Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Monday, Aug 15, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From Americans for Prosperity Illinois…

Rich-

Hope you’ve had a great weekend and are ready for Fair week.

I wanted to send you details about the advocacy efforts we are launching this week, along with the digital ads we’re running (below). The initial phase of the advocacy campaign consists of an extensive digital ad campaign in each of the legislative districts, reinforced with our door-to-door effort and direct mail through November. Additional legislators will be added to the advocacy efforts in the coming month. If you are not in a targeted district, hopefully you will not see the ad (except on CapFax J).

In the House districts, the campaign will focus on failure to curb government over-spending by passing the unbalanced Madigan budget and promoting higher taxes. In the Senate, the ads focus on the Democrat majority’s refusal to address the problem of ever-increasing property taxes that drain family budgets and dampen growth.

The accountability effort will initially include the following Illinois Senate & House members:

SD 23 - Tom Cullerton https://youtu.be/O48MQHSu8pw

SD 31 - Melinda Bush https://youtu.be/AZX5BdO2RAE

LD 46 - Deb Conroy https://youtu.be/ZrOo4AfgqDo

LD 62 - Sam Yingling https://youtu.be/zSKhUI7zrxw

LD 111 - Dan Bieser https://youtu.be/lBmc40LX544

LD 117 - John Bradley https://youtu.be/GxdAplIImWw

TEXT of House Ad:

There’s a “yes” problem in Springfield.

Why? Because politicians like to say “yes” to special interests.

“Yes” to more spending and handouts.

“Yes” to Speaker Mike Madigan’s agenda.

What do all those “yeses” add up to? A budget out of balance by seven billion dollars.

Call John Bradley. Tell him to quit voting for Mike Madigan’s overspending.

So we’re not stuck with another massive tax hike to pay for all those “yeses.”

TEXT of Senate Ad:

Rising property taxes.

They wreak havoc on family budgets.

And cost property owners millions of dollars each year.

That’s why people all over Illinois support a property tax freeze.

But Senator Melinda Bush and State Senate Leaders don’t care.

They’re blocking the tax freeze from becoming law. Using insider political tactics to stop it.

Tell Melinda Bush to stop pandering to special interests.

And pass the property tax freeze now!

Thanks for your attention to this. Feel free to come back with any questions. Looking forward to seeing you at the Fair this week.

Regards,

David From

David W. From| Illinois State Director| Americans for Prosperity

Discuss.

13 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 - Video of remarks *** Kirk goes mum on presidential preference

Monday, Aug 15, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sen. Mark Kirk has burned himself twice by announcing he’d be writing in a presidential preference rather than voting for anyone who is actually on the ballot. And now he’s refusing to talk about the subject at all…

Kirk yanked his endorsement of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in June, saying he would write in former CIA director and retired U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, who pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information. Last month, Kirk said he was switching his write-in vote to Colin Powell, saying the former secretary of state and retired Army general was “much more experienced at the national level.”

But last week, in denouncing Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s support of the multinational deal aimed at curbing Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons, Kirk told CNN he “can’t support someone who is for the Iran agreement.” Powell, however, supported the Iran agreement.

“Don’t really need to discuss my write-in choice because it’s not that important, it’s not going to swing the election at all,” Kirk said. […]

“My job is to make sure that if it’s Clinton or it’s Trump that we have the strongest representative possible in the Senate,” Kirk said.

Whenever candidates refuse to talk about something they can always be assured of getting more reporter questions about that very topic.

And it was a silly move in the first place because, as Kirk himself was eventually forced to admit, write-in votes aren’t counted in Illinois for people who are not officially registered as candidates.

*** UPDATE *** The Duckworth campaign passed along the exchange…

REPORTER: Senator, you had mentioned that you would not support anybody who supported the Iran deal and Colin Powell, who is your write-in choice, did support the Iran deal.

KIRK: My job is to make sure, if it’s Clinton or it’s Trump, that we have the strongest representative possible that’s in the Senate.

REPORTER: So it’s more playing a defensive posture about whoever is President is what it comes down to?

KIRK: And we’re sending someone who is the best representative for the state of Illinois. And, instead of Tammy Duckworth, who really represents Chicagoland. For me, cause I was born downstate, and will travel downstate, so the rest of the state needs a Senator too.

REPORTER: So do you have a new write-in choice for President?

KIRK: I think we will, uh, we’ll just, uh, make sure, uh, go with whoever’s best. Don’t really need to discuss my write-in choice because it’s not that important. It’s not going to swing the election at all.

* Video…

17 Comments

Reader comments closed until Monday

Thursday, Aug 11, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Reason for the long weekend is here. This one’s for Murph…

Comments Off

*** UPDATED x2 *** Duckworth kinda said she could be for a border wall if it “makes somebody happy”

Thursday, Aug 11, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From a “Colbert Report” interview of US Rep. Tammy Duckworth back on 10/7/14…

COLBERT: “You sponsored H.R. 15 which would increase border security. So, we agree on securing the borders. How would you do so?”

DUCKWORTH: “Well I think we are doing a pretty good job of securing the borders now.”

COLBERT: “A wall? Do you believe in a wall?”

DUCKWORTH: “You know, if the wall makes somebody happy and it’s not – then, then fine. But as long as we have comprehensive immigration reform.”

* Video…

* From a Duckworth guy…

This is weak sauce. As was yesterday. She’s for and has been for comprehensive immigration reform, which includes enhanced border security measures, as well as a path to citizenship. I didn’t make a stink about this yesterday, but in 2006, she supported a path to citizenship, as well, which is more than you can say for Kirk. He opposes the DREAM Act, for [crying out loud].

*** UPDATE 1 *** Kirk campaign…

Not accurate. The DREAM Act was incorporated into the 2013 bipartisan immigration reform bill supported by Kirk. Below is a clip from Progress Illinois citing that and it includes the quote below from Cong. Bill Foster praising the DREAM act provisions.

I am especially pleased to see that this plan includes an expedited path to citizenship for DREAMers and access to federal student aid, because we shouldn’t be pushing away talented young students from the only home they have ever known. We should give them a chance to succeed.

*** UPDATE 2 *** From DPI…

Hey Rich,

Hope you’re feeling better from your fall. I just read the update from the Kirk campaign in your Cap Fax post and thought it was important to note that Kirk voted against the DREAM Act in December, 2010 when it had a real chance of passing.

It was also already in the bill when Kirk voted with 14 other hardliners to filibuster comprehensive immigration reform in 2013 — so if we’re being generous, he voted against it several times before voting for it.

More below:

Kirk Voted Against The Dream Act [Chicago Daily Herald, 12/18/10]

Kirk Did Not Support Bill That Would Grant Path To Citizenship For Dreamers Who Had Come To Country As Children. “While Mr. Kirk is a moderate Republican-he supported last week’s failed attempt in the Senate to pass gun control legislation and recently became one of a few Republicans to support gay marriage-he has yet to say whether he’ll vote for immigration reform. […] In the past Mr. Kirk has been considered a hard-liner on the issue. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Chicago, one of the leading congressional advocates of reform, said during the 2010 Senate race that ‘I do not see much difference between (Mr. Kirk’s) views and those of the most xenophobic opponents of reform.’ For example, the senator hasn’t supported citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to this country as children, as outlined in the so-called Dream Act sponsored by Mr. Durbin. The Senate bill introduced last week beefs up border protection and provides a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants after a 13-year wait, payment of penalties and other requirements.” [Crain’s Chicago Business, 4/22/13]

Kirk Voted To Filibuster Comprehensive Immigration Reform In 2013, siding with conservative hardliners. It was only after a significant amount of criticism in Illinois for “inexplicably” siding “with the most conservative hardliners” that he switched positions and voted for the bill. [CQ, 6/11/13, S.744, Vote 146, 6/11/13] [Chicago Sun-Times, Lynn Sweet, 6/14/13], [Joliet Herald News, Editorial, 6/13/13]

29 Comments

« NEWER POSTS