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Another Indication Allen Skillicorn Has Congressal Ambitions — 9 Comments

  1. Not a good idea, Allen.

    Many have committed to their choice and will not change.

  2. Really!?

    So the daily breathless coverage in this blog of his every utterance didn’t give it away?

  3. 14th Congressional District Update 6/24/19–2nd Amendment and Gun Violence

    Today’s update is on the 2nd amendment and gun violence, given what Congresswoman Underwood did in Batavia yesterday. As has been said elsewhere, discerning Republican primary voters will likely be taking apart what all of the congressional candidates say and do about the issues, including the 2nd amendment and what Congress should do concerning gun violence. It is necessary for voters to apply discernment in order to cast informed votes in the March 17, 2020, Republican primary in order to nominate the best Republican who can beat Lauren Underwood in November of 2020 on all of the issues.

    Republican primary voters are smart, and if most/all cast informed votes, the most qualified candidate will also be the one who can win in November of 2020.

    Congresswoman Lauren Underwood’s Invitation-only Meeting of Stakeholders and Gun Violence Prevention Advocacy Groups in Batavia 6/23/19

    Departing from her town hall meetings strategy and being accessible to all voters in the 14th district, Congresswoman Underwood held an invitation-only meeting with gun violence prevention advocacy groups and other stakeholders “…hoping they will help mobilize efforts this summer for gun reform.” This meeting took place yesterday in the city of Batavia. Underwood’s approach sounds like what the ISRA reported last month how SB 1966 was approached, first with all stakeholders, and then excluding 2nd amendment rights supporters from the General Assembly discussions. Fortunately, SB 1966 did not pass this legislative session.

    Congresswoman Underwood stated yesterday at a post-meeting news conference:

    “I stand with all of you today to call on the Senate to bring these bills to a vote and send them to the president’s desk. We can’t wait.”

    Underwood also said at the post meeting press conference:

    “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell several times has expressed reluctance to consider ‘bipartisan, common sense legislation,’ Underwood said. ‘The American people speaking out boldly,’ would help convince him to do otherwise, she said.”

    First, some additional facts the Chicago Tribune article did not include. There are 2 pieces of legislation concerning the 2nd amendment which have passed the House back in late February and awaiting action in the Senate. They are:

    — H.R. 8: Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019
    — H.R. 1112: Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019

    The links below will allow anyone to read what specifically is in these 2 pieces of legislation. Now, let’s apply some discernment to what Underwood is saying.

    bipartisan, common sense legislation”

    The terms “bipartisan” and “bipartisanship” have been used a lot lately. When Underwood talks about “bipartisan” what does that really means? Let’s look at the final vote counts for both bills when they passed the House:

    — H.R. 8: Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, 240-190; 8 Republicans in favor, 2 Democrats opposed
    — H.R. 1112: Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019, 228-198, 3 Republicans in favor, 7 Democrats opposed

    Underwood thinks the support on the final vote for both pieces of legislation because they have barely 4% and 2% Republican votes in the affirmative is “bipartisan” support? I guess we can look at the number of Democrats who voted against these 2 bills and can claim “bipartisan opposition”, right?

    Throwing around terms like “bipartisanship” makes for a nice news story, but the truth is a reasonable person would not call either support or opposition as “bipartisan” to those 2 pieces of legislation given their respective vote counts. Personally, I think to call something with bipartisan support, it should have at least 10% or more of affirmative votes from both parties to even be considered to be called “bipartisan”. It wouldn’t be right for opponents to call the vote totals “bipartisan opposition”, and we do not want to dumb-down to Underwood’s level and calling a single-digit number of members of a political party as bipartisan. Discerning voters know better.

    Now, what are the Republican candidates saying about what happened in Batavia yesterday? Thus far, only Danny Malouf has made a statement through a Facebook meme he posted this morning:

    ===========================================================================
    Danny Malouf for Congress 2020
    5 hrs ·
    Lauren Underwood is wrong on guns. Especially for women, the elderly, and the disabled, firearms provide equality in their ability to defend their lives. Why such a push against this equality and these peoples’ natural human right to defend themselves?

    Time and again, Lauren Underwood has formed a public record of calling for restrictions on the Second Amendment, further infringing on a human’s basic right to protect themselves. However, gun control, just like gun-free zones, doesn’t work. So, while she and the media propagandize tragedies involving guns, unfortunately for their agenda, none of their proposals would actually eliminate the tragic human behavior and gun crime.

    So, in the case of women, the elderly, and the disabled’s right to defend their lives, is Lauren really for equality? And in the case of legislation, is she being logical?
    ===============================================================

    It is unclear if Mr. Malouf has actually read the legislation, but the last sentence in the 2nd-to-last paragraph stands out, and is the truth. His statements greatly echo James Marter’s statement from earlier this year, which will be posted a little later.

    But make no mistake, Congresswoman Underwood’s invitation-only event and press conference yesterday was more about her political agenda and grandstanding against the law abiding citizens and the 2nd amendment and less about passing legislation. Her loose use of labeling the 2 pieces of legislation is “bipartisan” betrays the approach Democrats will continue to paint Republicans as “extreme”, when in truth, it is House Democrats, including Lauren Underwood, who are the real extremists because they throw all supporters of the 2nd amendment into a lawbreaking citizen group.

    Tribune Link: https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct-abn-underwood-gun-violence-st-0624-20190623-vcplm5brq5frldsn6v65zjvnhu-story.html
    H.R. 8 Link: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22gun+violence%22%5D%7D&r=2&s=3
    H.R. 1112 Link: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1112?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22gun+violence%22%5D%7D&s=3&r=8
    SB 1966 Link: http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/06/15/behind-the-scenes-look-at-gun-control-legislation

  4. Underwood and the Henry Pratt Co. Gun Violence in Aurora on 2/15/19

    The same Tribune article from yesterday’s political meeting in Batavia also brought up the following:

    “The Aurora area was ‘rocked by the unthinkable’ by two shootings, she [Underwood] said. Most recently on Feb. 15 a worker at the Henry Pratt Co. warehouse shot and killed five people, and wounded five Aurora police officers and a worker.”

    The other shooting Underwood alluded to was the 2008 NIU shooting. Bringing up these 2 tragedies, particularly the Aurora shootings 4 months ago at Henry Pratt, was done for political grandstanding. This is evidenced by what Underwood’s senior political adviser, Ronnie Cho, told the Chicago Sun-Times in a February 19 article concerning Jim Oberweis’ candidacy announcement to run in the 14th:

    “Underwood ‘is not distracted by politics. She is prioritizing being with her community after the senseless shootings last week,’ said her political adviser, Ronnie Cho. Four of the five victims in the Aurora factory massacre lived in the 14th District. Cho said Underwood called the family of each victim and attended a vigil in Aurora over the weekend.”

    Underwood’s adviser would have been better to say “no comment” on Oberweis’ entry into the race, but instead, he decided to get political and use the Henry Pratt shooting to ignore Oberweis and promote Underwood. Yes, there were 5 senseless deaths by this gun violence in Aurora, and whether the victims lived in the 14th or not, they are still gone. Of the 5 men killed, two were from Oswego, one from Yorkville, one from Elgin and the 5th had started his internship at Henry Pratt the day of the shooting and was a student at NIU.

    Searching the archives of his campaign’s Facebook page, here is what James Marter had to say back in mid February through Facebook. Please note, Marter was not a candidate for the 14th district and at that time was thinking about running for U.S. Senate next year. His campaign’s Facebook page was set up in 2015 when he decided to run for U.S. Senate in 2016. One commenter from Marter’s posts is highlighted since he claimed to be a former police officer:

    ===============================================================

    Marter for Congress
    February 16 [8:59AM]
    All 5 Aurora police officers who were shot are in stable condition and are recovering. All the injuries our police have, as reported by the Aurora chief of police, are non-life threatening. We continue to pray for a full recovery for all these brave men. #BackTheBlue

    Sadly, we just learned the names of the five victims killed yesterday, two were from here in Oswego, IL. We also pray for their grieving loved ones dealing with the tragedy and loss.

    We just learned the murderer Gary Martin, who had his FOID card previously revoked, had a gun and shot and killed workers at the Pratt immediately after he was fired on Friday.

    Mike Zintak The question is…..how does a convicted felon get an illegal gun? Gun laws would not have prevented this…..it proves….[b]ad guys still get guns.

    Marter for Congress
    February 16 [6:23PM]
    This is just a few short miles from my home in Oswego. We must pray for the victims and their families, pray for an end to evil. One of the officers shot was the father of one of my daughters good friends. Though serious, his injuries are not life threating and we pray for his surgeons and his full recovery.

    But the reality is: ANOTHER GUN FREE ZONE MASSACRE: Aurora, IL massacre committed by felon with an illegally owned/possessed gun in “Gun-Free Zone”

    When employers (and schools) cannot or will not provide adequate armed security to their facilities, and especially during the firing process (sadly this type of event is not new)
    NOTE: the massive failure of the ILLINOIS FOID card laws and enforcement of related gun laws. No new laws will fix this!

    It is time to take down the GUN FREE ZONE signs in ILLINOIS before more innocent lives are sacrificed at the alter of gun-control statists. We need employers to work with their honest law abiding workers who have a valid CCL and allow them to protect themselves and their co-workers. The same is true for Teachers and Schools, the statists of the LEFT
    keep rooting for the next massacre while blocking common sense legally armed citizens from exercising their constitutional, [G]od given right to defend themselves, their families, friends, and neighbors.

    Mike Zintak[2/16/19]: You have to wonder what kind of record this guy had???? Again Profiling this type person.

    Marter for Congress [2/16/19]: Felony assault from another state. That means when the background check was done on the gun, the “government” databases failed to do their job, or the gun was not legally purchased. The ILLINOIS “government” FOID Card system failed, because they issued him one.

    Gun Control Laws Don’t save LIVES. GunsSaveLIFE.com

    Mike Zintak [2/16/19]: Marter for Congress….as a former Police Officer, profiling individuals has got to come back for law enforcement and the safety of the citizens. The ACLU has taken that right away….it’s Time for victims and their families to start sueing thisorganization and the them up in courts… drain them of money.

    Marter for Congress [2/17/19]: Mike Zintak We agree with you, profiling is not racist, it is common sense, it is about behavior, arrest records, etc.​

    Marter for Congress [2/17/19]: I have been in the receiving area of a Nuclear Power plant. Nearly all of their workers are packing open carry. I felt very safe there. I don’t care if it is workers, CCL, open carry, or badged Armed security, or all of the above, but protect our workers and children (at schools) for God’s sake!
    =========================================================================

    It’s refreshing to see someone speaking from the heart as James Marter did in the wake of the Aurora Henry Pratt tragedy. Underwood and the Democrats will be trying to grandstand on these gun violence tragedies right up and through the 2020 elections. Whether it is Henry Pratt, or the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, TX, (11/5/17, 26 killed, 20 wounded), or any of the many other tragedies, the truth as both Danny Malouf and James Marter said, no gun control law would have prevented these tragedies.

    All that being said, it’s not enough for Republicans to say they support the 2nd amendment and ignore tragedies like Henry Pratt, Sutherland Springs and all of the others. How the killers in these tragedies obtained their guns should be addressed by the appropriate level of government. Marter brought up “profiling”, so hopefully he might bring that up into the upcoming primary campaign. Given the killer in Aurora was Black, would any profiling done on him be considered “racial profiling”? Don’t let any of the candidates off, because the winner of the primary will face this head-on in the General Election campaign next year.

    And a final thought on the Republican candidates’ defense of the 2nd amendment in the face of these shooting tragedies. Congresswoman Underwood’s political Twitter account retweeted a Tweet from Shannon Watts supporting the groups in Batavia yesterday. Watts is the leader of the group Moms Demand Action. This former stay-at-home mom became politically active in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook tragedy.

    Republicans would best remember their history and how Jim and Sarah Brady cut commercials against Republicans going back to the 1990s because of their positions on guns and the 2nd Amendment. The Bradys are both gone now, but Shannon Watts and similar groups promoting the wrong way to deal with crimes committed with guns will be active next year. Republicans must nominate the best candidate in the 14th who can effectively stand up to groups like this, no matter how well intentioned, and compassionately tell them they’re ideas for more gun control are wrong and would not work to prevent gun violence.

    Sun-Times Link: https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/2/19/18327792/oberweis-trying-again-for-congress-will-pour-own-money-into-underwood-challenge

  5. Heinrich on 06/24/2019 at 7:06 am said:

    “He is still a jerk, and a Republican jerk at that.”

    —————————————————-

    Heinrich? You know the man personally?

    Go to his Church?

    Is he voting against your wishes?

    What is it about Allen that vexes you so?

    With Allen, you know EXACTLY where he is coming from.

    He is voting exactly the way most of his constituents want him to vote.

    He is principled.

    He conveys to his constituents exactly what he is doing.

    I don’t know you, but I do question your character (if you are calling Allen both a Jerk & a Republican jerk).

    Allen is anything but that.

  6. He’s as worthless as they come.

    Hes a self serving clown and as far from being a servant leader as they come.

    Can’t wait for him to be shown the door.

    And I don’t care what party he’s aligned with, he’s a total clown.

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