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Chris Kennedy “is running” - But you’ll have to kill a tree to read about it

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* I’m not sure whether it’s a web admin mistake or what, but this is all that remains of Sneed’s top item in today’s Sun-Times online edition…

Begorrah! The Merchandise Mart’s Chris Kennedy may not yet have “officially” announced his bid for the U.S. Senate in Illinois — but his cousin, Ted Kennedy Jr., did the “unofficial deed.”

The print edition included this…

* To wit: “I was told not to talk politics tonight, but…you here in Illinois can have your own Sen. Kennedy — my cousin, Chris, is running,” Ted Kennedy Jr. said at an Access Living dinner at Navy Pier Tuesday night.

* Backshot: U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy’s son made the statement while accepting an award on behalf of his ailing father.

* Slipshot: Chris Kennedy, vice chairman of the event, kept quiet. Gov. Quinn, who told Sneed recently that Chris Kennedy was one of his heroes, was also there. And so was first lady Maggie Daley. [emphasis added]

So, he’s in. Or was it a mistake? You got me.

* Speaking of US Senate candidates, I’ve gotten this e-mail twice now, so I’ll post it to get him off my back…

Mr. Stan Jagla, 47 years old, a progressive DuPage county Democrat, government reform advocate and Democratic candidate for the 2010 U.S. Senate election, registered with the FEC on January 2, 2009 for this race. He has been planning this campaign since July 2007, long before his possible primary opponents. He also filed his candidacy with the FEC before Alexi Giannoulias. And unlike the Giannoulias’ campaign, our campaign committee is a campaign committee, firmly committed to the campaign, not just an exploratory committee.

Mr. Jagla will likely face Alexi Giannoulias, and possibly other Democrats, for the Democratic nomination in the primary election, before he will face the Republican candidate in the General election in November 2010. Mr. Jagla has the support of rank and file Democrats, in contrast with the Cook County Democratic Machine candidates, who believe that they can BUY the U. S. Senate seat, through the usual ‘pay to play’ methods.

Mr. Jagla was a life long Independent, who in 2007 joined the Democratic party to help rebuild our Democracy. In February 2008 he was elected Democratic precinct committeeman in Bloomingdale Township. In the 2008 primary for the 6th U.S. Congressional district, against a heavily supported Cook County Democratic machine candidate, in a highly manipulated primary, Mr. Jagla received over 15,000 votes. During the General election in 2008, against a widely respected and heavily supported Republican incumbent in the election for the DuPage County Circuit Court Clerk, Mr. Jagla received over 160,000 votes. Both elections were used as a training ground for the current 2010 U.S. Senate race.

Jagla lost to Democrat Jill Morgenthaler in last year’s 6th CD primary by about 37,000 votes.

Anything else going on out there?

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 11:25 am

Comments

The ultimate face off….Jagla v Oberweiss….

Comment by Ghost Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 11:37 am
…Now you’ve done it Rich… You have fed the beast and it will only come back looking for more.

PS - I’d hardly call Melissa Bean any part of the “Cook County Democratic machine” such as it is.

Comment by Rob_N Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 11:49 am
Not Bean, Morgenthaler. Ridiculous none the less.

Comment by Ravenswood D. Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 11:53 am
At least Jagla has his excuses ready for his upcoming lopsided loss. He’s already perfected the art of blaming others for your loss…

Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 12:08 pm
Bill Brady goes line by line through the budget and recommends some very specific cuts to the budget that will get us out of this mess.

Also, today is opposite day.

Comment by Scooby Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 12:11 pm
Speaking of an Oberweiss, the son is constantly on television up north with spots (during news shows) for the dairy and ice cream. Is he the next perennial candidate?

Is it the same elsewhere?I know they have ice cream stores outside of Chicago metro now.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 12:17 pm
Scooby

Is Brady still running for Governor? I haven’t heard a peep from him in months.

Comment by GOPvoter Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 12:22 pm
I think Kennedy has delayed his announcement for one of two reasons. Either he is nervous Lisa is still a possible candidate or he was trying to keep his head down so he didnt have to comment on the budget or both.

Comment by Cosmic Charlie Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 12:34 pm
I got an Oberweis quart of ice cream for donating a pint of blood at Heartland yesterday.

Comment by Cal Skinner Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 12:41 pm
Brady has been part of the statehouse culture for too long. It is sad that he can be running for Gov for 3 years, be a longtime State Senator and can’t offer specific solutions or cuts to solve our current problem. He’s in the State Senate!

Comment by Highlander Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 12:46 pm
I got a flier from Dan Proft to attend a meeting about him running for governor.

Comment by Pat collins Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 12:58 pm
==Mr. Jagla has the support of rank and file Democrats==

As a DuPage Dem, I take serious issue with this claim.

Comment by Obamarama Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 1:24 pm
Kirk has quarter 2 fundraising numbers coming out next week right? If memory serves in quarter 2 of 2007 he was the top non leadership fundraiser for the house, so perhaps that could be a barometer of which way he’s leaning…

Comment by Shore Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 1:40 pm
I’m with Obamarama. This DuPage Dem wouldn’t vote for Jagla in a million years.

Comment by Greg Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 1:43 pm
Oh boy oh boy a Kennedy we could have our own Kennedy oooh oooh I’m so excited…

Not.

Do we have such a lack of nepotism in our own politics that we have to borrow it from Massachusetts? Admittedly, Chris may well be the most impressive Kennedy of his generation, but it is time to send the entire family (and most of our other political dynasties) to an Elba of the mind, and end hereditary politics.

Boy, I sure live in the wrong state, don’t I.

Comment by Mgmax Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 2:25 pm
I don’t understand the nepotism charge as to Chris Kennedy. Will there be folks who vote for him based on his last name? Yes. Will there be those who will refuse to vote for him based on his last name? Yes.

Ultimately he’ll have to prove himself to the voters of Illinois just like any other candidate. We don’t have coronations in this country.

Comment by Greg Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 2:29 pm
Webster’s says:

Nepotism: favoritism (as in appointment to a job) based on kinship.

By definition, if Chris Kennedy runs for the Senate and wins, it’s not nepotism. I’m guessing his last name will hurt him in as many quarters as much as it helps in others.

MgMax, where is this Utopian state you pine for? What’s keeping you here?

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 2:35 pm
What is it about the Kennedy’s that they somehow equate their last name/old time history to their inherited right to take advantage of the work of their longbegone elders to jump ahead of the rest based strictly on name/inherited wealth ? Try working your way up like the rest, eh??

Comment by You Go Boy Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 2:39 pm
===jump ahead of the rest based strictly on name/inherited wealth===

I think it’ll take a lot more than that to win a primary here. And a general.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 2:42 pm
Here we are in June, petitions go out in 2 months and the Republicans have no viable candidate for Governor. Yes there are 2 declared candidates Senator Bill Brady from Bloomington and Adam Andrzejewski a newcomer from the private sector, and then some who claim to be looking into the statewide run for any office. None of these candidates have taken the bit in their teeth and started a statewide campaign that can win!

Another thing that happens in June is the fundraising numbers will be released at the end of the month. If none of our candidates have raised more than 1 million dollars, and I mean well over one million, the party is in real trouble. At the beginning of the year it looked as though there would be a candidate who could bring all side together and raise the money needed to put on the kind of campaign that could put the GOP back into power. That was Ron Gidwitz. Gidwitz ran for Governor in 2006 and since then has built a formidable organization focused on important issues.

Mr. Gidwitz has been focused on the defeat of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), the disastrous Cap and Trade legislation and wasteful government spending. It was Ron Gidwitz who personally sued Governor Blagojevich to stop the illegal expansion of Medicare in Illinois, which also was used as part of Blagojevich’s impeachment. So Gidwitz has stayed engaged why has he not announced for Governor? It is up to the Illinois Republican leadership to draft Gidwitz before it’s too late and we miss this chance. It is time for Andy McKenna to lead and ask Gidwitz to get in this race.

Comment by wantstowin Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 3:16 pm
To wants, has a new republican moderate won anything lately? No, because the only people in America focused on winning moderate republican votes are Rahm Emanuel and barack obama. They’ve been stuffing that administration with gop senators and house members (leach, lahood, mchugh, perhaps shays, almost gregg, they converted specter in the senate), while the party nationally is focused on “the base”.

The only Republicans who seem to have much appetite for serious moderate republicanism that you think gidwitz possesses are ex-politicians of 15 years ago like christine todd whitman and john danforth.

Comment by Shore Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 3:28 pm
Money is tight for Republicans. I think there are a number of potential candidates for Governor who are checking all aspects before jumping in.
Bob Schillerstrom, DuPage County Board Chair, for one!

Comment by LisleMike Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 3:33 pm
When will the Jim Edgar will save us in 2010 movement begin?

Comment by Loyal Whig Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 3:46 pm
Wantstowin: Sen. Matt Murphy of Palatine, and Schillerstrom and Birkett in DuPage have also announced… Schillerstrom already has $600K+

Comment by Obamarama Thursday, Jun 4, 09 @ 3:53 pm
Gidwitz? Tried him already. Awful, Awful campaigner. 4th of 5 last time. No base. No chance. Andrzejewski is building up the grassroots. His campaign is all around the state picking up volunteers. We need an outsider to succeed in a “reform year.”

Comment by Gov 2010 Friday, Jun 5, 09 @ 12:11 am