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* Illinois keeps Obama fundraising above water

In fact, of every $3 in campaign money raised in Illinois this year for any presidential candidate, $2 of it went to Obama.

Obamas lopsided financial support in Illinois comes at a time when the state is gaining new relevance in the presidential nomination process. Illinois has pushed its 2008 primaries up to February, after a declaration by state leaders that they wanted to help Obama.

That means the states large cache of voters will go to the polls before any candidate has locked up the nomination.

Illinois Democrats have moved heaven and earth to assist Sen. Obama, and he is a fundraising machine, said state Sen. Kirk Dillard, a Chicago-area Republican.

* Oberweis launches GOP bid to succeed Hastert

“My goal in life has been to be a U.S. congressman,” Oberweis, 61, said after a rally at the North Aurora plant for his namesake boutique dairy. “The fact that I was running for the Senate was really an accident — partly caused by Denny Hastert, by the way, who asked me to get involved at that time.”

Oberweis finished second for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2002, despite Hastert’s endorsement, and in 2004. The following election, he finished second in his bid for the 2006 Republican nomination for governor. In those three elections, he spent nearly $7 million of his own money, including more than $3.3 million in the primary for governor.

* Many seek Devine’s job

* Cook Co. Recorder of Deeds plans run for third term

posted by Paul Richardson
Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 7:25 am

Comments

“My goal in life has been to be a U.S. congressman” Oh really? So you ran for Governor and Senate first? Does that mean Oberweis never really wanted to be Governor or Senator and he threw all that money in just for laughs?

Comment by wndycty Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 8:41 am
Crazy Milkman strikes (runs) again! If his life’s goal was to be a Congressman, why did he run for Governor and Senate? The man’s ego knows no bounds. Jim’s motto is find an open office and try to buy it. Voters of the 14th CD beware!!

Comment by jwscott72 Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 8:44 am
“My goal in life has been to be a U.S. congressman.”

“Then a cheerleader, a ballerina, an astronaut, and then an American Idol!”

YOU ARE 61! Time to grow up and face the facts that your inherited money cannot buy love.”

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 9:02 am
Of course in the process of running for the other offices he didn’t want, he managed to destroy the chance for some who were actually trying to get into those offices. Seems to me he needs to make up his mind as to what he really wants. Also seems to me that the citizens have made up their minds on more than one occasion as to what they don’t want. I think Mr. Oberweis needs to stick with the business at hand, milk!

Comment by Justice Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 9:08 am
The “my goal in life” remark was just plain silly.

However, people forget that at one time, Mr. Oberweis lost everything and went broke.

He made it all back and then some.

If Brady had not been in the Governor’s race, I’m convinced he would have won the GOP nomination.

The ‘04 Soldier Field ad was gimmicky due to the speeded-up sound and video, but made a point that still needs to be made.

Newt Gingrich lost three elections before he won a Congressional seat. Let’s see how the Ice Cream Man does this time. In politics, it is not always who has the most friends inasmuch who has the least enemies. This will be an interesting race.

Comment by Lactose Intolerance Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 9:26 am
If Gene Moore and Ed Smith both plan on running for Recorder of Deeds this will open this office up for a third candidate, possibly a hispanic or a woman. Maybe Suffredin or Quigley should look at this office.

Comment by Anon Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 9:31 am
The real Q is this: Why does Hastert dislike Lauzen so much?

Comment by Pat Collins Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 9:37 am
Pat: I have no idea; but hope someone answers as I am curious myself. I see that other Capitol Fax commenters heard the “goal in life” comment as the dissonant thud it was.

Why the milkman kicked off this campaign with such a bizarre statement is anyone’s guess.

Comment by Lactose Intolerance Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 9:49 am
I look forward to voting against Eugene Moore, who sabotaged a modest real estate transfer tax, dedicated to funding affordable housing, because of his personal ignorance or stupidity. Ed Smith seems like a reasonable alternative.

Comment by Captain America Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 10:02 am
Given the multitude of potentially good candidates for State’s Attorney, it’s really hard to handicap this race. I’ll be supporting Larry Suffredin,but it appears to me that there are also other good alternatives. available.

The only name that definitely does not belong in the mix is TJ Sheehan. Tommy Brewer has become a prenneial harold Stassen-like candidate. I can’t see Tom Allen making much of a dent either. Tom Dart, despite his obvious qualifications, was just elected Sheriff and should stay put in his current office for a few more years. I’m impressed that Brookins has hired Mike Noonan.

Comment by Captain America Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 10:18 am
56th district race
good candidATES FOR THE 56TH DISTRICT PAUL FROEHILACH ANITA FORTE SCOTT AARON MULLER
44TH DISTRICT Race
good candidates for 44th district race fred crespo peggy brothman

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 10:28 am
Pat, it’s because Lauzen “dares” to be his own person. If you look at some of Denny’s tactics during 2003-2006, there is a pattern of holding votes open longer than 15 minutes and strongarming party members on votes and spending. He did NOT like mavericks within his own caucus and he actually disliked (maybe even despised) some of the fiscal conservatives that challenged his spending priorities. Of course, DeLay had a lot to do with that as well, but Denny still held the title and influence.

If Oberweis wins the nomination, the NRCC will not help him. Period. He is too radioactive and too wealthy for them to pump $2 million into keeping Denny’s seat. It would be embarrassing to lose the 14th CD, but Denny could easily pitch a hissy fit at an NRCC meeting and convince them to withhold assistance.

Comment by Team Sleep Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 10:34 am
Lactose makes a good point about Crazy Milkman’s comment. Why would he say such a stupid thing at the beginning of a campaign? Could it be that he has Blagoitis, an acute (often politically fatal)inflammation of ego coupled with delusions of grandeur? You be the judge.

Comment by jwscott72 Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 10:45 am
For the record, I think Lauzen will win the primary. He’ll win the election also if he’s not outspend more than 3:1.

It’s too bad, since Lauzen (despite his quirks) is what Rs need today, in IL and nationally.

I will be walking a precinct or two for him.

Comment by Pat Collins Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 10:46 am
And I meant to say “outspent more than 2:1″.

Comment by Pat Collins Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 10:47 am
I heard Howard Brookins on Tom Roeser’s radio show last week. Not very impressive.

He said he was “open” to making concealed-carry legal because of slow police response times. He also steadfastly refused to endorse Obama for president, despite constant prodding from Roeser. Interesting political strategy. Maybe Noonan can teach him he’s running for State’s Attorney in Cook County — where gun control and Barack Obama are kinda popular — not Harris County, Texas.

Captain America, I agree with you about Gene Moore, but beg to differ on the State’s Attorney’s race. I would say there’s a multitude of poor candidates. At least the Sheehan kid has actually prosecuted a few bad guys. Suffredin, Quigley, Allen and Brookins are all former public defenders. Tony Peraica will have a field day next fall digging up dirt on the clients they represented.

Comment by R.A. Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 10:55 am
Someone stop the Crazy Milkman before he actually wins something… please.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 10:57 am
Where in the hell does Oberweis get off claiming the mantle of faithful party man with a deep respect for “teamwork?!?!” He didn’t just break the “11th Commandment” in his 2006 run against Topinka, he did everything in his power to destroy any chance she’d have of beating Blago if (when) she won the nomination.

Comment by grand old partisan Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 11:00 am
To paraphrase, and truly believe in, the great communicator’s 11th commandment, “thou shalt not attack thy fellow republicans”, one must assume that jim oberweis is not a republican.

Comment by colt 45 Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 11:06 am
It was a strange comment and didn’t really need to be said in the first place. It’s almost like he had a form with “My goal in life has been to be a “. It’s like an actor in role referring back to another role played and explaining why now it is they’re playing a hero where before they played a villain. It’s bizarre, the voters are perfectly willing to suspend belief and accept that you are now running for whatever in this election just as we accept that the secret agent is now a KGB infiltrator in a different movie.

Comment by cermak_rd Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 11:29 am
It is not the chubby wrestling coach that hates Chris Lauzen. IT is Dallas Ingemunson who moves Hastert’s lips. A Lauzen sponsored candidate beat one of Ingemunson’s relatives in an election. It is as simple as that.

It is a shame that Oberweis announced with a stupid statement. I can not think of a single successful corporation executive, who not only runs a successul chain of stores, but also was head of a successful financial (money management) company, who wants to go to DC to be a back bencher minority party member on a two year course of education and training and who must fly back and forth from DC on a continuous campaigning cycle.

Chris Lauzen is equipped to do the job from day one. The Hastert-Ingemunson-McKenna fix is not going to succeed here.

Comment by Truthful James Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 11:50 am
“The real Q is this: Why does Hastert dislike Lauzen so much?”

Two Words: Prairie Parkway

Comment by RightGirl Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 12:03 pm
I was interested in the comment that Oberweis was a “boutique dairy.” There are dairies downstate that were taken over by Oberweis. The Bloomington based Laesch Dairy is now owned by Oberweis. There are no dairy stores here but the milk can be bought at Jewel and Cub stores.

Comment by Nearly Normal Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 12:06 pm
Truthful, that was a great post. I agree wholeheartedly. When the ILGOP keeps asking what we can do to help out and retake the state, we the party faithful really need to just ignore them and do what is right. Last year was awful, and yet our party chairman and two legislative leaders are still in tact. Yet we are supposed to ignore Lauzen because he bucks the party? If anything, we should back him more because of that reason!

Comment by Team Sleep Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 12:50 pm
Noonan is now representing Brookins after helping bring us the disastrous Todd Stroger? That’s a pretty sad decline in candidate caliber from when he ran Lisa Madigan’s campaign.

Comment by incredulous Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 1:36 pm
VanillaMans list reminds me of Homer Simpsons achievements.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 1:51 pm
Great. Now I have to find another source for whipping cream (used in a honey/mustard sauce).

Obie is freak, but he produces some good dairy products. However, as long as he self-finances his campaigns though, my ethics/morality prevent me from buying his products/contributing to his cause.

Comment by Skeeter Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 1:52 pm
It seems like the only time I see commercials for oberweiss ice cream and milk is when he’s running for office. Figures that he’d be running again.

Can a dog catcher out there in the west ‘burbs retire so that the milkman can finally get elected to something?

Or can someone retire from the mosquito abatement district? I don’t really care. Just give him an elected seat so he’ll go away.

Comment by jerry 101 Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 2:12 pm
LOL…I love how the Milk Dud is trying to lay blame on his senate loss with Hastert. This guy needs to go away already.

Comment by Ike Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 2:25 pm
Mark Pera 5s r4n f6r c6ngress

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 2:51 pm
hmmm, unfortunate choice of words re Obama’s
fundraising…..above water.

obama is currently found praying in New Orleans.
while no one can compare the Illinois situation
to New Orleans, why is Obama not in Illinois
observing the flooding and comforting the people?
there are some who are losing alot. Does Durbin
work for Obama now? cause he always throws
Obama into any comments he makes. Durbin was
walking barefoot through the waters.

Obama could have spent one day in Illinois doing
his job as our Senator. i’m sure the people
in the Fox Lake area could use some comfort.

also, bad of Obama to skip the cancer forum. I know he has the steepest learning curve and it
is difficult to grasp details on so many subjects,
but, if Hillary had opted out of forums there
would have been a firestorm of anger at her.

obama is above water because of Illinois money. Maybe Illinois should keep the money at home. there are plenty of people who can use all sorts
of help here now cause their homes are under
water.

Comment by amy Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 3:35 pm
Anonymous 10:28 -

What is the point of your post? You’re talking about people from two different parties for races that have nothing to do with what’s going on here.

BTW, the only people worth talking about are Paul Froehlich and Anita Forte-Scott. Muller is someone who has no connections to the community, no money, and no one even heard of until two weeks ago.

Who is Peggy Brothman? Fred Crespo will win re-elect without a real challenger

Comment by Super Mega Monday, Aug 27, 07 @ 4:20 pm