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It looks like 101st House District GOP candidate Scot England and his wife both flipped out a little this week. As Capitol Fax has already told you, the Democrats are spending about $400,000 in this district on behalf of appointed state Rep. Bob Flider, even though England, a former WAND-TV reporter, has raised only about $12,000 this fall. They’ve event sent a couple of senior staff into the race, probably because it’s so close to Springfield.

The Democrats have decided to crush this guy, for no particular reason other than they can. England had to quit his job to make the run and claims to have mortgaged his house and car and spent all of his savings - which was supremely stupid, frankly, but still sad. And this week he cracked. I usually have zero sympathy for candidates. Nobody ever holds a gun to a candidate’s head and tells them to run (some precinct workers are occasionally “persuaded,” but not candidates). They get what they get. But there’s no reason for this.

(No hyperlink because the story has already disappeared into the Decatur Herald & Review’s paid archives.)

DECATUR - Republican Scot England is denouncing attack ads state Rep. Bob Flider, D-Mount Zion, is airing this week, claiming Flider is using more than $200,000 in donations from the Illinois Democratic Party to try to buy the election.

England and his wife, Jayne, voiced their frustrations during a news conference Wednesday at the Decatur Civic Center.

Jayne England said her husband “is not boring” and is “a loving husband and father” who has spoken at more than 200 churches in the past six years. She said each morning before he leaves their Sullivan home, Scot prays for Flider.

“Now, he is trying to destroy my husband,” Jayne England said. “Those ads pale in comparison to the phone calls being made by Flider supporters. They range from lies about raising your taxes to more personal lies about our family. No matter who gets the most votes on Nov. 2, we know who the better man is.” [Snip]

Flider denied England’s accusations. He said Wednesday that England started running negative attacks on him six months ago and he has taken them in stride. [Snip]

England’s news conference ended with England following three Flider staff members, who were tape recording the event, out the civic center doors shouting at them to “go back to the hole you crawled out of and tell Julie Curry what I said.”

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 22, 04 @ 6:15 am

Comments

No one should ever be ashamed that they have earned a living as doing Weird Al impressions. I heard he does a mean, “I’m Fat.”

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Oct 22, 04 @ 7:06 pm
This situation is rapidly losing its humor.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Oct 22, 04 @ 7:09 pm
This guy is a big boy, he made this decision, let him live with the consequence. Why shouldn’t the HDems use thier resources to shore up the seat and not have to worry about spending it in two years? Besides, “Wierd Al”-Did he think people would take him seriously?

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Oct 22, 04 @ 8:02 pm
Maybe Scot England should call-up Beth Coulson so they can whine about how unfair it is that the House Dems run tough campaigns and are willing to discuss their backgrounds and records? Note to England: the only contribution you’ll be receiving from the GOP will be a box of Kleenex. Stop your whining.

And Rich, it is not Mr. Flider’s fault that England chose to embark on a Quixotic campaign for public office. Next time I’m sure he’ll do his homework before gambling with his financial security. And shame on the HRO and the GOP for encouraging the poor guy to give this race “everything he’s got” - literally.

Comment by Anonymous Saturday, Oct 23, 04 @ 5:00 pm
You guys are too much. Rinse the blood off your teeth before you comment next time.

Comment by Rich Miller Saturday, Oct 23, 04 @ 10:50 pm
When you have as much money as Madigan has, you can spend it to ruin people.

Comment by Lance Stevens Sunday, Oct 24, 04 @ 10:27 am
Yeah, right, have another glass of KoolAid. Are you suggesting Wannabe-Speaker Cross only spends his vault of special interest money to forward the interests of “Truth and Justice?” Gimme a break, PollyAnna!!

Comment by Anonymous Sunday, Oct 24, 04 @ 1:05 pm
Mr. Miller: Why does it seem like all of the Republican candidates are hyper-sensitive complainers this year? Under Lee Daniels and Mike Tristano’s leadership, the House Republicans were famous for their Machiavellian approach to campaigns, matching Madigan and the House Democrats, blow for blow, to win at any cost.

The HRO wouldn’t be having such a hard time raising money from the business community if we had some level of confidence that our contributions would be spent on “the right things” that actually win elections and not on wasteful folly like interactive websites, anemic blogs and especially that blatant Ego-stroke: “Cross TV.”

Why spend a dime developing a “TV” show that entirely consists of his employess and hangers-on gushing about the man’s brilliance, wisdom and beneficence?

They should spend less time and money promoting Cross - and devote those resources to proving he’s an effective Leader…by winning a few races this fall.

Comment by Anonymous Sunday, Oct 24, 04 @ 1:36 pm
Cross might have a little more money to spend on Campaigns and winning seats if he didn’t have to pay his campaign people from his campaign account.

Tristano would be proud of the latest “scorched earth” attack ads running down in the 75th. A seat the Dems are going to lose.

We’ll see who’s in the plus column on Nov 3rd

Comment by Anonymous Sunday, Oct 24, 04 @ 4:25 pm
Tristano and Lee matching Madigan blow for blow?? Are you smoking your socks? Didn’t Lee lose seats every year he was matched up against Madigan. Last I checked the House GOP under Daniels has not picked up a seat in 10 years. I guess raising money to use Roger Stanley for an ungodley amount of mail so you can get kickbacks for yourself was not a good use of resources.

Comment by Troy Sammons Sunday, Oct 24, 04 @ 9:45 pm
Ok, people, there’s nothing to see here. Move along quietly to the next post.

Comment by Rich Miller Sunday, Oct 24, 04 @ 11:02 pm
Wow Rich, way to control your own Blogs- sorry if people want to talk about something that you are not interested in.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 25, 04 @ 4:24 pm
Huh?

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 25, 04 @ 4:26 pm