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LaHood hit on craft beer vote

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Illinois

* From Liz Mair, who is repping congressional candidate Mike Flynn (yes, that Liz Mair)…

Good evening:

I wanted to flag this for you… it appears that Darin LaHood was one of just two senators to give a thumbs-up to bigger, more intrusive government in this little-noticed recent vote.

Please consider this response from Mike Flynn, LaHood’s primary opponent:

“‎It’s votes like this where a legislator shows his true colors: Is he for more big, intrusive government or freeing innovative, early-stage and smaller businesses from stifling regulation that prevents them from hiring more Illinoisans and growing our economy? LaHood has shown his big government stripes with this vote, and voters in the 18th district should beware putting another big government-happy Republican into the House of Representatives.”

Thanks

Liz

* The linked article…

Legislation approved by the House this week would allow breweries to operate up to three brew pubs and tap houses while producing much more beer than is currently legally allowed. The proposal is awaiting the governor’s signature.

Currently, a brewery that also runs a brew pub or tap room can produce up to 30,000 barrels of beer annually. This new legislation would bump that number up to 120,000 barrels. […]

The legislation passed the Illinois Senate two weeks ago 46-2, with state Sen. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, casting one of those unfavorable votes.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone whacked over a craft beer vote before.

Also, I saw Liz on TV not long ago and thought she did a pretty darned good job.

* And speaking of Flynn…

Paul Caprio, Director of Family-Pac Federal, Illinois’ leading pro-family political action committee, issued the following statement regarding the positions of Michael Flynn, GOP candidate for Congress in the 18th District. Flynn is a candidate in the July 7th GOP Primary Election to fill the seat of recently resigned Republican Aaron Schock.

Said Caprio, “We react today to troubling and reckless statements made by Mr. Flynn regarding marriage, the most fundamental and important institution in our society.”

On September 2, 2008 in a Reason.com article, Flynn criticized key social planks in the GOP national platform. Flynn stated:

“A lot to dislike (in the platform) e.g., protecting traditional marriage…”

In July 2012, in a Breitbart article, Mr. Flynn says the following:

“I’m rabidly agnostic on the issue of gay marriage. Marriage is just something I don’t think the government has much business mucking around in.”

Caprio continued, “Mr. Flynn’s position on gay marriage puts him far out of the mainstream of Illinois Republican voters.

“More fundamentally, however, Mr. Flynn’s radical libertarian position that government has no business “mucking” around in marriage is both reckless and ignorant.

“A fundamental purpose of marriage is to legally attach children to parents for the purpose of support and nurturing. If this duty is not clearly established by the State of Illinois, we would see more and more children without the benefit of parental upbringing and more and more need for the state and private charities to provide support and funding to protect these children. Conservatives want children raised by their parents, not raised by taxpayer supported big government programs.

“Mr. Flynn’s reckless comments reveal his ignorance of conservative family values and his unfitness to serve as a member of the U.S. Congress.”

Family-Pac Federal, along with every other statewide pro-life and traditional pro-family organization, has endorsed pro-life State Senator Darin LaHood in the July 7th GOP Primary Election.

* And from LaHood…

State Senator Darin LaHood announced that he has returned over $100,000 of his Senate Office’s allotted budget to the state during his time in office.

“I made it a priority to spend tax dollars responsibly during my time in Springfield,” said LaHood. “We all know that Washington has a spending problem, so I will lead by example and continue to abide by the same standards as I have in the past. As elected officials, it is our responsibility to ensure that the tax dollars sent to Washington by the families of Central and Western Illinois are being spent wisely to better serve them and meet their needs.”

Since assuming office in March of 2011, LaHood has returned on average of $21,995 or 26.5% of his Senate Office’s yearly allotted budget. LaHood consistently ranks among the top Senators on his office budget returns.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 11:54 am

Comments

Flynn had better do a lot better than criticizing this craft beer vote. Looks pathetic and desperate.

Comment by Federalist Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 11:57 am
Finally!

Someone is FINALLY addressing the important issues that matter to ME!!1!

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 11:58 am
Nothing to add, but I am going to cybersquat on the LizMairTax handle unless anyone objects…

Comment by LizPhairTax Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:00 pm
Paul Caprio. Ugh. The Slytherins emerge.

I like me a craft beer. Interesting take on the race, but any talk of beer, I support an open discussion.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:06 pm
Wow, what a riveting primary.

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:07 pm
Any candidate Paul Caprio is criticizing automatically goes up several notches in my estimation.

And I am so glad to see the return of tap rooms across the state. It’s truly a wonderful thing to enjoy a cold beer on the site where it was brewed. That’s how beer was meant to be served.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:08 pm
I love beer, but I could never drink enough to be persuaded to vote for Mike Flynn.

Voting for Mike Flynn would require something on the order of absinthe with single malt shooters. Nah - drank that last night, and still couldn’t get wasted enough to support him.

The fact that he is running is the biggest reason he disqualifies himself to do this job. Well, that - and he has absolutely no experience.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:11 pm
Wasn’t planning to vote in this primary but with LaHood’s supporters doing such a good job of touting Flynn’s lack of bigotry on this issue I think I’ll throw a vote Mike’s way. Thanks, guys.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:13 pm
Flynn (R-Goldwater)

Comment by Juan MacLean Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:20 pm
LaHood must be one of those fern bar-going, wine-drinking yuppies.

Comment by JoanP Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:25 pm
Who cares about Craft Beer? Now mess with my diet pop an you have an enemy for life.

Comment by Norseman Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:32 pm
Well, *I* support craft beer. But I plan to undervote in the special primary because I don’t like any of the candidates of either party(I know, that means I won’t vote at all!).

Comment by G'Kar Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:34 pm
More moderate than LaHood- Might go to the primary after all…

Comment by downstate commissioner Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:36 pm
It’s time we move past 1919 and understand that beer is important (seriously). And if all these wanna-be business “leaders” turned politicians want businesses to thrive, then look to stuff that’s actual imbued with the potential to thrive — and unshackle it from the temperance impulses of the 19th century. Rye whiskey and beer were huge until the zealots shut it down. Imagine what small Illinois towns could be — and could have been — had all the crazy prohibitionists not shut down the German breweries. (There’s a vaguely ethno-phobic part of Prohibition, too — but that’s not in play anymore. At least I hope not.)

Vice is big business. It’s time we start making some actual cash from it. Drugs, gambling, liquor — open the floodgates.

Comment by Frenchie Mendoza Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:38 pm
Don’t touch our beer!

Comment by Keyser Soze Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 12:55 pm
I’ll second that, Norseman!

Comment by Arthur Andersen Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 1:30 pm
===More moderate than LaHood- Might go to the primary after all… ===

In what universe does “plans to fight Speaker Boehner on everything” constitute moderate?

Comment by GraduatedCollegeStudent Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 1:34 pm
= out of the mainstream=

Is there a more apt description regarding Family-Pac Federal?

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 1:48 pm
His true colors? I guess they’re not Amber, Red or Malt.

And Caprio/Mainstream? Wow. He couldn’t find the zip code of the mainstream with a thousand foot paddle.

I think I’ll use “the google” to look up the Craft Beer position of the Log Cabin Republicans.

Comment by A guy Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 2:00 pm
The more I hear for lahood’s supporters, the more likely I am to vote for Flynn. I do like the way lahood points out how he returns a portion of his office allotment every year. Nice contrast to the guy he is trying to replace.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 2:12 pm
== I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone whacked over a craft beer vote before. ==

Well that needs to change…

Amen Mr MjM

As I have said before, lets tax the hell out of lite beer…

Comment by OneMan Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 2:13 pm
Norse and Artie, your resistance in the face of societal pressure is sincerely appreciated. Arnie Palmers for me.

Comment by A guy Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 2:18 pm
This is rich. Paul “Family Values” Caprio endorsed Bruce Rauner. If memory serves, that was after Rauner made clear he was for abortion rights and same sex unions - two things Caprio says he is against. Someone needs a head check or perhaps a hypocrisy check. These people are loopy.

Comment by All the answers Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 2:41 pm
This guy must must have a pathetic campaign if they have to make a big deal out of this. Wait for CRAFT BEERGATE II THE SEQUEL.

Comment by Short Bus Rider Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 3:35 pm
LaHood didn’t return anything, he just didn’t spend all he was allotted. I know it’s a technicality, but I’ve never liked how this topic is always spun by the campaigns. Vote to give bigger allotments for office expenses, then make yourself look good by not spending money you didn’t need to spend in the first place.

Comment by LTSW Friday, Jun 12, 15 @ 3:57 pm