Team America's 10th District Blog

• State Rep. Beth Coulson Gets High-Powered Endorsement from Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar

  Former Illinois Governors that aren't in the slammer or headed there seem to be in short supply nowadays, but one notable exception is Jim Edgar, who enjoys a pretty much untarnished brand and reputation, especially among Republicans who remember better days in this state. Edgar has now officially come out' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 09, 2009, 1:46pm EST
  

• Waukegan and Shields Townships Host IL-10 GOP Debate Tonight

  I am remiss in not plugging this event earlier, but a great opportunity to meet the GOP candidates for IL-10 is being hosted by the Waukegan and Shields Township Republican Organizations. The event will begin at 7:00 at the Greenbelt Cultural Center, 1215 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL.
  [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 09, 2009, 10:31am EST
  

• Dan Sugrue Nabs Vernon Township GOP Endorsement for 59th District; Dold Wins Vernon's IL-10 Endorsement

  GOP candidate and attorney Dan Sugrue of Green Oaks handily won the endorsement of the Vernon Township GOP organization last night.
  
  The vote was 11-2-1, with two votes going to Vernon Hills Trustee Cindy Hebda, and one vote going to Mohan Manian.
  
  Hebda is [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 08, 2009, 1:39pm EST
  

• Democrats Julie Hamos and Dan Seals Stake Out Their Positions in IL-10; But Who Can Forget Dan Seals and "The Side of Peace"

  The Chicago Tribune's Clout Street blog has an in-depth look at the two top contenders for the Dem nomination for IL-10 to succeed Congressman Mark Kirk, who is running for U.S. Senate.
  
  On the one hand, we have perennial candidate Dan Seals, who is now in his fifth [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 04, 2009, 6:50am EST
  

• Bob Dold States He's Against Transfer of Terror Suspects to Thomson Prison

  Contrary to a Chicago Tribune report that 10th Congressional candidate Robert "Bob" Dold had split with the viewpoint of Congressman Mark Kirk and did not oppose the White House plan (supported by Governor Pat Quinn and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin) to ship former Guantanamo Bay terrorist suspects to the [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 03, 2009, 2:33pm EST
  

• Alexi Giannoulias Sticks With Obama's Troop Surge Plan: A Down Payment On An Endorsement?

  As we noted a few days ago, the presumed front-runner for the Dem nomination for U.S. Senate, current State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, has a problem coming up in his rear-view mirror, and his name is David Hoffman, former Asst. U.S. Attorney and recent Chicago Inspector General.
  
  Just like [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 03, 2009, 6:49am EST
  

• Dick Green Spends Some (Green) in IL-10 Cable Ad Buy

  CQ Politics is reporting that 10th Congressional District GOP hopeful Dick Green is going up on cable TV with a campaign ad, the first Republican of the race to do so. CQ reports that Green will spend $100,000 over three weeks on the ad.
  
  As we previously reported, [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 02, 2009, 2:03pm EST
  

• Catching Up With Congressman Mark Kirk and the U.S. Senate Race

  I spoke with the Kirk for Senate campaign in the past couple of days and they remain highly confident that Congressman Kirk will win the primary to battle the Dem nominee, who still looks like it will be Alexi Giannoulias, but prosecutor David Hoffman does look like he's coming up [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 02, 2009, 6:49am EST
  

• Bird Overdone in IL-10 and Other Thanksgiving Stories

  I hope everyone had a truly wonderful Thanksgiving holiday - TA took some time off from politics, but is better for it and is ready to dive in for a rockin' and rollin' primary race, and then on to the general.
  
  There's been some interesting developments here and there [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 28, 2009, 3:49pm EST
  

• No Clear Front-Runner for GOP Nominees for Governor and Lt. Governor

  We haven't talked a lot here about the GOP primary for governor and Lt. governor, mostly because we tend to focus on local Lake County or 10th District issues, or races with a local connection, like the U.S. Senate race, where 10th District Congressman Mark Kirk is considered the front-runner' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 23, 2009, 7:29am EST
  

• Memo to Patricia Bird: IL-10 Race Not a School Board Election

  Russell Lissau of the Daily Herald had a pretty in-depth article on GOP hopeful Patricia Bird, who is running for the Republican nomination to replace outgoing Congressman Mark Kirk, who is running for U.S. Senate. Bird seems to be a bit of an odd duck (ha ha) based on [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 19, 2009, 12:21pm EST
  

• Dems' Idea of an Economic Boost: Fill the Prisons with Terrorists?

  As you have probably heard by now, the big job creation idea of the week that has is being pushed by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin is to ship around 100 terror suspects from Guantanamo Bay prison to downstate Illinois.
  
  Senate candidate Mark Kirk is strongly opposed to [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 16, 2009, 9:16am EST
  

• Live Blogging NOW at the 10th District Forum

  Okay folks, here we go... starting in a few minutes.
  
  6:30: Intro by Dr. Michael Menis. Welcome to new members and guests, and all 7 candidates.
  
  Bob Dold
  Beth Coulson
  Bill Cadigan
  Dick Green
  Arie Friedman
  Paul Hamann
  Patrica Bird
  
  6:40: Introducing candidates [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 15, 2009, 6:32pm EST
  

• Live Blogging at Tonight's RJC 10th District Forum

  Technology permitting, we'll be live blogging the 10th District forum that begins at 6:30 p.m. tonight (check in begins at 6:00 p.m.) at the Renaissance North Short Hotel (933 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook) which is being sponsored by the Chicago Chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
  [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 15, 2009, 12:07pm EST
  

• Congressman Mark Kirk Delivers Weekly Republican Address

  Mark Kirk landed some good exposure for his U.S. Senate bid by being chosen to give the Republican response to the President's weekly radio address: “In sum, the bill opens a new trillion-dollar entitlement just as our national debt tops $12 trillion. Ignoring the future needs of Social Security and' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 14, 2009, 7:44am EST
  

• Poll Shows Kirk Still Leading Giannoulias 44-38 in General Election Matchup

  Got this yesterday from the Kirk for Senate campaign. Download the poll toplines here.
  
  - Five-term GOP Congressman and Navy veteran Mark Kirk released a new poll today that shows him maintaining a six-point lead over likely general election opponent Alexi Giannoulias.
  
  - In a survey of [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 13, 2009, 7:11am EST
  

• Double Your Fun with Two 10th District Debates This Coming Week

  In addition to the IL-10 GOP forum sponsored by the Chicago chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) at 6:00 p.m. this coming Sunday, Nov. 15th, which we told you about here, the Moraine Township Republicans are hosting a 10th District debate a week from today, Thursday, November 19 [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 12, 2009, 6:41am EST
  

• Veterans Day - No Demand for Acclamation for Our Vets, But No Need to Apologize, Either

  Let's take some time today, whether you're at work or have the day off, to honor America's Veterans, past, present and future. If you don't know the history of Veterans Day, click here for some background.
  
  Just yesterday, I received an e-mail passed along by a friend that [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 11, 2009, 6:32am EST
  

• Who Needs an Election When You Can Knock 'Em Off the Ballot?

  Now that the dust has settled from the deadline to file nominating petitions for elected office here in Illinois, another deadline just passed yesterday - the deadline to file objections to those petitions. Everyone (Dems, Republicans and others) plays the objection game, and there's nothing wrong with calling an opponent' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 10, 2009, 6:53am EST
  

• IL-10 Race Beginning to Pick Up Steam

  Over the weekend, several campaign events for the race to succeed Congressman Mark Kirk showed that the truncated primary season is putting the pressure on candidates to get out there and get their message heard.
  
  I'm sure there was a lot I did not hear about, but I was' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 09, 2009, 7:45am EST
  

• Senate Democrats Promote Conservative Patrick Hughes As They Seek to Drive Wedge Amongst Repulicans

  MSNBC got hold of a memo they claim came from the DSCC that was sent to former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, in a clear attempt to capitalize on the request for support from Palin that was made by Mark Kirk's campaign. Full story here.
  
  The text of' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 05, 2009, 1:15pm EST
  

• Dems In a Panic at Thought of Senator Mark Kirk

  Yesterday, the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza caused a bit of a stir when he published excerpts from a memo that Mark Kirk's senate campaign had sent to Republican leader Fred Malek, asking him to assist with putting the Illinois Senate race on the radar of former Vice-Presidential candidate and [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 05, 2009, 6:40am EST
  

• Local Lessons to Learn from Virginia, New Jersey and NY-23

  Well, it seems like the death of the GOP, as predicted by Obama supporters and Dem operatives, may be a bit premature. In a clear repudiation of the politics of bigger government, massive spending, and the Obama Cult of Personality, voters in Virginia and New Jersey voted to try their [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 04, 2009, 7:18am EST
  

• Kirk and Roskam: Federal Government Must Set a Timetable for Withdrawal from Private Business

  
  
  From Congressmen Mark Kirk and Peter Roskam:
  
  
  
  
  
  Federal Government Must Set a Timetable for Withdrawal from Private Business
  
  Treasury provided $217 billion for ownership and loans to 8 major corporations;
  GM, AIG and Citigroup alone cost taxpayers more than [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 03, 2009, 11:10am EST
  

• The Smoke Clears In Wake of Petition Filings... Now Off to the Primaries

  Well, now that the excitement of the filing deadline for nomination petitions is in the rear view mirrors, let's look at the couple of races we've been covering to see exactly what happened.
  
  In the U.S. Senate race, we had a bit of a surprise with conservative candidate Pat [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 03, 2009, 6:36am EST
  

• Latest U.S. Senate Race Filings in Illinois

  There are some recent candidate filings in the race for U.S. Senate in Illinois to report. Pat Hughes, a conservative candidate for the GOP nomination, filed this morning, although he had stated that he was planning to wait until the last minute to file to try to get the last [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 02, 2009, 12:23pm EST
  

• Happy Halloween, Democrats.

  We'll be back to our regular programming tomorrow.
  
  
  
  
  
  Thanks to fugly.com for the pic.' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 31, 2009, 6:22pm EDT
  

• Republican Jewish Coalition Hosts 10th District Campaign Forum on November 15th

  (TA Note- We've bumped this post back up to continue our discussion on IL-10 since Halloween is now over. Hope you didn't eat too much candy!)
  
  Early in the campaign season, my friend Dr. Michael Menis, who heads the Chicago chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition, called to [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 31, 2009, 1:48pm EDT
  

• Mark Kirk Crushes Competition in Milton Township Straw Poll

  At the big Milton Township (DuPage County, for anyone who doesn't know where that is) dinner event tonight, Congressman Mark Kirk handily won the straw poll.
  
  From Illinois Review, which liveblogged the event, here are the results:
  
  US Senate #
  Kirk -- 224
  Arrington -- 3
  Hughes' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 30, 2009, 9:54pm EDT
  

• Pat Hughes Needs the Primary Ballot Process Explained to Him, or a Math Lesson (UPDATED)

  I wasn't planning to keep piling on rookie U.S. Senate candidate Pat Hughes (at least not today), but he doesn't appear to understand the primary election process, among other things, or is just really bad at math.
  
  Today over at Illinois Review Pat Hughes denies that he did [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 30, 2009, 1:37pm EDT
  

• Multiple Choice Quiz: A 'Show of Strength' Is A) Having Enough Petition Signatures or B) Not Having Enough Petition Signatures

  My old friend attorney Pat Hughes is running for U.S. Senate, and while I wish him well in his life, I can't say very much for how he's run his first political campaign, especially in comparison to the fearsome campaign machine that's been assembled by 10th District Congressman Mark Kirk.[...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 30, 2009, 6:48am EDT
  

• Who Will Replace Kathy Ryg? Recent Filings in 59th Legislative District Indicate a Hot Race; Dan Sugrue Endorsed

  It looks like the race to replace recently retired State Representative Kathy Ryg in the 59th Legislative District may be a hot contest for both Republicans and Democrats. Although only two candidates, appointed incumbent Democrat Carol Sente of Vernon Hills, a businesswoman, and Republican Dan Sugrue, an attorney from Green [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 29, 2009, 6:36am EDT
  

• NRCC Adds IL-10 Hopefuls Coulson, Dold and Green to its "Young Guns" Program

  The Hill notes today that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has added three contenders for Congressman Mark Kirk's seat (he's running for U.S. Senate, just in case you missed it) to its "Young Guns" program: State Rep. Elizabeth Coulson, and businessmen Bob Dold [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 27, 2009, 10:33pm EDT
  

• State Senator Michael Bond Fundraiser Abruptly Canceled Due to Ethics Concerns

  Greg Hinz at Crain's has a great scoop on why a State Senator Michael Bond fundraiser featuring the Illinois Transportation Secretary, Gary Hannig, was abruptly canceled. More at Capitol Fax Blog.
  
  This isn't the first time Bond has tried to leverage his state legislative clout over road-related [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 27, 2009, 1:33pm EDT
  

• Who's Missing from First-in-Line Filers Today?

  Well, now that the dust has settled, we can take stock of those candidates whom we had heard for weeks, if not months, that they were serious about campaigning, and that they alone had the winning formula, but for some reason didn't show up today in Springfield to be in' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 26, 2009, 8:48pm EDT
  

• Mark Kirk Files for U.S. Senate with Maximum Number of Signatures; Update on Other Candidates to Come

  I have been getting reports from the scene in Springfield at the State Board of Elections that the line for 8:00 a.m. filers has not yet been completely processed, so although the SBE has a continuously refreshing list of filers up on its website, we won't know which candidates' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 26, 2009, 10:48am EDT
  

• Let's Get Back to Business and Look at Alexi's Ethics

  Now that we pretty much took care of the main GOP primary competition, it's time to begin focusing on the general election for U.S. Senate. Until proven otherwise, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is the guy to beat, and the State GOP has already turned their gunsights on him in' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 25, 2009, 9:05pm EDT
  

• Mike Ditka Endorsement Flap Leaves U.S. Senate Candidate Pat Hughes With a Black Eye

  As we reported in detail beginning Thursday, conservative U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Hughes served himself up a whole mess of trouble by touting what he claimed he understood to be an endorsement by legendary Chicago Bears player and coach Mike Ditka, only to find that Ditka did not back [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 24, 2009, 7:47am EDT
  

• Mike Ditka Denies Official Endorsement of U.S. Senate Candidate Patrick Hughes

  U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Hughes, a staunch conservative running for the GOP nomination in a rather crowded Republican primary field, which includes presumptive front-runner 10th District Congressman Mark Kirk, recently made headlines with the announcement that legendary former Chicago Bears coach "Iron" Mike Ditka had endorsed his candidacy.
  
  Hughes [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 22, 2009, 6:00am EDT
  

• New Rasmussen Poll Shows Dead Heat Between Mark Kirk and Alexi Giannoulias in U.S. Senate Race

  Scott Rasmussen has released a new poll showing a dead heat, 41%-41% between presumptive GOP nominee Congressman Mark Kirk and the Dem assumed top dog, State Tresurer Alexi Giannoulis.
  
  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state finds Republican hopeful Mark Kirk tied with Democratic State Treasurer [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 19, 2009, 3:10pm EDT
  

• Monday Morning Potpourri: Cadigan, Hughes

  Winnetka Attorney Bill Cadigan may have lagged a little in the Q3 fundraising race among 10th District candidates, but he continues to push his endorsements as one focus point of his campaign to succeed outgoing 10th District Congressman Mark Kirk. Recently, Cadigan posted a YouTube video featuring former State [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 19, 2009, 6:57am EDT
  

• Dan Seals Crushed By Julie Hamos Fundraising Effort; Seals Raises Only $303,000

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Oh. My. Word.
  
  No wonder Dan Seals waited until the last possible minute to file his Q3 report. According to FEC.gov, he raised only $303,391 in Q3 to Julie [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 15, 2009, 8:31pm EDT
  

• Cadigan On Low End of IL-10 Fundraising Race

  Things are a bit crazy today but I wanted to let everyone know that GOP 10th District hopeful attorney Bill Cadgian has reported in for Q3 with about $37,000 raised from contributions and a $5,000 loan from himself. He has around $31,000 in the bank, which is close to [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 15, 2009, 1:35pm EDT
  

• IL-10 Q3 Results Begin to Come In; Dem Attorney Elliot Richardson Lags Behind at Under $60K Raised

  Today is the Q3 filing deadline, which is when we find out just how bad the candidates who have not yet revealed their fundraising figures for the quarter really did.
  
  On the one hand, sometimes it's better to get out in front of the story if you have bad' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 15, 2009, 6:48am EDT
  

• Waiting for Q3 Results to Come In; Plus, Kirk for Senate Website Gets a Facelift

  Well, as of tomorrow, October 15, certain candidates like Dan Seals will no longer be able to hide their dismal fundraising results from public scrutiny.
  
  I'm just guessing, but it can't be good for the pup if Julie Hamos raised $545,000 and Dan hasn't claimed anything. Does he think' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 14, 2009, 11:53am EDT
  

• State Rep. Beth Coulson Offers Sneak Peek at Her Q3 Fundraising in IL-10 Race; Q3 Filing Deadline Looms

  At last evening’s Libertyville Township Republicans regular monthly meeting at Lake Country Republican Headquarters, State Representative Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) came to introduce herself and talk about her campaign to succeed five-term Congressman Mark Kirk, who is running for U.S. Senate. Coulson currently represents the 17th State [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 13, 2009, 9:05am EDT
  

• Kirk Polls Shows Good Lead Over Giannoulias

  In a blue state like Illinois, this wasn't supposed to happen. But things are looking good for Congressman Mark Kirk, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Blagojevich appointee Roland Burris.
  
  The Hill reports that the Kirk campaign conducted a set of automated polls' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 13, 2009, 7:12am EDT
  

• Attorney Bill Cadigan Leverages Endorsements for IL-10 Race; Deerfield Police Chief Pat Anderson Comes Out for Cadigan

  Republican 10th District Congressional Candidate and Winnetka attorney Bill Cadigan was out over the past few days working the grassroots, including the Deerfield train station, where he was making the rounds with Deerfield police chief Pat Anderson. Anderson endorsed Cadigan after a brief time considering making a run of his [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 12, 2009, 7:12am EDT
  

• Congressman Mark Kirk Says Baucus Health Care Bill Would Hurt Seniors

  From the IL GOP website:
  
  According to the latest CBO score, the Senate Finance Bill has a total cost of $829 billion over 10 years, imposes $424 billion in new taxes and fees over the first 10 years and has over $400 billion in Medicare cuts.
  
  MEDICARE [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 08, 2009, 2:06pm EDT
  

• Mark Kirk Q3 Fundraising Tops Giannoulias; Looking Ahead to the General

  It's clearly way too early to look ahead to the November 2010 general election for U.S. Senate here in Illinois, but given the Q3 fundraising results claimed by the two front-runner candidates, GOP contender Congressman Mark Kirk ($1.6 million), and Democrat State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias ($1.1 million), it's sure [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 06, 2009, 4:15pm EDT
  

• 100,000 Hits

  
  For whatever reason, the 100,000 hit benchmark seems important for blogs, so I figured we'd take note of it. I'm pleased to let everyone know that we passed the 100,000 hit mark around 2:30 p.m. this afternoon, put over the top by all the news [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 05, 2009, 3:36pm EDT
  

• Q3 Report: Bob Dold Raises Over $250,000 In IL-10

  Team America has learned that 10th Congressional District hopeful Bob Dold has raised over $250,000 in his first quarter of fundraising as a candidate for the GOP nomination to success Congressman Mark Kirk.
  
  Significantly, Dold has only been at the game for roughly a month since he officially announced [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 05, 2009, 9:41am EDT
  

• Q3 Report: GOP U.S. Senate Candidate Mark Kirk Raises $1.6 Million in Q3 Fundraising Effort

  Team America has the word that the Kirk for Senate campaign raised over $1.6 million in Q3 fundraising.
  
  While Kirk is clearly not going to take his eyes off the primary race, everyone knows that the real battleground will be the general election battle against the eventual Dem nominee; [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 05, 2009, 9:06am EDT
  

• Sneak Peeks at Q3 Numbers; Dan Seals Promotes Unauthorized and Outdated Endorsements

  Later this morning, we expect to have sneak peeks at a few Q3 fundraising numbers from a couple of the major campaigns in the U.S. Senate and 10th District races, so keep checking back here this morning for updates.
  
  Meanwhile, a story regarding Dem 10th District perennial candidate Dan [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 05, 2009, 6:29am EDT
  

• Barack Obama No Tony Blair As Chicago Loses in First Round of Olympic Voting (UPDATED)

  Well, it looks like the magic may have officially left Camelot. After putting their personal and political reputations on the line, Mr. & Mrs. Obama failed to do what former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was able to do: bring home the Olympics.
  
  I dunno, maybe despite how much [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 02, 2009, 12:05pm EDT
  

• Note to Illinois U.S. Senate Candidates: Show Us The Money!

  Yesterday at midnight was the Q3 fundraising deadline for the Illinois race for U.S. Senate. Over the next 15 days, we will see where the various contenders are in the quest for campaign cash.
  
  Congressman Mark Kirk has predicted that this will be a $20 million ante to carry [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 01, 2009, 11:04am EDT
  

• Lake County Coroner Richard Keller Warns of Zombies

  Lake County Coroner Richard Keller, M.D., who is under investigation by the Lake County State's Attorney for his involvement with a death attributed to an overdose at a private methadone clinic for which Keller used to be the medical director, took time out from his job to warn [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 30, 2009, 9:04pm EDT
  

• Mark Kirk Health Care Townhall Looks At Reform Alternatives

  A popular line of argument among Democrats lately is that if you're not for ObamaCare, you must be against reform.
  
  Hogwash.
  Just because we're not interested in the public option, single-payer concept, fines for non-participation, or other ill-conceived aspects of the Democrats' preferred health' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 30, 2009, 6:56am EDT
  

• Kirk and Roskam Team Up Against ACORN and SEIU

  Got this press release this evening. Watch video of Congressmen Kirk and Roskam here. The Sun-Times covers the story here.
  
  Here's the graphic that illustrates the relationship between ACORN and SEIU:
  
  
  Kirk, Roskam Urge Census Bureau to Reconsider
  Using ACORN Sister Organization [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 28, 2009, 8:42pm EDT
  

• Ant Simonian Retires; Bill Cadigan Nabs Endorsements from Steve Rauschenberger, Patrick Collins, In 10th District Announcement

  There was certainly a lot going on this weekend, and I have to say that I really felt some energy among the local GOP that seems to have been lacking for some time. Maybe this is a sign of better times ahead.
  
  Lake County Republican Federation: First, the Lake [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 28, 2009, 6:47am EDT
  

• 8th Congressional candidate Maria Rodriguez to host a Town Hall meeting

  Here's some news from the campaign of Maria Rodriguez:
  
  LAKE COUNTY, IL - Maria Rodriguez, candidate for the 8th Congressional District will host a Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, Sept. 26th at 1600 Milwaukee Ave, (Rt. 83) in Lake Villa at Noon. State Senator Dan Duffy(R-26) will join [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 25, 2009, 12:29pm EDT
  

• Winnetka Attorney Bill Cadigan to Officially Announce for 10th Congressional District

  Team America has learned that Winnetka attorney Bill Cadigan, whom we previously profiled here as a potential candidate to seek the GOP nomination for Mark Kirk's congressional seat representing the 10th congressional district, has decided to officially jump into the race.
  
  Cadigan will officially [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 23, 2009, 8:55am EDT
  

• Fundraising Key For Illinois U.S. Senate Race; Q3 Reports Will Be Critical

  This week, a number of blogs and news articles have revisited the issue of Congressman Mark Kirk's vote over the Cap and Trade bill and wondered whether Kirk's vote will hurt him with conservatives. I think there must have been a lull in the health care debate, since this issue [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 19, 2009, 9:55am EDT
  

• Dan Sugrue Fundraises in the 59th District; Lisa Stone's Future Clouded by Proposed Recall Amendment in Buffalo Grove

  Last night I attended GOP candidate Dan Sugrue's first fundraiser at Opa! in Vernon Hills. It was a good crowd for a Thursday, and Sugrue made it clear that his campaign was going to be a run against Springfield and the Democrats' culture of corruption. Frankly,' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 18, 2009, 6:49am EDT
  

• Lake County Coroner Richard Keller Mum on State Report Detailing Green Dragonfly Meth Clinic Violations

  In the latest development of a story we've been following with great interest, the Tribune reports today that Department of Human Services' Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse cited 43 violations during a July 21-23 inspection of the Green Dragonfly Methadone Clinic in Waukegan, while Dr. Richard Keller, [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 17, 2009, 7:07am EDT
  

• Dan Seals' New Media Strategist Sensitive About Humans vs. Zombies Criticism

  We noted earlier this week that Dan Seals got himself a new New Media director who likes to play a game called Humans vs. Zombies. Max Temkin, the young man in question, is apparently rather sensitive to this topic and responds to Team America on his blog:
  
  [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 16, 2009, 11:01am EDT
  

• Aaron Lawlor Passes on 59th District Race; Will Concentrate on Lake County Board and Support Dan Sugrue

  Turns out that statements from several quarters (including Lake County GOP Chairman Dan Venturi) that new County Board member Aaron Lawlor was going to jump into the 59th District race to replace retiring State Rep. Kathy Ryg, were a bit premature. TA learned today that Lawlor has decided [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 15, 2009, 1:09pm EDT
  

• Would Alexi Have Voted to Defund ACORN?

  Someone needs to ask Alexi Giannoulias, Democratic U.S. Senate wanna-be, as well as fellow Dem contenders Cheryle Jackson and David Hoffman, whether they would have voted to defund ACORN, or if they would have followed the lead of current Illinois senators Dick Durbin and Roland Burris.
  [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 15, 2009, 11:04pm EDT
  

• It's Election Season... That Must Mean That Dan Seals Starts Doing Community Projects

  As we've noted often here at Team America, two-time loser and perennial candidate for the 10th District, Dan Seals, doesn't seem to have much on his resume, especially in the area of community service and involvement.
  
  We've never heard about him being involved with his' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 13, 2009, 7:32pm EDT
  

• Blond Ambition: New Lake County Board Member Aaron Lawlor to Run for 59th Legislative District

  In a rather startling development, Team America hears from several reliable sources that newly-minted Lake County Board Member Aaron Lawlor is going to run for the GOP nomination for the 59th Legislative District, which is the seat recently vacated by former State Rep. Kathy Ryg. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 12, 2009, 9:09pm EDT
  

• Long Grove Mayor Maria Rodriguez to Jump in 8th District Race

  Maria Rodriguez (50), Long Grove Village President, will announce tomorrow that she will seek the GOP nomination for the 8th Congressional District, which is currently occupied by Democrat Melissa Bean. The announcement will be at 12:30 p.m. near the corner of 45 and Park Street in Mundelein, at the old [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 09, 2009, 1:12pm EDT
  

• Bob Dold Gears up For 10th District Race

  In the latest (but not last?) of our profiles on GOP 10th Congressional District candidates, we offer some info on businessman Robert "Bob" Dold, a lifelong 10th District resident and family man. I finally caught up with Dold for coffee this morning and got to hear [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 08, 2009, 10:05pm EDT
  

• Weekend Update: Meth Clinc/Keller; IL-10: Hamos, Seals; IL Senate: Kirk, Hughes, Martin; and a Picnic!

  Happy Labor Day weekend everyone! Get offline (as soon as you read this) and go out and enjoy. It'll be 10 degrees below zero before we know it...
  
  
  DEA Finishes Probe of Green Dragonfly Meth Clinic: The News-Sun reports today that the Drug Enforcement Administration has completed' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 05, 2009, 8:13am EDT
  

• Lineup in 59th District Continues to Evolve; Might Lisa Stone Run as a Dem or Republican?

  As we first reported here a bit ago, several fresh faces are being attacted to the upcoming race for the 59th Legislative District, now that State Rep. Kathy Ryg has announced she's moving on. One of those faces we mentioned was Buffalo Grove Trustee Lisa Stone. Though I' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 04, 2009, 6:42am EDT
  

• Meth Clinic Owner: Lake County Coroner Richard Keller "Dropped The Ball"; Keller Was Paid $70,000/yr As Clinic Director Says News-Sun

  As we anticipated a short while ago, the operators of the now-closed private methadone clinic, the "Green Dragonfly," which is under investigation for its involvement in the death of Lindenhurst resident Steven Vaughn from a drug overdose, has thrown their former medical director, Lake County Coroner Richard Keller, under [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 02, 2009, 6:45am EDT
  

• McCain's Backing for Mark Kirk Sets Endorsement Standard for U.S. Senate Race

  By rolling out an early prime endorsement by U.S. Senator John McCain, Congressman Mark Kirk sets the bar pretty high for contenders in either party to make a splash with future endorsements.
  
  McCain, if you recall, was the GOP nominee for president in 2008, but perhaps of more relevance [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 31, 2009, 6:25am EDT
  

• Weekend Update: Kirk/McCain; Hamos; Coulson's Seat

  Not all that much going politically on this weekend, as I contemplate one of my last sailboat races scheduled for today with 5-7 ft. waves forecasted. Yikes!
  
  Here's what I have:
  
  McCain Returns the Favor to Kirk: Senator and former GOP presidential nominee John McCain is coming [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 29, 2009, 8:25am EDT
  

• IL Senate Race Continues to Develop with Addition of David Hoffman; Other Stories

  It's a busy morning, so for now we will note that a potentially huge development occurred yesterday when Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman announced that he was entering the race for U.S. Senate as a Democrat. Rooting out corruption in Chicago is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel,' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 27, 2009, 7:24am EDT
  

• Green Dragonfly Meth Clinic Debacle May Yet Sting Lake County Coroner Richard Keller

  In the latest development of Dr. Richard Keller's involvement with the private Green Dragonfly methadone clinic in Waukegan, the clinic announced that it will voluntarily close... that is, before the heat gets to be too much, apparently.
  
  The clinic, and Keller himself, are under investigation for their [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 26, 2009, 9:00am EDT
  

• Congressman Mark Kirk Gains Momentum and Exposure From Health Care Town Hall; Plus Senate and IL-10 Races

  I didn't go to Mark Kirk's townhall myself yesterday, but from what I could see on the evening news, and what I've assembled in the print media reports, it seemed that our Congressman pulled off quite a media coup in the middle of a tough situation.
  
  While many of' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 25, 2009, 6:27am EDT
  

• Much Intrigue Behind the Scenes in the 59th District: Will Mark Peterson, Lisa Stone, or Others Step Up?; Plus U.S. Senate Update

  In the wake of the recent announcement by popular State Representative Kathy Ryg that she would resign to take the job of President of Voices for Illinois Children, potential candidates on both sides of the aisle started making moves, some behind the scenes and some a bit more public.
  [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 22, 2009, 8:21am EDT
  

• GOP Field Begins to Thin for IL-10 in Wake of Beth Coulson Announcement: Renee Thaler Is Out

  It appears that the unofficial announcement of State Rep. Beth Coulson for Mark Kirk's 10th Congressional District spot is already starting to thin the GOP primary field somewhat.
  
  Renee Thaler, a former Edgar administration office whom we profiled here, told Team America this afternoon that she has [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 19, 2009, 4:47pm EDT
  

• National Attention to Beth Coulson Announcement Bodes Well for GOP Chances in IL-10 Race

  Anyone who may have thought the Democrats were going to easily swoop in and claim the IL-10 congressional seat from the GOP without a fight after Mark Kirk joins the U.S. Senate must've been sorely disappointed yesterday with the unofficial announcement yesterday by State Representative Beth Coulson that she was' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 19, 2009, 6:58am EDT
  

• State Representative Beth Coulson Ready to Dive Into IL-10 Race

  At last night's Lake County Republican Central Committee meeting, State Representative Beth Coulson told the assembled crowd that she's in for the 10th District race to succeed outgoing Congressman Mark Kirk. As we noted a few weeks ago, Coulson has been mulling jumping into the [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 18, 2009, 9:15am EDT
  

• Terry Link Announces for Guv Lite

  After floating this balloon (and one for 10th Congressional district) for a few weeks, State Senator and Lake County Chairman Terry "Vote the Graveyard" Link has declared his intent to run for Lt. Governor.
  
  On one hand, the Lt. Guv position is pretty [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 18, 2009, 6:33am EDT
  

• Dr. Richard Keller Resigns From Green Dragonfly Meth Clinic; Is Resignation As Coroner Not Far Behind?

  My, today is busy politically. Apparently, Dr. Richard Keller is resigning from his position as medical director of the Green Dragonfly Methadone clinic. Background here.
  
  Is Dr. Death's resignation as coroner not far behind?
  
  UPDATED: 8:55 p.m.: Here's a News-Sun story on the Keller clinic [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 17, 2009, 3:52pm EDT
  

• Rasmussen has Kirk Ahead in U.S. Senate Match-ups

  We'll talk about this more later, as I'm in the middle of the workday, but Scott Rasmussen has Kirk leading both Alexi Giannoulias (41-38) and Cheryle Jackson (47-30) in the race for U.S. Senate. A few other interesting factoids are Alexi's higher total unfavorables compared to Kirk's (33-28), and [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 17, 2009, 2:11pm EDT
  

• State Rep. Kathy Ryg Leaving 59th District (UPDATED)

  State Representative Kathy Ryg will resign her position in the General Assembly to take the position of President of Voices for Illinois Children. Here's the official press release off the organization's website.
  
  That gives GOP front-runner Dan Sugrue quite a boost, but it may also open the [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 17, 2009, 11:04am EDT
  

• Richard Keller Methadone Clinic Scandal Attracts MSM Attention; Was a Cover-up Involved?

  The investigation of Dr. Richard Keller, the Democratic Lake County Coroner, for alleged misconduct with relation to a death of an individual who was given methadone at a Waukegan clinic by Keller, which death Keller then investigated as coroner, is attracting more scrutiny in the main stream media. Today, [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 16, 2009, 8:13am EDT
  

• Attorney Dan Sugrue Back for Another Try at 59th District Against Kathy Ryg

  My friend Dan Sugrue, a bright young(er) attorney from Green Oaks, is back again for the 2010 election cycle against entrenched Democratic politician Kathy Ryg for the battle for the 59th legislative district, having unsuccessfully challenged her in 2008.
  
  Sugrue ran a spirited campaign with [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 15, 2009, 8:17am EDT
  

• Will "Teflon" Terry Link Escape Serious Tarnish in Wake of Petition Scandal?

  Yesterday, the saga of State Senator Terry Link's forged nomination petitions appears to have drawn to a fairly quiet close with the second indicted campaign worker, Jerry Knight, pleading guilty to perjury charges and being sentenced to probation for forging the signatures of registered voters' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 14, 2009, 6:52am EDT
  

• Congressman Mark Kirk to Take Leading Role In GOP Alternative to ObamaCare

  As we reported some time ago, 10th District Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk will take a leading role in crafting and presenting the GOP alternative to the Democrats' radical re-working of the healthcare system.
  
  A significant article in Roll Call outlined Kirk's involvement (usually Roll [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 12, 2009, 2:07pm EDT
  

• Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran Announces for Re-Election as a Republican; Bill Cadigan Scores CQ Article

  While most eyes have been on the U.S. Senate and 10th District races, there is a lot more fun to be had this coming election cycle. One race not to be missed will be the re-election bid of Sheriff Mark Curran, who switched parties from Democrat to Republican in [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 11, 2009, 6:43am EDT
  

• Schakowsky Endorses Hamos (UPDATED); Mark Kirk on Downstate Tour; Keller Grudglingly Admits Investigation Caused Him Not to Seek Re-election

  Light blogging today, so let's contemplate last Friday's endorsement from ultra-liberal Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of candidate State Rep. Julie Hamos to be the Democratic nominee to take on whichever GOP candidate emerges from the wide field to try to replace outgoing Congressman Mark Kirk. Video here, if you can [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 10, 2009, 8:09am EDT
  

• Lake County Coroner Richard Keller Under Investigation

  Well, that vacation idea didn't last long. Reader Jim Moran led me to this Tribune article about Lake County Coroner Richard Keller being under investigation for a recent death due to a drug prescribed by Keller, who then subsequently investigated the death:
  
  The' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 06, 2009, 7:46am EDT
  

• On Vacation Without an Intern...

  TA is on vacation at an undislosed location. Unlike Rich Miller at Capitol Fax Blog, I don't have an intern to cover for me, so use this post as an open thread to talk about whatever y'all like... Kirk for Senate, the 10th District race (please [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 06, 2009, 7:37am EDT
  

• Excitement Builds in IL-10 Race With Possible Addition of Former Edgar Administration Official Renee Thaler

  Well, if you didn't like Beth Coulson, Jim Koch, Dick Green or Bill Cadigan, it appears that GOP voters in the 10th District may have another choice soon, as former Edgar administration official Renee Thaler is considering throwing her hat into the ring for the chance' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 03, 2009, 10:36pm EDT
  

• Weekend Update: Cadigan, Bond, Tweets, Tenth

  Cadigan and Collins: Health care attorney Bill Cadigan, who is a former John Porter staffer and who may jump into the IL-10 race on the GOP side, may have snagged an endorsement from prosecutor Patrick Collins, reports the Daily Herald.
  
  Bond and Schmidt: As we reported yesterday, Michael [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 01, 2009, 8:23am EDT
  

• Michael Bond Gives Up on IL-10, But Returns to 31st Senate Race to Face Suzi Schmidt (UPDATED)

  Capitol Fax Blog is reporting that State Senator Michael Bond will give up on the 10th District Congressional race and run for re-election in the 31st Senate District. We always suspected that Bond was hedging his bets a bit. Wonder if Laura Tomsky will drop out.
  
  Since [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 31, 2009, 3:17pm EDT
  

• Senate Candidate Mark Kirk Begins Statewide Tour

  I was wondering when Congressman Mark Kirk was going to head south of I-80 with his campaign for U.S. Senate, and it looks like I didn't have to wait too long. Kirk announced a statewide tour to begin this Saturday, but I don't have [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 31, 2009, 6:53am EDT