McHenry County Blog

Peter Roskam

A press release from Congressman Peter Roskam:

Roskam to Host Chicagoland Job Fair Monday

BLOOMINGDALE, IL – Congressman Peter Roskam (IL-6), along with Reps. Bob Dold (IL-10), Randy Hultgren (IL-14) and Joe Walsh (IL-08) will be hosting a Chicagoland Job Fair on Monday, July 23rd in Addison.

The job fair is an opportunity for constituents to connect with over 100 area employers across industry groups—from manufacturing and finance to high-tech. Throughout the day, attendees can stop by free workshops on job search skills, interview techniques and the effective use of social media.

Information can be found at: www.roskam.house.gov/jobfair.

Since the deadline for reporting third quarter of the year campaign contributions and expenditures is mid-October, I decided to take a look at how Illinois Republican Congressmen/woman are doing.

I looked at the 14th District GOP candidates first. It pits freshmen Congressmen Randy Hultgren and Joe Walsh against each other.

Randy Hultgren shows net contributions of $165,945, after $21,000 of refunds from July 1st through September 30th.  He has $275,810 in the bank.  Details are below:

Randy Hultgren's 3rd Quarter Campaign Disclosure

Joe Walsh has $446,058 available.

Although Hultgren outraised Walsh during this quarter by about $16,545, Walsh has over $190,000 more in the bank.

Walsh owes $44,000; Hultgren $55,000.

Joe Walsh reported raising $145,699 during the 3rd quarter.

Joe Walsh

Looking at where the money came from, Walsh got $118,700 from individuals (after refunds);  $27,000 from Political Action Committees (no refunds).

Hulgren’s contributions from individuals after refunds totaled $107,345.  He received $55,900 from PACs (after refunding $1,000).

So, total contributed this quarter:

• $163,245 for Hultgren
• $145,700 for Walsh

Of the donations this quarter, Walsh has a higher percentage from individuals:

Randy Hultgren

• 81.5% for Walsh
• 65.8% for Hultgren

Conversely, Hultgren received a higher percentage from PACs:

• 34.2% for Hultgren
• 18.5% for Walsh

Total available for the coming primary election:

• $446,058 for Walsh
• $275,810 for Hultgren

The other Illinois race pitting two incumbents is the 16th, where 10-term veteran Don Manzullo is being challenged by freshman Adam Kinzinger.

Manzullo raised $316,558 during the three-month period and has $483,994 in the bank.

Don Manzullo's 3rd Quarter campaign disclosure summary.

The 14th and the 8th are the only two congressional districts where it’s incumbent Republican versus incumbent Republican.

Kinzinger, in contrast, has $567,012 cash on hand, after raising $202,441 during July, August and September.

Adam Kinzinger's 3rd quarterly report to the Federal Elections Commission.

Other Republicans are in danger, however.

Veteran Judy Biggert will be running against former Democratic Congressman Bill Foster.

She has $298,250 in the bank vs. Foster’s $339,687.

The 3rd quarterly FEC report for Congresswoman Judy Biggert.

Foster has about $40,000 more in hand, but it’s a Republican year, so who knows?

Here is Bill Foster's 3rd Quarter report on campaign finances.

Freshman Bobby Schiller has been put into a convoluted district whose edge nearest McHenry County is Rockford. The potential opponent I have heard most about is Cheri Bustos, who has been endorsed by Emily’s List, the national Pro-Choice group that endorsed opponents of mine in times past.

Freshman Bobby Schilling has filed this 3rd Quarter report with the FEC.

Schilling has $450,290 available.  Cheri Busto reported $131,451 on hand.

Democrat Cheri Bustos reports $131,451 in the bank.

There is another Democratic Party candidate in the face, State Senator David Koehler of Peoria.  He raised $121,777, less than Bustos this quarter.

David Koehler reporting having $162,866 on hand, $31,000 more than Cheri Bustos.

Congressman Tim Johnson might or might not have former State Rep. Jay Hoffman, a former Rod Blagojevich House floor leader, challenge him in a district Mike Madigan (or maybe it was the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) drew.

Johnson has $379,425 on hand versus $131,564 in Hoffman’s bank account.

Here's what Congressman Tim Johnson reported on his 3rd Quarter report.

There’s speculation that Hoffman might want to run in retiring Democrat Jerry Costello’s district farther south, but based in the Metro-East area across from St. Louis.

Democrat Jay Hoffman reports $131,564 in his campaign checking account.

The North Shore’s Robert Dold is running for re-election against a Democrat to be named in next March’s primary election.

He has $367,665 available.  This is a Chicago TV market district in which a lot more than that will be needed.

The 3rd Quarter report for Robert Dold.

The biggest Republican congressional campaign fund in our area I have left until last. It belongs to Congressman Peter Roskam.

Unless the Federal Court reverses the Democrats reapportionment map lines, Roskam will represent our household in 2013.

Assistant House Whip Peter Roskam has more money in the bank than any other Illinois GOP Congressman.

Roskam has $1,767,463 in his campaign coffers.

I looked at Republicans in the 8th Congressional District, too.  The only one reporting that I could find was Barrington’s Andrew Palamo, who had $4,484 on hand.

8th District GOP candidate Andrew Palomo reporting having $4,484 available.

Peoria’s Aaron Schock reported having $1,9323,275 to spend on his campaign.  That’s even more than Roskam has.

Aaron Schock had $1.9 million.

Veteran John Shimkus filed late on Saturday.  He had about $1.2 million available for his re-election campaign.

John Shimkus reported having $1,298,502 on hand at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Interesting headline on a Smart Politics story with a local twist:

Head of the Class: The Most Buzzworthy House Freshmen of the 112th Congress

The article by Eric Ostermeier tells of an analysis of media appearances/mentions on ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, and NPR.

Joe Walsh is filmed on the balcony of his Fox Lake office for an ABC feature.

The top four are

1. Allen West
2. Joe Walsh
3. Tim Scott
4. Sean Duffy

The reporter points out that the top three who have become “media darlings (or fodder)” have gotten over one-third of the coverage given to the whole freshman class.

148 for Walsh.  12% of the total for first-termers.

West had 17.9%.  (He and Scott are the only two black Republican congressmen.)

30% for the two of them.

Potential Walsh primary opponent Randy Hultgren appeared on five broadcasts.

The next highest publicized Illinois freshman congressman was Adam Kinzinger.  He appeared 22 times.  Bobby Shilling scored 11 broadcasts.  Robert Dold had four.

The annual Pro-Life Pig Roast was held at Irene Napier’s Valley View Road farm northeast of Crystal Lake Sunday and there were candidates galore.

Crystal Lake Tea Party leader Mary Alger and McHenry County Pro-Life Matriarch Irene Napier listen to Congressman Randy Hultgren.

With Governor Pat Quinn’s having just signed the Democrats’ reapportionment bill for for congressional districts, the two incumbents living in the new 14th District showed up.

Joe Walsh, who lives between McHenry and Johnsburg, arrived first.

He worked the crowd, then spoke to it.

Congressman Joe Walsh auctions off golf for four at the Marengo Golf Course.

He and other elected officials were drafted to auction off donated items.

Randy Hultgren, from the DuPage County end of the new 14th District came with his family.

Congressman Randy Hultgren spoke to those attending the Pro-Life Pig Roast.

After speaking to those gathered, Hultgren also became a celebrity auctioneer.

State Senator Chris Lauzen

State Senator Dan Duffy

State Senators Dan Duffy and Chris Lauzen told what was happening in Springfield.

Then, they were also impressed to be auctioneers.

Two people whose names have been mentioned as potential candidates for the Republican nomination for State Representative in the new 64th district, which is divided about 50-50 between McHenry County and Lake County were sighted.

Barb Wheeler making a big point at the Pro-Life Pig Roast.

John O'Neill

Retiring McHenry County Board member Barb Wheeler was in attendance, as was McHenry Grade School and Library Board member John O’Neill.

Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks flattered O’Neill by removing the Spring Grove precincts where O’Neil beat him last year from the boundaries of his newly-drawn 63rd District.

Both are possibilities, as is attorney Joe Gottemoller.  Wheeler and Gottemoller have Crystal Lake addresses.  O’Neill lives in McHenry.

Rich Evans (on the right) discusses a run for Congress in the new 8th District with incumbent Joe Walsh.

A potential candidate for the 8th congressional district is Rich Evans.

A CPA, Evans has contacts in the 8th District, although he now lives in Crystal Lake.

Incumbent 8th District Congressman Joe Walsh is not expected to run for re-election in the new district.

John and Josie Jung.

In addition to Barb Wheeler, three McHenry County Board
members were in attendance:

• John Hammerand of Woodstock,
• John Jung of Bull Valley and
• Nick Provenzano of McHenry

McHenry County Board member John Hammerand spoke with potential District 6 candidate Shawn Green of Coral Township.

A potential candidate for District 6, former Huntley School Board President Shawn Green, attended with his toddler and pregnant wife Angela.

Other elected officials were also chowing down.

Johnsburg School Board member Steve Rooney and State Senator Chris Lauzen converse.

Judge Mike Chmiel

Included were

• McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi,
• Wonder Lake Fire Protection District Trustee Cheryl Hammerand, and
• Johnsburg School District Board member Steve Rooney.

Judge Michael Chmiel was there with his wife, Marie, a former McHenry County Board member.

Newly-named Patriots United Executive Director Maria Rodriguez converses Right to Life McHenry County leader Nancy Cole at the Pig Roast.

Patriots United announced that Maria Rodriguez has been hired as Executive Director.

Out of the ordinary was the appearance of two guys not seeking office,

• physician Arie Friedman and
• former State Rep. candidate Dan Sugrue.

Arie Friedman and Dan Sugrue have a conversation.

After his run against an incumbent Democrat in Lake County last year, Mike Madigan put the woman who beat him in a district with incumbent Republican Sid Mathias.  Any chance that Sugrue could win in the Green Oaks district where he lives is minimal.  He was elected the the village board his past spring, however.

Friedman ran in the 10th congressional district Republican primary against Robert Dold.  He has often spoken in public forms against Obamacare.

Did you know that each congressional district but two in Illinois have 712,813 people?

The other two have 712,812.

The newly-approved congressional map, awaiting Governor Pat Quinn's signature.

So, as far as making them of equal size, Illinois Democrats did a superb job.

The current congressional map for Illinois.

Although the ethnic concentration requirements, which have never held much interest for me, even though they will be the basis of any challenge by Republicans, how the electorate was rearranged does pique my curiosity.

The following table shows this information for each of Illinois’ congressional districts:

Where people were under the 2002 Illinois congressional districts and where they will be starting ni 2012. Click to enlarge.

Let’s take a closer look at the three districts into which McHenry County is or will be.

First, Don Manzullo’s 16th congressional district.  Here’s where the 718,791 people in the current 16th District ended up.

Most remained in the 16th District.

314,072, to be exact.

209,889 were placed in the 17th District.

That’s a district that goes to the Mississippi River hooking around the new 16th District’s north-south portion as it pretty much rings the collar counties from the Wisconsin border on its way to the Indiana border south of Kankakee.

It also hooks around the upper part of the 18th District like a cloud forming into a tornado.

The vast majority live in the City of Rockford.

106,441 were from Alden, Chemung, Coral, Dunham, Grafton,Hartland, Marengo, Nunda, Riley and Seneca Townships in McHenry County.

Basically, the western half of McHenry County, plus Grafton Township and the Crystal Lake part of Nunda Township.

88,389 gave been assigned to the 6th congressional district.

That is the Algonquin Township part of the current 16th District.

They will presumably be represented by Congressman Peter Roskam after the next election.

Congressman Joe Walsh’s current 8th District is split asunder.

104,825 go into the District numbered 6.

That’s the one where House Republican Deputy Whip Peter Roskam now resides.

Most of that population comes from McHenry County’s Algonquin Township, but some is from the lower tiers of townships in southwestern Lake County.

185,195 of the most Democratic parts of the 8th District that could be found were kept in the new 8th District, which is based in Schaumburg, which is no longer the solid Republican territory it was when Don Totten was Republican Township Committeeman.

So the new 8th is less than one-third of the old 8th.

233,771 people in the 8th were assigned to the 10th district.  That’s the part in the upper part of Lake County.  It actually contains Joe Walsh’s Fox Lake congressional office.

Almost as many people–215,049–ended up in the new vertical McHenry-Kane-DuPage County district.  Incumbent 14th District Congressman Randy Hultgren resides just inside its eastern border in DuPage County.  Joe Walsh lives near its northern border–the Wisconsin-Illinois state line, in McHenry.

With more of Joe Walsh’s district’s population going to the new 10th District, which has no resident incumbent, it occurs to me that Walsh might decide to run there, instead of in the 14th.  (The 6th with GOP Leader Peter Roskam in it, is pretty much out of the question, although Walsh has significant connections in the Barrington portion.  That’s where he grew up.)

But, 60% of the voters in the new 10th District were in the old 10th District, which Robert Dold took over from now-U.S. Senator Mark Kirk.

The 431,609 people being carried over from the old 10th District are pretty far from Dold’s home.

As you can see, 1,508 people are shunted to the 14th District.

Finally, let’s take a look at the 14th District.

Randy Hultgren is its congressman and it now butts up against the McHenry-Kane County line.

Similar havoc can be expected in states controlled by Republicans.  See if you can pick them out from the map below, which shows which states got extra congressional seats and which, like Illinois, lost one or more.

The largest portion–293,306 people–are still in the same numbered district.

But 293,306 out of 712,813 is only a bit over 40%.

The next largest contributor of constituents to the 14th District is number 11.   There are 184, 335 from there.

That’s fellow freshman Adam Kinzinger.

The 8th contributes 93,602 from McHenry County.

88,879 come from Congressman Don Manzullo’s district, also primarily from McHenry County.

Finally, 33,641 are now represented by freshman Bobby Schilling.

States who won and lost the population game.

Peter Roskam has more than a little bit of McHenry County under the new map. His new 6th District will represent all of Algonquin Township, which has over 100,000 residents.

The fourth-ranking Republican in the United States Congress will represent the major part of Crystal Lake under the reapportionment map being pushed by Illinois Democrats.

Congressman Peter Roskam, who is Chief Deputy Whip, lives in Milton Township’s Wheaton, which is now in the 6th congressional district and will also be in the new 6th congressional district.

The new district includes all of Algonquin Township and runs all the way to the street in front of our home in Lakewood.

The rest of McHenry County is in the 14th district, where both Congressman Joe Walsh and Randy Hultgren live.

Walsh’s 8th District number has been appropriated by Democrats to create a district advocated by a Schaumburg Township Democrat in the House Reapportionment Committee hearing in Elgin.

Here is the way the lines run for the nearby districts.:

Just a now, this map shows two congressional districts being imposed on McHenry County by Illinois Democrats--District 6, now represented by Peter Roskam, and District 14, where freshmen Congressmen Joe Walsh and Randy Hultgren live. Also shown is District 8, which is Walsh's current number. It is designed to pick up every pocket of Democratic Party voters in the Northwest suburbs. Click to enlarge.

McHenry County’s having a member of the U.S. House Republican Leadership representing part of it reminds me of the 1980′s, when Congressman Dennis Hastert represented Coral Township.

Hastert only two precincts, maybe three, but it provided a future entree to the corridors of power in Washington.

Left without clear homes are Randy Hultgren, present incumbent in the 14th District and Joe Walsh.  Hultgren is just inside the eastern line of the district’s DuPage County line.

Walsh has had much of the Republican part of the Lake County part of his district put elsewhere.  His Fox Lake district office has been put in the 10th District, which has no incumbent.

Current 10th District Congressman Robert Dold lives south of its upcoming line.

Joe Walsh on ABC News telling high school students the same thing he tells adults.

In the Elgin House Reapportionment Committee hearing on April 28 , 2011, a member of the Schaumburg Area Democratic Organization called for the elimination of the 8th Congressional District.

Roger Bianco thinks this would result in “a more representative form of government.

You can read why below:

MR. BIANCO: My name is Roger Bianco. It’s R-o-g-e-r, B-i-a-n-c-o. I’m a resident of Elk Grove Village living in the Schaumburg Township.

As a matter of full disclosure, I am a member of the Schaumburg Area Democratic Organization. I’m the deputy committeeman and a member of the board of that organization…

As a suggestion and as our concern as an organization, our concern lies mainly with the congressional districts; that is, the 8th Congressional District. [Congressman Joe Walsh's] And what we would like to see done is the following or at least propose this as a solution.

And this might catch a lot of people by surprise, but essentially, we would like to see the elimination of the 8th Congressional District and combine that with the 9th Congressional District.

We would like to see the top northeast portion of the current 8th Congressional District moved into the 10th Congressional District [Robert Dold's].

We would like to see the taking of the top northwestern portion of the 8th Congressional District and combine that with the 16th Congressional District [Don Manzullo's].

The current Congressional map for Northern Illinois. Click to enlarge.

We would like to see taking the 8th Congressional– I’m sorry, the eastern portion of the 14th Congressional District [Randy Hultgren's] and move that into the new 8th Congressional District, and move the northeastern and northwestern spurs –

There’s two areas that spur up on the 6th Congressional District [Peter Roskam's] and have them moved into the 9th Congressional District [Jan Schakowsky's].

The current Congressional map for District 8, plus surrounding areas.

This is all based on statistical and demographic information that we have researched and looked at.

All that basically means is that we feel that this will result in a more
representative form of government. It will allow all people of all demographic makeups.

It’s welcoming the southeast Asian, Indian and Hispanic/Latino communities into our districts.

We feel that this truly represents –

We come from a district that has had some very close racism. We think that this makeup will continue to make close racism.

And by close racism, we have had, in the last election, hundreds of people and differences in votes that significantly lead to one vote per person and we would like to see that continue. That represents an equal balance.

= = = = =
Maybe someone can explain what “close racism” is.

Congressman Joe Walsh, Senator Mark Kirk and Congressman Robert Dold toured the Zion Nuclear Power Plant the day before Easter.

Last weekend three Members of Congress, U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and U.S. Representatives Joe Walsh and Robert Dold took a tour of the Zion Nuclear Plant.  (Today, Walsh will be at Woodstock’s Challenger Center holding a Town Hall Meeting starting at 1 and running until 2:30.)

Despite the fact that all sorts of nuclear waste is stored there, only Fox News seems to have noticed.

You may remember that the waste was destined to be taken to remote reaches of Nevada for safer storage.

The problem, of course, is that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reed is from Nevada.

Never let it be said that politics doesn’t trump logic.

The man missing from this picture is Harry Reed’s top assistant, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.

I went to Durbin’s home page and found what you see below:

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin wants people to think he is on top of the nuclear power plant issue.

Next I went to the search engine on Durbin’s web site and typed in “Nevada.”
Take a look at what I found on the site of the Democratic Party senator who represents the state that gets more of its electricity from nuclear power plants than any other:

Nada. Nothing about the nuclear plant waste site in Nevada.

Monday, USA Today ran a story about a radio buy in targeted congressional districts. The Daily Herald localized it.

The Daily Herald fell victim of a new strategy by politicians.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent $10,000 in 25 congressional districts where the DCCC think the GOP incumbent is (or ought to be) vulnerable and sent out press releases.

Roll Call has the back story here.

When I divide $10,000 by 25, I get $400. That’s $400 for each congressional district targeted in the “Drive to 25” campaign.

Nathan Gonzales’ article is entitled,

“Beware of Ad Campaigns With More Bark Than Bite.”

He starts with a twist on the old philosophical question about whether, if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, is there a sound:

“If a campaign ad airs and no one hears it, does it exist?”

Very few may have heard the ad. (No one emailed me they had.)

But the Daily Herald allowed the Democrats to use it as a megaphone for the message.

Democrats would have media like the Daily Herald believe that there was a significant radio buy in Joe Walsh's district. But like the Disney World mock movie set of a World War II Japanese attack on a U.S. Naval ship, there is less fire than they hope the reporter sees.

Nothing new there.

The Daily Herald repeated did that during the 2010 election to Melissa Bean’s benefit.

Maybe editors will note their being fooled by the Dems’ Potemkin village approach and use better judgment next time around.

A reporter might even ask how much is being spent on the ad. (I wonder if the reporter even heard what is called in the trade a “Show me” ad.)

And, realize, as Roll Call points out,

“The strategy is to spend as little as possible in order to garner free media coverage and create the impression that a campaign-changing event is taking place.”

The DCCC had “$806,000 on hand at the end of the year and $19 million of debt,” the article says.

USA Today started the media roll-out with a Monday story.

Walsh informs me that less than $3,000 was spent against both he and Congressman Robert Dold.

They all endorsed Melissa Bean for the 8th Congressional District seat.

But, voters ignored the newspaper endorsements.

They picked someone who represents their interests and not the liberal special interests of San Francisco.

They elected Joe Walsh.

That’s in spite of endorsements from the Northwest Herald, Daily Herald, the Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times.

All of them were for the liberal, Bean.

Even after the election media bias showed.

ABC was in Lake Barrington to capture Melissa Bean's victory celebration. Instead, they found "stunned silence."

ABC sent its reporter to Melissa Bean’s headquarters.

After that report, when it was looking like Bean might get beaten, the Channel 7 talking heads had to bring up Walsh’s financial problems.

Here's the photo relating to the 8th District race the Chicago Sun-Times published the day after the election.

The day after the election, the Chicago Sun-Times ran a photo of Melissa Bean, not Joe Walsh.

Two days after the election, the Chicago Sun-Times ran a story about the four Chicago-area Republicans who were newly elected.

Only the Tea Party Republican is not smiling.

The only one not smiling is Joe Walsh.

Same treatment in the Chicago Tribune Thursday.

No smiles for Joe Walsh in the Chicago Tribune.

And you thought the editors of newspapers only look out for the regular people by printing all-of-the-real-relevant-facts journalism?

Maybe if you are still attending 6th grade civics class.

If not then you may check out the facts yourself and go to other sources besides the newspapers. Guess what?

The internet is handy for this.  I hope McHenry County Blog has been helpful.

Certainly from the spike in readership (over twice the normal daily hits), I’m led to believe it has been a useful reference tool.

I don’t remember any paper’s having compared Walsh’s education with Bean’s.

Walsh has a Masters degree in public policy from the University of Chicago. Bean has a Bachelors in political science from Roosevelt University

Couldn’t run anything that made Walsh look more qualified than Bean.

Well, it didn’t work.

That is, if vote totals count at the end of the day.

I guess many editors thought Bean was qualified because she voted for

• ginormous wasteful spending that created incredibly few private sector jobs
• new gigantic energy taxes
• Obamacare and the government takeover of healthcare

I guess ordinary people looked at the issues and ignored what newspaper editors wrote.

That’s happening more and more, national polling data says.

The Tribune did what amounted to a smear piece on Walsh about a week before the election.

Just in case you think no liberal “journalists” and editors work for the Trib. (Or maybe they were Carl Rove Republicans who believe if you’re not from the Establishment, you shouldn’t be in Congress.)

Endorsing Bean wasn’t enough in a close election for the Trib, apparently.

Anyone want to think that the Bean campaign, knowing the election was going to be close, didn’t push the papers to do a largely negative smear “info” article about Joe Walsh?

I almost forgot.

You are not supposed to research the facts on your own.

You are supposed to act not as adults, but as if you are in 6th grade civics class and believe all of the negative slant that’s given to you.

You are supposed to believe Bean really, truly is a “fiscal conservative” because a newspaper prints that liberal’s deceptive self-description.

You are supposed to believe Bean is a “moderate” because newspapers say it’s so in print.

Again and again and again.

People are smarter than this.

Even if editors and liberal staff writers choose to selectively ignore this when it comes to trying to get certain liberals–like Bean and Bill Foster–re-elected.

People can type McHenryCountyBlog.com into their browser and check out the facts.

Adults don’t need permission to do so.

They are no longer in 6th grade civics class.