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* From the twitters and via the Mark Kirk campaign…
Andrea Zopp confirms "yes I'm running; putting team together" to oppose @tammyduckworth #ILDemUSSenate16 pic.twitter.com/DuACcOZ0nb
— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) May 15, 2015
…Adding… Oops. I didn’t notice that Michael had the scoop…
Sneed hears Urban League President and CEO Andrea Zopp, whose resume reads like a corporate bible, is all in.
• Translation: Top Sneed sources claim Zopp plans to run against Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and will make the announcement shortly.
On April 1, Sneed reported Zopp was mulling over such a run and encouraged to do so by former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, the brother and son of former Chicago mayors.
“She [Zopp] is now making phone calls, she is not waiting any longer,” a source said. “She feels the time is right now.”
Top Dem leaders, concerned about an absence of African-Americans on the Illinois Dem ticket — besides perennial candidate Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White — were urging Zopp, whose nickname is Andy, to run.
* Oh, and by the way, check out the NRSC’s bizarre new slogan about Duckworth…
*** UPDATE 1 *** Hmmm…
Sen. Mark Kirk said Friday that he’d rather take on Urban League President and CEO Andrea Zopp in the general election than U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth.
“Zopp is an easier candidate for me to defeat … Because she’s not as well known,” Kirk said Friday, before participating in a lunchtime event with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs downtown.
“Tammy is a war hero. She has a great story to tell because she’s given a lot to this country . . . ” Kirk said. Duckworth lost both her legs when her helicopter was shot down over Iraq.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
“Tammy Duckworth is a partisan voice who sides with Washington insiders and powerbrokers, not the independent-minded people of Illinois. The inability to clear her path in the US Senate primary demonstrates a massive failure by her Washington friends. Mark Kirk is the person Illinois needs in the nation’s capital as he works across the aisle to get things done that benefit all of us,” said Nick Klitzing, Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:02 pm
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Pulling out all the stops.
Comment by walker Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:05 pm
Great news for Kirk…
It won’t really stop the influx of cash Duckworth will accumulate, but Duckworth will face scrutiny.
Wonder how many Rauner donors will be messing around in this(?)
Artl, good luck. OW
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:07 pm
So should she emphasize her time on the school board or Exelon?
Comment by Carhartt Representative Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:08 pm
Absolutely ridiculous.
If Zopp can’t see that she isn’t needed, what good is she?
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:09 pm
Hear that? Thats the sound of Durbin and Rahm changing their focus from Kirk to Zopp. I wonder if those two will be able to “steamroll” Tammy’s opposition this time around.
Comment by CousinVinny Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:11 pm
Cheryle Jackson 2.0
Zopp’s negatives, GC at Exelon and Chicago Board of Ed, are even worse than Cheryle’s. Which is saying something considering Cheryle was Rod’s spokesperson.
And who cares what Bill Daley thinks?
Comment by Rahm'sMiddleFinger Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:13 pm
Zopp must have been promised a lot of money because this makes zero sense.
Comment by From the 'Dale to HP Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:21 pm
Excuse me, GOP. That’s MY slogan.
Comment by Soccermom Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:22 pm
Nice picture of Tammy Duckworth, it rivals those seen on the cover of the National Enquirer!
Comment by BMAN Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:22 pm
I can’t vote for Duckworth or Kirk
I will vote for her.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:22 pm
I don’t like any of the Daleys.
I really don’t like Durbin and Emanuel.
I don’t like Duckworth at all and will never vote for Kirk who offends me.
I am happy that I have a choice and will vote for her.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:25 pm
The national Republican ad is ugly. It looks nasty.
That being said, I do have doubts about Tammy Duckworth. She was a Blagojevich appointee who wound up being sued by some of her employees. I do not know the disposition of the lawsuit, so I could stand to be updated. I do have a general dislike of “carpetbaggers” running for office in Illinois. Duckworth moved here. Like Obama, she is originally from Hawaii. Once the Democrats made her their candidate du jour, she was moved around until they found her a winnable district (she lost to Roskam and beat Walsh) after the remap. I think in both instances, she no sooner finished with the realtors than she declared for office. Yes, I know the in district residency is not a constitutional requirement for Congress, but I prefer it.
Was Andrea Zopp ever a Republican? My memory of her is as a top assistant to Jack O’Malley when he was State’s Attorney. Didn’t she prosecute Mel Reynolds?
Comment by Under Further Review Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:27 pm
Why is Jesse White mentioned as being part of a “ticket?” He’s not up next year (and, incidentally, said this is his last term.)
Comment by Comprende? Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:28 pm
Zopp is a nice person and is a good lawyer. she has been involved in some dicey corporate and board actions. welcome to the primary. it may make Tammy a stronger candidate.
Comment by Amalia Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:29 pm
Why do people who don’t like Rahm want to vote for one of his closest allies? Makes zero sense to me. As Rahm has disinvested from the South and West Sides, the Urban League has been there to carry his water.
Comment by Carhartt Representative Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:30 pm
I think she was in the State’s Attorney’s Office with Jack O’Malley as well.
Comment by Comprende? Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:32 pm
Whenever the opposition runs an attack ad, they try to make target look unappealing. My all-time favorite occurred in a countywide race: Carol Moseley Braun went on the defensive accusing her opponent of using a photograph to make her look bad. This was in the Recorder of Deeds race.
The offending photo was also her official picture from the Illinois Blue Book which listed her as a state representative.
Comment by Under Further Review Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:34 pm
-=== Oswego Willy - Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:07 pm:
+Great news for Kirk… ===Yes it is.
+It won’t really stop the influx of cash Duckworth will accumulate, but Duckworth will face scrutiny. ===
It won’t stop it, but it will have an effect and slow it down a little.
She’s a serious threat in the primary and the general. That editorial interview just got a lot more complicated. Andrea’s a brilliant woman, fast on her feet, with good experience and she will be polished quickly on issues. Whatever baggage she has will be more to Kirk’s advantage than Tammy’s.
There’s a power struggle going on in the upper echelon of the Illinois Democratic Party. This will be interesting. Andrea is formidable.
Comment by A guy Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:35 pm
Robin Kelly waited to long, if another Cook County candidate gets in, might start to see a downstate candidate throw their name in the hat.
Comment by Almost the Weekend Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:36 pm
LOL, this is gonna be fun to watch go down in flames. Andrea Zopp voted to kill 50 schools, the CPS conflicts of interest, on and on and on. That’s not even getting to her terrible record as a rate raiser and incarcerator.
Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:37 pm
Zopp is implicated in the Jon Burge cases as well from her time as First Assistant Cook County State’s attorney.
Comment by anon Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:37 pm
=I think she was in the State’s Attorney’s Office with Jack O’Malley as well=
She was. She was one of the first to decide not to pursue investigating Burge. http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/deaf-to-the-screams/Content?oid=912813
Comment by Carhartt Representative Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:39 pm
=== Precinct Captain - Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:37 pm:
LOL, this is gonna be fun to watch go down in flames. Andrea Zopp voted to kill 50 schools, the CPS conflicts of interest, on and on and on. That’s not even getting to her terrible record as a rate raiser and incarcerator.====
Blah, blah, blah. Keep talking Predictable Captain. And then watch the Regular members of the AA Democratic Party stand solidly behind her. Taking serious threats lightly is how you lose.
Comment by A guy Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:41 pm
Zopp hasn’t had to answer for any of her negatives, or campaign.
She is an unknown quantity. Her negatives will be trotted out, and when people hear of the school closings, not a good starting point.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:43 pm
This ad is over the top… They should have just let her vote record speak for itself… Why go nasty… Duckworth needs an opponent…Voters need to know what and who she is… The Walsh sideshow gave her cover… Not this time…
Comment by Walter Mitty Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:50 pm
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:43 pm:
I agree but I need somebody to vote for and I will never vote for Duckworth or Kirk.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:50 pm
- Under Further Review - Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:27 pm:
Thank you for saying what I was thinking
Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:52 pm
==- A guy - Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:41 pm:==
A guy, please tell me again how black think, eat, vote, and live. Catch up on the news the last few months too, CPS, mass incarceration, and police brutality have been big issues.
Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:55 pm
A conversation in the primaries is valuable. It will force Tammy not just to run against Mark but to define herself as a positive, progressive candidate. Also campaigning errors in the primary are more likely to be forgiven or overlooked, making for a stronger run in the general election.
Comment by uptown progressive Friday, May 15, 15 @ 1:00 pm
@A Guy, Zopp better be ready for this question: “As a board member for the Chicago Board of Education, you voted to close 50 schools, approved a $20m contract that was investigated for corruption, and saw the school district’s finances implode… what did you do to prevent any of these things from happening?”
Comment by From the 'Dale to HP Friday, May 15, 15 @ 1:05 pm
I really hope that Sneed doesn’t believe that William Daley is among the “top Dems” in this state.
Comment by Snucka Friday, May 15, 15 @ 1:23 pm
Now if we can just get truax to run against Kirk we will have some fun. No more oberwise please
Comment by burrito bob Friday, May 15, 15 @ 1:30 pm
Rahm has ties to both Zopp and Tammy. This kinda puts him in a tough spot. Zopp has some real negatives that will hurt her in a Dem primary, but if she can get the African-American community behind her, she can’t be counted out.
Comment by FTR Friday, May 15, 15 @ 1:36 pm
=== From the ‘Dale to HP - Friday, May 15, 15 @ 1:05 pm:
@A Guy, Zopp better be ready for this question: “As a board member for the Chicago Board of Education, you voted to close 50 schools, approved a $20m contract that was investigated for corruption, and saw the school district’s finances implode… what did you do to prevent any of these things from happening?”===
Yep Dale HP, Because the guy who just ran and had to answer these very tough questions lost his mayoral race….
Oh wait, he actually won. The only people still talking about 50 schools being close are the CTU unions. It’s never been about the kids with them. The parents know it, the city residents know it, and very sadly…the kids know it and are reminded every day. If we thought a fraction as much about them as we did about everything and everyone but them, we’d be a lot better off.
She won’t back down from the questions. In fact, I think she’ll be ready and willing to answer them. Half empty or more than half empty schools are not an economic advantage I’ve ever heard of. But keep defending the most glaring scar we have; not educating our kids to be successful. And remind me what’s more important than that?
Comment by A guy Friday, May 15, 15 @ 1:37 pm
===FTR - Friday, May 15, 15 @ 1:36 pm:
Rahm has ties to both Zopp and Tammy. This kinda puts him in a tough spot. Zopp has some real negatives that will hurt her in a Dem primary, but if she can get the African-American community behind her, she can’t be counted out.===
Count on it. There will be plenty of very serious people standing at the side of and supporting Andrea. And Rahm does have a dilemma on this one.
Comment by A guy Friday, May 15, 15 @ 1:39 pm
===Precinct Captain - Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:55 pm:
==- A guy - Friday, May 15, 15 @ 12:41 pm:==
A guy, please tell me again how black think, eat, vote, and live. ===
Better yet, jump out of those PJs and observe the world around you. What you’re asking to know the answers of are not secrets. Except to you apparently.
Comment by A guy Friday, May 15, 15 @ 1:43 pm
Zopp is only formidable if she and her Crew make the case to voters Zopp, with Burge and 50 school closings is better than a sitting congressional wounded warrior.
If I’m Duckworth, that’s the discussion I would frame.
The Exelon is a counter point…
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 15, 15 @ 1:47 pm
“Tammy is a war hero. She has a great story to tell because she’s given a lot to this country . . .”
Tammy’s people are working on the ad this very minute.
Comment by JoanP Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:02 pm
OW, Burge is a scourge for sure. Dropping that on Zopp is a bit over the top. She wasn’t the police chief. As miserable a guy as Burge is (may he go to Hades), the political resonance of his actions has been limited to “he’s a filthy dirty cop”. We’ve heard the 50 schools mantra to no avail. It needed to be done. The sun still came up and I’m reading less about school violence than I was before they were closed.
I can assure you, no one in the Duckworth camp is looking forward to debates between these two people. Ask them. This is the race they did not want.
Comment by A guy Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:02 pm
==- A guy - Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:02 pm:==
Try reading some of John Conroy’s article at the Chicago Reader. They have a whole archive called “Police Torture in Chicago.” In it you will find that Andrea Zopp refused to prosecute Jon Burge and his confidantes after being brought case files by Dave Fogel from the CPD’s professional standards office.
==- A guy - Friday, May 15, 15 @ 1:43 pm:==
See an eye doctor. I’m wearing blue jeans.
Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:08 pm
I will never vote for Duckworth and neither will anybody in my family and neither will our friends.
We are all liberals.
We will never vote for Kirk either.
War hero or not, we did not for for John McCain. That doesn’t make us vote for you.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:09 pm
How many of you that tout that she is a war hero voted for McCain?
You are just for her for other reasons.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:09 pm
===I can assure you, no one in the Duckworth camp is looking forward to debates between these two people. Ask them. This is the race they did not want.===
They don’t want ANY race, everyone wabts a clean Primary. Zopp, and her Burge connection and naïveté isn’t scaring anyone. If anything, with the Board of Education and State’s Attorney background, Zopp can easily be labeled a “political tool of the powerful”.
Zopp gearing up now has her a tad behind, but behind all the same.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:09 pm
Guy, I think I’ll give your street cred on Zopp vs. Duckworth the same weight I gave your prediction on how formidable Tio will be against Rush.
Seriously, dude, with you, is it all a gag? The thing the other day, when you wanted Supreme Court justices to collaborate with legislative factions to draft laws that they’d have to rule on — impartially — later? That made sense to you?
If it’s not a bit, you might want to see if there is some sort of “Billy Madison” accelerated civics and history curriculum for you. Do you good.
As to Zopp, I’ll believe it when I see it. And I dont believe I will see it.
I call Bill Daley nonsense. Geez, you’d think the guy would give it a rest by now. How many times with him? It’s embarrassing. You want to turn your head. Count your sellout money and be happy.
If some Griff/Zell/Rauner money gets behind Zopp, we’ll see. But the Kirk seat is a possible Dem pickoff in a presidential year, so there will be plenty of national money behind Duckworth.
I think this will go the usual Bill Daley route.
Comment by Wordslinger Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:10 pm
==Yep Dale HP, Because the guy who just ran and had to answer these very tough questions lost his mayoral race….
Oh wait, he actually won.==
A first time candidate is a little different than an incumbent mayor.
==The only people still talking about 50 schools being close are the CTU unions.==
Who, I imagine, will take some interest in a Democratic Primary.
==It’s never been about the kids with them. The parents know it, the city residents know it, and very sadly…the kids know it and are reminded every day.==
And now we get to the point where you wed your hopes to your analysis.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:13 pm
two comments:
1. To: “And who cares what Bill Daley thinks?” BINGO!
2. How we get there is unimportant to me, but I do not want Kirk. Anyone but him. He was a pandering snake for the wrestling coach, Hastert, and he is the same now for Mitch the Turtle. His foreign policy faux pas have made me cringe.
Comment by zonz Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:19 pm
==The only people still talking about 50 schools being close are the CTU unions.==
That’s also just plain not true, every time I visit my family in Chicago they mention the school closings and worry about further ones. Not a CTU member, or even an educator, in the bunch.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:22 pm
Instead of 1992’s “Back Jack,” Tammy can use “Stop Zopp!”
Please pay me $10.00.
Thank you,
Tatham
Comment by Tatham Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:28 pm
hmm, Zopp was a lawyer for Exelon - - doesn’t Microsoft made that spreadsheet program?
Yawn.
My bills come from ComED.
But “Zopp ignored police torture” might be a good slam on her.
Comment by zonz Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:32 pm
I agree with A Guy.
Police torturing poor black people, and closing 50 schools just aren’t big issues. /snark/
Ok, obviously I’m joking. In fact, Rahm was forced to a run-off largely on the school issue and while the police brutality issue may die down next year, this year is has been literally the biggest issue nationally.
Comment by Gooner Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:37 pm
One thing’s for sure: Ms. Zopp must hire David Lee Roth to announce her name before every appearance.
Comment by Team Sleep Friday, May 15, 15 @ 2:52 pm
@ Under Further Review - “Duckworth moved here. Like Obama, she is originally from Hawaii.”
You should take the advice of your nickname….
Your post sounds like one of those Fox-style attacks where they portray a half-truth as the whole thing.
FYI - Duckworth’s father (a U.S. Marine veteran) was working in Thailand when she was born. Because of his work her family frequently moved throughout Asia during her childhood. Cue right-wing “birther” conspiracy theories.
It wasn’t til her teens that they moved to Hawaii where she graduated college. She joined ROTC during grad school and later went into the Reserves and pilot school to fly helicopters. Her father’s side of the family had combat veterans all the way back to the Revolutionary War and being a helo pilot was one of the few combat roles available to women at the time.
Duckworth eventually transitioned to the National Guard and moved to Illinois to serve with a helicopter unit. She was attending Northern Illinois University for a PhD when her unit was deployed to Iraq where she lost her legs during an attack.
Moving to Illinois to serve in the National Guard and attend post-grad school is not what most people would consider to be a “carpetbagger”.
Your half-truth continues, “Once the Democrats made her their candidate du jour, she was moved around until they found her a winnable district (she lost to Roskam and beat Walsh) after the remap. I think in both instances, she no sooner finished with the realtors than she declared for office. Yes, I know the in district residency is not a constitutional requirement for Congress, but I prefer it.”
Again - you may want to take your comments “under further review” before you post them.
She was “moved around until they found her a winnable district”?
You don’t think the fact that she no longer has legs and needed a house that was retro-fitted with ramps had anything to with the house she lives in?
And if she was “moved around” why wouldn’t she have been “moved around” directly into Henry Hyde’s old district instead of a few blocks out - you yourself also complain about “district residency”.
Keep up the attacks. It’s pretty tame stuff compared to the attacks she had to face in Iraq - especially when you consider Kirk lied about “coming under fire in Iraq” himself.
Comment by Ghostbusters Friday, May 15, 15 @ 3:40 pm
@ “Anonymous” -
Ok Eric Elk. We get it.
You enjoy sockpuppeting for your old boss.
A lot.
Comment by Ghostbusters Friday, May 15, 15 @ 3:43 pm
Zopp has never run for public office and has no clue what is involved. She was flattered by Bill Daley into running. She was a Republican at the time and she worked for Jack O’Malley and George Ryan or Jim Edgar (can’t recall which). CPS, Burge, Mel Reynolds prosecution,Exelon, etc. will hurt her badly.
Comment by Formerpol Friday, May 15, 15 @ 4:40 pm
Zopp will beat Duckworth. As an aside, Willie Wilson is now running for President. 10% of the vote in the Mayoral race must really have encouraged him.
Comment by Comprende? Friday, May 15, 15 @ 5:27 pm