* On March 8th, radio host Dan Proft got back into the campaign game with an independent expenditure committee…

Has he relocated to Naples? I won’t be too far from him after session adjourns, so maybe I’ll stop by. /s

Anyway, he hasn’t yet reported raising any money. [See below for $1 million disclosure from Uihlein.] You’ll recall that he raised millions from Dick Uihlein before dropping out of running campaigns a few years back. Uihlein recently contributed a million dollars to Sen. Darren Bailey’s gubernatorial campaign. Proft supported Bailey in his first run for the Illinois House.

* And here’s Sen. Bailey on his daily Facebook video today…

Yesterday was Tuesday. Every Tuesday up until election day in November Cindy and I will be fasting. And we’ve got a prayer page, Prayer Warriors for Bailey, I think you can go on that and follow that. Some pretty amazing things happen on Tuesday. And yesterday, there were some amazing things happening. And I haven’t got to listen to it yet, but I’m told that on AM 560 this morning I received another endorsement. There’s a Super PAC starting that’s going to be supporting our cause. So that’s amazing. That’s a result of the prayer and the fasting on Tuesday.

* That was Proft’s show. Proft talked about how he supported Bailey during his first run for the House and how he’s going to support him again…

It’s easy to take positions but, when it was time to stand up, Darren Bailey was the only legislator, one of the only Republican officeholders to stand up and take the fight to Pritzker and his one-man rule. If not for Darren Bailey, combined with Tom Devore, that mask mandate extends beyond the time it was in force, you don’t have the revolts that happened, even early on in Downstate school districts, that you have, providing examples to embolden others to be courageous and sensible at the same time. So I just think that’s such a huge credential.

And the other thing is, I have political history with Darren Bailey. Again, the previous Super PAC that I ran supported Darren Bailey as a first time candidate for legislative office coming, you know, off the farm, and out of the school that he and his wife started, a Christian school that he and his wife started, and to be a candidate for state office against an incumbent in southern Illinois, named David Reis, a conservative who I previously supported, but he voted for the Rauner tax increase, a disqualifying vote.

So, Darren Bailey stepped up then and I backed him. Bailey stepped up during the pandemic and I’m backing him, along with others like Jeannie Ives and others backing him again. […]

I’m watching from afar as I can’t coordinate with campaigns. I’m not talking to him or his campaign. I can’t do that by law. So I’m going to do my own thing.

* Speaking of Naples, the other candidate Proft mentioned above adjusted his travel plans and is headed for the swanky town of Naples…

The guy’s firm has a case against CPS in court and candidate petition filing deadline was Monday and he’s bragging about being in Florida. Weird.

*** UPDATE *** The committee just filed a disclosure showing a $1 million contribution from Dick Uihlein.

       

52 Comments - vern - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:03 am: Ok the amount of Florida coming from the Illinois Republican Party is starting to freak me out. What is going on down there? Is the whole party pulling a Skillicorn? - walker - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:04 am: Plenty of Billionaire loose change flying around. Proft will get some. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:04 am: I hope Proft hires better accountants… - MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:04 am: “The guy’s firm has a case against CPS in court and candidate petition filing deadline was Monday and he’s bragging about being in Florida. Weird.” To be fair, it’s no weirder than some of his grammar and spelling choices. – MrJM - Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:05 am: If you go to Disney and are that miserable about it, maybe the problem is you. - Left of what - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:06 am: He really is running low on pac names huh - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:09 am: Also, another clear sign I’m missing out on a slice of the likely half a billion that will be flying about this cycle. Goodness, the rain falling… To the post, What’s “cool” about the name Proft chose? Easy. It’s totally gaslighting the foolish that are to the high rollers who will donate… and don’t fully comprehend Proft’s M.O. … Phony newspapers, radio indoctrination, actresses playing bit roles in races as a “single mom” over and over… Proft is mocking the foolish. It’s quite fun, if it weren’t so damaging to the democratic processes. - Long time Independent - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:10 am: Well DeVore is in Naples probably having lunch or dinner on 5th Ave with Proft getting some of that far far far right wing money. He was honest enough to say he was going fishing he just didn’t say it was fishing for money - Buford - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:15 am: Florida Man watches Illinois from afar…..1300 miles afar. - Arsenal - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:16 am: ==He really is running low on pac names huh == It works for who he’s targeting. Remember, even the insurrectionist crowd thinks that if not liberal cheating, the white supremacist candidates would always win. - Rudy’s teeth - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:19 am: All of DeVore’s grifter money couldn’t spring for the “fast track” pass to circumvent long lines. It’s a vacation. Spend those bucks. Lesson: don’t disparage folks who choose to vacation and enjoy the experience with their families. - New Day - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:19 am: So Proft is hosting his show from Florida? Did he take Amy Jacobsen with him? Can’t wait to see who he gets behind so I’ll know who’s going to lose. - The Real Captain - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:21 am: They just filed an A1 of $1,000,000 for Uhlein - Wow - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:22 am: Proft vs Z. Fun to watch - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:23 am: “Uihlein” For that million bucks, Uihlein may wanna make sure all that money is accounted for, I mean, $1,000 here, $1,000 there, pretty soon Proft can’t find all that money. - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:26 am: “Prayer Warriors for Bailey” Liking that. Raunerites expanded abortion to some ridiculous degree, and Democrats live in iniquity 24/7. Bailey is the realest of the real Americans, or at least he’s paid his political dues by standing with those electoral segments for some time. - Arsenal - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:27 am: ==the real Americans== Who are “the real Americans”? David Bowie told me who the Young Americans were. - Highland, IL - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:28 am: Remind us again of anything that perpetual candidate Bailey has accomplished. He’s earning some easy money being a professional candidate. - Arsenal - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:30 am: ==They just filed an A1 of $1,000,000 for Uhlein== So this is just another avenue for Bailey. Very interesting. Bailey can win the primary even with a lot less money that Griffin, but he needs more money than he has right now. - AC - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:31 am: People Who Play by the Rules is The Answer to the question no one asked, which is who could possibly be motivated by Bailey’s thoughts and opinions about the pandemic to to throw their money to the WIND like that? I’m sure I’ll be reading more about it in the Sangamon Sun, Rock Island Today, Galesburg Reporter, Peoria Standard, Chambana Sun, and the Will County Gazette. I do wonder if Dan Proft contributed $560 dollars of his own money and claimed it as an advertising expense. - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:37 am: “Who are “the real Americans”?” The RNC and GOP. That party has a podcast called “Real America” in which Trump is interviewed. The rest of us are like not really fellow citizens. Chicagoans are the worst, because they are neither true Illinoisans (should be kicked out) nor true Americans. https://gop.com/podcast/ - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:38 am: If this PAC could, the smartest and most useful way to use the $1 million is to funnel it to Bailey (legally, above board) to fund the petition challenge to Sullivan… because every dollar used, if successful, will be worth maybe $3 worth of saved media against a phony, paper candidate that’s spoiling it for Bailey. - Left of what - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:38 am: ==Who are “the real Americans”?== A fun turn of phrase as a way around saying something overtly racist. - TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:40 am: == and he’s bragging about being in Florida. Weird. == Not weird at all. He uses the court system to provide the appearance of authenticity and validity to his out of court actions. Makes a nonsense filing, then takes that paperwork from the court and runs it in front of people to show how he is on their side. Doesn’t matter at all what the paperwork says, he just uses it as a prop. Just look how he has a record of dropping his TRO cases just as the TRO is about to expire and the actual case is set to continue. This crowd is currently forwarding around a dismissed/settled cook county court case as if it says schools are forever prohibited form implementing any mask or testing mandates, and that it can be used in future court cases. Nevermind that settlements can’t be used as precedent in future cases, facts like that just get in the way of using the court system as a political prop. It’s like a legislator introducing a bill for the only purpose of later being able to talk about that bill in the media/campaign - except doing it in a courtroom instead. It’s the same tactic, and I’m becoming concerned that it is quickly eroding trust in our judicial system as it becomes a more popular tactic. - Pundent - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:40 am: I thought Florida was utopia for a guy like Tom DeVore? What joy it must be to vacation with him. Leave it to Tom to turn Disney World into the crappiest place on earth. - ste_with_a_v_en - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 10:42 am: With all the success of the Liberty Principles, I look forward to Proft setting records for wasted money per vote again. - Jason Bourne - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 11:00 am: The rant about Disney shows just how miserable Devore is. These types won’t be satisfied until we are all living under some weird Handmaid’s Tale society. - DougChicago - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 11:05 am: Dick Uihlein to flush more money down the Proft toilet. And I don’t dislike Senator Bailey. I am not convinced he can win the general election, but he is certainly a serious candidate for this cycle. Why Uileihn has to let Proft wet his beak is incomprehensible. But it’s his inherited money so he can waste it as he sees fit. - Long time Independent - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 11:06 am: Just checked out the address on Zillow looks like a nice place he rented, or should I say Uihlien rented now. - Big Dipper - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 11:07 am: How is Disney World woke exactly? They teach Critical Race Theory on Space Mountain? Don’t call children with intellectual disabilities window lickers? - The Velvet Frog - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 11:16 am: Seriously, going anti-Disney? Like that’s going to help? He realizes he’s running for office in Illinois, right? I’m sure he’d have better luck somewhere like Florida. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 11:19 am: === Like that’s going to help?=== Republicans like DeSantis are currently really really mad about Disney. - Amalia - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 11:21 am: I want some of the Wisconsin Uihleins to help Democrats in Illinois. there are progressive Uihleins. they give. we need a balance here. - Yo - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 11:21 am: Say what you all will about Bailey but he has been running hard for awhile now. It is going to be Pritzker v Bailey and I would put some money on it if I had to. Pritzker wins. But going to be funny watching Griffin blow some money. But he has it to blow and then some. Going to buy Chelsea with a fellow right winger, Cubs owner. Income inequality truly is astounding now a days - The Velvet Frog - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 11:22 am: Is he trying to win an election in IL or make pals with DeSantis? - MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 11:28 am: Q: Who are “the real Americans”? A: https://youtu.be/eX_k5_egUAo?t=31 – MrJM - Illinoised - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 11:35 am: We can only hope for the Naples Gazette, Bonita Chronicle…..all to distort information to Proft’s liking. - TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 12:00 pm: Are we just going to gloss over Devore trying to blame a cabal of hackers for taking his website down a few times, to prevent people from protecting their rights? It surely wasn’t because they set it up wrong and it kept breaking. Nope. It was ‘hackers’. - Colin O'Scopy - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 12:04 pm: Florida Man, meet Illinois Man - Southern - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 12:18 pm: The GOP will have no problem conducting their Illinois governance from Florida. It’s A Small World, After All. - JS Mill - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 12:21 pm: = It was ‘hackers’.= Says the party of personal responsibility. - The Hills 60010 - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 12:21 pm: What an alternative reality is the thing that is Illinois politics. - Suburban Mom - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 1:43 pm: I am not surprised to learn that Tom DeVore is terrified of menstruation (w/r/t Turning Red), but I am giggling about it a little bit. - Annonin' - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 1:54 pm: Yellow house looked pretty boring,but this from the guy who like making bad TV commercials - Huh? - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 2:00 pm: Beetle is really going for the evangelical vote by fasting and praying. Good luck with that. - Lt Guv - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 2:51 pm: It’s called “Floriduh” for a reason. - cermak_rd - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 2:56 pm: Admittedly all of Christianity is foreign terrain for me, but I thought fasting was more of a Catholic/Orthodox thing than a evangelical thing? - cermak_rd - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 3:01 pm: Good grief they can’t be too mad at Disney. If Disney decides to move their theme park (not likely very expensive) Orlando may as well return to being a sleepy small town. The reason the other attractions are there is that well we did Disney, let’s hit attraction X. - My 2 cents - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 3:16 pm: What is it with the far right men and their absolute terror of discussing or being presented with discussion of menstruation? It is not a ’sacred topic between a child and her parents’ It is a bodily function that half of the human race experiences so that we can continue to, you know, produce humans. Far right men are so fragile. - Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 3:31 pm: -Beetle is really going for the evangelical vote by fasting and praying. Good luck with that.- Praying is fine, but going hardcore on this stuff is certainly a choice. Might help in a primary, but likely turns more people off in a general. In this state, there’s just not enough of that vote to be had to win. - Just saying - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 4:34 pm: Didn’t we hear in the Sunday readings that fasting and praying are to be done in private and not splashed out there for all to view and know? - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Mar 16, 22 @ 6:39 pm: “Didn’t we hear in the Sunday readings that fasting and praying are to be done in private and not splashed out there for all to view and know?” Christian values were under attack, and President Trump restored them. “You couldn’t even say Merry Christmas. I didn’t recognize my country anymore.” Now the woke mob is teaching our kids, our kindergarten-third grade children, CRT and LGBT in school, and making them ashamed of their skin color. “I tell you what, I understand people’s anger and frustration. This is not America.” Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.