No, we’re not talking about Congressman Joe Walsh today.

We’re talking about Joe Gottemoller, the mild-mannered attorney who is running for the McHenry County Board in District 3.

He put out his distinctive signs early in the campaign.

Before the first snow.

With his long last name, he figured out he could gain name identification by emphasizing his first name.

Now, one of his signs is missing a big circle where the “Joe” could be found.

Joe Gottemoller's first name got excised from one of his four by four foot yard signs.

At first it seems like a stunt worthy of Chicago politics.

You know, one where someone throws a brick through the front window of your campaign office.

Or, even more likely to be newsworthy, sets off a small bomb that does minimal damage to your office.

But, thinking about it a bit, I figure some guy named Joe probably just wanted to put his name on his bedroom wall.

This is as good a place as any to share Gottemoller’s walk piece and a letter sent to potential constituents:

The front of Joe Gottemoller's walk piece. "Together we can promote a smaller and more fiscally-sound government for McHenry County," he says.

The back of Joe Gottemoller's walk piece features his family and an endorsement from State Senator Pam Althoff.

Here’s the letter he sent out last week with people endorsing him along its letterhead (click to enlarge):

Joe Gottemoller's letter touts endorsements by the Northwest and Daily Herald, plus gives some of his background.

On Gottemoller’s letterhead are Aaron Shepley, Pam Althoff, Don Brewer, Steve Cuda, Dan Curran, Ralph Dawson, Sam Diamond, Robert Fetzner, Richard Flood, William M. Franz, David Gervais, Nancy Gonsiorek, John Heisler, Bill LeFew, Bob Miller, Gary Reese, Fred Roedinger, Brian Sager, Jim Thorpe and Barb Wheeler.

Gottmoller’s web site can be found here.