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* If you click here you’ll see the latest TV ads for Dan Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC. There’s quite a lot of them. And almost all the recent ones (at least 30 of them) feature a woman speaking to the camera identified as “Kathleen, single mom.” The woman is actually the Illinois Opportunity Project’s Director of Communication Kathleen Murphy. That group was co-founded by Proft.
Anyway, Kathleen says in many of the ads “My home is in Illinois with [fill in the blank] as my state [Representative/Senator].” People have told me they’ve seen her on back-to-back ads for different candidates in different districts.
* So, somebody posing as “Pan Droft” on YouTube has posted a “tribute” video. It’s pretty funny…
* Meanwhile…
State and federal authorities are trying to find out why 1,500 absentee ballot applications were left in a Rock Island post office box for three weeks. Michelle O’Neill reports.
Rock Island County Clerk, Karen Kinney, says one of the first tips about a potential problem with absentee ballot applications came from her own mother. Voters also started to call her office asking, “Where’s my ballot?” Kinney called the sheriff, state’s attorney, and the Illinois Attorney General for help. She learned that a Dekalb woman from the Illinois Opportunity Project rented the Post Office box. The project is a Chicago-based non-profit, co-founded by Dan Proft who’s a radio host and former Republican candidate for governor. [Emphasis added]
Get it together, man.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the Dispatch & Argus…
Co-founder Pat Hughes said his organization has done nothing wrong.
“We’re doing a vote-by-mail program,” Mr. Hughes said. “We’ve delivered thousands of applications in Rock Island County and throughout the state.”
While Ms. Kinney said the 1,500 absentee applications were piled up at the Rock Island Post Office on 11th Street before being delivered last Thursday and Friday by a man, Mr. Hughes refutes there was any voter suppression on behalf of his organization.
“They’re (applications) being picked up and delivered every single day,” Mr. Hughes said. “Any comments on voter suppression are false. If those statements are coming from the Rock Island County clerk or any other Democratic elected official, they are politically motivated.”
Mr. Hughes said the Illinois Attorney General’s Office has made many inquiries and demands over the last week of his organization related to Rock Island County and other counties, but he said it has done nothing wrong.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Pat Hughes’ story appears to be confirmed by the local postmaster…
Hughes said the Illinois Opportunity Project mailed applications to voters on Oct. 11, and picked up the returned applications from the Rock Island Post Office on Oct. 26, after receiving inquiries from law enforcement. Hughes says the group didn’t break any laws by not grabbing the applications sooner. He also says that because the group distributed applications on the 11th and collected them on the 26th, it disproves the Democratic clerk’s claim that the applications languished for three weeks.
Mark Curley, postmaster for the Rock Island Post Office, corroborated Hughes’ timeline.
“There was no three weeks,” Curley said. “They didn’t languish.”
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:43 am
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How many homes does she have??? /S
Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:49 am
With all that money he couldn’t hire a different person for each ad? Use the same copy but how about a different face, Dan?
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:49 am
Is the “single mom” voting in all those districts?
Comment by Ares Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:50 am
That YouTube video is hysterical. Seriously, why does anyone use Proft? For anything? If these jokers took the money that they wasted on losing campaigns and gave it to CSU, EIU, and WIU, those schools would stay open forever.
Comment by Cleveland Fan Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:51 am
Does anyone else think that maybe those applications were left there so that later, someone could try to claim vote-rigging because all of those nice people who asked for absentee ballots never got them?
/asking for a friend
Comment by South of Sherman Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:52 am
More homes than Rauner. And all in Illinois.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:53 am
My post must have gone into moderation exile since I used some ‘official’ sounding words that may have triggered moderation- so here is a second try.
I don’t find it ok for someone to be in political ads claiming they live in multiple districts. I don’t find it ok for absentee ballot applications going anywhere but the county clerks office.
Comment by Thoughts Matter Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:57 am
“Why do we give into the cynicism….?”
Asked and answered.
Comment by Roman Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:57 am
That video needs to be shown as part of the mandated civics lessons in the high schools. I think that mandate will be the topic of discussion on Illinois Issues this week (Thursday) if I heard correctly on WUIS this morning.
Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:58 am
This is typical Dan Proft work product, lame.
Comment by Deft Wing Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:01 am
wonder what the universe was on the ab ballot requests? maybe they weren’t meant to get to the clerk at all…ever…
Comment by Frankie Urquhart Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:02 am
Why would Proft bother to find actual voters in these districts or at least pay different people to represent them in the ads when Proft can pocket more cash and do less work by using the same person in these ads?
It’s not just more profit for him short term to do ads on the cheap, but long term he’s better off with Dems in power because when the GOP actually takes over then his cash cow dies.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:02 am
Please someone let the Trump gang know we have found voter fraud, this woman clearly is going to vote several times. Get to it Trumpsters, go forth stop this crime right now.
Comment by Give Me A Break Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:05 am
Henry Ford would turn over in his grave if he saw his assembly line creation used for political ads.
Comment by Sir Reel Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:09 am
Highlighting the real reason the GOP loses in Illinois: Laziness.
Comment by Daniel Plainview Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:14 am
Kathleen is clearly intent on multiple counts of vote fraud.
The spot is quite the Proft trifecta: cheap, lazy and deceptive. He sure can play those sugar daddies.
As to the absentee ballots, it’s either a willful voter suppression effort or a royally lazy screwup. Either way, citizens are at risk of being disenfranchised for trusting Proft.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:14 am
And here I thought Octomom gave birth to the first octuplets.
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:16 am
This is very serious, people. The Large Hadron Collider at CERN may have finally messed things up and poked into parallel dimensions. These commercials may be bleeding in from alternate realities where she actually lives in those realities. /s
Comment by Earnest Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:31 am
“Dan, we need some ads directed at ‘low information voters’…”
“How low?”
“We’re targeting idiots, Dan.”
“okay, I’ve got just the thing!”
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:36 am
I wonder if Kathleen is a member of SAG-AFTRA.
Comment by Hamlet's Ghost Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:37 am
===She learned that a Dekalb woman from the Illinois Opportunity Project rented the Post Office box===
Was her name Kathleen?
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:40 am
Lazy ads gives me impression he is a lazy person.
Investigate the whys and hows those ballots were “lost” and then prosecute the guilty.
Comment by FormerParatrooper Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:44 am
must work on election day recipe, Pan Droft. white bread with no flavor.
Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:53 am
Is that a voice-over? I can’t see her lips well enough to tell.
Comment by Whatever Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:01 am
==Co-founder Pat Hughes said his organization has done nothing wrong.==
Like Frankie said at 10:02 am, the universe mailed will tell whether or not this was voter suppression.
Comment by Cleveland Fan Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:01 am
From WVIK public radio on the ballot boondoggle:
Listen to the story. There are some good details in there.
http://wvik.org/post/absentee-ballot-requests-spent-3-weeks-post-office-box#stream/0
Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:02 am
==They’re (applications) being picked up and delivered every single day==
Apparently they weren’t.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:06 am
In 2010 the Democratic coordinated campaign royally screwed up their vote by mail program and basically the same thing happened. They were scrambling in the final weekend to get applications processed in time so ballots could go back to the voters and get returned all before election day. In many instances it was too late. There’s a precedent for this kind of incompetence.
Comment by The Captain Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:08 am
Think very, very carefully before you say that to the Feds, Mr. Hughes.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:15 am
She’s cute, I’d vote for whoever she’s supporting…Oh, wait….
Comment by downstate commissioner Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:28 am
In the about section for the IOP…
“IOP is an independent research and public policy enterprise that promotes legislative solutions in advance of free markets and free minds.”
Can they really claim to be independent or policy oriented when their comms director is in every one of the these ads their co-founder is the one cutting them.
Hilarious sidenote, this little gem is at the bottom of Proft’s bio on their site:
===Most importantly, Proft is an aspiring basketball coach.===
Comment by Boone's is Back Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:31 am
Glad she’s helping to dispel the cynicism this election cycle. Is she really a single mom or is that a fabrication as well?
Comment by Vote Early Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:41 am
She has more homes than the governor!
Comment by Flynn's mom Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 12:06 pm
It’s the lip gloss lady! That is hilarious.
Comment by NoGifts Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 12:23 pm
In one district she’s a single Dad.
Comment by Highland IL Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 12:49 pm
She is not voting. She is just supporting. She may be supporting get them by doing the ads.
Comment by Rough Rider Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 1:19 pm
That. Mashup. Is. Awesome.
Comment by Come on man! Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 1:29 pm
Anyone with a Communications degree would have known not to do this. It’s Communications 101. Not smart.
Comment by anonymous Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 2:29 pm
You do what you can to keep your SAG card current?
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 2:35 pm
Pan Droft needs to send this to the late night show circuit and SNL. This needs national play
Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 2:39 pm
On a serious note, Soccerchild signed up for her absentee ballot on the Illinois.gov site weeks ago. She said it was very difficult to navigate, and she never got her ballot. Is this an attempt by the Governor to suppress voting? Paging Lisa Madigan…
Comment by Soccermom Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 3:22 pm
Perhaps someone could ask how long the applications sat in the PO Boxes in the other five counties and how many applications there were.
0r maybe someone has
Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 3:28 pm
== … Soccerchild signed up for her absentee ballot on the Illinois.gov site weeks ago. ==
Both myself and Mrs RNUG mailed in one of the many “vote by mail” postcards we received. The ones we used were addressed to the County Clerk. It was a bit strange that I got mine immediately and Mrs was delayed. After a couple of days, phoned in and confirmed it had been mailed. It showed up a day or two later but had clearly been mailed when the clerk said because the numbers were sequential. So it must have taken the scenic route through the postal system.
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 3:33 pm
“I’m a producer, really. I’ll make you a star.”
Comment by walker Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 3:46 pm
BTW Proft’s starlet pulled down about 3200 a month workin’ as legislative aide….in another video she mentions Ives
Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 3:48 pm
What is the groups physical street address in rock island?
Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 4:16 pm
“There was no three weeks,” Curley said. “They didn’t languish.”
So much that conspiracy.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 4:31 pm
Kathleen Murphy of the Illinois Opportunity Project and Upstream Ideas talks about teaching her kids the importance of being held accountable for their actions and that IL lawmakers should be held to the same, although, she has not been, Kathleen was arrested on June 26, 16:
http://buglenewspapers.com/downers-grove-westmont-woodridge-police-blotter-week-of-july-4
I would expect this type of representation from Dan Proft but surprised that Pat Hughes, John Tillman, The Heartland Institute, and Governor Rauner stand for it, after all she is the spokesperson for their organizations.
Comment by Dupagemom Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 7:37 pm
The voters of Illinois should NOT give in to you and Dan Proft-you shill!
Comment by HRC2016 Thursday, Nov 3, 16 @ 1:01 am
Just saw the spot back to back on WGN (two different candidates).
If you’re going to force your talent to deliver such a windy monologue, do a few takes. That’s not a winner running now.
Better yet, cut down the script. People don’t like ideologue-lecturers.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Nov 3, 16 @ 6:29 pm