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Wednesday, Mar 9, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the Tribune’s profile of the 8th Congressional District Democratic primary, comes this tidbit about state Sen. Michael Noland…

Noland, also an attorney who has an MBA, pulled in about $76,000 from the state and $10,000 from his law practice in 2014, according to his financial disclosure statement. Noland cited “financial hardship” in 2014 when he modified his mortgage through a federal assistance program that helps homeowners reduce monthly payments and avoid foreclosure.

In an interview, Noland said his family faced a number of financial obligations, including student loans and private school tuition for his daughter. The senator called back the next day to add that his family struggled after then-Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn zeroed out lawmakers’ salaries during a 2013 budget fight. Lawmakers went two months without paychecks before a judge ruled the move unconstitutional and the money was paid out.

Also in 2014, Noland got $8,700 from the city of Elgin as part of its energy-efficiency revolving loan program. Noland said the money was used in large part to buy an energy-efficient furnace. City officials said he was one of 19 homeowners who took part in the program, which was open to all qualified applicants.

And yet, Quinn has endorsed Noland.

* Meanwhile, from a press release…

A new poll shows small businessman Raja Krishnamoorthi has bolstered his lead in the Democratic primary for Congress in the 8th District of Illinois that includes the northwest Chicago suburbs.

Krishnamoorthi has the support of 55 percent of voters with State Sen. Mike Noland at 17 percent and Villa Park President Deb Bullwinkel with 9 percent. Undecided voters accounted for 19 percent of the poll. The margin of error was +/- 4.9 percentage points in the poll taken by GBA Strategies. […]

Taken March 3-6 by GBA Strategies, this live poll of 400 likely Democratic voters asked 8th District voters in the northwest Chicago suburbs which candidate they would vote for if the election were held today.

The poll results follow fundraising reports filed by the candidates last week with the Federal Elections Commission and revealing that Krishnamoorthi has $1,019,784 cash on hand compared to $63,357 for Noland and $3,403 for Bullwinkel.

…Adding… Raja’s campaign claims he’s also leading in Noland’s own Senate district 47-32.

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*** UPDATED x1 *** After six years, McCann still hasn’t produced military discharge papers

Wednesday, Mar 9, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Here’s Republican state Senate candidate Sam McCann in the July 11, 2010 edition of the State Journal-Register…

“I didn’t say I was a veteran. I said I was a member of the Marine Corps. … If the Marine Corps doesn’t call that being a member of it, I apologize for making a misstatement. But I signed a contract, took an oath of office.” […]

McCann also said earlier that he wasn’t sure technically what type of discharge he received, but said he has called it “honorable” because he knows it was not dishonorable.

Late in the week, McCann said he no longer has the discharge paper he got when his dream of being a Marine lifer was quashed, but he’s asked the military for another copy. He said he’s waiting for it to arrive.

* September 26, 2010 edition of the SJ-R…

McCann previously promised to try to get a copy of his exact discharge papers, but said this week he has not received them.

He’s clearly touchy about the subject.

“Why is it that the president doesn’t have to display his birth certificate?” McCann said when asked about his discharge papers. The comment echoed the claims of “birthers” who think, despite overwhelming evidence, that President BARACK OBAMA isn’t a U.S. citizen.

When I asked McCann if he believes the president isn’t a citizen, he responded, “No, I didn’t say that.”

* October 14, 2010 edition of the SJ-R…

His campaign literature also said he received an honorable discharge, although McCann later said he wasn’t sure what type of discharge he received. He hasn’t yet secured a document to illuminate that point.

* Today’s SJ-R…

Aaron DeGroot, Benton’s spokesman, said he sent an information request to the National Personnel Records Center, asking about a “William Samuel McCann.”

“We have been unsuccessful in identifying a military service record for the above-named individual,” said the Jan. 19 response from an archives technician. “This does not mean the subject did not have military service, only that we are unable to identify a record based on the limited information you have provided.” […]

Neither McCann nor his campaign consultant, Glenn Hodas, responded to messages Tuesday about the military records issue. […]

McCann, DeGroot said, “has had six years to produce documentation to prove his version of events, and he has not done so.”

All emphasis added.

*** UPDATE *** Bernie has added a statement in an update. Here’s the relevant part…

“I was never a veteran, so there are no discharge papers.”

And, yet, he said he had them and lost them and said repeatedly that he was trying to get them for months in 2010.

Sheesh.

Good candidates get in front of this stuff. Not so good candidates allow themselves to be run over by this stuff.