FOX News Highlights Lauf Tweet against AOC, James Marter takes to Twitter to try to bash Lauf
(McHenry County Blog note: This article references multiple tweets from Twitter, and they are transcribed with “Twitter-speak” removed, like hastags (#) and at-signs (@).)
14th congressional district Republican candidate Catalina Lauf had a weekend through Twitter that was not the norm.
Positively, a tweet she responded to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, NY-14 a/k/a “AOC”) was highlighted by Fox News in a Friday article linked below:
Last Thursday, in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed rule change limiting states from exempting work-eligible adults from having to maintain steady employment in order to receive benefits.
AOC took to Twitter to her nearly 6 million followers and said:
“My family relied on food stamps (EBT) when my dad died at 48. I was a student. If this happened then, we might’ve just starved. Now, many people will. It’s shameful hwo the GOP works overtime to create freebies for the rich while dissolving lifelines of those who need it most.”
AOC via Twitter, 12/5/19
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To which Lauf replied:
“Create ‘freebies’ for the rich AOC? You and your radical, socilist crew believe the Forgotten men and women, every day middle-class Americans are the ‘rich’. Tax relief for hard working Americans is hardly a ‘freebie’.”
Catalina Lauf via Twitter, 12/5/19
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Marter Goes After Lauf on Twitter
Sunday afternoon, 14th district Republican candidate James Marter responded to a tweet that answered another person’s question who wanted Lauf to run in the 16th district to unseat Congressman Adam Kinzinger.
It was pointed out that two years ago, Kinzinger was primaried by James Marter, who is not running for the 14th district congressional seat with Lauf and the other five candidates.
Marter responded to the claim that Lauf being the most loyal to President Trump in Twitter, which is transcribed below:
“Catalina [Lauf] worked for Governor Rauner after he signed SB31 HB40 and Red flag law plus many other anti-conservative bills. He gave $50K to PP [Planned Parenthood]. He was the most ardent ANTI-TRUMP gov. Of 50 states. Worked against Ives. No candidate who did that is a Conservative. She received $35K.
James Marter tweet, 12/8/19
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To which, my response was:
“The truth sets one free, & Catalina Lauf worked for Citizens for Rauner political org, not Governor’s staff. We live in USA & Supreme Court said Gay Marriage & Abortion legal, does that mean all of us support both? That’s sophistry as are your Catalina comparisons on SB31 HB40 et al
John Lopez tweet, 12/8/19
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This was not the first time Marter has attempted to use guilt by association that because, in Lauf’s case, she worked on Rauner’s reelection team, she supported SB31 (Sanctuary State law) and HB40 (Medicaid Funding for Abortion law) and the Red Flag law signed in the middle of 2018.
At the end of August, Marter tried this associative support for sanctuary state and Medicaid for Abortion on Jim Oberweis and Sue Rezin, which was called out by McHenry County Blog. He did not learn his lesson even after it was pointed out that Oberweis and Rezin voted against those two pieces of legislation. Elsewhere on Facebook after being shown the truth back on September 1, he still uses that talking point.
But the Twitter conversation continued from Marter in response to me above.
“Not even close to the same, she worked to re-elect Rauner in Republican primary had real conservative Jeanne Ives. I was 1st of 102 GOP Chairman to call for replacement of Rauner. She [chose] to work his campaign, either she knew all of that & didn’t care or worse didn’t know”
James Marter tweet, 12/8/19
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It has been written here on McHenry County Blog of looking at what someone did in the 2018 primary is looking in the wrong direction.
Plus when anyone plays fast and loose with the truth, one must be reminded that truth is a multi-sided sword, which is pointed out next:
“I know Catalina Lauf can discuss why she worked for 10 months on Rauner reelect last year. As for Jeanne Ives support, that cuts both ways. Instead of helping Ives fully, you chose to run for Congress in 2018 primary, instead of choosing right battle to devote 100% to help Ives
John Lopez tweet, 12/8/19
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Funny thing happens when the truth is brought to light. Here is Marter’s response:
“Again you are wrong. I was announced in my race long before Jeanne Ives got in. I was her Kendall County Coordinator and she won Kendall by 6.97% so please check facts before you publish Fake News
James Marter tweet, 12/8/19
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Now he has challenged the integrity of McHenry County Blog and the One who has brought me here to do what I must do. My response:
“Nothing wrong with my facts, the truth is you could have pulled out of your race against Congressman Adam Kinzinger & devoted time to whom the biggest risk was, & you chose not to. Ability to pick battles & adapt is important for a member of Congress & friend, you’ve shown me you cannot.
“And if you were really an asset to Jeanne Ives last year, why is she not openly backing your campaign in the 14th district? Just like House Freedom Caucus, why is the House Freedom Fund not openly backing your campaign like they are with Ives in the 6th district. Feel free to prove me wrong. Actually like [being proven wrong once in a while]
John Lopez tweet 12/8/19
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To which, Marter goes into a multi-tweet that would make Congressman Sean Casten green with envy:
“6.97 % victory [in Kendall County in 2018 Ives vs. Rauner] is big deal in any County vs. incumbent governor. went after biggest nevertrumper R Congress, with backing 50% of Republican PC the State Central 16, etc. made a commitment to them. stayed with the commitment, even though promised $Funding never came.
“That race [2018 16th district primary] was a preparation for this race. Which I never imagined would be needed. Meanwhile Catalina never voted in the 14th district when working for Rauner, never voted for Congressman Hultgren in 2018 to defend him from Underwood. Records matter!
James Marter tweet 12/8/19
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Wow, talk about Marter going froggy on me now jumping around to justify the shellacking he took by Kinzinger in 2018 primary. So where is the “$Funding” for his current race?
Come January 15, we’ll know if he’ll have the dollars to be competitive.
Now he claims that because Lauf wasn’t voting in 14th district in 2018 general disqualifies her? She had to cast her general election vote for Rauner somewhere.
That last tweet was by this time Sunday afternoon, I was running errands.
While many of the points Marter raised in his tweets could have been educated guesses of how Marter and his volunteers would go after Lauf, seeing it in print from his Twitter ID confirms the educated guesses.
Whether his guilt-by-association will work with discerning voters remains to be seen.
A couple of more tweets after I left the grocery store:
“At place where I can text now. The time will come when we discuss this race directly James Marter. And Kinzinger is openly backing one of the candidates in the 14th district Republican primary. We’ll see where all the candidates really stand when FEC Q419 numbers come out next month.
John Lopez tweet 12/8/19
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Marter gave a parting shot in Twitter:
“Rezin and Kinzinger have long history together, neither are conservative. No surprise he is backing her. Curious the blog hasn’t focused on out of District candidate who voted Gas Tax and Red Flag, a couple of many bad votes. Republican primary voters do care about those.
James Marter tweet 12/8/19
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There he goes again challenging the integrity of McHenry County Blog and the One who sent me. My final reply:
“Blog has more than once brought up 2nd amendment issues & Jim Oberweis & Sue Rezin votes. Capital bill referenced ever since 6/2 when it passed. 14th district Republican primary voters care about all issues, & we’ve been asking candidates, including you, for your policy/position papers. Send yours please.
John Lopez tweet 12/8/19
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And just think, it’s only early December before the primary.
Going to be a fun three plus months.
Let’s be very clear here. Attending a fundraiser (James Marter) does not make you the “Trump candidate” when Lauf was appointed by and worked for President Trump. Unless there’s another tie there I don’t see how James can comfortably call himself a Trump candidate.
Don Jr. Follows Lauf on Twitter. Being a political appointee for a Presidential Administration, especially this one is a solid and close knit network… and considering POTUS watches FOX News and Catalina gained national attention in her first month we can assume POTUS knows about Catalina’s candidacy. This seat is one they are watching, and I’m sure the Administration would want someone who is Pro-Trump …not someone like Sue/Adam Kingzinger who is a never trumper.
I will also say Lauf working for Rauner is not a big deal to the average voter. Lauf has said in many interviews she was working in the private sector and was looking for opportunities in Republican politics, Rauner happened to have the resources to bring on staff. It seems to me Lauf is way more conservative than Raunerites anyways and she is creating her own brand. Knocking her for “working” for Rauner for a few months is really not what anyone cares about.
At the end of the day, it’s pretty simple. Voters want the best horse who can take on Lauren Underwood. The voters look at someone like Lauf as the obvious choice, she’s young and she’s got some fire. There’s a good match up there. National news will have a field day.
& let’s look at it from a business or a stock perspective. There’s so much more value in a candidate like Lauf than just the run of the mill Oberweis, Gradel, Rezin. We’ve seen that with the “brand” Lauf is building. Her message had the ability to attract so many conservatives, and how that will translate to in district response, has been positive for as what I can tell. Don’t discount the power in her being the “Anti-AOC” thats what we all conservatives have been looking for at the end of the day, and we have the chance to elect her right here?
There should be some pride in that. I see so much envy against her, especially on here, when in reality she’s such a positive and a breath of fresh air. Republicans are ready for new people and if the future of the Party is in the hands of a 26 year old Latina from McHenry County than so be it. As far as I’m concerned what we’ve had before hasn’t worked out much. Time to try something new. My two cents.
John, Rauner went above what the Supreme Court said about abortion.
SCOTUS never said states had to fund abortions.
It was Rauner, the Republican, who did that.
The man blatantly lied to his constituents, to Republican lawmakers, and even a priest(!!!) about the issue by saying he would veto it.
I know pro-choice independents who were appalled by him signing the bill.
Supporting Rauner in the 2018 primary shows poor judgement.
If someone says they are conservative but WORKED ON BEHALF of Rauner in the 2018 primary, then they are a liar and/or they allow money to dictate their values.
Conservatives are looking for real conservative candidates right now, not people seeking the lime light hoping to secure a Fox News leg chair job.
Correcting, I am well aware that Rauner went above/beyond Supreme Court because of the 10th amendment allows states to fund certain procedures, including Abortion in spite of the Hyde Amendment preventing federal funding outside of state programs.
Some might call Lauf working for Rauner’s campaign organization, as the late Ross Perot put it back in 1992 before she was born, an “indiscretion of youth in the formative years” as she was 24 years old at the time she worked for Rauner’s campaign in the primary.
I do not know, and the pro-Lauf commenter did not explain fully, if Lauf had learned it was a mistake/bad decision she made to work for Rauner, and hopefully, Lauf will explain that fully during the primary campaign.
What I referred to, and I admit my quick thinking could have used a better example, was how Marter said in his Facebook meme back in late August that Oberweis and Rezin favored Medicaid for Abortion law and Sanctuary State in spite of both of them voting against those bills in the Senate. That was the stretch Marter used then, and continues to use today, and has expanded it to Lauf because of her employment by Citizens for Rauner.
Here’s a better example of Marter’s guilt-by-association reasoning. Allen Skillicorn backs Jim Oberweis in the 14th race. Oberweis voted for the Red Flag law, but Skillicorn voted against it. Does Skillicorn supporting Oberweis make Skillicorn now a supporter of the Red Flag Law Oberweis supported last year? Has Skillicorn abandoned the 2nd amendment to back Oberweis? That’s what Marter’s reasoning tries to establish. And as I said, it’s nonsense (“sophistry” is the word I used).
Where I think the Lauf supporter was commenting, she went from working for the most anti-Trump governor in the nation and landed a position within the Trump Administration, in the span of a month after Rauner’s defeat in November 2018 election. If part of the reason she landed the Trump administration gig was she learned what it was like to work for the wrong person/team, and she learned a valuable lesson, she was forgiven by the Trump administration, so social conservatives/real Trumpions can forgive her, too.
That’s for Lauf to come out and say, and to date, she has not.
Now, if we want to talk about candidates who send out 12-page mailers and not mention President Trump’s name once, vs. what Lauf’s campaign and Marter’s have done, that’s a good discussion to have on who really supports President Trump.
“Conservatives are looking for real conservative candidates right now…”, I think primary voters better listen to Jeff’s comment, and that is primary voters need to focus on the candidate who is the most electable to beat Lauren Underwood next November.
The jury is still out on who is the best, but there are some candidates whom it is easy to see do not stand a chance against Underwood.
I’m tired of Lauf.