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Unfortunate rhetoric
Thursday, Jan 5, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller * Congressman Don Manzullo was in Oglesby earlier this week at a Bureau La Salle Tea Party meeting. This is how he pitched himself…
Perhaps he needs a better angle. * From that same story, I wish reporters who get quotes like this would make people explain themselves a little bit…
The guy essentially accuses his congressman of treason (or at least violating his oath of office) and there’s no follow-up? Sheesh. * And if you thought the D300 people would go quietly into the night, now that they got pretty much everything they asked for from the General Assembly during the Sears debate, think again…
The company is deeply in the red, but that “$275 million tax deal” as reported by the local paper is actually spread out over many years, not given to the company all at once. So, it’s not a bailout.
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- keys21 - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 9:42 am:
Not to mention the author of the first article is a man who once ran for a state senate seat against then-Senator Dahl.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 9:44 am:
–“I feel Kinzinger, whom I supported and campaigned for in the last election, has voted and works against our Bill of Rights,” [said George Richter, a Republican Earl Township precinct committeeman]–
That is, indeed, an accusation of treason. Just how small a tent will do for these Tea Partiers. Looked to be about 5% of committed GOPers for Bachman in Iowa.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 9:55 am:
What the heck is Mr. Richter talking about?!
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 9:56 am:
TS, good question. Too bad it wasn’t asked.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 10:03 am:
I think Adam has been one of the more level-headed GOP freshman in the 112th Congress. That’s not to say I don’t agree with most of the freshman class’s policy stands. But he doesn’t disgrace the office like Joe Walsh.
- Spliff - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 10:03 am:
Steve Stout was a bad candidate and appears to be a worse reporter. If you accuse a Vet of Treason you should probably be asked not only to explain but to apologize!
- Shore - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 10:14 am:
I don’t think enough attention is being paid to these congressional primaries aside from the jackson race. Their results will tells us a lot about where things stand in the state and how primary voters feel about their party. On the north shore you have a moveon.org candidate running against a more establishment type guy. In the northwest areas you have a real test of the obama machine trying to make duckworth again a general election candidate and then with kinzinger you have a race that is essentially a new guard/old guard gop fight.
Kinzinger seems to change daily between portraying himself as a tea party joe walsh type and a peter roskam mainstream gop conservative.
- King Louis XVI - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 10:36 am:
The Tea Party-GOP can only respond to any challenge of their fanaticism and ignorance by charging that someone is either un-American or a socialist a la Stalin or both.
- Jaded - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 10:36 am:
I don’t know what he is talking about either, but his accusation is far from one of treason. The US Constitution says “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them or adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.”
Voting against the Bill of Rights (again whatever that statement means) is far from treasonous. In fact, many Second Amendment advocates believe anti-gun legislators vote against the Bill of Rights all the time.
- Left Out - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 10:51 am:
I expect to hear lots more from D300 in the future about money. They need more income from any source they can. From FY2002 to FY2011 ISBE data shows that their instructional expenditure per student increased by about 30% (from $4274 to $5583 per student). With the economy the way it is and home prices going down they will have a hard time to continue increasing spending the way they have without new revenue.
I should also note that over the same period of time overall high school performance (student achievement), as measured by the ISBE, was down at two of the three high schools in District 300. At one of the high schools, Jachobs HS, the performance increased slightly (about 1%) for the period.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 11:27 am:
Yes, Jaded, but Mr. Richter didn’t name any specifics. That’s dangerous rhetoric. If Debbie Halvorson wants to bring up the FBI and Ethics Committee investigations on JJJ, those are fair game because they are public and have been discussed in the news and party circles. If Don Manzullo has supporters running around telling people that Adam Kinziger doesn’t support the Bill or Rights, those supporters had better be ready to back up those accusations with facts or well-thought opinions. I hate drive-by comments like the one Mr. Richter made.
- RMWStanford - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 12:00 pm:
It would of been interesting to here him explain why he thinks Kinzinger has committed “treason”. Playing up that your home has led the nation in unemployment during your time in Congress not the best of ideas
- Dirt Digger - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 12:09 pm:
Voting and working against the Bill of Rights may be an explosive accusation, but I would hardly describe it as advancing the overthrow of the United States government.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 12:17 pm:
Dirt Digger, you may be right.
The Constitution says:
“Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.”
Does undermining the Constitution give Aid and Comfort? Who knows?
He certainly accused Kinzinger of violating his oath of office:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 12:28 pm:
While the reporter could have asked for specifics (and perhaps did), the quote was classic Tea Party rhetoric. Flaming hot accusations backed up by little to no factual information. I find it especially ironic that these Tea Party folks are embracing a guy who has been in Congress for 18 years while suggesting that a freshman is part of the establishment. Seriously?
- Jaded - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 2:42 pm:
I agree Team Sleep. My points were two-fold. 1) saying he was accusing him of treason was just as over the top as the stupid statement made by Richter; and 2)apparently, not everybody agrees with everything in the Bill of Rights.
- mokenavince - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 2:53 pm:
The 16th would be better served if neither one would get elected.Kinzinger did nothing for the 11th and Manzullo just collected a pay check for
18 years.More GOP nonsence.
- Capital View - Thursday, Jan 5, 12 @ 3:44 pm:
So what has Manzullo accomplished in his 16 years if Rockford is such a mess?
FYI - Manzullo made the “!0 years and out” term limit pledge when first elected. Along with John Shimkus, he has ignored that promise and overstayed his Congressional service. Glen Poshard left Congress after 10 years as promised, and ran for governor. Term limits were usually a Republican issue, but few Republicans follow through and keep their word on it.