By Hannah Meisel
* WCIA’s Mark Maxwell filed an interesting story last night, in which he caught Democratic state rep candidate Dillon Clark of Litchfield embellishing his record as a volunteer firefighter. Clark, 26, is challenging Avery Bourne (R-Raymond), also 26.
The story focuses on Clark’s campaign ad, which I cannot find (his other two campaign ads on his website are “unlisted,” an interesting YouTube feature, by the way) *update* click here for the video hosted on Facebook — but footage of the ad in Maxwell’s story shows repeated shots of the Litchfield Fire Department interposed with shots of Clark standing both next to a fire truck and in the driver’s seat.
“As a volunteer fireman, I watched as the budget crisis tore apart our small towns,” Clark says in a narrated video, which shows him climbing into a Litchfield Fire Department Truck, wearing the Chief’s hat, and sitting in the driver’s seat of the fire engine.
However, Clark never served as a volunteer firefighter for Litchfield, or any other fire department in Illinois.
When asked about his campaign costume, Clark confessed that while he wore the chief’s helmet, “I am not a fire chief. The chief let me wear his helmet on that day. But I was a volunteer fire man back in the day and I really enjoyed that. It taught me a lot.”
Clark stated that his stint as a volunteer fireman in Bolivar, Missouri, lasted “one point two years.” Asked to clarify what exactly that meant, he repeated, “One point two years,” which apparently was intended to mean something between 14 and 15 months.
However, the fire chief at the Bolivar Department disputed Clark’s claim, writing in an email that their records show Clark was only on the volunteer roster for seven weeks in the fall of 2010, “during which time he attended one training event and responded to one emergency incident.”
* Clark did not like the WCIA story, and alleged on Twitter overnight that it wasn’t factual.
I can’t see the Facebook statement, but here’s a screen grab:
* Meanwhile… (*update* Clark unblocked Maxwell in late morning)
* Another tidbit from Maxwell’s story that didn’t make it to air…
Reporter: Would you vote for Speaker Madigan to retain his title as House Speaker?
Clark: I will say this: I do not care who is the head of Chicago, who is in Chicago, who is the head of Springfield or anything like that.
Reporter: But you’re running to be a House Democrat.
Clark: Yes.
Reporter: As a House Democrat, you get a vote. Would you vote for or against Speaker Madigan to remain Speaker?
Clark: Again, I just want to represent my district. I am solely going to represent my district. I don’t care who’s in charge.
Reporter: But why dodge that question?
Clark: Again, I just want to represent my district.
*** UPDATE 1 ***
* Statement from Avery Bourne…
“Our volunteer firefighters sacrifice so much to serve our communities. It is shameful for my opponent to lie about his experience as a volunteer firefighter for political gain. He should take down the false campaign ad, give us the whole truth, and apologize to our first responders and their families.”
*** UPDATE 2 ***
* Statement from ILGOP Executive Director Andrew Collins…
“Dillon Clark will need to attend more than one training to put this big fire out. Clark shamefully exaggerated his time served as a volunteer firefighter for political gain, doubled down on his false claims, and then blocked a reporter on Twitter who called him out for it. To make matters worse, Clark disagreed with a Missouri fire chief’s assessment of his time served in college. What else is Dillon Clark not telling us?”
*** UPDATE 3 ***
* Earlier this morning I called Clark to ask where he got the “150+ present votes” number he claims about Bourne in his statement. Here’s what he told me late morning:
Our team gathered this information from Ilga.gov by looking through Bourne’s Rauner inspired tenure.
* Also, looks like Clark unblocked Maxwell on Twitter, but also unearthed the fact that Clark was on the Rauner campaign payroll in 2014.
Mark was kind enough to point me toward the Board of Elections website, which indicates Dillon was paid a total of $5,833.33 for “grassroots consulting” and “field consulting” for Citizens for Rauner Inc. between July and November of 2014.
A 2014 campaign source told me that both Clark and Bourne were paid walkers for Rauner.
*** UPDATE 4 ***
* Sen. Andy Manar, who is supporting Clark and even has a campaign event scheduled with him (and Betsy Londrigan) for Monday, told me today that Clark is “one of the hardest working candidates I’ve ever seen.”
“He won incredibly challenging county board race in 2016 in Montgomery County because of hard work and connecting with voters,” Manar said. “[The ad] maybe perhaps insinuated something that wasn’t the case but the fact is he was a volunteer firefighter, and because he lives in a small community he has seen the devastation of Rauner’s cuts. He’s doing one heck of a job knocking on doors. If he were to ask me for advice, I would encourage him to continue to do that.”
*** UPDATE 5 ***
* Clark provided this statement mid-afternoon, and also called me to confirm that yes, he had worked for the Rauner campaign, but had quit in September of 2014 due to Rauner’s position on public employee unions…
As I was just getting into politics, a local state representative I was interning for encouraged me to join the Rauner campaign. He said it would provide me with solid work experience and be a great way to figure out whether I wanted to keep working in politics. I worked on his campaign through September, when I finally decided he wasn’t someone I could continue to support. We disagreed on a lot, but it was his attacks on union workers that drove me to leave his campaign and his new brand of Illinois Republican Party. Families like my granddad’s depended on hard work and a union wage to get by, and here, in one of the most union-member-filled districts in Illinois, Bruce Rauner and Avery Bourne’s anti-union agenda has been awful on our district.
In response I joined the Democratic party and worked hard every day, knocking door after door to defeat the Republican Vice Chairman of the Montgomery County Board.
Today, I’m running just as hard to be State Representative in the 95th, because representing people here needs to be about making sure hard workers have jobs and the money to provide for their families, not about which Chicago millionaire is backing you.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 9:43 am:
I was a volunteer fireman. I was regularly trained. I raced to emergencies. I climbed ladders to punch vent holes into roofs of burning buildings. I risked my life.
But I never bragged because I was only one of a team. Men and women together for our neighbors. We cried at the losses and celebrated any wins. We didn’t always agree with the fire chief, and we never pretended to be him for photos.
This candidate has done things no self respecting volunteer fireman would even consider doing. There is something wrong with him.
- Saluki - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 9:43 am:
Thanks for the early morning chuckle. Wow. This kid. He might want to take the training wheels off his bicycle before he takes another swing at running for office.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 9:44 am:
As much of a Raunerite that Avery Borne is, a 26 year old claiming to be a firefighter with easily found evidence to disprove such flimsy claims should be of a great concern to those willing to support Clark over a Raunerite.
My favorite candidates are young candidates that haven’t figured out their short lives can be broken down into real-time fact checking. What “good” was the firefighter ad anyway? Meaning, the facts are the facts, Clark’s direct connection to firefighting doesn’t make a fact “better” unless you have the actual experience and knowledge to make the facts “more”. Clark didn’t have that.
Also, get thicker skin. Clark brought this upon himself. The only “gotcha” or wrong thing here was Clark thinking he could get away with something easily refuted.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 9:51 am:
The bench must be pretty thin down there. This dude is a bit kooky or worse. It’s not like people in these communities don’t know each other and who does what. Can’t wait to see him dressed as an astronaut.
- Return to Sender - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 9:53 am:
“Scoop” is at it again. Nice to read work from an enterprising reporter. More, please!
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 9:54 am:
=== Can’t wait to see him dressed as an astronaut.===
Won’t happen. Rauner has it “on loan” thru October….
- Iggy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 9:55 am:
Even the most true part of this story seems embellished. 7 weeks as a volunteer fire fighter? sounds more like a college student trying to build up his resume for future jobs. I don’t even think the title volunteer fire fighter is deserving for his limited participation.
Avery Bourne won this district handily against a real opponent, this guy blocks news reporters after he gets called out for lying, do you think this one will even be close? See ya Dillion, thanks for playing.
- Anon - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 9:58 am:
Can I please form the Democrats for Avery Bourne committee?
- Baggs McCoy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 9:59 am:
If this is a supposed Tier 1 race for the HDEMs against Bourne then someone was asleep at the wheel with the preparation with this guy. Could this be the beginnings of the Madigan machine feeling the pressure?
- OneMan - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:02 am:
Shortly after I was married, I used to visit my wife at work in a hospital, so I was a medical professional.
I get that small town volunteer FDs may be casual, but I don’t see them letting him do firefighter things.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:02 am:
His campaign slogan is “A New Hope”? Seriously? Cue the opening crawl:
Episode IV, A NEW HOPE
It is a period of civil war. Rebel legislators, striking from a hidden 3rd floor office, have won their first victory against the evil Rauner Empire.
During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Governor’s ultimate weapon, the TURNAROUND AGENDA, an armored policy agenda with enough power to destroy an entire state.
Pursued by the Governor’s sinister agents, Princess Dillon races home aboard his firetruck, custodian of the stolen plans that can save his people and restore freedom to the General Assembly….
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:03 am:
===Can I please form the Democrats for Avery Bourne committee?===
I guess… if being a Raunerite is appealing to Democrats, you should go for it. No one will stop you…
Clark is an ill-prepared, green candidate who appears over his head when trying to pass himself off as he has with this firefighter “thingy”.
As a Democrat, if you support Raunerism, you should start that committee.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:05 am:
–When asked about his campaign costume, Clark confessed that while he wore the chief’s helmet, “I am not a fire chief. The chief let me wear his helmet on that day.–
Lucky-ducky.
Hannah, I think you have a typo in your lede. Sounds to me like this little fella is 6, not 26.
I think my oldest son was about six when we stopped our regular visits to our fire station in his firefighter costume so he could climb up in the ladder truck cab.
Still, you know Rauner’s jealous. I’m betting I know what the next addition to the biker and cowboy ensems is….
- Saluki - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:08 am:
His twitter video wearing a blazer in a corn field and firing a double barrel shotgun gun at an off screen target is one of the more idiotic things I have seen in awhile as well.
If you are going to talk about being on target, at least show the clay bird being broken on screen for goodness sake. “I’ve gauged the competition and I know I am the right caliber for the job.” LOL. I wonder how long he stayed up at night writing that script.
- Anon 62704 - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:08 am:
==If this is a supposed Tier 1 race for the HDEMs against Bourne[…]=
Who said anything about Tier 1?
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:11 am:
===But I was a volunteer fire man back in the day and I really enjoyed that===
Anytime a 26 year old uses the expression “back in the day,” the BS detector better start buzzing.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:13 am:
Clear choice here
Clark a young rookie who makes a mistake but whom I think would represent his district well.
Or
Bourne, a young rookie whose mistake was selling her soul to Rauner and whole heartedly helping Rauner to
Destroy the private social service network
Over a million Illinoisans lost services
Destroy higher ed
72000 students left Il for other states
Stiffed small business contractor
1 billion in late fees and interest
Destroyed agencies including our economic development agency
Tanked our credit rating
Did nothing for 14 vets who died of Legionaires
Gave Edge grants to Rivian (50 million) a car company that has yet to make a single car
And helped Rauner make more investment income
In office than before office
Bourne
facilitated
Enabled
Cheered in
Rauners terrible cost to this state
Yeah….
I’m going with the 7week voluntary fireman
Don’t screw up again Clark
- So_Ill - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:16 am:
===Anytime a 26 year old uses the expression “back in the day,” the BS detector better start buzzing.===
My first thought as well. Yikes…
- Past the Rule of 85 - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:18 am:
Like Vanilla Man, I also served as a Volunteer Firefighter/EMT and also risked my life for neighbors, friends and strangers. A few times I risked my marriage because of the training demands and my commitment to the Department. I saw more than my share of people showing up for the T-Shirt, never to be seen again. I don’t know if this sinks to the level of Stolen Valor, but it’s very close.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:19 am:
Perspective?
Let’s say, just for argument’s sake, Clark was legally able to be a volunteer firefighter at 18, and Clark was, in every way, from training to experience, a true volunteer firefighter, serving his community.
That would be 7+ years of experience.
Clark was… a volunteer firefighter for 7 weeks… in 2010
Hmm.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:20 am:
Dusgusting. Sounds like he did the absolute minimum possible to be able to brag he was “a firefighter”, including claiming in the interview that he was so busy responding to calls and being a hero that it affected his grades…boy that “one” call he responded to must’ve been a doozy. Firefighters (real ones), whether full time or volunteer, spend countless hours, including in the middle of the night and missing important family events, to do their job. He has no honor. Between he and Sam mcCann trying to claim he was a Marine, is there something in the water in South Central Illinois to spur this idiocy?
The Litchfield Fire Chief’s response was troubling as well. This wasn’t “some kid” just wanting a tour. This was a political candidate using your department and equipment for political purposes to portray himself as something he’s not.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:22 am:
==Clark was… a volunteer firefighter for 7 weeks… in 2010==
Since he apparently only ever showed up to one meeting a maybe responded to one call, I think calling it 7 weeks is even a little generous. 7 hours, maybe.
- Saluki - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:24 am:
The whole video is just incredible to watch. His voice over sounds like he is trying to do a bad James Earl Jones impression. The cheesy shots of him riding around in a police cruiser….and did the Mayor of Litchfield approve the use of taxpayer funded resources for the filming of this ad?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:26 am:
===…is even a little generous.===
I deferred to the fire chief. If he was that generous, I will follow suit.
- Saluki - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:27 am:
“We know that our current Rep in Springfield don’t care.”
May wanna re-record that voice over and insert “doesn’t” instead of “don’t.”
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:32 am:
Clark is coming off like a DINO who is just in it to make sure Bourne retains her seat. Any Proft money backing him? (no snark- honest question)
- Try-4-Truth - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:33 am:
Here is where this kid messed up… One lesson for all the would-be candidates out there…
Voters don’t care about you… They care about themselves. If something in your personal story can make them believe that you are going to do something for them, they will vote for you. If not, don’t make up things. If you do and get caught, then they no longer have any reason to believe anything you say.
I’m pretty sure I wasn’t this stupid when I was 26. Then again, that was 20 years ago. Maybe I was, I can’t remember that far back.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:36 am:
===D_ _ O===
(Sigh)
Clark is 26, “embellishes” his firefighting, and appears to lack a grounded idea how to come across as a candidate… “D _ _ O”?… c’mon.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:37 am:
In looking at Clark’s twitter feed, Clark states that Bourne voted against the 95th district’s infrastructure plan that was introduced on FY2019-2024 Proposed Highway Improvement Program. When were their votes upon this or is this another one of Clark’s made up stories?
- Iggy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:38 am:
Honeybear,
your blind partisanship is astonishing. Watching Dillon get questioned about his service he struggles to stand still and answer the question without looking away. someone who took one psychology class could analyze this young man as a compulsive liar. He lied about his service today, what is he going to lie about next? Give it up this kid is toast. you can’t just block people when you are upset. then again Andy Manar blocked me on twitter when I asked him one question so I guess that just the democrat go to move in Central Illinois. #Thinskin
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:46 am:
===you can’t just block people when you are upset.===
See: Trump, Donald J.,
There’s court cases about this and everything.
===then again Andy Manar blocked me on twitter when I asked him one question so I guess that just the democrat go to move in Central Illinois.===
You’d be surprised to learn GOP members of the Illinois General Assembly block people too?
Hmm.
#ThinSkin … indeed.
- Illinois Lawmakers Director - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:47 am:
Of note… the music is used on the Facebook video, was from the Captain America soundtrack. I really doubt he paid Disney all that money to use that one clip.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:48 am:
I did like the 1.2 years thingy though
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:48 am:
===then blocked a reporter on Twitter who called him out for it.===
The ILGOP better be sure none of their candidates and sitting members aren’t blocking media on their twitter… just sayin’
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:51 am:
I know McCann already has a running mate, but I think he should consider changing it up and add Clark to the ticket. The two could practically be brothers.
- Steve - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:51 am:
It reminds me of a gubernatorial candidate dressing up as a construction worker.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 10:56 am:
Honeybear, exactly how did Avery Bourne help Bruce Rauner “make more investment income in office than before office?”
I’m all ears.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:04 am:
Arthur Anderson, by facilitating the destruction of public assets government programs and most importantly the pinstripe patronage and no bid contracts to IT firms that Rauner has investments in. It’s proven that Rauner did Not set up a blind trust and that Rauner has increased the stock price in IT and consulting firms thus radically enhancing his investment income. Bourne helped him do that with her support and vote.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:09 am:
My first house fire was at a neighbor’s house. Her family escaped as the fire began in a bedroom closet. When we arrived it didn’t look too bad. After 30 minutes, the fire burned through the entire attic. After four house, we had put the fire out, but everything the fire didn’t destroy, our water did.
After we could get safely in, it was our job to move anything salvageable out and into our station’s garage. It is heartbreaking to see children’s favorite things ruined. You salvage things you use in your own home. You tearfully watch grown men cry as they try to find more strength to clean up what’s left in the hot summer sun.
You don’t lie about serving. You don’t pretend you know. You don’t insult those of us who never stop thinking that “if we only got there sooner”, “if we only charged inside sooner”.
If only…
If only political people had a conscience to not support a candidate who could be so callous, thoughtless or unfeeling.
This guy isn’t suitable to vote for. I don’t care about the politics. He has disqualified himself.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:19 am:
OW- Being young and careless may be Clark’s major flaws, but is it not unheard of to run a Dem candidate who really isn’t a Dem in order to bolster and keep safe a Republican seat. His, “I don’t care who’s in charge,” statement is somewhere between a Dunkin and a Drury impression. I am not saying he needs to be a Madigan lap dog, but he should at least realize he will have to answer that question at some point. His district may be fine with a “No”, but he needs to be strong enough in his convictions to say something definite. If it’s a “No”, then tell us why. “Yes” may hurt him more, but “Present” isn’t enough to win this seat.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:25 am:
===but is it not unheard of to run a Dem candidate who really isn’t a Dem in order to bolster and keep safe a Republican seat.===
I’d like to think I know about this too, but if you feel the need to lecture me on this, please have at as you are doing.
While you’re doing so with tin foil firmly placed on your head, this 26 year old novice isn’t “going on vacation”, MIA, or following any known pattern of stalking horse candidates that are put in place to help a sitting member get a pass.
You’re suggesting Clark purposely embellished, in hopes of being caught and humiliated? Why else run such a blatently false ad that’s provable to be false from jump street?
===His, “I don’t care who’s in charge,” statement is somewhere between a Dunkin and a Drury impression. I am not saying he needs to be a Madigan lap dog, but he should at least realize he will have to answer that question at some point. His district may be fine with a “No”, but he needs to be strong enough in his convictions to say something definite. If it’s a “No”, then tell us why. “Yes” may hurt him more, but “Present” isn’t enough to win this seat.===
(Sigh)
Clark isn’t the only candidate facing that question or dodging it.
- Trump2020 - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:27 am:
It also looks like he hijacked his logo from the Puerto Rican flag. Cultural appropriation?
- Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:27 am:
It’s nice he wants to help volunteer firefighters.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:27 am:
==Being young and careless may be Clark’s major flaws==
Nope.
He’s exposed himself as being far worse than that.
It’s not “may be” either. He is.
Then you want to believe that this embarrassment is a GOP “plant”?
Stop. This isn’t about politics.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:32 am:
==Clark isn’t the only candidate facing that question or dodging it.==
OW, be honest on this one. He isn’t dodging it. He doesn’t even understand the premise of the question. He’s too old to be just a dopey kid. Yet, that’s exactly what he is at the moment.
- Anon - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:32 am:
–You’d be surprised to learn GOP members of the Illinois General Assembly block people too?
How many of the IL GOP are blocking reporters? I mean, it’s one thing to be a regular joe spewing partisan rhetoric in a negative fashion on a candidate’s page and getting blocked by the candidate and a completely different thing to block a TV News reporter who is airing a critical piece on the candidate, right?
- Lolz - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:33 am:
His campaign logo is stolen from Frank Underwood with house of cards
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:39 am:
===How many of the IL GOP are blocking reporters?===
Keep up, please… this is what I’m responding to…
===then again Andy Manar blocked me…===
K? K.
I also stated…
===The ILGOP better be sure none of their candidates and sitting members aren’t blocking media on their twitter… just sayin’===
That’s on the ILGOP… they can say whatever, but be sure they aren’t doing the same…
===I mean, it’s one thing to be a regular joe spewing partisan rhetoric in a negative fashion on a candidate’s page and getting blocked by the candidate and a completely different thing to…===
You should take this up with - Iggy -, lol
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:42 am:
===…be honest on this one.===
I am, I can even point out where you say similar…
===Clark isn’t the only candidate facing that question or dodging it.===
… that Dem candidates will face the Madigan question, especially House candidates.
He’s dodging it because his lack of political acumen, at 26 or not, prevents him from answering because he, like many, may not know how to answer. Clark is no different. Clark is also lucky that part was cut.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:43 am:
Honeybear, that is absurd, and I’m no Raunerbot. The blind or not blind trust issue aside, there is 1) no evidence that Rauner holds stock investments in publicly traded IT or consulting companies doing business with the State and 2) no evidence that State of Illinois business caused an increase in the stock price of such firms so as to cause a dramatic increase in Rauner’s investment income. I’m giving you a pass on Bourne’s alleged complicity, which is equally dubious.
You need to cut back on the AFSCME Kool-Aid.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:52 am:
I said nothing about a GOP plant, I asked, honestly, if there was any Proft-type money involved.
Does Clark have the backing of the State Democrats, or is he doing this on his own? If he does have their backing, they need to school him quite a bit, otherwise he’s a throw-away candidate against Bourne by stumbling and bumbling so much so early on.
- I Miss Bentohs - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:53 am:
“I did like the 1.2 years thingy though”
I really liked this part too. Then when questioned about it, the response is even better … 1.2 years.
- m - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:57 am:
Anyone notice Maxwell’s newest tweet? Says Clark was a Rauner campaign staffer in 14.
- INI - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:00 pm:
=I said nothing about a GOP plant, I asked, honestly, if there was any Proft-type money involved.=
Then what was this comment supposed to mean?
=is it not unheard of to run a Dem candidate who really isn’t a Dem in order to bolster and keep safe a Republican seat.=
That type of speculation is laughable. It’s honestly too early to already be this drunk Annon221.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:01 pm:
=I said nothing about a GOP plant, I asked, honestly, if there was any Proft-type money involved.=
Then what was this comment supposed to mean?
=is it not unheard of to run a Dem candidate who really isn’t a Dem in order to bolster and keep safe a Republican seat.=
That type of speculation is laughable. It’s honestly too early to already be this drunk.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:02 pm:
===I said nothing about a GOP plant, I asked, honestly, if there was any Proft-type money involved.===
Here’s what you said after as well…
===…Dem candidate who really isn’t a Dem in order to bolster and keep safe a Republican seat.===
Proft is helping Bourne… arguably one of the biggest Raunerites seated in the GA?
That’s your point?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:15 pm:
Perhaps Andy Manar would like to comment
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:17 pm:
AA- Rauner lied and said he was putting his investments in a blind trust. He didn’t, he was still directing them.
Rauner made 57.5 million in 2014
188 million in 2015
That’s a hell of a return on investment
Especially for a blind trust
But it wasn’t blind
I believe it was directed
Based upon insider knowledge
I admit I have no proof
But where there’s a heck of a lot of smoke….
Back to the post
Bourne was totally complicit with Rauner
What has she done independently?
Name one thing?
She’s a Raunerite
Wholely owned and operated by Rauner
Clark must be gaining on Bourne
Otherwise they wouldn’t bother
Hang in there Dillon
(But learn your lesson)
Vman- ease up on the projections. Have a little self differentiation.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:49 pm:
===Says Clark was a Rauner campaign staffer in 14.===
Back in the day.
- SSL - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:49 pm:
Dillon Clark exercises extremely poor judgment and is a proven liar. Sounds like a wonderful choice for political office in Illinois.
Well done sir.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:52 pm:
–…the fact that Clark was on the Rauner campaign payroll in 2014.–
That explains the goofy lies and love of year-round Halloween dressup.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:55 pm:
===Says Clark was a Rauner campaign staffer in 14.===
Was Clark a Democrat then, or a Republican? I know people can change parties, but it’s important to know why. Is it for principles or politics? Conscience or convenience? Or, was it simply a job for the money?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:56 pm:
Please…
Diana Rauner IS a Democrat.
She inspired Clark to join the Rauner ‘14 campaign.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:05 pm:
So the going rate to ruin your own reputation by, let’s say, running for the GA, as a Dem, and claim to be a volunteer firefighter, which is provably untrue, to help a Raunerite keep her seat in the GA is …$5,833.33?
What, Clark couldn’t hold out for $166.76 to make it a cool $6K overall?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:10 pm:
So Clark has more experience as a Raunerite than he does as a firefighter
- Louis G. Atsaves - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:20 pm:
Manar sees nothing wrong with this behavior? Interesting.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:22 pm:
This probably won’t help him but I know Dillon Clark personally. I met him at a DEM candidate event a year ago.
He’s hard working, earnest, a good listener, and self deprecating. He’s someone I’d love to see succeed. I think he would be a great representative.
Yes he embellished
So did Rauner saying he was a successful business man
But I don’t see Bourne doing anything except what Rauner tells her to do
I have seen Clark work incredibly hard
I’ll stand by Clark any day
Over Complicit Bourne
- m - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:23 pm:
=She inspired Clark to join the Rauner ‘14 campaign.=
I figured he was inspired by the top of the ticket. As in:
“If we can recruit our billionaire to run against their billionaire for gov…
Why can’t the 95th recruit our former Rauner staffer to run against their former Rauner staffer?”
- OneMan - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:33 pm:
So did Rauner saying he was a successful businessman
and
Rauner made 57.5 million in 2014
188 million in 2015
One of these is not like the other…
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:34 pm:
Portion, 6.4 weeks divided by base, 52 weeks gives you .12. Is that what Clark meant? He worked .12 of a year?
- Pundent - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:42 pm:
=Bourne was totally complicit with Rauner
What has she done independently?=
Well if that’s the litmus test there’s a whole bunch of Democrats that have been lockstep with Madigan, Cullerton as well. You can’t give Clark a pass on the same thing you criticize Rauner for.
What you’re suggesting is that we overlook a blatant distortion from Clark because he’s better than the alternative (in this case Bourne). That type of thinking is what saddled us with Rauner to begin with. Lots of people thought that anything would be better than Pat Quinn and lies and half-truths were ignored or easily dismissed. Whether its a Republican or Democrat we have to do better.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:46 pm:
===Well if that’s the litmus test there’s a whole bunch of Democrats that have been lockstep with Madigan, Cullerton as well.===
That’s Rauner’s take since 2013…
Borne is a Raunerite… she won in 2016 as a Raunerite… being a known Raunerite hasn’t hurt her.
There is a difference between being a Republican and a Raunerite, and she’s won being a Raunerite.
If you decide going after her record, you shoulda tried in the primary. The 95th is saddled with her, and they’re fine with it.
- NorthsideNoMore - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:47 pm:
Clark drop the Fire Chiefs Hat and the Cardinals hat too. Character counts you as a 26 year old have poked a large hole in the credibility dam and this race won’t go well for you now. Down-state folks don’t like being lied to. Up here in the big city we are used to it, there meh not so much.
- Saluki64 - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:49 pm:
Honeybear, embellished? Embellished would have said, “I was and am very interested in volunteer firefighting. During my college years, my roommate was one and I really got to know those folks and wish I had become one.” No, he didn’t embellish. He lied. “As a volunteer firefighter” and using footage for the entire commercial, his implication was he is and was an active volunteer firefighter. Implying is the same as lying by omission.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:54 pm:
Pendent- indeed we must do better.
However-
What other DEMS do is not the issue here. Clark is not in office. Bourne is. She votes as Rauner wills it. Clark hadn’t cast s vote yet. We don’t know how independent he will be. Bourne has a record.
And yes, I am saying that we cut Clark some slack because there isn’t a lot for me that I won’t forgive to get Rauner and every last lickspittle out of office.
Clark was a volunteer fire fighter
Yes he embellished
Okay I’ll even say he lied about length of service and that he implied illinois service.
I don’t care
Complicit Bourne
And every Raunerite must go
Every day I deal with the human suffering
Rauner caused
In East St. Louis
So I get if you don’t understand what is at stake here.
I do
And I support Clark
Would you rather have Rauner
Empowered to destroy more?
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 2:08 pm:
You can have your sanctimonious scruples
Or
4 more years of Rauner destruction
Enabled by a complicit
Avery Bourne
If anything we should be screaming about the over 1 million people that lost services the depend on under Rauner (United Way study)
Or the thousands of social service jobs
Or the 72000 students who left.
But no
To you it’s equal to lying about the length of service as a volunteer firefighter
Don’t speak to me of moral equivalency
Anybody else want to run up on me?
I’m now in a mood
- DeseDemDose - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 2:22 pm:
Honeybear, Thanks for shooting staight all the time, every time.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 2:22 pm:
=Clark hadn’t cast s vote yet. We don’t know how independent he will be.=
=Also, looks like Clark unblocked Maxwell on Twitter, but also unearthed the fact that Clark was on the Rauner campaign payroll in 2014.=
This is why blindly expressing loyalty to one party or another is a dangerous thing. We don’t know how independent Clark may be. We do however know that he wasn’t much of a volunteer fireman and was on the Rauner payroll.
We know who Bourne is. I can’t say the same for Clark. Be careful what you wish for.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 2:45 pm:
I am not expressing any loyalty to the Dems. Frankly I’ve had problems with them as well. Dems are a huge reason why labor, what I am loyal too, is where it is.
But overriding everything for labor
Is the absolute necessity of taking
Rauner and every last Raunerite out
We must restore conservatives
Authentic republicans
Raunerites have ruined the ILGOP
OW says this all the time
“We let a stranger in the house”
Bourne helped him stay in
And showed him where the silver was hidden
Prudent would rather stroke his righteousness
Than help save illinois
From the worst governor in the US
Prudent the privileged
Has no understanding
Of the damage being done
It must be nice behind your walls
But out here
In the real Illinois
Things are getting worse all the time
I see it
I work in it
I am doing something about it
So is Dillon Clark
By running against
Avery Bourne
To stop the incredible damage being done
By her owner and patron
Bruce Rauner
You bet I’m with Clark
Every day and twice on Sunday
- Pundent - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 3:27 pm:
You’ve got yourself so lathered up that you somehow conclude that I (and others) are working to enable Rauner’s agenda. Far from it.
You might want to take a breath and read the updates to learn more about Dillon Clark and what he was doing in 2014. Your hyper-partisanship seems to be affecting your reading comprehension.
I’m absolutely in favor of reversing the damage done by Rauner, with real candidates.
Now maybe Clark has had an epiphany since 2014 but I’ve yet to hear it.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 3:29 pm:
==So is Dillon Clark==
You know what Dillon Clark is not doing? Fighting fires and running out on 3 am calls, putting his life on the line and stress on his family for the good of others. But he wants people to think he is. He showed up for the T-shirt, and title, and to use public personnel and resources on the public dime for the sole purpose of his campaign ads (which if I’m a taxpayer of Litchfield I’d take serious issue with)… but shirked the actual responsibility and risk a real firefighter has to face. He’s a liar, a coward, and owes the people he’s trying to deceive an apology.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 3:36 pm:
===We disagreed on a lot, but it was his attacks on union workers that drove me to leave his campaign and his new brand of Illinois Republican Party.===
Hmm.
It wasn’t until February of 2015 and Decatur that the labor policies came to fruition.
In the general election, Cabdidate Rauner went out if his way to steer clear of going after ALL of labor, so when was this epiphany? It took until September to figure out Rauner’s position on labor… working on the campaign?
He’s working ON the campaign… and figured it out… in September?
Yikes.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 3:38 pm:
To Update #5-
Thank you, Dillon, for clarifying your association with the Rauner Campaign. Keep knocking on the doors, but also keep in mind that Rauner has a very bad habit of stretching the truth of a matter. Don’t fall into the same pattern. If you have misspoken or misrepresented yourself, stop now, acknowledge what you did, and apologize. Those are steps that Rauner and T can’t seem to master. Don’t buy into the same style of politicking.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 3:40 pm:
Honeybear, hard work is a good thing. It does not Trump being a liar (writ big). A hard working, scheming liar is not what we need in politics. Have plenty of those already. He’s 26 years old, out of diapers for a long time. I wont treat him like a boy who made a little mistake. If he’ll do this, he’ll do anything he thinks he can get away with…….considering this episode, he should rethink a life in politics.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 3:44 pm:
“AA…I admit I have no proof.”
And you never will, because it ain’t true and never was.
Best of luck defending the phony baloney fool Clark.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 4:26 pm:
==If this is a supposed Tier 1 race for the HDEMs==
It’s not.
==In the general election, Cabdidate Rauner went out if his way to steer clear of going after ALL of labor==
Yeah, but it was a pretty open secret. Union leadership knew exactly who Rauner was, they just couldn’t shift their members’ opinions after 4 years of hammering Quinn.
- Stumpy's bunker - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 4:55 pm:
I’m more disturbed by the bigger picture: that Wayne Rosenthal was ejected from that seat for the reason that he represented his constituency. A state representative was replaced by a governor’s representative in the form of Avery Bourne. And that happened many places across the state. Yes, Bourne can now say she has been elected, but so could a pet rock in that district if it had an “R” behind its name.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 4:55 pm:
Pungent- so what “real candidate” do we have on that district?
We only have Clark
Only D on the ballot
So we either support Clark and start the cleanup
Or
We roll the dice with a sycophant
Whose never had a real job
A politician who enabled
So much destruction
- Alex Ander - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 5:17 pm:
“I was a volunteer fire man back in the day”
ROFL At 26 years old, you don’t have a “back in the day” in your timneline.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 5:23 pm:
Manar’s response reveals him as cut from the same cloth.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 5:31 pm:
Clark supports Rauner until he doesn’t.
He’s a volunteer fireman, until he isn’t.
He’s a Republican until he’s a Democrat.
He impresses Manar who matches Clark in authenticity.
Clark is only out for himself and will do and say whatever he needs to do and say to be a legislator - until he isn’t, right?
Honeybear, you’ve really exposed yourself as a rube with a “kick me” sign taped to your back. It happens to us all.
Your turn.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 7:03 pm:
Whatever VanillaMan, I’ve met with and talked with Dillon over drinks several times. I’m assuming you’ve never met him. I dare say you have no basis to judge, not that thats ever stopped you.
But again, I rather support wholeheartedly Dillon Clark than someone who does Rauners bidding like Bourne.
I have also decided that the Clark is going to get more phonebank time and dedicated AFSCME canvassers.
AFSCME Locals 1805,124,799, and 3654 will push him over the line like we did for McCann.
Call me what you will Vman.
See you on the field.
Oh, that’s right, you just comment online.
Best of luck to whomever you write checks to then.
- cc - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 7:10 pm:
Thumbs down on Clark and could never trust one word that comes out of his mouth. If he would lie about volunteer work where folks lives are on the line, he would lie about anything.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 7:19 pm:
– If he would lie about volunteer work where folks lives are on the line, he would lie about anything.–
A politician who lies a lot, with lives on the line, is a bad thing to you, is it? That’s super.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 9:24 pm:
The governor lies compulsively about things big and small. To me it speaks to a much deeper character issue and it has nothing to do with his party affiliation. I can’t condemn the behavior from the governor but accept it from his opponents.
- dbk - Thursday, Jun 21, 18 @ 4:33 am:
This would be a tough one if I were a resident of Montgomery County/ the 95th.
Here’s what a really good candidate looks like:
https://twitter.com/aseitzwald/status/1009430110263545862
I don’t think she embellished, either.
- low level - Thursday, Jun 21, 18 @ 11:30 am:
He’s outstanding and the fact he worked for Rauner doesn’t hurt him a bit. The ILGOP is simply upset they will get beat by one of their own.