McHenry County Blog

In an apparent response to State Rep. candidate Dave McSweeney’s press release about his endorsement by four Pro-Life organizations, this press release was sent out by tate Rep. candidate Danielle Rowe.  The two are fighting for support from the save voters, while appointed State Rep. Kent Gaffney is not.

Rowe Is The Consistent Pro-Life Candidate For Pro-Life Voters

Island Lake, IL – In the race for the State Representative in the 52nd district, there is only one true pro-life candidate: Danielle Rowe.

Rowe believes life begins at conception, and has been a strong advocate for pro-life issues for nearly 20 years.

During his run for Congress, Rowe’s opponent, David McSweeney, took the position that abortions should be allowed during the first eight weeks of pregnancy, but banned after that unless the life of the mother is in jeopardy.

In an article posted in the Daily Herald in February of 1998 (1), Chairman of the Illinois Federation for Right to Life PAC, Felicia Goeken, said of McSweeney at the time: “He’s double talking. You can’t have both. That’s a double position there.”

Rowe has received support from other leaders in the pro-life community such as Jim Finnegan and Penny Pullen.

“Danielle Rowe is an inspiring candidate, Pullen said.

“No one fights harder than Danielle, whether it’s for taxpayers, for small business operators or for vulnerable human beings who need a voice in Springfield.

“No one is more vulnerable than innocent little boys and girls who are waiting to be born, and no one will fight harder for them than Danielle.

“I am proud to endorse this remarkable woman and urge voters to send her to Springfield, where I know she will bring a sorely needed breath of fresh air,” says Pullen, former State Representative and long-time pro-life activist.

“Either you believe that life begins at conception or you don’t,” Rowe sad.

“If you do, as I do, then you understand that a life is a life and should be protected.

“I’m the only candidate in the race who has articulated this understanding—and consequently the only candidate who would be a consistent advocate for the protection of innocent unborn life as a legislator in Springfield,” states Rowe.

We’re on board now for the Family PAC cruise.

Before we left the dock, I was downstairs getting a Diet Coke.

That’s when I figured out that Fox TV media star Cedra Crenshaw was on board.

I didn’t figure it out from her name.  Her tag had a district number on it, which, to me, meant nothing.  I asked where her district was and she mentioned Bollingbrook and another town on I-55.  It wasn’t until she

Needless to say, she will need money to stand a chance. She probably needs money to pay off the attorneys who got her on the ballot when two Will County Democratic office holders knocked her off for partisan reasons.

You can contribute on her web site.  I hope she follows my suggestion and starts handing out envelopes at events like this.

Another candidate I met below decks was Richard Hamen.

His campaign handout has a broom with the slogan,

“Let’s Clean House!”

How reminiscent of House Speaker Mike Madigan’s Illinois State Fair Talk in 2002 after George Ryan had decided not to run for re-election during the run-up to his indictment.

We were off to Lake Michigan.

I started making jokes about how we were doing what people feared the Asian carp would do.  There were lame, probably blocking the dismay I shall feel if our generation allows the Asian carp into Lake Michigan and it ends up dominating its ecology.

We passed the lighthouse.

It is across the locks from Navy Pier.

Barrington’s Jim Finnegan wanted me to remind McHenry County readers that State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) personally prevented the Choose Life license plates from getting a vote in the committee he chairs in the Illinois House of Representatives.

We headed north past Navy Pier where I got a couple of shots of the John Hancock Center.  It was a bit dark for good ones and the rocking boat added another difficulty.

United States Senator Jim DeMint had finished his talk on the top deck and came down below.

I went back upstairs.

There I heard two candidates for Congress, Randy Hultgren and Isaac Hayes.

Hultgren is running against Bill Foster in an expansive Kane County-centered district.

Hayes is running against Jesse Jackson, Jr., on the South Side of Chicago.

They spoke while we were in the lock next to Navy Pier.

On the way off the board, Chicago Tea Party Director Steve Stevlic introduced himself.

It was late.

Close to 11 o’clock when we hit the highway.

The latest we have ever gotten a3ahy from a Family PAC cruise.

I had brought my I-Pass transponder and was so tired by the time we reached the O’Hare Toll Plaza that I forgot to hold it up.

That meant I had to call the 800 number to add the car which was giving me a rid to our account.

We’ll see if it took or whether I have to make another call after my friend gets a threatening letter.

It’s probably because Bob Kjellander and Paul Caprio go back to Young Republican days.

That’s where I first met Caprio.

I was talking the National Republican Party folks about a mock convention manual I had written, based on my experience of being chairman of Oberlin College’ Mock Convention.

In any event, I was still surprised to see Illinois’ Republican National Committeeman on the boat.

I took a picture of him and Tom Roeser and, then, Kjellander got Libertyville’s Jack Martin to take one of Bob and me.

Kjellander was one of Jim Thompson’s campaign managers when I ran for state comptroller in 1982.

But, I’m ahead of my story.

We left Algonquin at 4 in the afternoon, knowing that traffic had been bad the year before.

Everything was fine until we got to the toll booths. Gene Brown, who almost never goes to Chicago didn’t have an I-Pass transponder, so we got into the cash section. It was rush hour, of course, but all of the booths were not manned.

It took us one hour and fifteen minutes to get through the Rod Blagojevich bottleneck.

And the congestion continued until past the merge.

I wonder if Blagojevich will switch the express lanes so Chicagoans returning home from their jobs at night will be able to get home faster. Of course, that would begin a movement by Chicago executives who want to get to work faster, rather than slower, and vice versa, would start moving their headquarters closer to home.

We noticed that Blagojevich didn’t have one of those expensive signs over the cash lanes.

We made is to close to when the cruise was supposed to start that we vowed to leave at 3:30 next summer.

But, Sandy Rios came to the rescue. Her broadcast on WYLL-FM does end until 5 PM and since she was doing announcing duties, Caprio decided to wait.

And we waited.

Finally, he asked for a show of hands of who wanted to sail right away and who was willing to wait some more.

Rios, who heads the Culture Campaign, won a further reprieve. I got this great wind-swept Sandy shot once we got out on Lake Michigan.

The first candidate I discovered was Michael Younan, who is running against 9th district Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. This photo is of him and Joe Hedrick, Niles Township Republican Committeeman.

Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica made the rounds before the boat left dock. This was the day before Democratic Party Cook County State’s Attorney Dick Devine decided to announce his retirement.

Jim Nalepa was onboard. He wants to run for U.S. Senate and later was given the microphone to make his pitch.

I got a picture of Nalepa in discussion with Terry Kennedy.

Vernon Township Republican Committeeman Don Castella was talking with Paul Sengpiehf. I knew Paul from his days with the Department of Local Governmental Affairs. Governor Richard B. Ogilvie created the department and Paul was the lawyer I often death with on property tax assessment matters.

Americans for Truth head Peter LaBarbera was caught talking to Kane County’s Chad Koppie and Elder John Tyler, who runs the African American Family Association.

I talked for a while with Rod Drobinski, as assistant state’s attorney in Lake County, who is thinking about running for the State Senate to replace retiring Senator Bill Peterson.

Fortunately, they did not develop into rain. Otherwise, the lower deck would have been quite crowded.

Besides Nalepa, Steve Greenberg, one of the two candidates announced for the Republican nomination to run against Melissa Bean, the woman who knocked off Phil Crane, spoke.

He used his Jewish religion to present his pro-life views as no Christian could.

Greenberg pointed out that he had relatives who had been killed in the Holocaust, so had a different approach to the issue. I can’t remember his word—only that they worked quite well.

He also came up with a term I have not heard before to describe bureaucrats. He talked about the “idiocracy.”

Expect to hear more about that.

Cook County Commissioner and Republican Party Chairman Liz Gorman was seated near our table, so I was able to get this shot of her before the cruise ended.

Earlier, below decks, David McAloon, his wife and I also had a conversation.

One of the last pictures I got before we disembarked was of Pro-Life Action League’s Joe Schidler’s bright red cap. You can see it here. I should have taken his picture, too, but you know my fixation is on messages.

Of course, there were many others on the cruise, Mary Ann Hackett and her husband, Jim Finnegan, who serves on the Illinois Family Institute Board and who is spearheading the Choose Life license plates, and Dave Smith, Executive Director of IFI.

But, missing, with a broken toe, was my friend Penny Pullen.

Her friend Lisa Smith, a regular McHenry County Blog reader from the Wheeling Township Republican Organization, was there to explain why.

The sun set was stark behind the Chicago skyline.

While we were on Lake Michigan, storm clouds threatened the city big time.

= = = = =
Tom Roeser poses with Illinois Republican National Committeeman Bob Kjellander.

Below is Gene and Nancy Brown, my wife, Barrington Township Supervisor Gene Dawson and his wife.

The congestion shot comes after the toll booths, but before the final lane of merging traffic. The congestion continued to where the Edens merges with the Kennedy.

Sandy Rios’ photograph appears above that of Tony Peraica.

Michael Younan, who is running against 9th district Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky can be seen to the left of Rios. He is posing with Joe Hedrick, Niles Township Republican Committeeman.

To Peraica’s left one can see Jim Nalepa, a possible U.S. Senate challenger for Dick Durbin, talking with Terry Kennedy.

Immediately below, one can see Vernon Township Republican Committeeman Don Castella with Paul Sengpiehf.

Below to the right is Peter LaBarbera in discussion with Chad Koppie and Elder John Tyler.

The head shot down a bit to the left is Rod Drobinski, a potential candidate to replace retiring State Senator Bill Peterson.

With arm extended to make a point is 8th congressional district candidate for the Republican nomination Jeff Greenberg to challenge Melissa Bean.

Liz Gorman, Cook County Republican Party Chairman and Cook County Commissioner, can be seen to the right of a standing David McAloon. McAloon is planning to challenge Democratic State Rep. Careen Gordon. He unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination last year. This year he is alone in the race to challenge the incumbent Democrat.

Finally, the sunset and storm clouds along the Chicago skyline.

It’s probably because Bob Kjellander and Paul Caprio go back to Young Republican days.

That’s where I first met Caprio.

I was talking the National Republican Party folks about a mock convention manual I had written, based on my experience of being chairman of Oberlin College’ Mock Convention.

In any event, I was still surprised to see Illinois’ Republican National Committeeman on the boat.

I took a picture of him and Tom Roeser and, then, Kjellander got Libertyville’s Jack Martin to take one of Bob and me.

Kjellander was one of Jim Thompson’s campaign managers when I ran for state comptroller in 1982.

But, I’m ahead of my story.

We left Algonquin at 4 in the afternoon, knowing that traffic had been bad the year before.

Everything was fine until we got to the toll booths. Gene Brown, who almost never goes to Chicago didn’t have an I-Pass transponder, so we got into the cash section. It was rush hour, of course, but all of the booths were not manned.

It took us one hour and fifteen minutes to get through the Rod Blagojevich bottleneck.

And the congestion continued until past the merge.

I wonder if Blagojevich will switch the express lanes so Chicagoans returning home from their jobs at night will be able to get home faster. Of course, that would begin a movement by Chicago executives who want to get to work faster, rather than slower, and vice versa, would start moving their headquarters closer to home.

We noticed that Blagojevich didn’t have one of those expensive signs over the cash lanes.

We made is to close to when the cruise was supposed to start that we vowed to leave at 3:30 next summer.

But, Sandy Rios came to the rescue. Her broadcast on WYLL-FM does end until 5 PM and since she was doing announcing duties, Caprio decided to wait.

And we waited.

Finally, he asked for a show of hands of who wanted to sail right away and who was willing to wait some more.

Rios, who heads the Culture Campaign, won a further reprieve. I got this great wind-swept Sandy shot once we got out on Lake Michigan.

The first candidate I discovered was Michael Younan, who is running against 9th district Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. This photo is of him and Joe Hedrick, Niles Township Republican Committeeman.

Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica made the rounds before the boat left dock. This was the day before Democratic Party Cook County State’s Attorney Dick Devine decided to announce his retirement.

Jim Nalepa was onboard. He wants to run for U.S. Senate and later was given the microphone to make his pitch.

I got a picture of Nalepa in discussion with Terry Kennedy.

Vernon Township Republican Committeeman Don Castella was talking with Paul Sengpiehf. I knew Paul from his days with the Department of Local Governmental Affairs. Governor Richard B. Ogilvie created the department and Paul was the lawyer I often death with on property tax assessment matters.

Americans for Truth head Peter LaBarbera was caught talking to Kane County’s Chad Koppie and Elder John Tyler, who runs the African American Family Association.

I talked for a while with Rod Drobinski, as assistant state’s attorney in Lake County, who is thinking about running for the State Senate to replace retiring Senator Bill Peterson.

Fortunately, they did not develop into rain. Otherwise, the lower deck would have been quite crowded.

Besides Nalepa, Steve Greenberg, one of the two candidates announced for the Republican nomination to run against Melissa Bean, the woman who knocked off Phil Crane, spoke.

He used his Jewish religion to present his pro-life views as no Christian could.

Greenberg pointed out that he had relatives who had been killed in the Holocaust, so had a different approach to the issue. I can’t remember his word—only that they worked quite well.

He also came up with a term I have not heard before to describe bureaucrats. He talked about the “idiocracy.”

Expect to hear more about that.

Cook County Commissioner and Republican Party Chairman Liz Gorman was seated near our table, so I was able to get this shot of her before the cruise ended.

Earlier, below decks, David McAloon, his wife and I also had a conversation.

One of the last pictures I got before we disembarked was of Pro-Life Action League’s Joe Schidler’s bright red cap. You can see it here. I should have taken his picture, too, but you know my fixation is on messages.

Of course, there were many others on the cruise, Mary Ann Hackett and her husband, Jim Finnegan, who serves on the Illinois Family Institute Board and who is spearheading the Choose Life license plates, and Dave Smith, Executive Director of IFI.

But, missing, with a broken toe, was my friend Penny Pullen.

Her friend Lisa Smith, a regular McHenry County Blog reader from the Wheeling Township Republican Organization, was there to explain why.

The sun set was stark behind the Chicago skyline.

While we were on Lake Michigan, storm clouds threatened the city big time.

= = = = =
Tom Roeser poses with Illinois Republican National Committeeman Bob Kjellander.

Below is Gene and Nancy Brown, my wife, Barrington Township Supervisor Gene Dawson and his wife.

The congestion shot comes after the toll booths, but before the final lane of merging traffic. The congestion continued to where the Edens merges with the Kennedy.

Sandy Rios’ photograph appears above that of Tony Peraica.

Michael Younan, who is running against 9th district Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky can be seen to the left of Rios. He is posing with Joe Hedrick, Niles Township Republican Committeeman.

To Peraica’s left one can see Jim Nalepa, a possible U.S. Senate challenger for Dick Durbin, talking with Terry Kennedy.

Immediately below, one can see Vernon Township Republican Committeeman Don Castella with Paul Sengpiehf.

Below to the right is Peter LaBarbera in discussion with Chad Koppie and Elder John Tyler.

The head shot down a bit to the left is Rod Drobinski, a potential candidate to replace retiring State Senator Bill Peterson.

With arm extended to make a point is 8th congressional district candidate for the Republican nomination Jeff Greenberg to challenge Melissa Bean.

Liz Gorman, Cook County Republican Party Chairman and Cook County Commissioner, can be seen to the right of a standing David McAloon. McAloon is planning to challenge Democratic State Rep. Careen Gordon. He unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination last year. This year he is alone in the race to challenge the incumbent Democrat.

Finally, the sunset and storm clouds along the Chicago skyline.