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* Dispatch-Argus reporter Eric Timmons interviewed Paul Schimpf, the Republican candidate for Illinois attorney general…

Mr. Schimpf faces tough odds in taking on incumbent Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

He called the “biggest threat” to the nation the “toxicity and venom in our politics” and promises to steer clear of mudslinging, even if that irks party officials.

“There are some consultants in the Republican Party that are saying you need to attack her (Ms. Madigan) personally and make the argument that she should be in jail,” he said. “I don’t believe that, and I’m not going to do that.”

Those are some pretty intense consultants.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 10:34 am

Comments

I wonder if Dan Proft was one of those consultants.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 10:36 am
It goes without saying, that he just did that.

Comment by Walker Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 10:37 am
I totally respect that point of view. And so will campaign observers. He will probably gain some cred. for future candidacies by not flailing like a lunatic.

Comment by Siriusly Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 10:37 am
“There are some consultants in the Republican Party that are saying you need to attack her (Ms. Madigan) personally and make the argument that she should be in jail”

Criminal wrongdoing? That would be news - just what would that argument be?

Comment by MIghty M. Mouse Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 10:41 am
That’s an old Nixon trick:

Some people say I should say that, but I’m not going to say that, even though, I just said that.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 10:42 am
This might be the last time you hear from him until November…when he concedes.

Comment by A guy... Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 10:48 am
is there a relationship between our AG candidate and Rauner’s spokesman?

Comment by in the know Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 10:52 am
Yep he can lose by 30 points just as easily by rolling over.

Comment by too obvious Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 10:56 am
Those with long memories might recall that Jim Thompson stated that, despite what others might think, “Adlai Stevenson is a wimp? No, I don’t think he’s a wimp. I certainly don’t believe he’s a wimp. Some might believe otherwise, but I don’t think Adlai’s a wimp….”

Comment by WTF Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 11:06 am
Given the option of losing honorably or losing dishonorably I am impressed that he has chosen to lose honorably. From now on whenever anyone asks about him or mentions his name and I say “who’s that” and they say “he’s the Republican candidate for Attorney General in 2014″ I’ll think back to this story and remember that he may have no chance but at least he seems decent.

Comment by The Captain Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 11:11 am
===That’s an old Nixon trick:

Some people say I should say that, but I’m not going to say that, even though, I just said that.
===

And I too would never say that, although I could certainly see how OTHERS might think so . . . (– NOT!)

Comment by MIghty M. Mouse Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 11:14 am
Schimpf is an impressive guy with a very impressive resume. It’s a shame he chose this race.

Comment by Frustrated Voter Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 11:15 am
WTF. if I recall correctly, Adlai first brought up the word “wimp,” as in I am not a wimp, I’m the Marine who saw action in Korea, while Big Jim avoided the draft with a medical deferment.

Both their races were nasty, with some raw whispering campaigns from both sides.

The great Judy Koehler tried to tag Alan Dixon as “the real wimp.” Didn’t do her much good.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 11:44 am
If you met Schrimpf you would immediately recognize that heis not pulling a Nixon. He is to be commended for taking on a tough candidate and playing fair.

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 11:46 am
Why is he running??

Comment by SonofSuperAbe2014 Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 11:58 am
Louis, c’mon. He drops that “some” say the attorney general should be in jail and that’s fair? How?

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 12:09 pm
Word, your recollection is right. Adlai said it first and JRT rode it for all it was worth.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 12:32 pm
Good for Mr. Schimpf.

I’ll bet that the consultants and party officials to whom he’s referring are already preparing their “Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. See he lost because he was a gentleman and everyone knows you can’t be one in Illinois” sound bytes. OTOH, I’ll bet Voters will notice.

Wouldn’t it be funny if some day, Voters drove the “tone” of the campaigns–and all the current creme de la creme of the political consulting world responded with nothing more than arguing about what’s rude, polite, etc. because they lost the ability to behave accordingly (or never knew how in the first place)?

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 12:46 pm
I’m not going to attack Mr. Schimpf personally and make the argument that he should be in jail. I don’t believe that, and I’m not going to do that.

Comment by Bigtwich Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 12:51 pm
Bigtwich, it seems, is “taking it to the next step” by demonstrating the value of credibility. Assuming present company excluded because many of us here really know nothing at all about one another (and thus would have the benefit of the doubt if you believe in the goodness of people), some pols could say anything at all at this point–including the truth, and no one would believe them.

Or even find them to be charming and entertaining fibbers.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 1:00 pm
So it should go without saying that I can see how someone might state that “toxicity and venom in our politics” are not a good thing.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 1:03 pm
No GOP consultant in their right mind wants Madigan to have serious opposition.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 1:12 pm
Yes, but he can’t afford a GOP consultant in his “right mind.”

This is a very good guy who is just trying to make it clear that he’s not part of the right-wing kook fringe and won’t be swayed by those types. He’s an honorable guy and deserves some credit here, even if he was somewhat inartful.

It wouldn’t even cross his mind to be Nixonian, trust me.

Comment by LincolnLounger Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 1:35 pm
=This is a very good guy who is just trying to make it clear that he’s not part of the right-wing kook fringe and won’t be swayed by those types=

Mhm. Let’s hope he’s not going to be swayed by the current “Moderate-wing kook fringe” either.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 1:44 pm
All I really know about him is that he was the only candidate for any office that had the courage to say the proposed pension cuts were unconstitutional, so he has my vote.

Comment by cod Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 1:46 pm
As already stated, if you say someone else said for me to say it, you just said it. I think some candidates might be finally figuring out what role PAC’s play in campaigns.

Comment by W.S. Walcott Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 2:13 pm
If I were Mr. Schrimpf, I would not be taking advice from John “I am an ass” Kass.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 2:32 pm
Isn’t it funny how when it comes to “kooks,” many seem to want to believe there can only be one–as if people and group dynamics are that simple.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 2:53 pm
No matter WHAT the Consultants advise him to do–or that he, in fact, does–sheez, the guy’s got a a REAL tough road to hoe in this one…in fact, he’s got NO road to hoe…right or wrong–and she does have a pretty decent record of Accomplishment–Lisa’s just still too well-liked, so, at least he ought to WALK over some of those Illinois “roads,” to, well, at least get to KNOW Illinois and its’ residents a little better so, if anything, if he ever decides to RUN for somethin’ ever again after this pending defeat, he’ll have a better idea of WHO Illinoisans, Chicagolanders, Northern, Central, and Southern Illinoisans really are, HOW to relate to them better (that is, unless Mr. Timmons is a Billionaire, in which case, just forget about it,) and the kinds of things they really do CARE about to make life better for them, their Children, and their Neighbors in this wondrous place they call Home…!

Comment by Just The Way It Is One Friday, Apr 4, 14 @ 4:47 pm