Marathon Pundit: January 2010

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Video: What do we know about Andy McKenna?

In the last week, Republican gubernatorial candidate Andy McKenna ducked two debates. Other than the convenient "scheduling conflicts" reason, he's not saying why. My guess is that he's afraid of being confronted about Pollgate.

Illinois

politics

gop

Ill. guv race: Lake County sheriff endorses Jim Ryan

Yesterday--scroll down to see it--the DuPage County sheriff endorsed Jim Ryan for Illinois governor.

Today it is Lake County's turn, as its sheriff, Mark Curran, announces his backing of the former Illinois attorney general.

Related post:

Marathon Pundit endorses Jim Ryan for Illinois governor

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Andy McKenna: Awash in Obama money

In the last week, Andy McKenna has bombarded Illinois airwaves with commercials focusing on Kirk Dillard's appearance in a Barack Obama campaign ad.

But an analysis by the Jim Ryan campaign obtained by Marathon Pundit shows that McKenna has 97 donors who contributed $444,950 to Obama in recent election cycles.

In an odd bit of symmetry, those donors gave McKenna $432,400 from July 1, 2009 to Jan. 22, 2010.

And those same donors contributed $269,908 to other Democrats, including Harry Reid, Rahm Emanuel, Chuck Shumer, Hillary Clinton, Alexi Giannoulias as well as the Democratic National Committee.

The "Combine," the bipartisan Illinois sleaze machine, rolls on.

But Illinois voters can stop it.

Related post:

Marathon Pundit endorses Jim Ryan for Illinois governor

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gop

Obama: A weak president

The entire E. Thomas McClanahan Kansas City Star column is worth reading, here is just a bit:

When Obama assumed office, he was still something of an enigma. Many asked: Who is this guy?

Well, now we know a lot more. The bottom line: He isn't a good politician. Politics is an art, and Obama's basic competence is highly suspect. He lacks the personal radar an effective politician must have — the instinct to know when you're on solid ground and when you’re tilting at windmills. Obama has spent a year tilting at windmills.

The "art of the possible" isn't static. With steady accomplishments, an effective leader can expand the zone of the possible. A winner draws new adherents, builds coalitions, acquires new strength for the next challenge.

For a weak leader, the opposite applies: His credibility shrinks, and so do the ranks of his followers. His ability to accomplish anything becomes doubtful.

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Betsy Goulet on the Jim Ryan she knows

Betsy Goulet is the former director Betsy Goulet is the former director of the Child Advocacy Center in Springfield. Watch as she talks about the Jim Ryan she knows.

Click here to visit the official Jim Ryan site. You'll find Ryan's Facebook group here, and you can follow his Tweets here.

Related post:

Marathon Pundit endorses Jim Ryan for Illinois governor

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gop

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Ill. 10th: Beth Coulson, SEIU, and ACORN

Time for a change of pace--and some disclosure. Ill. Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) is the only politician who has seen me shirtless. Seriously. After I ran on the Thanksgiving Day Tall Trees 5K run a few years ago in Glenview, Coulson was there to get some petition signatures for her reelection effort. It was very cold for that time of the year, and while talking about running (She's a physical therapist) and my fabulous blog, I instinctively removed my sweaty shirt to eliminate that post-run cold and clammy feeling.

She was fine with my shirtlessness, but I'm not okay with her accepting funds from SEIU and ACORN affiliated groups.

I'm not a big fan of ambush interviews, but Conservative Code Red caught Coulson lying about accepting ACORN cash.

Coulson is running for the open Illinois 10th Congressional District--I'm backing Dr. Arie Friedman.

Win or lose, Coulson needs to return those tainted contributions.

Related post:

Say no to ACORN in Illinois TV ad

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Jim Ryan addresses volunteers in DuPage County

This morning former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan, Republican candidate for governor, addressed volunteers before they braved the cold and went on precinct walks for Jim in DuPage County.

"We're going to win because we have the better message," Ryan said." He added, "I've got the hardest working people in the world, including my own family."

Related post:

Marathon Pundit endorses Jim Ryan for Illinois governor

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gop