McHenry County Blog

I haven’t covered the U.S. Senate race to any great extent. The prohibitive favorite, U.S. Congressman Mark Kirk has been to 1776 for a morning “vetting” by Republican Party insiders. I didn’t get much feedback, but when a candidate is running so high in the polls, Establishment types generally support him or her.

With last week’s widespread dissemination of what had previously been rumor mill fodder, stimulated by a radio ad from Senate candidate Andy Martin, some are wondering who is running against Kirk.

Pat Hughes is one of them. He describes himself as “a successful real estate developer, husband, and father, resides with his wife, Susan, and their three children in Hinsdale.”

Here is his press release in favor of term limits:

HUGHES MAKES STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF TERM LIMITS
U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Hughes
to Speak at “Stop Mark Kirk Express” Event

U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Hughes (R-IL) makes the following statement on his support for term limits and will be making a more formal statement on the issue tonight at the Stop Mark Kirk Express event hosted by the Will County Tea Party Alliance:

“Washington D.C. has quickly become the primary place of residency for some members of Congress. In the past twenty years over 90% of House members who ran for re-election have won and over 80% of Senators who have run for re-election have won.

“It is an astonishing high incumbency rate and an odd occurrence due to the fact that Congress has not seen an approval rating over 50% in almost as many years. Setting term limits for Congress helps set a standard for responsible government and responsible representation of the people. When members of Congress begin to see their office as a career and not a public service, they have lost sight of what serving in Congress is about; representation of the people. Politics should be about the people, not the office.”

“If elected to the U.S. Senate I would not only work towards getting term limits set for Congress, I would also pledge to only serve two terms as a Senator myself. Our country thrives when the voices of the people are heard and represented.”

At the McHenry County Board meeting during the public comment period a couple of weeks ago, District 5 McHenry County Board challenger Dave Frederick laid out a preliminary outline for a “Contract with McHenry County Taxpayers.”

The idea seemed patterned, after Newt Gingrich’s 1994 “Contract with America.”

I was writing as fast as I could, but he was talking faster.  He said he was not willing to release its contents because it was in preliminary form and that he wanted to see if other candidates might agree with him.

Veterinarian Frederick told of showing the platform to 180 voters while gathering petition signatures and they “enthusiastically supported this.”

Sort of test marketing.

Among the notes I made seemed to be a preamble about governments at all levels having responded “very inadequately” to something, perhaps, the economic situation.

“Bureaucracy” also came in for a “hit.”

Then there were a series of “If elected” statements.

One advocated term limits for county board members—two, unless someone were elected county board chairman during a second term and then he/she could have three.

Another supported reducing the number on the county board from 24 to 18 elected from nine districts.

There was a plank about electing someone at-large.  It may have been the county board chairman.

In an anti-politician year, cutting back the size of the county board might find some traction.  A similar approach to the Illinois House, called the Cutback Amendment, won now-Governor Pat Quinn a lot of supporters back in 1982

At about 10:45 yesterday morning I caught a little of Dennis Miller’s nationally broadcast interview of McHenry County State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo).

Apparently Miller made a pitch for term limits.

And Franks, considering a run for Congress after reapportionment, didn’t like the idea.

What follows is a bit of what I jotted down.

Franks said he was the “first Democrat elected since 1834.”

Fact check time.

I’d think Franks would give more credit to the Democrats who previously represented McHenry County in the Illinois House. I served with State Rep. Tom Hanahan (D-Johnsburg) and, even if Franks doesn’t remember Billy Giblin, a farmer from the Union-Marengo area, I’ll be his father Herb does.

Since Illinois had cumulative voting until Pat Quinn’s Cutback Amendment passed in 1982, my guess is there was a Democrat representing McHenry County except from 1983 until Franks took office in 1999.

“It’s the same bad actors.”

Before saying that, Franks had referred to McHenry County Establishment types. On the state level he mentioned Bob Kjellander and Bill Cellini.

“If you have newbies coming it, they’re going to get rolled.”

“Why not say, ‘I’m out of here in 8 years?’” Miller asked.

“You bridle at that.”

Franks then bragged of his “Sam’s Club for Seniors” pharmaceutical purchasing program, which he said represented “five years fighting with Big Pharma.”

“You’ve got corrupt officials stopping you,” explaining why a legislator like himself would need many terms in officethhe added before his segment was completed.

Miller addressed the legislator in the familiar “Jackie Franks” in his sign-off.

I’ve never hear anyone call Franks “Jackie.”

It occurs to me that someone of Franks’ relative youth (for Congress) might find term limits an issue that he would prefer not to face in a 2012 general election for Congress.