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* As I told you yesterday, Republican Tim Baldermann launched his campaign to replace retiring Congressman Jerry Weller with an attack on the likely Democratic nominee, Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson…
“Debbie Halvorson has been the number two leader in the state Senate for the past four years and if anyone has followed the news to any degree at all, they know our state government is as badly managed as is conceivable,” said Baldermann. “Our federal government has problems, but the last thing we need is to have the proven dysfunction of Springfield infect Washington.”
* There was more to this…
“Our state government also is in desperate need of a clean break and those that created the appalling state of affairs in Springfield are the last people on Earth to straighten out Washington and that is a large part of why I’ve decided to make this race.”
* I asked Halvorson about the early attack yesterday and she said she’d have no comment, claiming that she wants to stay above the fray. Halvorson said basically the same thing to the Pantagraph…
“I have no comment. We don’t even know if he’ll be my opponent,” Halvorson said.
* But that didn’t stop others from taking Baldermann to task…
“It’s that kind of tired and agonistic [rhetoric] that people are tired of,” said Myron Brick, chairman of the Will County Democratic Party. “We want to send problem solvers to Washington and that’s what Sen. Halvorson is.”
* But Baldermann also had some harsh words for Congressional Republicans…
“It’s plain to see that many Republicans in Congress have strayed from our core principles and that is why they lost the majority in the last election. With a new president taking office after this election we will have the opportunity for a clean break from the recent past. That will also be a good time for reinvigorated Republicans in Congress to have a new beginning.”
Thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 9:59 am
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Has Baldermann even filed his FEC paperwork yet?
Still not sure he’s a Republican after some of the contributors that were highlighted here yesterday.
Wonder how the residents of New Lenox feel after electing Baldermann to office just a few months ago, the guy wants to move to Congress. Seems a little overly ambitious to me.
Comment by Super Mega Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:04 am
I agree with what Super Mega is saying. OTOH his strategy of linking IL Dems to the mess in Springfield has some traction. As for the vaunted Myron Brick, as long as he is involved in Debbie’s campaign, that ain’t good.
Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:14 am
What do you want to bet that Myron Brick, chairman of the Will County Democratic Party, will not be writing Debbie’s campaign literature or radio and TV ads?
Comment by Cal Skinner Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:18 am
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 9:38 am:
Number One: Who is Debbie Halvorson married to now? According to Project Vote Smart, which has all the other pertinent data on Senator Halvorson correct and up to date - her husband is Gordon and they have two children. But on her website, she says she has a husband named Bush and has four children.
Nowhere does she explain the “Halvorson” part of her name, how it got there, and for how long she has been a Halvorson.
Is she now Senator Debbie DeFrancesco Halvorson Bush? Since when?
Number Two: Where does she live? If she is from Crete, why is her district mostly in Cook County instead of Will? Most of her voters are in the Chicago Heights region and her district strattles Cook and Will. Is she a Cook County Democrat, or a Will County Democrat? Does Congressional District 11 want to be represented by someone with more governmental ties to Cook or Will?
Number Three: This election will be defined by the candidates. If I were Halvorson, I would scream about Iraq, health care, and George Bush and make it a national referendum. The problem for her will be that George Bush is not on the ballot. Instead Clinton will be. Iraq is fading as an issue, and will continue to do so, and health care isn’t a silver bullet straight to DC.
So, what we have left is a state and local contest between Emil Jones’ silent partner and Tim Balderman. If I were Balderman, I wouldn’t tie Halvorson to Blagojevich, I’d tie her to her political sugar daddy and mentor; Jones.
If the meltdown in Springfield is a battle between three kings, then Majority Leader Debbie DeFrancesco Halvorson Bush is the Queen of the Springfield Meltdown.
What kind of Majority Leader is she?
Did she voice her disapproval when Jones locked up democracy in the Senate - as he is currently doing regarding the budge vetoes?
Where was her comments in support of electric rates relief after her political mentor Jones allowed ComEd to decide our fate and derail it?
Where was she when Jones turned into a Jones Personnel Service for families and friends living off our tax dollars? Does Debbie have friends that Jones has also rewarded?
What about the battle over the South Suburban Airport? Debbie and Jesse Jackson Jr has been scuffling over this quite handsomely. If she becomes a Congresswoman, how will she reward her political mentor, Jones? Do we want to see Emil Jones and Company controlling the Airport at a Federal level too? How badly is Jones salivating over this big ticket item?
We haven’t even covered just how extreme Debbie is on issues. Her political marriage to Emil Jones is so ripe for Balderman, it is hard to choose exactly how Tim will wish to present his opponent next November.
If Debbie really wants to go to Washington, she is going to have to come up with a lot of convincing reasons why District 11 should elect the weakest Majority Leader in Illinois history, or Emil Jones’ “Mini-Me”.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:19 am
Debbie Halvorson is Emil Jones’ silent partner. Even as the campaign begins, she is hoping that the silent approval she has given Jones that has worked so well in her climb to Majority Leader will let her end up in Washington.
It is time for her to start answering questions about her lack of leadership during this summer. Being quiet will no longer work.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:23 am
VM, Project Vote Smart is not exactly the all-knowing source for Illinois politics. I find them to be out of date and off the mark.
Even so, let’s try to stay away from the cheap shots.
Women have a difficult time in politics with the name issue. Defrancesco is her “maiden” name, Halvorson is her name from her first marriage.
Names are “brands,” and brands are hugely important in politics, so changing a name is always tough. Judy Baar Topinka was divorced for years, but kept the Topinka name because people knew it. It’s a problem that we haven’t been able to completely deal with as a society, but that comment you made is not worthy of debate.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:26 am
So, how can Debbie win?
She is a really sweet person. Her timing is wrong, but her heart is in the right place. However, she has made her bed with Jones and she will have to explain why she keeps sleeping in it.
Thats the breaks. If you look at how much she has benefitted from her political marriage to Jones, she is still ahead. She can replace him when he is removed from office.
But as I have written here before about her political chances next year, she has too much baggage right now to waste her time on a Congressional run. We need her in Springfield, not Washington.
OH - the reason we are seeing Democrats for Balderman is because of Jones. Everyone is seeing Halvorson as Jones’ Mini-Me because that is what she has allowed herself to be seen as. I can’t imagine Jesse Jackson Jr supporting Halvorson.
Finally, it is obvious that Jones is supporting a slate of candidates that are anti-Madigan. As we have learned, Blagojevich and Jones are running candidates against Madigan and extending their political power through the South Cook County region. Halvorson, whether she likes it or not, is a part of this plan.
Balderman needs to ensure that every voter in District 11 is aware of Mr. Jones and his little silent friend, Debbie.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:34 am
Yeah - I know about the name thingy.
I want her to know that her staff needs to start contacting and updating things like this. It can become an issue and a stupid one at that.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:37 am
I think Emil Jones has become an albatross for every Democratic Senator and the entire Democratic Party, until such time as the Democratic Senate caucus sees fit to unseat him as the Senate President. This is particularly true for any members of the Senate who are on the leadership team.
It’s a legitimate issue that any Republican candidate should raise, given the extreme dysfunction in Springfield. However, the Republicans have botched up things pretty badly in Washington.
So I guess voters are going to have to decide whether Washingotn or Sprignfield problems are more significant. Halvorson will run against the failed and corrupt Republican leadership in Washington, and Republicans will run against the leadership failures in Springfield. In a congressional race, I believe the national issues will trump the State’s problems.
Comment by Captain America Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:50 am
It appears Balderman has friends on both sides of the aisle. Good for him. The nonsense political game playing in Springfield is an embarassment.
Comment by Moderate Man Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 11:08 am
Also, why is talking about Halverson’s lack of leadership and terrible voting record an attack? Aren’t we supposed to be looking at our candidates record of elected service? Did he say anything about her personally? If so, I didn’t see it.
Comment by Moderate Man Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 11:14 am
If Weller and Jackson couldn’t get an airport built in the south suburbs, why do you think Halvorsen can and give control to Emil Jones?
Comment by anon Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 11:32 am
Harping on Halvorson’s relationship with Jones will only go so far. If that’s all the Republicans can come up with, Debbie will walk right into a new office. If she focuses on national issues, and the Republican’s failure to do anything while they were in power and that they now are busy blocking Democratic reform…
I think the last part will be very important for the Democrats nation-wide. If they can successfully paint the Republicans as obstructionists, they should be able to gain some seats. Of course, they might pull a Cub.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 11:46 am
Without even considering her culpability in the Springfield meltdown, Halvorson’s voting record and ideology doesn’t match the center right bearings of the majority of people in the 11th District. The point is, she won’t win on national issues either. This district went for Bush twice and Weller got 55% in the year of the perfect storm for Democrats.
Baldermann quickly made clear that Halvorson is not going to waltz into represeting the 11th District. Baldermann is up to challenge and so is Halvorson. It’s going to be a Duckworth/Roskam level race.
Comment by 11th resident Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 11:57 am
Interesting how he’s about to paint himself as a true Republican.
Comment by Levois Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 12:17 pm
It seems to me that Halverson will have a real problem here. Probably best illustrated by her position as Chairman of the Rules Committee.
All her opponent has to do is list all the ethics reforms and other good bills that have been bottled up in rules. If she says she did it because Emil wanted her to, she confirms that she’s just a puppet. But, if she’s not a puppet, she has to explain to voters why she opposed pay-to-play reforms, seven days of budget sunshine, greater contract disclosure, etc. etc.
With the public fed up with insider deals and bridges to nowhere, it’s going to be hard for her to look like anything but more of the same old corrupt Illinois politics that people are tired of.
Comment by Old Elephant Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 12:30 pm
The problem with having any experience is that your opponent can always find something to beat you over the head with.
I’m sure the Halvorson people will be able to spin her record in an equally positive way. BTW, last time around, she was endorsed by the Illinois State Rifle Association’s political arm.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 12:52 pm
I’m not sure how many of you have personally met and spoken with Debbie Halvorson, but she is a very sweet person. But with that said, she says she supports the South Suburban airport but Congressman Jackson says she’s sabatoging it. So where does she really stand on the issue of the airport, no one knows, and this is what can be said about her politics in general. She often has spoken to citizens who live in the proposed area of the Peotone airport, has told them she’s working for them behind the scenes, so you never know what she’s up to. Her constituents in eastern Will County do not support the airport being built, the airlines do not support the airport, the local towns and townships do not support the airport, the Will County Farm Bureau does not, the Will-South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District does not, and I could go on and on, but Debbie does not support her constituents by being their voice on the topic - she only looks for votes for labor unions who hope to get jobs to build it without consideration that it might be another “white elephant” like Mid America. A person in office should represent the constituents, not others who only hope, and I say hope, to benefit from something. Gary/Chicago is only 20 minutes away from the proposed site - and sits empty, the cornfields and farmers of eastern Will will not be able to support this politically driven rather than need driven airport idea. But, will say that Debbie has appeal to many people as she has a very likely personality, a nice smile, and appears to be very caring, but as far as her leadership and what she has done for her district, I’m not sure we’d want her in Congress.
Comment by Judy, Judy, Judy Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 1:04 pm
Gee, for all the harping by cons tying Halvorson to Jones you’d think people in this state know who the guy is.
Knock on 5 doors and ask “Do you know who Emil Jones is?” …I’ll bet the folks don’t even know who their own state senator is let alone the Senate president.
It’s a weak ploy from a party that is weak in the state and in DC.
Comment by Rob_N Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 1:44 pm
Debbie is part of the problem in springfield. Has she stood up to E. Jones and demanded a ethics bill does the state employ all her family through state jobs and contracts like Emil. Did she vote to give Chicago State more taxpayer money even though there spending it on bar bills and cruises with first class airfare. Does she fly back and forth on Blago airlines costing state taxpayers thousands of dollars. She is the majority leader of a corrupt and broken cabal of incompetent politicans. She is not the answer for washington.
Comment by FED UP Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 2:11 pm
Rob N-
No, they may not know who Emil is, but they do know who Rod is. And he, I predict, is the key person who will wear the face in the attack ads.
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 2:31 pm
===No, they may not know who Emil is, but they do know who Rod is. And he, I predict, is the key person who will wear the face in the attack ads.
Which is again, why she gets to attack Rod and Bush.
There’s a basic problem here is that the polling for the war and for Republicans in general is in the toilet with Bush leading the way. There’s a hugely unpopular war going on which the Republican base loves.
So, if one wants to win the nomination, Republican candidates have to support a war that Bush has promised will still be going strong when he leaves office and Bush himself, and then face a general election electorate that is fed up with the war in Iraq and Bush.
The contrast couldn’t be sharper with Blagojevich who everyone hates and he’s of no help in a primary so attacking him is good politics within his own party.
But keep saying how Bush isn’t on the ballot and how the war won’t matter. When the Republican Congress Members and the Republican Presidential candidates are pretty much pledging fealty to the Bush it’s hard to imagine how he won’t be on the ballot by proxy.
Comment by archpundit Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 4:13 pm
i live in New Lenox and I am not happy about it, 1st do the job you were elected to do , we all remember when he left the Village Brd he said because he wanted more time with his family , and second wife who also got a principle job after Tim went to get elected to school brd and was elected president as a newly elected Brd member , figure that out,then he ran for village pres, now he wants to spend time in DC , so much for spending more time with family , the people that should really be pissed are the residents of Chicago Ridge where he is police chief, are they getting their monies worth , how does he have time for anything.
Comment by Soon to Retire Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 6:00 pm
Debbie Halvorson has always assumed that she was going to be Emil Jones successor. She has willingly been Emil’s and Rod’s “Gopher” or “Lackey” because of this. After Jerry Weller’s announcement that he was not going to seek re-election, she was informed that Rod Emmanuel in Washington was asking for her to seek Weller’s congressional seat in District 11. Debbie did not really want it. She was content waiting for Emil to retire so she could be annointed by him as his replacement. Then, she found out that Emil has already chosen his successor and it ain’t going to be Debbie Halvorson. It is another Chicago Democrat. Surprise!
So “suddenly”, Debbie has a serious interest in running for the US Congress in District 11. New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann has been chosen as the Illinois GOP-backed candidate. I decided to ask residents of New Lenox how they like their new mayor? Both New Lenox Democrats and Republicans have responded that they think that he has been doing a good job although he hasn’t been their mayor for very long.
Debbie Halvorson’s liabilities: She has played the role of a lackey for Emil Jones & Rod Blagojevich while in Springfield. She chose to sacrifice her principals in the belief that it would further her political career and that she would eventually replace Emil. This career strategy has come back to haunt her.
Tim Baldermann’s liabilities: He was/is endorsed/supported by Congressman Jerry Weller and former New Lenox Mayor Mike “American Express-Don’t Leave Home With It” Smith. With these two guy’s endorsements, all Baldermann needs now is an endorsement from former Illinois Governor George Ryan to completely destroy his chances for election to the US Congress. Baldermann would be wise to distance himself from these two stained and tainted political supporters. “Thanks guys for your support but ‘no thanks’”.
In fairness to Debbie, she is a sweet person that has made a terrible political career decision by allowing herself to be manipulated by Emil Jones and Rod Blagojevich. In fairness to Tim Baldermann, the fact that Weller and Smith state that they support him doesn’t mean that Baldermann is cut out of the same ethical and moral cloth that these two guys are. It is unfortunate that the Illinois Democrats were not able to get Illinois State Senator A.J. Wilhelmi to run in place of Debbie Halvorson. Wilhelmi is well-liked by both Democrats and Republicans and would have been a slam-dunk for Weller’s position. Wilhelmi didn’t want to negatively impact his family by having to be away in Washington. I can’t blame him for that.
Comment by Aaron Slick from Pumpkin Creek, Il Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 7:44 am
Is it odd that three people (or one person under three handles) have described Halvorson as “sweet?”
And all three are R-leaning posters.
Go ahead and underestimate her. Good idea. Because well-liked, nearly-20-year senate veterans just go down by themselves.
And if you have inside information on Emil Jones’ successor, prove it. Otherwise, we’re forced to believe you’re inventing rumors.
Comment by JonShibleyFan Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 11:19 am
So this is the best the Republican party could do? I live in New Lenox and did not vote for him. Many will vote for him to get him out of the village.
Comment by Balderdash Monday, Oct 15, 07 @ 3:56 pm
Balderman’s biggest contributor throughout his entire political career is an African American Chicago alderman who is FAR liberal than most. Balderman is a puppet of the Alderman and I think voters will see right past it.
The Chicago Dems are putting up the guy just in case, but will make sure they have their hands in the district.
If people look into his supporters — you will find liberal Democrats, liberal elected officals and the unions. Trust me, Balderman is no conservative nor Republican.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 16, 07 @ 4:03 pm
I agree with your assessment of Baldermann’s party affiliation. He will go where the money tells him to go and say what he’s told to say. Jeff Tomczak did the same thing -
The village board discussed a proposed campaign contribution disclosure policy at the end of Mike Smith’s tenure. Smith asked that this policy be discussed with the new mayor. This policy was brought up, discussed briefly and sent back for further evaluation. It has yet to resurface.
Comment by Will County Resident Tuesday, Oct 16, 07 @ 5:53 pm
So, people talk about Halverson in this so Emil Jones can control her. Maybe Halverson is a brave independent and the control issue really should be focused on the Balderman/Beavers connection. At least Halverson runs as a Democrat with Democrat support. Look at Balderman’s supporters: Chicago unions and Chicago Commissioner Beavers (I don’t think the folks of Kankakee will support reparations to African American supporters), yet he claims to be a GOPer. Did the GOP County Committeeman not do their research? The GOP DCers are shaking their heads and toss their arms up and they say about the Illinois GOP, “There they go again.”
Comment by Control Freak Saturday, Oct 20, 07 @ 11:27 pm