* McCullagh is running against Meg Loughran Cappel in the district currently held by Democratic state Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant…
* From May 9th…
“All lives are essential, everything about our businesses is essential,” Shorewood resident and Republican candidate for state senate in the 49th district Tom McCullagh said during a speech to the crowd at a rally to support safely reopening Illinois businesses and industries during the coronavirus pandemic at Mason Square along Route 34 in Oswego Saturday. “We live in a state where every single person in it is corrupt, if you’re in the legislature,” McCullagh said.
* August 5th…
Republican state Senate candidate Thomas McCullagh isn’t buying Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stated reasons for threatening to move several counties backward in the fight to safeguard the state from COVID-19.
“I firmly believe he’s trying to show the worst impact of COVID that he can so he can get the federal bailout he wants to address all the state’s other problems, like pensions,” McCullagh told the Will County Gazette. “He’s trying to politicize the moment by using people’s suffering to get the bailout that he wants.”
* From his Democratic opponent Meg Loughran Cappel…
This speaks for itself. It is shameful that anyone, let alone an office-seeker, would share a stage with felon Rod Blagojevich after he tried leveraging our state’s highest office for personal gain.
* From Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady’s office…
“We were not involved in this event. I support President Trump and I support Tom McCullagh.
*** UPDATE *** ILGOP is not amused…
- Norseman - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 10:57 am:
=== “We were not involved in this event. I support President Trump and I support Tom McCullagh. ===
Translation: Brady supports corruption and acceptance of corruption by his tribe, but opposes it by the other tribe.
Your hyper-hypocrisy is showing Senator. But we know that. Which is why the ethics rhetoric from your party rings hollow.
- Roadrager - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 10:58 am:
Bill Brady offering his own spin on “I haven’t seen the tweet.”
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:02 am:
“We live in a state where every single person in it is corrupt, if you’re in the legislature,” McCullagh said.
So vote for me and I’ll be just like the guy I’m sharing the stage with. Where’s nearest children’s hospital?
- Donnie Elgin - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:02 am:
Blago has a certain appeal, and the timing is good with corruption once again swirling around elected Dems. He is a useful symbol.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:03 am:
===He is a useful symbol.===
For useful idiots.
- Socially DIstant watcher - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:06 am:
Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas.
Some of that is unavoidable, but really, people, pick and choose when you can.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:08 am:
“I support President Trump”
From an ILGOP leader. Well, there goes the Madigan anti-corruption messaging, flushed down the loo, helped in a big way by Blagojevich.
- Sylvania - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:08 am:
I’d love to go back to the days of Blago. He might have been incompetent, but at least we still had some semblance of sanity in the state and the city.
- Ghost - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:08 am:
This is 2020
- Rahm's Middle Finger - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:09 am:
Who is the genius who came up with this idea?
This is a mailer that writes itself. Rod’s approval rating when he left office was something like 8%. Wonder what it was with Republicans? Like .00001?
Good luck buddy.
- RIJ - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:10 am:
This isn’t shameful. It’s hilarious. What self-respecting Republican is going to attend this thing? Oh, never mind - they gave self respect up four years ago.
- Annoyed - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:11 am:
So I guess Meg doesn’t believe in ban the box for Blago.
- Pundent - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:18 am:
There’s nothing like having a keynote from a corrupt Governor, whose sentence was commuted by a corrupt President, to drive home the message that we won’t stand for corruption.
- Just Me 2 - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:21 am:
I wonder how much Blago is getting paid for this. Looking forward to seeing that disclosure. It turns my stomach at the idea of buying a ticket for this event that would then be used to pay this corrupt clown.
- OneMan - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:22 am:
== Intimate address by Governor Blagojevich ==
Well considering how much trouble him speaking to a small audience in the past it would seem like this is a bad idea.
What a clown show.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:23 am:
===but at least we still had some semblance of sanity===
Um, you mean when he talked about calling out the National Guard on the city? Or when he was so out of it the mayor called him kookoo? Or when he was shaking down a children’s hospital CEO for a campaign contribution?
Which of those sane things do you mean?
- Quizzical - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:26 am:
1. “Cash Bar” — There is not enough cash in Illinois to buy the drinks I would need to sit through this event
2. “For security reasons, event location will be disclosed morning of event” — Alamo took our security deposit for a Hyundai sedan, but if sales exceed expectations, we can apply the deposit to a 12 person passenger van.
- khill - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:37 am:
Well, that sounds like a real nightmare.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:41 am:
“We live in a state where every single person in it is corrupt, if you’re in the legislature,”
Then why does the front page of your campaign website have a photo of you on the Senate floor where all those corrupt people work? And which of those corrupt people invited you onto the Senate floor for this campaign photo to be taken?
https://www.mccullagh4senate.com/
- Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:43 am:
===Which of those sane things===
Not to mention the endless overtime sessions, the needless fights he believed he had to pick, the childish behavior when he didn’t get everything he wanted, the stubborn refusal to actually do the work the job entailed. Do I need to go on?
- MG85 - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:53 am:
I’m starting to think the GOP are tilting their hands a bit here to Mike Madigan:
We will totally forgive the alleged corruption if you’ll just switch hit for our team.
- All this - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:53 am:
== So I guess Meg doesn’t believe in ban the box for Blago.==
What a silly statement.
No one is preventing Tom McCullagh from “hiring” Blagojevich from speaking, if that is what he is doing. The “Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act” doesn’t make having an opinion about such a hire illegal.
- JoanP - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 11:54 am:
Stuff like this is why I never bother with “The Onion” any more. It’s getting way too hard to separate satire and reality.
- mrp - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 12:05 pm:
“Event live streamed to over 1.67 million subscribers”
What subscribers? Who? Where?
1.67 sounds more like it.
- Rudy’s teeth - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 12:12 pm:
Where’s Milan Petrovic on the program? Surely Blago would enjoy a friendly face on the dais?
- Cheryl44 - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 12:22 pm:
A live fundraiser during a pandemic. That’ll turn out well.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 12:39 pm:
“An intimate address by Governor Blagojevich.”
First, they mis-spelled inmate.
Second, betcha Rod will be piped in via Cameo for slightly more than his going rate of $35.
Good seats still available.
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 12:40 pm:
“I support President Trump”
I will not be voting for any candidate that is running on the republican’t ticket. The blatant hypocrisy, dishonesty, tolerance of moral turpitude and devotion to tramp have turned me away from ever voting for that party again.
- I am Batman - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 12:40 pm:
Location is undisclosed due to security concerns????
- Chatham Resident - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 12:43 pm:
==would share a stage with felon Rod Blagojevich==
I thought that guy on stage was that Elvis impersonator for the evening.
- Annoyed - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 12:47 pm:
LOL All This….guy needs employment, whether it was wise for the R’s to hire him is another story. But the guy is hustling for a job (I mean have you seen his b-day messages). And Meg dropped the felon line in her statement therefore she believes in un-ban the box, whether you like it or not.
- Irma Gerd - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 12:49 pm:
== Intimate address by Governor Blagojevich ==
It took a couple of glances for my brain realize the word was ‘Intimate’ and not’Inmate’…
- Chatham Resident - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 12:51 pm:
==LOL All This….guy needs employment==
He could easily create his own gig just as an Elvis impersonator.
- The Old Man - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 1:36 pm:
Would I have had Rod at an event for me? NO! What is as shameful is that dems still take MJM’s money.
- All this - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 1:54 pm:
== And Meg dropped the felon line in her statement therefore she believes in un-ban the box, whether you like it or not.==
Wrong. I don’t know what she believes, but ban the box doesn’t make people hire felons. They can choose not to hire a felon. It just prevents people from asking about their status.
And ban the box says nothing about anyone having an opinion about hiring a particular felon.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 3:45 pm:
To the post,
The reason “because Madigan” can’t fully breakout from the weak attempts to taint Dems is Rod going full Trumpkin and the reminder how awful Rod was and that Dems not only impeached Rod, Rod was removed from office, led by Dems in both chambers.
The Raunerites who support Trump also have an ally in Rod Blagojevich.
Think on that.
Raunerites. Blagojevich. Trump.
And the chamber caucuses think they have a shot for Raunerite pickups in the suburbs, and with women and minorities?
Rod Blagojevich is all that is wrong with Illinois politics… and supports Trump… and is rejecting the Dem nominee for president.
It can’t get much worse for a Raunerite right now.
- Leigh John-Ella - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:26 pm:
Advance outline of Blagojevich speech
Hey, hi there. Howya doing?
— Story about how he’s sorry he’s late but he had trouble finding parking. He asked a guy if he could have his parking spot right out front and the guy said, “I’m not giving it up for nothing.”
— Story about being mistaken for Mayor Daley on his way over.
(Remind audience of who Mayor Daley was).
— Story about all the people who unfairly wronged him, but he’s like the little boy searching for the pony in the pile of horse manure.
Close with: Thanks for making this another “up” day in my life.
- The Jungle - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 5:01 pm:
Rich, it is stories like this one concerning Blago that I wish you had the “throw up” emoji. How low can they go. Geez.
- Kippax Blue - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 5:11 pm:
Geez—-that’s an awful steep ticket for a guy you can get to say what you want for $75 on Cameo (and intimate, if you want that.)
- Pundent - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 8:08 pm:
Knowing Blagojevich I’m sure his “address” centers around how he was treated very unfairly just like the President. So despite what the ILGOP has to say about corruption, their words ring hollow. Their leader tells me so and our former Governor agrees.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 9:13 pm:
=== Republicans in Illinois are for cleaning up Democrat corruption that has plagued us for ===
Democrat corruption? They make it sound like there’s only one specific Democrat they’re concerned about.
I can think of several Democrats they should be concerned about, and several Republicans, too. Noun vs. adjective, people. English has rules.
A wise teacher once taught me that clear thinking is the key to clear writing.
- Just Peachy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 8:54 am:
What a joke…I think he should have lost the right to put Governor in front of his name.