IL-14: Jim Oberweis Spreads Disinformation on Sue Rezin

Jim Oberweis
Sue Rezin

Oberweis residency claim against Rezin does not stand up to discernment

As published yesterday, 14th congressional district Republican candidate Jim Oberweis sent out a hit-piece mailer against his opponent Sue Rezin concerning her residence is not within the current (2011) boundaries of the 14th congressional district.

And as was pointed out in the comments of the article, only being a resident of the state where the congressional district is located is the only legal requirement of residency to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Oberweis’ mailer made no mention of that fact as it shouldn’t, but it does make a claim that does not stand up to discernment. Here’s the portion of the mailer in question:

The inset check mark list is where Oberweis’ mailer crosses the line into disinformation. He highlights the following about Sue Rezin:

  • Not From The District
  • Lives in Congressman Adam Kinzinger’s District
  • No Plans To Move Up North If Elected (emphasis added)

Purposely leaving out what one commenter said that 2/3 of her state senate district is within the 14th district, it’s that last bulletpoint which requires voter discernment.

Last July when Rezin announced her congressional candidacy, the following appeared in POLITICO “Illinois Playbook” on July 10:

Excerpt from POLITICO “Illinois Playbook” 7/10/19

Please note the last paragraph and Rezin’s quote:

“We’ll wait to see how the lines are drawn during redistricting.”

Sue Rezin, 7/10/19
.

Looks pretty clear that Rezin is taking the prudent and reasonable approach concerning the boundaries of the 14th congressional district and the fact the boundaries are going to change in 2021.

Oberweis is trying to mislead voters with disinformation that Rezin has no plans to relocate to cross the southern boundary of the current (2011) 14th district. One never knows, after the 2021 redistricting, the southern boundary of the newly redrawn 14th district may move south, and then Rezin wouldn’t have to move, assuming she wins the primary and the general.

It is understandable why Oberweis is spreading this kind of disinformation, given the 14th district primary is down to him and Rezin, plus Ted Gradel’s campaign money playing spoiler. The other four candidates in the 14th district field are unable to compete with Oberweis, Rezin and Gradel due to lack of campaign cash.

And all indications of polling shows the primary race is a two-person contest particularly with Rezin surging in the face of winning the editorial endorsements of both the Chicago Tribune and the Daily Herald.

Oberweis launching a negative TV commercial against Rezin last week in addition to the residency mailer is all the proof one needs to know the Oberweis campaign’s internal polling bears witness to the Rezin surge.

Therefore, in the final three weeks of the 14th district Republican campaign, primary voters should be discerning and question if a claim made by a candidate against another candidate, is actually true.

As one commenter said in yesterday’s article on the residency questions both Rezin and Oberweis face, Rezin living outside the boundary of the current 14th congressional district is a “red herring”.

Linke to POLITICO 7/10/19:


Comments

IL-14: Jim Oberweis Spreads Disinformation on Sue Rezin — 7 Comments

  1. Diversifying from playing just the FOIA game, did the Dog’s write this hit piece for the Milkman?

  2. Well, if she has never said in writing or in tongue that she plans on moving, then the statement would be true, technically.

    Does she have plans on moving? Yes or no?

    That is NOT the same thing as claiming she has DENIED that she would relocate. I’m sure there will be lots of misinformation leading up to the election.

    Maybe somebody should just ASK HER whether she would or would not.

    But then if she says “maybe,” Jim could still spin that.

    That’s why I say she should just commit to moving. It doesn’t have to be before the primary, but she should promise to move before the general election should she be the candidate.

  3. Oberweis has bad baggage too.

    Such as likening Pro-Lifers to the Taliban and the Oberweis family giving to Hillary Clinton!!!

    He’s not for Tump either, just like RINO Rezin.

    Let these two fulfill their bucket lists elsewhere!

    Vote James MARTER for the Conservative, ProLife, Pro-American Vote!

  4. Correcting, the biggest unknown will determine if she will move, and that is the new district lines that will be drawn and approved in 2021. Oberweis doesn’t mention the new district, but points only at the existing district boundaries.

    There is a chance, albeit a small one, the Democrats could shift the southern boundary line of the 14th district south to include Grundy County, and remove Lake County from the 14th. While it’s doubtful the Democrats will do any Republican, especially a freshman a favor, at the turn-of-the-century redistricting in 2001, the IL GA and the Republicans in Congress at that time came to an agreement, and passed the new congressional map with 19 congressional districts.

    Will something like that happen in 2021, who knows?

    My guess, and only State Senator Rezin can say this definitively, is if she’s elected to Congress this year, she’ll look at the new boundary lines once the Democrats draw/propose them, and decide then *IF* she needs to move, and where.

    Look for Lauren Underwood, win or lose, to have that choice to make, too, and move out of her parents’ home in Naperville. Underwood is not the only member of Congress living in Naperville, and should Underwood lose reelection this year, she could follow in the footsteps of Bill Foster, when the old 14th district was flipped in 2010 and he was voted out. The Democrats just drew the 11th district to be a safe Democratic district, and he ran there after they drew then-freshman Congressman Adam Kinzinger into the 16th, and Foster is still in Congress today.

    As “Sitbd” said, Oberweis has baggage including residency, including his wife’s legal Florida residency for eight years and Underwood last week already took shots at Oberweis dodging tax liabilities due to his wife’s Florida residency. We all saw how the DCCC will make Jim Oberweis a “Florida resident” and use that against him, because of his real estate holdings in Florida that are well-documented.

    As we’ve written elsewhere, the “Pro-Lifers to the Taliban” reference is over 18 years old, Oberweis has been forgiven of that 2001 issue, and to date, Oberweis has received the backing of most pro-life PACs.

    As for Hillary Clinton, that has never really stuck, and that has not been used in the primary outside of blog comments and maybe social media.

    We all know the only “players” in competition for the nomination in the 14th are Oberweis and Rezin, along with Ted Gradel’s campaign cash which for now looks to be playing spoiler and nothing more.

  5. Well, it’s clear this is subjective.

    You think the Taliban gaffe isn’t a big deal, he’s been forgiven. I think it could be an issue for some social conservatives.

    I tend to think Oberweis’s wife residency isn’t an issue. I may be (and probably am) wrong.

    We would probably both agree that Oberweis and Rezin have baggage. I don’t know if I’d say one has a better shot than the other in a general election — but I do stand by the point that Rezin would greatly increase her chance of success if she moves into the district.

    Do you think Lauf and/or Marter have less baggage than Rezin and Oberweis?

    I can’t think of too many scandals involving Marter besides for that one volunteer at the parade who was fired immediately.

    Lauf doesn’t have baggage in the traditional sense, but many people feel she is not ready for primetime.

    Gradel’s baggage is the worst of anybody’s.

  6. As a Taliban, I will be supporting Marter, not the old dairy farter!

  7. Correcting, yes, it’s very subjective concerning redistricting. Take Congressman Adam Kinzinger, when he flipped the 11th district in 2010, not many people saw him being drawn-out of the 11th district he just won and being drawn-into the 16th district where he had to face and unseat 10-term incumbent Congressman Don Manzullo in the 2012 Republican primary.

    Whether something like that will happen after a possible Rezin win in the 14th, it is sure possible. I think voters will understand Rezin stating she would move into the redrawn congressional district after the new district is approved in 2021.

    I would, to a point, agree with you that Oberweis’ wife’s residency wasn’t an issue, but when Congresswoman Underwood herself brings up Oberweis’ wife’s Florida residency in a possible general election match-up like she did last Wednesday in Evanston, Mrs. Oberweis is now an issue.

    Agreed even after 18 years, and no proof Oberweis really believes it, the Taliban/pro-life reference shouldn’t be an issue but I agree, there are some who still cling to the past. In the intervening 18 years, there are many many more pro-lifers who’ve moved passed it years ago, and respect his work in Springfield and have awarded him their endorsements in the primary next month. Oberweis has two pro-life PACs supporting him, the most among all the other 14th district candidates combined.

    Concerning Lauf and Marter, while they have less baggage, they also don’t have a record to prove what they say on the campaign trail is something they will put into practice if they were elected to Congress or any other office.

    While Marter has a successful I/T business since going out on his own at the turn of the century, Marter has shown he cannot raise campaign cash from donors, so from a business perspective, he cannot bring investors to invest in him in his latest bid for federal office. In 2016 and 2018, he ran against two established incumbents, so his anemic fundraising can be expected. For 2020, with no Republican incumbent, Marter only has himself to blame and if by some miracle/act of God Marter wins on the 17th, Marter is going to learn the hard way that the money will not simply “pour in” if he’s the nominee like he said would happen.

    As for Lauf, as I said last month, she cannot explain gaps in her resume’ or produce professional references, and given she has not achieved anything in her own name, she needs the references. Look at yesterday’s Tribune “political experience”. She again skips over her Citizens for Rauner work pretending it never happened.

    And didn’t Rauner win the 14th district by 8 points in the 2018 general election?

    As I’ve said previously, Lauf has shown herself to have no substance after the national media attention and her fundraising faded back in mid-October, and she has turned into Beto O’Rourke, and he was a 3-term Congressman.

    Gradel has yet to show he can defend himself on the U.S. Stem Cell Clinic, LLC, and he is spending his money to-date going after Jim Oberweis and to lesser degree, Sue Rezin.

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