41 Comments - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 6:30 am: The exodus of HGOP continues. A bit shocking hearing of Rep. Halbrook’s departure, but I wish him well. One of Leader-Elect Durkin’s biggest challenges (which challenges aren’t big for the HGOP, but I digress…) will be cobbling a Caucus together with quite a few Open-Safe seats to recruit for, or manage a Sheriff Cox campaign and how this going to shape the HGOP Caucus in its identity. Being the HGOP Leader is difficult, if you take on the challengers head-on and understand the sum of its parts makes the Caucus whole, so every seat, no matter if it seems safe or not, is just as important as a Tier 1 seat. No new member and the membership in the Caucus is something to take lightly. I have faith so far that Leader-Elect Durkin will keep in mind how he wants this new Caucus to evolve, grow, and move toward a diversity that is desperately needed with all these seats needing recruits. Petitions begin, and so does this new beginning, lets hope while we wish Rep. Halbrook well, all of the recruited candidates will do their best, giving My Party opportunities that past recruiting failed. We will all see how this recruiting process ends. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 7:29 am: Also, Can someone riddle me why Breen has decided to Primary Rep. Phios? What new ideas does Breen think he will bring to the job? Very curious to the thought process and the case Breen is trying to make. - too obvious - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 8:31 am: Would the last person fleeing the house gop caucus please turn out the lights. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 8:44 am: Somehow, I didn’t make the connection between Easter Island and the Capitol renovation. Thanks for clearing that up, Mr. Wozniak. But don’t be so wish-washy. On the one hand, you liken the renovation to the collapse of civilization. On the other hand, you say “the Capitol Building is a beautiful and historic building that needs preserving….” Pick a lane, dude. - LincolnLounger - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 8:55 am: Halbrook was a terrible choice from the beginning. Darrell Cox was going to beat him like a drum — hence the sudden urge to spend “more time with family.” He was a backbencher who moved to Charleston, had no base, and was originally from the wrong part of the district. The chairmen and HGOP apparently were all asleep at the switch, and Adam A. sponsored Halbrook. Very simple about Peter Breen, Willy. Pihos doesn’t pass the ideological purity test to the IFI and IR crowds — hence they’ve gone out to recruit far right candidates to primary Pihos, Sandack, et al. As they told us in Motown, “It’s the Same Old Song.” - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 9:01 am: How exciting! I guessed Breen loves some Blood Oath and Litmus Test. Fun! Mayor Breen is going to try to make sure the Reagan Rule of 80% is just lip service. If it is indeed about Purity and Litmus, Breen is a bigger Dope than what I guessed. - Revisionism - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 9:51 am: Lincoln- HGOP didn’t recruit Halbrook, they were stuck with him once Eddy dropped out of the race last cycle. As for Breen. Why is he running? Because it’s a nice GOP seat and the incumbent only has $10k on hand. makes it easy. If she had $75k on hand, i doubt he runs. - A guy... - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 9:51 am: OW, I wouldn’t make that assumption about Breen. He comes across as a very thoughtful, smart guy who articulates well. I live in a nearby district and wish we had a candidate like him in the race. In the redistricting, I was redrawn out of Pihos former district. She’s likable, but has no real legislative accomplishment to show for a decade in the house. Breen is impressive to people in that area and has distinguished himself as a very shrewd fiscal guy who examines things closely. To say he’s doing some organization’s bidding is pretty far off. A lot of people like him. - A guy... - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 9:58 am: LL, She was my rep for 8 years. What people think about Sandra Pihos is that there is no “there” there. Most of the district didn’t even know she represented them. When you see a caucus go down to 47, it’s because of a lack of dynamics and communication in a party that can’t articulate it’s position or won’t defend it in terms that sound reasonable. As a GOPer, I wouldn’t mind seeing every last one of our members with more than 10 years in the GA face a primary. Don’t forget they’re the ones who got us to Super Minority Status and they’re just foolish enough to think it can’t get worse. Every coach will tell you that to win you need the horses. We need a lot more horses. Even more than the Cubs. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 10:06 am: I think Breen who is with the Thomas More Society is representing IllinoisReview.com Pro Bono in 1st Amendment litigation. Hmm. Interesting. Further, Breen is speaking at the Chicago Tribune’s Forum on SSM. Must be advocating for SSM, I mean Phios has not come out for it, so if Breen is going to be a “fresh face” Breen must be FOR it, right??? Or is Breen not liking that Phios is just not “pure” enough… Yikes! - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 10:08 am: Well, we should “fire” them all, have counties vote, term limits, and a Litmus Test and Purity Check to boot! - wordslinger - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 10:08 am: –I was redrawn out of Pihos former district. She’s likable, but has no real legislative accomplishment to show for a decade in the house.– – –Representative Pihos was given the Philip J. Rock Center and School Meritorious Service Award, the Illinois Coalition of Community Blood Centers Representative of the Year Award and has been recognized as Woman of the Year by The United Hellenic Voters. She has also been given the Legislator of the Year Award, by several organizations including the Illinois Optometric Association, the Illinois School Counselor Association, the Illinois Association of School Administrators, the DuPage Housing Action Coalition, the Housing Action Illinois Golden Trowel Award, the Ray Graham Association, the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association, the Illinois Association of School Social Workers, and the Northeastern DuPage Special Recreation Association. She has received the Guardian of Small Business Award, the Partners in Quality Award for her dedication to the advancement of quality in older adult services, the DuPage Center for Independent Living Spirit of ADA award, the Illinois Farm Bureau Activator award, the American Cancer Society Regional Advocacy Partner Award and the Illinois Environmental Council Award. – Breen is challenging from the right of the Thomas More Society. They’re not really into the fiscal issues too much, but social issues of abortion, school vouchers and gay marriage. It is what it is. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 10:23 am: –What people think about Sandra Pihos is that there is no “there” there. Most of the district didn’t even know she represented them.– Dude, you have a tendency to express your opinion as that of “the people.” You speak for no one but yourself, just like everyone else. - DuPage Rep - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 10:43 am: Good question and analysis Willy. Peter Breen is cut from the same cloth as Jeanne Ives in the neighboring 42nd District. Both backed by Proft. Jeanne Ives has decided to back Breen with all of her “tea party” types. It also seems Sen. Connelly is under the influence of Ives, and refuses to back a Republican incumbent. Rumors, and I mean rumors is that Connelly is scared of Jeanne beacause she does what ever she wants and listens to no one. - LincolnLounger - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 11:01 am: Not making any assumptions about Breen or anybody else. I know for a fact that he was recruited by the Handmaidens of Hatred at IFI/IR. Perhaps he is likeable and “thoughtful” and was a wonderful local official. I’ve read his writing on IR, and it’s on the money that he is part of the hard right wing. - A guy... - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 11:02 am: W Slinger, I am one of the people who “was” represented by this rep up until the last cycle. I’m sharing with you what was a prevailing thought amongst a lot of people I speak with. Willie, I’ll wait to see how this shapes out, but I don’t get a sense that he’s pounding purity there. I guess you don’t care for some of the entities that like him, but there are real differences between the two of them that I think you’d be very supportive of. The guy has a Roskam/Hyde kind of approach. He’s not nasty. He’s well spoken. I think that Reagan 80% rule might well apply. My litmus test, if we all have to have one, is that they should be smart, driven and be able to communicate well. I generally agree with most (more than 80%) of what you post OW, but I’m convinced our party is in the sinking super minority because most of our caucus have been “punch in and punch out” members who don’t carry the load their colleagues on the other side do. SSM is a tough one for me. I’m still thinking about it. It should be a tough one for everyone, no matter how they come out on it. Changing the definition of an institution that goes back centuries should be done with care. I think we’ll see it some day in the not too distant future, but it’s worth a thoughtful debate. And Word Slinger, we have to get closer before you call me “dude”. It’s possible, but premature. lol - East Central Illinois - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 11:03 am: Halbrook never has lived in the district that he now represents. He only had ‘an office’ in Charleston. Glad to see him stepping aside. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 11:05 am: –I’m sharing with you what was a prevailing thought amongst a lot of people I speak with.– Yet she has been elected, time and again. Perhaps you haven’t talked to all “the people.” - A guy... - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 11:18 am: She had virtually no contest in the old district since the first race WS. Only lately has the other party begun to challenge many of these seats. And they’re winning. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 11:25 am: –Only lately has the other party begun to challenge many of these seats. And they’re winning.– So the response to Dems winning in the suburbs is for far-right GOP candidates to primary current GOP officeholders? That’s the path out of super-minority status? I’d give it another think. - A guy... - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 11:47 am: OW, C’mon, I’m not saying “fire them all” or any of the County voting stuff. Let’s work toward a solution to the current morass. This notion that running a primary against any incumbent is a lot of the reason we are where we are. One of our best got beat (Saviano) because there was sufficient $ to go after him in a noncompetitive state. Let’s agree this all needs fixing and look at all the ways to do it. - A guy... - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 11:49 am: Wordslinger, I’m more conservative than you. I’m not a right winger as you describe them, but I’m definitely a conservative. We may not be able to reach full agreement. dude. Now we’re close enough. lol - Just Me - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 11:59 am: Re: Breen/Pihos — thank you Mike Madigan for your gerrymandered districts where it is designed that there are only a handful of Republican seats, and that the real race for them is the primary hence the ultimate winner is more conservative, and then you have the audacity to tell the liberal interests they have to go find some Republican votes. Genius. Pure genius. - Skeeter - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 12:13 pm: Let’s be honest, “a guy.” We’ve read your comments over the past few months. From your comments here, you seem pretty far to the right. In any case, the question is whether the race is about ego (i.e “only I can serve this district”) or about policy. If the GOP is going to the right based on policy, they are going to become even more irrelevant. Far right challengers make the party seem far right wing. It is bad for the overall product. One last note on this — the IR crowd is advising the Chicago Republicans. I can’t imagine why they would seek the advice of anybody from IR. IR is bad at winning elections. The GOP needs to wake up. - A guy... - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 12:40 pm: Thanks for the book report Skeeter. I’m not a frequenter of the IR site, so I’m not sure what they’re discussing there. I’m guilty of being a Conservative Republican. Right of Pihos, Left of Ives. Self admittedly struggling with SSM, and did support Civil Unions. Pretty sure the far right wouldn’t have me. But thanks for your judgment. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 1:13 pm: One thing is for sure, every dollar that Durkin raises that has to be spent on Dopes like Breen who feel the need to take on incumbents because the HGOP Mushroom is “not conservative enough”, “not representing ‘the district’ as others see it”, or even worse, “really isn’t what others can call a Republican”, is exactly what the Reagan Rule is trying to avoid! Cripes, why are the Breens of My Party making it more difficult to get to 60? Do they not understand it cost $2 for every one dollar spent to defeat someone going after a sitting HGOP Mushroom; One Dollar to defeat the Dope, and One Dollar to get back to where the Fund was before the HGOP Campaign had to spend One Dollar! Thomas More Lawyer Breen is exactly what the ILGOP does NOT need in the Primary season. It is a huge waste of resources. What is the “good” reason to take on Phios? What? Did she vote for MJM for Speaker? How about those SSM folks that can’t have someone vote for SSM, did Phios come out for SSM? What, pray tell, makes Breen think Phios is not living up to her end of the bargain? Look at DuPage, right now. You have Jeanne Ives…and Democrats is seats there. Before, you had a bastion of many types of Republicans, and no Dems in the GA. Now, you have extreme “confederate uniform” acknowledging Rep. Ives, and Dems, who took out the likes of a Skip Saviano. If you are not helping, you are hurting, and Breen, the Thomas More Lawyer, is hurting. If Durkin’s Crew has to spend $100K to defeat and hold a seat for a Caucus Member, so Breen can run and beat up Phios, then what are we doing as a Party? It’s true, I say, run them all. Breen, godspeed, go for it. Understand, though, you are hampering the HGOP, you are shrinking the idea of a diverse Caucus, by running “right” of Phios, making it clear, that Phios doesn’t pass a Blood Oath or Litmus Test far enough Right for you. That is why this Breen campaign is Folly, and this Folly, is going to cost my Party $$$, becuase Phios, well, she ain’t Republican enough. It’s like the HGOP takes two steps forward, and one step towards Blood Oaths and Litmus Tests at the cost … or monies better spent on targeted races in the Fall, not Dopey “not Republican enough” intra-party squabbles that marginalize us all even more…and the Breens of this cycle … will never understand. Embarrassing that Party Poilitics of understanding how to count noses is lost on those who judge what the nose may smell. It stinks, no matter how they try to serve it. - DanL60 - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 1:35 pm: Breen might be running to run twice, this time to get his name and views out beyond Lombard, the next time for an office he has a chance for because, say what you will, Pihos doesn’t generate negative publicity and will probably hold serve. I just missed having Ives as my rep. She would be much preferred than Sandack, who appears to be (to use a sports analogy) the latest cancer in the ILGOP locker room. He left the Reagan Rule behind long ago. OW with all respect you are either massively or intentionally uninformed on DuPage. You freak out like Chris Robling lately. Calm down. - Bill White - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 1:35 pm: Has the IL GOP identified any Democratic seats in the IL House or IL Senate they intend to target? Just curious . . . - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 1:39 pm: ===…you are either massively or intentionally uninformed on DuPage.=== Enlighten me. What am I misinformed about? Is Jeanne Ives from DuPage? Are there members of the General Assembly based in DuPage…and those now, when was the last Dem based DuPage General Assembly member… ah, after the Cutback Amendment? Before you put me in with the likes of Chris Robling, you have to do better than the sentence above to do it. - JoeD - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 1:41 pm: Why shouldn’t Breen challenge Pihos? She’s an unimpressive rep in a rather safe Republican seat. She is likely to the left of the likely Republican primary voters, which makes it tricky for her. I think one of the reasons she is attracting a challenge is that she is far too close to the IEA for a district like that. - Skeeter - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 1:47 pm: Anybody who believes that Ron Sandack is a cancer on the GOP desires a party that will soon be irrelevant. If Ron ran for Gov. and got the nomination, there is no way that the Democrats could stop him. Ron has an appeal to fiscally conservative Republicans, socially moderate suburbanites, and even to a lot of Chicago Democrats who are fed up with the current state of the state. Ron is not, and never will be, part of the “no abortion ever” crowd. However, those voters need to decide if they would prefer somebody like Sandack, or somebody like Quinn. Of course if not for Bill Brady’s “no abortion ever” stance, he likely would be governor. If you want Quinn to serve another term and for Speaker Madigan to maintain his massive majority, go around calling Ron a cancer. If you want changing, start supporting people like Ron. - A guy... - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 2:00 pm: OW, you surprise me. Since Wordslinger posted Pihos accomplishments (not a single one legislative- all awards from lobbyists or groups that rely on funding from the State), I went to Breen’s website. EE degree from Vanderbilt in 3 years, Law school scholarship at Notre Dame, Patent attorney and then joined Thomas More Soc. Not someone I would call a dope (or someone I thought you would call a dope). Serving in Municipal Gov. Got rid of Red Light cameras there, balanced the budget and saved enough to ditch a vehicle sticker tax. Carried transparency vote to rank highest in the state. These are pretty impressive Republican credentials. The guy has a resume of good government initiatives. While he wouldn’t be a dream guy for Two Putt, I think he’d work with him. The 48th is a more conservative district than the old 42nd where I live in where she used to serve. With due respect to both of them, he’s not a dope. Dare I say my posting friend, It’s dopey to say so. - A guy... - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 2:03 pm: Skeeter has a point, which is a noble admission from me. Sandack’s a very decent guy. Not a cancer. That kind of talk is awful. From my view, he’s reasonably reflective of the district he serves. He’s also another former municipal guy who never enjoyed any liberty when it came to balancing a budget. They have to. - LincolnLounger - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 2:04 pm: “…Left of Ives” That’s pretty much everybody. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 2:18 pm: - A guy … - With Respect, When it comes down to it…. Every single dollar Durkin is going to spend to defend a Caucus Member who just recently voted for Durkin for Leader, is TWO dollars needed that were not needed before to defeat Dems in the Targeted Seats … while wasting Real Cash on a Dopey run, which is not helping the HGOP in the long run. It has nothing to do with resume, class rank, who lookes better in golf shirts … it has everything to do … with understanding that the New HGOP Leader should not have to defend the 47 seats he has now in the Primary, unless there is a very good reason, and I am not seeing an issue that Phios is failing the Reagan Rule of 80%… Now, Thomas More Lawyer Breen might feel Phios is not “conservative” enough, so, take a run at her. Godspeed, Breen, run if you must. Just remember, if the goal is to make the seat more Slytherin for Breen’s liking, while causing Durkin to waste …waste … money to save Phios … he ain’t helping, Breen is hurting. Lastly, Phios seems to know how to win. Phios has been re-elected a few times, so I have seen. If Durkin wants to send a message to all these Primary Challengers, and get good staff in there to help Phios and take Breen down, and spend what it takes to save Phios, it might cost a boat load of money, but the return might be worth it, if it makes Slytherin House Republicans think, especially if someone might have to go into their own wallets to compete. This is 1 minus 1 equaling ONE. This is not 71 minus one equaling 70… Food for thought… - train111 - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 2:18 pm: Let’s see in 2012 in District 48 Obama got 25,995 votes and Romney got 26,103–so yes it’s Republican, but I would definitely challenge the idea that it is Bill Mitchell and Adam Brown district type Republican like some would have us believe - train111 - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 2:23 pm: Also–Sandack’s District Obama 26,603 Romney 25,710, so it also is hardly extreme right wing territory. In fact Pihos and Sandack seem to be good fits for their districts. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 2:28 pm: - train111 - That … is the key. The HGOP needs 60 seats, and 60 HGOP members who reflect their districts enough that can and DO win, while living and encompassing the Reagan Rule of 80%, the the HGOP Caucus can try to move an agenda forward, while reflecting the voters who got them to 60 seats, AND have the Reagan Rule be the governing of the agenda … Can’t be done? Nope, impossible, can’t be done, where to begin??? The 1996 House Democrats … and the South Suburbs …and the GOP Map… and Madigan as Speaker again … - Bill White - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 2:33 pm: Again, which IL House or IL Senate seats held by Democrats are being realistically targeted by the GOP in 2014? Can anyone name one? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 2:39 pm: ===Again, which IL House or IL Senate seats held by Democrats are being realistically targeted by the GOP in 2014? Can anyone name one?=== Send to: Leader-Elect Durkin’s Political Director Springfield/Chicago/Western Springs Illinois If Leader-Elect asks me, and I am part of the discussion, I will let you know. Since the possibility of Durkin’s Crew including me is so far removed from reality, I will let THEM show… and tell … by words and actions… what they define a Tier One Targeted Seat. It’s their Show, so let them run it. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 10, 13 @ 8:31 pm: From the IllinoisReview.com as to explain away Litmus Tests and Blood Oaths and its ok to have Slytherin House Republicans run to the Right to ensure Purity … Again, from IllinoisReview.com… “Conservatives have told Illinois Review they are determined to uphold the planks of the ILGOP platform and force the party to hold to its principles. And they’re not moved by incumbents’ arguments that primaries waste money and create divisions.” Here is the KEY … ===to uphold the planks of the ILGOP platform and force the party to hold to its principles.=== Let’s be very clear, “force” is the word used, not the word to describe. There is your Blood Oath. There is your Litmus Test. Further, ===And they’re not moved by incumbents’ arguments that primaries waste money and create divisions.=== It is the goal, that even if it waste $2 to every $1 wasted on Purity, and Blood Oaths and Litmus Tests, how can Conservates who “must” have it this way, bees seen as a “willing partner to the Reagan Rule?” They can’t. To this very specific attempt to explain away Purity and Blood Oaths and Litmus Tests; Thinking this is helping, is just making intolerance to a “Big Tent” seem like Lip Service, and the shrinking, and that is what Primaries based on Litmus Tests and Blood Oaths do, the shrinking of My Party is more than ok to those who subscribe to that thinking of how a Political Party works. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.