Obama limps into Chicago--and a report from the conference call with IL GOP chairman Pat Brady

President Obama came to Chicago last night to rally up the Democratic base--just 20,000 of them. Remember, this is the president's hometown. Fox 32 Chicago's Mike Flannery, the city's most respected television political analyst, said only liberal "true believers" were in attendance--independents had other things to do.

Republicans have already made up their minds.

One of the candidates Obama is trying to keep standing is failed Mob Banker Alexi Giannoulias.

Yesterday morning Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady held a conference call about the Obama rally and Tuesday's election. "The visit today says more about Alexi's weakness as a candidate than anything," Brady told us. "Let's take a little look at the history here. Alexi Giannoulias was the fourth choice of the Democrat Party… He was not the enthusiastic choice, by any means, of the Democrats here in the state…"

Looking beyond Saturday night, Brady was optimistic about Election Day. "It's going to be a big night for the Republicans on Tuesday. [In] our early voting in all the congressional districts we are even or ahead of the Democrats, which as you know, is a great sign for us because we, in 2008, were down three to one at this point. Early voting in 2006 I think it was two and a half to one. We feel, given all the polling that I have seen in the last forty-eight hours combined with our first ever state-wide get out the vote program, where we have made 4.2 million voter calls since April, that we are going to have a very, very good Tuesday night. But with that being said, we are still working hard and running like we are five points down…"

During the question and answer session, I queried Brady about the problems with absentee military voting here. Earlier this month Obama's Justice Department gave 35 Illinois counties a "pass" from their requirement to get absentee ballots in the hands of our troops 45 days before Election Day. Some of those members of our military are of course getting shot at.

A "pass?" I don't get it either--other than most of the men and women who serve out country vote Republican. Oh, does this mean the DOJ approves Illinois breaking the law?

"The Justice Department failed to monitor this," Brady said. "It is going to allow one extra day for these ballots to be postmarked, in my opinion, disenfranchising military personnel from their right to vote."

The fix--if you can call it that, "Is far short than what they should have done."

Downstate St. Clair County, home of Scott Air Force base, is one of those 35 counties.

Despite this insult to our troops--for the first time in over ten years Illinois Republicans are eagerly looking forward to Election Day.

Technorati tags: illinois military armed forces defense war on terror politics Illinois Politics vote fraud election fraud elections law legal metro east Chicago Obama Barack Obama

Tea Party Express IV--Halloween edition

There are three Tea Party Express--Liberty at the Ballot Box rallies on Halloween. The state capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at 10:00am is where you will find the first patriotic gathering. Five hours later the freedom caravan travels to Riverfront Wilmington in Delaware. The First State was the site of one of the Tea Party Express' greatest victories--Christine O'Donnell's thumping of Republican-in-name-only Mike Castle in the Delaware US Senate primary.

Toms River, New Jersey's rally at 8:00pm caps off Halloween for TPX. Look for the buses at the front of Town Hall and Quadrangle.

Fox News' Molly Line reports on yesterday's Upper Arlington, Ohio event, and Palin Twibe has video of another surprise appearance by Sarah Palin--at Saturday's other Tea Party Express rally in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Michigan's best blogger, theblogprof, has video footage of Friday's Detroit-area TPX powwow.

ThirdWaveDave is keeping an eye on all the developments of the liberty ride, and it is he who found this video report from Thursday's Illinois rallies in Springfield and Frankfort. Republican Adam Kinzinger is interviewed, he is the heavy favorite to oust liberal incumbent and Blago crony Debbie Halvorson in Illinois' 11th congressional district.



Andrea Shea King is embedded with TPX IV.

Click here to contribute to the Tea Party Express. You can click here to contribute to the Kinzinger campaign.

Happy Halloween!

Technorati tags: tea party news conservative freedom 2010 midterms andrea shea king michigan detroit michigan politics West Virginia west virginia politics columbus ohio ohio politics chicago southland chicago politics Chicago will county illinois illinois politics springfield Halvorson adam kinzinger delaware mike castle christine o'donnell delaware politics pennsylvania politics pennsylvania new jersey new jersey politics sarah palin halloween