This diary is the first of many key 2010 Midterm races that I'm profiling. First stop: my home state's Illinois Senate battle royale, where Alexi Giannoulias (D) and Mark Kirk (R) continue to remain neck-and neck with each other. The 3 third party candidates are Green Party's LeAlan Jones, Libertarian Party's Mike Labno, and the little-known Independent Conservative Robert Zadek.
Will Giannoulias be able to keep this critical Senate seat in the Donkeys' control, or will the evil Elephant take it via stealing and foreign money?
I have included the 3 third-party challenger's key positions so people could be more familiar with them. The poll at the bottom is for the 6-year term, and not the one to finish out the rest of Obama/Burris' term.
The head of Daily Kos, Markos had blogged that Mark Kirk DID fundraise in China and hypocritically decided to send jobs overseas.
Pay close attention to the May 27th event: Bejing FR. "FR" is a standard campaign abbreviation for "fundraiser."
* The Kirk campaign says that the candidate held a "Skype" fundraising meeting with American businesspeople in Bejing, China. I’m told that 12 people participated in the event.
FEC records show that Geoffrey Enck contributed $1,000 to Kirk that day. Enck is the CEO of ITI China Holdings. One of the things the company does is investment banking for Chinese manufacturing plants.
* And then the next day, Kirk voted "No" on a bill to close a tax loopholes that would prevent companies from "using current U.S. foreign tax credit rules to subsidize their foreign activities."
There's a reason Kirk is funded by those who want to see jobs shipped overseas. There's a reason the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has dropped $2 million (and counting) into Illinois, trying to take out Alexi. They want to make it easier for U.S. corporations to outsource jobs to China and other lower-cost countries at the expense of American workers.
Seconded by Alexi for Illinois' Kos Blog:
Anyone who knows me knows I loathe the use of "breaking" in subject lines. I really do. But there's no other way to describe what just broke here on the ground.
In the midst of the scandal involving the U.S. Chamber's solicitation of overseas funds comes this breaking news: leaked documents show that Republican Congressman Mark Kirk held what his campaign called a "Beijing Fundraiser."
Kirk campaign held "Beijing fundraiser" day before tax loophole vote
Congressman Mark Kirk’s US Senate campaign has been plagued by strange internal leaks for months. And now we have one that includes a plan for a "Bejing fundraiser," which was held the day before a House vote to close tax loopholes for companies that send jobs out of the country. The latest leak is the internal agenda of a mid-May Kirk campaign finance meeting. Click here to read it. Pay close attention to the May 27th event: Bejing FR. "FR" is a standard campaign abbreviation for "fundraiser."
* The Kirk campaign says that the candidate held a "Skype" fundraising meeting with American businesspeople in Beijing, China. I’m told that 12 people participated in the event. FEC records show that Geoffrey Enck contributed $1,000 to Kirk that day. Enck is the CEO of ITI China Holdings. One of the things the company does is investment banking for Chinese manufacturing plants.
* And then the next day, Kirk voted "No" on a bill to close a tax loopholes that would prevent companies from "using current U.S. foreign tax credit rules to subsidize their foreign activities."
Mark Kirk sending his goons to Democratic-heavy areas to boost his side and possibly steal the election.
In a private phone conversation that was secretly recorded, Mark Kirk, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Illinois, told state Republican leaders last week about his plan to send "voter integrity" squads to two predominately African-American neighborhoods of Chicago and two other urban areas of Illinois with significant minority populations "where the other side might be tempted to jigger the numbers somewhat."
Kirk's campaign confirmed the candidate was secretly taped last week as he was talking about his anti-voter fraud effort.
"These are lawyers and other people that will be deployed in key, vulnerable precincts, for example, South and West sides of Chicago, Rockford, Metro East, where the other side might be tempted to jigger the numbers somewhat," he said in the audio posted on YouTube.
As TPMMuckraker has reported, accusations from conservatives that ineligible voters are fraudulently stealing elections for Democrats have continued to fly in the 2010 campaign cycle, despite the lack of evidence of widespread voter fraud. "Voter fraud" has been the rally cry for conservative groups seeking to make it more difficult to cast ballots and suppress minority voter turnout. In particular this election cycle, Tea Party groups have taken up the issue, and Democratic groups have called for assurances that poll watchers trained by such groups are clear on polling station rules.
Enter little-known Robert Zadek:
Issues that Robert Zadek stands for
Immigration
Illegal is illegal and our laws must be followed.
Sanctity of Human Life
Scientific observation shows that a new human life begins at fertilization. I support and will defend all human life from fertilization to natural death.
Gun Control
I am firmly committed to protecting the Second Amendment and I am a member of the National Rifle Association.
Health Care
Each United States citizen should be provided health care insurance, not as socialized medicine, but provided by independent health insurance companies. The 65 years of age Medicare and Medicaid programs that are in place now will stay. Providing for those who do not have insurance (under the age of 65) will be as follows:
Insurance will cover basic health, mental, vision and pharmaceutical expenditures. As in Medicare and Medicaid, there will be no preexisting conditions. Everyone or family will apply to their insurance company for health insurance coverage. The co-insurance will be $1,000 across the board per year. The insurance company will determine what the premium is based upon a case by case scenario as it does now. There will be a scale established to determine the premium that is affordable to each individual or family.
So, Zadek is clearly a biblethumper nutzo, just like Bill Brady.
Mike Labno's positions::
Quality, affordable healthcare
We have the best healthcare in the world, but fewer and fewer Americans can afford it.
Government regulations that restrict the supply of healthcare providers, insurance plans, and medical products cause high prices. In addition, taxation policies that discriminate against individuals keep Americans from choosing more affordable insurance plans.
Let's allow people the freedom to purchase insurance plans with any choice of coverage from any provider. If we remove all federal mandates we will reduce costs. Where we have real markets in healthcare, such as in corrective eye surgery, natural competitive forces reduce prices and improve quality.
Genuine national security
Americans are still threatened by terrorism--despite 8-years of war on "terror."
The government chose to abandon the goal of capturing Osama bin Laden and bringing him to justice. Instead, they chose to take over other nations in a losing effort to "build democracy." The result: more death, destruction, and terrorists than when we started.
Protection for the unborn
Unborn children are not given the right to life that other Americans enjoy.
All persons are created--not simply born--equal and the 5th and 14th Amendments state that all persons shall not be denied the right to life without due process of law. Roe v Wade wrongfully ignores this right.
I personally oppose abortion except in cases where the mother's life is in mortal danger. At a minimum, we can return abortion law to the states, so citizens can have an active voice on this issue.
Finally, here is LeAlan Jones' platform
LGBT Rights
No government should be allowed to regulate love. Gay marriage and civil unions are a natural extension of the Green Party’s platform on human rights and I do not believe that we need to wait any longer. Let’s be honest: if we took interracial marriage to the voters, it would probably be rejected in some states. But we cannot tolerate bigotry whether it’s based on race or sexual orientation. Like the federal courts, I believe Don’t Ask Don’t Tell – and any workplace discrimination – must be stopped immediately. What a person does in their bedroom does not affect their performance at work or on the battlefield. The military is best run by discipline, not sexual orientation.
Health Care
The remedy for our nation’s failed health care system is a single-payer national health insurance program, often referred to as Medicare for All. The private, profit-driven health insurance system and a monopolistic pharmaceutical enterprise are the sources of our health care crisis. For my first day in office, I will champion expanding our treasured Medicare program to everybody in the country. This simple program will control skyrocketing costs, assure access to everyone, and achieve the highest quality our first-rate medical resources can provide.
By not eliminating the $2.5 trillion for-profit health insurance industry, the recent Health Care Reform legislation, aka "Obamacare", failed to address the cause of our deficient health system. It extended the domination of the private insurance companies significantly. It forces 30 million Americans to buy faulty products and transfers billions more taxpayer dollars to private companies.
Immigration
Visiting the U.S. as a foreigner, even those with full legal access, can be a stressful experience. Chicago losing its Olympic bid was largely because of the way we treat our visitors. Tourism is a vital part of our economy. I propose the Customs and Border patrol adopt a friendlier attitude into their important work and treat people with more dignity and respect.
So much of the tension in the world is based around cultural misunderstandings. Before September 11th, only 9% of Americans had passports. This limits our view of the world and prevents us from finding common ground with our global neighbors. As Senator, I would propose that all 18 year-olds receive a free passport for 10 years so they can explore the world.
Economy
My four point plan will create good, green jobs, reduce the cost of living, and protect our country’s greatest asset: its people.
- Fix the System
- Share Our Wealth
- Protect Workers
- Redefine Innovation
Wall Street banksters and corporations profited off the American Dream and left us with the worst economy since the Great Depression. Our economy will become sustainable when we can organically work together. This means giving more stakeholders a voice in decisions that affect their communities and returning democracy to our financial system.
End Corporate Limited Liability: Make corporate shareholders bear the same liabilities as other property owners.
Federal Chartering of Interstate Corporations: This puts pro-worker states like Illinois on an equal footing with anti-worker states that drive down wages.
Periodic Review of Corporate Charters: A public corporate charter review process for each corporation above $20 million in assets every 20 years to see if it is serving the public interest according to social and ecological as well as financial criteria.
Strengthen Anti-Trust Enforcement: Require breakup of any firm with more than 10% market share unless it makes a compelling case every five years in a public regulatory proceeding that it serves the public interest to keep the firm intact.
Democratize Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve System: Place a 100% reserve requirement on demand deposits in order to return control of monetary policy from private bankers to elected government. Selection of Federal Reserve officers by our elected representatives, not private bankers. Strengthen the regional development mission of the regional Federal Reserve Banks by directing them to target investments to promote key policy objectives, such as high-wage employment, worker and community ownership, ecological production, and inner city reconstruction.
Establish state banks: I fully support Gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney‘s call for a state bank because not a single taxpayer dollar should end up in a multi-million dollar bonus of a bank executive.
My Share Our Wealth plan will reduce your taxes if you make less than $100,000 a year.
Veterans Affairs
We need a strong GI bill that delivers free education, a free home, and free, quality health care for all veterans and their families. We must utilize the newest technology to address the unique mental illnesses and disabilities of US veterans. At the same time we should create peace & reconciliation councils between veterans and people from the countries where they fought to promote healing and create a common bond.
Education
Our schools should develop free-thinking citizens, not standardized robots. While some schools are allowed to "Race to the Top", the rest are left to sink to the bottom.
Recent polling for IL-Sen:
Polling for Giannoulias-Kirk-Jones-Labno:
10.17.2010's Anzalone-Liszt (D) poll:
Giannoulias (D) 41.0% Jones (G) 4.0% Kirk (R) 36.0% Labno (L) 3.0%
10.16.2010's PPP (D) poll:
Giannoulias (D) 40.0% Jones (G) 4.0% Kirk (R) 42.0% Labno (L) 3.0%
10.12.2010's Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (D) poll:
Giannoulias (D) 44.0% Jones (G) 4.0% Kirk (R) 41.0% Labno (L) 3.0%
10.10.2010's Southern Illinois University Carbondale poll:
Giannoulias (D) 36.8% Jones (G) 3.3% Kirk (R) 37.3% Labno (L) 1.8%
Polling for Giannoulias-Kirk/-Jones:
10.18.2010's Repubmussen poll, which has the race decidedly in favor of Kirk, like usual:
Giannoulias (D) 40.0% Jones (G) 4.0% Kirk (R) 44.0%
Note: Labno has NOT been polled, most likely due to Rasmussen wanting Kirk to win.
10.17.2010's Anzalone-Liszt (D) poll (2-way):
Giannoulias (D) 43.0% Kirk (R) 40.0%
10.16.2010's PPP (D):
Giannoulias (D) 45.0% Kirk (R) 46.0%
10.11.2010's Biasmussen poll, who had Giannoulias NARROWLY ahead:
Giannoulias (D) 44.0% Jones (G) 4.0% Kirk (R) 43.0%
Other polls on IL-Sen from TPM PollTracker.
Next: IL-Gov