Winners: David McSweeney, Catalina Lauf
Honorable mention: Sue Rezin
Losers: Lauren Underwood, Jim Oberweis
In an article published early Friday morning on McHenry County Blog, the following sub title was included:
Primary candidates’ rapid responses to current events reveals quality voters should consider for a possible general election campaign
Subtitle to “IL-14: Catalina Lauf and James Marter Quick to Support President Trump’s Decisive Action in Iraq” 1/3/20
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Now that two full days have passed since the event Thursday night launched by President Trump which killed Iranian terrorist, General Qassem Soleimani in response to an attack on the American embassy in Baghdad earlier in the week, there are political winners and losers, which this article will examine.
But the real winners are the Americans both in the Middle East and around the world who were at varying levels of risk while the Iranian terrorist mastermind Soleimani lived to spread the hatred of himself and the militant Iranian leadership.
A genuine real winner is President Trump and his administration who ordered the attack using intelligence data from his administration and executed flawlessly through a drone attack with zero American casualties. The President showed the world that an attack on an embassy of the United States will bring lethal force response on the organizers of the attackers.
Last but definitely not least, the real winners through the death of Soleimani are the families of Americans who have been killed or had loved ones maimed through attacks and strategies originating from Soleimani over the years. Soleimani’s demise brings justice and some closure for these families.
Politically, in the midst of the congressional campaign in the 14th district, the biggest winner, in my own opinion, is a Republican who is not even on the ballot this year for any public office — State Representative David McSweeney.
Winner: David McSweeney
Late Saturday morning, McSweeney tweeted his response to Congresswoman Lauren Underwood’s Friday night statement on the action in Iraq. The embedded tweet is here:
In articles here on McHenry County Blog, either an embedded tweet or a screenshot of a tweet is placed in articles quoting someone from Twitter.
Embedding a tweet provides additional information about the response, like its popularity among other Twitter users.
Note the first small heart next to the time-stamp of the tweet from McSweeney. The number next to the heart represents the number of Twitter likes this particular tweet has received from users who are logged into their Twitter IDs on their smartphones or computers.
As of this writing, the likes for McSweeney’s Saturday morning tweet is at 1,425. Please note that number as it will be used for comparison in a few minutes.
But why is McSweeney’s tweet so popular? Because he gave the most heartfelt response to Underwood’s statement.
McSweeney gave an honest assessment of what Underwood’s statement lacked. The fact Underwood completely ignores the real risk to security of Americans abroad Soleimani represented. He also noted Underwood was caving to Democratic leadership, and especially the Squad’s responses to the justified action of President Trump in the killing of Qassem Soleimani.
Right now, if I were a candidate for Congress in the 14th, McSweeney is the one man whose high-profile endorsement I would want given his new popularity in the context of Soleimani’s death.
Loser: Lauren Underwood
The picture of Underwood at the top of this article is one taken a year ago the day Underwood was sworn into Congress, and the picture with freshman and Squad member Ayanna Pressley illustrates a time-bomb on Underwood, her close association with the Squad which at some point would explode to Underwood’s undoing.
The bomb went off over the Iraq response by President Trump, and while Pressley, who hates President Trump so much she does not speak his name, but only refers to him as “The Occupant of the White House”, has said the least of the 4-member Squad which includes Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and their leader who is already being hailed as a presidential candidate in 2024 or 2028, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) have said too much to the detriment of our country.
Here (right) is Underwood’s embedded tweet with her statement she issued Friday night in reference to the action in Iraq on Thursday night.
Just like with McSweeney, the running total of Twitter likes, the number next to the timestamp, shows how popular a tweet is, and as of this writing, the number for Underwood’s statement is at 311.
That’s 311 likes for a tweet posted early Friday night compared with the 1,425 McSweeney’s tweet from late Saturday morning.
That comparison tells the story of why McSweeney is the biggest political winner and Underwood is one of the political losers.
Winner: Catalina Lauf
Of all of the 14th congressional district Republican candidates, Lauf had quite the week last week, beginning with the withdrawal by her political opponents of the petition objection against her campaign, that alone would be a terrific week.
But the action by President Trump in Iraq allowed Lauf to flex her political muscle through the strength in social media beginning with her late Thursday night tweet highlighted in the early Friday morning article on this blog.
But then, the Squad started saying very stupid things in the face of the President’s actions and allowed Lauf to take on the Squad on the stage of over 40,000 followers on Twitter and capitalize on the Squad-influenced statement from Underwood.
Here’s an example of Lauf’s multiple responses in this transcribed Twitter thread:
“I’m not sure what is more disturbing, or dangerous for that matter when it comes to responses by U.S. elected officials re Soleimani: “outrage” by Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez falsely claiming this is widely seen as an act of war, or the complete silence by Lauren Underwood
“United We Stand Divided We Fall. Politics aside, U.S. elected officials should ALWAYS be on the side of the US and against the evil responsible for injuring and the killing of our Americans.
“To the families, and to those hurt or have been killed by the terrible acts of Qaseem Soleimani, we are with you. To President Trump, our intel community and our soldiers who bravely executed the plan, America is with you, too.”
Catalina Lauf Twitter thread, 1/3/20, 2:38PM CST
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Lauf also posted the above thread on her Instagram account to her nearly 18,000 followers there. Then, nearly 3 hours after the above thread, Lauf sent the following, and note the likes in this embedded tweet:
Then Lauf took to reminding Underwood that her silence was being noticed:
And then Squad member Omar again:
And a little over a 1/2 hour after the response to Omar, this:
And after Underwood finally released her statement through Twitter early Friday evening, Lauf responded en route to the Algonquin Support President Trump rally yesterday morning:
Lauf was also one of the many Twitter users who retweeted David McSweeney’s tweet from late yesterday morning responding to Underwood’s tepid statement to American victory in Iraq.
Lauf demonstrated poise and leadership effectively using her social media strength and gaining new followers from across the country. How this will play out with voters in the 14th district remains to be seen, but if her social media marketing is any indication to her campaign marketing in-district, watch out.
Loser: Jim Oberweis
And where has Jim Oberweis been on the Soleimani action and his reaction?
Through early Sunday morning, Oberweis is the only 14th district candidate who has not responded in any way on Thursday’s attack in Iraq (yes, Anthony Catella has not responded either, but I do not expect a candidate who raised less than $1,000 to be a credible candidate, but I do expect a response from someone whose raised over 3/4 of a million dollars).
Like Lauf said in the above tweet concerning Underwood’s nearly 24 hours of silence after the attack, the same can be said for the one Republican whom many have already penciled-in as the winner of the Republican primary based solely on his name ID.
Given Oberweis’ and his campaign’s silence, the people who think Oberweis should win may want to get their erasers out.
And it’s not like Oberweis has been in a remote part of the world without access to email. Between Christmas and New Year, Oberweis’ campaign released details of its January 14 fundraisers, and Oberweis himself posted a comment and video on McHenry County Blog late last week.
As pointed out earlier, all of the other credible 14th district campaigns for the Republican nomination issued some kind of response to Thursday night’s attack in Iraq either through a press release like Sue Rezin, or through social media posts like Lauf, Jerry Evans, Ted Gradel or James Marter.
As said in the quoted subtitle at the beginning of the article, how a candidate responds to events is a good indicator to the kind of general election nominee they might be.
Oberweis and his campaign people need to make sure the perception being sent is a false one.
Who knew the draft was still in place?
The snowflakes will go crazier than they already are.
Virtually all male U.S. citizens, regardless of where they live, and male immigrants, whether documented or undocumented, residing in the United States, who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service.
The law says men must register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. That means men are required to register with Selective Service sometime during the 30 days before their 18th birthday, their 18th birthday, and the following 29 days after their 18th birthday – that is a 60-day registration period.
Men who do not register with Selective Service within the 60-day window are technically in violation of the law and should register as soon as possible. Late registrations are accepted up to the 26th birthday. However, once a man reaches his 26th birthday and still has not registered with Selective Service, it is too late!
It’s important to know that even though a man is registered, he will not automatically be inducted into the military. Registering with Selective Service does not mean you are joining the military.
In a crisis requiring a draft, men would be called in a sequence determined by random lottery number and year of birth. Then, they would be examined for mental, physical, and moral fitness by the military before being deferred or exempted from military service or inducted into the Armed Forces.
https://www.sss.gov/Registration/Why-Register
Penalties for Failing to Register
Failing to register or comply with the Military Selective Service Act is a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 or a prison term of up to five years, or a combination of both. Also, a person who knowingly counsels, aids, or abets another to fail to comply with the Act is subject to the same penalties.
If a man fails to register, or provides Selective Service with evidence that he is exempt from the registration requirement, after receiving Selective Service reminder and/or compliance mailings, his name is referred to the Department of Justice for possible investigation and prosecution for his failure to register as required by the Act. For clarification, if a man is exempt from registering with the Selective Service System, his name is not forwarded to the Department of Justice. The federal law stipulates that names are to be submitted to the Department of Justice annually.
The more immediate penalty is if a man fails to register before turning 26 years old, even if he is not tried or prosecuted, he may find that some doors are permanently closed.
Equality between males and females? You decide >
Women Aren’t Required to Register
Here’s why:
THE LAW
Selective Service law as it’s written now refers specifically to “male persons” in stating who must register and who would be drafted. For women to be required to register with Selective Service, Congress would have to amend the law.
THE SUPREME COURT
The constitutionality of excluding women was tested in the courts. A Supreme Court decision in 1981, Rostker v. Goldberg, held that registering only men did not violate the due process clause of the Constitution.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced on December 3, 2015, the Department of Defense will lift all gender-based restrictions on military service starting January. In response, Armed Services Committee Chairmen, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), issued a joint statement on December 3, 2015, saying, “Congress has a 30-day period to review the implications of today’s decision. … and receiving the Department’s views on any changes to the Selective Service Act that may be required as a result of this decision.”
As of January 2016, there has been NO decision to require females to register with Selective Service, or be subject to a future military draft. Selective Service continues to register only men, ages 18 through 25.
Following a unanimous recommendation by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced, on January 24, 2013, the end of the direct ground combat exclusion rule for female service members. The service branches continue to move forward with a plan to eliminate all unnecessary gender-based barriers to service. Ongoing project is still underway.
The Selective Service System, if given the mission and modest additional resources, is capable of registering and drafting women with its existing infrastructure.
For the morons who think a war w/ Iran is a bright idea, some sobering thoughts from a paleoconservative publication: https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/476828-five-lessons-afghanistan-teaches-us-about-iran
Yes, as I posted on another thread:
It’s the MIC
https://www.npr.org/2011/01/17/132942244/ikes-warning-of-military-expansion-50-years-later
Lady Jane, who said anything about a war w/ Iran. That’s a Squad talking point that holds no water.
If you’re not old enough to remember what was taking place 40 years ago, please read Sue Rezin’s press release, link at top, and read how any attack on a US embassy now is met with lethal force, not what President Carter did back in 1979.
1979? What about 1953? My sunshine blogger was already 95 years old then. I am sure he remembers. We know these compassionate conservative republikkklans too well. Stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meeeeeeoooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww…
LOL – I am *shocked* that Lopez thinks Lauf was a winner and Underwood was a loser. No one could have guess that would happen. 🙄
AlabamaShake, look at how she takes both Ilhan Omar and Lauren Underwood apart over this, and even a blind man could see Lauf as a winner.
Winners and losers on this general getting killed? Are you kidding me? Disgusting to even think about it like that and in those terms much less wrote it out in a blog post.
** look at how she takes both Ilhan Omar and Lauren Underwood apart over this**
LOL – of course you think so. You agree with her ideologically. And you want her to win.
John Lopez, and others frothing with blood in their mouths for a an American-Irano War, get your head out of the sand, and read this: https://buchanan.org/blog/will-war-derail-trumps-reelection-137952
I hate the Leftists for what they and do.
Trump contrived to give in to Bibi and his son in law over his own better instincts, maybe he was forced to by duplicitous GOP Senators holding impeachment over his head so Pence could stage the war on schedule.
No, Oh, we are talking the death of a mastermind terrorist.
Think along the lines of when Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Ladin or Moammar Khadafi had to face justice, and they did.
So too has Qassem Soleimani and it was because of the decisive action of President Trump.
‘1953?’
I don’t blab any drab gab,I only chatter hep patter…..said in my best Maynard G Krebs voice.
No. John Lopez. You are talking about political winners and losers.
But while you mention it, invading Iraq and the death of Saddem Hussian resulted in far more death.
Killing him was a huge foreign policy blunder.
No she actually showed leadership and strength in those— she is followed by General Flynn, Don Jr. and was retweeted by multiple public figures including Dinesh D’Souza.
Ya’ll love underestimating her
The sunshine blog; driving the political conversation in McHenry County, the state of Illinois, the United States of America, the third rock from the Sun, our solar system, the entire Milky Way galaxy, and beyond. Stay tuned…to infinity, tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, 302 days, tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meeeeeeoooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww…
Catalina Lauf could certainly enlist if she feels so strongly.
I don’t know who John Lopez is or why Cal thinks his musings are publication worthy but this piece is ridiculous for a half dozen reasons; if you don’t think assassinating a nation’s top general is NOT an act of war….
It is so absurd that we continue to argue about strawmen.
Literally no one that I have seen is saying that Soleimani was a good person. That isn’t the question. The question is
a) was this an appropriate action to take against a high ranking official of a foreign country that we have not declared war against,
b) does this actually make Americans safer, and
c) what are the ramifications of the assassination – ie does this FURTHER destabilize the region, put our troops in harms way in a way that they have not been, and threaten Americans around the world.
And, further, it doesn’t really address whether or not we want to and should be continuing to fight in an endless war.
Lopez wants to talk about “winners and losers” and who is scoring political points.
I get the urge.
But in doing so you are creating all kinds of strawmen that make it really easy to argue against, but it sure doesn’t add any substance to the conversation other than “TRUUUUMPPP!! HE KILLED A BAD GUY!!!!!”
But sure.
Pretend that folks are just crying about an evil man being killed.
Nice to see anti McHenry Count Blog,nuestro amigo Angel Llavona quoted in the NW Herald today—about his presence and feelings at the Pro Trump rally.
Only things missing were the; meow, and tick-tocking.
“Que lastima”.. Keep meowing and tick tocking Padre.
But Next time introduce yourself at one of these rallies.
Would love to see and hear if you’re really ticking and tocking outloud..woof-woof.
A shame the NW Herald spends nearly half the story on the Trump rally on “4 or 5” protesters, and not more of the nearly 500 who showed up throughout the day in support of our President.
Would have loved to seen State Rep Dave McSweeney there—his tweet proves he could have been the Day’s Honored Guest( does he know how popular he is?
Because he represents what his constituents believe, and not some far away and removed “Squad”)….btw, never spotted Underwitch, or any Dem Candidates for that matter, at the Anti Trump rally in December at CL.
The Protest with all the soy boy men and “uninteresting” women.
The Pro Trump rally was the complete opposite, Strong Confident Men, and very “interesting” women.
From Sunday NW Herald–Cassie Buchman reporter:
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A group of about four or five counterprotesters, some carrying a banner saying “Literally Anyone Else 2020,” were across the street from the Trump ralliers.
Angel Llavona, a public school teacher and Algonquin resident, is a legal immigrant who came to the U.S. 20 years ago. However, he said he still is aware of the of the “tragic turn” this government and Trump’s administration has taken regarding its position on immigration.
“I am here to defend the honor of all immigrants from the past, the present and from the future,” Llavona said. “When I see the policies and the attitude, the racism, the xenophobia that this administration is showing toward many, including the immigrants, I cannot stand still and watch this happen.”
Llavona said he can see the effect the “dangerous atmosphere” has on his 10- and 14-year old children.
“They are aware; they make comments, they will let me know what other kids say in school,” he said.
“Fortunately, they have not been bullied, [but] I am aware of many other instances of bullying in this area and other areas of the country. We have a president who is a bully himself who has triggered this attitude to come out for many other people.”
A group of about 4 or 5 counterprotesters?
Pretty simple math.
Some in depth & insightful reporting that is… not
Wait, what?
Pete Buttigieg says Donald Trump does NOT deserve credit for taking out Soleimani but admits the Iranian general ‘deserved’ to die because he had ‘American blood on his hands’
Wait a minute! Wait a minute! As long as I live, nobody labels me as an “anti-sunshine blog.” My sunshine blogger knows very well I cyber-walk with him in both sunshine good times and sunshine bad times. My fascist republikkklan friends, got tolerance? Stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, 302 days, tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meeeeeeoooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww…
Casten is also a loser—way to go Jeanne, front page of Breitbart today about how bad Casten really is for those he’s supposed to represent.
He’s nothing but a Squad male wanna-be member, and a Pelosi bobblehead.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/05/republican-jeanne-ives-democrat-sean-casten-a-symbol-of-the-radical-left/
Trump wants to bomb cultural sites.
This guy is sick.
People who enable Trump are sick.
Breitbart hates Trump.
I hate Breitbart and pity Trump.
And I hate oh on and angel.
Wait a minute pro-life sunshine commenters! Isn’t your agenda one of christian love and compassion? Stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meeeeeeoooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww…
This will trigger our snowflake friends>
Rush Limbaugh renews radio show contract in a ‘long-term’ deal according to CNN
No Angel (10:05PM), real Christians know God is not only Love, but of Justice and Judgement, and He used President Trump as His instrument of Divine Judgement on General Soleimani and brought about his demise, without any innocents being hurt.
Soleimani caused harm to many innocents, and now closure for the victims.
Good news on Rush’s contract renewal. We are fortunate here in the U.S. that we have a number of people such as Rush to counter the propaganda, lies and bias from the Pravda/Tass Democrat type of so-called news on broadcast and cable tv news networks with truth and facts.
Me thinks Omar’s turban on to tight, she wants Americans to die?
she is done…
MN can’t wait to rid themselves of her.
What about the American blood on the hands of Dubya and Hillary?
Among increasing tension of another US-led war and the possibility of hundreds of thousands of more innocent civilians dead by virtue of our tax dollars, compassionate conservative republikkklans cheer the renewal of Rush Limbaugh’s contract. Keep the entertainment coming folks! Stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meeeeeeoooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww…
Haven’t we learned anything? Are our attn spans measured in seconds?
Big Brother has come, long ago.
Watch this: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/01/07/tucker_carlson_on_iran_were_trusting_the_same_people_who_pushed_the_russia_hoax.html
Booty-Judge Pete says the bible blesses his same sex marriage too.
Yes Sniper, who has more American Blood on their hands: Bush II, Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell or the Iranian General?
In that line up, he come’s in 4th (if at all, since he and the Russian Air Force did more to destroy the ISIL Caliphate than the US did!!!!!!, a Caliphate caused by Iraq War II, another war stampeded by the Deep State.