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Shenanigans!

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Illinois

* ILGOP press release…

The Illinois Republican Party is condemning a desperate, last-minute mailer targeted to Republican voters that attacks Illinois Supreme Court Justice Michael Burke. The mailer was paid for by a shady Democrat Political Action Committee (PAC) called “Ballot Access Illinois,” which has close ties to indicted Democrats. Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement in response to the Democrats’ mailer:

“Just hours before the polls open on Tuesday, Democrats are flailing at the prospect of losing control of the Illinois Supreme Court and launching ridiculous attacks on Justice Michael Burke. Machine Democrats and shady political operatives are behind this desperate, last-minute mailer targeting Republican voters. The momentum going into Election Day is clearly on the side of Michael Burke and Mark Curran, and the Democrats are doing everything they can to mislead voters and stop Republican momentum.”

The chairman of “Ballot Access Illinois” is Rudi Patitucci, who currently works for Alexi Giannoulias’ campaign and has worked for Democratic candidates like scandal-ridden State Sen. Michael Hastings over the past decade, according to Patitucci’s LinkedIn page.

“Ballot Access Illinois” currently reports having no money in its bank account, according to its most recent D-2 filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections, and hasn’t had any contributors for years. The Democrat PAC filed its most recent D-2 over two weeks late. Previous contributors to the PAC include indicted Democrat politicians Tom Cullerton and Danny Solis and several labor unions.

The shady Democrat PAC’s desperate mailer can be found below:

Thoughts?

posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 10:36 am

Comments

Given the Republican Party’s history of propping up the Green Party nationally and their efforts to elevate Bernie Sanders, I’m playing the world’s smallest violin if their voters are swayed by technically accurate information included in the mailer.

Comment by Nuke The Whales Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 10:45 am
Ho Hum. Don Tracy isn’t upset about Proft’s “newpapers” so why should anyone care about his opinion on this?

As a piece of campaign lit, the abortion thing on the flier could help Burke keep some Republican women; so, I don’t see how this helps MKO.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 10:47 am
Should help Burke

Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 10:51 am
Useless, you either voted or have already made up mind, a mailer 24 hours before your vote wont sway a single person.

Comment by Jump Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 10:52 am
Is the thinking that GOP voters just skip the IL Supreme Court race on their ballots? Hard to see them voting D instead.

Comment by George Ryan Reynolds Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 10:53 am
So, there’s zero money in its bank account and no “contributors” for years and a tardy D-2? No nothing shady there. Maybe somebody can find out who signed the check for the printing? Did Alexi have some excess money in his coffers that paid a bill?

Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 10:55 am
Can someone give me some clarification? Kinzinger withdrew from the 2022 election, so why are they sending out mailers against him if he is not on the ballot? I can’t seem to find any indication that he is running for a different position either.

Comment by Confused Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:03 am
–Is the thinking –

Lol. There was obviously no “thinking” on this whatsoever.

Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:05 am
And the Democrats are the ones crying that Republicans threaten democracy.

Comment by How high Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:09 am
Well Adam Kinginger isn’t running for re-election so there’s that.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:09 am
To flashy should of been in newspaper

Comment by Rabid Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:11 am
=== threaten democracy===

This is you readily admitting that Republicans threaten democracy?

Huh. That’s… a strange self-own… but, ok.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:11 am
To the post,

It’s a mailer, not disguised as a newspaper, that is false to its face, and is a shenanigan that should not fool any Republican.

Talking stacks and stacks of $20 bills, throwing them in a fireplace, that’s this feeble attempt to play in the sandbox.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:13 am
I think the point is: Mary Kay O’Brien has flooded the airwaves saying Burke is too extreme and to Hard R’s via direct mail is saying the opposite to try to alleviate turnout.

It shows desperation on O’Brien’s part.

Comment by Suburban Operative Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:14 am
=The mailer was paid for by a shady Democrat Political Action Committee (PAC)=

Pot meet kettle.

=There was obviously no “thinking” on this whatsoever.=

Sure seems to have you and Tracy in a dither though. LOL.

Comment by JS Mill Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:14 am
Tying Kinzinger to traditional republicanism is only going to divide the Republican Party in the long run.

As a Democrat, I halfway like the idea of watching the Republican Party divide itself.

As a Democrat, I halfway hate the fact that many tradition Independents who voted for Democrats seem to be becoming Trump Republicans.

We always live in interesting times.

Comment by H-W Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:15 am
Yawn, sort of pales in comparison to fake newspapers…republicans deserve this and whole lot more IMHO.

Comment by Darlene Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:17 am
===and launching ridiculous attacks on Justice Michael Burke===

Literally just quoting him and comparing him with another Republican that agrees with him that Biden won the election. I wouldn’t want anyone that supported the January 6th coup attempt to vote for me, either. That’s fun.

===The chairman of “Ballot Access Illinois” is Rudi Patitucci, who currently works for Alexi Giannoulias’ campaign===

If this were a federal election this would definitely be a problem.

===so why are they sending out mailers against him if he is not on the ballot?===

It’s about association. A lot of effort went into turning the GOP base against Kinzinger for his decision to actually maintain his oath to the Constitution of the United States. It’s more appropriate that sticking Mike Madigan’s face on everything, but it’s the same thing that the GOP does when they stick Mike Madigan’s face on everything.

Comment by Candy Dogood Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:41 am
Kind of a yawner compared to the awful ad being run by Senate Republicans against Doris Turner, stating that every time Doris’ lips are moving that she is lying.

Comment by Medvale School for the Gifted Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:46 am
=I halfway like the idea of watching the Republican Party divide itself.=

The interesting thing is that the Republican Party does not divide itself. Save for a few brave souls like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinsinger, I have not seen very many Republicans speak out against the dangerous factions brewing within the GOP.

These “profiles in courage” are either afraid to speak out in fear of retribution (voted out), or they adhere to the “gain power by any means necessary”.

Your Grandpa’s GOP doesn’t exist anymore and sadly, it will never come back.

Comment by Anon 10:53 Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:53 am
This piece is kind of funny. The Republicans have no problems with thousands of Proft propaganda pieces being mailed to voters, but a very late mailer seems to have made the Republicans angry.

Comment by Chris in ChiTown Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:58 am
More than a stretch. It’s breathless yoga

Comment by Walker Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 11:59 am
If gop voters easily fall for lies, why should gop politicians be the only ones who benefit from that?

Comment by Henry Francis Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 12:03 pm
When the Dems tell the truth (Bailey is too extreme for Illinois) they are castigated and when they don’t tell the truth (Burke is a RINO) they are castigated. Got it.

Comment by Big Dipper Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 12:03 pm
agree with chris. smart politics by Dems - win by any means necessary

Comment by jim Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 12:20 pm
The republican’ts are eating their own because Burke and Kinzinger won’t lie about tramp.

Comment by Huh? Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 12:21 pm
whatever. at least it is a mailer with an identifier on it and done legally. unlike the pieces all across Illinois and moving nationally which flout campaign laws by pretending to be a newspaper when in reality they are an arm of right wing extremists.

Comment by Amalia Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 12:44 pm
For all who cry foul when the republicans pull stunts like this, but are now finding ways to justify or minimize these stunts because it is an advantage your side. That’s too bad. Misleading Lies are Misleading Lies, Unethical behavior is unethical behavior, regardless who is behind it and who benefits.

Comment by Groucho Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 1:19 pm
===For all who===

Here’s the thing;

Vertical integration at a possible fine of $40+ million…

… a silly mailing that is as bad… as a one-off mailing that actually is embarrassingly… bad

There’s no equating the two.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 1:24 pm
Let’s be honest. I was watching TV while I did my laundry. An ad came on, probably put out by Proft’s PAC. It has Joe Rogan reading inaccurate garbage about the SAFE-T Act. The ad was to drag down Pritzker’s vote total. Partisan Republicans all feel that a TV ad that consists of lies are fine. This past week, my mom received 2 of the Proft newspapers, that features half truths & lies. Partisan Republicans all think, voters have a right to know, even if the information isn’t factual. A mailer targeting a Republican candidate is mailed days before Election Day & it tells half truths & lies, and the partisan Republicans are upset. It seems like they were not upset with all the similar games they played until a Republican was the target.

Comment by Chris in ChiTown Monday, Nov 7, 22 @ 6:36 pm