Harold campaign launches RaoulMadigan.com
Thursday, Sep 6, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Today, Erika Harold’s campaign for Attorney General unveiled RaoulMadigan.com to highlight Kwame Raoul’s and Mike Madigan’s failed fourteen-year partnership in Springfield.
The website will detail at-length the many times Raoul and Madigan worked together to protect their power, line their pockets, and push failed policies, such as:
* Gerrymandering legislative districts
* Voting to raise their own pay
* Skipping pension payments
* Passing unbalanced budgets
* Pushing tax hikes
Paid digital advertising will educate voters on the failed Raoul-Madigan record by directing them to the website.
From RaoulMadigan.com:
State Senator Kwame Raoul. House Speaker Mike Madigan. Two career politicians who share the same failed agenda. They might be in separate chambers in the General Assembly, but make no mistake - Raoul and Madigan have worked hand-in-hand over the last fourteen years, pushing policies that have run our state into the ground.
Since 2005, Kwame Raoul and Mike Madigan have worked together to gerrymander legislative districts, skip pension payments, push tax hikes, pass unbalanced budgets, and even vote to raise their own pay.
And when allegations of patronage, sexual harassment, and heavy-handed politics over the years shook Mike Madigan’s political organization, Illinois voters heard nothing from Kwame Raoul. Why? Because he puts the political class and his own personal ambition before the people of Illinois.
Fourteen years of working with Mike Madigan in Springfield have revealed Kwame Raoul for who he is - just another career politician who’s turned his back on us.
* Some background from last month…
Raoul called her attempt to link him to Madigan as carrying out “the lines handed” to her by Rauner in trying to repeat “that broken record (heard) over and over again in the gubernatorial campaign.”
“It’s not ironic that she was given $1 million a couple of weeks ago from Bruce Rauner and introduced herself in a general campaign with an ad comparing me to Mike Madigan,” Raoul told reporters.
“My name is Kwame Raoul. My last name is not Madigan. I’ve never served in the House of Representatives. Mike Madigan did not ask me to run for attorney general. Mike Madigan did not support me in the primary for attorney general. I was not recruited by anybody to run for attorney general like my opponent was,” Raoul said.
…Adding… From Aviva Bowen at the Raoul campaign…
Anything not to talk about Erika’s extreme views on marriage equality or a woman’s right to choose, I guess.
Harold is holding a fundraiser with Rep. Peter Breen tonight. Breen is currently battling in court with Attorney General Lisa Madigan over HB40.
* Related…
* The Attorney General Race: Talk About The Speaker Dominates
* Equality Illinois PAC endorses State Sen. Kwame Raoul for Attorney General of Illinois
- Montrose - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:14 am:
Is this what Rauner’s money is paying for? I am guessing there was some paperwork stating the minimum number of times the Harold campaign has to mention Madigan in order to get the Rauner’s $1 million.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:16 am:
It’s their dime, but shouldn’t Rauner and Harold have the strong anti-Madigan vote banked already?
Don’t they have to add to that, considerably, to win?
- Ok - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:17 am:
now, if only people could spell Raoul…
- benniefly2 - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:18 am:
Yes. This makes sense???
Citizens of Illinois are so concerned about Madigan connections in the AG office that they elected his daughter has held the office since 2003 and only won’t hold it again because she voluntarily stepped down????
It’s their money, I suppose.
- Ok - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:18 am:
Should have doe KwaMadigan.com
- Juice - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:23 am:
I realize the demographics of the 13th ward are changing, but changing his name to Raul Madigan seems like a pretty shameless way for the Speaker to shore up the Latino vote.
Oh…Raoul Madigan? Whatever.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:26 am:
It’s their dime, but shouldn’t Rauner and Harold have the strong anti-Madigan vote banked already?
Do you mean the 55% of Democratic primary voters who did not want the Speaker’s hand picked candidate to be Governor or the 72% of Illinois residents who don’t approve of Mike Madigan?
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:31 am:
Whose money was wasted on this bad idea?
Harold?
You’re trying too hard.
Go with your strengths.
You’re a likeable former Miss Something-or-other who’s better looking than the guy you’re running against. You’re smarter than your stereotype.
Stick with that.
Then let everyone know that you’re not an extremist. Campaign in Cook county.
Done.
- d.p.gumby - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:33 am:
Can’t wait to see the next ad for Dog Catcher blaming Madigan for the hordes of wild dogs roaming the countryside that only funding from a Brucie Pac(k) can stop!
- Rabid - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:33 am:
Harold was handpicked to after Lisa, Rauner wining on her coatails
- Big Jer - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:34 am:
This “Because- Madigan” schtick is getting soo boring.
It seems Rauner and his minions (Harold, et al) are just following what a PR firm, focus groups, polling, etc. are telling them what the PR firm THINKS will work! This is politics not marketing!! A complete lack of leadership. This applies to JB Pritzker too and his vagueness on specifics.
They also must not have a high regard for the intelligence of the average voter. Sheesh
- Juvenal - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:35 am:
16 years of trying to tie Lisa Madigan to Mike Madigan failed to defeat her.
It is hard to see how it is going to work here.
- Sean Spicer - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:35 am:
Ok - KwaMadigan.com is taken. Madoul.org, however, is available.
- City Zen - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:42 am:
==KwaMadigan.com is taken. Madoul.org, however, is available.==
Kwamigan rolls off the tongue…
Narrator: Kwame accepted large donations from tobacco interests.
Voter: Kwamigan? (Come again?)
- Annonin' - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:45 am:
OK GovJunk has been beating this very same drum for months? years? He trails by close to 20 points. GovJunk buys this “new” voice for $1 million. Hard to see how this works. Maybe the GOPie AG nominee should be asked about the deaths and coverup at Quincy. How proud is she to be on the ticket? How about the chemical plant that even Durkie opposes? Very sad. Bring back Stu Umholtz— before it is too late.
- Chris P. Bacon - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:48 am:
So sick and tired of the whole Mike Madigan obsession. So lazy. Such a cop-out. None of these Republicans deserve to win.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:52 am:
Harold has a much better opportunity to win than Bruce Rauner does.
For the million dollars she’s gotten, the trade off is to run a Raunerite campaign that might be a recipe of disaster in 2018?
When Harold begins her campaign, like Jason Plummer, for Illinois state senate, I hope she looks back and realizes that the Raunerite campaign she chose (by taking the Raunerite million) to run… was hurting, not helping her own chances against Kwame Raoul.
- Precinct Captain - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:15 am:
Better late than never for this I suppose.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:15 am:
I think Raoul is good for attacking Raunerites and their Madigan strategy because he’s a senator and running for a different office. He’s the wrong person to attack, and good for him to assert his identity. This shows more that Rauner and Raunerism have nothing to run on.
Bringing Raoul into it should add another strong voice to call out the Madigan distraction ploy to hide Rauner’s horrible record, for example the sabotaging of the grand bargain.
- Chicago Cynic - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:20 am:
Do these guys have any other plays in their playbook? Even a middle school football team has two plays - running and passing. These guys have one - pound the middle of the zone and hope nobody notices that they’re saying the same thing to everyone.
- DarkHorse - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:28 am:
Dear Oswego Willy,
Completely agree - I liked Harold better in 2014, even though I’m far from a conservative, she was just more appealing then. Rauner’s message is awful, and she’ll hurting herself by getting wrapped up in it.
- DarkHorse - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 12:02 pm:
One problem is running a negative campaign like Harold’s doing is the other side will fight back. The anti-LGBTQ attacks on Harold is just a start. She’s got a lot of weakness for the other side to jump on.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 12:41 pm:
–Do you mean the 55% of Democratic primary voters who did not want the Speaker’s hand picked candidate to be Governor or the 72% of Illinois residents who don’t approve of Mike Madigan?–
No, I meant those who will actually cast a vote for governor or attorney general based on Madigan as a single issue.
Hence the phrase, in writing, “strong anti-Madigan vote.”
Sorry you got confused, but I really can’t dumb-it-down any further.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 12:43 pm:
===Do you mean the 55% of Democratic primary voters who did not want the Speaker’s hand picked candidate to be Governor or the 72% of Illinois residents who don’t approve of Mike Madigan?===
Oh.
Then you concede that Rauner has a 26/52 approval-disapproval, making him the most vulnerable and worst Republican governor in America.
Thanks.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 1:25 pm:
===Rauner’s message is awful, and she’ll hurting herself by getting wrapped up in it.===
Perspective?
$1 million > Rauner’s message and hurting herself by getting wrapped up in it.
Be well.
- Illinikid - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 1:30 pm:
I’m tired of the marriage equality argument. The comments were made years ago when she was a kid. I said some nasty things years ago as well. They don’t represent my views now.
- Ok - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 1:56 pm:
How is KwaMadigan.com already taken?
How did anybody over there actually think of that, pull out their credit card, and spend $15 to get that url, and think - “I am happy with that purchase…”
- wakeup - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 2:16 pm:
This isn’t even a competitive race. Between JB Money, national trends, and Bruce being Bruce, this is over. Not to mention she is a completely empty suit who hasn’t done a thing. That said Kwame isn’t a star either, but his timing is right, and this is “the work of his life… lame, but works
- west wing - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 2:33 pm:
Kwame’s campaign keeps mentioning marriage equality, which is again preaching to the choir that already supports the Democrat. How are they going to persuade a statewide audience to support Kwame?
- wakeup - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 2:43 pm:
=Kwame’s campaign keeps mentioning marriage equality, which is again preaching to the choir that already supports the Democrat. How are they going to persuade a statewide audience to support Kwame?=
That is where the state is… it’s not just Dems. If she ever gets close, she won’t, they will ruin her with her past comments.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 2:46 pm:
–Kwame’s campaign keeps mentioning marriage equality, which is again preaching to the choir that already supports the Democrat. How are they going to persuade a statewide audience to support Kwame?–
65% of Illinoisans support it. That’s quite a majority.
http://ava.prri.org/#lgbt/2017/States/lgbt_ssm/m/US-IL
- Pundent - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 3:07 pm:
I understand why Rauner’s playbook begins and ends with Madigan. It’s all he’s got to work with. He can’t run on his own record so he has to muddy things up by pointing to Madigan.
Harold doesn’t suffer from that same fate. Linking Raoul to Madigan does nothing for her other than please her wealthy donor. I guess that’s the consequence of cashing that big check.
- Anonymiss - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 3:23 pm:
@westwing do you think they’re guessing or polling?
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 3:46 pm:
Jeez. And here I’ve been saying Kwame was running a lousy campaign.