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* GOP State Rep. Mike Bost will make his congressional candidacy official today…
Long-time state Rep. Mike Bost will make his 2014 candidacy for Illinois’ 12th congressional district official with a series of announcements Monday.
Bost, R-Murphysboro, a member of the Illinois House since 1995, will make campaign announcements in Belleville, Mount Vernon and Murphysboro.
His local announcement in Murphysboro will be at 6:30 p.m. in the Davis-McCann Civic Center, located at 15 North 14th St. […]
“It’s frustrating to see out of control spending in Washington and watch immigration that is not being dealt with wisely,” he continued. “It’s rough to see when we are losing jobs and have high unemployment…nothing being done.” […]
“I was around when (former president) Jimmy Carter cut the military. That’s why we failed to save the hostages in Iran and get them out of Iran. And we were using equipment at that time we had left over from Vietnam,” Bost said. “That sent a clear message then and it does now we are not a force in readiness and we need to be.”
So, slash the budget except for the military?
* Funny…
“Now I really believe that we need a voice in D.C. for southern Illinois, to really speak for southern Illinois in a loud way,” Bost explains.
Bost knows all about the “loud way.” Heh…
* He’ll have a primary…
Bost will have competition in the Republican primary from Doug Bucshon, an Illinois Army National Guard veteran and former sports journalist.
Bost’s announcement opens the way for a House successor next year, and word from the district is Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole as well as former Jackson County state’s attorney GOP candidate Sharee Langenstein may be interested. Neither are expected to announce until after Bost makes his 2014 intentions public.
*** UPDATE *** Mayor Cole sent me an e-mail this morning to say he’s not running for the Bost House seat.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 9:56 am
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It’ll be fun to watch is nothing else!
Comment by RonOglesby Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 9:58 am
i believe the IG found that Brad Cole was doing campaign work on state time and with state resources back in the early-mid 2000’s. Somebody should look into that.
Comment by anon Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 9:59 am
Well, if there’s one thing Washington D.C. can really use, it’s another tantrum-throwing member of the House Republican caucus.
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 10:11 am
To be fair, Republicans aren’t automatically opposed to federal spending, if you press them … They think the federal government does a (few) things quite well. Building tanks is one of them. When they say, “Cutting spending,” they think, “wasteful spending.” We can debate of course (and should debate) how much military spending we need in the present day, but the mere fact that the GOP supports defense spending, while supporting cuts elsewhere, isn’t ideological hypocrisy. Even if their rhetoric does get a trifle sloppy.
What bugs me more is the current GOP drive to cut Medicare, Social Security Medicaid - except, of course, they want to exempt all of the currently Republican-leaning senior voters who are their lifeline from any cutbacks. In fact they want to boost Medicare spending in the imminent future (by repealing Obamacare), while promising that they’ll “clean it all up later” - presumably by doubling down on future retirement cuts when the retirees look much less lily-white.
That one? Bugs me. I’d like to know Bost’s thoughts on that.
Comment by ZC Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 10:14 am
Bigger question on Cole is why he left Mark Kirk’s office and it’s not because he likes Pepsi.
Heard the master of all campaign’s - Mr. Jerry Clarke - is running the Bost campaign - well that was fun while it lasted.
Comment by hold on Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 10:15 am
Just “let his people go” would ya?
Comment by A guy... Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 10:21 am
I like the move for Bost …
Bost has “done his time” in the HGOP here in Illinois, and sometimes “change” for himself, the Caucus, and the Chamber, might be what they all need.
Bost will be a strong candidate to take on Enyart, and with a Primary for the opportunitiy to take on Enyart, Bost and his Crew can really hone a message to take the campaign to Enyart, and have the credibility to deliver that message.
I like the move, and I want to say that “you are ready, Mr. Bost, go for it”. I wish Mike Bost the best of luck in this campaign.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 10:23 am
What’s so strange about a GOP candidate such as Bost who wants to cut everything but defense?
We spend $4 billion on food stamps per year which there all kinds of demands to be cut, but $1.2 trillion per year on defense, pentagon, and homeland security which is untouchable.
Thing is that cuts in the military means that good paying jobs will be eliminated in lots of congrescritters districts. You may be the tea’est of the Tea Partiers and demand that cutting be slashed to balance the budget, but when Scott AFB is the largest employer in your district and you want to keep your job, then you are no way, no how, nada going to take the political risk of having good paying jobs eliminated in your district.
It’s all part of the ‘austerity for thee, but keep the DC perks coming to me’ mindset of too many in congress, and potential members of congress.
Comment by train111 Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 10:24 am
I am certainly relieved I am not “one of his people”. He’s a joke…and a bad one at that.
Comment by flea Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 10:36 am
Maybe Shelia Simon should run for Bost’s seat. There are worse places for her to land.
Comment by Montrose Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 10:37 am
We failed to get the hostages out of Iran because Jimmy Carter cut the military?
It’s been decades since that event, but I never heard that analysis before. Maybe Bost shouldn’t be speaking extemporaneously. Nice guy but he’s no Bill Black
Comment by mr. whipple Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 10:46 am
@FakeJasonPlummer-Dad, do we have a Lumberyard in Murfusbura? Just curious
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 10:55 am
“And we were using equipment at that time we had left over from Vietnam.”
First of all at the time of the attempted hostage rescue the Vietnam war was only a few yrs in the past. Second, defense spending has continued to grow at a fast clip under Obama.
Mike Bost is and will remain an embarrassing joke.
Delighted he’s running though. He’ll lose and we’ll soon be done with his clown act for good.
Comment by too obvious Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 10:56 am
Bost an experienced legislator and campaigner will be a real challenge for Enyart, after his last campaign against weak candidate, Jason Plummer.
Comment by Downstater Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 11:01 am
Jimmy Carter’s cuts to the military caused us not to be able to rescue the Iranian hostages? Is this guy serious? And if he thinks the military isn’t in pretty good shape now I wish he would tell us what “his” military would look like. It’s also funny to watch people running for Congress talk about nothing getting done in Washington. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good platform to run on. Of course when they get to Washington the reality will set in.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 11:03 am
If Bost refrains from any more “mad as hell and not gonna take it any more…” moments, he’ll be fine. He’s a genuinely nice guy and has won in Dem areas in the past, so this race could become a great Tier One election. I strongly disagree with those who slough Bost off. He’s not a joke.
Comment by Just Saying Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 11:13 am
–left over from Vietnam–
The CH/RH-53D Sea Stallion Helicopters were used in the attempted rescue in Iran. They were introduced in 1966. I am not clear if this model is still active or if its last mission was in Afghanistan during late February 2012.
Do not get me started on B-52s.
Comment by Bigtwich Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 12:16 pm
–“I was around when (former president) Jimmy Carter cut the military. That’s why we failed to save the hostages in Iran and get them out of Iran.”–
What a despicable thing to say, besides being devoid of facts or logic. Eight service members died in what was at best a Hail Mary play into a hostile city of six million.
But by that brilliant logic, how does one explain 241 unarmed Marines getting blown up with their backs to the sea at Beirut Airport by Hezbollah? And then the United State secretly selling arms to Khomeni so he’d persuade Hezbollah to release American hostages (and the body of a tortured and murdered CIA chief)?
That never would have happened if Reagan were president.
Bost will fit right in the simple Alternative Universe many U.S. House GOP members reside.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 1:19 pm
ChopperJerry back in the saddle! We haven’t seen him in SI since he failed to bet Forby in a house race.
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 2:05 pm