* Rematch…
Bobby Schilling wants his old job back. Monday he’s sent to make an announcement.
Schilling’s office tells CBS 4 that the former Illinois congressman will announce today that he will run again in 2014.
The republican Schilling was unseated by Democrat Cheri Bustos in 2012.
* More…
His campaign is likely to place a heavy focus on economic issues, son and campaign manager Terry Schilling said during the holiday weekend.
“We’re putting together a plan right now on addressing mostly the rising prices and stagnant wages, because those are what’s really hurting the middle class right now,” he said.
Terry Schilling identified that focus as one of the shortfalls of the 2012 race.
“We didn’t talk enough about how the Republican policies helped the middle class,” he said, stressing that as a small-business owner and head of a large family - Bobby Schilling has 10 children - the candidate recognized the economic pinch many people are still facing.
“Bobby Schilling is the one with a large family who actually goes grocery shopping and has to pay bills,” he said. “When people aren’t getting raises and their wages are stagnant, he’s the one who’s feeling it.”
* How he’s using that issue so far against Bustos…
Schilling said Illinois families need a representative who understands the plight of the middle class and that incumbent Congresswoman Bustos has been absent on that front.
“The middle class is getting crushed by rising prices, stagnant wages and a government that has forgotten about them,” said Schilling. “Not only are our groceries and gas prices going up, but our health care premiums in Illinois are estimated to rise at least 61% because of Obamacare. Incumbent Congresswoman Bustos has proven during her time in Washington that she doesn’t understand or feel the pain of middle class families. We need a true representative fighting for us in Washington and incumbent Congresswoman Cheri Bustos has refused to act.”
* These “missing in action” and “refused to act” lines will continue to show up. For instance…
“We’ve got such a lack of leadership right now, that our incumbent Congresswoman refused to even support a budget,” said Schilling. “Supporting a budget or presenting your own is your basic duty while being a member of Congress. If you can’t support a budget to get our country back on the right track, then you didn’t go to Washington for anything but self-promotion.”
The idea here is to run a populist, working-class conservative campaign. But the new district ain’t what it used to be and Bustos is no pushover.
*** UPDATE *** DCCC…
Bobby Schilling’s Wrong Priorities Hurt the Middle Class Families That Sent Him Packing
Ex-Congressman Bobby Schilling is set today to announce that he wants his seat back in Congress, hoping middle class voters will forget his record of protecting tax breaks for the ultra wealthy and companies that ship jobs overseas while voting to end the Medicare guarantee. Voters also won’t forget who Schilling was really serving in Congress after recent reports show he’s already been raising special interest money.
“Illinois middle class families are not going to re-elect ex-Congressman Schilling after he sold them out and voted for tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas,” said Brandon Lorenz of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Whether it’s his votes to encourage outsourcing or his support for raising Medicare costs on Illinois seniors to give tax cuts to the wealthy, ex- Congressman Schilling has a record of hurting middle class families in order to protect his corporate special interest backers.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the Bustos campaign…
“Congresswoman Bustos is focused on job creation, protecting Medicare and Social Security, and serving the people of Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, not an election that is over a year away.”
- UISer - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 12:19 pm:
Calm down on the talking points please.
- Aldyth - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 12:22 pm:
Not the least bit interested in sending another Teabagger back to Congress. Since Bustos took over the job, I haven’t received a single congressional “newsletter” that was nothing more than thinly disguised campaign literature sent out on the taxpayer dime. I’ll be volunteering on her campaign.
- wishbone - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 12:26 pm:
Yeah, the party of the top 1% is really worried about the middle class. Anyone in the middle class that votes for one of these guys needs his head examined.
- Will Caskey - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 12:27 pm:
I have literally never seen a campaign where the candidate’s son was the manager and it worked out well.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 12:27 pm:
Will, the son ran the first campaign and won.
- Chavez-respecting Obamist - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 12:31 pm:
“We didn’t talk enough about how the Republican policies helped the middle class…”
Name one.
- UISer - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 12:31 pm:
Rich, the son ran the campaign and lost as well. Remmeber last time when they went after Bustos for babysitting Dick Durbin’s kids? I can’t imagine this is going to go well.
- B Dylan - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 12:32 pm:
His son also ran the campaign the second time around and it was a joke. I’m surprised the NRCC would let him run it again. Bustos will put up a fight and most likely win handily.
- Will Caskey - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 12:38 pm:
There’s winning, there’s the other guy losing, and then there’s 2010. I don’t think my point is in that much jeopardy here.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 12:45 pm:
I think if you get sworn-in and seated as a member of Congress, and your son got you there, that sounds like winning…
- Esquire - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 12:55 pm:
Refresh my memory, what was the margin in the last race between Bustos and Schilling? Will an off year election with lower turnout matter much?
What is with this tired class envy/warfare rhetoric? Schilling owned a small family restaurant business that sold pizzas.
Barack and Michelle Obama qualify as members of the “1%” and live like rock star celebrities. They enjoy lavish trips while criticizing the rich. It seems hypocritical.
- Cincinnatus - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 1:15 pm:
- Chavez-respecting Obamist - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 12:31 pm:
“We didn’t talk enough about how the Republican policies helped the middle class…”
Name one.
+++++++++++
Keystone Pipeline?
- anonymous - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 1:29 pm:
Hey Cincinnatus,
The Congresswoman voted for the Keystone Pipeline.
- one of the 35 - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 1:34 pm:
Rep. Moffitt’s influence in the district is great and continues to grow. If he should come out aggressively for Schilling, this could be an interesting race.
- BrianG - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 1:44 pm:
Bustos beat Schilling by 6.6 percentage points.
Obama beat Romney by 16.9. In 2010 Schilling beat Hare by 10.6 percentage points. the Independent candidate got 4.5 points. In 2008 Hare was unopposed. In 2006 Hare was elected with 57 percent which was a greater percentage than Bustos’ 2012 total when she received 53.3.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 1:47 pm:
–Keystone Pipeline? –
LOL, and take away all that money from the truckers and rail workers moving that sludge now? Not to mention business from the existing pipelines?
Seriously, dude, is that all you’ve got?
- VonKlutzenplatz - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 1:49 pm:
Esquire,
“Lavish trips”? Why do you hate the rich?
But in any case, the DCCC response shows why the GOP would be better off with a first time candidate. Schilling’s record is going to make it a tough sell.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 1:52 pm:
This will be a close race between two pretty good candidates. Too bad they are in the same District.
- VonKlutzenplatz - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 2:30 pm:
Esquire, I can’t hear what you are saying, but the dog is looking at me funny.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 2:32 pm:
Schilling is the best chance to get the seat back with the name recognition from the previous run, and the Congressional Campaign committees love to run a rematch when it ended close the last time.
Schilling and Dold have the best chances for the GOP here to get seats flipped.
- Just Me - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 2:42 pm:
Maybe it is just me, but I hate when candidates/politicians say, “The people of the (insert number) district want…” I don’t feel like I live in a district. I feel like I live in my city, or my county, or my state. I don’t even know the number of my representative/senator/congressman’s district number.
Just a pet peeve of mine. Maybe for gerrymandered district boundaries which make no sense it is the only available option.
- Sir Reel - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 2:55 pm:
Republicans are for lots of policies that help the middle class. Of course they define middle class as $500,000 to $1 million annual income.)
- Louis Howe - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 3:03 pm:
Interesting that the DCCC attacks Schilling for voting “for tax breaks that ship jobs overseas” because that line of attack is getting a little shop worn. Democrats keep attacking republicans on the issue but do nothing about it after they’re elected. Obama ran on that issue in every election since 2004 and has yet to introduce anything truly meaningful in reducing the “tax breaks.”
- Downstater - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 3:19 pm:
=We didn’t talk enough about how the Republican policies helped the middle class…”
Name one.=
Yes, and that Obamacare passed to save the middle class from higher and higher premiums. How is that working out?
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 3:26 pm:
==Barack and Michelle Obama qualify as members of the “1%” and live like rock star celebrities. They enjoy lavish trips while criticizing the rich. It seems hypocritical.==
He is the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Get real.
@Cincinnatus
Since the Keystone Pipeline isn’t built yet, it ain’t helping anyone here. I also doubt the execs at TransCanada, even any American ones working on the issue here, qualify as middle class.
It’s also more than hypocritical for GOPers to claim that Bustos is on some path of destruction in Congress in 7 months but Rodney Davis is some king of glory getting all these things done in the 13th. The NRCC talking out of both sides of its mouth will make for good fodder.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 3:48 pm:
Any polls out there on how people feel about someone who had been elected, lost, and is running for re-election. The latest trend from a “hype” perspective is that if you’re in this position, you’re pretty much back in.
But then again there’s the other side, too: Why and don’t you have anything else to do?
- Anon - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 3:53 pm:
Love that the DCCC says Schilling works for “special interests” but never mentioned that Bustos made millions off of the health care industry.
Bustos had a household income of $400,000 a year and defined herself as “middle class” so maybe Bustos and Schilling should switch parties?
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 3:54 pm:
And just a general FYI: I was never a huge proponent of term limits and was naive enough to believe that previous “experience” in office was helpful because of the knowledge acquired and relationshiips that were made. (Depends, I suppose, on to whose advantage one would want to put such experience to use–hence why I now prefer “newbies” instead of “once befores.”
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 4:00 pm:
=Bustos had a household income of $400,000 a year and defined herself as “middle class” so maybe Bustos and Schilling should switch parties?=
While it’s often debated, many seem to feel that “middle class” covers a pretty wide range of income. I think people are becoming more sensitive to HOW politicians (and their ‘inner circles’) are making that money, regardless of the amount.
- ethicslover - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 5:04 pm:
I don’t know how Bobby Schilling will have any credibility this time around simply because he lied so many times in the commercials that he put out during the last election cycle.
plus the fact that he did nothing for creating jobs in Illinois.I also don’t believe that he brought any legislation to the floor of Congress.
Boost does has done more in 6 months then her predecessor did in his first term.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 5:10 pm:
- ethicslover -,
So, what lies, got examples?
Also, Bustos, has done more… examples?
- ethicslover - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 5:48 pm:
You obviously didn’t follow the campaign. Road to
Bustos Blvd., electronic sign in East Moline, endorsement by Quinn, that she was a millionaire and belonged to a country club.
The fact he voted one way in D.C. and came home and talked a completely different story.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 5:49 pm:
Too bad shore doesn’t seem to be around today. It’d be interesting to hear his perspective on what impact the R candidates’ extremely close alignment with Mr. Kirk might have on their fundraising and overall popularity with voters–in what seem to be two very different districts.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 6:01 pm:
Nah, I just hate generalities, if you have examples, it strengthens your case. I have been know to follow a campaign or two, but wondered what your generalities had behind them…
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 6:03 pm:
By the way, the last 6 months did more… got any of those examples?
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 6:26 pm:
–“The middle class is getting crushed by rising prices, stagnant wages and a government that has forgotten about them,” said Schilling. “Not only are our groceries and gas prices going up, but our health care premiums in Illinois are estimated to rise at least 61% because of Obamacare.”
Inflation in May was an at annual rate of 1.36%
Inflation for 2012 was 2.07%
Obamacare has not gone into effect.
Stagnant wages and unemployment are big problems. Perhaps Schilling will push for an increase in the minimum wage.
Or get rid of the ludicrous spending cuts and tax increases that were imposed in January. In today’s WSJ, Alan Blinder, former vice chair of the Federal Reserve, estimates they are taking 2 points off GDP growth this year.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323899704578587693913756014.html