Yesterday I ended my column by referring to a few of congressional candidate Randy Hultgren‘s endorsements – which are impressive: The Illinois Federation for Right to Life Pac, the Illinois Citizens for Life Pac, the Tax Accountability/National Taxpayers United of Illinois, the American Conservative Union, Concerned Women for America, Eagle Forum, and the Illinois State Rifle Association.
Today I want to report on Hultgren having swept the four major newspaper endorsements – which doesn’t always mean much because frankly some editorial writers of the big papers are a bit nutty. If you’re looking for some common thread of rationality for why they endorse candidates, forget it. Instead, the only conclusion I can come to is that emotion rules – or they forget on a day to day basis what they stood for the day before.
The Chicago Tribune’s editorials are bi-polar to say it mildly, but at least they got it right in the 14th by endorsing Hultgren. They hit Hutlgren’s opponent for being only 31 years old but on the same page they endorse someone downstate running for Congress who is even younger. Go figure.
If that wasn’t entertainment enough, the Trib applauds Randy Hultgren’s having said that “the top priority and major impetus for my entire congressional campaign is to restore fiscal sanity in Washington.” Then the Trib states: “Cheers! Hultgren is endorsed.”
This is the same newspaper that was the biggest booster for 2004 U.S. Senate candidate and then 2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama. I’ll let you find sense in that.
The Kane County Chronicle – in the heart of the district held by Dennis Hastert for twenty years – endorsed Hultgren over his opponent (Denny’s son).
The Chronicle closes its nod by saying “we believe Hastert needs to build up his public service portfolio. Hastert speaks about how he would be a leader in Congress. Hultgren already has been a leader.”
Anecdotally, I sense more voters in the 14th are coming to that same conclusion.
The Daily Herald says the young Hastert “has little to no experience in the public sector, having served a short time as a special assistant in former Vice President Dick Cheney’s office…he needs to have more experience under his belt before going to Washington.”
The Sun-Times also endorsed Hultgren and stated simply that Ethan’s biggest asset is his name. That’s not much, but of course we all know it can be enough – especially when that name comes with a lot of money.
One last point about this all important primary campaign. Tucked away on Randy Hultgren’s website – on this page – scroll way down and you see this:
Randy’s Opposition to Special Interest Cronyism from BOTH Parties:
- Co-sponsor and strong supporter of S.B. 600, which will give Republicans the ability to directly elect their leadership.
- Outspoken critic of the corrupt earmark politics of the past that caused voters to lose faith in Republicans in the first place.
- COMMITTED TO ENACTING TERM LIMITS AND A TOTAL BAN ON LOBBYING BY FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
- Publicly stated that “…just as important as ending the Democrats’ spending spree in Washington, many members of my own party need to be reacquainted with the principals of honesty and fiscal responsibility.”
- Outspoken critic of the previous Republican leadership’s failure to address our lack of national energy policy or rising health care costs while WE were in control of Congress. Our past failures have created the opportunity for liberal Democrats to propose their dangerously irresponsible policies.
Well said, and kudos to Randy for his support of SB600. This writer could say a lot more on the above excerpt – but it can wait until after the February 2nd primary.
I live in the 14th c.d. and I’m voting for Randy Hultgren. I hope a winning majority of my fellow residents do the same.
