June 2004

From the Inbox

CBS2 has some interesting speculation regarding a secret conference call to oust Jack!, but that Jack! also may be setting into strategy of going on TV to put all this behind him:

06-24 CBS 2 WBBM 430

Derek Blakely: Another political bomb shell for Jack Ryan, and CBS 2 has it. Some of the state’s biggest republican power brokers will have a secret conference call to set the wheels in motion to try to oust Ryan from the senate race. Good afternoon, I’m Derek Blakely.

Mary Ann Childers: It’s a political party side swipe, if you will, to a candidate deep in damage control mode. Mike Rlannery has been following the story from the beginning and Mike, top republicans are concerned, it seems, about more than the senate seat.

Mike Flannery: They absolutely are, Mary Ann. Republican party leaders are concerned about saving candidates farther down the ballot for seas in the general assembly and for local office. The fact is, though, that Jack Ryan, I have learned next a phone conversation might be preparing himself to double down here. He may be getting ready and next week, we might be seeing TV commercials hit the air where he tries to clear the air and put this all behind him. Republican party leaders, though, are worried that Jack Ryan on the ballot might prompt too many local republicans to stay home in November, a worry that grows says Ryan?s national notoriety grows.

Jack Ryan’s campaign for U.S. Senate has suddenly become a favorite topic of late-night tv comedians.

Kraig Kilborne: The allegations of public love making in six error error clubs, insiders are worried Jack Ryan may not be kinky enough for the U.S. Senate.

Mike Flannery: Reportedly still trying to figure out how to put the sex club episode behind him, the candidate spent the day in meetings away from public view. Sources told us Ryan may soon hit the air with a wave of paid TV commercials he believes could put his campaign back on track. But CBS 2 news learned he faces potential opposition from Illinois republican leaders planning a secret conference call for tomorrow morning, including former governor Jim Edgar, state party chair, Judy Baar Topinka, U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Cook County Republican Chair Gary Skoien, DuPage County Chairman Kirk Dillard and legislative leaders Tom Corss and Frank Watson. Longtime observers of local politics, though, are not sure they can persuade Ryan to quit.

Roosevelt University Prof Paul Green: They?re in a terrible situation. The party is a perfect political storm for a party that was already facing disaster.

Craig Kilborne: Ryan’s numbers have dropped sharply with everyone but a small and influential group called perverted trekies.

Mike Flannery: The sex club allegations, of course, came from former “star trek” TV actress Jeri Lynn Ryan. One political rule of thumb has always been that once the candidate becomes the butt of such jokes on TV, he or she is finished, should just toss it in. Bill and Hillary Clinton, though, defied that role coming back strongly. Sources close to Jack Ryan insist that he still believes he has a chance to do the same.

Reassessing….

Capitol Fax is up:

Embattled US Senate candidate Jack Ryan has canceled his fundraising trip to Washington, DC and is reportedly reassessing his candidacy.

Ryan had two scheduled DC fundraisers today, one of which had already been “postponed.” The other was sponsored by some Senate bigwigs.

The DC excursion would have directly exposed the candidate to the national media.

A source close to the Ryan campaign said the candidate has, “other pressing things to do here. He feels it’s more important to be here right now, dealing with this firestorm, than to be in DC.”

Check out the end–AP reports Spokesperson is denying.

Miller will be updating Capitol Fax today so keep an eye on it. I’ll link as soon as anything new comes up as well.

Previously….

Via e-mail and a call

and on the Sun-Times…..

WASHINGTON?-Beleaguered Senate Republican candidate Jack Ryan is considering quitting the race in the uproar touched off by the release of his divorce records, a Republican source told the Chicago Sun- Times on Thursday.

“He?s reassessing,” the source said. Ryan canceled a trip to Washington today where he had planned to appear with Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) and attend a fund raiser headlined by Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), the chairman of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee.

I’m hearing others have sources saying the same thing.

Capitol Fax will probably update soon.

Looking at the rest of the story

The source said that Ryan was particularly concerned that the “tabloids are going after” Jeri Lynn Ryan, his former wife who alleged that Ryan brought her to sex clubs when they were married. Jeri Ryan is a television actress known for her roles on “Star Trek” and “Boston Public.”

Uh, yeah, it shouldn’t have taken a genius to see this coming.

Leader Reinvents Reality

Jilll Stanek appears to be attacking Rod McCulloch for his pointing out the file existed with embarrassing material.

And she embarrasses herself. She shouldn’t let Proft put her up to such stupid things.

Here are McCulloch?s four lies.

1. ?Recently I was shown what I was told and believe to be records from Jack Ryan?s divorce that were obtained before the records were sealed.?

Sorry, the custody records have always been sealed, until Monday, June 21. Also contrary to another rumor, there are no unredacted versions out there.

I?d like to know who showed McCulloch these so-called records, and I?d like to see the exact documents McCulloch claims he saw. I wonder if Patrick Fitzgerald would as well.

The level of idiocy is amazing here. No, the files weren’t sealed until one year after the divorce was finalized. Jack! wanted them sealed, Jeri didn’t. Then when Jeri had a dangerous stalker, she joined in asking to have them sealed.

Claiming there are no unredacted versions out there is nothing, but her insisting it is true. Rod McCulloch told he me he saw them and while he declined to answer who gave them to him, he clearly knew some specific information regarding the file–Paris, New York and New Orleans is kind of specific.

I have no idea why Patrick Fitzgerald would care. Being in possession of public records isn’t illegal.

2. “Among other allegations, she specifically alleges that [h]er husband, Jack Ryan, had a romantic affair with his Executive Secretary.”

On the contrary, nowhere in the unsealed documents did Jeri accuse Jack of infidelity, and they wouldn’t be in the sealed portion either. Otherwise Jeri lied Monday when she said in her public statement, “?nor to my knowledge was [Jack] ever unfaithful to me.” Rather, it was Jeri who admitted in the documents to having the wandering eye: “I told him I was in love with another man.”

Well, we don’t know do we. The Unsealed documents are all we have, not the full version. McCulloch maintains this allegation was in the full file. I can’t explain Jeri’s comments so saying McCulloch is lying given the information we have now is a bit extreme. McCulloch could be mistaken or lying, but I’d put my bet on him at this point.

3. “[S]he specifically alleges that? he forced (her word) her to have sexual relations with him against her will.”

And again, we don’t know. We do know that six paragraphs were stricken right before their release that contained very graphic descriptions. The Judge refuses to characterize them any further.

Force could also well be used in relation to psychological coercion which would be consistent with her comments about his personality. These are only allegations by Jeri Ryan, so we don’t know anything about veracity, but we don’t know what is in the rest of the file.

That would be rape, an extremely serious charge of a criminally prosecutable offense.

Psychological coercion wouldn’t be. Maybe a poor choice of words if it is in the files by Jeri, but not necessarily rape. It isn’t a very flattering way to describe Ryan though and if true would go to character.

4. “[S]he specifically alleges that? he took her to various sex clubs, specifically in New York, New Orleans, and Paris and coerced her to have sex in front of other people.”

?Coerce? means, “to bring about by force or threat.” Again, rape, and this time public rape, an extremely serious charge of a criminally prosecutable offense.

But it didn?t happen. The worst Jeri alleged was Jack took her to these clubs, requested the aforementioned, yet complied with her refusal. Big difference.

And he got the three cities right as well as the claim that he was emotionally demeaning to her–the crying line. We don’t know if Jeri is telling the truth or Jack! is or if it lies somewhere inbetween, but I think Rod McCulloch’s description on this count is reasonable given that he was writing from memory and probably a fairly quick look.

So on two, Rod is definitely correct. On two, we don’t know for sure. Not much of an indictment against him. For a guy who took enough flack over this, maybe people should back off of him. It isn’t his fault Jack Ryan tried to hide behind his son and lied to Party Leaders, the Press and the People of Illinois.

The Leader is an opinion journal and fighting for your view isn’t a bad thing. Making up garbage like the first supposed lie is either laziness or a lie itself.

Two Joyce’s For the Price of One

Joyce first points out that The Nature Conservancy has an agenda:

The Illinois chapter of the Nature Conservancy had gathered to begin charting the largest river-restoration project ever undertaken in the state. The non-profit environmental group wants to bring back the lakes, marshes and forests that once thrived in this area, reconnecting them to the Illinois River, which is now barricaded from the land by a 20-foot tall levee.

The Nature Conservancy calls its project key to restoring the Illinois a river that some have described as near death and habitat that has been disappearing at an alarming rate. By restoring the land and the way it interacts with the river, scientists hope to improve the river’s water quality and re-establish homes for many species of plants and animals, some rare and threatened.

They also want to revive some semblance of the rhythm of flooding and recession that nature uses to control rivers more effectively than any levee ever built. The 7,600-acre swath of manicured farmland that the scientists eyed from their perch is a common example of how the modern world has transformed the Illinois and other large flood-plain rivers.

The Illinois River used to boast 400,000 acres of flood a plain-vast stretches of land that absorbed rising waters and spread them wide. It was a thriving system that diffused the river when it swelled too big and rejuvenated the land that had grown dry in its absence.

That isn’t exactly a crazy agenda. But to the paranoid…..

She then goes on to rant about the 1993 being a 500 year flood ignoring that if you cut the channel down enough–the 500 year floods become 25 year floods. Along the Illinois River the flood waters towards the mouth were the same as in the flood in the 1940s.

Now Joyce calls herself a good conservative, but look at this quote:

FEMA no longer permits building in floodplain areas and brings counties into compliance with the threat they will lose their flood insurance program if they do not abide. Could the next step be that this land can no longer be farmed?

Well, no, the next step would be that if you want to build in areas that are naturally inundated with water the taxpayers aren’t going to cover your stupidity and let you pay for your own bad choices.

Since I was gone last week, her column went uncritiqued.

From the quoted material:

The government of King County, Washington (which is dominated by Seattle) is gearing up to steal 65 percent of the property of landowners in rural King County as the environmental evangelists and their friends in the major media cheer them on. King County is set to pass 500 pages of new regulations that will make rural King County property the most highly restricted property in the United States.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t address what the actual bill does which is to identify critical areas and then set restrictions on environmentally sensitive areas. Sort of changes the whole interpretation, no?

Best quote comes after that though:

Rarely do board and council members read the small print much less research the issues on which they are making decisions that will permanently effect their communities. It is very possible they will find they have sold their birthright and that of their neighbors — not for a bowl of porridge — but for a government grant or an “incentive based program.”

I’ll take a guess and say they read more than Joyce did. Why, o’ why does the Leader not fact check this idiot?

Replacement Watch

Unfortunately, this thing got big enough that Jack! will probably leave the ticket. Some counter views in comments and that would be great for Democrats all over the ballot, but I’m guessing not. With Dillard and others shooting for him, Jack! is going to quickly figure out, not only is the establishment out to get him, but the establishment has the ties to the GOTV operation.

Who will the Republicans choose to replace him? Here is a list of potentials with some brief thoughts

Edgar—he won’t get in unless the national promises money. The NRSC probably won’t.

Topinka—looking for 2006

Jim Thompson–just kind of doubt it–see Edgar as well

Wood–LOL–Social Conservatives for Obama

Gidwitz—yeah, sure. Placeholder.

Rauschenberger–Doubt he’d take it. It’s a fools errand for most and he’s not a fool. Says nice things about it, but many ways to avoid that behind the scenes.

Jim Ryan–LOL–ummm…already did his service for a losing cause

Any of the Congressional Delegation? Nope–have to give up the seat and no one wants to take on Obama without more preparation.

Oberweis–Only in my dreams. Apparently the Prez hates him according to McCulloch. Can’t blame him.

McKenna–will ignite a civil war between social conservatives and social conservatives—LaHood’s guy after all and LaHood is not popular with social conservatives right now.

Peter Fitzgerald—over the Speaker’s dead body

It doesn’t look good. The GOP doesn’t care if the candidate wins–it wants to avoid a disaster down ballot. I’m not sure Oberweis or Gidwitz can avoid that sort of disaster–Gidwitz isn’t a bad guy, just a nobody to the public.

Topinka/Edgar/Thompson/Wood may actually have fewer full blown conservatives show up as well given the right wings’ anger at the party.

It’s going to make for a fun retreat over the weekend for the GOP.

White House Ban on Seeing Farenheit 9/11

Steve at Absit Invidia covers what appears to be a ban on White House personnel from seeing the movie. If that is what the White House is most worried about….we need a new set of priorities.

Even more strangely, there is a move to get the FEC to declare TV commercials as violations of FEC law. I suppose the law could encompass such ads, but wow would that be an ironic twist on campaign finance reform. And I kind of doubt it.

[CAMPBELL] BROWN: Real quick?we?re almost out of time?but how?how?given how the Bush administration is reacting to the 9/11 film, which is, you know, banning their staffs from going to see it or anybody…
[CHRISTOPHER] HITCHENS: What?

BROWN: I know. Is it the right approach?

HITCHENS: I didn?t know that.

But, if so, then it would be something to add to my long list of misgivings about the Bush administration.

Uh, yeah.

Why It is Hypocritical?

Thinking through this, Kevin Murphy made some good points in comments about whether Ryan was hypocritical or not–he saying not. But I think I can find an example that does show Ryan’s hypocrisy—meeting with Concerned Women of America.

Kevin’s view is that most conservatives say, hey, you’re maried–go have wild monkey sex together and I think that fits for many. But others would frown on behavior like going to a sex club and engaging in sex with your partner and CWA is one of those organizations. Ryan courted them.

This also seems interesting from the perspective of if he is running and attracting support from CWA, there’s a disconnect somewhere between what he thinks is acceptable behavior and those he is courting.

So What About these Political Ambitions

From the inbox one person pointed out that Jack!’s political ambitions have been long held and at least since he married Jeri Ryan according to his response.

Does that make him just a guy who used teaching to burnish his resume? A teacher friend brought up the same point recently and suggested teaching was all for show.

Here, I’ll defend him. While my first reaction is the same, I still believe that public office is an important service to your community. Teaching is another way to be an important contributor. So while ambition and plotting may be involved, I’ll assume the best of Ryan in this case–that both are extensions of a desire to serve.

Naive on my part? Maybe, but so what?

Barack probably had thought of running for office when he went to work as a community organizer. Do I fault him for that? No.

I certainly see where the notion comes from, and don’t think it is absurd, but ultimately, there are worse things than political ambitions and I don’t want to try and interpret their ‘soul’.