One candidate's attempt to clear up Pat Brady's confusion

BY JOHN BIVER

My colleague Doug Ibendahl posted a great article yesterday outlining the embarrassingly transparent attempt by GOP state chair Pat Brady to protect many of the lousy old-guard sponsored candidates appearing on the February 2nd primary ballot.

If you haven't read the piece yet - I couldn't recommend it more - Doug draws it out in strong and plain terms. Doug speculated on who Brady might be attempting to protect:

"My guess would be that at a minimum, Brady will seek to squash real debate in the race for Governor and U.S. Senate. But I would expect that Brady also has orders to protect Dennis Hastert's offspring. Ethan Hastert has very stiff competition in the primary for U.S. Congress in the 14th District (the nominee will face incumbent Democrat Bill Foster)."

The sad fact is that Pat Brady's name was listed as a co-sponsor for a recent event for young Hastert. As Champion News has been saying for a long time, the misuse of the state GOP and Party Chairmanship is a continuing scandal in Illinois. Brady has no business endorsing any candidates in the primary. If he wants to do that, he should resign. Actually, since he still holds the National Committeeman spot, he should resign that office too.

If you wonder why this state is in such a mess and the Illinois Republican Party is such a joke, you need no bigger example than Pat Brady's antics as reported on by Doug Ibendahl.

Doug writes -

"Here's my free unsolicited advice to every Republican candidate running against one of the Old Guard's puppets: wake up."

The good news is that at least one Republican candidate isn't going to stay silent while the Party is misused. His press release - posted here- is a good first salvo and a wake up call for other candidates to follow his lead. The truth is that many of the reformers on the ballot will find themselves running not just against their opponent(s), but also against the resources of the State GOP.

Yesterday, Republican Jim Purcell, who is running in the 14th Congressional district primary (along with young Hastert) sent out a press release addressing the state party chairman directly. For those of us who have been waiting for years to see some leadership from our candidates and elected officials, Purcell's statement was very welcome.