McHenry County Blog

“To the Dark Side,” I’m sure many reporters would suggest, but going into politics is an honored career path for British reporters.

I figure going from being a reporter to public relations qualifies as much as going to “the Dark Side” as running for office.

Anyway, former courthouse reporter Mark Bonne, more recently of Rockford publications, ran unsuccessfully for 14th Ward alderman.

Now, he’s done both.

Bonne earns his living now as spokesman for the Rockford School District.

Bonne is aligned with State Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford.

One of the commenters under the above linked column by political columnist Chuck Sweeney was none to kind in describing Bonne as a “RINO,” which stands for “Republican in Name Only.”

In January Bonne held a fund raiser featuring former Rockford Congressman and Presidential John B. Anderson.

I haven’t seen Anderson since crossing paths at Waukegan’s WKRS in 1980 when he was running for president and I was running unsuccessfully against incumbent Bob McClory for congress. He was walking out as I was walking in.

The race was a three-way one with Bonne running as an independent, the Republicans running Edward Geeser. Former Rockford Fire Chief Bill Robertson won the election as a Democrat.

Bonne was forced to run as an Independent because he voted in the previous Democratic primary election. But he wasn’t alone. Robertson was kicked off the ballot because he voted in the previous Republican primary and also ran as an independent. The Republican Party’s candidate had to be slated twice because of mistakes the first time around.

The results were 49% for the “independent” ex-fire chief, 29% for “independent” Bonne and 24% for the official Republican.

In Rockford no incumbent lost and those who retired were all replaced by candidates from the same party, except in this ward.

Bonne will always have a warm place in my heart for the NW Herald interview he did of my father. I played the tape in Dave Bachmann’s funeral home, which pretty much freaked some people out.

At the NW Herald, Bonne was a too tenacious courthouse reporter, uncovering petition forgeries that led to the resignations of a county treasurer and county board member.

It was known as the coffee cup-Wite-out scandal.

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The Darth Vader you see was in the 4th of July Parade two years ago in Crystal Lake.

My wife and arrived in Decatur for the Republican State Convention later than we intended—about 6:30 Friday night.

You know, I actually went thinking I might be able to vote like you see in national conventions.

But, none of the decisions made in committee before we arrived were overturned in what passed for democracy on the floor of the convention.

I would characterize the convention as “an administered one.”

It was pretty tightly controlled, in other words. Delegates couldn’t even bring in signs that were not pre-approved.

Since the decision-making process was over before we arrived, I decided to play photo bug.

Here’s what I found.

Bruno Behrend, who is a talk show host on Waukegan’s WKRS, promoting a constitutional convention. Although I think the chances of conservatives controlling a constitutional convention in a state where the legislature, all statewide elected officials and the supreme court are all controlled by Democrats is zero, I brought a bumper sticker home. I shall be happy to give to anyone for whom hope springs eternal.

Stu Umholtz, the Tazewell County State’s Attorney, the only one with guts enough to run against incumbent Democrat Lisa Madigan for Attorney General in 2006. Note the sign next to Umholtz, produced by the state central committee. It says,

My wife said it should say,

In the hotel registration area, we bumped into Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica, who is running for Cook County State’s Attorney, along with Lemont Township Supervisor Steven Rosendahl.

We decided to go over to State Senator Kirk Dillard’s reception at the mansion of Lincoln intimate Richard Oglesby.

State Senator Dan Rutherford was in what looked like the dining room. You can see him hugging a fellow delegate.

More notables tomorrow.

My wife and arrived in Decatur for the Republican State Convention later than we intended—about 6:30 Friday night.

You know, I actually went thinking I might be able to vote like you see in national conventions.

But, none of the decisions made in committee before we arrived were overturned in what passed for democracy on the floor of the convention.

I would characterize the convention as “an administered one.”

It was pretty tightly controlled, in other words. Delegates couldn’t even bring in signs that were not pre-approved.

Since the decision-making process was over before we arrived, I decided to play photo bug.

Here’s what I found.

Bruno Behrend, who is a talk show host on Waukegan’s WKRS, promoting a constitutional convention. Although I think the chances of conservatives controlling a constitutional convention in a state where the legislature, all statewide elected officials and the supreme court are all controlled by Democrats is zero, I brought a bumper sticker home. I shall be happy to give to anyone for whom hope springs eternal.

Stu Umholtz, the Tazewell County State’s Attorney, the only one with guts enough to run against incumbent Democrat Lisa Madigan for Attorney General in 2006. Note the sign next to Umholtz, produced by the state central committee. It says,

My wife said it should say,

In the hotel registration area, we bumped into Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica, who is running for Cook County State’s Attorney, along with Lemont Township Supervisor Steven Rosendahl.

We decided to go over to State Senator Kirk Dillard’s reception at the mansion of Lincoln intimate Richard Oglesby.

State Senator Dan Rutherford was in what looked like the dining room. You can see him hugging a fellow delegate.

More notables tomorrow.

And, it wasn’t one-term Democratic Party Congressman John Cox of Galena.

John B. Anderson, who used to represent the northern and western part of McHenry County, has endorsed Barack Obama for President.

The last time I saw the congressman in 1980. He was coming out of Waukegan’s WKRS radio station as I was going in for an interview. I was running against his colleague Congressman Robert C. McClory.

He was running for president as an independent.

I’m sure he wondered why this state representative was running against his friend, Bob McClory.

Of course, Anderson had about as much chance of winning the presidency as I had getting elected to congress against an entrenched incumbent (although I did carry McHenry County).

In 1978, Anderson was challenged unsuccessfully by conservative Don Lyon, a minister with a large church from Rockford. Lyon is still active in the political arena.

I doubt that was the year, but Anderson came out in favor of a 50 cent per gallon tax on gasoline. When he did, I figured he wasn’t going to run for congress again. After all, people drive places in a district that runs from McHenry County and points west.

And I figured the federal government would just spend whatever money was collected.

Anderson won that congressional primary election by concentrating on turning out the vote in eight Republican wards in Rockford. The vote was 43,055 for Anderson and 31,266 for Lyon.

In McHenry County, however, the vote was 1,902 for Lyon and 1,802. He sent out an anti-RTA bumper sticker to all Republican households. The RTA referendum was in 1974 and resentment was still running high.

That’s basically the area that Democratic Party State Representative Jack Franks represents now.

And, it wasn’t one-term Democratic Party Congressman John Cox of Galena.

John B. Anderson, who used to represent the northern and western part of McHenry County, has endorsed Barack Obama for President.

The last time I saw the congressman in 1980. He was coming out of Waukegan’s WKRS radio station as I was going in for an interview. I was running against his colleague Congressman Robert C. McClory.

He was running for president as an independent.

I’m sure he wondered why this state representative was running against his friend, Bob McClory.

Of course, Anderson had about as much chance of winning the presidency as I had getting elected to congress against an entrenched incumbent (although I did carry McHenry County).

In 1978, Anderson was challenged unsuccessfully by conservative Don Lyon, a minister with a large church from Rockford. Lyon is still active in the political arena.

I doubt that was the year, but Anderson came out in favor of a 50 cent per gallon tax on gasoline. When he did, I figured he wasn’t going to run for congress again. After all, people drive places in a district that runs from McHenry County and points west.

And I figured the federal government would just spend whatever money was collected.

Anderson won that congressional primary election by concentrating on turning out the vote in eight Republican wards in Rockford. The vote was 43,055 for Anderson and 31,266 for Lyon.

In McHenry County, however, the vote was 1,902 for Lyon and 1,802. He sent out an anti-RTA bumper sticker to all Republican households. The RTA referendum was in 1974 and resentment was still running high.

That’s basically the area that Democratic Party State Representative Jack Franks represents now.