* Daily Herald…
A new conservative group will meet Saturday in Lake County to talk to potential primary challengers to Republican state Rep. Ed Sullivan of Mundelein, one of three Illinois Republicans who have pledged to vote for same-sex marriage.
The meeting is being arranged by Illinois Families First, a Chicago-based political action committee led by conservative Paul Caprio, who on Wednesday called Sullivan a “Cadillac representative of everything that is wrong with this state.”
Caprio said the group will be prepared to spend a lot of money to defeat Sullivan in a Republican primary but won’t coordinate with the potential candidate, possibly setting up a high-profile battle over same-sex marriage in the suburbs. […]
“I’m willing to lose my job over this issue,” Sullivan said Wednesday. “But it won’t be without a fight.”
Rep. Sullivan says on his Facebook page that the candidate will likely be Bob Bednar of Mundelein. Bednar won a primary last year for Lake County Recorder of Deeds, but got stomped 59-41 in the general.
If you have some time, go to Sullivan’s FB page and check out the flame war in his comments. Wow.
* In other Sullivan-related news, Caprio’s Illinois Families First has been spending cash against Rep. Sullivan. From the Twitters…
* I told subscribers about this earlier in the week…
State Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale says there’s no relation between a $12,300 donation his campaign for governor made to the conservative Family PAC and an effort by the group’s director, Paul Caprio, to find a primary election opponent for Republican state Rep. Ed Sullivan of Mundelein.
Caprio has vowed to work against Sullivan, who supports same-sex marriage.
The late-September donation from Dillard is labeled as “marriage telemarketing/grassroots” in campaign records. Dillard spokesman Wes Bleed says the money was to be used to help the campaign network with Family PAC supporters and not to work against Republican candidates.
That’s not the explanation that Caprio gave me, but whatever.
Dillard raises almost no money, yet he still finds a way to give $12,300 to Caprio’s group. Priorities, priorities.
- Reo Symes, M.D. - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 12:26 pm:
I wonder how much $$ Dillard got for his soul?
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 12:31 pm:
–“I’m willing to lose my job over this issue,” Sullivan said Wednesday. “But it won’t be without a fight.”–
That’s the spirit.
Geez, if there were only more House Democrats that had his guts.
Sounds like a good reason to pull a GOP ballot for Sullivan up north. And to stick with him in the general.
- Skeeter - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 12:34 pm:
Best part of the Zahm/Sullivan war?
Zahm, who keeps telling us about his Christian values, seeking to get in the ring and punch out those who oppose him.
Yes Jon, tell us more about those values.
- Thomas - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 12:35 pm:
I would imagine the House Dems are keeping an eye on Sullivan’s and Sandeck’s primaries. If the GOP nominates a far-right tea bagger in either district over SSM, expect the speaker to play there in the fall. The Tea Party has already cost the GOP up to 5 U.S. Senate seats with their primary litmus tests.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 12:41 pm:
If any sitting member of the HGOP is helping to defeat Rep. Sullivan, than I hope that Leader Durkin takes it upon himself as the Unaminously Elected leader of the Caucus to whistle in any member of the Caucus who thinks its fair to have a Primary against their Colleague, given there are 47 members now, and diverstiy in thos 47 is lacking.
Do not find yourself on the wrong side of a Colleague in the HGOP Primaries right now.
Sen. Dillard,
I really just don’t know what to say about your campaign. I have tried, I have pleaded, I have mocked, I have ridiculed… I have slammed, and yet here you are.
If you are not busy saying the Quinn stunt is a tactic you may use, then you are hanging out with Paul Caprio (which is fine), but saying a different story, and spending … spending money when you need to be raising money. If they are telling you that you need to spend to win, when that group can easily help raise and to spend … just saying.
Senator Dillard, you are the only responsible GOP Candidate that can say, honestly, “I chose a running mate, that if need be, can be Governor. Judge this decision as a touchstone as to how all my decisions will be, if elected governor.”
Man, it’s like 2 forward, one back with this campaign. Either “own” it, and just be everything you had despised not too long ago, and move on, or keep this, 2 backwards, one forward dance that makes it impossible to see how an ill-funded, “Right” tilting, out of character(?) run for the Nomination is something that will lead to a victory … twice.
Leave the “Caprios”, Take it to Rauner.
Your Pal,
Oswego Willy
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 12:45 pm:
To be fair, I guess you could say Dillard contributed Gidwitz’s money since he never paid him back.
- Team America - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 12:53 pm:
I would be more worried for Eddie if the gang that is gearing up to oppose him had any track record of actually moving the needle in any election. Sullivan’s family alone counts for practically half the votes in his district, so I am not taking this very seriously at this point.
- too obvious - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 12:58 pm:
Isn’t Dillard on record that he favors even repealing Illinois’ civil union law? That’s pretty extreme. Pretty much makes him unelectable in general.
- Ghost - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 12:59 pm:
GOP self destruct sequence intiated, detonation in 3…2..
- Ghost - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 1:00 pm:
never fear, the new GOP is all inclusive…of people who fit very narrow parameters….
This will definetly help that image probelm they have.
- Timmeh - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 1:13 pm:
Dear Representative Sullivan,
Please get a facebook fan page. I don’t like you enough to add you as a friend, but I do like you enough to like a fan page and look at what you post.
- Golden Eagle - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 1:24 pm:
Senator Dillard,
You are in the opinion of many the most qualified candidate to be Governor. No secret to anyone that you have executive experience with former Governors Edgar and Thompson, judicial experience as a Judge on the Illinois Court of Claims and years on the Senate. Not to mention that Jil Tracy is by far the best LG candidate.
Please do not let the far right dictate the pace of the campaign and allow yourself to be put in the position of having to react to events. Be proactive.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 1:25 pm:
I just want to be clear, if it turns out any of the Guv Candidates are um, “helping” to defeat HGOP Incumbents, especially on “social” issues of “purity”, that would reflect badly on them too.
You get a denial, but it will come out. Those types of moves always come out.
The Reagan Rule of 80% will live, or be crushed, by your choices.
- Priceless! - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 1:28 pm:
Zahm who? Really, for the few insiders that know who he is – they know that he’s inconsequential and relatively ineffective. Caprio and the extreme social conservatives should be looking spend what little resources they have in areas where they’ll get a higher rate of return. This effort is ridiculous and a waste of energy that will not help Caprio and/or his cause – whatever that may be these days. But it does put money in a consultant’s pocket. Priceless!
- Oh, please.... - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 1:45 pm:
It’s like these people are actually trying to push their party into irrelevance…really unbelievable!
- OneMan - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 1:48 pm:
Dismiss Zahm all you want, but his stuff did help Lauzen wipe the floor in the GOP primary with Burns in Kane County…
We will see what impact they have here…
- JD - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 1:48 pm:
Could that $12K+ be related to the conservative leader conference endorsement Caprio orchestrated for Dillard a month ago?
- LincolnLounger - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 2:22 pm:
While the ostriches like Caprio and Zahm continue to bury their heads in the sand (and line their pockets,) New Jersey just became the 15th state to allow same sex marriage.
- Observer - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 2:41 pm:
Timmeh,
Sullivan does have a fan page on Facebook! You can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/EdSullivanforIllinois
- walkinfool - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 2:52 pm:
Funny how all these organizations with “Family” in their names, don’t support helping young mothers feed their children, don’t support paid parental leave, don’t support pre-natal healthcare, don’t open the universe of good potential parents to children to be adopted.
They just fight those different from them.
“Illinois Families First” my rear end!
- reformer - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 2:54 pm:
Though I haven’t been a fan, I give Sullivan credit for having the political courage to do what he now believes is right, even at the cost of an arduous primary. I suspect at least of few of his GOP colleagues agree with him, but aren’t willing to take a risk to do what’s right.
- downstate commissioner - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 3:45 pm:
Rutherford looks better and better…
- Chavez-respecting Obamist - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 4:06 pm:
This is why I’ll be voting for Pat Quinn even though he’s not good at being governor. I can’t vote for anyone who thinks I’m a bigot like them.
- otoh - Friday, Oct 18, 13 @ 4:46 pm:
==If the GOP nominates a far-right tea bagger in either district over SSM==
Expect anyone running against either Sullivan or Sandack to be hit with that profane pejorative anyway.
- Jon Zahm - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 12:57 am:
And a note from Paul Caprio…The donation from Senator Dillard to Family-PAC, and the efforts to unseat Rep. Sullivan, are totally unrelated. Illinois Families First is funding the efforts to unseat Sullivan.