* The Tribune endorsed Tammy Duckworth for congress…
Walsh has been a congressman made for cable television, but not for his constituents. He has fueled the political vitriol that has paralyzed Washington, that nearly shut down the federal government, that has failed to produce meaningful fiscal reform and economic recovery. We saw something in that endorsement interview — what a congressman Joe Walsh might have been.
* As did the Daily Herald…
Our endorsement instead goes to former Veterans Affairs leader Tammy Duckworth, a war veteran from Hoffman Estates, who has campaigned as a constructive, bipartisan problem solver and would eschew extreme rhetoric in favor of thoughtfully working together. We think she would be the kind of moderate Blue Dog Democrat who reflects the new 8th District, which takes in portions of western Cook, northern DuPage and eastern Kane counties.
* Walsh issued a defiant statement in response…
“I’m not at all surprised by the decisions of the Chicago Tribune and the Daily Herald to endorse Tammy Duckworth. Ms. Duckworth has always been the preferred candidate of the elite Chicago liberal media. The day I care what the Chicago media thinks about me or this race will be the same day that I leave the political arena. I am running for Congress to serve the people of the 8th district, who are struggling to find work, stay in their homes, and are fighting to make sure that their kids and grandkids have the same opportunities that they did.
“For years, the Chicago media has been out of touch with families like those in the 8th district. It is no surprise that these papers lose readership almost every single year and have essentially become irrelevant and bankrupt. It is because the elite media does not understand that American families are fed up. They are sick of the same old politicians making promises to get endorsements. As the Tribune said of my opponent, she is a ‘more-practiced politician. Practiced, that is, in not offering her opposition targets by getting to specific on solutions.’ I can not and will not go down that same road.
“We are at a crucial point in America, and this country needs leaders who will stand up and say no to Washington’s back room go along to get along deals. Now more than ever we must move past the talking points and come up with real solutions. The elite Chicago media will never understand that, but the American people do. Let us remember that if the good people of Illinois cared about what these irrelevant papers had to say, Tammy Duckworth would now be serving her third term in Congress, as both the Herald and Tribune enthusiastically endorsed her 6 years ago, against Peter Roskam.”
…Adding… A commenter sums it up well…
If he truly did not care about getting the newspapers’ endorsements then he would not have bothered to sit down with them for the endorsement interviews.
His press release is little more than the response of a petulant child who did not get what he wanted.
Agreed.
* Meanwhile, the Sun-Times has reported this…
We Ask America poll had Walsh at a five-point lead.
Um, no. Not even close. The latest We Ask America poll, taken last week, had Duckworth ahead by six.
The DCCC has Duckworth up by ten…
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released a new automated poll showing Tammy Duckworth with a 10 point lead, winning 52 percent over Congressman Joe Walsh’s 42 percent – dangerous territory for an incumbent. Congressman Joe Walsh’s favorables are underwater with nearly half of voters holding a negative opinion of him. In contrast, Tammy Duckworth is both well known and well liked with a definite advantage in this Democratic leaning district.
“The problem Congressman Joe Walsh faces is that voters both know him and dislike him,” said Haley Morris of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “While Illinois families have had enough of Congressman Walsh’s dangerous uncompromising Tea Party record in Washington, they clearly favor Tammy Duckworth as the only candidate standing up for the middle class.”
* Related…
* Truth check: Is Duckworth violating uniform rules?: Department of Defense rules state that members of the military “not on active duty (including retired members) may use photos of themselves in uniform for ‘campaign media’ purposes.” However, “the photo or information must be accompanied by a prominent and clearly displayed disclaimer that neither the military information nor photographs imply endorsement by the Department of Defense or their particular military department.”
* Walsh, Duckworth clash on immigration
* VIDEO: Tammy Duckworth Declines to Debate Joe Walsh
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:29 am:
Sounds like a press release written by Sarah Palin. Replace “elite” with “lamestream” and there is no difference.
- Reality Check - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:32 am:
So the Tribune is liberal and the Daily Herald is in Chicago. Ohh-kay.
- Esquire - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:35 am:
Has Walsh ever been endorsed by any newspaper? He ran his last campaign with virtually zero party support and edged Bean. This is not an unfamiliar position for him to be in. I thought that the Tea Party activists played a key role in his upset in 2010. In a newly drawn district, that may not be as big of a factor or a plus.
Tammy Duckworth was recruited by top Illinois Democrats and party operatives. I have yet to hear her make a case for why the residents of whatever district that she has been assigned to will benefit from her serving as their representative.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:41 am:
Walsh to my knowledge has never been endorsed by any major newspaper.
- Loop Lady - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:43 am:
Actually, this is the first time EVER, I have agreed with Walsh.
In a heavily Democratic State population wise, these papers are right of center IMO.
I was rather startled that they endorsed Duckworth at first, but given proclivity for Walsh making a spectacle of himself, I don’t think the Trib had much of a choice. Yawn.
- Shore - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:58 am:
He won the tribune debate and bruce dold acknowledged that on chicago tonight, but his other stuff got in the way and that was their decision. He looks really tired in that last video.
The daily herald has also given him a lot of great coverage for 3.5 years,so that’s kind of an unjustified hit.
- CircularFiringSquad - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 11:01 am:
Wonder if he is asking PizzaBobby to renounce the elite Chicago media endorsement? How will DeadbeatJoe serve with PizzaBobby?
Not really a problem ’cause they are both bye bye bye
Duckworth did give the Tribbies a place to go so they can claim their endorsements are “fair & balanced
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 11:19 am:
–Walsh calls Tribune, Daily Herald “irrelevant”–
A broken clock is right twice a day.
- Wensicia - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 11:31 am:
Walsh and his excessive attacks on anything and everything have become irrelevant. Why he stubbornly sticks to this type of politics while his fellow Republicans have moderated their positions in some districts amazes me.
- walkinfool - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 11:56 am:
Joe Walsh is not now, and has never been, wrong.
He’s like a defiant 10-year-old.
- Just Observing - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 12:40 pm:
So… Walsh could care less what the “elite” media thinks of him… yet he submitted himself to their endorsement process, including interviewing at the Tribune???
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 1:02 pm:
“Methinks Walsh) doth protest too much.”
If he truly did not care about getting the newspapers’ endorsements then he would not have bothered to sit down with them for the endorsement interviews.
His press release is little more than the response of a petulant child who did not get what he wanted.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 1:50 pm:
“Never pick a fight with a man who buys ink by the barrel and paper by the ton.”
- Child activist - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:04 pm:
How can Rep. Walsh claim to give “kids and grandkids have the same opportunities” when he was (and still may be) behind over $117,000 in child support for his own children.
- Fed up - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:12 pm:
Loop lady, “in a heavily democratic state population wise. ” yeah Quinn won in a landslide, and madigan gerrymandered the congressional districts because it was just to easy to win a majority of congressional races. Don’t confuse cook co with the state.
- Fed up - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:15 pm:
This maybe one of the few things Walsh is right about. Not sure the Trib,Herald, Sun Times or many other papers have much of a future. Not much ink or paper being bought by those papers as circulations keep going down and down and the red ink keeps flowing.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:58 pm:
Posted this in March, and referencing it again …
=== ===I posted this late January of this year and I feel the same as I did then …
===I have felt for as long as I can remember that a newspaper endorsement had no weight, was a waste of the paper it was printed on, and it should have no credibility in deciding a race….
Unless I can put it in a Mail or Walk pieice for MY candidate and tout it as the best thing ever for the voters to know … but I digress=== ===
Same ole, same ole …
Now the polling … dunno what to say about the numbers, but all these races, (Dold, Biggert, Walsh) are going to be won by hands-ful of votes.
Hope the 3 of you have a STRONG Election-Day apartus ready.
- mokenavince - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 3:48 pm:
In 28 days he will be former Congressman Walsh ,Mr Irrelevant and Lame Duck.He can
return to being a deadbeat dad.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 4:01 pm:
===In 28 days he will be former Congressman Walsh ,Mr Irrelevant and Lame Duck.He can return to being a deadbeat dad.===
In 28 days, Walsh will either be re-elected, a hired gun for some Tea Party Billionare’s “Look At The Money I Got!” PAC, or on FoxNews or CNN as a talknig head.
The Deadbeat Dad thing is up for discussion.
I am not worried where Walsh’s next meal is coming from.
- reformer - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 4:14 pm:
== both the Tribune and the Daily Herald endorsed Duckworth over Roskam ==
I know Peter Roskam. Peter Roskam is a friend of mind. Congressman Walsh, you’re no Peter Roskam!
- reformer - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 4:17 pm:
Esquire
IT’s true Walsh beat Bean in 2010 without newspaper endorsements. But he had three things going for him then that he lacks now:
1) A Green Party spoiler who siphoned 6,500 votes away from Bean.
2) An opponent who was overconfident and didn’t run a full-bore campaign.
3) A Tea Party fueled national GOP wave election.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 4:29 pm:
Newspaper endorsements a week out don’t make that much of a difference.
Newspaper endorsements nearly a month out make a big difference.
Not only will you see those papers logos splashed on Duckworth’s ads.
But the Tribune editorial contains some damning quotes about Walsh that could be an ad unto themselves.
- Shore - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 4:29 pm:
but reformer
he also now has
organization
money
lots of outside help
which he didn’t have in 2010.
- amalia - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 4:51 pm:
and Herald calls Walsh irrelevant.
- foster brooks - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 8:30 pm:
lifes been good for me so far
- Siriusly - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 9:50 pm:
I sort of agree with Walsh. Newspaper endorsements don’t matter a lick. Tribune is past irrelevant. I can count on one hand the number of people we know who even get newspapers.
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:38 pm:
That must have been tough for the DH knowing how Walsh is the personal hero of a certain high ranking figure there.