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Inside Dope has a good piece on a recent candidates’ forum for people who are interested in replacing retiring Congressman Lane Evans. The following is from a news story clipped by the ID:
Boland stressed his name recognition, honed by winning six elections in western Illinois, two of which were in hotly contested, targeted races. He also discussed his legislative record, which he said showed his support of labor, veterans and the environment. […]Hare — bolstered by a number of applauding supporters including Rock Island County State’s Attorney Jeff Terronez and state Sen. Mike Jacobs, East Moline — said the endorsement he received from Evans is evidence he is the right person to carry on the congressman’s policies. […]
Schwiebert said he wants to take his experience building consensus across party lines and accomplishing economic development on a local city level to the state and national level. He also warned that simply picking any Democrat is no guarantee of November victory. […]
Sullivan said despite the fact few in Rock Island County know who he is, he has the best track record of taking on and beating Republicans. As a rookie senatorial candidate in 2002, he took down a 21-year incumbent Republican primarily by knocking on “thousands and thousands and thousands†of doors and getting help from his large family.
Read it all.
But, while you’re here, what have you heard lately?
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 6:09 am
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It certainly appears to be Sullivan’s to win…Hare, Boland and Schweibert will split the RI County (and surrounding counties) vote while Sullivan should be able to secure Adams, McDonough, Hancock, Henderson, Fulton and other south-17th Counties with a ‘representation outside of RICO’ perspective.
Comment by Observer-2-all Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 6:45 am
go sullivan. republicans take back a senate seat.
Comment by ron Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 7:55 am
The GOP candidate can beat any of the above names *except* Sen Sullivan. Please pick one of the others!
Comment by AdamsGuy Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 8:00 am
How can Zinga beat anyone when she offended every Independent and Reagan-Democrat out there in 2004? (Not to mention many Republicans!) In the 17th, you had better pick up a lot of swing voters to have a chance - she showed us what the base can do in 2004 - a 22% loss.
Comment by Observer-2-all Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 8:10 am
Three candidates from RI county will split the votes for the county and put all the cards in the hands of Macoupin County and other downstate counties.
Comment by anonymous Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 9:10 am
Ok, it looks like its either Hare or Sullivan. Does Sullivan support a women’s right to choose and is he in favor of recognition of same sex marriages. Not meant to stir things up, just a straight forward question.
Comment by anon Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 11:30 am
Here’s my attempt to answer you anon 11:50: Sullivan supports saving the lives of babies and does not intend to impose the government into the bedrooms of consensual adults. Does that help?
Actually, I’d have to verify his positions by asking him or checking his record, I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to highlight the framing of your question!
Here’s the bottom line: With Hare as the nominee, Andrea Zinga has an outside chance of victory in November. With Sullivan as the nominee, Andrea Zinga should go home and run for park district.
If you think that Sullivan’s social stances on a couple pet issues will hurt him, you are wrong. He’s got the D by his name and the district was drawn to elect a D.
The only reason she’d have a chance against Hare is because she’s got name recognition, and his personality on the stump will hurt him. He’s got a very poor disposition as a candidate — however, not too bad of one for a behind the scenes operative…
Comment by anon Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 11:48 am
anon back - thank for the information, again, not tring to start things, but far too often democrats get whipsawed both ways on this one, and I just want people up front to know and be ready to reasonably respond. I appreciate your input
Comment by anon Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 11:55 am
It appears that this has come down to Hare and Sullivan. Hare is working the entire district very hard and from what I understand getting a good response. Whether right or wrong, Sullivan is taking a hit for living outside of the district and his more conservative views are not sitting well with many party activists who are the committeemen. It should be interesting to see what happens going forward.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 1:48 pm
Is candidate Phil Hare conducting his campaign out of the office of Congressman Evans or has he taken a leave of absence? If he is not on leave then he is putting his boss in a very compromising position making his telephone contacts from the Congressman’s office and staying on the payroll as he travels the district campaigning.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 2:07 pm
that’s a great point anon 2:07.
You’ll recall that in the initial news story about Evans announcing his retirement, Hare said he thought “we were flying out to DC to discuss campaign strategies,” when in actuality “we learned this shocking news that Lane’s stepping down.” Here’s the link, see the very first paragraph:
http://www.qctimes.net/articles/2006/03/29/news/local/doc442a27b4d6bac700567812.txt
It would be interesting to find out if Hare had made that flight on the government dime? After all, he admits that his intent for going was to work on campaign issues.
Phil, if you’re reading this, make sure and alter the books to reflect that the Evans campaign picked up the tab on that flight you took on March 27th. My guess is that you would know how to do that.
Comment by anon Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 3:16 pm
This is from this week’s Illinois Times:
UNDETERRED
A couple weeks ago, Springfield Ward 2 Ald. Frank McNeil said that he was considering running for the 17th District congressional seat — soon to be vacated by 12-term U.S. Rep. Lane Evans, who is battling Parkinson’s disease. Since then, Evans — who is well liked both in the Land of Lincoln and on Capitol Hill — has tapped Phil Hare, a longtime aide, as his preferred successor.
Yet, McNeil says, he’s still thinking about going for it. Running for Congress, he says, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — and he’s not discouraged by Evans’ endorsement of Hare. “If you don’t seek it, you may never find it,†McNeil says.
I haven’t seen his name mentioned anywhere else including the SJ-R.
Comment by SangamoGOP Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 3:42 pm
Three words: Teddy! Teddy! Teddy!
We want Teddy Brunsvold to lead us! He’s a UNITER! Not a divider!
Comment by Brian Hines Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 3:45 pm
For the benefit of the reader, please attempt to make the comedy funny. Thanks.
Comment by skippy Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 4:23 pm
Is it truly down to Hare and Sullivan, or is there anyone else out there that we can rally behind? Who can unite north and south. Who is acceptable to liberals, moderates and conservatives. Who can get the support of the National Democratic Party. Who can marshall the support of the State Democratic Party and raise money. And who eneergize by his personal presence and appearance. Please don’t answer with one of those running, I have another name in mind, but he says he is out.
Comment by anon Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 4:49 pm
Answer for Anon-Joel Brunsvold
Comment by aidanquinn Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 5:20 pm
Who in the heck is Amy Stockwell?
Comment by anon Tuesday, Apr 18, 06 @ 9:23 pm
Did Phil Hare already inform his office he was taking a vacation day March 27th when he thought he was flying to Washington DC to meet with Lane Evans to discuss campaign strategies? Or do we “the taxpayers” pick up the tab for campaign work. Who paid for the air fare for the day. To book a flight a budget code for payment had to be given to the airlines prior to flying. Let’s have a little information Phil to what has been going on for years that we didn’t know about.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 8:47 am
Maybe Chris Beiderbeck, the all knowing political guru from Moline, should run!
Comment by stand by Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 9:49 am
Yes, he has a known name around the QC - Beiderbecke - he is Bix’s great nephew I believe. Plus he knows his politics!
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 12:20 pm
Regardless of how this works out, with the news of the past few days, that Lane Evan’s brothers have been put in charge of his affairs, because Lane is unable - when is he called upon to retire immediately (and where is the press on this issue)?
If a Congressman cannot tend to his own personal needs, why is he allowed to tend to the needs of the people - and how can any self-resepecting Democrat not stand up and say that this is wrong.
Between the game that he played on the system in an attempt to get Phil Hare through the process (when he knew that Hare could not stand up to a primary) and now by not retiring when he cannot even pay his own bills, is not Lane Evans cementing his own legacy as one who (apparantly)does not care about the betterment of the people?
Comment by Observer-2-all Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 2:32 pm
Anon 11:48–
Thanks for the clarification that Sullivan supports “saving the lives of babies.” I assume that means that he has some sort of post-birth health initiative that he backs. I wonder who it is that advocates not protecting the lives of babies–babies being humans who have been born, of course.
Comment by Da Professor Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 8:46 pm
It appears as though the whole thing comes down to - will Boland/ Schweibert take enough votes from Hare to open the door for Sullivan (and will this Rob Mellon take votes away from Sullivan (or is Mellon anything outside of his own mind))?
An interesting effort. In the end, this whole process likely helps the Dem’s as they had little to get excited about in Lane Evans - and now their effort is front-page news at a time when no one really cares about Congressional politics. Everyone is smart enough to get together ‘for the cause’ after the fact - they certainly are not going to fragment over this and allow Zinga to back-door her way into the seat (let’s not get crazy here!).
Comment by Observer-2-all Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 7:47 am
Too bad Porter McNeil took his name out of running. He’s a uniter. He’s worked in Decatur (for former Rep. Julie Curry), lived in Springfield (more than 10 years wkg for UI-S, Speaker Madigan) and now lives back home in the Quad Cities. What a great candidate he would be!
Comment by anonymous Thursday, Apr 20, 06 @ 6:06 pm