March 2008

The Ultimate Problem for Oberweis

Eric points out how some Republicans have described the guy:

Russ Stewart 

Aside from being pompous, arrogant, intolerant and utterly insufferable, Republican congressional candidate and perennial statewide loser Jim Oberweis is otherwise just a swell guy

Tom Roeser:

1. Are we going to have to wait until Big Jim Oberweis spends ALL his money in primary election after primary election for the purpose to determine if he’s loved-which for anyone who really knows him understands that this, not political issues, is the reason for this experiment?

And good God, Roeser and I agree on something:

4. Oberweis has been notable for paying lavish fees to campaign consultants who are less than bright. The first time it was to a consultant that insisted Oberweis had to be pro-choice. The second time it was to a consultant who devised a TV commercial that didn’t just make a statement on immigration but which was bound to inflame. Now we have a consultant who told the media on election night (Bill Pascoe) “I think everybody was surprised. We did not see it coming.” HUH? Evidently everybody saw it coming but you, Mr. Pascoe. The word on the street, far from the precincts of the 14th and the headlines in most newspapers was that Oberweis could easily lose. Where were you? And are you going to continue raking down the money for the next lucrative Oberweis loss eight months hence? Really a neat industry for you and others, isn’t it?

The Beacon adds this:

Oberweis spokesman Bill Pascoe said Monday that it is too early to accurately assess how the election slipped away. He said he would need to see numbers telling him who voted, and where.

“One of two things is true,” Pascoe said. “Either we had a problem with our message, or a problem with organization.”

These are not mutually exclusive problems, but there’s an additional problem–Oberweis himself.

Serial Candidate Alan Keyes Running on the Constitution Party Ticket?

Please, pretty please….

Via Austin Mayor

  Brace yourselves, Republicans: presidential candidate Alan Keyes may be leaving the GOP. In a conference call with supporters last night, Keyes is said to have told supporters that staying in the Republican Party would be “an occasion of sin” and is ready to bolt. Keyes, it seems, really dislikes John McCain (and, as we recall from an event in Iowa, everyone else running for president) and reportedly wants no part in selecting the “type of deodorant we need to make a stinking candidate acceptable to conservatives.” A Keyes supporter on the last night’s call confirms to Radar that the former Reagan administration official “stated in the conference call that he could no longer remain in the Republican Party.” As for what’s next, a third party bid seems like a good bet. Keyes hinted at the possibility on a radio program in January, and an e-mail sent out by the campaign after last night’s conference call (subject header: “Constitution Party poll”) includes a link for supporters who “want to vote for Alan as your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice on the Constitution Party presidential poll.” A Keyes message board commenter who claims to have been on the conference call last night said regarding the possibility of a Constitution Party run that, “Alan asked us to pray about it. That’s what he is doing as he is considering these things. He did not say he’s definately [sic] going to do it, but from the tone of things I am going to say it’s very likely.” Radar has thrown its prayer pants on and awaits a response to phone and e-mail inquiries to the Keyes campaign.

IL-18 Colleen Callahan Is In

Peoria Journal Star

Callahan, 57, said she would seek to change the health care system – specifically for the nearly 2 million uninsured in Illinois. She said current policies in the Middle East aren’t working and the U.S. cannot continue to spend money on “a war with no end.”

Changes also should be made in the education system and for thousands of college graduates facing large tuition debts, and to the economy, with staggering gas and oil prices and mounting household debt.

“It’s time to work together to create change and it’s time to refocus on middle-class values and needs,” Callahan said Monday during her announcement speech from her family farm. “Our families fought for Social Security, Medicare and the G.I. Bill and now here we are fighting to preserve them. It’s time to do better.”

Callahan said specific solutions on issues will come in a week or so.

Schock is a heavy favorite in this District, but she has a profile that could make her competitive given the national mood.

Will the Republicans Replace Oberweis?

No.  They won’t.  They’d like to and would if Oberweis would go along with it, but the secondary problem to replacing him is with whom do you replace him.

Eric recommends Tom Cross.   Cross would be a great choice, but he didn’t run in the first place and it’s unlikely to change now.  Cross has shown no interest in running for federal office and seems to be targeting the AG race when Madigan moves on.

But remember, the Party cannot make that decision without Oberweis.  He is on the fall ballot unless he steps down.

Think about that. The man has run 4 times and won a single primary while continuing to dump his own money into his races. He isn’t giving up.  He is, and always was, a vanity candidate.

Usually the RNCC has the ability to threaten to not support a candidate and that can go along way to getting someone to step aside. But with a self-funder, that doesn’t matter nearly as much. The same way the RNCC cannot force a change in campaign staff since Oberweis isn’t reliant on them for donors or outside spending.

The most likely scenario is Oberweis sticks around and loses again.  Foster gets a few months to do things as Congressman and raise his profile with good earned media and Oberweis gets stories about how Republicans are dissatisfied with him.

Oberweis’ Extreme Immigration Record

What’s most interesting about the Illinois-14 race is that hardcore immigration opponents lost again and with one of their standout candidates.

In 2002, Oberweis’ criticism of Bush’s immigration stance essentially made him persona non-grata to the national party and that relationship didn’t improve with the 2004 race. The difference this year was that Hastert shepherded him through the national party because of the bad blood between Hastert and Lauzen.

Oberweis staked out the hardcore send back 12 million people immediately and no exceptions kind of policy and not only embraced the position, but embraced fairly radical anti-immigrant activist organizations.

Most amazing is that John McCain, long a reasonable voice on the immigration debate embraced Oberweis as McCain’s flip flop to the dark side of several issues continues.

Oberweis is a Board of Director for NumbersUSA which is one of the leading right wing anti-immigration groups.

He’s spoken at Illinois Minutemen meetings such as this one on May 6, 2006 mntmn017.wav

And despite railing on the businesses using undocumented workers, Oberweis Dairy never wondered why the company cleaning for them could afford to do the work they were doing.  Turns out the contractor were paying below minimum wage for undocumented workers.

In his hubris, he made one of the funniest political commercials ever, which was also filled with falsehoods:

[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/Nst-aXvdrR4" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Now, his son decided to sue the DCCC for pointing out the story about hiring a contractor that paid undocumented workers under the minimum wage:

[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/r08qdqN_fbk" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]