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Oberweis back in Illinois

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U.S. Senate candidate Jim Oberweis said today he’s back in Illinois after a controversial pre-election visit to Florida, and explained that he took the trip south for his wife’s birthday because “family comes first” and he wanted to support his marriage. […]

In a radio interview this morning with Tribune columnist John Kass and Lauren Cohn on WLS-AM, Oberweis said that one of the problems that ended his first marriage was that his then-wife thought he worked too much. He said he didn’t want to make that mistake again in his second marriage.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 11:53 am

Comments

wait if he lives in Illinois why couldnt they celebrate the birthday here? Its not like he has anything important going on in Illinois….

Comment by Ghost Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 11:55 am
He could try living in the same state as his wife.

Comment by Bigtwich Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 11:55 am
It took days to come up with that response? Pathetic. The Oberweis Crew makes “inept” a goal for them to strive for!

“Welcome home, state Senator Jim Oberweis. You miss us?”

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 11:57 am
Why so dodgy at the beginning? Just say you are in Florida and say it is a “family issue.” People would most likely have bought it.

Of course, the way he is talking now, why would we trust that he can be a US Senator for Illinois considering his wife doesn’t even live here and clearly he wants to be a good husband. It sounds like not everyone in the Oberweis family supports the perpetual campaigns.

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 11:57 am
===He could try living in the same state as his wife.===

Great point, but then, what about all those Florida tax breaks?

Priorities? lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 11:58 am
Yeah, running for everything under the sun and living in Illinois while your wife lives in Florida shows that advice about working too much to sustain a marriage really sunk in…

Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 11:59 am
He may want to tell Wife #2 that being a U.S. Senator is a lot of work, too.

Comment by phocion Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:01 pm
Where will she live if he is elected? Florida, Illinois, Washington D.C.? If he thinks it is hard to be there with her now, it will be much more difficult if he actually wins. Does she support his candidacy?

Comment by DuPage Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:08 pm
You’re right, phocion. But DC is closer to FA than IL is.

Comment by dupage dan Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:09 pm
Nice tan.

Comment by A guy... Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:11 pm
Fair question DuPage. If your own wife doesn’t support you running for Senate, or at most pays lip service to supporting you, why should the voters?

Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:13 pm
==Where will she live if he is elected?

The question is moot.

Comment by ArchPundit Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:16 pm
And he’s not going to work long hours and be away as a U.S. senator? Lame excuse!!!

Comment by Union Man Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:17 pm
“He said he didn’t want to make that mistake again in his second marriage.”

Then why do they officially reside in two different states?
Why is he running for US Senate, creating a third address and more absences caused by work?

Why is he still trying to explain this? The Tribbies haven’t had enough fun with this yet?

Comment by Wensicia Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:19 pm
I think this should be investigated and all of his petitions challenged now if he has claimed Florida as his primary residence since 2010 then he shouldn’t be running at all why would anyone even consider voting for someone that doesn’t even live here… hes either lied about residence in Florida or hes lied to the Florida authorities about which house is primary…..and for the record to claim residence in Florida you must live there the majority of the year… this keeps people from buying rental houses and then taking the tax exemption. if he did this as a private citizen its his busniness , but now hes running for a high office to represent all of Illinois so everything should be disclosed. if the media wasn’t looking into this we wouldn’t even know it

Comment by arsonpi Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:20 pm
It was a non-story that Oberweis made a story by being evasive, and now he spins it.

Comment by In the Middle Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:20 pm
OW: ““Welcome home, state Senator Jim Oberweis. You miss us?””

Is that the doorman at the Esperia at Bonita Bay? Or the guys at the golf clubhouse?

Comment by Chris Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:21 pm
“hes either lied about residence in Florida or hes lied to the Florida authorities about which house is primary…..and for the record to claim residence in Florida you must live there the majority of the year… this keeps people from buying rental houses and then taking the tax exemption.”

Or he and his wife file separate tax returns, and she is a ‘tax resident’ of Florida and he is a ‘tax resident’ of Illinois.

That’s an easy, legal, explanation for two ‘primary residences’. If he (and his staff) messed that up, he should just stop running period.

Comment by Chris Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:23 pm
TMI, Milkman. TMI.

Just saying you wanted to get away from the bad weather would have been fine enough.

Now you’re introducing marital troubles into the picture on top of the tax/voting residency weirdness?

Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:25 pm
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Comment by votecounter Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:35 pm
Oberweis was running from Channel 5 cameras today in Aurora. I was there and saw it. This ought to be good tonight.

Comment by IceCream melting Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:38 pm
I bet he drove 70 MPH all the way back here.

Comment by Newsclown Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:38 pm
It has got to be a slow news day. Oberweis’ week long vacation pales next to Rahm Emanuel’s past residency woes or former US Congressman Sidney Yates who rarely visited Illinois for months at a time. The Emperor of Ice Cream fouled up to be sure, but let’s be consistent about such criticisms. Emanuel and Quinn were out of state recently (for fundraising), but nobody said boo about their absences.

Comment by Upon Further Review Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:51 pm
No candidate, including Emanuel and Quinn, would ever leave state for a week on eve of election. That’s what makes this so stupid.

Comment by IceCream melting Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 12:57 pm
== Oberweis’ week long vacation pales next to Rahm Emanuel’s past residency woes or former US Congressman Sidney Yates who rarely visited Illinois for months at a time.==

Jim O is running for an office that supposedly represents our whole state. Where his wife lives and what they may consider their primary residence is not germane to the discussion?

Comment by Responsa Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:01 pm
This is still a non-story. Getting your state office and home searched by the Feds? Wheeeee! That’s a story!

Comment by Westward Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:28 pm
And I thought Brady avoiding Chicago in 2010 was a dumb move…but here Oberweis is one-upping that by just avoiding the entire State!

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:35 pm
I hope Truex wins….

Comment by Walter Mitty Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:47 pm
Wonder if Durbin will check into all this Florida nonsense…

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 2:27 pm
Oberweis could have scotched the story on Day One by just answering Ahern’s question.

Instead, he’s milked it (sorry), keeping it alive with statements, radio interviews, blah, blah, blah.

The dude loves the drama and the attention.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 3:48 pm
Wife # 2 is a Florida resident and votes in Florida.

I wish I was in Florida. He’s got the money so let him spend any way he wants.

Durbin is not going to lose either way.

Comment by Mokenavince Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 4:34 pm
This is a non-issue. I can tell you he was responding to calls regarding legislative business in the General Assembly - from FLORIDA. That’s more than you get from legislators who are actually here in Illinois on any given day.

Comment by Anon Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 5:21 pm
Yeah Jim, when I hired someone at my company I always said to them that “Your wife’s wishes always comes before your work here at my company.”
How does the Good Humor Man manage to think up such lame excuses for doing dumb things? Oh, yeah–that’s right! He is a politician. He must be related to Anthony Weiner.

Comment by Frosty-The Snowman Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 5:31 pm
===This is a non-issue. I can tell you he was responding to calls regarding legislative business in the General Assembly - from FLORIDA. ===

Was that BEFORE or after it was found out he left Illinois? lol

Once Oberweis was caught, I mean he had to do something to seem “engaged”

Pathetic.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 5:32 pm
Can you see Ole Obie in the US Senate;

“Can you reschedule this important vote, my wife requires me to be in Florida, no exceptions…”

“So, the people of Illinois and the citizens of the United States have to wait for you to appease your Florida living wife and you will miss the vote?”

“Family first” lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 5:37 pm