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One attacked from the right, another attacked from the left

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Illinois

* We have two anonymously registered websites to look at today. The first is DarleneSengerCongress.com, which has some opposition research on Senger’s tax hike record…

Some of it is kind of a stretch, but go check it out.

* Senger announced a bid for Congress today against Bill Foster. From a press release…

When elected to Congress, Senger said she will focus on creating more good paying jobs here at home, reducing government waste, and protecting Social Security 100%, all while improving educational opportunities.

“We are fortunate to have the potential for a world-class technology corridor in our community, and we should be providing an environment in which our manufacturing sector can grow and expand, but only if we stop politicians and bureaucrats from over-regulating, over-taxing and just flat out killing new jobs here at home,” said Senger. “We can become one of the most economically innovative and diverse regions in the nation but only if we all work together to change the nonsense coming out of Washington.”

As a State Representative, Darlene Senger has earned accolades for her work to hold the line on taxes and promote job creation in Illinois. Recently, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce awarded Darlene with their “Champion of Free Enterprise” Award for her legislative work to encourage job creation and economic expansion in Illinois and the National Federation of Independent Business honored Senger with their ‘Guardian of Small Business Award’ for her efforts to help small businesses in Illinois expand and succeed. Senger was also integral to the effort bring Navistar to Lisle, creating new jobs in our area.

Senger is also known as one of the top fiscal watchdogs in Springfield, working to curb pension abuse and corruption while finding a fair solution to stabilizing the state’s teetering public pension fund.

* From her blog…

In a poll conducted by Harper Polling, only 27% of the voters in the 11th District approve of Bill Foster’s job performance and even fewer voters believe he deserves to be re-elected.

75% of voters are saying no to Bill Foster!! In fact, only 25% say he should be re-elected to his fourth term in Congress.

If you agree with 75% your neighbors, join the fight to replace Bill Foster in Congress. Sign up today to help Darlene Senger bring common sense solutions to Washington as your new congresswoman.

Because even if only 25% want Bill Foster back, Nancy Pelosi and her far left Democrat special interest cronies will be backing Bill Foster 100%.

That’s kinda misleading. Her own poll reportedly shows her trailing Foster by nine points, and subscribers know even more

* And then there’s this e-mail…

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos Targeted In 17th District Primary: primarycolors.net

US Congresswoman Cheri Bustos is out of step with voters in the 17th District, and could be vulnerable to a challenge in next year’s Democratic primary according to a new scoring system.

The group ‘Primary Colors’ released a website Monday teasing “primary scores” for 58 House Democrats. Congresswoman Bustos received a score of 9, out of a possible 10, putting her near the top of the priority list for replacement.

The group’s scores were determined by an algorithm which compared Congresswoman Bustos’s voting record to other Democratic members of Congress who represent districts with a similar political lean.

“Illinois’s 17th District is seven points more Democratic than the median House district,” said Jon Geeting, co-founder of Primary Colors, “Most members of Congress from districts like the 17th vote progressive approximately 82% of the time. Congresswoman Bustos has only been voting with us about 58% of the time. Democrats shouldn’t be afraid to replace her with a nominee whose voting record will be more in line with the constituents of the 17th district. And when our full-site launches later this summer, we will be on the front-lines of that effort.”

What Is the Purpose of the Primary Colors Scoring System?

Every election season activists have the same debates: to primary or not to primary? Risk-averse campaign professionals wince at the thought of primaries to any sitting Democratic members of Congress, while ideological activists and party interest groups are more enthusiastic about challenging errant Blue Dogs and conservative Democrats.

These debates unfortunately remain one of the last redoubts of hazy gut-based analysis and decision-making in politics, but that’s all about to change. Primary Colors will bring a Moneyball approach to this guessing game, and help progressive activists target their resources on the lowest-value members in the lowest-risk districts.

The e-mail was signed by Jon Geeting and Ryan O’Donnell. Geeting is a lefty East Coast blogger.

No way in heck will Bustos get a credible primary opponent, but whatever.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 11:04 am

Comments

I think these anti-tax things are kind of funny. Most of what they say is baloney. There is a group in the Republican Party who are all for providing services but apparently are unhappy that money is required to provide those services. I don’t take much of what these types of groups say too seriously.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 11:07 am
“trailing Foster by nine points”

Considering name recon issues, I would take that at this point…

Comment by OneMan Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 11:30 am
Seems to me folks like this hate Republicans, who may of voted for a tax increase once or twice, more than Democrats. Odd bunch.

Comment by J. Nolan Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 11:55 am
Look, Darlene Senger is a nice lady, but she has no business running for Congress. She’s been in a rep for only 4 years, and what has she done? Sure, she’s the HGOP lead on pension reform, but she is a puppet on that end. She’s good at repeating the talking points and questions provided to her by her leader and staff. That may be good enough in Springfield, but that won’t fly in DC (at least I’d like to think so).

Comment by Pepe Silvia Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 11:59 am
“In 2011, Darlene Senger voted for HB2193, ensuring government ID for purchase of Drano”

Best nonsense attack I’ve seen in my career. SHE ATTACKED OUR GOD GIVEN RIGHT TO CLEAN OUR DRAINS WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSES!!1!

Comment by Will Caskey Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 12:22 pm
Also I should point out that this:

Darlene Senger supported raising taxes for parks in 1998 — “Some are saying, No way raise our taxes,” Senger said, “but the majority said, Yes it’s a good thing.” “We’re not going to give up on it [raising taxes]” said Darlene Senger.

Does not indicate Senger’s position on tax increases. It may actually indicate she opposes them but recognizes she is in a minority.

Sloppy and mindless. Waste of the little money that was spent to put it up.

Comment by Will Caskey Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 12:27 pm
The primary colors link lists Rep. Duckworth as a Democrat who deserves a primary.

Perhaps they long for the ideologically pure days of Phil Crane and Joe Walsh.

Seriously, algorithms? I guess some “progressive” super-nerds have created the successors to litmus tests and loyalty oaths.

The last thing Congress needs is more unthinking, uncompromising, mindless conformists. It’s full up on those.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 3:34 pm
I always “enjoy” the …”only”, “must”, “always”, and “never”, crowd, but when the Left decides to take plays from the Slytherin House Republican playbook, then you have to wonder what makes them think playing “the checklist game” is going to work for THEM, when you have fewer and fewer seats in the United States Congress to begin this cycle. Wow. Good luck “adding” with your own brand of Slytherin House Rules.

As to Dalrene Senger, the website is the least of her worries in the battle to take out Bill Foster.

Senger needs real money …REAL money …

Senger needs to work the off-year election cycle and work voters to get them to the polls as a clip that looks like 9 points behind, today, to drag herself over the “Finish” line.

Finally, Senger needs some luck that the Governor’s Race stays close enough that voters are engaged, and her own GOTV is not swayed by voter’s preferences for Governor in a Distirct swayed heavily for Obama. Would not like to see a negative backlash of a poor GOP Guv Nominee sink an opportuinity to win a seat.

The Foster race is 4th for me, behind, the Davis race, the Schneider Race, and the Bustos race. The Enyart race is a close 5th to the Foster race at 4th, but 5 seats in play in Illinois is quite a few, indeed, with the changing of hands …possible …just not probable in one or any of the 5.

Very early, and this website will have alot of time to be incredibly useful, or become “white noise” to be ignored before the race even heats up.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 5:06 pm
@wordslinger

Just now I visited primarycolors and learned that Bill Foster needs a primary challenge.

Huh?

Comment by Bill White Monday, Jul 29, 13 @ 5:40 pm