The photo sent from the Kevin Burns campaign for Kane County chairman shows county auditor candidate Laura Wallet, coroner candidate Rob Russell, 33rd State Senate candidate Karen McConnaughay and a smiling U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren on a Huntley constituent’s porch.
They were campaigning together Jan. 28 for the March 20 primary and all got a ride on Burns’ campaign bus back to their cars, Burns said.
And the news release from the Burns campaign stated that Hultgren told voters Burns was “the best candidate for this important office” of county board chairman. Burns is currently Geneva’s mayor.
Then this weekend, Hultgren, R-Winfield, endorsed Burns’ opponent, State Sen. Chris Lauzen, R-Aurora, at Lauzen’s winter barbecue fundraiser on Saturday.
The endorsement caused a bit of a dust-up, as Burns said he was “taken aback” by the apparent about-face. But according to Lauzen, there is no about-face. Lauzen disputes that Hultgren said anything like Burns was the “right man for the job,” which the release claimed Hultgren had said.
“While I respect Randy’s right to do what he wants,” said Burns, “I was obviously taken aback by this action. It was only last week he told voters we encountered in Huntley that I was ‘the right man for the job,’ so you can understand my surprise when I read the news.”
According to Burns, Hultgren did not contact him to tell him about his switch until late this afternoon. “I spoke with Randy, and he said, ‘I hate doing this. I absolutely hate it. This sucks.’ ”
* It’s not inconceivable to think that a highly contentious Daily Herald editorial board interview of both the candidates might also have played a role…
By including a statement that he [Lauzen] is a pro-life, pro-marriage candidate who supports, “honest, competent administration,” the gloves came off.
“Chris obviously hates homosexuals, is afraid of women and believes that only he has the answers to everything,” Burns said. “That’s sad.”
“Are you joking?” Lauzen responded.
“No, I’m not joking,” Burns replied. “I’m dead, fricking serious.”
U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said Monday that he did not violate House ethics rules when he had a longtime friend and fundraiser buy a plane ticket for a woman who had a secret relationship with the congressman.
Jackson likewise defended his actions amid an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations that the same fundraiser was part of a scheme to raise $1 million for convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich in return for the governor appointing Jackson to the U.S. Senate.
The 17-year congressman’s remarks came during an often contentious appearance before the Chicago Tribune editorial board with his March 20 Democratic primary opponent, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, who said the House investigation was keeping Jackson from doing his job.
Jackson’s response to the ethics concerns raised new questions when he was asked about his extramarital relationship. He noted he had apologized to “my absolute best friend, my wife,” Ald. Sandi Jackson, 7th.
Jackson apparently interrupted Halorson during the debate and she scolded him for it…
Caption?
* And Republican Congressman Don Manzullo has a new TV ad. Rate it…
It may not hurt Hultgren himself, but why make a “mess” when there was no “mess” there to begin with???
Either get Hultgren back on the reservation on these “endorsements”, or just let Randy run his own “show” since the person running it let his/her “Guy” endorse 2 different people … AND … AND! … the 1st guy had to hear about the 2nd endorsement, and wasn’t given a “courtesy call” to tell of the switch before the endorsement was made?????
I was really disappointed Kirk endorsed Plummer. I thought after Bush we’d moved on from DC Republicans who couldn’t put together coherent sentences and thoughts. Apparently not. If I were in that district I’d actually strongly consider voting Democrat on that race.
It’s tough to buy that ad from Manzullo when he’s been in office 20 years. In this environment Kinzinger should be able to win a fight on time for new blood.
The American Dream has no sparks at the manufacturing facility which are heavy in presidential politics this year. The Ad agency missed the boat. (non political bent just opinion on ad)
Is Halvorson trying to channel Arizona Governor Jan Brewer? What’s with all the finger-wagging going on. First, Brewer wags her finger at the President and now Halvorson at J3??? What gives?
- Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:55 pm:
After reading about the Burns-Lauzen tiff, I think a moderate Democrat has a good chance of winning the general, since neither the Burns nor Lauzen camps will vote for the winner here.
- Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:58 pm:
I am wearing ONE flag pin, and Coooonnngressmaaannn Jaaacksonnnn is wearing NONE! So, I should get the endorsement!
- Still Stuck with Sen. CPA - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 2:00 pm:
One Man, I think you are close but doesn’t it seems as if Hultgren was campaigning with Burns et al one day and endorsing Lauzen days later?
And maybe the exchange at the DH changed Hultgren’s mind. I really dislike Sen. Lauzen, but even I thought that Burns was over the top. The ‘freaking’ quote is just oddball.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 2:17 pm:
“I served with Kasich Walker, Jr.. I knew Kasich Walker, Jr.. Kasich Walker, Jr. was a friend of mine.
After reading about the Burns-Lauzen tiff, I think a moderate Democrat has a good chance of winning the general, since neither the Burns nor Lauzen camps will vote for the winner here.
Don’t see a moderate Democrat pulling it off. Both bases lose a lot of power if a Democrat gets in. What you are going to see is a second fight a few days later at the party caucus IMHO. That is going to be very entertaining.
Still Stuck With the CPA…
Not really sure, can’t figure out an angle where getting the GOP ‘establishment’ angry at him does Hultgren any favors. Seems to me Burns was the better bet for Hultgren from a purely political point of view. So it makes you wonder if there is something that is going to be coming down the pipe or what. No idea, but obviously Hultgren had his reason(s)… There are several candidates in the various races who seem to be running as implicit if not explicit slates.
Since I am in Aurora we don’t get exposed to Burns much in this race. Think I have seen him at one thing down our way.
But losing your cool like that in the internet age with tape recorders running, not a bright idea.
Hultgren folded like a cheap suit and caved to Lauzen. Lauzen’s temper is legendary, I think the wise one has posted here before.
Don’t forget Hultgren served in the State Senate with Lauzen, find it hard to buy that he would just ‘fold like a cheap suit’. I have experienced that temper first hand, it doesn’t make you fold it just ticks you off.
Two differences between the Brewer-Obama and Halverson-Jackson finger pointing. Brewer’s finger is nearly in Obama’s face, while Halverson’s is pointed in the air at some distance from Jackson.
Also- Halvorsen is a former Representative in Congress, which is Jackson’s current job title, while Obama is President of the United States.
Burns is a nuisance candidate put in by the Pat Brady Bunch to try and get Lauzen to implode. The last time they tried this tactic was Sean Michels in the 2010 primary against Lauzen for Senate. All the same insiders lined up for Michels. I told Sean directly that it was an unwinnable race for him and don’t get used by the conservative haters. He did not listen and lost 70-30. This one will go down about 65-35 Lauzen when it all shakes out. He knows to keep his cool with Burns. No matter how hard he frickin pokes. You should hear Burns talk off tape. He curses like the immature frat boy he is.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Wednesday, Feb 8, 12 @ 7:31 am:
John Zahm, do you have any actual evidence of your charges? Or is this the usual “the establishment hates our candidates and always conspires to sabotage them” tin foil hat stuff that us plain average Republicans not affiliated with the variety of self-proclaimed Republican “groups” out there are really sick and tired of hearing?
- IrishPirate - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:15 pm:
So JJJ claims having a “friend” pay for the ticket to fly in his “social acquaintance” isn’t a violation of House ethics rules?
It has no value?
I guess that depends on the definition of the word “value”. Somewhere Bill Clinton really feels bad for JJJ. “I feel your pain”.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:26 pm:
Who is running Hultgren’s “Show”?
It may not hurt Hultgren himself, but why make a “mess” when there was no “mess” there to begin with???
Either get Hultgren back on the reservation on these “endorsements”, or just let Randy run his own “show” since the person running it let his/her “Guy” endorse 2 different people … AND … AND! … the 1st guy had to hear about the 2nd endorsement, and wasn’t given a “courtesy call” to tell of the switch before the endorsement was made?????
D O P E S!!!!
- Shore - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:27 pm:
I was really disappointed Kirk endorsed Plummer. I thought after Bush we’d moved on from DC Republicans who couldn’t put together coherent sentences and thoughts. Apparently not. If I were in that district I’d actually strongly consider voting Democrat on that race.
It’s tough to buy that ad from Manzullo when he’s been in office 20 years. In this environment Kinzinger should be able to win a fight on time for new blood.
- palatine - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:28 pm:
The American Dream has no sparks at the manufacturing facility which are heavy in presidential politics this year. The Ad agency missed the boat. (non political bent just opinion on ad)
- b town - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:30 pm:
lauzen seems to bring that out of people for some reason..
- No More AJ Wilhelmi - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:30 pm:
“Fickle? Hey I am holding my finger up to the wind to…ah never mind.”
- Pax Hominem - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:37 pm:
Is Halvorson trying to channel Arizona Governor Jan Brewer? What’s with all the finger-wagging going on. First, Brewer wags her finger at the President and now Halvorson at J3??? What gives?
- just sayin' - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:45 pm:
Wonder if Lauzen can see his house from up on his Cross.
- Stones - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:46 pm:
“It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!”
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:53 pm:
“I said I wanted 1 lump of sugar in my coffee … ONE … got it???”
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:55 pm:
“What is really annoying is that Congressman Jackson is not even paying attention to me … Sir, … HEY …. Follow my finger if you are listening!”
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:55 pm:
Wow, you know it take a lot to out ‘be angry’ Chris Lauzen and Burns seems to have done it.
Lauzen has apparently gotten in Burns head, it is going to be fun to see how this plays out.
Also revealing what I suspect Congressman Hultgren considered a private conversation in a press release is not going to help that relationship.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:57 pm:
“Ah, Ah, ah … keep your mitts of my cough drop … Congresman Jackson…”
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:04 pm:
If that is how is treats his “my absolute best friend” imagine how he treats those who cross him…
and a caption
I told you I am not interested…
- sal-says - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:22 pm:
Caption?
Rerun of Obama & Brewer in Arizona.
See: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/chilly-reception-obama-lands-in-phoenix-has-words-with-gop-governor/
- dizzycow - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:30 pm:
Who cares what Randy thinks? He lives in DuPage.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:34 pm:
“Niagara Falls! …”
- zatoichi - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:40 pm:
Don’t give me no lines and keep your hands to yourself.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:43 pm:
Once I bought I airline ticket for your other best friend, once, and this is the thanks I get.
- Apple - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:44 pm:
“NO he didn’t!”
- Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:55 pm:
After reading about the Burns-Lauzen tiff, I think a moderate Democrat has a good chance of winning the general, since neither the Burns nor Lauzen camps will vote for the winner here.
- Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:58 pm:
I am wearing ONE flag pin, and Coooonnngressmaaannn Jaaacksonnnn is wearing NONE! So, I should get the endorsement!
- Still Stuck with Sen. CPA - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 2:00 pm:
One Man, I think you are close but doesn’t it seems as if Hultgren was campaigning with Burns et al one day and endorsing Lauzen days later?
And maybe the exchange at the DH changed Hultgren’s mind. I really dislike Sen. Lauzen, but even I thought that Burns was over the top. The ‘freaking’ quote is just oddball.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 2:17 pm:
“I served with Kasich Walker, Jr.. I knew Kasich Walker, Jr.. Kasich Walker, Jr. was a friend of mine.
You, sir, are no Kasich Walker, Jr.”
- Farker - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 2:19 pm:
“Congressman Jackson constituent services typically do not include flying your mistress all over the country”
- Ron Burgundy - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 2:50 pm:
“Those fickle voters almost re-elected me ONCE!”
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 2:59 pm:
Don’t see a moderate Democrat pulling it off. Both bases lose a lot of power if a Democrat gets in. What you are going to see is a second fight a few days later at the party caucus IMHO. That is going to be very entertaining.
Still Stuck With the CPA…
Not really sure, can’t figure out an angle where getting the GOP ‘establishment’ angry at him does Hultgren any favors. Seems to me Burns was the better bet for Hultgren from a purely political point of view. So it makes you wonder if there is something that is going to be coming down the pipe or what. No idea, but obviously Hultgren had his reason(s)… There are several candidates in the various races who seem to be running as implicit if not explicit slates.
Since I am in Aurora we don’t get exposed to Burns much in this race. Think I have seen him at one thing down our way.
But losing your cool like that in the internet age with tape recorders running, not a bright idea.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 3:21 pm:
“Call me ‘Sweetie’ one more time…”
- 3rd Generation Chicago Native - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 3:38 pm:
Caption
Jackson is thinking, “She’s talking and she can’t shut up”
- titan - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 4:16 pm:
Congressman…”constituent services” aren’t supposed to involve the “constituent” doing any “servicing” of the Congressman
- Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 4:38 pm:
Would “freaking” have more decorum than “fricking”? Just sayin’.
- Steve Bartin - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 4:41 pm:
“Congressman, didn’t Ed Hanley of Chicago Mob-AFL-CIO fame teach you better? “
- Kane County Hobbit - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 4:43 pm:
Lauzen-Hultgren-Burns
Not that hard to figure out.
Hultgren was helping Burns.
Lauzen got wind of it because the photos were posted on Facebook.
Lauzen went ape-$#!@ and called Hultgren
Hultgren folded like a cheap suit and caved to Lauzen. Lauzen’s temper is legendary, I think the wise one has posted here before.
Hultgen endorsed Lauzen. Kind of telling from what Hultgen said to Burns - “I hate it, this sucks”.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 4:47 pm:
Don’t forget Hultgren served in the State Senate with Lauzen, find it hard to buy that he would just ‘fold like a cheap suit’. I have experienced that temper first hand, it doesn’t make you fold it just ticks you off.
- DuPage Dave - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 5:04 pm:
Two differences between the Brewer-Obama and Halverson-Jackson finger pointing. Brewer’s finger is nearly in Obama’s face, while Halverson’s is pointed in the air at some distance from Jackson.
Also- Halvorsen is a former Representative in Congress, which is Jackson’s current job title, while Obama is President of the United States.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 5:47 pm:
–The woman’s travel was “not a personal benefit to me, I don’t believe, under the House rules.–
Fricking bummer.
- anonymice - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 6:26 pm:
“Don’t make me go Jan Brewer on you!”
- Jon Zahm - Wednesday, Feb 8, 12 @ 2:05 am:
Burns is a nuisance candidate put in by the Pat Brady Bunch to try and get Lauzen to implode. The last time they tried this tactic was Sean Michels in the 2010 primary against Lauzen for Senate. All the same insiders lined up for Michels. I told Sean directly that it was an unwinnable race for him and don’t get used by the conservative haters. He did not listen and lost 70-30. This one will go down about 65-35 Lauzen when it all shakes out. He knows to keep his cool with Burns. No matter how hard he frickin pokes. You should hear Burns talk off tape. He curses like the immature frat boy he is.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Wednesday, Feb 8, 12 @ 7:31 am:
John Zahm, do you have any actual evidence of your charges? Or is this the usual “the establishment hates our candidates and always conspires to sabotage them” tin foil hat stuff that us plain average Republicans not affiliated with the variety of self-proclaimed Republican “groups” out there are really sick and tired of hearing?
Just wondering.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 8, 12 @ 8:16 am:
===I told Sean directly that it was an unwinnable race for him and don’t get used by the conservative haters. He did not listen and lost 70-30.===
No one can pat Jon Zahm on the back better than Jon Zahm …