By Ulysses Arn -
It is becoming an old song and dance with conservative candidates running for the state legislature here in Illinois. They look to run for office and then the Illinois GOP leadership comes a knocking and tells them to wait a few years, then it will be your turn, we have another candidate who we are going to back with a lot of money and we'll take you down in any primary.
That is nearly verbatim what 76th state Representative candidate Jacob Bramel was told by the ILGOP's House Republican Organization, who said the exact same thing to another downstate state rep candidate, and that is what Illinois Senate Republican leadership told Sharee Langenstein in her bid for the open 58th Senate seat in Southern Illinois.
Bramel on Friday retold the story USofArn.com brought you back in early November on Joe Walsh's radio show about how the HRO wanted him to get out of the race, wait his turn, or be destroyed by the money and scorched Earth tactics.
Bramel told Walsh, "(The) Establishment they are in shambles at the federal level. They're in shambles at the state level. They are in even bigger shambles at the local level."
Sharee Langenstein says that because of the obvious fact that she is on the opposite side of nearly every issue with Senate minority leader Christine Radogno it is no wonder that the ILGOP establishment is backing 2014 Attorney General candidate Paul Schimpf in that race.
As no Republican is challenging the areas Democrat state Rep. Jerry Costello Jr. one has to wonder why Schimpf didn't seek to challenge him, leaving Langenstein to run for the Senate without a primary opponent given she announced months before. Now any winner will have to go up against Pat Quinn's former Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon while Costello skates by unopposed at a time when breaking the Democrats super majority hold on the state legislature is paramount to helping Gov. Bruce Rauner enact his Turn Around Agenda reforms and to finally get the state's budget mess cleaned up hopefully without Michael Madigan's desired income tax increase.
Sharee is a highly regarded constitutional law attorney and longtime conservative activist in Southern Illinois while Paul's an accomplished Marine JAG attorney. They should both be going to Springfield to help Gov. Rauner. Not fighting each other. Jacob Bramel is an outstanding young conservative leader and Air Force veteran.
The ILGOP establishment wants to protect its self and maintain its people in leadership positions. They want loyalty to people not principles and the good sense to do what is right. When need fresh young conservatives running for office, not the usual mush of the Combine.
Supporting term limits, redistricting reform, a property tax freeze, workers compensations reform, tort reform, consolidating government, opposing Michael Madigan's income tax hike, balancing the states budget, have no prerequisite about backing Radogno or any of the other inept leaders the ILGOP has had.
Thankfully conservatives and Tea Party activist have stopped the bleeding when it comes to the terrible leadership the states Republican Party has had. Tom Cross isn't leading House Republicans, Pat Brady is gone as party chairman.
Its is probably time for Radogno to go to as well.
Getting one House seat ends Michael Madigan's veto proof super majority in the House. The more bites at that apple the better everyones chances of getting all the seats needed to finally break his reign as Speaker of the House and one day his 45 years total in the state legislature
The old ways of doing things have clearly not worked Madigan has been Speaker for all but two years since 1983. Only one seat in 2014 flipped and that was Neil Anderson winning his Quad Cities Senate race.
Protecting the old guard is no longer an option for Illinois Republicans.
As a recent presidential poll showed its the outsiders Donald Trump and Ted Cruz leading in Illinois, just as they are leading in Iowa and nationally.
The mood is clearly against the establishment and come the March 15th primary it is and should cost them as voters reject their attempts to rig the game, and stupidly leave Madigan cronies uncontested.
