Since I created NoLaHood.com in late January, we have received a tremendous outpouring of support from conservatives throughout Illinois and received several offers for donations and over a thousand hits in under two weeks time. I?m very pleased to report the interest in the site has far exceeded my expectations. There has been much speculation about my motivations and background from Internet bloggers like yourself so I?d like to clear a few things up.
First off, I suppose it’s true as site creator, I am ?involved from Evergreen Park? which is in Illinois but not in the 18th district. I find it somewhat ironic since the blogger reporting this does not live anywhere in Illinois (see Eric Zorn column) but does an Internet blog exclusively focusing on Illinois politics.
Since LaHood is interested in ?gettting his name out? in northern Illinois and the rest of the state for a possible gubernatorial campaign, I think it is appropriate to create a site so that all Illinoisans can know what LaHood really stands for. I also think it?s appropriate to discuss LaHood?s background in the 18th since he felt free to run around proclaiming that ?Phil Crane hasn?t worked his district?, though I am quite certain LaHood has never lived in Crane?s district for one day in his life. Perhaps he visited and met some folks upset with Crane, and likewise I have met many 18th district Republicans who are disgusted with LaHood.
Regarding your comments that ?Peter Fitzgerald had horrible poll numbers and he didn’t like being Senator?, I would love to see any ?poll? where Fitzgerald was trailing Obama in a hypothetical matchup, let alone a poll that would show him losing to Obama by 40 percentage points. If no such poll exists, I can state pretty confidentially that LaHood erred in proclaiming we could ?do better? by lynching the incumbent.
Likewise, it may be true that Crane didn?t ?work his district enough?, but I an assure you that here in ?Evergreen Park?, our Congressman, Representative Bobby L. Rush, doesn?t bother to ?work? ANY part of his district except perhaps the Gresham-Englewood area and plenty of Democrats wish they could get rid of him in private. The difference is that Rush is not vulnerable in the general election because guys like Barack Obama don?t stab their incumbent in the back during the general election and provide ammo for the Republicans.
The most perplexing part of your blog is the section that argues 4 out of 5 alternatives to LaHood on my site are somehow ?wet dreams of Democrats and Blagojevich? Apparently you are stating that these candidates are less ?electable? than LaHood because they happen to be conservative, even though many of them have won over areas in the heart of Democrats, Inc. turf of Cook County, whereas LaHood has only proven he?s ?electable? in an ultra-safe Republican district.
Patrick O’Malley thrice won over a heart of Cook County district that is over 60% Democrat ? and is represented by the likes of Bobby Rush, Ed Maloney, Jerry “the iceman” Butler, etc. His district is entirely in Cook — filled with ?minorities? and ?blue collar union workers? and even includes a few parts of the city of Chicago.
Birkett ran neck-and-neck against the Madigan name in the worst GOP year ever and managed to carry over 43% of the vote in ultra-Democrat turf like Chicago’s 19th ward, and, as my site notes, was the STRONGEST non-incumbent Republican candidate on the statewide slate in 2002.
Shimkus, like LaHood, is ?little known outside of his downstate district?, but unlike LaHood, he represents a combined district that was once held by Dick Durbin, David Phelps, and Glenn Poshard.
It?s true that ?John Kerry won the state by 10 points?. I fail to see how a presidential campaign relates to a gubernatorial campaign. I could use the same faulty logic to point out Republicans won 7 out of the last 8 gubernatorial races, therefore any Republican is virtually guaranteed victory. On the national level, the GOP has faired poorly in the Midwest (including Wisconsin, Michigan, etc.) in recent presidential elections, probably they continue to run candidates from ?safe? Republican regions in the south and western U.S. The ?Median Voter Theorem? was ignored when the ?right-wing? Ronald Reagan, a native-born resident of Illinois, was the party?s nominee in 1980 and 1984. The result of this ?error? was the Republicans won all but three counties in this state and carried Illinois by double-digit margins.
In any case, thank you for your interest in NoLaHood.com. I hope my email cleared up some of the misapprehensions and inaccuracies you have about the site.
Yours truly,
Bill M. Leubscher
Creator, NOLaHood.com
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Keep it up. Interparty warfare by the Republicans is great from my perspective. And trust me, I’d love for Pat 0’Malley, Birkett and Shimkus to be the face of the Illinois Circular Firing Squad Team. Keep up the good work.
BTW, the problem with the notion of the site supporting or opposing LaHood is it’s effort to portray itself as a grassroots organization based in his District. Feel free to meddle down there. It only helps the Dems.
ArchPundit
