And it Continues…
ArchPundit
Bean is starting to prep for the next cycle as well.
March 2005
2006: And So It Begins
Cegelis launches her campaign for 2006 by posting on Kos
I ran to win the first time but I was honest with myself that this could be the first year of a three year campaign cycle. I always kept in mind that I would be building for the future. In the end I received more than 44% of the vote, the most a challenger has received against Hyde since he first ran for Congress. Out of the 18 challenger races, on both sides of the aisle in Illinois, I received the second highest percentage of votes only behind Melissa Bean–I also raised the third highest amount of money. Most importantly, I became the adopted race of many grassroots organizations like the Democracy for America (DFA), and of course I was named to the Dean Dozen. In Illinois, this is an honor I shared with only one other candidate: Barack Obama.
I think there were some mistakes in the first run, but I think she can fix those this time. I’ll go into those at another time, but she ran a hell of a campaign and the groundwork was top notch. Jeff Smith, who ran in MO-3, was also a first cycle Dean Dozen and Jeff had a lot more experience running campaigns. That was an unbelievably hard undertaking and for someone like Christine to pull in 44% of the vote on a relatively low budget is amazing. She underpeformed Kerry by 2 % so a smart campaign should only require picking up 3 % from his total in the 6th. If Hyde retires a lot will depend upon who runs.
If Capitol Fax is correct and it’s Roskam who emerges on the GOP side, all the better. Cegelis will have a very conservative opponent with whom she can run a non-ideological campaign as Bean did.
The key–getting Rahm on board. With his blessing and DFA’s troops and the gift that keeps on giving–Social Security, this race will be decided unless a more moderate Republican wins the primary.
Christine needs to develop a clear position on social security refom and a specific proposal that will extend the actuarial predictions. After that, she is free to beat on any diversion of social security funds to private accounts.
Oh, and fiscal responsibility is a great card to play in this race–Roskam wants to expand the education tax credit while the state budget is tight. Good food for the base, bad fiscal policy. He’d fit in with spendathon going on in DC right now.
Christine is having a fundraiser tonight as well (via Austin Mayor):
“Going for the Green” Fundraiser for Cegelis for Congress
Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Location: Cactus Bar and Grill, 404 S. Wells, Chicago
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Includes: two hours open bar plus nacho/taco buffet
Special Guest: Candidate Christine Cegelis
Suggested Donation: $50
Oh noooo…Denny’s Feelings are Hurt
Rahm is annoying the right people:
“He’s trying to create wedge issues to run on regardless of the merit of the policy,” said Pete Jeffries, a former spokesman for Hastert.
Oh, say like gay marriage?
When Tom DeLay’s pool boy gets done being outraged, he might look at the guy pulling his strings and notice the pot and the kettle kind of look a like.
He was the chief architect behind Democrat Melissa Bean’s ouster of veteran U.S. Rep. Phil Crane (R-Ill.) in November. He masterminded Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s populist-style campaign to import prescription drugs, which put the politically ambitious governor in headlines across the nation and forced President Bush in his re-election year to defend import restrictions that keep prices high.
Bean pulled in $30 million transportation funds.
To put this in perspective, each Member gets about $11 and Members of Transportation get another $22 this year from what I’ve heard. She almost got as much for her District as a Member of the Transportation Committee. Rahm’s plotting for 2006.
Gun Bills Deadlocked in Springfield
According to the State Journal Register
Which isn’t such a big deal when you read this:
In 2001, 47 percent of the guns recovered after Illinois crimes came from other states, a number that grew from 35 percent in 1996, she said.
Illinois’ laws fairly effectively reduce the ease criminals can get a hold of guns, but any increase in that effectiveness would have to come from other states imposing similar laws. Funny, but no one in Illinois has a hard time getting a firearm under current law, but you’d never know that from the whining from the NRA**
**voted post most likely to get flamed for the month.
Home Alone
The so-called savings were supposed to correspond to efficiency devolving from CMS, which now manages contracts and facilities previously handled by individual agencies. But the individual agencies had trouble identifying savings that trickled down to them.
So, money was kicked back that couldn’t be specifically tagged to a saving. It just had to be kicked back regardless of where it came.
This leads to this line:
His audits said “the use of appropriations for purposes other than those authorized by the General Assembly effectively negates a fundamental control established in state government.”
Actually, that understates the case, but auditors are the masters of the understatement.
Unfortunately, the audits are not available on-line.
Apologize to Hale and Supporters?
ROTFL–this has already been covered by Bill, Eric, and non-blogger Clarence Page
They all missed an important point. A tragic mentally ill man pulled off what the white supremacist gangs could not–hurting Judge Lefkow.
Apologizing to Hale and his supporters would only be apologizing for thinking they were more competent than they are.
Perhaps that is one apology to them I could consider.
Keyes Still Sorta Around
Keyes is trolling for money with Keyesmediacentral.com
He’s also behind something to do with Illinoisunited.com which is coming soon. Really, Alan, you can can stay in Maryland. No one would be bothered. And hey, there’s an open Senate seat! And you know, you did relatively well against Sarbanes with 38%–now that his seat is open, give the Maryland GOP more of a headache than they are already dealing with in the Governor’s mansion.
CD 18 Cattle Call Both Parties
Who is in? Given the history of this District one can only hope Diane Liesman doesn’t try and make another CoS handover.
What’s the Bush-Kerry # in this district?
CD 6 GOP Cattle Call
Assuming Hyde retires…..
Who is going to run?
Anyone challenge Cegelis in the primary?
And what was the Bush-Kerry in this District? I think Kerry got 46%
CD 8 GOP Cattle Call
Who is going to take on Bean? Let’s hear it out there. Can the GOP shoot themselves in the foot in this race?
And for those who have this handy—what was Bush-Kerry in 2004 in the District?