McHenry County Blog

So far, McHenry County Blog has published four articles on Paul Caprio’s August Family PAC cruise.

The first was about 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

Below is Part 4.

As I continued wondering around the boat, I found Peter Breen and Chris Sullivan near the bow on the upper deck. Sullivan is one of Kathleen Sullivan’s sons. Breen is one aspirant to replace State Rep. Bob Biggins. Breen is Executive Director & Legal Counsel of the Thomas Moore Society, which bills itself as the “Pro-Life Law Center.” He is currently working on the Aurora Planned Parenthood case. Breen has a good button/sticker on his web site, but he wasn’t wearing it. I always preferred to have a really large button announcing to the world that I was a candidate.

The last time I saw my former and now deceased colleague’s twin sons was in San Diego at an ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) conference. That was at the Hotel del Coronado beach over ten years ago when my son was mainly interested in looking at the turtles and fish on the first floor of our hotel. My Matthew has grown. I never met former Cook County Board of Review Murphy’s oldest son, but he was on the cruise, too. 29-year old Shaun, on the right, is running for the post his mother held. They were talking to Chris Sullivan.

Maureen almost always made me laugh. I wish I could repeat her interactions with her arch-foe House Speaker Michael Madigan, who lived in Lincoln Towers, where she stayed during legislative sessions. They apparently had similar morning schedules. Some of the conversations, started usually, I gathered by Maureen, were bizarre. If you would like to sample her how she could make little piggies and blueberries hilarious, click here.

I didn’t get a great shot of Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman talking to Peter Breen, but I guarantee she would like this one better than the one I took on the lower deck, which included her mother.

Politicians I have come in contact with almost always want to pose for a picture. I tell them I don’t do posed pictures. David McAloon gave me so much grief about the photo I published of him last year, though, I relented and took this one. Note the corn cob architecture on the Chicago River in the background. It’s pretty obviously designed by the same architect who did Marina Towers.

As I was wondering downstairs to get some food, catered by Harry Carey’s, I got this shot of State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard and State Senator Chris Lauzen.

More pictures and commentary tomorrow in Part 5.

This is a delayed third part of my view of Paul Caprio’s August 11th Family PAC cruise.

Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. A story about guest of honor Oklahoma U.S. Senator and Dr. Tom Coburn’s views on the health care debate is here.

Asking Senator Coburn if the health care debate could include end of life protocols on hydration and sustenance was former Republican Party gubernatorial aspirant Steve Baer. He’s the man in the picture’s center.

After the speech, attendees greeted friends and acquaintances. Here State Representative Bob Biggins, who just announced his retirement, chats with State Representative Ron Wait’s Legislative Assistant Verna Rightnowar and Wait.

State Senator Chris Lauzen, who again had about 900 at his Porky Picnic last Saturday was talking with Larry Therianit.

In good campaign style, Schaumburg resident Ryan Higgins came up to introduce himself to me. The 28-year old is running for the GOP state representative slot to replace State Rep. Paul Froelich, the man who switched parties before last year’s election. He has been endorsed by the Schaumburg Township GOP organization.

The next people I got a shot of are campaign consultant Jon Zahm and State Representative Randy Ramey. Ramey told me he tried to leave a message on McHenry County Blog after I posted a picture of a car with a Ramey bumper sticker and state rep. license plate 105 saying that it was his car.

Part 4 is next up.

Here are some more skyscrapers as seen from the Chicago River. (If anyone knows which buildings are shown, please tell me in the comment section or email me–email address way down on the right.)

I really should have been just taking in the view, rather than talking to political candidates and activists at Paul Caprio’s Family PAC cruise at which United States Senator Tom Coburn spoke on the Democrats’ health care proposals.

This year the boat did not venture out into Lake Michigan, but I guess went as far south as it could.

This bridge, which I assume is a railroad bridge, may have been too low for the double-decker to pass under.

Yesterday, I wrote an article about what guest of honor United States Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) had to say about the health care bill that Democrats just voted out of committee on a party line vote on the Family PAC cruise Tuesday night.

Today, I’ll start a multi-part series showing some of the politicians and McHenry County folks who attended the fund raising event.

The August 11, 2009, Family PAC cruise had a goodly number of people on this non-election year. You see folks milling around the gang plank above.

Contributors to the political action committee like McHenry County’s Gene Brown, seen above, got to visit with Oklahoma’s United States Senator Tom Coburn before boarding.

Chicago’s 32nd Ward GOP Committeeman John Curry was among those taking the opportunity to talk with the Senator.

Family PAC’s Director Paul Caprio took the opportunity to talk with Senator Coburn as well.

Dr. Steve Sauerberg, the Republican opponent to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin last year, conversed with Coburn, too.

Part 2 tomorrow.

Oklahoma United States Senator Tom Coburn was in Chicago Tuesday night as the featured speaker for Paul Caprio’s Family PAC’s annual cruise.

Having heard people senior to myself question whether the real purpose of the bill was to withhold expensive end-of-life services from people, my ears perked up when he said the bill is about

“abandonment of life at the end…about the very ethics of being human.

“There isn’t a life that doesn’t have value,” Coburn continued.

He reported only two amendments had been accepted by the Democratic Party majority:

1 – “a conscience clause for assisted suicide” and

2 – “making sure members of Congress are in any plan we pass”

During the question and answer session on deck of the boat, Coburn declared,

“First of all, it’s will not pass.”

Asked about the political consequences of passage, he said that

“next year’s elections will be impacted, but not nearly as much as 3-4 years from now.”

The doctor described the bill as giving “you access to a waiting line” and predicted that 15% of doctors will retire to work in other countries or do mission work, if it does pass.

Asked about the Democratic agenda, the obstetrician said he it his

“hope and prayer is that they keep overreaching.”

“They actually believe in a nanny state. You don’t have the ability to look after yourself and your family.”

A later observation about politicians:

“Politicians routinely give what they don’t have.”

Encouraging people to follow him into elective politics, Coburn observed,

“I’ve seen liberty diminished in my adult life.”

A final analytical comment on who will pay for the $1.7 billion the Democrats health care plan will cost over the next seven years:

“50% will come from small business tax increases.”

= = = = =
In the bottom photo, U.S. Senator Thomas Coburn indicates the size of a baby which any doctor could recognize as a human being.

Tuesday, I put up an article about Phyllis Schlafly’s receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award on Paul Caprio’s Family PAC cruise.

Yesterday, I followed up with the congressional candidates, state senate incumbents and the Republican candidate for Cook County State’s Attorney.

Today, we move onto the challengers.

Running on the North Shore is Brendan Appel. The Glenview resident is emphasizing property tax reform, fighting correction, requiring a two-thirds super majority to raise taxes, “two strikes and you’re out and enforcing immigration laws.

I saw Terri Ann Wintermute early in the evening, but she disappeared to the lower level of the boat. That’s the place to be if it’s raining, but it wasn’t. I finally got a photo of her when she was disembarking. You will remember that I met her in Decatur at the State Republican Convention.

Wintermute has more money than Linda Holmes, the Democratic Party incumbent she is challenging and to whom she lost in 2006 when Republican State Senator Ed Petka retired.

Wintermute had $102,000 at the end June, while Holmes had $49,800.

The final senate candidate (hope I didn’t miss any) was Mike Sweeney. I remember him because he is running for the 33rd district seat. The 33rd district was the one I represented in the 1970′s

Now it is in the Mount Prospect, Elk Grove Village area. Sweeney is Elk Grove Township Clerk. He is an assistant manager of a Walgreen’s store.

His palm card stresses he is the only

• lifelong resident of the district,
• one who will refuse to accept pay raises,
• candidate that will protect small business against Gov. Blagojevich’s policies of driving jobs and opportunities to surrounding states,
• one that will NOT vote to re-elect Gov. Blagojevich’s closest ally as Senate President,
• candidate who will hold the line on taxes by reigning in out-of-control spending,
• one who will demand the state pay existing bills before spending more tax dollars.

Among the candidates for state representative was Anita Forte-Scott, the one who will challenge Paul Froehlich, the Republican incumbent who decided to become a Democrat. She has a healthy resume, which includes the presidency of the Schaumburg Township District Library Board, owner/administrator of the Bright Stars Academy, founder and president of the Poplar Creek Watershed Planning Coalition. She is a member of the Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates Rotary Club. I can’t find a web site.

She has hardly any money in the bank, but House Republicans are pretty incensed about Froehlich’s party switching, so abundant money could flow.

Dan Sugrue, the Lake County man running against super liberal Kathleen Ryg and who attended the Pro-Life Victory Committee’s pig roast at Resurrection Center, was on the boat.

Sugrue’s platform includes property tax relief, eliminating the state sales tax on gasoline, requiring a balanced budget, repairing and rebuilding roads without allowing the money to be diverted to other purposes (as Democrats have done this century), increasing higher education scholarships and “establish(ing) the nation’s toughest ethics laws and root(ing) out government corruption.” I can’t find a web site.

Dwight Kay came all the way up from Alton for the cruise. The GOP candidate for the 112th district against Jay Hoffman, one of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s close buddies. In 2004, Kay was finance committee chairman for Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier. That was the race that set the Metro East trial lawyers back on their rear ends.

Kay was the first candidate for state representative to call for impeachment hearings for Blagojevich. He obviously has more courage than incumbent house members, none of whom have introduced such a resolution. Kay is senior vice-president of Cassens Trucking.

The Metro East area is looking more and more like the outer suburbs in Chicagoland. Kay can’t pull off an upset with the $17,000 he has on hand, but with an infusion of money he might follow in the footsteps of Frank Watson and Ron Stephens. I hope he is calling all of those Karmeier contributors.

Naperville City Councilman Darlene Senger was another candidate courting conservatives on the boat. She is running to replace retiring Republican State Representative Joe Dunn.

Senger is a financial advisor. If she can translate that into sensible advice on the state budget, her election could be worth the price of admission.

Looking at her web site shows a mix of local concern —opposition to the Canadian Northern’s takeover of the EJ&E Railroad, which will increase suburban congestion along its entire length—and statewide concerns, e.g., fighting political corruption. She has Democratic and Green Party opponents, both women.

Dave McAloon can be seen in the top photo talking to Phyllis Schlafly. He is running for state representative against incumbent Careen Gordon. Gordon’s campaign was financing oh so much by Chicago money.

McAloon is from Kankakee County and has been active in conservative causes for years.

The only other candidate I remember meeting was Lawrence Bruckner. He is running against Mike Boland, an ally of Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn from the Quad Cities area.

Bruckner was a shot from my past. He reminded me that he had met me when I was the Republican candidate for State Comptroller.

That was 1982.

What a memory.

He must have been at the press conference that then-State Rep. Tim Bell set up for me so we could both pledge to work against an income tax increase which we, incorrectly, it turns out, said was most likely to occur if Adlai Stevenson III beat Jim Thompson for re-election.

Tuesday, I put up an article about Phyllis Schlafly’s receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award on Paul Caprio’s Family PAC cruise.

Yesterday, I followed up with the congressional candidates, state senate incumbents and the Republican candidate for Cook County State’s Attorney.

Today, we move onto the challengers.

Running on the North Shore is Brendan Appel. The Glenview resident is emphasizing property tax reform, fighting correction, requiring a two-thirds super majority to raise taxes, “two strikes and you’re out and enforcing immigration laws.

I saw Terri Ann Wintermute early in the evening, but she disappeared to the lower level of the boat. That’s the place to be if it’s raining, but it wasn’t. I finally got a photo of her when she was disembarking. You will remember that I met her in Decatur at the State Republican Convention.

Wintermute has more money than Linda Holmes, the Democratic Party incumbent she is challenging and to whom she lost in 2006 when Republican State Senator Ed Petka retired.

Wintermute had $102,000 at the end June, while Holmes had $49,800.

The final senate candidate (hope I didn’t miss any) was Mike Sweeney. I remember him because he is running for the 33rd district seat. The 33rd district was the one I represented in the 1970′s

Now it is in the Mount Prospect, Elk Grove Village area. Sweeney is Elk Grove Township Clerk. He is an assistant manager of a Walgreen’s store.

His palm card stresses he is the only

• lifelong resident of the district,
• one who will refuse to accept pay raises,
• candidate that will protect small business against Gov. Blagojevich’s policies of driving jobs and opportunities to surrounding states,
• one that will NOT vote to re-elect Gov. Blagojevich’s closest ally as Senate President,
• candidate who will hold the line on taxes by reigning in out-of-control spending,
• one who will demand the state pay existing bills before spending more tax dollars.

Among the candidates for state representative was Anita Forte-Scott, the one who will challenge Paul Froehlich, the Republican incumbent who decided to become a Democrat. She has a healthy resume, which includes the presidency of the Schaumburg Township District Library Board, owner/administrator of the Bright Stars Academy, founder and president of the Poplar Creek Watershed Planning Coalition. She is a member of the Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates Rotary Club. I can’t find a web site.

She has hardly any money in the bank, but House Republicans are pretty incensed about Froehlich’s party switching, so abundant money could flow.

Dan Sugrue, the Lake County man running against super liberal Kathleen Ryg and who attended the Pro-Life Victory Committee’s pig roast at Resurrection Center, was on the boat.

Sugrue’s platform includes property tax relief, eliminating the state sales tax on gasoline, requiring a balanced budget, repairing and rebuilding roads without allowing the money to be diverted to other purposes (as Democrats have done this century), increasing higher education scholarships and “establish(ing) the nation’s toughest ethics laws and root(ing) out government corruption.” I can’t find a web site.

Dwight Kay came all the way up from Alton for the cruise. The GOP candidate for the 112th district against Jay Hoffman, one of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s close buddies. In 2004, Kay was finance committee chairman for Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier. That was the race that set the Metro East trial lawyers back on their rear ends.

Kay was the first candidate for state representative to call for impeachment hearings for Blagojevich. He obviously has more courage than incumbent house members, none of whom have introduced such a resolution. Kay is senior vice-president of Cassens Trucking.

The Metro East area is looking more and more like the outer suburbs in Chicagoland. Kay can’t pull off an upset with the $17,000 he has on hand, but with an infusion of money he might follow in the footsteps of Frank Watson and Ron Stephens. I hope he is calling all of those Karmeier contributors.

Naperville City Councilman Darlene Senger was another candidate courting conservatives on the boat. She is running to replace retiring Republican State Representative Joe Dunn.

Senger is a financial advisor. If she can translate that into sensible advice on the state budget, her election could be worth the price of admission.

Looking at her web site shows a mix of local concern —opposition to the Canadian Northern’s takeover of the EJ&E Railroad, which will increase suburban congestion along its entire length—and statewide concerns, e.g., fighting political corruption. She has Democratic and Green Party opponents, both women.

Dave McAloon can be seen in the top photo talking to Phyllis Schlafly. He is running for state representative against incumbent Careen Gordon. Gordon’s campaign was financing oh so much by Chicago money.

McAloon is from Kankakee County and has been active in conservative causes for years.

The only other candidate I remember meeting was Lawrence Bruckner. He is running against Mike Boland, an ally of Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn from the Quad Cities area.

Bruckner was a shot from my past. He reminded me that he had met me when I was the Republican candidate for State Comptroller.

That was 1982.

What a memory.

He must have been at the press conference that then-State Rep. Tim Bell set up for me so we could both pledge to work against an income tax increase which we, incorrectly, it turns out, said was most likely to occur if Adlai Stevenson III beat Jim Thompson for re-election.

Yesterday, I put up an article about Phyllis Schlafly’s receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award on Paul Caprio’s Family PAC cruise.

It was pretty late when I finished it and I promised to do a piece on the candidates working the crowd on the cruise.

There were plenty there.

Schlafly said they were the generation who would reform the Illinois Republican Party.

I know I won’t do them justice, but here goes.

There were two congressional candidates.

Jim Oberweis gave me hope that he might reverse the special election results. He did that by pointing out the extremely low turn out this spring, compared with the numbers who will vote this fall.

Oberweis explained that 100,000 people voted in the special election, while 300,000 will troop to the polls in this traditionally Republican 14th congressional district at this fall’s presidential election.

That is reason for optimism, it seems to me.

Antoine Members, the Republican Party candidate opposing 1st congressional district Congressman Bobby Rush

Republican Cook County State’s Attorney candidate Tony Peraica also was on the cruise, as he has been before.

There were two incumbent state senators, Bill Brady and Randy Hultgen. You can see Brady below, but, unfortunately, my best shot of Hultgren has his tongue out. (No, not like my son likes to do when I take his picture; more a indication of concentration, I think.)

Brady and Oberweis spent a lot of time talking to each other. You’ll remember that they were opponents during the 2006 GOP gubernatorial primary election. (Charlie Watts can be seen standing between the two.)

There were three Republican state senators, if you count Carol Pankau, who isn’t a big boat person.

She mingled with people before the Lake Michigan cruise.

As I’m told did former Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron Gidwitz did as well.

More tomorrow.

Yesterday, I put up an article about Phyllis Schlafly’s receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award on Paul Caprio’s Family PAC cruise.

It was pretty late when I finished it and I promised to do a piece on the candidates working the crowd on the cruise.

There were plenty there.

Schlafly said they were the generation who would reform the Illinois Republican Party.

I know I won’t do them justice, but here goes.

There were two congressional candidates.

Jim Oberweis gave me hope that he might reverse the special election results. He did that by pointing out the extremely low turn out this spring, compared with the numbers who will vote this fall.

Oberweis explained that 100,000 people voted in the special election, while 300,000 will troop to the polls in this traditionally Republican 14th congressional district at this fall’s presidential election.

That is reason for optimism, it seems to me.

Antoine Members, the Republican Party candidate opposing 1st congressional district Congressman Bobby Rush

Republican Cook County State’s Attorney candidate Tony Peraica also was on the cruise, as he has been before.

There were two incumbent state senators, Bill Brady and Randy Hultgen. You can see Brady below, but, unfortunately, my best shot of Hultgren has his tongue out. (No, not like my son likes to do when I take his picture; more a indication of concentration, I think.)

Brady and Oberweis spent a lot of time talking to each other. You’ll remember that they were opponents during the 2006 GOP gubernatorial primary election. (Charlie Watts can be seen standing between the two.)

There were three Republican state senators, if you count Carol Pankau, who isn’t a big boat person.

She mingled with people before the Lake Michigan cruise.

As I’m told did former Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron Gidwitz did as well.

More tomorrow.

A press release has been received from Family PAC commenting in on Decatur’s Republican Party Convention. I thought it might be of interest to you.

Paul Caprio, Executive Director of Family-PAC, today commended State GOP Chairman, Andrew McKenna Jr., for comments that he made in addressing the Illinois GOP convention held in Decatur this past weekend.

Said Caprio,

“Andy McKenna sent an important message in criticizing former Governor Jim Thompson for promoting a pardon for convicted Ex-Governor George Ryan. McKenna also spoke out against the fact that both the County Chairman and the County Board Chairman in Dupage County had both supported and lobbyed for an increase in the sales tax in that County to bail out the Chicago Transit Authority.

“I thank Chairman McKenna for putting the Republican party on record and standing against un-needed tax increases that are unfairly applied to suburban tax payers. This is an indication of real political courage on his part and we applaud it. Only by standing up for his tried and true conservative principles is the Republican Party going to make progress in Illinois in the future.”

The annual Family PAC cruise will be held on July 28th this summer. It is a truly enjoyable event, although the clouds were a bit threatening last summer. They didn’t reach us in Lake Michigan, however.

A footnote to the convention:

Jim Thompson was named a delegate to the Republican National Convention.