McHenry County Blog

I got a phone call from Tonya Franklin this afternoon.

You may remember that Franklin stepped forward to run against Democrat Jack Franks when local Republicans failed to recruit a candidate.

“I hope to help McHenry County on a larger scale,” Franklin wrote, “….remembering our POTUS said something recently about not being able to change if from the inside or making a bigger difference from the outside (or something of that nature). Finally I agree with him on something.”

She’s in Boca Raton, where the temperature is undoubtedly a lot warmer than the15 degrees in Crystal Lake.

But Franklin didn’t call to gloat.

She called to tell me she was operating the back end of a new enterprise called “Tea Party Community.”

I asked her to send me an email telling about the new enterprise and you can see it below:

“FOX and Friends interview this morning with our Co-Founder Ken Crow…FOX & Friends this morning

“FOX News Radio article from Todd Starnes. Article from Todd Starnes explain more.

“Tim Selaty Sr. is Founder (with tons of help from his wife Michelle) and Tim Jr. built the site, I am the General Site Manager. We have a team of Volunteers, Moderators, Admin, that help us run the site. Which is close to 100,000 today. We opened it up to our immediate friends and family to test the site and work out the glitches in November and to staff the site.

“When we got to about 40,000 we set the launch date for today.

“Then the site took off with publicity from several large Conservative groups who were censored by facebook and threatened to have their pages taken down. We started getting requests for interviews and the rest is history. It all coincided this week with the launch. To which I am very grateful.

“Today, Saturday February the 2nd, we are having a 2 hour live webcast as well as being broadcast on a 50,000 watt clear channel station out of South Florida. 5-7 pm eastern time (www.teapartycommunity.com).”
See the Fox and Friends interveiw below:

Tonya Franklin, the woman who was willing to run against Jack Franks for State Representative as a Republican but was denied that opportunity by the McHenry County Republican Central Committee, sent an interesting photo of her home.

It was taken by one of the Google mapping folks.

Look at it closely and you will see an American Flag.

And, there is another flag next to it that has been deliberately blurred.

It’s a Tea Party Flag.

Draw your own conclusion.

A friend in Chicago found some of his anti-Obama bumper stickers blurred.

As if a lot of people look at these pictures.

The McHenry County Republican Party would not allow Tea Party activist Tonya Franklin the opportunity to seek signatures to get on the ballot to run against Marengo Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks.

Then Franks decided to use his third unimpeded candidacy time to roil the waters of the McHenry County Board with a referendum to consolidate power in a County Executive.

Now, this guy who has taught state and local government, again points out that the structure of the McHenry County Board is now decentralized.

For example, by County Board rule, the Chairman appoints people to various boards and commissions who are recommended by committees.

With the County Executive form of government, Board members would just have an up or down vote.

Now, a Hebron man has stepped into the breach.

His name is Joe Rosner and he has filed papers to run for State Representative against Jack Franks.

Rosner surfaced Saturday at the Nunda Township Republican Picnic at Crystal Lake’s Veterans Acres.

He mixed with the crowd, introducing himself.

Township Committee Chairman Mark Daniel even gave him an opportunity to speak.

“While I’m new to politics, I’m not new to public service,” he said outlining his military and civilian activities.

He has an interesting three sentence summary of what he would do if elected, but I only got the last sentence:

“The first question [I'll ask] is, ‘Is it constitutional?’”

In practical terms, it means that people in 63rd District will see a box and a line under the word “Write-in.”

Under Illinois law only those votes cast for him will be counted. Any other won’t be known unless someone is watching in the polling place or where the early and absentee ballots are counted in the courthouse.

As a candidate, however, Rosner, can sign authorizations for supporters to be in precincts to watch such counting. The County Clerk’s Office has the forms that Rosner (or any other candidate) would have to sign.

Accompanying a Tuesday Chicago Sun-Times column by Chris Mooney entitled “Conservatives are happier,” is a photo featuring Mary Alger and Tonya Franklin.

Folks will remember Alger as head of the Crystal Lake Tea Party and a former candidate for the McHenry County Board in District 3.

Franklin is the woman who stepped forward to challenge Democratic Party candidate Jack Franks.

This is the enthusiasm that could have attracted Tea Party volunteers from around the area–including Wisconsin–had the McHenry County Republican Party been willing to give Franklin a chance to get on the ballot.

The irony seems heavy that Republican County Chairman Mike Tryon has not taken Franklin up on her offer to become an appointed GOP Precinct Committeeman with so, so many precincts having no representative of the Republican Party

Just as there was not a quorum at the Special Meeting called to determine whether Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks would have Tonya Franklin as an opponent, there was no quorum Monday night.

Gathering at the Algonquin Township meeting room, 53 GOP Precinct Committeemen answered the Roll Call. That’s about ten more than came to the Special Meeting that Tryon discouraged people from attending.

65 were needed for a quorum.

As usual, a meeting was held anyway, although no official action was taken.

Chairman Mike Tryon explained that the Romney campaign won’t be supporting the Party on the local level, but that there probably would be television ads bought in the Chicago market in order to reach the swing state of Indiana.

Tryon said he looked forward to Tea Party Republicans campaigning for those running for local office.

As he talked about how it may be difficult to convince Republican voters to think anything is at stake, I thought of how a Tonya Franklin candidacy against Jack Franks would have energized Tea Party enthusiasts in County Board Districts 4, 5 and 6, all of which have Democratic Party challengers.

A lost opportunity to increase GOP turnout, in my opinion.

That, he hoped, would bring some sense of excitement to the closing days of the campaign.

The Party is trying to find a Crystal Lake Route 14 storefront from which to mount a campaign, but, with the economy improving locally, affordable locations are difficult to find.

Nevertheless, the campaign is going forward under the assumption that a location will be found. Those willing to volunteer should contact John McCrory. His email address is john.mccrory@mchenrycountygop.com.

After the party pitches, McHenry County Clerk Kathie Schultz instructed the new committeemen on how to register voters and swore them in as Deputy Registrars.

In its editorial Thursday, The Northwest Herald is not happy with the number of candidates running unopposed.

“…a sad commentary on the state of our democracy,” the editorial concludes.

Nice to be in agreement.

Commenting on the most obvious omission, the McHenry County Republican Party’s refusal to give Tea Party-inspired Tonya Franklin a chance, the editorial reads,

“The GOP failed to field a candidate to oppose Democrat Jack Franks in Illinois’ 63rd House District despite an unsuccesful attempt by tea party Republicans to caucus in Tonya Franklin.”

There must be a dam at the Illinois-Wisconsin border.

The water from Wisconsin’s boiling tea kettle didn’t spill over the state border last Saturday when the McHenry County Republican Party decided no candidate against Jack Franks was better than Tea Party activist Tonya Franklin.

I can’t help but note what Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady had to say about Wisconsin Scott Walker’s victory–the only Governor in U.S. history to survive a recall election:

“I enjoyed seeing all of the energy from Illinois Republicans over the past few weeks for Scott Walker and I know that energy will carry over to the Illinois Republican State Convention this weekend and to our elections this fall.

“I look forward to personally congratulating (Republican National Committee Chairman) Reince Priebus on Friday in Tinley Park for all his work in ensuring victory tonight.”

The abdication of the 63rd District seat to 7-time Mike Madigan supporter “Chainsaw Jack” Franks was three days before our state party leader’s praised that same energy.

Some may find some irony in the flat out rejection of the offer to take on a McHenry County GOP Establishment-predicted suicide run from a woman who had the energy to campaign in Wisconsin.

Not to mention for a month volunteering in Florida four years ago helping John McCain try to win the state on her own dime.

Ironically, McHenry County GOP Chairman seems more interested in not losing McHenry County to Barack Obama in 2012 as he did in 2008, than having a chance to beat Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks.  (From email discouraging Precinct Committeemen from attending the Special Meeting Saturday at which a crucial step could have been taken that could have led to a Republican opponent to Jack Franks being on the ballot: “We are committed to help elect our Congressmen, our State Senators and Representatives, our County Board candidates and most of all, electing a Republican President.“  Emphasis added.)

On the CNN fall election may last night while the analyst was debating on whether to change the color in Wisconsin from solid blue to pale blue, I noticed Illinois was the brightest of blues.

National commentators don’t share Tryon’s belief that Mitt Romney can carry Illinois this fall.

Carrying McHenry County will, at best, give bragging rights to local Republicans, while beating Jack Franks could make a difference in who controls the Illinois House.

A slim possibility, I will admit, but still a possibility, given what happened north of us.

Above the state line, Tea Party activists–even from Illinois–have been embraced by Republican leadership, including the Chairman of the National Republican Party Reince Priebus: “Thank God for the Tea Party.”

“We’re not in competition with the Conservative Movement. We’re just part of it,” Priebus said in an interview on Breitbart. “We need to have a party about addition and multiplication, not division and subtraction.”

Priebus, a Wisconsin resident, said,

“Courage is on the ballot in Wisconsin.

“We need more people to run for office and govern like they campaigned.”

Can’t help but wonder how he would react to the McHenry County Republican Party’s defeatist attitude.

And, arguably, the Party Leadership’s policy of, how did the National Chairman put it?

“Division and subtraction.”

Kool-Aid in the 63rd District better than Tea?

A perspective from the Left (“The Political Environment, Progressive reporting from Wisconsin and the region. Scott Walker Recall Updated Frequently.”) on the Wisconsin election points out:

“But Walker got to spend and benefit from $35-$50 million, and an advantage over Barrett by something like 7:1 this time, so where’s Walker’s growth? Yes, he won, but not in a landslide.”

We Ask America had the race at 54-44-4, the 4 being undecided, but warned that differential turnout was what the contest was all about.

I was listening to Milwaukee’s WTMJ coming home from a sleep apnea study this morning at Centegra’s Algonquin outpost and heard that no poll had predicted a Walker victory.

I guess, as with the mainstream media’s missing We Ask American’s poll on the Joe Walsh-Melissa Bean 2010 election, the commentator just didn’t look closely enough at this Illinois emerging source of information.

A McCormick Foundation analyst was interviewed.

Commenting on the effect the victory would have nationally, he said, “The political dynamic is certainly different.”

But, as the swim coaches say,

“You can win the race, if you’re not in the pool.”

And, no one in the McHenry County Republican Party leadership will be wearing this sweatshirt at this weekend’s GOP State Convention in Tinley Park:

Take a look at other parts of Illinois where parties are slating legislative candidates on this last day for filing party candidates.  These are the ones posted by the State Board of Elections through about 2 PM on deadline day.

But no one filed from McHenry County to run against Democrat Jack Franks.

The local Republican Party is toothless.

Tonya Franklin wasn’t good enough, even though the leaders couldn’t find anyone else.

= = = = =
Right after the primary election, Republican Susan McSweeney of Park Ridge, who won a write-in contest for the GOP nomination for State Representative against Rosemary Mulligan, added her name to the official list of candidates.

On the 21st of May, Republican Rodney Davis of Taylorville filed papers for Congress as a replacement for retiring Tim Johnson in the 13th Congressional District.

Today, the deadline for major parties and independents to file, a deluge began:

• Edgar Montalvo of Tinley Park, Republican, 19th Senate District, against Michael Hastings
• Michael J. Bigler, an Anna Democrat filed in the 58th Senate District against incumbent David Leuchtfeld
• Democrat David Page of Arlington Heights filed against Senator Matt Murphy
• Republican Xavier “X” Roman of Chicago filed in the 17th Senate District against Democrat Donne Trotter, the Senate Democrat’s long-time budget guy
• Thomas T. Morris, another Chicago Republican filed to run against Democrat incumbent Ira S. Silverstein
• In the 1st Senate District Republican George MaYtek is running against Tony Munoz
• Juan Antonio Diaz, a Chicago Republican, is running for State Rep. in opposition to Democrat Barbara Flynn Curry in the 25th State Rep. District
• Chicago Republican Paul Minervino is challenging 14th District Democrat Kelly Cassidy
• Scott Campbell, a Chicago Republican, is taking on Senate President John Cullerton in the 6th District
• Roy Pletsch, another Chicago Republican is running in the 2nd State Rep. District against Edward Acevedo
• Democrat Richard S. Rudd of Palatine is challenging incumbent Republican Tom Morrison in the 54th State Rep. District
• Curt Renz, an Arlington Heights Democrat is running for State Rep. against David Harris
• Chicago Republican Kimberly Small is aiming to be on the ballot opposing disgraced Democrat Derrick Smith in the 10th State Rep. District
• Gregory A. Bedell of Glenview is running as a Republican against Democrat incumbent John C. D’Amico
• Chicago Republican Evelyn Reid is running in the 33rd State Rep. District against incumbent St. Rep. Marlow Colvin
• Frankfort Republican Joseph C. “Tuck” Marshall is stepping up to challenge Democrat Toi W.Hutchinson in the 40th Senate District
• Wanda Rohl, a Democrat from Ottawa, is running against Adam Kinzinger
• Rita Zak of Chicago is running as a Republican against Danny Davis
• DeKalb Democrat Thomas Boken Jr. is running in the open 90th State Rep. District against Republican Tom Demmer of Dixon

= = = = =
Later Monday, June 4th filings can be found here.

An email from Sharon Meroni, who organized the effort to get Tonya Franklin on the ballot to oppose Democrat “Chainsaw Jack” Franks.

Meroni, a write-in candidate for Republican Precinct Committeeman in Fox River Grove, did something I have seen no other GOP Precinct Committeemen do since 1966–she got a Special Meeting of the Central Committee.

I want to thank the spirited coalition of supporters for Tonya Franklin’s application to be placed on the Republican ballot against Jack Franks.

We worked hard to get our vote.

We failed.

Truthfully, that still hurts.

I am new to McHenry County Republicans.

Many of us are.

This project to get a legitimate vote for or against Tonya’s application had positive momentum with the goals to inform fellow committeemen (and precinct captains) while providing a venue to vote.

My personal disappointment at being denied that vote is raw.

I work at Defend the Vote every day and actually suspended my research to fight for the committeemen’s vote with the McHenry County Republican Party leadership.

That is how important this matter was to me.

This fight wasn’t planned.

Rep Tryon asked us to find a candidate.

We did so, and we stepped up to support that candidate.

The discovery process of learning that Rep Tryon was actually actively suppressing the legal vote of the Committeemen was just that; a discovery process.

It was disappointing.

One unavoidable outcome of the meeting is on-the-record proof that our own party leadership literally actively worked to defeat the committeemen’s effort to have the vote Illinois law and McHenry Count By-laws specifically provides for.

Rep Tryon has never responded to the charge that he failed to set up the required meeting, despite being given ample notice that the vote from the “committee that was not a committee” (in his letter redefined as the Executive Committee) was not authorized in Illinois Law or in McHenry County Republican By-Laws.

In addition, Rep. Tryon made the political and tactical decision to cancel the meeting required by McHenry County By-Laws, and which should have been held on May 17th.

If this meeting had been held, Committeemen would have had the vote (for or against Tonya’s application) that is entitled as solely ours by Illinois law.

When we asked for this May 17th meeting to be scheduled, Tryon’s leadership responded with silence and then a cancellation of a meeting that was never scheduled.

When we asked McHenry County Republican Committeemen for a special meeting and achieved the 25% required in McHenry County Republican By-laws, Tryon’s leadership responded with two blasts from an email intimating it was not a legal meeting and that the Chairmen would not attend…Leaving the definite impression the June 2nd Special Meeting was not legitimate.

Then Chairman Tryon and Vice Chairman Mark Daniel showed up to Chair the meeting.

Chairman Tryon admits on the record, more than once, that it this was a legitimate meeting, but we needed a quorum.

When committeemen questioned Chairmen’s obvious manipulation to suppress a quorum, he literally ran off the stage.

Disappointing?

Chairman Tryon was unable to speak to us.

While emotions were high, we were not shouting; Committeemen who had the floor, asked for accountability.

We had lawyers and parliamentarians there to assure the meeting was professionally run.

Our attorney, a skilled election lawyer named Laura Jacksack, and the parliamentarians were instrumental in guiding the meeting. (You guys were great!)

It was an exercise in Liberty!

The result, Chairmen Tryon, who was unable to withstand scrutiny, ran off the stage.

Round Lake Area News reports that the Lake County Democrats candidate for Circuit Clerk, Cynthia Pruim Haran, dropped out of the race.

Did that discourage the Democrats across the county line?

Nooo.

They nominated a new candidatenamed Rupam Davé and probably are still out circulating petitions to get her on the ballot.

How unlike the McHenry County Republican Party where I have been trying to convince party leaders since last July to find someone to run against “Chainsaw Jack” Franks.  (Actually, he didn’t earn that name until I discovered he had introduced a bill to allow Com Ed chop down every tree within 20 feet of an electric power line.)

The McHenry County GOP doesn’t care that it has no one challenging the top Democrat on the ballot.

As willing Franks’ opponent Tonya Franklin said after the Saturday Special Meeting,

“I’m not better than nothing now.

“No one’s running against Jack Franks.”