* Earlier this week, I told you about how Congressman Adam Kinzinger grossly distorted a newspaper columnist’s words. Well, when called on it, Kinzinger attacked the newspaper columnist. I kid you not…
On Saturday, Chuck Sweeney of the Register Star wrote an article saying Kinzinger had been taking his words out of context and twisting them in his campaign literature to misrepresent the voting record of his challenger, incumbent Don Manzullo. Kinzinger claims Sweeney compared Manzullo to Barney Frank, but Sweeney says his words were taken wildly out of context.
16th Dist. Candidate Rep. Adam Kinzinger said, “Chuck has made it very obvious in all of his columns who he’s supporting in this race. He has an opinion. He has someone he’s backing. That’s not an independent columnist–that’s doing independent reporting for a column. That’s an opinion columnist.”
“All of his columns,” eh? Really? Well, how about this one…
The race for the Republican nomination in the 16th Congressional District came down Monday to a question of age and longevity in office: With 20 years of service, should 67-year-old U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo of Egan be retired by voters to give the new kid on the block a chance?
Dave Winters thinks so. The veteran Republican state representative from Shirland has endorsed Manzullo’s March 20 primary opponent, 33-year-old U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Manteno. Winters is quitting his job after 18 years, and he believes Manzullo should have followed his example. Winters is 58. He wants voters to put Manzullo out to pasture.
The “I’m more conservative than you” campaign between U.S. Reps. Don Manzullo, R-Egan, and Adam Kinzinger, R-Manteno, is boiling on the front burner. Manzullo, first elected in 1992, and freshman Kinzinger are vying for the GOP nomination in the 16th District.
Monday, the Illinois Tea Party endorsed Manzullo: “Don is the true fiscal conservative in this race,” said Barb Offill, president of the Iroquois County Tea Party. “Don is an ethical man and a passionate conservative who always votes in line with his values. His 19 years of experience in (promoting) manufacturing, creating jobs, cutting wasteful spending, and reducing the deficit in Washington is a strength.” […]
I asked Kinzinger spokeswoman Brook Hougesen for comment, and she said: “Congressman Kinzinger is proud of the strong support he’s received districtwide, including his endorsement from Rockford-area state Rep. Dave Winters, R-Shirland, who chose a fresh conservative voice over the status quo. We need a break from the past — no more bailouts, earmarks or Obama spending projects like Congressman Manzullo has supported. The new 16th District needs someone like Congressman Adam Kinzinger who will bring representation to the area and has the energy and drive to advocate for local concerns and needs.”
* Meanwhile, Manzullo whacks Kinzinger in a new TV ad. Rate it…
* The Senate is in at 11:45 and the House convenes at 12:30.
I’ve been meaning to thank LIS for finally abandoning those ancient Windows Media video streams and switching over to a much more modernized and embeddable streaming system. I’ve been hoping for that for years. Also, lots of Statehouse types are now using iPads and were having trouble with the old video format. This new format is much more iPad friendly. So, thanks, LIS.
Because of this, we’ll have an embeddable live video feed of today’s House Executive Committee. I’ll post it in the ScribbleLive thingamajig. The hearing begins at 11 am. But you can watch Room 114 committees all morning by clicking here. The Senate has yet to set up any of their committee hearing rooms to accommodate live feeds.
* Blackberry users click here, everybody else can just kick back and watch…
