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Report: LaHood raised $500K in five weeks

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Illinois

Illinois state Sen. Darin LaHood raised more than $500,000 in five weeks since entering the special election to replace Republican Aaron Schock, according to figures provided first to CQ Roll Call.

LaHood, the son of former Illinois Rep. Ray LaHood, faces a Republican primary against Mike Flynn, an editor of the conservative website Breitbart News. LaHood touted the haul in an early show of strength, with the pre-primary fundraising reporting deadline still seven weeks away.

“I’m deeply humbled by the outpouring of support from conservative leaders and families throughout Central Illinois,” LaHood said in a statement. “We’re ready to fight for term limits, less debt, repealing ObamaCare, and ethics reform.”

The Peoria-based 18th District is heavily Republican territory. GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney carried it with 61 percent in 2012.

* Meanwhile, Mike Flynn sat for a recent interview…

Flynn said conservatism to him is having a humility about what government can accomplish.

“The government should be there to enforce contracts and the roads and the common things we can’t do individually and then just get out of the way,” Flynn said. “and let people live their lives, raise their family, grow their business, live their lives as they see fit.”

Policywise, Flynn said Congress should overhaul Obamacare, enforce U.S. borders and reform the prison system by keeping more non-violent offenders out of prison and providing more treatment for substance abuse.

He added the GOP has time and again overlooked public sentiment in giving the Obama administration a mandate to get what it wants, including Obamacare.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 4, 15 @ 3:09 pm

Comments

It was LaHood, all day, from Jump Street.

LaHood consolidated, made the move quickly, without looking overly eager, and handled the business methodically, and never got ahead of himself.

The $500K is a direct reflection of that entire ramp up being a 3-deminsional flag planting; support, message, money.

I like how they went about their business. They didn’t disappoint. Well done by that Crew.

The flip side?

Rauner will get another GA appointment. That’s goid politics at play, and the Rauner Crew made that part possible too.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 4, 15 @ 3:16 pm
Here’s why Flynn’s philosophy is problematic. Flynn says:

“The government should be there to enforce contracts and the roads and the common things we can’t do individually and then just get out of the way,” Flynn said. “and let people live their lives, raise their family, grow their business, live their lives as they see fit.”

But then he supports drug treatment presumably paid for by the government. So where exactly do you draw the line for what is legitimate for government to do? If drug treatment is legitimate (and it is), why isn’t help for children with autism? Or paratransit? Or the hundreds of other programs that conservatives like Flynn want to get rid of?

Flynn and his fellow travelers should just admit that in a complex, modern society there are a lot of things that individuals cannot do on their own, and that the private sector will do not without payment (from the government, presumably). His support of increasing drug treatment programs implicitly endorses this view.

Once you say (or imply, in Flynn’s case) that offering social services like drug treatment is a legitimate government function, the rest of his arguments look a lot different.

Comment by the Other Anonymous Monday, May 4, 15 @ 3:20 pm
Mr. Flynn’s last statement about Obamacare is way off base. President Obama had large majorities in both chambers when he was first elected. Even after Scott Brown won the MA special election, he still had 58 seats in the Senate. The passage of Obamacare was not due to the GOP “rolling over”.

Comment by Team Sleep Monday, May 4, 15 @ 3:23 pm
“Flynn said that his brand of conservatism is humiliating and not good government.” There I corrected it for him.

Comment by Norseman Monday, May 4, 15 @ 3:33 pm
Is he deeply humbled by his parents both maxing out? Reenforces he’s the establishment choice. The outpouring is from the party opening the spigot to get someone in there they can control.

Comment by Dave Victor Monday, May 4, 15 @ 4:10 pm
===Is he deeply humbled by his parents both maxing out? Reenforces he’s the establishment choice.===

LOL

Next!

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, May 4, 15 @ 4:16 pm
You missed the point. Not referring to his parent’s contribution specifically. He not being genuine. Check the list of donors at his DC fundraiser. They’re not families in the district

Comment by Dave Victor Monday, May 4, 15 @ 4:20 pm
=== Not referring to his parent’s contribution specifically===

LOL

Next!

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, May 4, 15 @ 4:21 pm
Oh - Dave Victor -, just feel better about your drive-by and move on.

Justifying it borders on sad, but a drive-by all the same, lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 4, 15 @ 4:33 pm
Why the sympathy for drug addicts but not for autistic children?

Comment by Cheryl44 Monday, May 4, 15 @ 4:47 pm
For Flynn it’s all about playing to the far-right DC crowd. They despise Obama so much, that Ray LaHood’s apostasy must be visited on the son.

But Darin has covered the conservative bases fully, with support from some of the wingiest of the wing nuts, while enjoying full support from the big donor base.

As Willy ably pointed out…well played by Team Darin.

Comment by Adam Smith Monday, May 4, 15 @ 5:40 pm
“and let people live their lives, raise their family, grow their business, live their lives as they see fit.”

So he supports marriage equality.

Comment by JoanP Monday, May 4, 15 @ 5:45 pm
How does substance abuse treatment rate as a govenment function yet health insurance does not?

How does Flynn propose to pay for the treatment if not wth insurance? Green Stamps?

Lightweight, just ringing the Pavlovian bells.

Comment by Wordslinger Monday, May 4, 15 @ 5:53 pm
Speaking of fundraising, something rather curious when following the TribIlCampaignCash tweets.

On the ISBE website, in its A-1 list for May 1, 2015, the Illinois Republican Party reports a $10,800 contribution from:

Rauner, Bruce
Occupation: Chairman
Employer: GTCR
Address: (street address) Winnetka

Funny, I heard the dude got another gig and moved to a fixer-upper in Springfield back in January. He certainly hasnt been running GTCR for quite some time, right?

I guess the state GOP didn’t get the memo.

Rauner, Diana, occupation philanthropist, employer Rauner Family Foundation, also of Winnetka, kicked in $10,800 to the state party as well, on May 1, 2015.

Comment by Wordslinger Monday, May 4, 15 @ 6:33 pm
Mike Flynn has no chance against the wealthy and politically powerful LaHood Dynasty. Who does Flynn think he is challenging LaHood? Maybe Ray LaHood could get Mike Flynn an appointment to the Illinois Senate like he did for his son Darin?

Comment by PoliticalPro Monday, May 4, 15 @ 8:30 pm
Has anyone looked into the fact that not all of this $500,000 can be spent between now and 7/7 since people are maxing to the primary … General and next primary?

Comment by BlackOpsGOP Friday, May 8, 15 @ 3:53 pm