems like he prefers going on cable news. He might be positioning himself for a primary with Hultgren in the 14th. In any case, his position on this issue is ill-informed and beyond reckless
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 2:16 pm:
===Care to disclose why.===
Oh, I dunno. Session, fall election and all accompanying craziness and work.
- Carl Nyberg - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 2:25 pm:
This appears to be the cycle for Democrats to run for tough U.S. House seats in Illinois.
1. Presidential elections increase turnout, which is generally good for Dems.
2. Obama will be on the top of the ticket.
3. The districts have new boundaries which means some voters aren’t used to voting for the incumbent.
4. The Republicans may have a flop as a presidential candidate.
5. Because Republicans voted to replace Medicare with a voucher program called “Medicare” that increases the insurance industries profits while transferring the risk to individuals, it seems likely that the GOP will perform weaker among senior voters.
Somebody strong should run against Tim Johnson.
And, I don’t have any inside info, but I expect Jack Franks is waiting for Walsh and Hultgren to announce they are going head-to-head in the GOP primary.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 2:27 pm:
What Walsh is doing is simple: he is attempting to paint himself as a victim and rile up the TEA Party faithful. He wants to tell people that the IL Dems “stole” his district and “disrespect” TEA Party members. And I guarantee anyone that he will make himself quite a bit of money by raising small denominations online with his schtick.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 2:35 pm:
Carl, that is a pretty good assumption. The DCCC might want to put some $$$ behind Franks if the GOP primary turns bloody and drains Hultgren of his warchest - which, right now, isn’t too substantial.
- Jeeves the Cat - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 3:11 pm:
To accuse Walsh of strategic positioning seems like a bit of a stretch for him, but maybe he’s learned something about something outside of tempest in a teapot politics in DC. Carl is, as usual, probably on to something. As for Raja, he got Bean BECAUSE he’s persistent. The man has no off switch.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 3:18 pm:
–wordslinger-president obama also lives on public property.–
Shore, that is, of course, different, as the Executive Mansion is provided for in statute.
I’m sorry for the blather — the crashing at the Capitol offices is a pet peeve of mine. I’ll let it go.
- walkinfool - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 3:23 pm:
Carl’s right on all counts. Franks has some money already, and he knows how to make news.
- HoosierDaddy - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 3:28 pm:
I dunno, Team, is Dale Righter in the new boundaries of Johnson’s district? Just wondering. Also, how many times did Johnson beat Gill? When is enough enough for that guy? He’s beginning to be a Democrat Harold Stassen.
- Shore - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 3:55 pm:
wordslinger you make a decent point they get 175k a year, this guy weiner was in 12 years and is getting $1 million in pension benefits and other goodies. ect and yeah you probably don’t want to walk into an office in dc wondering if your congressman was snoring there 3 hours ago. We could do 4 hours on this.
Carl, Rich or someone else has made the case here that it’s not going to be quite the slam dunk you think it is going to be. Every thing went wrong for the republican party in 2008, and everything was going right for democrats and that won’t happen again.
It’s way too early to predict the environment and issues in november 2012, but baseline the reasons for democrats running for congress now which won’t change are
1)this is their last shot ever with obama on the ballot.
2)it’s not quite clear how long the illinois democratic party’s run will last here.
3)there are as you say a number of new districts, and freshmen republicans in tight seats who can be tested.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Jun 17, 11 @ 4:02 pm:
Hoosier, Senator Righter lives in Coles County. That is in the new 15th CD and isn’t really that close to any of the areas in the new 13th. Yes, it’s not terribly far from Chambana, but it’s not quite the same as not living in a suburban- or city-based district. Also, Dr. Gill never really got close to Tim Johnson, and I don’t think he spent much of his own money, either.