Today, local veterans and two Illinois Congressmen with decorated military records spoke out about Sen. Sam McCann’s false claims of military service.
In 2010, Sam McCann claimed to have served in the United States Marine Corps. He claimed to have enlisted in November 1989. He called himself a “veteran” and said he learned “courage” in the Marines.
Since 2010, McCann has been unable or unwilling to publicly provide documentation to prove his military service. (Bernard Schoenburg, “McCann Camp Calls Demuzio Tax Charge A ‘Diversion’,” The State Journal-Register, 10/14/10).
It has been 6 since years since McCann first claimed military service on the campaign trail, and yet his record continues to be shrouded in doubt and secrecy.
Statement from Kevin Rachford, Army Combat Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient:
“These allegations are very serious. Anyone who would steal the valor of our American heroes is unfit to hold elected office. It’s hard to fathom that a politician would stoop so low to win an election.”
Statement from Jim Mathes, Army Combat Veteran:
“I spent more than a year in Vietnam. I sacrificed for my country. How could any politician demean the service of brave men and women just to win a few votes?”
Statement from Congressman Adam Kinzinger, Major, United States Air Force
(2003-Present):
Congressman Adam Kinzinger has served in the United States Air Force since 2003 and has been a member of the Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, Air National Guard and was progressively promoted to his current rank of Major.
“I am deeply disturbed to hear Sam McCann lied about his service in the US Marine Corps,” said Kinzinger. “For an elected official to use military service for political gain is beyond reprehensible and offends all those who have actually served and sacrificed in our armed forces. Our veterans and those currently serving deserve a full explanation and an apology. Bottom line: the people of Illinois deserve better.”
Statement from Congressman John Shimkus, Graduate of United States Military Academy (1976-1980); United States Army (1980-1986), US Army Reserves (1986-2008):
Congressman John Shimkus, a graduate of the United States Military Academy (West Point), served over five years active duty in the Army (1980-1986), then entered the Army Reserves (1986-2008). While in the Army, Shimkus earned the Expert Infantry Badge, Ranger tab and Parachutist Badge and served overseas with the 54th Infantry Regiment in West Germany
“As an Army veteran and graduate of the US Military Academy, I recognize the importance of electing public servants who will sacrifice for the common good and make the tough decisions to get our nation and state back on track,” said Shimkus. “It’s sad that anyone would attempt to sell himself to voters as someone who served in uniform without even attending boot camp. ”
- Phil - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 9:38 am:
Did someone say “target rich.”
- Norseman - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 9:39 am:
Just saw McCann ad hitting Benton. Sam will need to do more of this.
- Century Club - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 9:39 am:
Wow, that ad gave me whiplash.
I would have thought that lying about serving in the military would be enough to merit a full commercial in a Republican primary.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 9:40 am:
I waiting for this to happen. I remember Rich’s report - which was corroborated by locals in my home area - that Tom Cross refused to even consider McCann as a candidate that they would help. Radogno’s camp waited quite a while before they jumped in. Things like this are why. Two votes on impasse legislation or not, McCann has a history of, ahem, stretching the truth. 2010 was a great GOP year downstate, and McCann still only won by 1%. I give him props for being a hard worker and for trying to juggle a business while being an official. But these other things are just so damaging.
- Huh? - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 9:43 am:
Is the a lawsuit waiting to happen because private personal information that could lead to a stolen identity is revealed in the background information?
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 9:47 am:
===private personal information that could lead to a stolen identity===
Huh?
Take a breath.
- cdog - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 9:47 am:
I read the background pdf. Doesn’t sound like Sam has a DD214. No free veteran’s day food for him.
So now, in a very cynical boiled down context, one could say, we are choosing between two potential liars — Rauner or McCann.
I am still an Independent who will be pulling a Republican ballot.
Voting for McCann.
- Fusion - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 9:53 am:
Still can’t believe that Cicero Principles PAC has made McCann into a sympathetic figure. I’m voting for McCann.
- Gooner - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 9:54 am:
The campaign fund thing is just noise. Until somebody goes to jail for it, nobody cares.
The Marines thing, on the other hand, should be devastating. Puffing up a weak record is one thing (i.e. Kirk, Senate) but completely fabricating service is another.
Oddly, the only thing that might save him is that his opponent’s policies are pretty bad for the district. If background matters, McCann is toast. If policy matters, this is close, with McCann with an edge.
- cdog - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 9:58 am:
and btw…
We are supposed to forgive and look past the thuggish history of Dunkin.
Why would the same rule not apply to McCann?
The rule, applied to McCann, would be to look past the history of exaggeration. (It appears that he was making this right 16 years ago.)
Hmmm…. who has been exaggerating lately? Imaginary conversations with University officials? Imaginary phone calls to political opponents on election night? Imaginary spies working for the other guy, but non of your own?
(hint — 1.4%)
- Mama - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 9:59 am:
I would rather vote for McCann than one of Rauner’s puppets.
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:02 am:
Any research if the Marines issue pulled when Demuzio used it?
I would think it stings, but then again, I can think of a few elected officials off the top of my head who made up stories about their military service and won.
- Mason born - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:04 am:
The ad is as usuall a little fuzzy. As a Marine this hit close to home when McCann was running to represent me. It turns out McCann enlisted and went to boot camp. Where McCann received a medical discharge and was released from his contract. To be a Marine one must finish boot camp. McCann enlisted and was physically not able to cut the mustard not his fault. He shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place. He doesn’t get a dd214 because of dod rules regarding discharge prior to completeing basic training.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:05 am:
===McCann enlisted and went to boot camp===
No.
He never made it to boot camp.
- Huh? - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:07 am:
Suggest reviewing bottom of next to last page.
- Blue Dog - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:08 am:
The Marines thing has been around since the Demuzio race. Every one of McCann’s opponents have used it. Every one of them has lost. I’m surprised it took Benton this long to ring that bell. Kinda figured it would be his closer when his tracker was bragging about “even worse” stuff coming out on McCann.
Benton is known by the company he keeps & I’m hearing locals aren’t happy with that. It will be interesting to see what happens if he loses.
- morgan - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:10 am:
Can’t we just go back in time and get a do-over and have Senator Demuzio back. Dang consequences anyway!
- Hope - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:21 am:
Obviously Proft is nervous. If he loses this one (& it appears he will lose the Dunkin race) then his street cred with Rauner will evaporate. Rauner likes winners.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:21 am:
National Archives has no record of McCann ever being enlisted at all?! That is huge - and telling, because the DOD and every branch of the Armed Forces keep meticulous records of enlistees, including their sign-up papers, their discharge papers, their medical records and their training info. And to my knowledge, McCann has never given Bernie a letter about his approved dismissal from boot camp. That should be easy. If he did enlist and was forced to bow out before he went to boot camp, all he would need is to place a simple request and pay a simple fee to the Archives and he would have it in short order.
- Wow - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:22 am:
First- it seems that mccann never even enlisted other signed paperwork for the Marines. If he did and then got injured prior to bootcamp, he would have been discharged.
Second, this is somewhat different than Dunkin. McCann was making this up 6 years ago. Dunkin was decades ago.
Also, Noll did 1 robo call on this in 2012 primary. Not much. And it is a bit different district then against demuzio. There might be some voters who aren’t aware of McCanns outright lie.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:27 am:
===(& it appears he will lose the Dunkin race)===
What don you base THAT on?
===…then his street cred with Rauner will evaporate. Rauner likes winners.===
Nope.
Rauner wanted an attack dog. Dunkin and Radogno couldn’t go after “one of their own” without real blowback.
Profit winning or losing won’t change how Proft is seen because draining monies is the underlying intent as well. “Mission Accomplished”
To the Post,
Labor right now is a “one issue” voting bloc. That’s where “vote accordingly” really comes into play.
McCann is sinking, “no one can stop that now”.
- AC - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:28 am:
No doubt this will be a close race, but I can think of more than a million reasons to choose an imperfect candidate like McCann over Benton.
- cdog - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:29 am:
“I’m surprised it took Benton this long to ring that bell.”
It’s not Benton! It is one of the Lords of Dark Money! Ha!
- VanillaMan - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:41 am:
The narrator of that ad has a voice that reeks of phony campaign ads of yore.
Have him say, “It’s morning in America”
- cdog - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:41 am:
At the risk of being annoying, let me add…
I am ex-Navy, married to ex-Navy, with our son active duty Navy. When you enlist from this region, even in 1989, you report to MEPS in St.Louis, get a physical, sign a DEP contract, and raise your right hand.
DOD owns you at that point, and trust me, you are meant to feel like you have just enlisted and represent your branch of service. The oath you take even says that.
Of course McCann felt, as a young man, that he had enlisted. It’s unfortunate that he used the word “veteran” and “honorable discharge,” early on, in his political experience, but he made the appropriate adjustment.
Unlike our current mega-exaggerator, who continues to say crazy stuff that is immediately debunked. (Rauner)
- Norseman - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:44 am:
cdog, thank you and your family for your service. Also, thank you for the service you will be doing on March 15th.
- Blue Dog - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:46 am:
Benton does the “Lords of Dark Money” bidding. I’m sure there is no official or traceable coordination going on, but the people surrounding Benton seem to know what’s going to happen before the next Ad hits.
- Norseman - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:48 am:
Willy, with all do respect. Sam may be bailing water, but the ship hasn’t sunk. There are a ton of folks helping him with that effort. We’ll see on March 15th if the Dark Lord prevails.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:53 am:
Dark Lord?! So what - Rauner is like Sauron or something? Good grief.
Cdog - thanks for your service, but McCann’s use of “veteran” and “honorable discharge” weren’t unfortunate. They were deliberate. Look up Bill Haine’s takedown of him in August 2010.
- RNUG - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:54 am:
Don’t care. Already voted early for McCann.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 10:55 am:
- Norseman -
I know, bud. I guess to clarify is that things like this may nip and slice into the cake that needs to bake.
You also know my overall thoughts too. McCann is huge in the Rauner discussion, and I know really great people are with McCann to help him too. Lessons were learned from last November, March 15th is the next test. With respect as always - Norseman -.
- cdog -, I add my thanks to you and your family for their service.
- Hope - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 11:15 am:
To the great OW,
If your attack dog has a bark but no real bite (winning on election day), you put it out to pasture. The Dems will have the money to compete in the Fall so the $ spend argument is limited. Successful attack dogs need to win. We will find out on the Ides of March.
- Mason born - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 11:15 am:
Rauners not Sauron more of a Sith Lord.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 11:24 am:
- Hope -
With respect,
Dems may be limited in cash, Rauber is not. Making others (Labor) spend large sums of cash IS part of the plan, that part is already a huge success.
Proft also wrote “we may not win”, because not understanding the long game of spending them dry, or admitting that out loud isn’t an admitted goal.
- HangingOn - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 11:31 am:
==Dark Lord?! So what - Rauner is like Sauron or something?==
Great. Now I have the urge to refer to him as Gov-Who-Should-Have-Not-Been-Named
- Formerly Known As... - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 11:35 am:
@cdog - your 10:41 comment was not annoying.
It was perfect.
- Huh? - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 11:38 am:
“Gov-Who-Should-Have-Not-Been-Elected”
Fixed it.
- There is power in a union... - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 11:38 am:
“Dark Lord?! So what - Rauner is like Sauron or something? Good grief.”
One TA to rule them all and in the darkness bind them…
- Team Sleep - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 11:39 am:
Oh crap - I forgot to add the “snark” tag!
Or wait - is this post sarcastic?!
- Thunder Fred - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 11:39 am:
The mental gymnastics going on to protect the group think credibility in this thread are fascinating. Drip drip drip.
- anon - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 12:06 pm:
Proft sure does a more thorough job of oppo research than Demuzio’s team did.
- Sue - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 12:27 pm:
Misrepresentation of military service is a federal crime. Where is the US. attorney on this
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 12:30 pm:
–Misrepresentation of military service is a federal crime. Where is the US. attorney on this–
Somebody started early….
- RNUG - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 12:40 pm:
Interesting mix in the mail today.
“Conservatives support Bruce Benton/ Shimkus endorsement” by Growth & Opportunity PAC out of Columbus, Ohio (includes “The use of images depicting Bryce Benton in uniform does not imply the endorsement of the Illinois State Police” disclaimer)
“Who can Illinois families trust?” by Liberty Principles PAC out of Chicago (includes identical “The use of images depicting Bryce Benton in uniform does not imply the endorsement of the Illinois State Police” disclaimer)
“$1.8 Million / Benton Just too much we don’t know / Not who we want supporting us” by McCann for Senate”
A couple of takeaways … The PACs supporting Benton must touchy about the uniform issue and appear to be coordinating their disclaimer. McCann’s was the only one giving the election date plus it did a good job of being an attack ad.
And it was all wasted money. McCann’s group should have known I was a supporter; they got a check from me. And Benton’s group was told to their face at my front door I was supporting Sam who I happened to know.
At least the McCann money was spent printing in a union shop, it has the GCC/IBT union “bug” on it.
- Blue Dog - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 12:47 pm:
Wasn’t Growth and Opportunities the same group that went after Schock?
- Jake From Elwood - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 2:17 pm:
I don’t live in this district and have no say in the outcome of this race.
I have no skin in the game.
But I am very disappointed to see so many commenters serving as an apologist to a man who misrepresented his military service to boost his resume for public office.
That is a slap in the face to the USMC and its brave members.
He sounds like a mix of Mark Kirk and Brian Williams.
Why would anyone reward a candidate who seeks to capture personal gain and acclaim based upon false valor.
- cdog - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 2:31 pm:
Jake,
Why? Because the alternative is much worse and is part of a systemic disease.
- Free Roddy B - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 3:05 pm:
Either way, there are still only 20 Rs in the Senate.
- jim - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 3:08 pm:
very amusing how some of the commenters justify McCann’s deception. He clearly was trying to convince voters of something that was not true.
Typical politician.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 3:10 pm:
Jake & Jim - yep, and for a measly two votes.
- Anon - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 3:17 pm:
First, it’s true this stuff have been brought up before, but never with this much money and exposure behind it.
Second, this race was close BEFORE this ad. This may be the tipping point McCann can’t recover from. So far, looks like all of this hits have been perfectly timed and perfectly executed.
Finally, I can’t think of anyone that has taken this many effective body blows during an election and actually won. I suppose it’s possible, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Benton’s lead just went from a point or two to 8 or 10.
How many times have we said “this one’s gonna leave a mark” in this race? Geez.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 3:26 pm:
3:17 - me either, and union or not the GOP voters in the 50th aren’t like GOP voters in, say, Lake County or suburban Cook County. They’re generally very socially conservative, and issues like this matter.
Gray Noll didn’t do anything in 2011-2012 other than campaign in Sangamon & Morgan Counties and run around touting Larry Bomke’s support. He wasn’t a good or serious candidate. That’s why when I talk about the “Fire Madigan” stuff I always qualify it with the “what happens with points behind it” query. People pay attention to TV and radio ads - especially when they’re constantly on the air.
- walker - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 3:27 pm:
The “last straw” is a six year old story, previously acknowledged and apologized for?
Not defending or justifying it, (combat vet myself), just wondering if it’s too stale to move voters. Voters acting very strangely these days.
- Mason born - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 3:41 pm:
It is truly sad that the only Republican with the strength if character to stand up to the governor and support his district happens to have an oppo file 8″ thick.
To bad the rest of them including Benton are more loyal to a checkbook than the people they say they represent.
- burbanite - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 3:58 pm:
Overkill much Benton? Sheesh, we get it we get it.
- Jorge - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 4:03 pm:
What’s Benton’s military history like?
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 4:07 pm:
First, thanks and blessings to cdog, wife and son for your Naval service. May he enjoy fair skies and following seas throughout his service.
I come from a family with over a dozen veterans and active duty military spread over three generations, including my brother and son who are Naval Aviators. (I was 4F.) Stolen Valor is a hot-button issue among all of them, understandably.
I can not vote for Sam McCann knowing he has misrepresented military service. Period.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 4:12 pm:
Jorge - nice deflection. Mr. Benton has never attempted to make a claim about military service.
- Jorge - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 4:16 pm:
Not a deflection TS. Just honesty. Bryce didn’t even try to join the military. Go back to Raunerstan where you belong.
- Norseman - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 4:17 pm:
AA, understand. Hope you can skip the race. We don’t need another Rauner yes man.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 4:20 pm:
Jorge - so what? And yes - that was a deflection.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Mar 4, 16 @ 4:21 pm:
Raunerstan? I see that we’re now parroting Jon Kass lingo.