If you want a poll, let me know who you want in the poll and I'll see if I can add it to the thread.


ELECTION 2006

Rivals zero in on Topinka
Front-runner skips debate, but rivals refuse to forget her

By Rick Pearson and John Chase, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune staff reporters Liam Ford, Ofelia Casillas and Maura Possley contributed to this report
Published March 17, 2006


Jim Oberweis and Bill Brady fought each other for the loyalty of conservative voters during a televised forum Thursday, seeking an edge against front-runner Judy Baar Topinka in the final days before Tuesday's Republican primary for governor.

Topinka, the three-term state treasurer, did not participate in the forum sponsored by the City Club of Chicago and broadcast on WTTW. But she found herself the subject of criticism from Oberweis, Brady and the fourth major contender in the contest, Chicago businessman Ron Gidwitz.

Oberweis, an Aurora businessman, has stepped up efforts to try to get fellow conservative Brady out of the race before Tuesday's election. Brady, a state senator from Bloomington and the only Downstate contender, has resisted and contends he can win the nomination. Both men trailed Topinka in a recent Tribune poll.

Oberweis has made combating illegal immigration a theme of his campaign. He criticized Brady for voting for legislation that would allow the children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at Illinois public universities and for voting to allow the use of foreign-issued identification cards. Such legislation, Oberweis said, "leads to lawlessness; it leads to disregard to the law."

But Brady defended voting for the in-state tuition bill, saying, "My parents didn't raise me to hold children responsible for their parents' actions." And Brady said the "matricula" ID card was backed by law enforcement.

"A better question is, where were you?" Brady asked Oberweis. "You weren't down there opposing it. I didn't see you down in Springfield. In fact, I haven't seen you in Springfield to lobby on one initiative."

Oberweis also contended Brady failed to vote against a Senate bill that raised hundreds of fees as part of Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich's first budget. Brady has called for a repeal of those fee hikes.

"Your record is you didn't vote against those tax and fee increases," Oberweis said.

Senate records show Brady was listed as "not voting" on the bill in the Senate on March 27, 2003. At the time it was voted upon, however, the legislation had nothing to do with fee increases and instead made a technical change involving the timing of the state budget.

Democrats added the fee hikes as an amendment to the bill in the House more than two months later. When senators cast their final vote on the measure at the end of May, Brady voted "no," Senate records say.

"Jim Oberweis is just naive, he's desperate," Brady said after the hourlong forum. "He knows he's failing."

But after the forum, Oberweis said, "It should be obvious to everybody" that Brady had no chance to win the nomination.

Gidwitz, a social moderate who trailed the major contenders in the recent Tribune poll, noted that Topinka had recently labeled her rivals "morons," a comment for which she later apologized. Gidwitz defended his attack ads aimed at Topinka, saying, "What my campaign did was talk about her record. Unfortunately, Judy Baar Topinka does not want her record exposed to the public."

Gidwitz acknowledged that there may be little voter interest in the primary. He blamed it on political corruption.

"I think people are just disappointed with the political process in general," he said. "It's a problem. Too many politicians have disappointed the voters over too long a period of time, and I'm sure [the voters are] saying to themselves, `What's the use? How can I, a single voter, make a difference?'"

Prior to the debate, Topinka said she expected to take some heat from her rivals.

"It'll give the boys another chance to bash me," said Topinka, who was in Springfield releasing $25 million in funds to help repair the damage done by a tornado there this week. "It's much easier to attack me when I'm not there."

Meanwhile, officials at Rush University Medical Center released an update on the condition of Cook County Board President John Stroger, who suffered a stroke Tuesday. Stroger is locked in a tight campaign for renomination against County Commissioner Forrest Claypool.

The hospital update said Stroger "continues to make improvements in the movements on his left side compared to what they were yesterday." It said Stroger expressed a desire to go home, and doctors hoped to move him out of intensive care "in the next day or two."

Anne-Marie St. Germaine, spokeswoman for Stroger's campaign, said the campaign had no additional information to release.

primary i vote for brady

main election what ever rep.... gets elected in the primary..

we have to get rid of blago mo matter what i dont care
if it was mickey mouse running aginst him

I was thinking about registering as a democrap and voting for the guy running against boybitch.

Whatever you do, don't vote for Gidwitz.  In last night's televised debate on WTTW in Chicago, he was as anti-gun as a republican could be, being against ccw, and for an awb.

vote brady... i think he has a voting record of being pro gun

I will be voting for Bill Brady over Jim Oberweis in the Republican primary. I distinctly recollect Oberweis waffling about, and even tepidly coming out in favor of, a semi-auto rifle ban for lawful Illinois gun owners during a political talk show interview on WLS AM during the last election.

In my perspective, Oberweis could care less about Illinois gun owners, as his so called pro gun stance has deliberately stiffened as of late due to the influence and unwavering pro 2nd Amendment stance held by his well known, solidly pro gun rights Republican Party primary contender, Bill Brady.

Oberweis may be a fairly good conservative by a generally liberal Illinois political standard. But when it comes to gun owner rights, he's just a rat's hair to the right of the raspy voiced, liberal RINO Judy Topinka.    

Quoted: vote brady... i think he has a voting record of being pro gun

+1000

Vote Bill Brady

Quoted: Quoted: vote brady... i think he has a voting record of being pro gun +1000 Vote Bill Brady

+1

I have to agree...I think Brady's our man. But can he beat Oberweis and Topinka? I think he's behind both of them in the polls. Oh well, I'm voting for him because he seems to be the staunchest conservative.

Definately Brady.......

Here's how I see it:

I seem to remember Oberweis saying that he would sign a CCW bill if it got to his desk.  

I would vote for Brady but what if he falls out of the running for the primaries?

The only good thing about Gidwitz is the fact that Steve Raushenberger is his Lt. Governor, and he's the NRA's guy(at least he was in the Senate race)

Topinka?  It would be a cold day.

Bottom line: Oberweis.

Quoted: I'll be the odd man out.  I'm voting for Oberweis.  The ONLY thing Brady seems to be getting attention for is his pro-gun stance.  Oberweis hasn't mentioned a ban that I have heard and, for me personally, there are other issues not related to firearms that I think Oberweis will handle better than the others. Firearms are a nice thing to vote for, but for me there are some more important issues that will both immediately and in the long run affect my quality of life, so I have to vote for those.

Cody, I'll stand with you and also vote Oberweis.

Torn here,   Cody , you make sense, DJ too.

I don't trust polls.    Regardless , blago must go.  And no topinka.    

That said, Brady is getting mine.  I hate the idea of splitting votes between the two, ... and topinka gets the nom.

Oh well, will find out on Wed.

damnit, i hope topinka doesn't win.




jake

Voting for Brady.  I was pretty torn between the two until Thursday's debate on WTTW.  Oberweis just looked bad in my book.

I'm going with Brady.  I just recieved a flyer for Oberweis in the mail, and he called himself a "sportsman who will fight for our second amendment rights."  
Whenever politicians label themselves a sportsman it seems like pandering.  John Kerry calls himself a sportsman, bully for him and bully for Oberweis.  

We don't need a "sportsman" who will fight for our second amendment rights, but what we do need is someone who will restore our second amendment rights that have already been trampled on.  

I saw a commercial on TV last week where Brady said that he was for the 2nd amendment.  I was rather suprised to hear that directly stated on a TV commercial.   I don't have IL ID yet so I guess I won't be voting at all.

Quoted: Torn here,   Cody , you make sense, DJ too. I don't trust polls.    Regardless , blago must go.  And no topinka.     That said, Brady is getting mine.  I hate the idea of splitting votes between the two, ... and topinka gets the nom. Oh well, will find out on Wed.

Quite frankly, since politicans can be so screwy I don't know what to believe.  I know more about Oberweis than Brady.  If it came down to it, I'd go Oberweis.

Here's hoping that Topinka doesn't come out on top.

I,m voting for Blagojevich. I don't care what you guys say, he is the best Governor Illinois has ever had. I see no reason why we need "assault rifles," they should all be confiscated and melted into little baby cribs for the socialized pre school that Governor Blagojevich is going to implement in his second term.

For what it's worth, ISRA is endorsing Brady.

Quoted: I,m voting for Blagojevich. I don't care what you guys say, he is the best Governor Illinois has ever had. I see no reason why we need "assault rifles," they should all be confiscated and melted into little baby cribs for the socialized pre school that Governor Blagojevich is going to implement in his second term.

HAHAHA. I'm still waiting for the John Deere green ice cream truck.  Damn , my daughter is pissed , she wants her bullet hose.

Is there anything blago cant do?

Voting Brady.

So is my 4 year old .  

I think I can get my dead relatives to do so also.  If I can get them to stop spinning in there graves.

"primary i vote for brady

main election what ever rep.... gets elected in the primary.."
______________________________________

+1

Quoted: Quoted: I,m voting for Blagojevich. I don't care what you guys say, he is the best Governor Illinois has ever had. I see no reason why we need "assault rifles," they should all be confiscated and melted into little baby cribs for the socialized pre school that Governor Blagojevich is going to implement in his second term. Damn , my daughter is pissed , she wants her bullet hose.

I don't care who you are, that's funny right there.

So who's voting Libertarian?  I'm not the 1 vote for libertarian....

Quoted: So who's voting Libertarian?  I'm not the 1 vote for libertarian....

I don't think anyone else is willing to waste there vote.

Brady in the primary. We'll see in the actual election.

  I'm voting for Brady also, was leaning toward Oberwies but decided against it.

 

Quoted: Quoted: So who's voting Libertarian?  I'm not the 1 vote for libertarian.... I don't think anyone else is willing to waste there vote.

I'm wondering who voted libertarian in the poll here.  It wasn't me.

Brady.

I'm voting libtard.

I'm still waiting for the republicans to bring Ronald Reagan back to life  

Quoted: I'm voting libtard.

I will, too. I think they're just misunderstood.

Quoted: Quoted: I'm voting libtard. I will, too. I think they're just misunderstood.

I don't think that is what your parents meant by "Being kind to dumb animals"

We're talking about liberals here aren't we?

"Libtard" = Liberal-tard, no?  Libertarian is wayyyyyyyy different.

Tim, better edit that out before somebody (e.g. me) makes it their sigline.

Quoted: I'm still waiting for the republicans to bring Ronald Reagan back to life

Man that would be awesome. I grew up in the eighties. It wasn't until I was 18 years old that Slick Willie was elected and the innocent delusion that all people were good patriotic Americans was swiftly shattered.

Quoted: "Libtard" = Liberal-tard, no?  Libertarian is wayyyyyyyy different. Tim, better edit that out before somebody (e.g. me) makes it their sigline.

You guys all know that I'm not voting libtard.  I just said that in the poll to see who voted where.