* House GOP Leader Tom Cross is endorsing Andy McKenna for governor…
“This election is about jobs,” Cross said in a separate telephone call on Wednesday. “It’s about the economy. Andy has demonstrated the ability to run a company and really has taken a regional company to a global company. … We need somebody that can balance a checkbook and find a way for us to prosper as a state, and he brings that.” […]
“We’re not looking in this election for somebody that’s flashy or the great orator,” Cross added. “We’ve had enough of that in our former governor (ROD BLAGOJEVICH). We need somebody that’s just down to earth, that can make things happen from a jobs and economic standpoint in this state.” […]
Cross also thinks the fact that McKenna has never held elective office and that Murphy, of Palatine, is in his first state Senate term, actually improves their chances.
“It’s hard to attack a guy like Andy or Matt,” Cross said. “What we see in a lot of elections is pulling out old votes and saying … ‘How do you explain yourself?’ They’re in a position of not really having to worry about that.”
* The AP has finally noticed that tea party candidates forum which was held a week ago…
Five of the seven Republican candidates claim rising temperatures have nothing to do with pollution from cars, factories or power plants.
“I don’t accept the premise that man is the cause of global warming, if global warming even exists,” Kirk Dillard, a state senator from Hinsdale, said at a candidate forum last week. […]
“Global warming is not created by man and anybody who says that, it’s just bad science. It’s not true,” said Bob Schillerstrom, chairman of the DuPage County Board.
Dan Proft, a Chicago-area public relations consultant, said Al Gore and other global warming activists are “kind of enviro-terrorists.”
* Kadner is unimpressed with McKenna’s TV ad….
Whenever I’m trying to relax these days, it seems that another political commercial for a candidate running for governor of Illinois appears.
There’s a Republican candidate running a spot about the “Culture of the Hair” in Illinois.
A Blagojevich-type wig appears on the top of the Capitol dome, and then governors out of the past appear with Blagojevich hair transposed on their heads. They’re all crooks is the implication.
It was sort of funny the first time I saw it. It made me chuckle, especially because the commercial is for Andy McKenna, who has been part of the political scene in Springfield for a long time.
But by the fifth time I saw the commercial, all I wanted to do was take a spritz bottle and point it at McKenna’s face.
* Related…
* Is Kirk leaning to right in Senate bid? He says ‘I am who I am’ : “I am a social moderate, fiscal conservative. But this is a big race, and we are building a broad coalition, and it will be, for a Republican candidacy, a center-right coalition,” said Kirk, a five-term North Shore congressman who is seeking a promotion to the Senate next year. “But for me, I haven’t changed my views.”
* Kirk: Palin memo not sign of shifting to the right
* Video repost: Kirk Dillard calls Obama “a socialist”
* Cook board race bubbling over
- Pat collins - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 9:39 am:
But this is a big race, and we are building a broad coalition,
Big tent.
Seriously, I suspect this has a real chance to backfire, and benefit Kirk.
What we see in a lot of elections is pulling out old votes and saying … ‘How do you explain yourself
Gosh, if you can’t explain a vote, maybe you ought not to have done it? This is exhibit one of what is so TOTALLY worng with Cross and McKenna, and that sort of thinking.
If you really don’t belive in something, DON’T vote for it.
Maybe, Mr. Cross is saying members of the assembly ought not to be little lemmings following their leaders?
Certainly I agree with that!
- CircularFiringSquad - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 9:42 am:
StateWideTom backs TugBoatAndy…that should wrap it up….too bad no one thought to ask why he gave up on jimRYAN
Let’s hope Proft’s next stand-up session picks up.
Then they can review that little difference between TugBoat’s opposition to gaming expansion and StateWide’s “Blank Check for Blagoof” initiative.
Anybody checked to see if SpeakerDenny even has an IL telephone # any more.
- Will County Woman - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 9:42 am:
i wish cross had not endorsed before the results of feb 2nd. unless cross thinks he has the ability to overtake the house in 2010, by becoming majority leader, as a (minority) party leader i think he should have stayed above the fray.
going into the primary, and definitley for the general, the republicans need to look and be strong and united to inspire confidence in voters. otherwise, the republicans just look fractured and won’t stand a chance come next november.
- I Want My GOP - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 9:44 am:
The so called “outsider” just got locked step with the Republican establishment…nice work.
- Anon - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 9:46 am:
I think the likes of Mark Kirk and the other Republican moderates in Illinois, are rightfully miffed that their moderate views have been hijacked by a faction of the party that won’t help them one bit in a general election in Illinois. They have to steer hard right in the primary season and then spend the rest of the year walking back their comments that attracted the right wingers in the primary.
- zatoichi - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 9:55 am:
Why are the Repubs even touching global warming? They are apparently tired of keeping their 20-30 years of detailed environmental analysis as PhD level researchers a secret. The pull to the far right must be pretty heavy.
- Abe Froman - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 9:56 am:
Kirk isn’t “steering hard right!” He listened to people outside his district on cap and trade and saw what impact it would have on the rest of the state that it wouldn’t have directly on his district.
Lots of people on this site complain that pols don’t listen enough. This doesn’t make Kirk Jesse Helms.
The phony DNC talking points that Kirk has changed his view on public funding of abortion is a crock. You find something in tucked in the minutae of a bill he voted for and claim it represents his position. Typical disinformation.
The Dems know they have to somehow redefine Kirk negatively because his reputation, his profile and his positions are going to beat out any of the Dem candidates. The mudslinging has started early because it’s the only hope of saving Obama’s seat.
- Gordon Shumway - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:18 am:
I think Tom made the right call. Andy maybe boring but he has business experience and can raise cash. Murphy will be a power player in the GOP for a long time into the future.
- SangamoGOP - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:24 am:
McMurphy claims to be outsiders and then gleefully accepts the endorsement of an insider. Wow. It only took three weeks.
The big winners from this endorsement are all of the lobbyists who won’t have to write checks to HRO because Cross just wrapped up his 2010 fundraising early.
- jj - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:26 am:
Yeah Andy Mckenna is definitely the outsider now….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bSwJYl8gCU
- Joe in the Know - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:26 am:
Abe, I totally disagree. Kirk’s attempt to gain credibility with the right with an embarrassing appeal to Palin is proof positive alone. How sad to think that he has to pitch his request for support from Palin in such a way as to have her believe the media will be asking “why hasn’t Palin endorsed Kirk”. As if!
I guess it’s “mudslinging” when the guy you support is on the receiving end of some “truth tellin’”.
So, this is how the dems define Kirk: A flip-flopper, with thin-skinned, that supports a women’s right to choose, then doesn’t, who supports cap and trade, then doesn’t.
I see a pattern here…..
- Springfield resident - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:39 am:
It is unfortunate that this group of Republican gubernatorial candidates has chosen to deny that global warming is caused by human activity. Just recently, 18 leading scientific organizations sent a letter to the U.S. Senate, stating that “observations around the world make it clear tht climate change is occurring, and rigorous scientific research demonstrates that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver.“ These organizations included the American Chemical Society, American Meteorological Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. Heck, even big oil companies like Shell and BP recognize that we are putting too much carbon into the atmosphere. Our country used to be known for its leadership in technological development, in scientific discovery and curing disease. The Republican Party is unfortunately becoming a bastion for anti-science cranks, charlatans and naysayers.
- Double - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:52 am:
Cross and McKenna- two GOP insiders who have been busy losing to Mike Madigan for the last four years. I suppose they will bring the same sort of electoral success that they’ve presided over for the last few years, haha.
- Downstate GOP Faithless - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:55 am:
the global warming question is always asked wrong-it should be asked have we accellerated the process or made it a terrible situation…not who caused it
- shore - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 11:01 am:
It seems like there are 3 groups for governor
moderate establishment-mckenna, dillard, schillerstrom
conservative establishment-brady,ryan,
rogue conservatives-proft-adam andrewiski
I don’t think the party wants a moderate and I don’t thing this is an establishment year where everyone is happy with the status quo.
Cross, ick, I wonder if it has anything to do with mckenna’s ties to the chicago money.
- Conservative Veteran - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 11:08 am:
Rep. Kirk isn’t socially moderate. He’s socially liberal. His latest rating from Planned Parenthood is 100%, and his latest rating from Gun Owners of America is 0%. He voted against an amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage.
- True Observer - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 12:04 pm:
“Just recently, 18 leading scientific organizations sent a letter to the U.S. Senate, stating that “observations around the world make it clear tht climate change is occurring, and rigorous scientific research demonstrates that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver.“”"
Did they also report that before man appeared, glaciers covered the midwest, including Chicago, and left the great lakes behind when they retreated?
- Downstate GOP Faithless - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 12:20 pm:
@shore: it really is crazy how people get lumped in the moderate establishment-Dillard is anything but moderate and Andy is VERY conservative. yea, shillerstrom is pretty much a moderate, but the other two are not even close…remember Dillard, in his own words, is only less conservative than chris lauzen among his senate colleagues
- MembershipOnly - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 12:33 pm:
McKenna is a conservative, by nearly any definiton of the word. But he’s one who can appeal to moderates. And that’s the key– when he says he knows business and how to create jobs, the others in field can’t touch that cause Andy’s got a history in the private sector that most of the others in the race don’t have.
- D.P. Gumby - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:08 pm:
I used to think Cross was one of the “good guys” and smart guys under the Dome. This just caps a not-very-bright performance this year. Policy and politically, don’t see what this gains anyone.
- CircularFiringSquad - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:20 pm:
Wow TugBoat Andy takes a pass on announcing the convict cook-off would be fired up when he is gov …”I take a look at the death penalty moratorium” that should trump StateWideTom’s very impassioned pledge of 1000% support.
BTW was StateWideTom on the outside when he was doing the riverboat giveaway with Blagoof or sending tightjean Jim Sacia to the Rockford presser with Blagoof flunkies?
Maybe Andy was “outside” IL when that happened
Very exciting day — yawn
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:27 pm:
Cross endorsed McKenna?
Did Cross take some kind of blow to the head?
McKenna can get the endorsement of the entire GOP, (which he kinda had as their political Custer at Little Bighorn for the past decade), and still fail to impress.
McKenna has repeatedly demonstrated an inability to lead the GOP. If Cross can’t see that, then perhaps Cross has the real problem here.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:28 pm:
As to Cross, why McKenna?
Not that it really matters, but why does he make a choice when he could easily remain neutral?
- Obamarama - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:29 pm:
===McKenna has repeatedly demonstrated an inability to lead the GOP. If Cross can’t see that, then perhaps Cross has the real problem here.===
Whoa I agree unequivocally with Vannie on this–and you know how crazy that makes me.
- just sayin' - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:32 pm:
Cross endorsing McKenna hardly comes as a surprise. Birds of a feather kind of thing, and that bird is a pigeon.
But this is good news for Republicans who needed one more reason not to vote for McKenna/Murphy.
- Southern Illinois Voter - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:41 pm:
The Cross endorsement is a major boost to the McKenna campaign as it would be to any campaign.
- shore - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:43 pm:
McKenna was state GOP chief for 4 years. During that time our area which gave rise to the heritage foundation (founded by a staffer to former rep phil crane from our neck of the woods), rumsfeld (represented the area), and charlton heston (went to new trier), became the 3rd most liberal district held by a republican in america. We’re looking at potentially our 2nd democrat congressman in the parts of 3 centuries that the district has existed. That’s a period that spans the great depression/FDR era and the beating the party took in 64.
He did nothing, and put forth a party with no crossover appeal. If we win next year it’s because of what the democrats did wrong, not what he did to right our ship.
Dillard is the moderate establishment as is Mckenna. Dillard hasn’t been running as a peter fitzgerald conservative attacking the system, he’s been running as the thompson edgar establishment. He also endorsed barack obama, who apparently he has just discovered has socialistic tendencies. Who knows what McKenna stands for. He had 4 years to tell us.
Cross to me ruined his credibility with his involvement in the U of I clout thing. No thanks to a ryan republican. I can deal with a moderate republican, I can deal with a conservative republican, after 02,06 and 08, I can’t deal with an inside republican who plays these clout games.
- Obamarama - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:48 pm:
Shore how do you call McKenna a moderate and then blame his moderate politics for a lack of crossover appeal? The logic doesn’t compute. Though I agree that your party has no crossover appeal… at all.
- Fan of the Game - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:52 pm:
The Cross endorsement is a big get for the McKenna campaign, but it doesn’t offset Andy McKenna’s horrible leadership of the ILGOP.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:54 pm:
–our area which gave rise to the heritage foundation (founded by a staffer to former rep phil crane from our neck of the woods), rumsfeld (represented the area), and charlton heston (went to new trier)–
Shore, that’s a wild post. What are you trying to say? Is McKenna the reason there hasn’t been a “Soylent Green” sequel?
Is McKenna the reason Liz Phair isn’t Beyonce (Liz went to New Trier, too)?
- True Observer - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 2:18 pm:
“Not that it really matters, but why does he make a choice when he could easily remain neutral?”
Since it wont be Andy, this is the best way to stay neutral.
- Anon - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 2:20 pm:
==Is McKenna the reason Liz Phair isn’t Beyonce (Liz went to New Trier, too)? ==
No, that’s Jay-Z’s fault. The Nortern Burbs also produced, more recently, the Cusack family, John Hughes, Hefner offspring, etc., etc. Not exactly products of conservative thought that are known to voice their opinion. That area has been slowly shifting more liberal in some ways for decades, and to blame it somehow on McKenna is absurd.
- 4 percent - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 3:00 pm:
Andy McKenna calling himself an outsider is like Kermit the Frog claiming he is not a muppet.
This is a paid political endorsement and I am surprised there was not a disclaimer at the bottom of the press release. McKenna gives money to the House GOP and gets an endorsment.
Kind of sounds like the Captains of the Titanic and Hindenberg getting together.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 5:51 pm:
Tom is one of the good guys. No one is right or wrong all the time.
- SangamoGOP - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 6:04 pm:
-Tom is one of the good guys- Good at what? While no one is right or wrong all the time, Tom has been wrong more often than not. He has lost seats during his tenure, he lost control in his home county and Foster is solidly entrenched in his CD. Tom may be a good state rep, but he is not a good state GOP leader and this endorsement won’t help McMurphy at all.