Second Chances for the ILGOP

by Dan Proft

Six months ago, the conviction of Tony Rezko on federal corruption charges was met with unrestrained glee by those with leadership titles in the Illinois Republican Party.

On November 4, Illinois Republicans lost two longtime GOP Congressional seats (those vacated by Hastert, Weller), a net three State Representative seats, and witnessed the incursion of Democrats on to county boards in what were once the hallowed Republican collar counties of Will, DuPage and McHenry.

Last week, the arrest of Rod Blagojevich on federal corruption charges was met with unrestrained glee by those with leadership titles in the Illinois Republican Party.

They love that hamster wheel.

There is virtual unanimity that Blagojevich should be removed from office. If he declines to take the stairs, he will be exited out the window. Either way, he is done.

What is less clear is whether Republicans can make contact with the spinning curve ball that has been lobbed in their direction or if they will remain content to boo the pitcher from the stands.

Early indications are not encouraging as the state Republican Party just released a television commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qss7hzRERA) in support of a special election for Obama's U.S. Senate seat that attacks Lt. Governor Pat Quinn while referencing Lisa Madigan, Mike Madigan and Dick Durbin as "leaders".

Putting Pat Quinn in the crosshairs on corruption while promoting the Madigans and Durbin as part of the solution is like attempting to take down a Colombian drug cartel by targeting the teenage drug mule while lauding the kingpins as job-creating small businessmen.

So before those in charge of the Illinois Republican Party endorse Lisa Madigan for Governor or make some other such counter-intuitive offering, let me suggest in vain what I have suggested party leaders do since the Rezko conviction.

Two things.

First, make the "Chicago 9" wear the jacket for what has occurred on their watch. It is not just Blagojevich. It is also Rich Daley, Emil Jones, Mike & Lisa Madigan, Jesse White, Dan Hynes, Alexi Giannoulias and Todd Stroger. These nine Chicago Democrats control $70 billion worth of government and 125,000 public sector jobs in Illinois. They operate the levers of power in this state. They should all be held to account.

Second, instead of exhibiting unbridled jubilation, Republicans should display humility and contrition. Apologize to Illinois citizens for past bad acts and bad actors (particularly with George Ryan inconveniently in the news again). Explain to Illinoisans that the party as it existed a decade ago is not the party that it is today, that there are new leaders emerging with fresh ideas that substantively address the salient concerns of Illinois families. Petition for their renewed consideration in the wake of what the Chicago 9 have wrought.

If Republicans cannot distinguish themselves in this environment, then we will deserve our irrelevant status.

Comments

[tennismom]

Let's hear some concrete examples of who the new, fresh GOP faces are. Who do you mean, Jim Oberweis? We're drawing a blank here.

[CSLBC]

How about the Ibenidiot? Bwahaaahaaa, I kid. How about McKenna? Bwaaaahaaa, I kill myself. Cross, Radogno, or Rutherford? "Combined" they might be able to swat a fly.

Our farm team is still on the farm.

[Phil Collins]

Dan, in the second paragraph, when you mentioned collar counties, you should have included Lake Co. Last month, Democrats gained four seats, on the Lake County Board, and, in Jan., that board will have 13 Republicans and 10 Democrats.

In 2010, republican candidates, in Illinois, should make a promise that would be similar to the Contract with America. They would promise that, if IL elects a republican, for governor, and republican majorities of each house of the legislature, they would pass a set of about five bills. This would include cutting all tax rates and fees to their 2002 levels and repealing the laws which state that illegal aliens may attend state universities and pay in-state tuition and obtain drivers licenses.

[Andy Haaf]

Spot on! I was planning on carving up the video myself this evening, so thank you for saving me the effort.

This is another example of the clowns running the circus. The only difference between the video just released and the ones done during the election are ... well ... nothing. All are ineffective and do nothing to advance our cause.

How many cereal box tops do they send in to get these guys ... ugh!

[Pete Speer]

Many moons ago, when Bob the Shill-lander and Dallas Ingemunson, the ventriloquist behind the fat former wrestling coaach with the valuable land were happily cutting up lobbying fees and watching, along with the former Republican, ex Governor Big Jim Thompson, and the next in line little Jimmy Edgar, Yoda coming periodically from his Charleston cave, the demise of the Ill Republican party.

They didn't give a damn. They were well fixed and the fees they kept a'coming. In any event there was a an opportunity to remove the Shill Lander from his position as State Committeeman and friend of Karl Rove. The ICRC met in solemn conference at Otto Engineering in C-ville, attempting organize the State convention effort.

The ICRC board was composed of good gentlemen. I sat in back, new to the operation. Brave words were spoken. But they were as little mice, and I asked them -- which of you is going to bell the cat?

As it turned out, nobody, not one of the staunch people could stand up to Bob the K. He walked through the convention unharmed and laughing at the Illinois conservatives.

We had not learn how to organize the Indians. Too many chiefs, not enough long term dirt scrabbling, precinct and township organizing Indians.

The combine and their chosen state party head Andy McKenna, aka the great Buddha, flummoxed the good conservatives who thought and still think that right makes might.

Now I give you that there is no senior elected Republican, proven vote getter, around which we can coalesce, some statewide office holder -- Governor, Senator, even for God's sake a State Department head.

That means, ladies and gentlemen that we have to organize a party from the bottom up. -- and we have done a pea poor job of that.

The Dems are the party of Me -- "we can buy votes because we have the machine in place to deliver services which will keep the voter happy and in thrall." They are the party of Organization -- call it the machine, call it what you want.

What are we? We are the party of unorganized single issues. We are the party that dos not want to win We carry with us litmus papers, individual tests which have to be passed. Nearly every single issue, by itself, is not a key to victory. It is a recipe for defeat. We don't like politicians, we will only vote for saints and if Republican candidate does not qualify for sainthood, by George, we will stay nome and let the other guy win.

We will gladly march on election eve and take full credit for it. Elections are decided well before that. They are not won on the precinct level, they are won on the block level where we can identify the likely voters and get ours to the polls.

2010 is close enough as your next breath. We are the party of principles, not causes. We are the party to trust, and the candidates we put forth must reflect this. Take back the neighborhoods, my friends, then organize the precincts. Many issues are particular to the household. Find out how to express Republican values in an understandable way, so that the voter can see that principles matter, even though there may be disagreement on some issues.

2010 will be a helluva year if only we can keep in mind what motivates the family, the individual, to reach for opportunities for success.

[Anon]

Pete Speer, that just might be your best post ever! We may butt heads, but that was inspired.

I submit that there is one other problem for Conservatives: political myopia.

Conservatives seem to only know how to speak to two things: Conservative Pet Issues, and Conservative Empowerment. They simply have no idea how to talk to the people about their lives, dreams and problems, and how the GOP intends to make things better for them.

Ask Conservatives to speak on such topics and you will get a vague, puzzled look, much like (to steal a line from Dennis Miller) "the look my dog gets when I hand him the phone."

[Adrianna]

I hope if their is a special election we nominate Congressman Kirk he has proven himself to be tested, can raise funds, comes from split district and I really think he could win statewide.

[spintreebob]

Pete, anon, well said.
2010 is won or lost in Jan-April 2009 in the neighborhoods.

[term limits]

Thank you Pete.
I wish I could get that reprinted in the
major newspapers.

The kicker is that the economic chickens
are coming home to roost.
I, along with many other republicans,
continued to allow a cash gobbling
overseas military effort to drag on--
mostly unchecked.
Also there is this 'housing crisis' that has
morphed into other serious monetary issues.
Add that to the PPT and the unaccounted for
billions that have been passed out to the
big boys--we've got the huge financial
issues 'pinned' on the republicans.
Then add on not even a measly 15 billion
for the automakers---you tell me what to
tell my UAW buddy down the street that
just got laid off--there's just not enough
republican prison workers that can explain
that--as I have said before--just like GWB-
the republican party is toxic and radioactive right now. It is not something
that will be turned around in 6 months or
year--even if Rod goes to jail.

[Conservative Veteran]

If we have a special U.S. Senate election, Republicans should nominate a conservative, since moderate Republicans have been losing. In 2006, then-Treasurer Topinka was a moderate, and she got 38%. A republican politician, I know, told me that Dr. Sauerberg is so liberal, he should have run as a Democrat. Last month, Sauerberg got 33%.

[Ralph W. Conner]

Stop Lincoln From Spinning And Recognize Valor of Reagan in Illinois

Years before flummoxed Republican imported Alan Keyes the one-trick-pony womb politician to run against the Daley-labor-union-supported State Senator Obama, black republicans were active in Northern Illinois. Working with Cook County Republican Chairmen of the 1980's and 1990's blacks were able to be slated to run for Cook County assessor and Board of Tax Appeals for 1986, 1990,1994 and 2006 (myself). African-American conservatives were much chagrined at the media melt-down with one-trick Keyes and the facility of Obama to get his pet local media and radical femmes and abortionists to dismiss Keyes as irrelevant.
The melt-down of the current Republican state party began when the Combine or Rinos metastasized with Judy alone winning her State Treasurer's seat in 2002, setting the stage for "moderates" to be considered more electable than Oberweis or Brady-style conservatives. Judy's failure to repudiate income tax increases and Rod's war chest form Tony R (with support from Rahm-bo and BO)left Illinois with Elvis and a gamble emblematic of vegas. Will G-Rod survive in spite of his vaunted and considerable propensity for alleged corruption.

Now, we are witnessing the breakdown of any semblance of freedom from corrupt machine-driven politics as Pat Quinn succumbs to Madigan and Harry Reid's charade about the best way to fill BO's seat without a popular election. The Dems have agreed that they cannot afford to open Pandora's Box because even with Barack's support, now, ANY democratic appointment supported by Madigan, Daley, Labor unions in Chicago, or any member of the Illinois Dem central committee IS TAINTED!

Rather, than have a questionable appointee, the citizens of Illinois must pull a PAT QUINN on Pat Quinn and demand by petition and citizens' lawsuit filed in competent jurisdictions, that we all be allowed to vote for a NON-Democrat for Obama's seat. Only a non-Democrat could possibly bring integrity to the table, because any Democrat will be part and parcel of the machine which acknowledges "the "value" of this important appointment. The E-bay value!