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Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Confused Republican — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:07:09 -0000

Real Clear is exactly correct about Cook and the state. I know, as a former precinct committeeman, that well over 30 % of the pc slots are vacant and the county chairman does vote the open slots. If you want to cast your vote, then jump in. Become a PC. If the slots go empty, then the rubber stamp rules. It is unfortunate, but the way it goes. I certainly would like to vote for state central committeemen rather than letting the rubber stamp have it.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Huh? — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 17:43:35 -0000

"Get over your bitterness"????

Anyone who adopts "wild conspriacy theories" is "clealy insane"????

The Roeser Gang is the bitterest bunch in Illinois politics, anywhere, any party. Wild conspiracy theories are their favorite pastime!

Real Clear is looking like an double-talking fanatic, as usual.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Real Clear — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 16:40:45 -0000

Rick, anyone who argues against a more democratic system the way you do is clearly insane. Your wild conspiracy theories are more evidence.

Get over your bitterness and stop making a fool of yourself.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Outsider — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 16:38:04 -0000

Acutally Beowulf, Cross called for $$hellanders resignation last summer. Lauzen needs to stop running against Cross for Congress and start focusing on Linda Chapa La Via. I know I'm not the only one who thinks Senate Bill 300 is publicity stunt designed to rally the right when Lauzen runs for Congress.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Rick — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 16:12:02 -0000

This bill is another desperate attenpt by Jack Roeser's people to "win" one before Jack moves on.

It is now admitted that this bill would change nothing, so the excuse now is that if 'democracy' was good for Enron stockholders, it should be good enough for the IL GOP. It sure did Enron a lot of good, right?

Well, 'democracy' ain't all it's cracked up to be, whether on the West Bank, Iraq, or Cook County.

I think that's where Roser wants the IL GOP--backrupt, and it's leaders in jail.

This bill is a knee jerk reaction by people of questionable motive who recently tried to defeat GOP candidates.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Real Clear — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 12:19:41 -0000

Lincoln, you ignore some basic facts about the way the GOP's Central Committee is chosen in Illinois.

First of all, by law in Cook County, there ARE NO precinct committeemen with voting rights for the Central Committee. In all of Cook, there are only 80 total Ward and Township Committeemen. Especially in Chicago with the Wards, it's relatively easy for Dems to get these lower spots.

So in Cook - which has a big concentration of the Congressional Districts - Central Committeemen are getting elected with sometimes as few as 3 or 4 "votes," and some of them are Dem votes. It's pretty easy to rig these "elections" from such a small voter pool. There's no accountability to Republicans. Surely everyone can see that by now in the problems the IL GOP has.

And in the downstate Congressional districts, it's almost as bad. The GOP is in such bad shape, 50% and higher vacancy rates for precinct committeemen is not uncommon in many counties.

What's happened is, the County Chairmen just vote these vacant precincts themselves. So just like in Cook, in several cases Central Committeemen are getting "elected" with just the votes of a handful of party bosses. And sometimes a powerful county chairman can just easily snatch a Central Committeeman spot himself or herself, without worrying about any challenger.

Democracy has never been perfect. But there's no excuse for being against it. It's the best thing humans have come up with yet for governing.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Beowulf — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 11:49:49 -0000

My opinion of Tom Cross dropped several notches when he handed SB-600 which Chris Lauzen crafted over to Angelo "Skip" Saviano to "sit on" and let it die a natural death in some dark coat closet down in Springfield. Why wasn't Tom Cross speaking out against Bob Kjellander several years ago like Kass, Lauzen, and Ruschenberger were? Tom Cross "lacked the courage" to speak the truth. He knew who "butters the bread" in the Illinois Republican Central Committee. Rauschenberger found that out when he asked the Illinois Republican Party and Andy McKenna for their support when he decided to run for Governor. Rauschenberger had made the mortal sin of being one of the first to criticize Kjellander for being "ethically challenged". Tom Cross took note of that. Mr. Cross knew that it was politically smart to keep his mouth shut. Now that the tidal wave of indignation that the Illinois GOP voters expressed at the polls on November 7th has caught the attention of Tom Cross, he is squawking like a parrot!

How about an original thought on your part for a change, Tommy? Try real hard to be a free thinker and arrive at conclusions before the crowd does. Show some real courage for a change instead of reading the column by John Kass and then deciding, "Gee, I guess the GOP voters are really upset this time. I had better throw them a bone."

The Illinois Republican Party is "on track" to becoming renamed after one of the nation's oldest extinct political party's, "The Do-Nothing-Party". That name would be a far more appropriate name for the Illinois Republican Party based on what the Illinois GOP has let itself become.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Squideshi — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 17:42:09 -0000

HGP, primary elections can be consolidated into the regular election, using runoff elections, or, even better, by using instant runoff voting. This would save taxpayer money.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

HGP — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 16:36:02 -0000

There should be a runoff primary of the top 2 people so that we avoid a mess like what happened with Topinka. This way we would get a candidate to run who is favored by the majority of the party. Illinois political machines can manipulate the primary and siphon off some of the votes but it would be harder to do if there was a runoff election.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Conservative Republican — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 14:32:41 -0000

I am surprised at Cal Skinner's cynicism. What good did the Illinois Republican State Central Committee ever do?

Well, it may be reaching well into the past, but I do recall one thing: in 1858, probably the second year of its existence, the Illinois Republican State Central Committee published a compendium of excerpts from that year's Illinois Senatorial debates. The debates were the now famous ones between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. These publications helped give Lincoln a national reputation, and were an important prelude to Lincoln's nomination as the first successful Republican candidate for President of the United States. Lincoln's historic presidency, as everyone knows, established the Republican Party as the major party it has remained since 1860. The Illinois Republican State Central Committee can take some credit for that success. If only its successors today could live up to that legacy.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Lincoln — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 12:43:32 -0000

Lets not be blind to the fact that while Edgar was and remains terribly popular, there is a reason he is not running for other office. While I wont speculate on some of the deals that had been investigated (Rich can remind me of what that was) but he still was part of the old guard. Included in this is that his wife has been building a horse barn with Kjellander, which I believe was another Kass column from this last year. Its time for completely new blood. Kirk is one that could appeal to more than conservatives.

With respect to whether party leadership should be elected that doesnt really matter either. Then it becomes who has the most money as with any other race other than the more grass roots election by precinct committeeman. Whoever said in one of the previous posts that if you want change, elect new precinct committeeman was right on.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Squideshi — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 11:07:06 -0000

Angie, despite being administered by the state, a primary election is an INTERNAL function of a political party. This is how a PARTY selects which candidate it will present to the electorate at-large. You don't just vote in a primary election, you vote in a particular PARTY'S primary election; and that's why you must declare a party preference and select only one party's primary ballot. A political party is a private organization, and the state has no right to force a political party to allow non-party members to participate in its internal decision making process. The constitutional right of freedom of association implies the right NOT to associate.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Real Clear — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 01:36:19 -0000

Here's the deal. Surely rank-and-file Republicans deserve at least as much respect as even the shareholders of Enron Corporation received, i.e., the right to directly elect their own senior governing board.

I really think anyone who says "no" on this point, really needs to just say they are whatever comes below a clueless political hack.

Governor Thompson made the Republican Party less democratic than the Democrat Party during his term because he wanted to consolidate GOP Party power with the Republican Governor, i.e., with himself. The change did that, but the new system destroyed accountability in the IL GOP.

This change back to direct elections is a slam dunk. It's an obvious, needed reform. It's not going to change the world, but it's one reform - of many - that are desperately needed.

Hearing some of the old oxen whining about being gored is an excellent sign.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Robert Goellner — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 00:53:00 -0000

Let people vote, specifically Republicans, it can't hurt
Why is Senator James DeLeo holding it up?--isn't he a Democrat? albeit a conservative one.

The Lauzen proposal is good.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Arthur Andersen — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 23:59:28 -0000

Kass may be listening to the wrong people, but that doesn't mean his conclusion is any less valid. C'mon, guys-that column was darn funny, on point, and you know it. "R-Jimmy DeLeo"-is the most polite description of Skippy old AA has heard in a long time.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Jim McGuire — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 23:16:09 -0000

Kjellander and the people who have lead this party down the tubes should resign now. We shouldn't have to wait to change the way we vote for our leaders. I beleive He and the people that have been more concerned about lining their pockets rather then leading the party and this state should be gone.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

NEWGOP — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 21:06:06 -0000

I like Chris Lauzen and what he stands for. Thats a good bill he introduced and Saviano doesn't know what he is saying - forget him. I don't even think that hes that good of a representative.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

NEWGOP — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 21:03:46 -0000

Forgot the same old names - I'm telling you- the Republicans need new blood - we need to think beyond the same old folks. Lets get someone new, blow up this party and start over again with good quality candidates.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

colt 45 — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 19:49:56 -0000

well put steve schnorf. like many fellow republicans, i question roeser's loyalty to anything but himself and his ego. i also question his republican credentials and would like for him to identify the last 10 republicans for whom he voted. ok, how about the last five? and leave primaries alone. i don't want democrats having a say in which republicans our party nominates.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

steve schnorf — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 19:38:00 -0000

I don't think it's fair or accurate to put Rauschenberger and Lauzen in the same category with Jack Roeser. They are both very good lawmakers, even though I sometimes disagree with them.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Angie — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 18:41:17 -0000

Squid, parties are made up of individual citizens who vote. Please. Leave the primaries alone.

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Squideshi — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 17:14:13 -0000

I think that the state should just get out of the business of conducting primary elections for political parties. Political parties are private organizations. Let the parties choose whatever internal method they think best to select their own candidates, and let them foot the bill.

Anyone who doesn't like how decisions are being made within a party is free to join another party or start their own party. The State is violating the constitutional right of freedom of association of political parties by forcing them to accept candidates of which they may not approve and allowing non-party members to participate in their primary election--an internal function!

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

RAI — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 17:00:07 -0000

Kass is the only one who has been proven correct, the "Combine" is the perfect definition of what was happening. I will never forget the Grown column saying "I thought it was wierd that all their people worked for the city but I thought they figured out a way around it" There is the chicago media for you; sitting at Gene and Georgetties with the people they are supposed to be watching!!! That's how one party runs the city for 80 years! The media is in their pocket, and to lazy to do any investigating!

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

T.J. — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 16:46:38 -0000

Put someone in like Rauschenberger or Kirk or Edgar.

Edgar? Why not just cremate the party and put it in an urn?

Re: Kass endorses Lauzen bill

Tony — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 16:26:59 -0000

With Kass now doing the bidding of Rauschenberger, Lauzen and Roeser...it's time to declared Rich Miller as the only columnist worth reading in either of the Chicago newspapers.