Photo from TimSchneider.us website
Open Letter To Tim Schneider, State Chairman
The Illinois Republican Party
February 12, 2018
Dear Mr. Schneider:
After reading the diatribe you launched against GOP gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives for her recent political ad, I couldn’t help but wonder if your rant wasn’t really retaliatory in nature because Ives has exposed Rauner’s infidelity to the Illinois Republican Party’s values.
I also couldn’t help but wonder why you distorted Ives’ portrayal of transgenders in such a way as to make one believe she thinks they are the lowest of the low when in reality, Ives has shown compassion for the horrible fix in which they find themselves. Ives was simply bringing home the distinct concern that perverts will use transgenderism as another vehicle to invade the privacy of our bathrooms, changing areas, and worse.
Others believe your condemnation was nothing less than a veiled threat against women everywhere, that if they attempt to rise above “their place” in Illinois politics, they will be promptly destroyed. Perhaps you believe “their place” is in a “Molly Maid” type of organization that simply comes in to clean the governor’s mansion occasionally. Your rant has made it a distinct possibility that Ives will come in and clean it out once and for all! Based on the negative reaction to your rant, Ives may indeed end up cleaning out the governors mansion, but in a much different way than you think!
Or maybe it’s just because family values no longer mean anything to you (assuming they once did) and you’re trying to court the homosexual vote for Rauner at the expense of values oriented Illinoisans. As you probably know by now, Rauner’s approval rating is only in the mid 20s and anything you can do to help him will probably earn you some brownie points.
Shame on you! You may support transgenderism, but the vast majority of Americans strongly support traditional values in spite of what the Lizard People in the media and polling industries claim to the contrary.
And Mr. Schneider, you claim that Ives doesn’t speak for Illinoisans. But you do? Really?
What hubris!
If you are unaware of it, a political party is composed of its elected and appointed committeemen and women… period. That’s a far cry from all Illinoisans. And if you think you speak for all those non party members who support the Republican Party with their money, campaign involvement, and vote, I believe that you’re out of touch with reality.
And I can say that with some authority: as the past elected chairman, president, and CEO of Ross Perot’s United We Stand America, I have retained close ties with the many leaders and members of the organization over the years. And the emails I have received concerning your stewardship of the Illinois Republican Party has been negative ever since your “ascension” to office. And now, your rant over the Ives commercial has generated further contempt for you in particular and the Republican Party in general!
It is you, Mr. Schneider, who owe an apology to the hard working, heavily taxed, family oriented individuals in Illinois for placing your “values” above theirs. And it is you, Mr. Schneider, who owe an apology to the committeemen and women throughout Illinois whom you have offended with your rant.
And it is you Mr. Schneider, who has violated a cardinal rule of the Illinois Republican Party: officers of the party may not impact a Primary by endorsing any particular candidate in contested races. Your negative diatribe against Ives is a tacit endorsement of Rauner. You, Mr. Schneider, should resign as chairman of the Illinois Republican Party immediately!
Make no bones about it… Rauner is about to lose the governorship. Whether it’s to Ives during the Primary, or to one of the democrats after the Primary is yet to be seen. But he will lose like so many others have done under your watch. Unfortunately, he will take others down with him. Not only has Rauner been voted the worst Republican governor in the Nation, his actions suggest we would all be better off if he officially changed parties.
Yours very truly,
Jack Koenig
- Honorable Discharge (E5), US Navy
- Past President, DePaul University Veterans Club
- Past Trustee, Del Mar Woods Improvement Association
- Past President, Del Mar Woods Improvement Association
- Past 10th Congressional District Coordinator, Ross Perot for President
- Past elected Illinois State Chair, President, and CEO of Ross Perot for President
- Past elected Republican Committeeman, Bannockburn, Trinity University, and Del Mar Woods
- Past 1st Vice Chair, West Deerfield Township Republican Party
- Past 3rd Vice Chair, Lake County Republican Party
- Past Communications Chair, Lake County Republican Party
- Past Communications Chair, 10th Congressional District Republican Party
- Past Communications Chair, Women’s Republican Club of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff
- Veteran volunteer in over 100 campaigns of selected candidates from both sides of the aisle
- Recipient of numerous awards, citations, and accolades from business, industry, law groups, community groups, schools, religious institutions, political organizations, and more
