McHenry County Blog

Most of audience stands for the Pledge of Allegiance, which was not on the Leagure of Women Voters' agenda. The moderator for the League of Women Voters said for audience members to "stand up in presumably a planned way..seems a bit disrespectful." The videographer was escorted out just as Joe Walsh began speaking. The rules prohibited recording the event.

This YouTube video is very interesting.

It shows the beginning of the candidate forum of the 8th Congressional district. It is a candidate forum, where for only fifty minutes three candidates for the 8th Congressional District are allowed to discuss the issues for the one and only time.

For the one and only time incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean showed up to face off against Republican challenger Joe Walsh and Green Party candidate Bill Scheurer.

How democratic.

The moderator says she was “disrespected” because audience members stood up and recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Perhaps a commenter can characterize such a reaction.

The videographer is being escorted out of the auditorium at this point. Electronic recording of the debate was forbidden. As he is shown the door, the first speaker, Joe Walsh is beginning.

In another free-speech-this-is-democracy-in-America moment, the Lake County League of Women Voters prohibited audience members (other than those with a privileged press passes-see comment section of this article) to video the forum discussion.

It seems obvious such a policy prevents a large audience from viewing the exchange and discussion on YouTube for example.

I’ll let you speculate if

• the League decided on its own this would be better for liberal Democrat Bean or
• the League listened to the Bean campaign’s preference or
• it was “school policy,” as a security guard told one blogster before the event,

to prohibit people from electronically recording the event.

Regardless whether it was a pre-condition set down by Bean’s handlers or the League decided to prevent broader dissemination on its own or the school has some really wacky policy, the prohibition doesn’t help the democratic process.

Someone certainly didn’t want any supporters of Joe Walsh to have a videotape of any Bean gaffe or audience reaction to any Bean’s outrageous positions.

Such a videotape could have gone viral on the internet, something liberals would want to prevent.

Here we go again

“Your votes for Obama Care, cap and trade and the stimulus have destroyed job creation and placed us in an unforgivable debt. “I also know you're afraid to face your constituents and defend those votes. A public servant who hides form the voters doesn't deserve to win...and you're hiding.” Full statement on YouTube below.

Below is the Joe Walsh campaign press release on Melissa Bean’s refusing to come to Barrington candidates’ debates/appearances.

Another Weekend, Two More No Shows From Melissa Bean

Eighth Congressional Incumbent Melissa Bean continues her string of not attending candidate forums and debates in the District.

She failed to attend a Candidate Debate on Sunday, October 17th in Barrington, hosted by the Barrington Tea Party. 60 Republican, Independent, and Democrat voters were in the audience and had questions for Ms. Bean.

Republican Challenger Joe Walsh was the only candidate in attendance and took questions for an hour. Ms. Bean’s office never even offered a reply to the host organization.

Also on Sunday, the Congresswoman failed to attend a meet the candidates forum hosted by the Lake Barrington Shores Association.

Candidates at the federal, state, county, and local levels all were invited to make individual presentations to almost 100 voters in attendance.

Bean’s office was contacted and wouldn’t commit one way or the other.

This behavior is consistent as her office has made it clear that she prefers to show up at events “un-announced” so as to minimize the number of folks in attendance asking her questions.

“It’s outrageous that Ms. Bean continues to avoid getting in front of the voters, ” said Walsh.

“She’s afraid to answer their direct questions. She has made it her policy to only show up at certain events in the district ”un announced” so that constituents won’t be able to attend and ask her questions. This would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic.

“Bean attacked Cong Phil Crane 6 years ago for doing the same darn thing and the local media chimed right in with her. The local media this year is silent when it comes to Bean’s behavior,” said Walsh.

“The fact that an Incumbent Congresswoman hides from her constituents and makes it a policy to show up in public as a ‘surprise’ should be headline news, ” said Walsh.

Two chances to hear candidates have been scheduled by the McHenry County League of Women Voters.

The first will be this Sunday afternoon at 2 at McHenry County College. It will feature county board candidates.

The format is the same as I remember last time around.

Candidates will sit at tables in the MCC cafeteria where those living in the district can join them and converse.

Sheriff candidates Gus Philpott, Mike Mahon and Keith Nygren appeared at a candidates' forum at MCC sponsored by the Illinois Policy Institute and the McHenry County TEA Party.

The second will be Monday October 25 at 7 PM.  That when the three candidates for sheriff will face off again in the MCC Conference Center.

The three candidates will be on the stage in a format similar to the one on Monday night.

As expected, the 8th District’s congresswoman stayed in her Bean bunker while GOP challenger Joe Walsh took the stage with 16th District Republican Congressman Don Manzullo.

Melissa Bean decided not to turn up on the McHenry County College stage where she last faced candidates running against her. That was more than four years ago. She did so poorly then that undoubtedly they advised her not to face off against the articulate Walsh.

Joe Walsh and Don Manzullo shared the MCC stage.

Manzullo proudly explained how he had voted against all of the stimulus packages while Walsh, who has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, seemed to be wishing he could have been in Washington to do the same.

When asked what their priorities would be if sent to Washington by November voters, Manzullo said,

“Jobs, jobs, jobs.”

Walsh followed suit by saying,

“Jobs, jobs, jobs, Repeal Obamacare and cut taxes.”

About 100 people attended the forum, sponsored by the McHenry County Tea Party and the Illinois Policy Institute. There was room for a lot more.

When I walking around my Algonquin 7 precinct this past weekend, people where anxious for an end to all the negative ads.

“Why do they run them?” I was asked.

“Because they work,” I replied.

One way to tune them out even more is to cast one’s vote early.

But that’s not a good idea the liberals writing Boston Globe’s editorials advise.

Consider this piece of editorial nonsense from the Boston Globe:

“States with early voting allow residents to cast ballots before the campaign reaches its natural conclusion. That cheats the process.”

Early voting benefits incumbents and candidates who peak early.

Democrats and liberals control the politics in Massachusetts.

They do in Illinois also.

Few would believe Massachusetts was the last state in the nation to mandate wearing seat belts.

Public safety was apparently not high on the Massachusetts liberal agenda.

Illinois Democrats, on the other hand, do a yawn followed by a ”Ho-hum” about driving our state broke.

You will perhaps remember that when Governor Rod Blagojevich took office, he brought with him absolute Democratic Party control of the legislative branch.

He said he found a deficit of $5 billion.

I figured that was a two-year deficit that George Ryan’s budgrt cutting, many of which components, e.g., closing the Lincoln Developmentally Disabled Center, Blagojevich campaigned against was in the process of closing.  Much as Jim Edgar did when he was in office.

Now, it’s eight years later and Governor Pat Quinn says that the state has a $13 billion deficit.

Let me do the math for you again.

$5 billion, plus an increase of $1 billion a year in unsustainable spending equals $13 billion.

A resounding and overwhelming “You’re out of here” will stop the liberal Democrats from redefining normal.

Nowhere in the United States or Illinois Constitutions is it written that everyone works for bureaucrats.

My study of government in one of the most liberal colleges in the country (Oberlin College) led me to believe that government is supposed to work for us, rather than us for it.

Here’s another piece of liberal rationalization courtesy of the Boston Globe:

“But early voting has badly chipped away at a shared civic ritual.”

How sad.

It appears that the liberal goal of controlling people’s votes might have an unintended consequence this year.

Think of how Democrats in Illinois voted to allow anyone to vote absentee for any reason whatsoever. Does that bring you back to the days of yesteryear when the Chicago machine could elect anyone? (Assignment: Re-read Mike Royko’s “Boss.”)

Apparently standing in line, grumbling early in the morning or before the polls close will be missed by many—except many editorial writers in the Boston area, that is.

There was no mention in the Boston Globe of how more people can reward Democrats in early voting for coming through with their promises of “hope and change.”

What’s more likely to be on voters’ minds is feeling they got cheated by those promised “hope and change” two years ago.

And early won’t be soon enough to vote that “not-loving-it” feeling.

Apparently the Boston Globe’s editorial board has concluded that the political atmosphere conducive to Democratic victories in November would be better served if citizens didn’t take their current frustrations into the ballot box right now.

Early voting starts in Illinois today, but, because of Columbus Day, I doubt many of the local polling places will be open until tomorrow.

And, tonight at McHenry County College the McHenry County Tea Party will hold the only candidates’ forum of which I am aware.

The following announcement has arrived from 8th congressional district Republican candidate Joe Walsh:

8th District Health Care Town Hall

Joe Walsh

Please join 8th District  Republican Congressional nominee Joe Walsh and a panel of health care experts for a public town hall meeting to discuss the federal takeover of health care and how the legislation will affect you. Unlike the private, invitation-only forums held by Joe’s opponent, Rep. Melissa Bean, all concerned 8th district residents, employers and business owners are invited to attend.

Date: Tuesday, June 8
Time: 7 pm to 8:30 pm
Place: McHenry VFW Post 4600,
3002 W. IL Route 120, McHenry, IL 60051

Panelists:

• Dr. Mark G. Neerhof, Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, North Shore University Health System, President, Illinois Chapter of Docs 4 Patient Care
• Peter Fotos, Director of Government Relations, The Heartland Institute
• C. Steven Tucker, Insurance Broker & Subject Matter Expert for The Wall Street Journal & Fortune Magazine
• Joe Walsh, Candidate for Congress, Illinois 8th district