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Rep. Halbrook says he now understands seniority, while his opponent claims his allies ‘tried to bully, persuade, and bribe me out of the race’

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Illinois

* Tom Kacich looks at the Republican primary shaping up between the father of the “Kick Chicago out of Illinois” campaign and an equally conservative opponent named Marsha Webb. The main issue so far is term limits…

State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, who represented parts of Champaign County before the 2021 redistricting, is now running for a sixth term in the Illinois House, even though he said in a 2016 News-Gazette questionnaire that he would not serve more than five terms. Halbrook ran for and won races for state representative in 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022. […]

“I looked at the current situation,” Halbrook said. State Sen. “Dan Caulkins was one of the founding members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus. There were five of us then. With him leaving, I looked at the tenure of the remaining House Republicans. We’re a rather youthful caucus. So in a world where seniority and experience matters, I just made the decision that I would stay in.” […]

Ironically, Caulkins, R-Decatur, is set to leave the Illinois House — and the Freedom Caucus — after next year’s election in order to honor his pledge to serve only three terms. […]

“There are only seven of us. I had anticipated that number to be much larger than it is today. For whatever reason, it’s not,” Halbrook said. “But if you look at the issues that have surfaced in the last year and a half, the Illinois Freedom Caucus has led on those issues.” […]

He said he now recognizes that seniority matters in the Legislature.

“You have to be in your third term to either get a chairmanship or a (minority-party) spokesperson position on committees,” he said. “I’m now a spokesperson on an appropriations committee. We’ve been able to ask hard questions of agency heads, although they’ve been able to stonewall and not respond. But at least we make them hear the questions.”

“I had anticipated that number to be much larger than it is today.”

Sigh.

* Anyway, his opponent Marsha Webb is quoted extensively in Tom’s story, so read the whole thing. But here’s her Facebook response…

If you can be persuaded to break a term limit pledge to your constituents, what else can you be persuaded to break or change?

Who “persuaded” you to break your term limit pledge? Is it the same select few that tried to bully, persuade, and bribe me out of the race against you?

Who do you place your loyalty with? Your constituents or a caucus that you are a member of?

This sounds like Orwellian style double talk.

Folks, read the article for yourself and form your own opinions.

I am running to take your voices to the state house.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 10:58 am

Comments

-He said he now recognizes that seniority matters in the Legislature.-

“Now that it directly affects me, my opinion on this matter has changed.”

For not really having a definable platform, this is the one thing the GOP is remarkably consistent on.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 11:13 am
- He said he now recognizes that seniority matters in the Legislature. -

Heck, it only took him 10 years to figure it out. Give him another five terms and he might recognize that legislating matters, too.

Comment by Excitable Boy Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 11:28 am
“We’ve been able to ask hard questions of agency heads, although they’ve been able to stonewall and not respond.”

Translation: We asked off-the-wall questions and we didn’t like the answers that we got.

Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 11:33 am
Term limits are a terrible idea. Running on term limits is a terrible idea.

He’s learned better, and that’s fine, but if he’s breaking a promises — if he’s been dishonest, he should spend some time apologizing to his constituents for it and maybe apologizing the the over all legislative body for his past outlandish positions.

If he doesn’t want to take the time to explain why and how he was wrong, he probably deserves to lose in a primary for breaking a promise about term limits. The kind of promise he made in order to help win a primary. The kind of promise he made because people who don’t understand how legislatures govern really though the “Contract with America” that the GOP ran on — and subsequently ignored had some pretty bad bullet points in it.

Lincoln would probably have some nice things to say about someone who is wiser today than he was yesterday and for the sake of a better argument that’s the Lincoln reference I am cherry picking.

A primary opponent is welcome to run on him breaking a campaign promise, but in general I don’t think anyone who things term limits are a bad idea should criticize him for realizing it and admitting it. The voters of his district will decide if year 11 is an important year for him to serve, or if the job can be done by anyone with no experience and no seniority.

Comment by Candy Dogood Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 11:57 am
Not a lick of difference between the two. Neither of them have or will accomplish anything of significance. Zero plus zero always equal zero

Comment by Stormsw7706 Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 11:58 am
===“There are only seven of us. I had anticipated that number to be much larger than it is today. For whatever reason, it’s not,” Halbrook said. “But if you look at the issues that have surfaced in the last year and a half, the Illinois Freedom Caucus has led on those issues.” […]

This is the funniest thing I’ve read in a while. Just no idea why our little band of weirdos who refuse to actually get things done isn’t larger.

Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 12:02 pm
” I had anticipated that number to be much larger than it is today. For whatever reason, it’s not”

Wow, a rare moment of introspection. Well, not introspection exactly, but he came vaguely close to acknowledging political reality. The meat of the matter is within “for whatever reason.” Maybe in 5 more terms he’ll figure out why his ideology keeps losing elections.

Then again, maybe not.

Comment by vern Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 12:05 pm
He didn’t even live in his district for the first term he was in office, and you think this guy is going to be honest? It’s amazing how quickly R’s will change their tunes when something affects them personally. It’s like he’s saying, “The only immoral term limit is my term limit.”

Comment by Lagartha's Shield Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 12:29 pm
=== I just made the decision that I would stay in.” […]===
Translation… Where else can i get a job this good, with zero responsibilities and a pension? God Bless Illinois.”

Comment by Bruce( no not him) Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 12:32 pm
So it is OK for the Freedom Caucus whackjobs to lie about term limits — sort of the Shimkus tradition kept alive. Great news.

Comment by Annon'in Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 12:33 pm
Holbrook has to run so he can finish what he never started.

Comment by Pundent Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 12:41 pm
–I don’t think anyone who things term limits are a bad idea should criticize him for realizing it and admitting it.–

He hasn’t changed his stance. He’s saying it shouldn’t apply to him. That’s why the example he is using, is himself.

“I just made the decision that I would stay in.”

In a few weeks, he will be back to complaining about career politicians.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 12:51 pm
Some good, snarky comments here — well-deserved.

It seems that Rep. Holbrook is demonstrating, probably unknowingly and certainly unwillingly, one of the few iron laws of politics: Where you stand depends on where you sit.

Comment by Flapdoodle Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 12:52 pm
The only accomplishment is reelection. That’s what you run on

Comment by Rabid Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 12:55 pm
The party of Ed Burke and Mike Madigan hates the idea of term limits on legislators

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 12:55 pm
- The party of Ed Burke and Mike Madigan hates the idea of term limits on legislators -

What on earth do Burke and Madigan have to do with this post?

Comment by Excitable Boy Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 1:20 pm
=The party of Ed Burke and Mike Madigan hates the idea of term limits on legislators=

Completely non-sensical. As someone who continually beats this drum you should be outraged that Holbrook is unwilling to uphold his pledge. But as usual you simply revert to making a silly partisan comment presumably to excuse the hypocrisy.

Comment by Pundent Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 1:22 pm
Republican voters especially are sick and tired of do-nothing Republican politicians who don’t keep their promises (see e.g. Kevin McCarthy). Brad Halbrook will never be taken seriously (assuming he ever was) if he breaks his term limit pledge, which btw is a major pledge as far as pledges go. Hit the bricks Brad. Let’s give Ms. Webb a chance to see if she can do something more productive beyond pie in the sky pandering about splitting up the state. Hashtag fail.

Comment by Lordy lordy Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 1:38 pm
=The party of Ed Burke and Mike Madigan hates the idea of term limits on legislators=

Sounds to me like someone was playing without a helmet on sunday. Better get that checked out.

Like LP, Halbrook is an impossible to embarrass hypocrite. Brad, if you don’t know why your little cabral numbers so few, maybe work on that instead of your career as a politician. Food for thought if he ever has a real one.

Comment by JS Mill Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 1:56 pm
@LP, this story is about a Republican going against his word and saying something that you oppose, and you revert to Madigan? Could you please stop trying to help and defend Republicans? You make us look even more inane then we have done a great job of in the last 10 years. Grrrr.

Comment by Lurker Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 2:03 pm
=== I just made the decision that I would stay in.” […]===

Typical Republican ignoring the fact that *voters* make that decision, not themselves

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 2:39 pm
Way to deflect @LP. Now perhaps address this particular post instead of your usual inane commentary. Do better for crying out loud.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 3:03 pm
Ironically, Caulkins…heh.

Comment by Dotnonymous x Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 3:27 pm
Brad Halbrook has helped to destroy his home county which is now without a water rescue team, an animal control dept being turned inside out, courthouse employees resigning left and right, County-owned farmland growing up in weeds, $3 million in ARPA sitting in the bank with no plan to spend it. Of course the Edgar Co Watchdogs have played a role in all this.

Comment by dem observer Monday, Dec 4, 23 @ 11:30 pm