This email from Paul Caprio might explain the delay in a vote on the gay marriage proposal in Illinois:

Pro-Family Forces Stall Same-Sex Marriage Bill in Springfield

Friday, January 4, 2013

Despite promises last week by Senate and House sponsors of the same-sex marriage bill that passage was imminent, Senate backers, President Obama, Governor Quinn, Rahm “Chicago Values” Emanuel and disgraced GOP Chairman Pat Brady were unable to pass the bill on Thursday in the Illinois Senate.

What a surprise to all those who confidently predicted passage!

       WE know what really happened. As a result of the grassroots activities of the many pro-family organizations in the Coalition to Protect Children and Marriage, people of Faith became energized across the state to say “No to Same-sex Marriage” to their lawmakers.

Here are just a few of the things that occurred in the past week:

1. Pastors Erwin Lutzer and Wilfredo De Jesus and Reverends Bob Vanden Bosch and James Ford, Jr. sent a letter to more than 800 pastors warning the church community. It was sponsored by the Illinois Family Institute.
2. Family-Pac sponsored 170,000 robo-calls to targeted legislators with messages from Sandy Rios and Rev. James Ford, Jr.
3. Pro-family lobbyists Ralph Rivera, David Smith (IFI), Rev. Bob Vanden Bosch, Sharee Langenstein and others did a wonderful job in their face-to-face meetings in Springfield.
4. Cardinal George sent out a strong message opposing the bill to the Catholic Churches and the Illinois Catholic Conference worked day and night to stop the bill.
5. A Coalition of Priests and Ministers representing all major faiths opposing the bill was assembled.
6. These are just a few of the highlights…all Coalition groups played an important role.
7. Our Lord has blessed us.

BUT THE FIGHT IS JUST BEGINNING!

We are told the bill will not be called on Monday or Tuesday in the House…the final days of the lame-duck session.

The bill will be reintroduced immediately in the new Session and the battle will become even more intense. Stay tuned because we have a lot more work to do to defeat this bill…

May God continue to bless us all in this effort.

My favorite campaign fund raiser is the August Family PAC Cruise on Lake Michigan and/or the Chicago River.

Last year, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was the featured speaker…before he went to a later business recruiting trip in his Chicago visit.

This July 23rd event will feature the man who beat U.S. Senator Richard Lugar in the Republican Party primary election in Indiana.

His name is Richard Mourdock.

Reservations are being taken for Family PAC’s August Cruise.

Family PAC Executive Director Paul Caprio is the one who manages to attract the high-powered speakers.

U.S. Senator Jim DeMint spoke in 2010.

U.S. Senator Tom Coburn was featured in 2009.

Last year’s event was a sellout.

The cost is $90 apiece or $175 a couple.

I’ve seen Personal PAC, the rabidly pro-abortion Political Action Committee endorse McHenry County Board candidates, but I have never seen a statewide Pro-Life group do the same.

Paul Caprio, Executive Director of Family PAC has written a letter of endorsement for District 3 McHenry County Board member Nick Provenzano’s candidacy, as you can see below:

The Family PAC endorsement says, "We very much appreciate your long-time commitment to the protection of innocent life, traditional marriage and your opposition to casino gambling.

Yesterday, McHenry County Blog ran a press release from State Senate candidate Cliff Surges saying that Family PAC had endorsed him.

Here’s how Executive Director Paul Caprio is quoted as saying, “Our organization believes Cliff Surges is highly qualified and committed to our values and advocacy on behalf of taxpayers.”

Got some feedback indicating that the kind statement may be just that.

So, I did some investigation and discovered that Family PAC lists only five endorsements. As you can see below Surges is not on the list:

Endorsed so far are

• Li Arellano, running for State Rep. in Dixon
• Brad Halbrook, running for State Rep. down Crawford County way against double-dipping State Rep. Roger Eddy, who has gotten $60,000 from the Illinois Education Association with who Hutsonville (United School District )Education Association with which he negotiates contracts
• State Senator Carol Pankau, who was elected State Rep. in 1992
• State Senator Christine Johnson appointed to fill out a term, who is running against State Senator Dave Syverson, who first won office in 1992
• State Senator Kyle McCarter of Lebanon

I tried to contact Caprio and Surges, but didn’t get a reply yet.  Busy season.  They are probably out and about.

Surges is running against Karen McConnauhay.

Stay turned for more information.

Below is the questionnaire that candidates seeking endorsement were asked to complete. The desired answers are indicated.

On this page are questions about repealing the 67% state income tax hike, public employee pensions, vouchers, and requiring abortion clinics to show ultrasound images of unborn children. Click to enlarge.

Condom training and teaching acceptability of homosexuality in school, legalizing medical marijuana, civil unions, accepting campaign contributions from SEIU, AFSCME, Personal PAC, Equality Illinois and teacher unions IEA & AFT are questions on this page. Click to enlarge.

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Looks as interpretation of the statement by Caprio to be “endorsement” was my fault.

I just received the following email from the Surges campaign:
“We never claimed Cliff was “endorsed” by Family-PAC. If you look at our press release again, we never used “endorsed”. Paul Caprio does support Cliff Surges and the letter he gave us (see attached) makes clear that Cliff is judged “highly qualified” by Family-PAC. That is what we put in the press release.”

I misinterpreted the word “support” to mean “endorse.”

‘Tis the season for endorsements as the articles being put up today indicate.

Here’s another one, this time a press release from State Senate candidate Cliff Surges, who is contesting with Karen McConnaughay for the new seat that runs from St. Charles to Crystal Lake:

Paul Caprio

Cliff Surges

“Family-PAC, the leading anti-tax, pro-family political action committee in Illinois supports Cliff Surges for Senate. “

“Our organization believes Cliff Surges is highly qualified and committed to our values and advocacy on behalf of taxpayers.” said Paul Caprio, Director of Family-PAC.

Cliff Surges stated, “I am pleased to be approved and supported by a group so committed to low taxes and limited government in Springfield and who believes in protecting family values.”

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For amplification of this article and the misleading nature of its headline, read this.

Scott Walker

Governor Scott Walker’s day in Chicago started at 8 AM with an appointment with a prospective recruit for his “Open for Business” State of Wisconsin.

It ended with a post-Family PAC appearance on a Chicago River cruise boat.

What the primary purpose of his trip is open to specialization, but only spent at maximum an hour and a half speaking to a sell-out crowd ($90 a person. $175 per couple).

The crowd was the biggest in Family PAC’s twenty  years of fund raising cruises on Lake Michigan and up and down the Chicago River.

Maybe he had additional appointments to woo businesses to Wisconsin during the day.

Unlike Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, also a Republican, Walker flew under the main stream media’s radar.

49th District State Senate candidate Tony Giles has just for a picture with Gov. Scott Walker for another camera when I took this one.

All sorts of people wanted a photo with the Republican who successfully took on Wisconsin’s teacher unions.

State Rep. candidate Janet Silosky poses with Governor Scott

In his speech, Walker told of how he faced up to all the pressure. He said he started the days on knees in prayer and continued praying throughout the day.

That’s what he told the Wall Street Journalin a recent interview, too.

State Senate candidate Chad Koppie, running against Karen McConnaughay in a Kane-McHenry County district, chatted with Governor Scott Walker.

Walker told the audience that he spent $13 million to get elected Governor.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker chats with Congressman Randy Hultgren's two boys as Hultgren's wife Christy looks on.

Unions spent almost three times that amount in six state senate recall elections. One who lost was in a district that leans Democrat, while the other Republican loser would have made the National Enquirer had he been in the national arena. (That’s what the Wall Street Journal reporter concluded.)

“Yet we prevailed,” the son of a minister said.

Those on the jam-packed deck appreciated Governor Scott Walker's message.

“The voters in our state want people who first and foremost will stand up for the American people,” Walker concluded after telling the story about President Ronald Reagan’s meeting with conservative Democrats including John Connelly and walking out of the meeting after all the Dems said they could vote for the tax cut if they got something for one of their special interests.

Walker said Reagan said, “I thought we were here to do what was right for the American people,” and walked out of the meeting.

“We put more money back in the hands of people. (They can) spend the money better,” Walker said.

Former State Rep. Penny Pullen can be seen in the foreground of this crowd scene.

He also talked of his state’s “balanced budget.”

Scott Walker explained the impact of his educational reform legislation.

Walker bragged that Wisconsin had gained 9,500 net new jobs while Illinois had “unfortunately” lost 7,200.

He also pointed out that Wisconsin had gone up seventeen spots in the list of business-friendly states in “Chief Executive Magazinem” while Illinois had gone down 47 spots.

Speaking of his educational reform bill, Walker said,

“It matters (if school boards) can hire and fire on merit and not based on tenure.

‘”It will help improve education.”

“Thank you for what you are doing prospectively,” he told the Republican gathering.

He urged those present to “think more about their children, their grandchildren than they do about theirselves.”

That brought applause.

When he said, “Thanks for letting the Packers win the Super Bowl,” most of the audience was in disagreement.

Family PAC Executive Director pomised to pay for buses to being volunteers from Illinois to Wisconsin if Scott Walker should face a gubernatorial recall election.

After his speech, Family PAC Executive Director Paul Caprio told Walker,

“We’re with you in spirit and, if need be, we’ll be there in body.”

Caprio said Family PAC would pay for the buses.

This time from Paul Caprio, Executive Director of Family PAC. Here it is:

FAMILY-PAC BLASTS QUINN TAX HIKE PROPOSAL

Paul Caprio, Director of Family-Pac, today called proposals by Democratic leadership in Springfield to increase the state individual income tax by 75% (to 5.25%) “fiscal insanity which will drive more jobs out of Illinois, wreck family budgets, and result in eventual bankruptcy for the State of Illinois.”

Paul Caprio

Said Caprio,

“Nothing has been done in Springfield to address the bloated state pension systems, real Medicaid reform, workmen’s compensation, or tort reform. 

“These are the major causes of the present budget deficit. The proposal of a 75% individual income tax increase and a 49% increase in the corporate tax rate is an insult to every hard-working Illinois taxpayer.

“Democrats are trying to strong-arm this proposal through the Legislature by making political deals with lame duck legislators who will not even be representing their constituents when this proposed increase would go into effect.”

Caprio urged every Illinois taxpayer to contact their State Representative and Senator today with the message, “No new taxes.”

Caprio concluded,

“If this reckless tax increase is passed, Pat Quinn, John Cullerton, and Mike Madigan will be the pallbearers at the economic funeral of Illinois.”

Family-Pac has made more than 350,000 calls the past week to grassroots taxpayers to urge them to contact their representatives to oppose the tax increase.

Yesterday, I started telling you about my annual Family PAC cruise. I ended that installment before we boarded the boat.

14th District Congressional candidate Randy Hultgren and his wife Christy.

Before walking up the gangplank, I got a couple more politicians’ photos. Next was Randy Hultgren.

Betsey and Rich Morthland, Rock Island County Board member and state representative candidate in the 71st District.

I met Rich Morthland and his wife Betsey on the dock.

He’s the only Republican on the Rock Island County Board, but he flexed his political muscles and managed to get “dramatically” higher salaries for his countywide candidates completely rolled back. I think this was during the time that Governor Pat Quinn was raising his employees in the 20% range. He must have gotten great local press.

Baby Jerry is the star in this photo of State Senator Bill Brady talking to John O'Neill. His wife Basia is holding the child.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady arrived.

Algonquin's Gene Brown was one of many who talked to the top GOP candidate on the cruise, Bill Brady. Mark Kirk did not attend.

You can guess that Brady was a big attraction.  He stayed for the whole cruise.

Trying to find the politicians, I stood next to the gang plank.  There I found Richard Grabowski, who is running for state representative in the Oak Lawn area.

Hard to escape the cameraman standing next to the gangway, right state rep. candidate Richard Grabowski?

Next came Issac Hayes, the man bold enough to run against Jesse Jackson, Jr., for Congress. Hayes called Jackson “Senate candidate number 5″ when he spoke.

Issac Hayes, running against Jesse Jackson, Junior.

Even those no longer holding or seeking office could not escape the camera clicker.  Next was Family PAC Executive Director Paul Caprio’s long-time friend and former Illinois Republican National Committeeman Bob Kjellander.

Bob Kjellander

Former Huntley School Board member Shawn Green was next up the boat ramp.

Shawn Green

I caught Kirk and Stephanie Dillard before they made it to the walkway up to the boat that would take us out for a Lake Michigan cruise.

Right after they arrived, I got this shot of State Senator Kirk Dillard and his wife Stephanie.

More tomorrow.

This is article number 6 that McHenry County Blog has published about the people who attended Paul Caprio’s August Family PAC cruise.

In the first, U.S. Senator and Dr. Tom Coburn’s take on the health care debate.

The rest are full of pictures of participants:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Near the end of the cruise 14th congressional district GOP aspirant Jeff Danklefsen approached me. You see him handing me his card. He seeks to replace Democrat Bill Foster, who replaced former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

The boat was docked and emptying out when I saw Dan Sugrue. He is running for the second time in Lake County against Democrat Kathy Ryg. He tells me she voted for Governor Pat Quinn’s 50% income tax hike bill. Since the cruise Ryg has announced that she is taking another job. That certainly to increase his chances of gaining the seat.

GOP gubernatorial nomination seeker Adam Andrzejewski was also downstairs near the end of the cruise. Sugrue’s wife Margo was talking with him.

As I left the boat, GOP gubernatorial aspirant Kirk Dillard was chatting with Family PAC Executive Director Paul Capiro.

Thus endeth the 2009 Family PAC cruise photos. This fundraiser is the one I enjoy the most. You don’t get a view of the Sears, oops, Willis Tower from the South Branch of the Chicago River like this on an expressway.

Join us next year.

This is the sixth article McHenry County Blog has published about Paul Caprio’s August Family PAC cruise.

In the first, U.S. Senator and Dr. Tom Coburn’s take on the health care debate. Coburn was on the Senate committee considering the proposal.

The rest are full of pictures of participants:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4.

I passed David, Abbly and Grafton Township (Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Lakewood) Township Supervisor Linda Moore. Moore ran on a platform that the Republican township board had made a big mistake putting the taxpayers in debt by over $5 million to build a new township hall without a referendum. She won the GOP township primary election by 30 votes. Since then, with a taxpayer suit pushing them the GOP-controlled township board has agreed with Moore to cancel the loan.

Downstairs I found Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica talking with Chris Robling. Peraica told me earlier that all he was running for this year was his county board seat.

Next, I bumped into Bob Kjellander, who was talking to State Rep. Bob Biggins (on the left). Will Jamison, who helped out at the Republican National Convention in Minnesota and has recently moved to Chicago, is seen in the middle. Obviously, something really tickled the former GOP National Committeeman’s funny bone.

I don’t follow Cook County politics, so I was surprised to find a second candidate for the suburban seat on the Cook County Board of (Tax) Review. He is Dan Patlak. You see him here chatting with Vernon Township Republican Party Chairman Don Castella. Patlak is Palatine Township Assessor.

I ran into a second candidate who wants to replace Bob Biggins in the General Assembly. His name is Chris Nybo. He is currently an alderman in Elmhurst. Here is his web site. I don’t know to whom he is talking, but if someone will tell me in a comment, I’ll add it.

Tomorrow, Part 6.