As reported yesterday on McHenry County Blog and Illinois Review, State Representative Allen Skillicorn, who represents the 66th representative district in southern McHenry and northern Kane Counties, has endorsed State Senator Jim Oberweis for the Republican nomination in IL-14.
Skillicorn cited Oberweis’ stances against taxes and “Pelosi/Underwood” immigration policies in the press release dated Tuesday at Oberweis’ campaign web page, and posted in a Facebook meme on Wednesday afternoon.
OBSERVATIONS: After nearly four decades being involved at all levels of politics, I do not believe in pure coincidence, especially in politics. The Skillicorn endorsement of Oberweis is one of those instances.
On the surface, Skillicorn becomes the 6th current member of the General Assembly to openly back Oberweis for Congress. While Skillicorn can be distinguished because for five months, he was thinking of running for IL-14 himself, Skillicorn decided to run for reelection to his House seat in Springfield instead.
The old saying “timing is everything in politics” applies here.
The Skillicorn endorsement of Oberweis takes place within 36 hours of the attack by IL-14 opponent James Marter published on Sunday here on McHenry County Blog with clarification by Marter accusing Oberweis of not standing openly with then-State Representative Jeanne Ives in last year’s gubernatorial primary.
Marter’s accusation, originally communicated in a campaign Facebook meme accused Oberweis and State Senator Sue Rezin of embracing then-Governor Bruce Rauner’s stances for Sanctuary State and Medicaid funding for abortions, in spite of, and as pointed out by McHenry County Blog, both Oberweis and Rezin voted against those bills.
Marter attempted to portray himself with “There is only one fighter of Conservative principles and American values in the Illinois 14th congressional district…” and link Oberweis and Rezin with supporting Rauner in last year’s gubernatorial primary because they did not openly back Ives’ candidacy.
Skillicorn’s endorsement of Oberweis is a complete response against Marter’s attack from Sunday.
Skillicorn, being one of eight members of the General Assembly who openly backed Ives last year, gives cover to Oberweis that a vocal Ives supporter stands firmly with Oberweis, along with describing Oberweis as having a proven record, something Marter does not have despite his House Freedom Caucus and “only fighter” rhetoric.
Skillicorn, along with then-State Senator and Oberweis congressional endorser Tim Bivins, openly and forcefully backed Ives last year.
Oberweis is also being backed by Bivins’ successor in the state senate, Brian Stewart.
In my opinion, the Skillicorn endorsement lays waste any future attempts to portray Oberweis as being against Ives and for Rauner’s policies in last year’s primary, even though Oberweis did not openly endorse Ives.
In the bigger picture of being a decisive factor in the IL-14, the Skillicorn endorsement will likely not sway the nomination into Oberweis’ favor.
What it does is effectively silences Marter, and anyone else, who attempts to link Oberweis with Governor Rauner in last year’s primary.
Marter’s attack against Oberweis in this arena was quite a stretch, and Skillicorn’s endorsement shows Marter’s attack completely missed the mark.
A hat-tip (H/T) to commenter “Correcting” for providing a link to NBC 5’s blog page listing the IL General Assembly members backing Ives’ in last year’s primary:
Catalina Lauf Calls Out Lauren Underwood
On Tuesday, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood met with the Northwest Herald editorial board to discuss legislation pending in Congress. Catalina Lauf in a Twitter post Wednesday night, called out Underwood:
COMMENTARY: Catalina Lauf hit it on the head in her tweet, and as has been said in articles here many times, Underwood is at her worst when she tries to talk Democratic talking points. From the article that was published on Tuesday:
Underwood said many bills passed in the House could get a 51-vote majority or 60-vote supermajority in the Senate – such as universal background checks, staying in the Paris Climate Accords and election security measures – but are landing with a thud. Underwood targeted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for not advancing legislation that doesn’t carry unanimous consent.
“I think that we have passed over 200 bills in the House, many of which have had Republican support—many things,” Underwood said. “And the idea because they didn’t have unanimous support they can’t be considered, that is gridlock and dysfunction at a level that I had never even contemplated and I point to one man – Mitch McConnell – as being the problem.”
Underwood highlighted two bills related to background checks on firearms that have passed in the House but have lost all momentum in the Senate: H.R. 8, which allows for universal background checks, and H.R. 1112, which extends the review period for background checks on firearm purchases.
Northwest Herald, published online 9/4/19
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Underwood shows little respect to the voters by making such statements that are flimsy compared with the truth.
McHenry County Blog published an article last month on August 25 addressing the “…many of which have had Republican support…” or bipartisanship Underwood alludes to. Let’s look at the summary of the August 25 article:
The Democrats cannot blame “Moscow” Mitch, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for the SAFE Act being held up. The Democrats can only look in the mirror and blame themselves for failing the American people by not working in a real bipartisan manner. The same can be said of the bulk of House-passed legislation, too.
McHenry County Blog “IL-06/IL-14: ‘Bipartisan’ and ‘Bipartisanship’ “, 8/25/19
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This 8/25 article was written in response to Congressman Sean Casten’s Northwest Herald editorial board visit last month.
In the above referenced McHenry County Blog article, the background checks legislation and the election security measure (SAFE Act) were discussed.
And as pointed out in the 8/25 article, single-digit Republican support, like 8 Republicans for H.R. 8, 3 Republicans for H.R. 1112, and ONE Republican for the SAFE Act, is nowhere near real significant Republican support.
When Congress reconvenes next week, real good-faith negotiation on gun legislation, and the budget appropriations bills needs to be practiced by Underwood and her Democratic colleagues in the House.
And concerning the gun legislation, refer to the 8/18 McHenry County Blog article below, which documents the most moderate Republican in the Senate, Susan Collins’ opposition to H.R. 8, as proof Underwood insults the intelligence of voters in IL-14 with what she told the Northwest Herald this week and claiming the current House-passed gun legislation would pass the Senate.
- Northwest Herald article: https://www.nwherald.com/2019/09/03/rep-underwood-discusses-pending-legislation-in-midst-of-gridlock-between-house-senate/a7fn7yn
- McHenry County Blog 8/25 article: http://159.89.184.83/2019/08/25/il-06-il-14-bipartisan-and-bipartisanship
- McHenry County Blog 8/18 Gun Legislation article: http://159.89.184.83/2019/08/18/ives-on-wls-am-tonight-6-8
Oberweis throwin’ his $ around.
Skillicorn can’t be blamed.
In Dante’s inferno, a special place in Hell was set up for people who betrayed their political patrons.
Kay, you’re only partially correct, at best.
That place in Hell (Antenora), was designed for those who betrayed their political party, or acted treacherously against their own homeland.
Skillicorn could back somebody IN THE GOP who was a conservative (or more conservative) than Oberweis and not be a ‘traitor’ I suppose. But where’s the evidence Oberweis is even S’s patron at all?
I do agree w/ you though that if Oberweis was S’s patron, he should back Oberweis, or at least not back somebody else.
It goes to prove Skillicorn can be trusted IF he was the protégé of Oberweis.
http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/circle9.html#treachery
Dante divides circle 9, the circle of treachery–defined in Inferno 11 as fraudulent acts between individuals who share special bonds of love and trust (61-6)–into four regions. Caina is named after the biblical Cain (first child of Adam and Eve)…………………..
The second region, Antenora, is named for the Trojan prince Antenor. While the classical sources–notably Homer’s Iliad–present Antenor in a positive (or at least neutral) light as one in favor of returning Helen to the Greeks for the good of Troy, medieval versions–histories, commentaries, and romances–view him as a “treacherous Judas” who plots with the Greeks to destroy the city. Dante places in this region those who betrayed their political party or their homeland
Dante not withstanding, the question of money for Skillicorn’s reelection campaign in 2020 did cross my mind, too, concerning Skillicorn’s decision to endorse Oberweis for Congress, over the 4 other major candidates for IL-14. I, and I’m sure many others, will be paying closer attention to Taxpayers for Skillicorn Political Committee financials when the 3rd quarter D-2 is made public in October, and the 4th quarter in January, including transfers-in from other state political committees.
Since there is no proof to the contrary but only weak circumstantial evidence at best, Skillicorn’s endorsement of Oberweis for IL-14 must be taken as an honest one.
“When Congress reconvenes next week, real good-faith negotiation on gun legislation, and the budget appropriations bills needs to be practiced by Underwood and her Democratic colleagues in the House.”
STFU ABOUT HOW WE NEED “GOOD FAITH NEGOTIATION” ON GUN LEGISLATION.
“Oh” take a deep breath and keep a civil tongue.
Like it or not, there are differing views on guns among members of Congress, and in the past month, there are many stories how the 2nd amendment saved lives when law abiding citizens were forced to defend themselves, and in at least one case in neighboring Lake County, the law abiding 75 year old citizen had to kill someone with a gun because the slain was one of six people at the gun owner’s property at 1AM in the morning who were clearly up to no good.
I’m sure you read or saw it on TV.
And the real ignorant people were the columnists at the Chicago Tribune who questioned the law abiding citizen doing the right thing.
As I said in the article, if a genuine moderate, not a conservative like Senator Ted Cruz, opposes what Underwood calls “bipartisan” legislation, and the Senate disagrees, then it will not be passed.
Real good faith negotiations on both sides need to take place, or there will be no change.
That’s the way it is.
I must say,I’m pleasantly surprised to hear Lauf talk about her actual opponent for a change instead of usual rats about Alexandra Cortez. You
But it is rather comic to hear her defense of Moscow Mitch- has there been a vote on anything this year?
Joe, well, the emergency border supplemental funding bill, or H.R. 3401, quickly comes to mind. Senate Republicans, led by Mitch McConnell, transformed that bill from the purely partisan bill that passed the House, to the real bipartisan bill that passed the Senate, 84-8, back in late June.
Please refer to the September 1 article below, and see the comparison of the 2 House votes on H.R. 3401 to see where the Senate, under McConnell’s leadership, really made a difference, and how most Democrats, including Casten and Underwood, voted with the Republicans on the final vote.
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/09/01/il-14-applying-discernment-to-james-marter-campaigns-facebook-meme-8-30-19
And a background check would have prevented this 75 year old from getting a gun?
What’s your point, John?
My point is that Democrats like Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten have taken a “my way or the highway” approach to their so-called background checks legislation, including lies that it is bipartisan and would pass a Senate vote, and that is a lie, and unless they and the Democratic leaders, actually forget Casten and Underwood, they’ll vote the way the Democratic leaders tell them to vote, negotiate in good faith with Republican leaders and the President to get real sensible gun laws enacted to close loopholes, that’s when real positive change will happen.
The 75 year old man is proof the 2nd amendment works the way it is in his case, but clearly, there are shortcomings that need to be addressed, but the Democrats failed to do so, and now it is up to good faith negotiations between leaders in both parties, and this has been going on over the past month, to get something passed to improve what we have.
Casten and Underwood saying to Mitch McConnell to call the Senate back early to pass H.R. 8/1112 as-is was grandstanding, nothing more.
So were Casten’s whining tweets, he did another rant Saturday night, not as extreme like on August 3, but still rants and laying blame on others and grandstanding.
Underwood, to her credit, lived by what she has said in the past, and not to tweet in anger.
Casten should heed that advice, including many others on both sides of the aisle.
Mental health, has to be addressed too, and President Trump has said so.
And as was said earlier this week, it is a God-given right to defend yourself, within the boundaries of the law.
Those current boundaries worked in Lake County last month, and earlier this week in Houston.
But last week in Odessa, we saw the boundaries turned on their ear, someone snapped, it was reported to law enforcement by the guy’s boss, and the guy himself.
But it was too late.
That is what I am saying.
Good faith and Mitch McConnell. Hahaha haha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha.
Good one John.
You are funny and clueless.
https://mobile.twitter.com/juddlegum/status/1169356865601507330
Oh= DUH!
I’ve got to do a new article, because Underwood’s latest video is priceless.
She can’t even get the story straight, and differs from Casten’s interview with the Northwest Herald–in other words, they are not on the same page with their talking points.
“Unanimous consent” is the only way to have Mitch McConnell pass anything in the Senate?
You believe that from Underwood, Oh, you are describing yourself, and not me.
I’ll get an article up soon, and you will see what I mean.
I do hope the Republican candidates in IL-14 pick up on this on their own before I publish my article.
Underwood following Democratic talking points will be her undoing.
Underwood, has done huge damage to her campaign.
John, you’re misguided thinking you’re going to find common ground with these people.
https://www.gvnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/the-trump-effect/article_b63cc33a-c11c-11e9-94fe-2f4b3431de79.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/us/san-francisco-nra-terrorist.html