McHenry County Blog

The pro-abortion Personal PAC does not list its fall endorsements on its web site.

Just the primary picks.

But thanks to the McHenry County Citizens for Choice, McHenry County Blog can share them with you.

Here’s the introduction,

“Personal PAC (PP) has sent questionnaires to the county board candidates listed to evaluate their positions on reproductive rights.

“Candidates who completed their questionnaires satisfactorily were endorsed by Personal PAC and are indicated on the chart below. Although other candidates have expressed pro-choice views, those views cannot be recognized if they do not return the Personal PAC questionnaire.

“MCCC does not endorse candidates.

“County candidate’s views on reproductive rights are important.

“Although these offices do not have jurisdiction over abortion policies, support of all reproductive rights, including family planning and comprehensive sexuality education, is essential at every level.

“County boards; school boards; committeemen; municipal boards, and party committeemen can influence decisions on issues vital to our community’s ability to make rational decisions on public health policies and to meet the reproductive health needs of its citizens.

“As elected officials these office holders will have the opportunity to exercise political leadership and have an impact on public officials who are responsible for abortion policies in Illinois. In addition, these offices are often used as first steps in a political career. The chart below shows the candidates and their party affiliation.”

Key: INC = incumbent
Pro-Choice – Endorsed by Personal PAC
Anti-choice = rating by Illinois Citizens for Life

So folks can find the information via a search engine, I’ll print the relevant parts below:

• McHCoBd Dist 1 – Nick Chirikos (D) and Republicans Robert C. (Bob) Nowak – INC, Anna May Miller – INC, Yvonne M. Barnes – Anti-choice, Robert “Bob” Bless – INC
• McHCoBd Dist 2  – Democrats James P. Kennedy and Jim Roden – Pro-Choice and Republicans Donna Kurtz – INC – Pro-Choice, James L. Heisler – INC – Anti-Choice, Kenneth D. Koehler – INC-Anti-Choice, Carolyn Schofield
• McHCoBd Dist 3 -  Democrat Kathleen Bergan Schmidt – INC and Republicans Joseph (Joe) Gottemoller – Anti-Choice, Nick Provenzano, INC – Anti-Choice, Michael J Walkup and Mary McClellan – Anti-Choice
• McHCoBd Dist 4 – Mary Margaret Maule (D) and Republicans John D Hammerand – INC – Anti-Choice, Sandra Fay Salgado – INC. Sue Draffcorn – INC – Anti-Choice, Robert “Bob” M Martens Sr
• McHCoBd Dist 5 – DemocratPaula Yensen – INC and Republicans Michael Skala- Anti-Choice, John Jung – INC – Anti-Choice, Tina Hill – INC – Pro-Choice, Michael Rein, plus Green Party candidate Frank Wedig
• McHCoBd Dist 6 – Democrats Scott Summers – Pro-Choice, Ryan Heuser and Jayant Kadakia, Republicans Diane Evertsen – INC – Anti-Choice, Mary T. McCann – INC, Ersel Schuster – INC – Anti-Choice, Michele R Aavang, plus Independent Larry W. Smith

As last year, the McHenry County Fair had representatives from the Pro-Choice and the Pro-Life side of the abortion issue.

The Pro-Choicers, represented by the McHenry County Citizens for Choice, had their usual booth and the Pro-Lifers had three booths, the same as last year.

Visiting the Pro-Choice booth, as seen in the photo below, is McHenry County Democratic Party Chairman Mike Bissett and his wife, McHenry County Board member Paula Yensen.

Peter’s Net, the organization that gave fits last year to an organization across the aisle trying to capture teenagers email addresses in return for a chance for a scholarship again graced the McHenry County Fairgrounds.  This is also one of the Pro-Life organizations the Lake County Fair tried to ban.

1st Way Pregnancy Support Services, a crisis pregnancy center based in Johnsburg, had a booth again, too.

So did the Catholic Diocese of Rockford.  It appeared to be three booths wide.

It even said, “Vote Pro-Life.”

Last year Pro-Life forces had a powerful presence at the McHenry County Fair.

A new group called Peter’s Net had large models of gestation.

The models were so eye-catching that a commercial booth across the aisle which seemed to be trying to snag teen emails in exchange for a chance at a scholarship (reminding me of the odds at getting the top prize in most carnival games) complained to the point of getting another space.

I guess life is more interesting that college.

A larger booth consisting of several spaces also had models of developing babies.

When I got home from vacation, I read an article by Robert McCoppin in the Chicago Tribune.

He told of the problems Peter’s Net and Lake County Right to Life had in getting booths at the Lake County Fair.

A shortage of vendor space, don’t you know?

Even though the Lake County Right to Life organization had been there thirty-seven years!

The newcomer, Peter’s Net, had only been participating three years.

No intention of political censorship, of course, said President Kelli Kepler-Yarc.

The McHenry County Fair Board dodged this publicity bullet after initially attempting to take the same action as the Lake County Fair Board.

With Pro-Lifers in the ascendency, it seems allies of Pro-Choicers are afraid of facing Pro-Lifers in the public forum.

It should be noted that Pro-Choice folks had a booth sponsored by the McHenry County Citizens for Choice.

While the teen were exploring other parts of the McHenry County Fair on Friday, I went looking for things political.

Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks’ tent was first.  It was closest to the free parking.

Then,  I saw the Sheriff’s Department’s Crime Stoppers Trailer.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s booth was at the front of the first building I entered, although Sheriff Keith Nygren had not yet arrived.

McHenry County Citizens for Choice was way around the corner.

The McHenry County Republican Party booth was down the aisle to the right. My second time around I found Jack Franks’ staffer conversing with the folks behind the table.

I found the Sheriff’s Department had a second booth location to the right of the main one.

In the next building, the Libertarian Party booth was the first I saw.

Most pennies were in the “Cut Spending” jar.

Next door was the best political story.

The booth was called “Peter’s Net.” Those in it were clearly Catholics and they were explaining how Catholics were Pro-Life.

Here’s a closer look at the models.

The booth renter across the aisle, described as a “modeling agency” complained about the medical models to Fair Officials. One came and, I’m told, said that the display might not be allowed next year.

Since I vividly remember a similar display from 2000 at the McHenry County Right-To-Life organization, I have a hard time understanding such logic, assuming the story that reached my ears was correct.

It certainly makes no economic sense for the Fair, since another Catholic group, renting three or four spaces–as many as the Sheriff’s Department–also had in utero models.

Maybe it was the message on the button saying, “It’s a child, not a choice” that bothered the folks across the aisle or maybe the models were drawing too much attention from the young girls the complaining booth was targeting.

Just around the corner was the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee’s booth.

They had an intimidating American history quiz that they were encouraging people to take.  I was told Jack Franks wouldn’t take it.

I hesitated, read the questions on the front page and figured by 7th and 8th grade American history classes would stand me in good stead.  Then I started checking off the best answer.  I did find until I got to the national debt question.  It asked when the first debt ceiling had been passed.  That was not in any of the American history classes I took.  I won’t ruin the quiz. Suffice is to say that was my only wrong answer.

As I continued my political tour of the McHenry County Fair, I found a second large Pro-Life booth.

Young girls were looking at a display of baby booties and shoes called “Little Soles.”

This is the other booth in which I found the in utero models seen above.

Right across the aisle was the booth of the McHenry County Sportsman’s Association and the McHenry County Right to Carry Association.

With Illinois’ being the last state in the union where individuals are not allowed to carry firearms to protect themselves, the petition signatures gathered in past years may have been the reason that Jack Franks’ flipped from being opposed to being favor.

President Anthony Lopez was standing out front talking to Barb Wheeler, who was helping staff the booth. His wife Laura Rakers was behind the table with Richard Pere.

I went looking for Congressman Joe Walsh’s outpost.

It was on the midway in a corner tent.

I doubled back to the building with the Sheriff’s display in hopes of finding Sheriff Keith Nygren and was rewarded by his presence.

I made another circuit and found Congressman Don Manzullo’s booth. Former Wonder Lake resident Marilyn Davis was behind the table.

As I left the building, Nunda Township Republican Chairman Brent Smith and Sheriff Nygren were having a conversation.

On the way out, I saw John O’Neill, an announced candidate for McHenry County Board staffing the Ray Chevrolet tent.

Does the headline shock you?

Could it be that anyone wants to allow a baby to be aborted the day before its due date?

That’s the law now in Illinois and Personal PAC doesn’t want any limitations on current law.

Personal PAC ally McHenry County Citizens for Choice has posted on its web site the endorsements and identifications of candidates in McHenry County considered “anti-choice.”

The local group relies on what I would characterize as the most “pro-abortion” political action committee in the country, Personal PAC, for the information, which is displayed below.

I’ve published Personal PAC’s endorsements for County Board before.

The local group, however, notes,

“Although some other candidates have expressed pro-choice views, those views cannot be recognized if the Personal PAC questionnaires were not returned and those views documented.”

New information is provided about the Sheriff’s race.

Mike Mahon is described as “anti-choice.”

Guess that means he is pro-life.

Nothing is next to Green Party candidate Gus Philpott’s name.

The only thing next to incumbent Keith Nygren’s is that he is an incumbent.  (That’s what “inc” means below.)

No hints of the position of either GOP candidate for judge Associate Judge Gorgon Graham or Independent candidate Sally Wiggins for the 22nd Circuit judicial vacancy. Their names were below what you see above.

For some reason, the group does not note that State Reps. Jack Franks and Mark Beaubien are endorsed by Personal PAC, as is Mike Tryon’s opponent Robert Kaempfe.

Franks’ opponent John O’Neill is pro-life, as is Tryon.  Beaubien has not opponent.

= = = = = =
See also Jack Franks Goes to the Dark Side