McHenry County Blog

Teddy Roosevelt in Rough Rider uniform.

I think I’ve got it.

I figured that Democrat Jack Franks was using Republican President Teddy Roosevelt on his fall fund raising pitch because Franks wants people to see the word “Democrat”next to his name only on the ballot…where he cannot avoid it.

But thinking about Franks recent self-financed trip to Cuba with other legislators brought this though to mind:

Didn’t Teddy Roosevelt go to Cuba during the Spanish-American War?

Didn’t he lead a group of adventurers to Cuba and charge up San Juan Hill?

As an aside, did Franks emulate Roosevelt’s charge by wearing a sombreroand a blue poka-dot handkerchief when he met Cuba government officials?

The resulting publicity propelled him into the New York Governor’s Mansion a year later.

So was the trip to Cuba, Jack Franks’ charge up his San Juan Hill?

Will it help propel him to winning Democratic Party farm family votes Downstate in 2014?

Continuing his imitation of a Republican, Democrat Jack Franks held his fall fund raiser Saturday using the image of GOP President Teddy Roosevelt on his invitation.

Not Democrat FDR, but Republican TR.

Franks has perfected the technique of sounding like a Republican while

• pandering to the homosexual community, e.g., voting for civil unions,
• supporting the agenda of the most pro-abortion Political Action Committee in the nation, Personal PAC, in order to gain its endorsement in 2008 and 2010 (look at its questionnaire–county board version and note the specific impact on McHenry County–all questions must be answered to Personal PAC’s satisfaction to merit an endorsement), and
• opposing State Senator James Meeks’ proposal to improve the education of poor Chicago school kids that would have actually saved a couple hundred million dollars a year.

Franks talks a good game on taxes, having voted against the Democrats 67% income tax hike, and, just this last year, became a convert to concealed carry after a career of squeamishness om the issue.  In the veto session, he will tilt against the state’s non-Home Rule tax districts in an effort he says will keep property taxes from rising when assessed valuations are decreasing.

But he did not have the guts enough to buck the teachers’ unions in a bill that would have saved $240 million a year.

That was the Rev. and State Senator James Meek’s bill to provide a choice of schools to the parents of kids in the worst Chicago schools.  (Imagine a way that might improve poor kids’ education that everyone in McHenry County has known for longer than Franks has been alive was vastly inferior to what our own schools provide and a proposal that actually saved money.  Franks did not have the courage to vote for it and against the teacher union bosses!)

As we will see in the days to come, Franks is not only a favorite of union leaders, but has co-opted a number of Republicans, including McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren (originally applying as a Democrat to replace retiring Sheriff Art Tyrrell).

The co-option effort was so strong that former McHenry County Republican Party Chairman Bill LeFew has even attended a fund raiser and was induced to give a speech praising Franks.

Needless to say, there was no GOP opponent to Franks that year.

And, when State Rep. Mike Tryon replaced LeFew, the first year there was no opponent for Franks.

McHenry Grade School member John O’Neill was brave enough to take Franks on in 2010.

Republican Woodstock Mayor Brian Sager, who wants to succeed Franks as State Rep., if Franks runs for something else or is appointed Federal Judge, is on Franks’ host committee.

I’m one of those people who thinks every incumbent should have an opponent every year they run.  It makes them less likely to do dumb things if they are even a little bit nervous.

And, this year in Illinois Democrats ought to be nervous.

Illinois Democrats have hiked our income taxes 67%.

They would not have been able to do so if Mike Madigan had not be Speaker of the Illinois House.

Franks, of course, has voted for Mike Madigan for Speaker six times.  And, he won’t tell the press why.

Of particular interest to the tens of thousands of households with routes to work that include the tollway is the 88% increase toll taxes that will be forced on toll taxpayers on January 1st.  Dems could take the heat for that.

The contributions from lawyers, labor and lobbyists may exceed $1 million now.

But, as the two message billboard that so enraged him last fall said,

Jack Represents Jack Franks

and

Franks Represents

• Lawyers,
• Labor and
• Lobbyist

Tomorrow McHenry County Blog will show you those who achieved the “Bull Moose” designation at Franks’ fund raiser.

The mid-September mast head of State Rep. Jack Franks' campaign web site shows President Barack Obama and ex-Congresswoman Melissa Bean

If Franks had used the President on his web site, would those have been characterized as “Centers.”

In the Republican Party, each congressional district has a member on the State Central Committee. Currently the 16th District State Central Committeeman is Rockford State Senator Dave Syverson. This is the district Congressman Don Manzullo represents in Washington.

16th Congressional District Map, Illinois

When I got tired of not ever seeing a Republican precinct committeeman knock on my door or even leave literature at my door, I ran again and was elected.

This past week I received this statement of candidacy for the office from Joe Wiegand. Wiegand has run for state representative twice and served on the DeKalb County Board. He spearheaded the Tax Cap referendum in DeKalb County. Wiegand impersonates Teddy Roosevelt and has even appeared in Crystal Lake.

Republican precinct committeemen select state central committeemen.

Here is his Statement of Candidacy:

My name is Joe Wiegand, and I am a candidate for the post of 16th Congressional District Republican State Central Committeeman.  The election for this position will be held on March 3, 2010, at the Republican Conventions occurring in the nine Northern Illinois counties of the 16th Congressional District.

As Republican State Central Committeeman, it would be my goal to help Republican County Chairmen, Precinct Captains and candidates to win elections and, in turn, to bring better, common-sense, conservative public policies to the people of Illinois.
In 1982, as a Northern Illinois high school student, I campaigned for Congressman Phil Crane in McHenry County, the eastern-most portion of today’s 16th District.  In 2008, I led the Mike Huckabee effort in Illinois and appeared on the primary ballot as a candidate for 16th Congressional District Presidential Delegate.

In the three decades that I have been active in the trenches for Republicans and good government, Illinois has gone from the Reagan Revolution which promised greater freedom to the dominance of a one-party, Chicago-Democrat fiefdom which portends only greater servitude.  In the name of all that is decent and good, it is time to take back Illinois.

Like many of you, I have decided that it is time to put the future of our families, friends and neighbors first and to answer the call of “all hands on deck!”

It’s time for us to save the Land of Lincoln from this terrible fate of higher taxes and failed jobs.

Like you, I have tried to do some good.  I served on my DeKalb County Board and its finance committee, bringing the property tax cap to a successful referendum in 1999.  In 2007, I led the successful opposition to the proposed McHenry-Boone-DeKalb property-tax-fed water district.  I am pro-life, pro-Constitution and pro-traditional marriage, and I believe Republicans will do better in elections when we stand four-square in favor of these cornerstone issues.

We can all do more in the way of service to our neighbors in Northern Illinois, and I know I can help to bring the people of Northern Illinois together in support of party candidates that believe in lower taxes, smaller government, more freedom and respect for human life and our treasured institutions.  I believe we can join together to change the course in Illinois and to bring our fiscal house in order.  Together, as Republicans, Independents and former Democrats, let us strive to make a brighter future for the people of Illinois.

Joe Wiegand
868 State Route 72 – Fairdale                                                                                                 Kirkland, IL 847-373-0691  jwiegand@tbc.net

More About Joe Wiegand

Family – After a college romance, Jenny and I married in 1987.  In June, we celebrate or 23rd Anniversary.  Our daughter, Sam, is a soccer playing 6th grader.

Roots –I was raised in Elmhurst, Illinois (DuPage County) and graduated from Palatine High School in Palatine, Illinois, (Cook County), I have lived in DeKalb County since 1988.

Joe Wiegard on Applachian Trail

Profession – After a twenty plus year career in politics, campaigns and public policy, I am excelling as the nation’s premiere Theodore Roosevelt reprisor.  I performed for President and Mrs. Bush in the East Room of the White House, live on C-SPAN for TR’s 150th birthday in 2008.

Faith – A conservative Christian, I have enjoyed worshiping in churches throughout the 16th district.  I am a former senior warden of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Belvidere, Illinois.

Education – I graduated from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, with a degree in political science emphasizing American government and economics.  At Sewanee I was named a Thomas Watson Fellow in honor of the founder of IBM, Corporation and I traveled in Europe, Africa and Asia, interviewing national legislators about republican government.  I also received a Harry S Truman Scholarship, the official memorial for Give ‘em hell, Harry, for promise for a career in public service.  I pursued graduate studies in American government and public policy at Northern Illinois University, where I served as a graduate assistant in the Center for Governmental Studies.

Public Service – My public service ethic came from good teachers and great parents.  I served for six years as an elected member of the DeKalb County Board.  Representing seven western townships, I served on the finance committee, sponsored property tax caps and spearheaded their ultimate passage at referendum. I offered myself twice for the state legislature from Fairdale, a decade apart in two very different districts.  In 1994, I endorsed Rep. Ron Wait to take the 69th House seat back from the Democrats, after he bested me 67-33 in the primary.  In 2004, I endorsed Rep. Bob Pritchard after he bested me 55-45 in the primary.

Party Service – A former Vice-Chairman of the DeKalb County Republican Party, I have served as a precinct committeeman in the City of DeKalb and in rural Franklin Township about half of the time since 1988.  I served as a campaign professional for Nancy Beasley for State Senate, Chris Lauzen for State Senate, Jim Oberweis for Governor and Mike Huckabee for President, and as a campaign volunteer for Pat O’Malley for Governor, Peter Fitzgerald for US Senate and Jack Ryan/Alan Keyes for US Senate.  I have been a delegate to the State Republican Convention, an attendee of Republican Day at the State Fair and a frequent enthusiastic supporter and modest contributor to good candidates.

One of our family’s stops on our Western Odyssey was Mount Rushmore.

We went for the nighttime presentation.

I was expecting a light show and was disappointed.

The light show I remember as being excellent was in front of Springfield’s Old State Capitol during the 1970′s. The lights bounced around the area highlighting various parts of the Old Capitol, Lincoln’s law office and other places as the narrative indicated.

As the Mount Rushmore program proceeded, I expected spotlights to bounce from Washington to Jefferson to Lincoln to TR as the role of each was described.

The faces remained in their natural light state until almost the end of the program.

Then all the faces were uniformly lit, as you can see on top.

The narrative talked about presidents after Teddy Roosevelt, but didn’t name any of them.

I listened closely to see of the Barack Obama propagandists had edited what was said.

When I did not hear the word “hope” once, I concluded that that they had not yet done so.

One of the questions that one of us came up with was

Tomorrow I’ll reveal the perfect spot that we found late on our vacation.