Froehlich party switch rumor confirmed

**** UPDATED below ****

State Rep. Paul Froehlich (R-Schaumburg) has called an emergency meeting for his Schaumburg Township Alliance of Republicans (STAR) for Tuesday night.

Insiders predict that at the meeting Froehlich will be announcing that he is leaving the Republican Party.

Froehlich's announcement reads:

There will be a major announcement that will shake the township’s political foundation so you’ll want to be there.  I want everyone to have a chance to hear about it from me before you read about it. . ."

IR has a request for more information into Froehlich.  Earlier this spring, Froehlich vehemently denied he was considering a party switch.

We'll update as soon as we learn more.

[****UPDATE:  6/24 at 4:38 PM ******-- Rich Miller's CapitolFax reports that indeed, Rep. Froehlich will be announcing Wednesday morning his intention to leave the beleagured Illinois Republican Party to the side with Mike Madigan's Democratic Party.

This shift in political parties was one of a one-two punch as the Obama campaign releases a political ad featuring former DuPage County GOP Chairman Kirk Dillard (See above).  Speculation now turns to whether Dillard will be the next GOPer to abandon the IL GOP.]

[*****UPDATE 2:  5:03 PM ****** Editor's note:  In reviewing the May interview with Rep Froehlich when he denied he was switching parties, I can't help but believe he intentionally misled me as a journalist and as a fellow Republican.  Let's just say that Benedict Arnold Froehlich will fit well in the dirty Dem-coat he has donned today.  Now I understand why he didn't answer our query. Who would have believed anything he had to say anyway?] 

Comments

[Noel]

Rebuild the alliance. Who gives a damn about Froehlich.

[Scott Mesick]

Good Riddance

[Scott B]

It is interesting that Paul went out of his way to insist that I was not a true Republican. Those driven by political ambition have no shame.

There is no shortage of fake Republicans, hopefully they will follow pied piper paul.

[Williamsville-Sherman Bullets]

Froehlich has supported drivers licenses for illegals, embryonic stem cell state funded research, and gun control.

He is been voting with Madigan and now this will make it official. Let's get someone else to take him on next November.

[Jon Zahm]

Now those who wondered why I encouraged my wife to work for Paul's opponent in 2006 see the evidence I was aware of two years ago.

[jcoonen]

We've got way too many "Conswervatives" in this state as-is. That's the real problem.

Our own voters don't know what they're getting, nor do they care any more. And some WONDER why they don't vote? It's because they don't have a CLUE who, nor WHAT they are voting FOR!

Leadership goes out the window.
Desire to serve the People, NOT the Party, goes out the window.
Common sense goes OUT THE WINDOW.

And we sit in front of our computers, bitching and moaning online, or sending in rampant negative press releases, as if THAT makes progress, rather than going OUT THERE and doing the hard work of PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING a COME-BACK.

We need real conservative leadership - not conswerveatives - to follow.

[stranger than fiction]

It seems that being a conservative but not your buddy is a good reason to lynch someone. As I read some of the insightful notes about Froehlich's switch, I seem to remember that a true Republican by the name of Ronald Reagan knew the difference when he stated the 11th commandment. Those that show there disrespect for Froehlich now, have always violated the 11th commandment when they came after him with lies and distortions. It seems the Hate Club of America has succeeded in pushing Froehlich over the edge. As for Zahm, Froehlich was a Republican before you could open your eyes. Do you know what it means to be a Republican? Is that why you attack them?

[chris robling]

dear all,

paul has come around to truth in labelling. let's be happy for that.

this is precisely what those of us who have been involved have known since the start. those on the front lines in schaumburg township have been most aware, and most downtrodden, because of the bizare circumstance of a democrat in the republican committeeman's office.

i have no personal ill-will for paul, he will fair as the voters see fit.

while there is a larger story to be understood and internalized about the sources of paul's ascendance those eight or nine years ago, i suggest goppers should now be focused on the republican primary voters of schaumburg township. they are the true -- that is to say, statutory -- stakeholders of the republican party there.

my hope is that they unite behind a committeeman candidate and appeal to the county chairman on that individual's behalf.

and allow me to say as clearly and loudly as one can in such precincts as are these: that person should in fact be a republican.

given our shared experience with paul, saying such now should be well understood as a genuine concern.

finally, there is an anonymous poster above who goes under the name "stranger than fiction."

s/he is ascribing "hate" at rich miller's site, and here talks about reasons 'to lynch someone.'

i have no idea who 'stranger' is, but i hope everyone, 'stranger' included, can take a breath, count to ten, walk around the block, etc. and thus think better of using such terms.

best,

chris

[PhilCollins]

Do you know of anyone who will run against Paul, next year?

[Jerry]

"It seems the Hate Club of America has succeeded in pushing Froehlich over the edge."

stranger than fiction

Paul, is that you? I think we have a sock puppet...

[pete speer]

Ther is a formal process that has to be gotten through, re Mr Froehlich. First, the locks need to be changed on the party offices in Schaumburg adjacent to Rep. Froehlich's offices. Second and immediately, the County Chairman needs to give all support to the remaining Township Republicans -- separating the Froehlichians from the party, overseeing the Township organization. A caucus must be called, calling for the resignation of prospective moles. Third, candidates for the Republican primary need to be locally vetted and supported and Fundraising begun, shutting down the Froehlich spigots at the same time.

Paul has been an opportunist for some time. He has undoubtedly organized his political and financial supporters to go with him.

It will be interesting to see if the Schaumburg Democrats will let him fly his flag there.

[Prarie Star]

Ummmmmmm if Froelich's Name is on the lease

You may be in the realm of Criminal Trespass on the lock changing

[John Curry]

Calling Don Totten.... where are you? we need you back!

[wondering]

Will Paul's wife get her state government job back now that he is a Democrat?

[cicero]

Bullets writes: "Froehlich has supported drivers licenses for illegals, embryonic stem cell state funded research, and gun control."

When did he vote for either stem cell research or gun control? Can you cite a couple of bill numbers?
Ask Ralph Rivera about Froehlich's position on the stem cell issue.