If not Obie, than who?

The audacity of liberal, Democrat-leaning Chicago journalists never ceases to amaze. 

Like the little ol' ladies who are compelled to stick their noses into the neighbors' family feuds, they just can't seem to restrain themselves from wagging their fingers and with a know-it-all tone, tell the neighbors how they should fix their problems.

Today, the Trib's Eric Zorn launches into a tirade, lecturing the IL GOP about how to solve the 14th CD dilemma, saying he's "tired" of Jim Oberweis and goes so far as to tell the Republicans who should be their candidate.

Sort of like telling a guy the woman he's picked is a loser, and pointing out a better choice. . . it's none of her, (or Eric's) business what the GOP does.  Zorn doesn't care.  He's got an answer for the 14th CD:  Force Oberweis out and sweep up another . . . 

A solution? Persuade him to step aside in favor of Illinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross, 49, of Oswego.

Cross is a moderate Republican who is generally respected in Springfield; he was a political protege (and former high school history student) of retired U.S. House Speaker Dennie Hastert, whose poorly-timed resignation from the 14th District seat precipitated this current crisis for the Republicans. (See JoinCross.com)

He was on the top of most lists of likely replacements when rumors of Hastert's resignation began swirling a year ago, but he never entered the special primary race that Oberweis won Feb 5.

Link: Change of Subject - Observations, reports, tips, referrals and tirades | Chicago Tribune | Blog.

What's your thoughts?  Should Oberweis step down or can he bring the fractured 14th CD Republicans together before November?  If he can't, who should be his replacement?  Cross?  Lauzen?  Anyone else? 

If not Obie, than who?

Comments

[Aurora GOP]

It's lost - put it on Oberweis to take one for the team in November. No use ruining future nominees for an inevitable November tidal wave in favor of the Dems. Schmitz and Burns might be good choices in 2010.

If anything, run Pat Lindner and at least make the choice an interesting one.

[spintreebob]

Cross couldn't win a 2 person primary. He could unite the Oberweis & Lauzen factions.

But a backroom deal could make him the next Alan Keyes. Eric Zorn and others having trouble selling newspapers would love it.

[Easy]

The only thing that could prevent Cross from winning the seat would be if he hired Obie's campaign team.

I still think he might be able to overcome that, but it would definitely make it more challenging.

[Pete Speer]

This is important inside baseball type stuff.

Tom Cross is sitting in the General Assembly on SB 600. The Senate has passed it. Madicgan will release it, Blago has said he will sign it.

It is a Republican Party reform Bill, permitting direct election of the State Republican Central Committee. There is a State convention in June. For any hope of reform the Bill needs to be made law.

That passage would be the necessary condition for a Cross nomination.

It does not get a conservative (Lauzen, Rauschy) into Congress -- perhaps we need them more here in Illinois -- it does get us on the path to reform.

[Conservative482]

I am just as sick of Oberwies. The only people to campaign dirtier than Oberweis are the Clintons.

The job he pulled on Lauzen was despicable. Obie deserved what he got on Saturday. Lets just hope that he has enough sense and cares about the Republican Party enough to voluntarily step aside and let the party put someone new in there. But, since his first campaign, it has always only been about him and gaining power. I Mean how many more offices can he run for and lose?

I am a lifelong Republican and have never voted for a dumbocrat. If I lived in the 14th CD, Id vote for anyone but Obie. He has DESTROYED our party.

I agree with Pete that getting Cross out of the IL House is vital to the passage of SB 600 so I say - Let him run for Congress. He cant do worse than Foster.

[PhilCollins]

I agree that St. Rep. Cross might beat Foster. If Cross runs for Congress, who would run for Cross' state house seat?

[Easy]

I'm no legislative genius, but I just looked up SB 600 and it is still in the Senate.

I remember the whole, "I'm just a bill" cartoon, and if memory serves me right, that bill still has to pass the Senate before the House can consider it.

So maybe, it's the Senate that is sitting on the bill now and not the House?

Obie can win in November. Turnout and bad political consulting killed him

I hope he stays in the race...

[PhilCollins]

The senate passed SB 600 in 2005.

[TheReallyRightGuy]

Oberweis is shopworn merchandise, a little smudged and not quite fashionable.
However, do we trust the Republican party to find a better replacement? Remember what happened in 2006 when Jack Ryan resigned and the Central Committee took 7 weeks to come up with with an out-of-stater who set an all-time record in losing. Many voters said that if Keyes was the best the party could come up with, then they don't trust the party in other areas.
Lets stick with what we have until we have assurance of a better (more winnable) candidate.

[SoudanMan]

Two words: Tim Schmitz. He can be our Jindal.

[Pete Speer]

The most important thing is to free the Republican Party from its current slavery.

The Democrat Party did this and that's when they started to develop the farm tam which has added to its strength.

A Cross selection would be a small price to pay for emancipation.

BTW, we don't need a Jindal in the House in Washington. We need him in the Governor's mansion in Springfield. The Democrat Administration is just as corrupt as the Louisiana government was before Bobby ran and won.

If Tim Schmitz is of the Jindal caliber we should be building him up now.

[Pete Speer]

Looked up Tim on Google. FTN may not be the best place to get unbiased data. But see this site for a list of his legislative history. Conservative?

http://www.familytaxpayers.net/article.asp?articleNumber=1565

[Anon]

Cross is a Moderate Republican. That's why he will beat Foster, if anyone can at this point.

I am impressed of late that the Conservative movement in Illinois has started facing certain electoral realities. Only that realization will allow the party to grow.

[PhilCollins]

If Cross runs for Congress, he should run in the 11th District, since most of his st. rep. district (84th) is in the 11th District.

[Bruno]

Kicking Cross upstairs might be good move for IL, and for Cross.

It isn't as if he's ever going to be majority leader in IL.

The Tim Shcmitz data on the FTN site is a listing of problematic votes from Schmitz's legislative voting record. The only bias there is how you, the reader, decide what you think about how Schmitz has voted.

[Aurora GOP]

This is a diversion. In a general election, Schmitz' record as summarized by the FTN will not be an issue. For a primary, sure, but not in the general. The FTN has been greatly marginalized, and I doubt that its ham-handed press releases will generate any headlines. The FTN went after Oberweis on numerous issues and none of those saw the light of day in the mainstream media.

[From The Right Field]

What is the point of these thread??
Oberweis is in until he says different.
I have already said more than is worth saying.

[Jon Zahm]

I won't go into all the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate until/if/unless Oberweis makes a decision to resign from the ballot but three candidates I like for a replacement are:

David Rickert, Kane County Tresasurer
Randy Hultgren, State Senator
Mike Fortner, State Representative

[tfb]

I take many of the posters never read the little engine that could.

If I had a dollar for everytime I was told how I could not do something, for how many times I was told to give up, I would truly be a wealthy man.

Perseverance is a positive attribute.

tfb

[Torchwood]

tfb,

I could not agree with you more. All of these people who think Oberweis will quit are seriously guilty of wishful thinking.

Oberweis is not going anywhere and he will win in November. Let's have everybody keep their focus on that and that alone as far as the 14th district is concerned.

Captain Jack Harkness

[Jon Zahm]

Torch's crystal ball has some serious cracks in it. Let's give Jim and his staff some time to crunch the numbers and evaluate the viability of a rematch in November. By the end of March we will know more.

[Torchwood]

Circling over Jim Oberweis like a vulture, eh Jon Zahm?

All I know is Oberweis is my guy and he won the primary over Chris Lauzen. He should stay in the race. I do not want that wimp Tom Cross, or that Tim Schmitz either.

Captain Jack Harkness