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According to the State Board of Elections’ website, nobody filed any objections to third party candidate Bill Scheurer’s deficient petitions by Monday’s official deadline, so it looks like he’ll stay on the 8th Congressional District ballot against Melissa Bean and David McSweeney after all.
The Green Party had no such luck.
Democrats wasted no time counterattacking after the Illinois Green Party - seen as potential spoilers - filed petitions to put candidates for Illinois’ top offices on the November ballot.When Rich Whitney, the Green gubernatorial candidate, turned in his petition signatures last week, Michael Kasper, an attorney for the state Democratic Party, immediately ordered a copy so volunteers and staff could go to work. They spent much of last week hunched over state Board of Election computers comparing Whitney’s 19-inch-thick petition to voter registration records in hopes of finding invalid signatures.
On Monday, after slogging through hundreds of pages, Democratic operatives formally filed an objection to Whitney’s candidacy. The 51-year-old Carbondale attorney is a target because conventional political wisdom says he would siphon votes from Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who already faces a tough re-election challenge from state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, a moderate Republican.
The Republicans also filed objections to the Constitution Party candidates.
Use this as an open thread to discuss the Green’s chances.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 5, 06 @ 6:19 am
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If the political parties paid as much attention to lthe egislation they were passing as they do to third party candidate petitions, Illinois would be in much better shape.
Comment by Leroy Wednesday, Jul 5, 06 @ 7:00 am
“We generally believe that everybody ought to play by the rules†— Illinois Democratic Party spokesman Steve Brown.
So okay — did Mike Kasper play by the rules?
According to the Illinois State Board of Elections website, Kasper requested copies of the Green Party petitions at 6:00 P.M. on June 26th.
6:00 P.M.?? Don’t the ISBE offices close at 4:30?
Either this was an innocent “data entry” time — or Kasper was in board offices after hours.
(And Dem operative Liz Brown also is shown pulling multiple petitions during the five o’clock hour on the same day.)
What gives? Hey, rules are rules!
Requests To View Or Copy Petitions
Requestor View/Copy
KASPER, MIKE
222 N. LASALLE, SUITE 300
CHICAGO, IL 60601 COPY 6/26/2006 6:00 PM
Comment by Crank-tankerous Wednesday, Jul 5, 06 @ 8:05 am
Maybe now Cal Skinner, Jeff Trigg and the like can stop whining about Bill Scheurer’s ineptitude.
Comment by NW burbs Wednesday, Jul 5, 06 @ 10:31 am
[…] My question to the GOP here is “Why bother?” HT: Captiol Fax […]
Pingback by Republicans challenge Constitution guv candidate at The TPS Report - by Kiyoshi Martinez Wednesday, Jul 5, 06 @ 11:47 am
Staggering mistake by Bean.
Comment by Bubs Wednesday, Jul 5, 06 @ 12:07 pm
The fact that the Democrats have decided not to challenge Scheurer is nothing short of mesmerizing.
Could it be that they were worried about a backlash?
Comment by Establishment Republican Wednesday, Jul 5, 06 @ 12:37 pm
Yes, but isn’t Schurer pro life/anti war. Maybe the research shows him hurting McSweeney? With the ethical issues of Rod, perhaps that is bring ing the dems down. It looks like Bean’s hands were tied. If she did object, (couldn’t a non-politician with no links to her office object?) it would look like a conspiracy. They guy who allegedly defrauded the guy did have the same name as someone who works in a congressmans office. I coul dnot imagine the damage done by objecting being worse than the damage done by him remaining on the ballot. I guess they feel he is an idiot sinc eeh got fooled by that ploy. I am pleased with her choice not to challenge.
Comment by Wumpus aka Todd Jong Il Wednesday, Jul 5, 06 @ 1:24 pm
The objection to the Green Party petitions for statewide offices is an orchestrated attack against democracy. It is an attempt at taking away what’s best for the voters of Illinois: more choices this November.
As someone who is involved with the Green Party petitions, I am confident in my claims. The objections that have been brought against our signatures are arbitrary, unfounded, and largely insulting. It is disgusting to see the work of so many volunteers disrespected through a bad faith use of the system.
The Democratic spokesman for the past week has been claiming that “everybody ought to play by the rules.” Well guess what, we did. The Green Party filed more than 14,000 signatures over the legal limit. Anyone who viewed these petitions would immediately notice that many more than that were also collected, but crossed out when discovered by Greens not to be valid. Granted, there are certainly signatures that were not caught, but not in the excessive amounts the “Democratic†challengers claim and nowhere near enough to bring the petition under the legal requirement.
The Greens should not be the only ones offended by this challenge, in fact, all the voters of Illinois who believe in a real democracy should be outraged. This is an assault on Democracy and the voters right to choose at the ballot box who they want in their government.
The Democratic leadership realizes this challenge is an opportunity to flex their corporate spending power. The unfounded objection to Green petitions is not only going to cost the taxpayers money, as each petition will be looked at line by line, but will also cause a growing party, one which does not accept corporate contributions, thousands of dollars in legal fees in an effort to protect every voters right in Illinois to more choices on the ballot.
I urge all those who want to protect this right, and make certain it is the voter who decides who is in office rather than the larger corrupt leadership in this state, to donate to the Illinois Green Party today. To donate visit www.ILGP.org
Comment by Susan Rodgers Wednesday, Jul 5, 06 @ 6:16 pm
I wonder how “Hot Rod” will try to buy them off, just like he did Meeks.
Comment by BBishere2 Thursday, Jul 6, 06 @ 8:25 am
Maybe NW Burbs will learn the difference between truth and lies one of these days and will stop being a sickening apologist for corrupt Democrats and their anti-democratic and fraudulent activities. I acknowledged Bill’s faults in the debacle but unlike you NW Burbs, I don’t think what was done to him was the least bit honest or ethical. Nice to know we have people exactly like you getting convicted today. NW Burbs - “I don’t care what crimes you commit as long as you are a Democrat.” What comes around goes around.
Comment by Jeff Trigg Thursday, Jul 6, 06 @ 6:58 pm
So how many state employees under the direction of Blago and Madigan were working long hours on the challenge? Sure, they were using sick/vacation days but doesn’t prove they are then over-staffed if they can afford that many people to miss that much work? And where will those expenses to lawyers and copying fees and the like show up on campaign finance reports? How did Kasper pay for those copies? What account is the check to Mike Kasper and the others going to come out of? Are they playing by Illinois rules for campaign finances? Somehow I don’t think this will end with the petition challenge as it may be pretty easy to expose the sloppy Democrats’ unethical and illegal activities surrounding this election cycle and their past history. I love the word RICO.
If the Democrats believed in democracy even the slightest, they wouldn’t object to statewide candidates with more than 5,000 signatures, which is what they need. What the Democrats are doing is EXACTLY like requiring black people or Jews or hispanics or gays or left-handers or Muslims etc. to get more signatures than they need to run for office. This should make everyone sick because it is blatant, unapologetic discrimination. You are who you vote for.
Schuerer probably would’ve been put on the ballot by a judge anyway because Illinois signature requirements for US House are unconstitutional. If Bean wanted to try to hold Bill to the toughest standard for US House in America she’d be better off in Cuba or North Korea. I’d rather have a trusting fool in office than someone that doesn’t believe in democracy. Bean made a smart call cause she was going to get plastered if she challenged him and he made it on the ballot anyway when the laws were found to be unconstitutional.
Comment by Jeff Trigg Thursday, Jul 6, 06 @ 7:19 pm
Kevin M. Williams, one of the objectors, is a former Alderman of Country Club Hills. His property, at the address listed on the objection, has been auctioned TWICE for failure to pay property taxes. When Williams was in office, he was called “a non-paying taxpayer” by fellow resident John Flaws. According to the Tribune, Williams was also involved in a mysterious scenario, involving a $375,000 state grant.
Raython E. Bailey, the other objector, operates Riteway Auto Service & Towing in Hazel Crest. Riteway has contributed to Robert B. Donaldson’s campaign, the current Democrat Mayor of Hazel Crest. Coincidentally, Riteway provides towing services to the Police Department in Hazel Crest.
It’s also interesting to note that “Comm To Elect Robert B Donaldson” also received a $1,000 transfer from “Friends of Michal Madigan” (note the spelling error) on 11/8/2005. This is the ONLY transfer that “Comm To Elect Robert B Donaldson” received between 7/1/2005 and 12/31/2005; and it is one of only FOUR transfers that “Friends of Michael J Madigan” MADE during that same period. Coincidence?
Comment by MachineBuster Thursday, Jul 6, 06 @ 11:04 pm
The Democrats did not challenge Bill Scheurer because their own polling shows that an anti-abortion and anti-war candidate will hurt the GOP candidate. It is that simple. There are enough conservatives who are fed up with Bush and Cheney and their misguided Iraq adventure. Since David McSweeney is hugging Dick Cheney and would love to cuddle up to Bush, it only shows him to be the doofus-ass that he is. Having Scheurer on the ballot is the best hope for Melissa Bean to get re-elected. Scheurer is not the crazy leftist socialist that the Bean people are trying to make him out to be. Far from it. It does not take a genius to know the best thing to do now for the US is to get the hell out of Iraq. That is something many liberals and conservatives agree on. Since Scheurer is the only anti-war andidate in the 8th District race, he may yet make it a 3 way split. Writing him off as some flake is a foolish strategy. And by November, McSweeney will be wishing he was the one who callenged the Scheurer petitions.
Comment by robogop Thursday, Jul 6, 06 @ 11:16 pm