McHenry County Blog

In 1976 Quincy Republican Jeff Mays and Rockford Republican Lynn Martin ran for state representative.

Illinois House Republicans had been devastated in the 1974 Watergate elections. They held onto just 76 out of 177 seats.

1976 was a comeback year.

Common in both media markets was a radio ad telling how incumbent Democrats had

Both incumbents Mike McClain of Quincy and Zeke Giorgi from Rockford had taken a well-published tour of the Chicago Transit Authority.

With publicity from some of us folks in the suburbs who were still hopping mad about being forced into the Regional Transportation Authority, the two GOP challengers used the CTA bailout to lash their opponents. (Anything favoring Chicago is a sure winner outside of the Chicago metropolitan area.)

McCain lost and Giorgi ran third out of three for the only time I remember.

From the Chicago Tribune article above, printing on Saturday, April 17th, I’d assume that someone paid for legislators to come to Chicago to tour the CTA. If past practice holds true, visiting legislators were also treated to some more entertaining venues.

All members of the General Assembly used to have passes to all the museums in town, for instance.

I wonder if this decades’ ride on the CTA will yield results similar to those in 1976.

This past week 8th congressional district Congresswoman Melissa Bean got endorsed in her Democratic Party primary over peace candidate challenger Randi Scheurer.

In the Republican Party primary, benefits consultant Ken Arnold got the nod over his two opponents, Steve Greenberg and Kirk Morris.

Only one paragraph was dedicated to each endorsement, which was included with a bunch of other congressional endorsements.

There is a characteriture of Bean sitting at the back of the wagon. I have reproduced it large enough for you to see.

“8th: Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean, who describes herself as ‘moderate mainstream’ and a ‘fiscal conservative’ was first elected to congress in 2004. She authored and led passage of an Internet education safety program and co-sponsored initiatives to track sex offenders online. Bean, who has worked issues across the aisle, including transportation funding, is endorsed over Randi Scheurer, whose husband Bill Scheurer, ran against Bean as an independent.

“Vying in the Republican primary are businessmen Steve Greenberg, Kenneth Arnold and Kirk Morris. Notably, Morris’ son, a Marine, was killed in Iraq. Arnold is strong on policy, while Greenberg has greater financial backing. Arnold is endorsed over Greenberg, because brains should matter more than bucks.”

I would note that Bill Scheurer did not run as an independent. He created his own party, which he named the Moderate Party. I would also note that the editorial does not point out that both Scheurers ran to protest Bean’s position on the Iraq War.

So, what difference does the Sun-Times endorsement make?

I got it in 1980 when I ran against incumbent Robert C. McClory, but still lost the primary election, carrying only McHenry of the three county district that looking like a crane.

And, they endorsed me in spite of my opposition to gun control, as they did Lynn Martin.

For those interested in history, here was the endorsement:
OFFICE: U.S. House. Term, 2 years
Salary, $60,662.50

13th DIST. Republicans Robert McClory, Cal Skinner, Jr. Democrats
Edward J. LaFlamme, Michael Reese

Despite a sharp tongue that can wound needlessly and obtuseness on some public transit maters, state Rep. Cal Skinner Jr. has served Illinois well on such complex matters as school taxes and urban sprawl—and as an idea-generator.

Incumbent Rep. Robert McClory’s stewardship of his office has been amiable but increasingly listless. And his recent vote for pork-barrel water projects belies his claimed opposition to wasteful spending.

Skinner favors innovative use of alcohol to increase fuel supplies and practical deregulation of various industries as an anti-inflation measure. Both men agree on such key issues as the need to promote savings and investment, but we think Skinner offers more intelligent, vigorous representation.

That was the year I was driving a Pinto that used 85% alcohol and 15% water.

That is not a typo.

Elgin’s Herb Hanson and an Elgin policeman, whose name escapes me right now, invented it. It smelled like a still going down the street. This same time, GM and Ford were producing all-alcohol fueled cars in Brazil, but refused to do so in the United States.

It only broke down once…just east on Route 120 of where the highway turns south in Greenwood Township. Fortunately, the very surprised farm family living on the northwest corner or Route 120 on Charles Road took pity and let me call Gravers in Woodstock to tow it in and give me a ride back to 360 S. Madison Street, Woodstock.

Lynn Martin got endorsed to fill John B. Anderson’s seat in the same editorial. She won.

And, no.

My filing system is not good enough that I could have found this if I were looking for it. I was looking for a small black-on-yellow “Write-In Vance Roberts” sign that we used when he ran for the Crystal Lake city council.

Instead, I found this bad copy of a February 29, 1980 Sun-Times editorial, plus a Re-Elect Bob McClory yard sign.

Click on the editorials and you should be able to read them. The other images can also be enlarged the same way.

This past week 8th congressional district Congresswoman Melissa Bean got endorsed in her Democratic Party primary over peace candidate challenger Randi Scheurer.

In the Republican Party primary, benefits consultant Ken Arnold got the nod over his two opponents, Steve Greenberg and Kirk Morris.

Only one paragraph was dedicated to each endorsement, which was included with a bunch of other congressional endorsements.

There is a characteriture of Bean sitting at the back of the wagon. I have reproduced it large enough for you to see.

“8th: Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean, who describes herself as ‘moderate mainstream’ and a ‘fiscal conservative’ was first elected to congress in 2004. She authored and led passage of an Internet education safety program and co-sponsored initiatives to track sex offenders online. Bean, who has worked issues across the aisle, including transportation funding, is endorsed over Randi Scheurer, whose husband Bill Scheurer, ran against Bean as an independent.

“Vying in the Republican primary are businessmen Steve Greenberg, Kenneth Arnold and Kirk Morris. Notably, Morris’ son, a Marine, was killed in Iraq. Arnold is strong on policy, while Greenberg has greater financial backing. Arnold is endorsed over Greenberg, because brains should matter more than bucks.”

I would note that Bill Scheurer did not run as an independent. He created his own party, which he named the Moderate Party. I would also note that the editorial does not point out that both Scheurers ran to protest Bean’s position on the Iraq War.

So, what difference does the Sun-Times endorsement make?

I got it in 1980 when I ran against incumbent Robert C. McClory, but still lost the primary election, carrying only McHenry of the three county district that looking like a crane.

And, they endorsed me in spite of my opposition to gun control, as they did Lynn Martin.

For those interested in history, here was the endorsement:
OFFICE: U.S. House. Term, 2 years
Salary, $60,662.50

13th DIST. Republicans Robert McClory, Cal Skinner, Jr. Democrats
Edward J. LaFlamme, Michael Reese

Despite a sharp tongue that can wound needlessly and obtuseness on some public transit maters, state Rep. Cal Skinner Jr. has served Illinois well on such complex matters as school taxes and urban sprawl—and as an idea-generator.

Incumbent Rep. Robert McClory’s stewardship of his office has been amiable but increasingly listless. And his recent vote for pork-barrel water projects belies his claimed opposition to wasteful spending.

Skinner favors innovative use of alcohol to increase fuel supplies and practical deregulation of various industries as an anti-inflation measure. Both men agree on such key issues as the need to promote savings and investment, but we think Skinner offers more intelligent, vigorous representation.

That was the year I was driving a Pinto that used 85% alcohol and 15% water.

That is not a typo.

Elgin’s Herb Hanson and an Elgin policeman, whose name escapes me right now, invented it. It smelled like a still going down the street. This same time, GM and Ford were producing all-alcohol fueled cars in Brazil, but refused to do so in the United States.

It only broke down once…just east on Route 120 of where the highway turns south in Greenwood Township. Fortunately, the very surprised farm family living on the northwest corner or Route 120 on Charles Road took pity and let me call Gravers in Woodstock to tow it in and give me a ride back to 360 S. Madison Street, Woodstock.

Lynn Martin got endorsed to fill John B. Anderson’s seat in the same editorial. She won.

And, no.

My filing system is not good enough that I could have found this if I were looking for it. I was looking for a small black-on-yellow “Write-In Vance Roberts” sign that we used when he ran for the Crystal Lake city council.

Instead, I found this bad copy of a February 29, 1980 Sun-Times editorial, plus a Re-Elect Bob McClory yard sign.

Click on the editorials and you should be able to read them. The other images can also be enlarged the same way.