There are few lawmakers in Springfield that are as conservative as Republican state Senator Kyle McCarter, but incumbent Congressman John Shimkus wants downstate voters to believe that his GOP challenger is “Chicagoish.”
And while Governor Bruce Rauner has sided with Shimkus over McCarter in the 15th District’s GOP primary race, Senator McCarter asked the governor Monday if he believed McCarter was “Chicagoish,” and Rauner said “No,” according to McCarter’s tweet.
Heh…
Just asked @GovRauner if he believed I was a Chicago Republican. "No, I don't." He chuckled. #twill#IL15
* But McCarter doesn’t have the money to fight back. And the Club for Growth is no longer running its ad attacking Shimkus for violating his term limits pledge, saying “We ran the original buy that we planned and are still strategizing for the final week and bundling for McCarter.” As I’ve already told you, the group is shifting into anti-Trump mode.
* And McCarter is about to be buried under even more TV ads…
The American Action Network (@AAN) today launched an independent expenditure ad campaign supporting Congressman John Shimkus in Illinois’ 15th congressional district primary. Highlighting Shimkus’ strong conservative voice, the ad campaign will ensure Illinois primary voters know he is the principled fighter they need in Congress.
Shimkus’ conservative leadership includes fighting to dismantle Obamacare, standing up for 2nd Amendment rights, and defending the right to life. Shimkus is endorsed by the National Rifle Association, National Right to Life, and other conservative organizations.
AAN’s $200,000 independent expenditure campaign includes broadcast and cable television buys running through the March 15 primary election day in five district media markets as well as digital advertising and GOTV phone calls.
“Our country needs strong leaders - fortunately we have conservatives like John Shimkus willing to step up,” said AAN President Mike Shields. “John Shimkus is willing to take on the tough fights like dismantling Obamacare, protecting gun rights and fighting for conservative values.”
McCarter’s Club for Growth friends thought they were clever by calling Shimkus one of the most liberal Republican Congressmen, but now he whines about being called on the carpet for the vote he took authorizing the state’s Obamacare apparatus?
While the uber-angry white males (personified by the likes of Joe Walsh, McCarter, Proft, et al) are in vogue this year their traction will come to naught in this race.
McCarter will get his lunch handed to him next week but it will, sadly, not usher him off the public stage.
I do enjoy that McCarter ad. Makes me laugh every time.
- Collinsville Kevin - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 12:27 pm:
“Chicagoish” is what the dumb hicks (pardon me, the unenlightened people)in southern Illinois call people they don’t like. They don’t realize that without Chicago, Illinois would be another Indiana. Of course Shimkus and McCarter would like it that way.
McCarter was part of the group allowed in to the Rainer/Shimkus stop in Effingham yesterday, and I believe it was there he asked the question. The Effingham area loves Rauner and McCarter. Anyone I’ve heard express an opinion wants Shimkus gone, due to over-staying his welcome. McCarter is certainly winning the sign war–they’re everywhere. However, he’ll lose the primary.
“Chicagoish” may be a “funny” ad, but what on earth is Shimkus thinking?! Totally not like him - at all. My guess is that he has some new blood around the office.
Serious question: How often do libel suits get brought against campaigns from other candidates?? Some of the things that get said/published sometimes seem like such bold-faced lies, makes one wonder how they get away with it.
Muse - the case involving Congressman Driehaus vs. Susan B. Anthony List put that to bed. U.S. District Judge Timothy Black said the following:
“We do not want the government (i.e., the Ohio Elections Commission) deciding what is political truth — for fear that the government might persecute those who criticize it. Instead, in a democracy, the voters should decide.”
And, from what I read and understood at the time of the initial lawsuit and the eventual decision, the thought was that such reasoning covered candidates, PACs, parties, etc.
Shimkus a STRONG Conservative??? The Conservative Review rates him a F and he has a 39% Conservative voting record. https://www.conservativereview.com/members/john-shimkus/. The reason you never hear anything about his voting record in the news is! What Newspaper, TV or Radio would attack him. Think of the THOUSANDS of dollars spent in his political ad campaign. I one news outlet put out a negative story, they could loose thousands of dollars in political ads. If you have money you can buy anything including the News. Shimkus is a bought and paid for lifetime political leach.
Hey, hey East St. Louis is nothing compared to Chicago Blue dog dem! Really it’s just a quiet ruin now. But I just work here. I moved from Chicago almost a decade ago to get away from the crime and filth of the city. I’ll never regret moving here. When we told my eldest daughter (5 at the time) that we were moving she asked “Do they have bullies at my new school?”.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 11:43 am:
McCarter has now realized he’s Icarus, and his wings won’t hold up to the blazing sun.
Here endeth the lesson.
- Highland, IL - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 11:47 am:
Received a robocall from American Action Network last night telling me how conservative Shimkus was…
- cdog - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 11:49 am:
And of course there is no coordination between PACS, endorsers, and candidates. /s
- Tone - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 11:49 am:
What is Chicagoish?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 11:57 am:
Is keeping a promise a Conservative Value?
- LincolnLounger - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 11:59 am:
McCarter’s Club for Growth friends thought they were clever by calling Shimkus one of the most liberal Republican Congressmen, but now he whines about being called on the carpet for the vote he took authorizing the state’s Obamacare apparatus?
Kyle had this coming in spades.
- said so - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 12:12 pm:
Why is walsh whining about this? He stood on a stage with rauner and promoted him as a candidate. Too little too late walsh.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 12:18 pm:
wondering what current ideas are on where to be up….network or cable?
- Adam Smith - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 12:20 pm:
While the uber-angry white males (personified by the likes of Joe Walsh, McCarter, Proft, et al) are in vogue this year their traction will come to naught in this race.
McCarter will get his lunch handed to him next week but it will, sadly, not usher him off the public stage.
- Tone - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 12:23 pm:
What is Chicagoish? A language?
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 12:23 pm:
I do enjoy that McCarter ad. Makes me laugh every time.
- Collinsville Kevin - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 12:27 pm:
“Chicagoish” is what the dumb hicks (pardon me, the unenlightened people)in southern Illinois call people they don’t like. They don’t realize that without Chicago, Illinois would be another Indiana. Of course Shimkus and McCarter would like it that way.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 12:42 pm:
Yuk.
- South Central - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 12:53 pm:
McCarter was part of the group allowed in to the Rainer/Shimkus stop in Effingham yesterday, and I believe it was there he asked the question. The Effingham area loves Rauner and McCarter. Anyone I’ve heard express an opinion wants Shimkus gone, due to over-staying his welcome. McCarter is certainly winning the sign war–they’re everywhere. However, he’ll lose the primary.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 1:04 pm:
“Chicagoish” may be a “funny” ad, but what on earth is Shimkus thinking?! Totally not like him - at all. My guess is that he has some new blood around the office.
- The Muse - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 1:29 pm:
Serious question: How often do libel suits get brought against campaigns from other candidates?? Some of the things that get said/published sometimes seem like such bold-faced lies, makes one wonder how they get away with it.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 1:35 pm:
Muse - the case involving Congressman Driehaus vs. Susan B. Anthony List put that to bed. U.S. District Judge Timothy Black said the following:
“We do not want the government (i.e., the Ohio Elections Commission) deciding what is political truth — for fear that the government might persecute those who criticize it. Instead, in a democracy, the voters should decide.”
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 1:35 pm:
And, from what I read and understood at the time of the initial lawsuit and the eventual decision, the thought was that such reasoning covered candidates, PACs, parties, etc.
- Payback - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 1:42 pm:
“…protecting gun rights and fighting for conservative values.” What has Shimkus done that earns him an NRA endorsement?
What are “gun rights” anyway? Don’t people possess rights, not inanimate objects?
- Blue dog dem - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 1:51 pm:
Collinsville Kevin, welcome to Chicago, when it comes to murder rate, the E. St. Louis of the north.
- STRONG Consevative - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 2:01 pm:
Shimkus a STRONG Conservative??? The Conservative Review rates him a F and he has a 39% Conservative voting record. https://www.conservativereview.com/members/john-shimkus/. The reason you never hear anything about his voting record in the news is! What Newspaper, TV or Radio would attack him. Think of the THOUSANDS of dollars spent in his political ad campaign. I one news outlet put out a negative story, they could loose thousands of dollars in political ads. If you have money you can buy anything including the News. Shimkus is a bought and paid for lifetime political leach.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 2:15 pm:
Hey, hey East St. Louis is nothing compared to Chicago Blue dog dem! Really it’s just a quiet ruin now. But I just work here. I moved from Chicago almost a decade ago to get away from the crime and filth of the city. I’ll never regret moving here. When we told my eldest daughter (5 at the time) that we were moving she asked “Do they have bullies at my new school?”.
- 13th - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 2:26 pm:
just another flip flop of the governor, wants term limits, but then endorses someone who violated his own term limit pledge
- Ben Cook - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 4:07 pm:
So Shimkus pulls the ad after Gov. Rauner basically torpedoes it by saying he didn’t agree with it?
That seems like something you might want to mention in the article, don’t you think, Rich?
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 6:06 pm:
–Collinsville Kevin, welcome to Chicago, when it comes to murder rate, the E. St. Louis of the north.–
Not that even close. East. St. Louis is #1 of all cities in the United States.
Among larger cities, St. Louis murder rate is much higher than Chicago’s, which is middle of the pack.
According to the FBI, the highest murder rates for big cities are:
1. Detroit
2. New Orleans
3. Newark
4. St. Louis
5. Baltimore
6. Birmingham
7. Cincinatti
8. Oakland
9. Baton Rouge
10. Kansas City