* Good news for Mark Kirk? Looks like it…
Millionaire Mortgage Banker Mike Niecestro, the west suburban conservative who talked for months about running as an independent against Republican Kirk, Democrat Alexi Giannoulias and the Green Party’s LeAlan Jones, did not file petitions for a position on the November ballot. Niecestro–who needed 25,000 signatures of registered voters–told me that his petition drive fell way short of its goal because a “certain republican politician” did not make good on his promise to get 45,000 signatures. In fact, according to Niecestro, the politician known as a “flake” in GOP circles, delivered a goose egg.
Retired U.S. Marine Randy Stufflebeam of downstate Belleville did file for the U.S. Senate as part of the Constitution Party slate. But the ultra conservative Stufflebeam, a Tea Party favorite, told me the Constitutions filed only 34,000 signatures. The conventional wisdom among election lawyers and politicians is that you need at least twice the required number to come up with 25,000 valid names.
So self-described moderate Kirk is likely not to have conservatives on the ballot to take away right wing republican votes.
Who the heck was Niecestro relying on and why would he rely on a “flake” to get his signatures? Weird, that.
But there is this…
Also filing Monday was a full statewide slate of candidates for the Libertarian Party.
More…
Asked then his view of the federal Civil Rights Act, the legality of which has been questioned by Paul’s son, Kentucky GOP U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul, [Lex Green of Bloomington, Libertarian candidate for governor] pulled out a copy of the Constitution and said the document provides “no justification” for the law.
“The Libertarian Party stands for civil rights,” Green said. “We are the party of civil rights. But there is no permission given in the Constitution to pass civil rights law.”
Asked if that means a local business would be able to deny service to black customers, Green said, “I guess I would have to say yes.”
* Still, the Democrats are the ones with problems on their hands. Nobody reported it, but former East St. Louis Mayor Carl Officer filed to run for US Senate, as I told subscribers several days ago. Also, Dock Walls filed for governor. Both men are African-American. And then there’s Scott-Lee Cohen…
“I am extremely confident that a majority of the people of Illinois have forgiven some of my behaviors,” he said.
We’ll see about that, dude.
Cohen hangs out with interesting folks…
Cohen spokesman John Davis acknowledged that the campaign paid petition circulators $1.50 a signature and that the ballot drive was coordinated by former Gangster Disciples leader Wallace “Gator” Bradley.
More on his petition passers…
Cohen paid people to help gather the immense number of signatures in just five weeks and addressed reports that some of his helpers were drug users and homeless.
“They have just as much right to earn an honest living as anyone else,” Cohen said.
And this is a strange admission…
Davis acknowledged that some of the petition circulators have not been paid, and said Cohen planned to deposit money in his campaign immediately after finishing the task of filing in Springfield, and he promised that unpaid workers would received what they’re owed over the next two or three days.
* Gov. Quinn wouldn’t say what he was planning to do about Cohen and the others…
Gov. Pat Quinn wouldn’t say whether he plans to challenge Cohen’s petitions.
“I’m more anxious in having a contest of ideas at the ballot box than having any kind of outside battle,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
But his spokesperson was more straightforward…
“As we have said all along, we will be doing our due diligence,” said Mica Matsoff, spokeswoman for Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign. “You have to meet certain requirements to get on the ballot, and it’s important to voters that those requirements are met.”
* Related…
* ADDED: What was unexpected, however, at least to this observer, was that petitions would also be filed by attorney Roger Zamparo, seeking to challenge Ann Finley Collins, the Democratic nominee for the Riley vacancy in Cook County’s 11th Judicial Subcircuit, and by attorney Keith Thiel, challenging Judge Daniel A. Pierce, the Democratic nominee for the “A” vacancy in the 14th Judicial Subcircuit.
* Claypool, Cohen ready for change as filing deadline passes today
* Claypool files paperwork to get in Cook County assessor race
* Claypool to file for independent run as Cook Co. assessor
* ‘Regular Joe’ jumps into 14th Dist. race
* New candidate steps forward in Livingston Co. sheriff race
- P. - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 10:55 am:
Re: Kirk challenger/flaking on the sigs … I’m channeling my inner Republican and picking up a vibe emanating from the greater Carpentersville area.
- shore - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 10:59 am:
I am generally a big fan of charles thomas and think he’s a very very good journalist but the snide remark “self described moderate mark kirk”. Perhaps mr.thomas is irritated at the congressman or something, but it’s pretty much a fact that kirk is a moderate.
- unspun - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:00 am:
A “former” Gangster Disciple (GD)is about as rare as the Do-Do Bird. Gangs like GD don’t let members retire, especially prominent leaders. Nice move, Cohen. Enlist and pay gangbangers to solicit signatures….Hell, maybe they can push their illicit drugs and traffic guns while they petition….kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Good lord.
- cassandra - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:00 am:
I simply cannot fathom why Claypool is running against Berrios, who, despite obvious flaws, is Mr. Democrat in Cook County. Is there something else to this. Everybody expect that anti-incumbents will pick up support in November, here and across the country, But this is Cook County. Look at how much effort it took to get Preckwinkle elected against the much-maligned Stroger. Berrios has issues but not the kind Stroger had.
- enn - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:04 am:
It’s a little odd that they don’t mention that, in addition to being a Gangster Disciple, Bradley ran against Dorothy Tillman for alderman in the 90s (credibly enough to take it to a runoff).
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:10 am:
- but it’s pretty much a fact that kirk is a moderate. -
Shore, there is no such thing as “pretty much a fact”. Its a fact that Kirk describes himself as a moderate, which makes it a fact that he’s a self described moderate. A moderate isn’t something concrete that can be applied like a scientific name. So stop crying your eyes out for your hero every time you think someone is being mean to him. I mean, he is a self described combat veteran, he can take it…
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:10 am:
===Look at how much effort it took to get Preckwinkle elected against the much-maligned Stroger. ===
Not much, actually. She scored 50 percent.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:12 am:
shore, after all of the embellishments, that’s the treatment your guy is gonna get for a while.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:17 am:
While the 25,000 signature requirement seems onerous, it certainly acts as a good means test for serious candidates. In a bad economy, I would assume Niecestro would haev paid people to collect signatures in the suburbs. Sure, it’s not steady work, but paying people to pass petitions allows someone wanting ballot access to (hopefully) ensure he or she can collect the 25,000 John Hancocks. Relying on someone who merely “promises” to collect that many VALID signatures shows Niecestro isn’t a serious player.
- Joe - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:17 am:
Does a moderate vote 88.7% of the time with the GOP? Does a moderate vote against equal pay for women? Does a moderate vote against health care for children? Does a moderate vote for Cap & Trade, then try to appease his base by saying he’s vote against it now if he had the chance?
Just asking.
- Carl Nyberg - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:19 am:
Niecestro got double-crossed by a GOP operative/politician when trying to get on the ballot against the GOP nominee?
I feel sorry for him, a little, but…
1. He put his eggs in one basked. Bad judgment.
2. He didn’t foresee the GOP pols and operatives might have a motive to sabotage his campaign. Bad judgment again.
Lesson for Niecestro: the blood of GOP politics is thicker than the blood of the conservative movement.
- Lefty Lefty - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:20 am:
Can we speculate on who the “flake” is? I know of one who represents my district….
- Conservative Veteran - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:20 am:
Mike Niecestro endorsed Randy Stufflebeam.
Cassandra, you said, “Look at how much effort it took to get Preckwinkle elected against the much-maligned Stroger.” Preckwinkle wasn’t elected. She was nominated. She’ll only be elected, if she wins the general election.
- Carl Nyberg - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:22 am:
BTW, I wrote a blog entry on why any of Carl Officer’s nominating petitions circulated by David Bond are suspect.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:23 am:
Berrios is not “Mr. Democrat” he’s the head of the Democratic
Party in Cook County. Stroger is incompetent. Berrios
is part of a well tooled machine that benefits the insiders
in HUGE ways. Claypool’s quest is very important. that
is why his run against Berrios is a good one.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:24 am:
The egos on the wannabes who “just miss” getting on the ballot are hilarious. Another class of victims.
- shore - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:27 am:
I wasn’t pleased with the embellishments but if Mark is not a moderate than mayor daley is not a democrat. 10 years in congress, 10 years of national journal rankings showing him at or near the dead center of his party and for sure at the far left wing of his party, not to mention his memberships in the moderate tuesday group ect. Part of being a journalist is setting aside your personal grievances with candidates and stating the facts. Thomas is openly distorting the facts. He has “moved” in the rankings because conservatives have been replaced by liberals in congress i.e. a foster replacing a hastert, halvorson for weller, bean for crane.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/2009voteratings
- Deep South - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:30 am:
I wouldn’t count Stufflebeam out just yet. So, I believe the Baggers and the Libertarians will draw the far-right voters, leaving Kirk as the de facto moderate, or RINO, candidate - self described or not.
Alexi has to be pleased.
But will the Green candidate, Carl Officer and Cohen hurt Alexi? I don’t think they’ll hurt Alexi as much as the far-right candidates will hurt Kirk. I think Alexi will draw the independents…at this point I don’t think Kirk is their guy. I predict the Dems hold the seat, no sweat.
- Boone Logan Square - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:30 am:
Gator!
Well, the guy does know organizations…
- Bill - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:35 am:
==mayor daley is not a democrat.==
He’s not. Neither is Madigan. These guys are an embarrassment to progressives everywhere. They should just be truthful for once and declare themselves to be the right wing republicans that they really are.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:38 am:
Welcome back, Bill! How was your break?
- Bill - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:39 am:
Thanks. It was excellent!
- Carl Nyberg - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 11:40 am:
Loved this line from the Pantagraph article.
“There is no justification for civil rights in the constitution,” Green said.
Lex Green is the Libertarian candidate for governor.
Maybe someone should tell the guy that before the Constitution was ratified there were these ten articles added called, The Bill of Rights.
And the Constitution was modified a few times since 1789.
There was this brouhaha over slavery that resulted in the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments.
How does one join the Libertarian Party and claim that the Constitution doesn’t include civil rights?
Did the Libertarian Party give a test on U.S. history and then nominate the guy who scored lowest as their gubernatorial nominee?
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 12:05 pm:
- setting aside your personal grievances with candidates and stating the facts. -
Like the fact that Kirk is a self described moderate? Is that a terrible thing? I’m a self described liberal, it wouldn’t bother me if you called me that.
- just sayin' - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 12:27 pm:
Too bad about Niecestro. He learned a big lesson. Unlike the private sector, there are few you can really count on in politics, especially in this state.
But the big question is, where do the Gangster Disciples stand on an income tax increase? lol
- cassandra - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 12:46 pm:
Sorry, my long-term Cook County residence is showing. The Dem candidate here is the winner. But Preckwinkle had to work for her nomination. It was not a sure thing.
Berrios doesn’t seem to have anywhere near Stroger’s weaknesses. Even in an anti-incumbent year.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 1:01 pm:
===
Lesson for Niecestro: the blood of GOP politics is thicker than the blood of the conservative movement.
===
Nice try, Carl.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 1:06 pm:
Aww…Bill’s back! Hello, Bill!
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 1:25 pm:
Hello Anonymous. I missed you!
- bored now - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 1:30 pm:
the problem with kirk’s attempt to define himself as a moderate running for senate isn’t that his own personal views aren’t moderate but the fact that kirk has no political independence — witness the fact that, whenever he’s chosen to “defy” the leadership on a whipped vote, he’s begged their permission to “defy” them — and he’s easily drawn to strong-willed men (like rumsfeld) for whom kirk is an eager carrier of their water.
so kirk may be a moderate, personally, but he’d go into the senate and become mitch mcconnell’s peon. sure, he won’t vote as conservative as mcconnell, but you can be sure that kirk will ask for permission to vote against the conservative position.
when the extreme conservatives in the republican leadership need kirk’s vote, they’ll have it. so it doesn’t really matter if kirk is moderate. he’s a reliable vote for conservatives, regardless of what he thinks personally…
- FillB - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 2:41 pm:
Really, Shore?
Bean, Halvorson and Foster are Liberals? OK.
That might work on the Tribune message boards, but most people commenting here know better.
On top of that, “Self-described” is hardly a pejorative. I hope Mark Kirk appreciates you defending him against slights real and (more often than not) imagined.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 3:34 pm:
yes, Stroger has weaknesses. Berrios is probably more aptly
described as acting in his self interest not that of the
public. we will hear all about him.
- HatShopGirl - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 5:57 pm:
Lefty Lefty, I think the GOP “flake” Rich Miller refers to is an older non-threatening gent who CHAMP-ioned Senator Peter Fitzgerald.
The gent is respectful of women, respectful of the law, kind-hearted, a veritable throwback reminding us of a more wholesome America that had the intelligence and gumptionn to reach for the stars.
I am reminded of the author Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” when I think of “the flake”. I would trust “the flake” if I had to take a journey down “The Road” of a post-Apocalyptic America. “The flake” has the fire within, a kind heart - a good mind.
Rich, why do you think this CHAMPION is a “flake”? I’d trust “the flake” with my life, if I were overboard on the Mac Race (Mackinaw Island), he’d save me.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 5:58 pm:
===an older non-threatening gent who CHAMP-ioned Senator Peter Fitzgerald.===
Nope.
- HatShopGirl - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 6:24 pm:
Rich, hmmmm… is “the flake” a younger man who uses the moniker “Warrior for Christ” and he’s a runner like Blago?
- HatShopGirl - Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 6:26 pm:
Sigh, so many GOP flakes to chose from. I give up!
- UP - Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 6:32 am:
If it’s not Jack, it must be Senator CPA.
Or Mr. Anthony Trigona.
- UP - Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 6:35 am:
A couple of other flakes who I wouldn’t consider as “politicians” but who specialize in failure are Misters Zahm and Ibendahl. They both are into signature collecting.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 9:54 am:
You’re all wrong. Stop guessing and subscribe.