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This just in… Morgenthaler to announce tomorrow

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Illinois

* 4:18 pm - Col. Jill Morgenthaler just called to say she will announce tomorrow that she’s running for Congress as a Democrat against freshman Republican Peter Roskam. More in a bit…

* 4:45 pm - Morgenthaler is the governor’s deputy chief of staff for homeland security, and is resigning on November 1. She’s been in the military for 30 years and is now retired.

The “Netroots,” which eventually got behind Tammy Duckworth in her campaign versus Roskam last year has been more than a little standoffish so far with Morgenthaler. The biggest reason is that she was a spokesperson for the Army during the Abu Grhaib torture scandal and she authored a blog while in Iraq (much of 2004) that criticizes the media for focusing way too much on the negatives.

She says that things were far better then than they are now. Saddam Hussein was captured, the Iraqi people were allowed to vote an they had a new constitution, etc.

“It has gone downhill,” Morgenthaler said today. “It’s severely deteriorating.”

Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, whose career was essentially ended by the Abu Grhaib scandal, recently had some super-harsh words for the way the war has been handled. Morgenthaler said that Sanchez is a “very private man,” so his highly public criticisms of the administration’s handling of the war should be taken very seriously.

Her own position on the war is that she wants to find a way to “bring the soldiers home safely while not making our nation vulnerable.”

Morgenthaler slammed Congressman Roskam for his vote against the Democrats’ S-CHIP proposal, which was vetoed by President Bush.

Roskam “doesn’t care about 50,000 of our children in Illinois,” Morgenthaler said. “Who is he representing?”

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 4:18 pm

Comments

That’s good news. Best wishes to her!

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 4:40 pm
Wait a second, Colonel, are those the same 50,000 Illinois children the Governor was going to save with AllKids? I keep looking for those kids, but they never turn up. Maybe we need CSI or something.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 5:32 pm
So she is Gov. Blago’s deputy chief of staff for homeland security…um and on what planet is she living on that she thinks she even has the most remote chance at winning this race. As the Dems did to the GOP with Ryan so shall the GOP do to the Dems with Rod. She is a member of Rod’s inner circle.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 5:46 pm
Before people could only argue in the hypothetical about which is worse “Being tied to Abu Grhaib or being tied to Blago”. Now we will get real numbers on why people aren’t voting for Ms. Morgenthaler

Comment by Funny Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 6:02 pm
This just in….

ABC reports that Madigan is calling House into session on Friday, Nov. 2 to do a transit bill.

Just two days before doomsday…

Comment by GoBearsss Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 6:21 pm
Col. Morgenthaler, can you define what the risk is to the United States or the world? How does withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq increase that risk?

Col. Morgenthaler, can you compare the risk posed by withdrawing from Iraq to the status quo that existed before President Bush ordered the U.S. military to invade Iraq? Would the United States be in a more or less secure situation after withdrawing than we were before March 20, 2003?

Col. Morgenthaler, can you say that invading Iraq has made the United States less secure? As dictatorial as Saddam Hussein was, wasn’t the United States in a more secure situation with Saddam Hussein as president of Iraq than we are now?

Col. Morgenthaler, how many Iraqis were victims of major crimes and threats against physical safety in the last four years? How many Iraqis were victims of major crimes and threats against physical safety in the last four years of Saddam Hussein’s regime?

Col. Morgenthaler, by what measure did the United States improve Iraq? Is there any reasonable measure by which the invasion improved the lot of Iraqis?

Has the whole invasion and occupation been a failure? If not, by what measure is it a success?

Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 6:33 pm
Here’s a Sun Tzu quotation for the Colonel and Cap Fax readers to chew on:

“The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.”

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 7:05 pm
This SCHIP thing is starting to tick me off. The President is trying to avoid another mess like Social Security. Another entitlement program with no way to pay for it. Just like a typical liberal. Spend money today, and worry about what it will cost us later.

Comment by It's Just Me Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 8:37 pm
Schip would end up being as big a social security and there was no plan to pay for it. Cig taxes would have never covered it. Yeah its easy to say we want to give kids health insurance but paying for it is the tough part. Maybe Pelosi and blago could promise everyone a hybrid car next and then when it gets voted down as costing to much all the no votes must want global warming.

Comment by fed up Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 9:51 pm
This SCHIP thing is starting to tick me off too. The President is clearly trying to pretend that he is a fiscal conservative, after wasting a trillion dollars in Iraq. Some voters like the one above actually believe him! The SCHIP expansion will only cost us the same as a day’s worth of spending in Iraq. The last line of the post was ironic, and hilarious…

Comment by Aaw, don't put yourself down Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 9:58 pm
I was responding to “It’s just me”.

As for “fed up”, please check your facts. It is utter nonsense to say the SCHIP expansion will be as big as Social Security. Please.

Comment by Aaw, don't put yourself down Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 10:00 pm
“Gen. Ricardo Sanchez……recently had some super-harsh words for the way the war has been handled”
Read his comments: http://www.militaryreporters.org/sanchez_101207.html
he had a lot of criticism; for both parties and especially the press.

Comment by Reformed Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 10:11 pm
Imagine that, a sudden influx of anonymous posters…

Col. Morgenthaler needs to engage the Illinois progressive netroots (she’s already met several bloggers by happenstance at various events) and if they appreciate her stands they’ll back her; just as with any other voter.

Comment by Rob_N Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 11:15 pm
I would like to remind some of those Republicans out there who are quick to tar Col. Morgenthaler with the stench of Gov. Sleazy that she replaced your 2002 candidate for Lt. Governor as the state head of homeland security. Blagojevich has been a total jerk in office for five years, but even I have to admit he has had enough sense not to meddle with the state’s homeland security office (he has been too busy screwing up the rest of state government).

Jill Morgenthaler has my support, and she will defeat Roskam next November.

Comment by Randall Sherman Wednesday, Oct 24, 07 @ 11:50 pm
Time to congratulate Cong. Roskam. Blago will kill her chances even without the Abu G info. I thought Jill was way too smart to take this dive off the cliff.

Comment by suburbs Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 8:20 am
Regardless of our dolt of a Governor, the state needs a head of homeland security and public safety, a politically neutral position Not all people who work in state government are beholden to Blago.

That said, who knows if this will hurt the Col. enough to cost her the election.

Comment by Undercover Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 8:21 am
[…] She’s supposed to be formally announcing today. What are your thoughts on this? Blogroll […]

Pingback by Col. Morgenthaler for Congress - What do you think? « Illinois Reason Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 8:37 am
Rich, she’s not 30 year career militiary. She’s 30 years in the reserves with a considerable number of overseas tours in Bosnia, Iraq and elsewhere.

But I do believe her civilian life was jobs in Public Affairs with Dept of Commerce and then over at Argonne Labs with DOE.

Comment by Bill Baar Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 8:54 am
Question for the dems…would you rather vote for Jill or a Glen Ellyn School Board member who is considering running?

Comment by Dupage Dem Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 11:19 am