http://capitolfaxcom.disqus.com/NoneenFri, 25 Sep 2009 06:46:21 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253746<p>Ha, well, looks like you're going to get a liberal Senator Kirk. Why demand two of them?</p>Red &amp; GreenFri, 25 Sep 2009 06:46:21 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253745<p>While I agree that there has been no endorsement, I wonder whether Tom Roeser's scoop has something to do with the "GOP suit to prevent Paul Kirk from taking office".</p><p>Some goof on Twitter can't get his Kirks straight and just posted a comment claiming that the GOP are trying to stop Mark Kirk. Ya. NOT.</p>AnonymousFri, 25 Sep 2009 03:24:50 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253743<p>Mckenna hired most of his staff from the state party, well except for one who is now Matt Murphy's Campaign Manager, hmm. They all did nothing while running the IL GOP, I do not expect much more than TV ads and a fancy website when they run his Gubernatorial campaign. I wonder if Mckenna feels like Gidwitz at this point, with a bunch of hanger ons that need a job using him for a paycheck.</p>AnonymousThu, 24 Sep 2009 20:26:21 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253742<p>-This little comment spurt looks planned to my eyes-</p><p>I agree Rich... McKenna staff on the clock. Too bad their product doesn't live up to the hype.</p>curtisThu, 24 Sep 2009 20:13:54 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253741<p>I've been reading Cap Fax all day. I was trying not to opine, but some of you really take the cake! I agree that Andy McKenna is a nice guy, but to hold up Roskam, Kirk and Shock as his succeses is a bit much don't you think? It's not as if he masterminded those wins personally. Besides, the state is blue. What happened? I'm not trying to suggest that McKenna could make the state purple all by himself, but c'mon. The state IS blue. Holding up three U.S. congressional seats ain't really sayin' a whole heckuva lot. Just sayin.'</p><p>I don't really know what McKenna is hoping to approve or accomplish, but he won't be strong enough in a general election against Quinn or Hynes. He won't. We need someone with solid and established Springfield cred. Really WE do! Neither Quinn nor Hynes have any legislative experience and we see how that hurt Quinn. He tried to play hardball and failed. Hynes would get no legilsative love either if he similarly tried to play hardball, but I'm guessing that he wouldn't make the mistakes that Quinn did. But the point is WE don't need someone in the Governor's office trying to learn on the job ala Quinn.</p><p>And as for Matt it came to me one Sunday night that I should run for governor Murphy</p><p>Need I say more? Really, need I say more?</p>Okay Then...Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:05:54 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253740<p>Andy McKenna did an amazing job as Chair in the worst time to be a republican in years. All republicans lost seats across the US. McKenna did a great job in trying to keep and gain seats here. Like Roskam, Kirk, and Shock!</p>SebastianThu, 24 Sep 2009 19:27:24 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253739<p>McKenna is a joke.</p><p>Andy McKenna "lost" $4 million in 2004.</p><p>Andy McKenna was named GOP Chairman.</p><p>Illinois lost congressional seats.<br>Illinois lost state senate seats.<br>Illinois lost state house seats.</p><p>Andy McKenna wants to spend millions to buy the Gvernor's office...</p><p>PRICELESS!</p>4 percentThu, 24 Sep 2009 19:13:02 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253738<p>This is a victory for Hughes because it tells people he's running. Up to now, he's been below the radar.</p>T.J.Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:08:46 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253737<p>--Also, Mckenna investigated elections across the state.--</p><p>Huh? What did he find out?</p>wordslingerThu, 24 Sep 2009 19:02:55 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253736<p>As Chair McKenna raised 16 million as state party chairman during roughest years of the party...party successes include:Mark Kirk re-elections and Peter Roskam election</p><p>Also, Mckenna investigated elections across the state.</p><p>During tough times McKenna came through. I look forward to what he can do for Illinois</p>IllinifanThu, 24 Sep 2009 18:57:31 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253735<p>McKenna-So the machine that let Blago win last time has decided there candidate this time Dillard can't beat Brady so they now want to stick in McKenna. <br>What did McKenna do as Chairman not a bad guy but not really a great chairman? The democrats have been in a tailspin which is the only thing that has given the republican an opportunity to win the governor office. To bad there is a group of people that would want to take a chance we are going to replay the last election and end up with the joke of a state government we have now.</p>DnstatanonThu, 24 Sep 2009 18:17:24 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253734<p>I'm going back to the posts by John Bambanek and fedup dem before 2:00 on the impact to Schock's district. fedup dem has one suggestion that would change things at federal level. There also is the likelihood that creating a district that took Peoria into a Dem-friendly district will leave another central Ill district available to Schock. He is free to relocate, or even run from outside a new district.</p>muonThu, 24 Sep 2009 18:16:16 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253733<p>People need to at least acknowledge that from 2002 to 2008, the political environment for Republicans was absolutely TOXIC in our state--AND that those factors were 100% beyond the control of the current and recent IL GOP leadership. McKenna was essentially handed an IL GOP on it's death bed. He stabilized it and put it in a position where we can win in 2010.</p>ABCBoyThu, 24 Sep 2009 17:24:58 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253732<p>2004 was a very different year than 2010....I think McKenna knows this state better than any candidate. lets see what he can do!</p>IllinifanThu, 24 Sep 2009 17:24:04 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253731<p>2004 wasn't a good year for most of our own here in IL. whoever jumps out ahead in the gov race will need a fresh message, and McKenna can do that if he plays his cards right... we'll have to wait and see how he does... but anyone who says he doesn't have a shot just doesn't understand anything about the rest of the field</p>It's Megyn Kelly, stupidThu, 24 Sep 2009 17:23:30 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253730<p>"Tea Baggers" in the context of politics is not a naughty term.</p><p>The protesters are drawing on the tradition of the glorious Boston Tea Party, the first direct smack in the mouth from the colonists to the British Empire. Whatever your message, excellent symbolism.</p><p>They've have used tea bags as props in their communications many times, including tossing them over the White House fence last April.</p><p>Tea bags, in and of themselves, are not offensive.</p><p>Words can have different meanings. Get your mind out of the gutter and check the dictionary.</p>wordslingerThu, 24 Sep 2009 17:16:13 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253728<p>McKenna 2004 = 6%<br>McKenna 2010 = 6%</p><p>Given the performance of the ILGOP over the past few years, I would be surprised to see much more out of McKenna's campaign staff.</p>HoosierDaddyThu, 24 Sep 2009 17:05:08 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253727<p>I'm so sick of this "mass appeal" argument. Do you really want a gov with all the bells and whistles? I just want someone who is serious about the job, has no connection to corruption, and is trustworthy. I know Andy aint perfect, and I'm not sure what'll happen in the coming months, but Andy fits that bill.</p>MembershipOnlyThu, 24 Sep 2009 17:03:25 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253726<p><i>McKenna has mass appeal Vanilla.</i></p><p>I deliberately avoided commenting on this particular posting because I just wish McKenna would just take his money and disappear.</p><p>So, I don't know what you are talking about. I made no earlier comments about this guy.</p><p>His performance over the past several years as the GOP leader is enough proof to consider another candidate. If that was the best Andy could do, then he needs to consider another line of work.</p><p>He has shown no ability to appeal to any mass over the past several years. So you must be going on faith here. More power to ya!</p>VanillaManThu, 24 Sep 2009 16:55:50 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253725<p>Which spurt Rich? Seems like two different ones from opposite angles. Both are correct in some ways, IMHO. McKenna is not popular with some in the GOP, true. The dozen or so people that care about that inside baseball stuff already have their candidate "running" for office. However, 99.9% of the rest of the voting population couldn't care less about it and will decide on McKenna based on a normal campaign, and we'll have to wait and see what he and his staff put together this time around.</p>AnonThu, 24 Sep 2009 16:55:16 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253724<p>I've gotta agree w/ the most recent posters about McKenna. I'm not saying he's the end-all-be-all... I haven't decided who my candidate is yet. But to blame him for the depths of the IL GOP from 2002 through 2008 is simply silly. First we get slammed by the George Ryan scandal. Then the country gets Bush &amp; Iraq War fatigue. Then Illinois is ground-zero for Obama-mania in the 2008 election cycle. All of these things were entirely out of McKenna's control. In fact, he was one of the few who stepped up to the challenge to lead the IL GOP through one of the roughest patches in Illinois history. He raised a boatload of $$ for the state party and didn't make any massive gaffes. He strongly supported Schock and Roskam who are both solid conservatives. I say we should give the guy a chance before jumping down his throat.</p>ABCBoyThu, 24 Sep 2009 16:51:37 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253723<p>This little comment spurt looks planned to my eyes, but whatever. Enjoy.</p>Rich MillerThu, 24 Sep 2009 16:45:16 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253722<p>McKenna has mass appeal Vanilla. Unlike the other candidates who only appeal to the suburbs or "down state."...McKenna is known, recognized, and loved from Cook, to Champaign, to Carbondale!</p>Without Sports All We'd Have tThu, 24 Sep 2009 16:44:54 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253721<p>YES! He knows the inside baseball stuff. that's right! And that's why he's the guy for the job..he's got no connection with the BS of Springfield over the last several years, but all the no-how on how to handle it.</p>MembershipOnlyThu, 24 Sep 2009 16:43:58 -0000http://capitolfax.com/2009/09/24/mckenna-files-steele-withdraws/#comment-18253720<p>I just want a guy who will get stuff done.. if you really wanted a showman in office, than Blago shoulda been your guy...McKenna is a results-oriented guy.. that's what the state will go for</p>wolverine83Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:40:54 -0000