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Caprio promises revenge against Cross while Grogan says vote is no big deal

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Illinois

* From a fundraising e-mail…

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Paul Caprio
Thursday, November 7, 2013

(Chicago) In the aftermath of the narrow (two vote margin) passage of legalized same sex marriage by the Illinois House on Tuesday, Family-Pac announced that it will oppose two legislators who broke pledges to oppose the bill. Ron Sandack (R - Downers Grove) and Tom Cross (R. Plainfield).

Said Paul Caprio, Director, “These two members broke their pledges not only to pro-family groups but to their own constituents. They have demonstrated a fundamental lack of integrity which should be of importance to all Illinois Republicans.”

Please consider a donation to Family-Pac today by going to our website (www.family-pac.com). Your support of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, or $1000 will help us begin winning campaigns against these traitors.

Family-Pac has already begun the campaign against Sandack last night to tell 11,900 GOP households in his district of his vote in favor of same sex marriage in an automated call.

* Meanwhile, Rep. Cross’ Republican primary opponent in the state treasurer’s race is refusing to take any shots, while his likely Democratic opponent is trying to make hay out of relatively nothing…

Grogan opposes same-sex marriage, but he didn’t take any swings at Cross. “I’m running for treasurer, and treasurer doesn’t have a lot to do with that topic,” Grogan said. “How Tom Cross votes on it is not relevant to me.”

State Sen. Mike Frerichs of Champaign, the Democrat in the race for treasurer, has tried to seize on the issue, criticizing Cross for not publicly backing same-sex marriage before the vote Tuesday.

Grogan’s silence means this will be a non-issue for Cross in the primary campaign, other than outside groups like Caprio’s. That’s a big plus for Cross.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 9:25 am

Comments

Class move by Bob Grogan. Period.

Paul Caprio is always good for a classless move, and how classless can you be talking about integrity and in the same paragraph list monetry dontaion suggestions?

Family-Pac, in this instance, is everything that is wrong when a lobbying arm tries to hijack a Party for a single focused agenda when they can’t convince those that what they advocate is good for ALL.

Hijack a Party, hold it hostage… at the cost of seeming relevent and tolerant and welcoming to those who do not have to agree, 100%, with lobbying groups first, a party platform second, and their own ideals, which are in concert 80% of the time …. third.

I look forward to Leader Durkin taking the Reagan rule of 80% right at the Paul Caprios of the Slytherin lobby and remind them that a politcal party needs diversity, not rigidiness.

I guess Paul Caprio would love perpetual minorty status of the ILGOP, and … his agenda foiled time and time again … instead of working in concert, understanding that Family-Pac as a lobbying group is not a “wing” … of the GOP.

They are no better than any left-wing fringe group that thinks its their duty to take over the Democratic Party.

Same, Paul …same.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 9:35 am
Maybe Jason Plummer advised Grogan to stay out if it in hopes that Cross would give him Lt. Treasurer.

Comment by Phenomynous Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 9:43 am
“Dear Paul,

I see nothing wrong with the fundraising letter.

Strike while the iron is HOT!

Signed,

Andy Shaw”

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 9:43 am
Integrity and clarity from Grogan.

Not only was Family PAC’s message classless, but so was Mike Frerich’s.

Comment by walkinfool Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 9:44 am
Class move out of Grogan but kind of exposes him as not being Tea Party. Though how you can work for Fawell and Biggert and claim TP status is beyond me and just shows off how goofy they are.

Poor Frerichs, that was 4 or 5 months of biting attacks that have to get thrown in the trash. He really telegraphed his play and got pimped, but that is what happens when you get out of Gifford.

Comment by ChefKief Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 9:52 am
I agree…..good move on Grogan’s part…it separates him from the fringe groups in the party. Like Willy said “class move”.

Comment by Raising Kane Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 9:53 am
At least Caprio’s honest. In his letter he says that the group hopes to “begin winning” races. That’s true, because any statewide win for social conservatives would be their first since, what, Peter Fitzgerald?

Comment by Johnny Q. Suburban Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 9:54 am
Huge respect for Bob Grogan. There’s a candidate to take a second look at. Frierichs, if you support marriage equality, don’t use it against Cross for doing the right thing.

Comment by Dan Bureaucrat Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 9:59 am
So what does that say for Democrats who had not publicly backed same sex marriage before the vote on Tuesday?

On the other side does that mean Caprio/Family PAC are going to spend money on the Treasurer’s primary?

Comment by anonymous Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 10:01 am
For all the humore on here at Bob grogan’s expense, now is the time to state that I appreciate the Statesman like attitude he has taken. Politics would be a much better place if others had the same integrity.

Comment by train111 Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 10:02 am
I abhor what Family-PAC does, and it really irks me when religious right organizations use the word “Family” as if there is only one type of family.

But I don’t see anything wrong with Caprio’s email. At some point, his group sent a questionnaire. Cross answered it in a way that agreed with Caprio’s group. Cross did the right thing with his vote in my opinion, but he did break his pledge to Caprio’s group, so Caprio is well within his rights to fundraise based on this, and to do while the issue is still in the news.

Comment by Robert the Bruce Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 10:20 am
When the time came for a vote, Cross was on the right side. How he got there makes no difference to me. My hat’s off to him.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 10:30 am
I received a robocall from Caprio last night “informing” me of Ron Sandack’s vote, (as if I would not be aware of it)and then shamelessly pitching for money to oppose him.
I support Ron and will continue to do so. I also think the government (State and Federal) should stay the heck out of people’s lives on issues of love and committment. If we Republicans are truly about less government, then let’s be about less government intrusion into our lives. Personally,I don’t care about gay issues either way. We are talking Levitcus 18, v 22. Look at all the verses, which deal with sexual no-nos from beastiality to incest. Oh, and the biggest of all, adultery. I beleive more “family values” are hurt by adultery than any gay issues, but we don’t pick on that….Shame on all. Especially the self rightous Caprio who seems interest in only selected “family value” issues.

Comment by LisleMike Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 10:32 am
Grood move by Grogran.

Comment by SAP Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 10:33 am
Forgot main thing- Grogan is a keeper! I know him and he is not a phony. Just wants to do the job

Comment by LisleMike Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 10:34 am
This very clearly makes me want to donate money to Sandack and Cross.

This could blow up on Family-Pac. If these two both win, then they have relagetd themselves to unimportant.

Comment by Ghost Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 10:55 am
Will Grogan win any votes with his statesmanship?

While I favor marriage equality, Cross and Sandack.were elected as declared opponents of same-sex marriage. While I find Paul abrasive, he and other conservatives have the right to.feel.doublecrossed.

Comment by reformer Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 11:05 am
==Class move by Bob Grogan. Period.==

Agreed!

To Sen. Frerichs point though, I was also disappointed by how many Representatives (including Cross, my own Rep.) who refused to take part in the conversation earlier.

Here in the Fox Valley, NONE of our Representatives’ positions were known prior to the vote… Cross, Chapa LaVia, Kifowit, Hatcher, even newly sworn in Rep. John Anthony… NOBODY revealed their position beforehand. It makes it seem like they were all using the premier civil rights issue of our time as a bargaining chip for some kind of political gain in some other area. (And I suspect most of them were.)

Water under the bridge now, I guess…

Comment by FoxValleyPride1 Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 11:08 am
Sandack , on the other hand, put it all out there. A lotta props for that guy.

Comment by FoxValleyPride1 Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 11:18 am
==were elected as declared opponents of same-sex marriage==

I don’t think that’s the only reason they were elected. If people want to throw them under the bus in the next election then they can do that. I think it’s small minded if your only issue is gay marriage when you go into the voting booth.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 11:19 am
Both representatives are fair game because they signed pledges opposing SSM and probably did so in order to seek endorsements from Family PAC.

If Cross or Sandack had not signed pledges, Caprio would have nothing to criticize.

Yes, the two votes did make a difference.

Comment by A-Okay Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 11:38 am
How wonderfully level headed of Grogan! And what a breath of fresh air to have a candidate say, “I’m not going to drag an irrelevent issue into this.” Why, it’s actually classy!

If Cross helped make himself electable statewide by his vote, Grogan just did the same by not being a purist of the Flea Party ilk.

Comment by PolPal56 Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 11:47 am
Astonished by Grogan. Good for him. As for Caprio, more of the same. He has no foot soldiers — just robocalls, threats, and temper tantrums in order to extract dollars to keep his faux relevancy going.

As for Frerichs, he’s been shameless going back to running for township office, but this statewide effort has brought it to a new zenith. I’m sure he’s disappointed — he will now try and have to focus the state treasurer’s race on climate change, abortion, or Darfur (or whatever Daily Kos talking points he spews.)

Comment by LincolnLounger Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 11:47 am
Class move by Bob Grogan. Period.

Certainly a smart move. Let others beat him up over it. You collect their votes, but have clean hands for the general.

Comment by Pat C Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 11:48 am
If Cross and Sandack had done an about-face in the other direction — from for SB10 to against — I doubt commenters would be cutting them so much slack.

Comment by reformer Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 11:49 am
“broke their pledges”

That’s it. They must be banished from public life. Banished forever, I tell you. They violated their pledges. What in the Republican Party can be worse than that? That is a sin of the highest magnitude. They’re not real conservatives. They should be primaried hard.

Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 11:55 am
Unexpected by Grogan - I assumed he would just jump off the deep end with the cRazies.

I’m now willing to drop the R in GrogRan and give him a second look.

Comment by 2nd Look Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 12:06 pm
Public opinion is changing on the issue of gay marriage and changing rapidly.

People who raise money bashing gays have to go after legislators that cross them, but…

This will get sorted out when we have elections.

If Family-Pac can’t beat Sandack in the GOP primary Paul Caprio is will be much less intimidating.

And I think that’s what the ILGOP wants. It wants to show it can fight off the social conservatives in the GOP primary.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 1:06 pm
“I’m running for treasurer, and treasurer doesn’t have a lot to do with that topic”

What a breath of fresh air!

The concept of confining your campaigning to those issues relevant to the office for which you are running is something that I’d like to see spread to all candidates. Not that I expect that to happen.

Comment by Joan P. Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 1:33 pm
Bob Grogan: “Never the opportunist.”

Comment by So. ILL Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 1:47 pm
==The concept of confining your campaigning to those issues relevant to the office for which you are running is something that I’d like to see spread to all candidates. Not that I expect that to happen.==

I didn’t know supporting civil rights and humanity totally disqualified someone from being state treasurer. Heck, I’d go so far as to say that might be the basic thing I would want to look for in all candidates from President of the United States to sanitation board.

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 3:45 pm