Dan Regna Professes Fidelity to GOP

The emphases in the missive from McHenry County State’s Attorney candidate Dan Regna are his:

Dan Regna

Dan Regna

“As you are aware and have reported, my opponent Patrick Kenneally has taken exception with my position regarding politics and government service. And, according to your reporting, our current State’s Attorney not surprisingly takes exception with my position as well.

“While Mr. Kenneally correctly quoted my policy position from 2008, he completely mischaracterized such position and twisted my words. As such, I would like to clarify my position to you.

“First, I have never “disavowed” being a Republican. Such a statement is ludicrous and without merit. I am a lifelong Conservative Republican and will be until my final breath on this Earth. While serving in the Regular Army, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush were my Commanders-in-Chief. And, like most soldiers of that time, I immensely admired these great men. (I actually saw, met & heard speak then Vice President George H.W. Bush at West Point on several occasions) In fact, I trace my Republican roots to age 12 (2 years before my opponent’s birth) when Governor Reagan lost the GOP nomination to Gerald Ford in 1976. That was my heartbreaking political awakening.

“Second, as State’s Attorney, I do not plan to be an active member in our Republican Party. So, what does that mean? I do not believe that our State’s Attorney or his employees (or relatives) should be active in our local party apparatus. I do not believe that our State’s Attorney or his employees (or relatives) should be GOP Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, or Secretary. I do not believe that our State’s Attorney or his employees (or relatives) should be central committee chairmen or precinct committeemen. Because our State’s Attorney has immense prosecutorial and legal powers, I believe it dangerous for our State’s Attorney to accumulate or control immense political power within our local party apparatus. While I am an uncontested precinct committeeman candidate, I will immediately resign my committeeman position if elected State’s Attorney.

“But, make no mistake, I will always remain a Conservative Republican and proud member of our local Republican Party.

“Third, as State’s Attorney, I will always be a passive member of our Republican Party. In office, I will follow my Conservative Republican principles. I will attend our local GOP functions. I will support our Republican candidates. I will be active as a Republican elected official within our party, but I will not directly or indirectly participate in the party apparatus. Why is this my position? Our elected officials must always be accountable to our Citizens; and, as elected Republicans, I believe that we must also remain accountable to our Republican Party. Accountability to our Republican Party is a fundamental check and balance in our democratic system of government. When a State’s Attorney serves as or employs in his office either party leaders, central committee chairmen, or committeeman, a dangerous conflict of interest arises. The checks and balances are turned upside down with our local Republican Party accountable to and under the thumb of our State’s Attorney. This is wrong. As such, I will never seek to accumulate political power within our local Republican Party’s political apparatus. Given the immense power of State’s Attorney, I must and will leave political power within our party to other good citizens and community leaders.

“Personally, I favor state and countywide elected officials (and their employees or relatives) be barred from serving as officers in our McHenry County Republican Party infrastructure.
While it worked in McHenry County’s rural days, I believe that the work of higher elected office and countywide party leadership is now incompatible and too much for any one person in suburban McHenry County. And, accumulation of political power with significant law enforcement powers by one person is extremely dangerous.

“Hopefully, I have clarified my position regarding my Republican “stripes”. To suggest that I am not a Republican is asinine and desperate. To the contrary, I am a Republican who expects to always be held accountable by our entire Republican Party, not rule over it. I firmly believe that political power ust remain with our Citizens and party, not with higher elected officials and government employees with a vested interest. If elected, I will work hard to end the bitter factional warfare that has deeply divided our party. I assure you that I will disengage the State’s Attorney from the business of political power. And, rest assured, I will always join with and welcome all Republicans regardless of “faction” at all Republican events.”


Comments

Dan Regna Professes Fidelity to GOP — 13 Comments

  1. Isn’t that Regna’s signature on the paperwork to go after Lou Bianchi?

    All those court costs and lawyers fees??

    How much did YOU cost the county, Mr. Regna??

  2. Regina is linked to all those that are what’s wrong with McHenry County.

    Don’t let the Campbell Soup face fool you.

    He’s bad news and so are the people who are endorsing him and vice versa.

    The time for cleaning up this county is way past-due!

  3. You don’t have to be a member of the Republican Party to be a conservative.

    But you do have to be a member of the Republican Party to ask to be its candidate for office.

    Regna’s explanation tries to gloss over the reason why he signed that piece of paper in the first place.

    He signed that piece of paper because it was politically expedient at the time.

    That is to say that his personal political goals trumped his loyalty to the party.

    Being a McHenry County Republican doesn’t mean much to me because lots of RINOs in this county have the R next to their name on the ballot but govern like progressive democrats (e.g. all the phony conservatives who believe the county should operate a nursing home).

    Regna, nevertheless, should have enough backbone to admit what he did and why he did it.

    This mealymouthed explanation smacks of someone who knows he was caught doing something wrong and not someone who believes that what he did was right.

  4. You Did not seem to have a problem with people the the SA’s office, with our without elected positions, working for a candidate for that office when you supported Glen Gable.

  5. Regna = nice person, but his past escapades and associations make him a public servant to not place your confidence in.

    Old guard, old agenda.

  6. I hope you are better at presenting your case to juries than you are submitting written nonsense like this.

    He’s running as a Republican but…. he promises to not indirectly participate in the party apparatus.

    And he will be a passive member of the GOP…. but he will attend events and support candidates?

    But he won’t be indirectly involved in the party apparatus?

    But he promises to be accountable to the local GOP because that’s a fundamental check in our democratic process?

    My head hurts from reading his statement but there’s more.

    None of his employees will be allowed to be involved in the party apparatus.

    So maybe he will fire any employee if he catches wind that they are indirectly engaged in the local party apparatus?

    Taking it a step further, if an employee wants to run for office and seek the support of the local GOP he will maybe fire them?

    That obviously means he would fire any employee trying to run against him by seeking support from the local GOP?

    But he’s just protecting against any potential conflict of interest here.

    Thanks for clearing that up, Dan.

    I need some ibuprofen.

  7. ” I firmly believe that political power ust remain with our Citizens and party, not with higher elected officials and government employees with a vested interest.” as Dan says.

    HOWEVER , What about his literature piece with him pictured in Keith Nygren’s Government office .

    Dan is looking over Nygren’s shoulder onto his desk.

    What was that about, Dan.

    You were a defense attorney at the time and shouldn’t even have been in that office at all.

    Click onto McHenry County Secrets to the left and see the photo yourself.

    Just scroll down a bit and you will find it.

    You admit running for precinct committeeman.

    You say you will step down if you win.

    Well, how are you using that now??

    Aren’t you preventing someone else from the position, if you step down later.

    Then no one else has the opportunity to get elected to that spot.

    HOW SELF SERVING.

    How is Hypocrite spelled?

  8. “I will be active as a Republican elected official within our party, but I will not directly or indirectly participate in the party apparatus”

    “Personally, I favor state and countywide elected officials (and their employees or relatives) be barred from serving as officers in our McHenry County Republican Party infrastructure.”

    Then why is he running for Precinct Committeeman if he has no interest in helping Republicans AND he thinks that practice should be barred?

    It would be nice if this guy’s words and deeds matched, but they don’t.

    This is unintelligible nonsense.

  9. I think Regna just caught himself in the wringer, just like his mentor, Gary Pack did.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *