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* Tammy Duckworth has a new Internet video bashing Joe Walsh. Rate it…
From NBC5’s blog…
The video replays footage of Walsh’s famous brunch-time freakout at Uno Chicago Bar & Grill, over a soundtrack of The Clash’s cover of “Brand New Cadillac,” which is supposed to make us feel that Walsh is out of control.
“Don’t blame banks and don’t blame the marketplace for the mess we’re in right now,” he shouts. “I am tired of hearing that crap.”
Without a doubt, this Walsh candidacy is gonna be a fundraising bonanza for Duckworth and Raja Krishnamoorthi, but…
It is not true that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) promised Walsh $3.5 million for an 8th district run. Last week, Walsh switched from the 14th district, where he faced a GOP primary with Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.)
“That number credited to him is not accurate,” Cory Fritz, Boehner’s political spokesman told me Monday. Duckworth is using the $3.5 million number to help jumpstart her donations, attributing it to a report in a suburban paper.
* Meanwhile, Peter Roskam isn’t exactly champing at the bit to endorse Walsh…
Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), a member of House leadership, says it is premature to back anyone yet because a federal court panel in Chicago has not yet ruled on the legality of the Democratic-drawn congressional map. The map is designed to help Democrats pick up seats.
“We’re not even convinced the new 8th District is going to exist. So It is entirely premature to discuss any hypothetical matchup while the map is still with the Courts,” Dan Conston, Roskam’s spokesman told me.
* Duckworth’s campaign is doing whatever it can to generate press, including placing stories about old donations…
Top House and Senate leaders cut checks for Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth’s (D-Ill.) House bid recently — a strong signal that top Democrats are ready to make a significant investment in her campaign for the 8th district.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) donated to Duckworth in the past couple of months via their campaigns or political action committees, according to the House hopeful’s campaign.
The disclosure comes only a few days after freshman Rep. Joe Walsh (R) announced he’ll seek re-election in the 8th district instead of running against his fellow GOP freshman Rep. Randy Hultgren. The donations are also notable because Duckworth faces former Illinois Deputy Treasurer Raja Krishnamoorthi in the Democratic primary this March.
* In other campaign news, the idea for allowing candidates to draw a salary from their campaign funds was designed to let the non-wealthy compete with people who didn’t have to work for months at a time. But, of course, it was inevitable that somebody would take advantage of the law…
Chicago aldermen get paid $114,000 a year, but a FOX Chicago News investigation finds two of them are paying themselves out of their campaign funds for extra work, like marching in parades, passing petitions, and slating candidates at political meetings.
Ald. Danny Solis (25th Ward) has paid himself $194,778 since 2004.
“My job is to promote the Democratic Party in the 25th Ward, and that’s what I paid myself for,” Solis said. “If I paid a consultant, they would probably get paid maybe a little more than that if they were doing this full-time.”
The practice of paying for political work is completely legal, but David Morrison from the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform says when politicians pay themselves, it creates huge ethical problems.
“I can’t give you a bribe, but if I can give you money you can convert to your own use it’s the same thing,” Morrison said.
That’s less than $28K a year, but the guy is making a decent buck as an alderman.
* I’m not sure that leaving something out of a Tweet is the worst thing I’ve ever seen…
Lots of people in Washington, D.C., own lots of stock in companies whose profits are affected by federal legislation. But one holding by DuPage County Congresswoman Judy Biggert now is drawing particular scrutiny.
According to her federal financial disclosure, Ms. Biggert, R-Hinsdale, is one of four members of Congress who own stock in TransCanada Corp., the company whose plans to lay pipeline from Alberta to the American Midwest have stirred an environmental furor and have been at least temporarily sidetracked by the Obama White House.
Ms. Biggert’s stake is valued at between $1,000 and $15,000, according to the disclosure.
If that’s all that was there, the matter likely wouldn’t be worth much more review.
But, as first reported by the Sunlight Foundation, a Washington research group, Ms. Biggert last month tweeted about the White House action, writing, “WH caves to anti-American energy lobby, delays job-creating Keystone XL Oil Pipeline.”
Nowhere in the tweet did she mention her ownership of up to $15,000 in stock.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 11:54 am
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I wonder if the Clash will use the same attorney that Joe Walsh the musician used to get Joe Walsh the politician to stop using his music in a political ad.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 12:02 pm
I now have Brand New Cadillac playing in my head. That almost makes up for having to listen to Walsh spout his ugly rhetoric. Almost.
I’m pretty sure Biggert isn’t trying to manipulate her stock portfolio because I don’t think she’d sell out for $15,000. $15 million maybe, but based on that report, this is peanuts. On the other hand, Sarah Palin has an op-ed in USA Today today calling out Congress for insider trading shenanigans like this, so maybe it will fit into a developing narrative of Congress on the take.
When even Palin is on the “throw them all out” bandwagon, you have to believe there is some heartburn at the NRCC today.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 12:12 pm
$15K?
Paleeeeze, that’s about enough for a basket full of shingles on 6th St in Hinsdale.
Comment by John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 12:18 pm
Weird ad/song choice.
Seems it would have made more sense to do one set over “Should I Stay or Should I Go” and hitting him for his decision to run in the 8th based on John Boehner giving him money.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 12:23 pm
It was difficult to imagine the Walsh ranting footage making anything but an effective opposition ad - it practically sells itself. But the Duckworth people managed to pull it off.
That ad is dull and confused, and Duckworth comes off anything but charismatic. Hopefully, the web spot was just a warmup and they’ll have it together when they hit TV.
Comment by Coach Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 12:55 pm
Missed opportunity. The obvious Clash song is “Should I Stay or Should I Go.”
For my money, Walsh can cool it and blow. But he’s like living under the Money Tree for the Dems.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 1:15 pm
I don’t think either Duckworth or Krishnamoorthi–whichever wins the primary–will have to do any campaigning in the general other than showing that piece of video.
Comment by Cheryl44 Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 1:23 pm
Walsh is going to go down to defeat. My parents live in the new 8th and they are chomping at the bit to take him down, politically. He is campaigning for a tv show more than he is for Congress.
Comment by Rahm's Parking Meter Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 1:31 pm
This is a moderate district. Will money make the difference in Walsh’s primary? Remember, it is a contested one…
Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 1:31 pm
raja is completely irrelevant in this race it seems.
Comment by west side ron Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 1:34 pm
Tammy needs to do much better than this. It was in incredibly disjointed, going from “He’s in the race” to “he’s nuts” to “Tammy is good.”
It is a mess.
Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 1:44 pm
I have yet to see anything from duckworth about why she is actually running. Thus far it’s been 50 percent about walsh and 50 percent about her political connections. This seems like alexi 2.0. DC attack ads, and press releases bragging about dc connections seems in poor taste when the country hates partisanship and washington politicians. She’s giving walsh a huge opening to cream her as a hack.
In fairness to biggert it’s not clear whether she sent the tweet herself or if she knew she has an investment here. she’s worth a lot of money.
Comment by Shore Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 2:43 pm
To the Washington elite Raja is irrelevant but he has a lot of local support and just announced the support of IBEW Local 134. I think locals and working families find his economic message very compelling. I should think we are all getting tired of “charismatic” candidates without much heft to their experience.
Comment by Observer of the State Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 6:06 pm
“Don’t blame banks and don’t blame the marketplace for the mess we’re in right now,” he shouts. “I am tired of hearing that crap.”
===========
It may be Joe’s lips moving however it’s Frank Lutz’s (sic) words coming out of his mouth.
We are suppose to shift our anger at the White House for the economic problems and thereby blame the democratic president Obama..not that he shouldn’t be held accountable for breaking so many of his campaign promises… however, by doing so Joe implies that a return to a republican controlled nation is the be all answer to our economic ills.
Hey..We all know that both republicans and democrats are bought and paid for so I say the blame is rightly placed on Wall Street and the corporations.
They lobbied for and bought out the system that has now corrupted ever branch of government. This relationship must be severed. Focusing on the White House and the democratic party only allows the money to pass to different players in the republican party while the nation sits in the status qup
Thank you so much for this leaked republican memo mr. Lutz. It demonstrate there is no real will for change in Washington. Obama did not bring change and bringing in the republicans is not going to bring it either. Both are only interested in spinning the words..
This Video is so right on..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B3Fw5TPJK8
Comment by oz Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 8:23 pm
I’m not a superfan of Joe Walsh, but since Axelrod and the political mafia of Chicago is supporting Tammy Duckworth, I hope he trounces her if that’s the general election matchup. Dems would be smarter to nominate Raja.
Comment by Dave Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 8:37 pm
Rich,
I’ll worry about disclosing stock ownership in tweets when his “O-ness” tweets $500 million government loan guarantees going to soon-to-fail-companies backed by his campaign bundler(s)
I mean seriously, how does one fit that in 140 characters? HashTags?
#Ignore_our_corruption_but_foam_at_theirs?
Maybe #HateSplinters_LoveLogs
Comment by Bruno Behrend Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 11:27 pm
If the 8th race is about ads and hit video’s Walsh has enough rhetoric to be used against him in and out of context.
That said, having watched him 2-3 times now on the stump, he is one of the best retail campaigners I’ve ever seen. If he’s out at 10s of well-attended events a week, he’ll win both the nomination and the general.
He’ll do well in debates too, assuming he sticks to his knitting. Walsh connects to the anti-elite sentiments across the spectrum, which will help with independents.
It will be a tough race in any event, but if he holds it, he’ll be safe for a while.
Comment by Bruno Behrend Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 @ 11:37 pm