Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Bob Churchill Rolls Out Campaign Web Site
Churchill points out that the pro-abortion lobby (Personal PAC, mainly) spent $100,000 to beat him last year. The trial lawyers kicked in $50,000 more.
The point: “…he knows what it is like to be in a hotly contested election.”
He stresses these accomplishments:
The blank places on the issues page make one think there will be at least ten. Besides the essay on experience, the “taxes” part emphasizes his signing of the no tax hike Taxpayer Protection Pledge of Grove Norquist’s organization.
The problem a state legislator has with stressing experience and accomplishments is that there is also a record. In almost twenty years, a state representative casts a lot of votes that can be questioned by an opponent. And, if Churchill approaches (or continues in) competitive status, at least one of his opponents will undoubtedly take him to task for this or that vote.
One that would seem to me to be an accomplishment is Churchill’s increasing the Chicago metropolitan area’s share of state road funds during the 1990’s. Before then, the six county area got 40% of the road building and repair money. Until Governor George Ryan’s Illinois FIRST, that figure increased to 45%. (Now it is lower.) Taking credit for sponsoring that bill could cut both ways, however. While it brought road improvements to the entire area in which Churchill is running for Congress, it came at the cost of a Motor Fuel Tax hike.
Churchill reprints his 2004 primary endorsements in an attempt to counter the long list of individuals that David McSweeney garnered, mainly from when he was the only candidate, and has posted on his web site.
There is also a list of recognitions bestowed over Churchill’s ten terms in the General Assembly. Most seems to be from special interest groups or local governments who stand to benefit from legislation action.
Also on the Experience part of the web site, Churchill compares the votes Congresswoman Melissa Bean got in the Democratic Party primary with those he received as a delegate to the GOP national convention (26,740 versus 37,774). The comparison is probably unfair, because the Democratic primary turnout is much lower than the Republican primary because the 8th is a Republican district, but on the surface it looks impressive. His point is, “This is still a Republican district and Churchill can win this seat back for us.”
The photo gallery will probably be of interest to those pictured. There are pictures of the first President George Bush, probably intended to impress voters of Churchill’s national connections.
The photo of Churchill and State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka at a national convention is top right.
Missing, however, is one of Churchill and former House Republican Leader Lee A. Daniels. Daniels is the man who made Churchill Majority Leader when he was House Speaker and hired him to serve as General Counsel for the Illinois House Republicans for 2001-2002. A former Daniels Chief-of-Staff, Mike Tristano, is scheduled to enter a plea agreement in mid-February for illegal activities.
A biography is also included, as is a calendar. The only scheduled McHenry County event is the February 4th Central Committee dinner on the Lake County side of Lakemoor.
Article and press releases also have a section of their own. A map with little detail is also included.
To return to McHenry County Blog, click here.
The point: “…he knows what it is like to be in a hotly contested election.”
He stresses these accomplishments:
· pushed Chicago school reform through the Illinois legislature while he was majority leader of the Illinois House
· helped enact property tax caps
· is pro-tort reform
The blank places on the issues page make one think there will be at least ten. Besides the essay on experience, the “taxes” part emphasizes his signing of the no tax hike Taxpayer Protection Pledge of Grove Norquist’s organization.
The problem a state legislator has with stressing experience and accomplishments is that there is also a record. In almost twenty years, a state representative casts a lot of votes that can be questioned by an opponent. And, if Churchill approaches (or continues in) competitive status, at least one of his opponents will undoubtedly take him to task for this or that vote.
One that would seem to me to be an accomplishment is Churchill’s increasing the Chicago metropolitan area’s share of state road funds during the 1990’s. Before then, the six county area got 40% of the road building and repair money. Until Governor George Ryan’s Illinois FIRST, that figure increased to 45%. (Now it is lower.) Taking credit for sponsoring that bill could cut both ways, however. While it brought road improvements to the entire area in which Churchill is running for Congress, it came at the cost of a Motor Fuel Tax hike.
Churchill reprints his 2004 primary endorsements in an attempt to counter the long list of individuals that David McSweeney garnered, mainly from when he was the only candidate, and has posted on his web site.
There is also a list of recognitions bestowed over Churchill’s ten terms in the General Assembly. Most seems to be from special interest groups or local governments who stand to benefit from legislation action.
Also on the Experience part of the web site, Churchill compares the votes Congresswoman Melissa Bean got in the Democratic Party primary with those he received as a delegate to the GOP national convention (26,740 versus 37,774). The comparison is probably unfair, because the Democratic primary turnout is much lower than the Republican primary because the 8th is a Republican district, but on the surface it looks impressive. His point is, “This is still a Republican district and Churchill can win this seat back for us.”
The photo gallery will probably be of interest to those pictured. There are pictures of the first President George Bush, probably intended to impress voters of Churchill’s national connections.
The photo of Churchill and State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka at a national convention is top right.
Missing, however, is one of Churchill and former House Republican Leader Lee A. Daniels. Daniels is the man who made Churchill Majority Leader when he was House Speaker and hired him to serve as General Counsel for the Illinois House Republicans for 2001-2002. A former Daniels Chief-of-Staff, Mike Tristano, is scheduled to enter a plea agreement in mid-February for illegal activities.
A biography is also included, as is a calendar. The only scheduled McHenry County event is the February 4th Central Committee dinner on the Lake County side of Lakemoor.
Article and press releases also have a section of their own. A map with little detail is also included.
To return to McHenry County Blog, click here.
# posted by Cal Skinner : 7:53 AM
