Walsh v Duckworth: IL-08

Joe Walsh TV ad during the London 2012 Olympics.

“Not as a candidate or as a Congressman have I ever been one of the political class. I came to Washington to serve the people of my district and reclaim our country from the growth of government. Rather than mingle with Party insiders in Tampa, I will be in the 8th district to continue to serve as an independent voice for the people.”  – Rep. Joe Walsh

The Citizen vs. the Socialist

The Illinois 8th Congressional District [CD] is currently held by Republican Joe Walsh. But, the Democrat-controlled redistricting commission re-drew the IL-8th specifically to include the home of Democratic candidate Tammy Duckworth. Check out this Gerrymandering. Duckworth’s house is at the end of Bolleana Ct.

Tammy Duckworth, was appointed by Mr. Obama for Assistant Secretary for Vet

erans Affairs, lost her first Congressional District-06 race in 2006 to Peter Roskam, after first being mooted as a candidate for US Senate – from Hawaii. Congressman Walsh was first elected to Congress in 2010. He is a fiscal conservative, Illinois native, Catholic, and Walsh’s bio has shown a dedication in life to service.

For the voters in the IL-8^th, this is not a Coke vs. Pepsi decision.

The Comparative

In a legitimate comparable tone – Duckworth can best be described as a controversial ultra-liberal Progressive heavily funded by out-of-state special interests and the establishment Chicago machine. Joe Walsh has been described as a ‘controversial Tea Party-backed freshman.’  Where Ms. Duckworth will follow the Democrats trajectory of spend, spend, spend; Mr. Walsh has been particularly vocal and active in urging Congress to lower taxes, cut spending and pass a Balanced Budget Amendment.

There are clear ties between the Democratic Party’s Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the Communist Party USA (CPUSA). The DSA of America of Rockford, Ill. financially supported Barack Obama to run for Illinois State Senate. And in 2006, Ms. Duckworth garnered the support from the Communist Party USA and far-left communist Frank Lumpkin. Her recent endorsements are a ‘who’s who’ in left-leaning labor groups.

Whereas, the editors and writers of the Socialist paper ‘In These Times’ selected Ms. Duckworth as one of their preferred top progressive choices for a potential Obama Cabinet position, to mandate Obama’s progressive change, along with far-left progressive and Massachusetts candidate Elizabeth Warren and Valerie Jarrett, Obama’s Sr. Adviser and the brains behind the throne.

Whereas, Duckworth’s’ campaign is being run by Obama Advisor and Democrat-machine loyalist David Axelrod, along with behind-the-scene advice from Rahm Emanuel.  Joe Walsh runs his campaign predominately with input from 1000′s of everyday citizens from his 8th district and from more than the 200 Town Hall meetings he has held with everyday voters since being elected.

Whereas, Joe Walsh admires the free-market principles of Milton Freedman, Duckworth recently stated she admires the collectivist dogma of Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who stated in this video, ‘Americans don’t deserve to keep all their money,’ suggesting government should have the right to take up to 50% of our money in taxes and that bureaucrats can spend our money better than we can.

Whereas, Ms. Duckworth’s plan for getting ‘America back to work’ is expanding public-sector jobs and government infrastructure works; transportation, public school modernization, roads and bridges, expanded parks, and public lands – all union-based jobs. She also favors expanding access to federal grants and short-term tax ‘credits’, not long-term tax ‘cuts’.

In contrast, Mr. Walsh believes we must rely on a vibrant private sector, not government, to pull out of the recession by reducing burdening regulations and lowering taxes on small business and job creators. As founding member of ‘No budget, no pay for Congress’, Mr. Walsh favors a Balanced Budget Amendment, cutting bloated spending and protecting Medicare for seniors.

Unlike Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Walsh is against Amnesty and ‘sanctuary cities’ and is a relentless voice for securing our borders. Unlike Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Walsh fully supports 2nd Amendment rights. Unlike Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Walsh supports construction of the Keystone Pipeline. Unlike Ms. Duckworth, who agrees and supports the Muslim advocacy group CAIR, Mr. Walsh sides with Homeland Security and the FBI, who has severed all ties with CAIR because of their ties to terrorism and Hamas.

Mr. Walsh has warned of a radical strain of Islam in the USA, including Chicago suburbs. Ms. Duckworth claims such talk is inflammatory, propagating fear, hate, and isolating Muslims. Yet, on Sept 14, 2012 a Muslim man was arrested after attempting to detonate a car bomb in front of  downtown Chicago bar. After a rigorous undercover FBI operation, the affidavit alleges that, Abel Daoud confirmed his belief in killing Americans in a terrorist attack. Daoud is from the suburbs.

CAIR is a Muslim Brotherhood group. They were named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorist funding trial in our nation’s history. So on Sept 16th, what does uber left-wing Ms. Duckworth do? She doubles down in her Hammas-CAIR support, puts on a hijab and states: the ‘growing minority population makes the white community uncomfortable, and whites will have to overcome their “racism.”‘

This, the day after a Jihad bomber tried to kill Americans in a FBI-foiled “Muslim terrorist attack’ at a busy downtown Chicago bar. You can view the bar via Google HERE. Beyond her Muslim ties, Ms. Duckworth’s carefully crafted message of being part of the 99%, despite the fact of owning a private plane and two houses, also asserts that those in her district are better off today than they were four years ago.

The Statist Quo

In Chicago, Ms. Duckworth is what we would call, a “patronage” pick for a job.  Patronage always trumps talent. She was originally part of, the now convicted felon, Gov. Rod Blagojevich (Blago) crew of Illinois state agency appointees – that by itself should draw a huge warning flag for anyone who is contemplating voting for her, left, center or right.

That warning flag became reality in August when the Chicago’s Daily Herald reported Ms. Duckworth improperly claimed two homeowner exemptions, i.e., tax evasion, and worse, during those years, she was actually living in Washington, D.C. and not in Illinois. In light of all this, these revelations make Duckworth look even more hypocritical when David Axelrod, her campaign guru, accused Mitt Romney of avoiding taxes while hosting fundraisers for Ms. Duckworth.

If elected, expect Ms. Duckworth to vote for increased taxes on ‘the rich’, small business owners and job creators while expanding federal authority on the citizen and government spending under the guise of ‘infrastructure spending – as outlined in her jobs and economic plan.  Ms. Duckworth supports more federal stimulus spending as a solution to our economic crisis.

And, if elected, Ms. Duckworth would pursue the legislative track of a single-payer health care system – just like Canada – broadening Obamacare mandates and taxes imposed on states and individuals, not repeal of the law. Notably, one of the most politically brazen features of Obamacare is Democrats cutting $716 billion from Medicare seniors to fund Mr. Obama’s signature health care plan.

In 2006, Ms. Duckworth supported Amnesty and recently stated she hasn’t changed her ‘immigration’ position. Rabidly anti-gun, she favors more stringent gun control laws in Illinois and for the nation. Financially supported by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA), she believes government should provide free contraception to women; to think otherwise is a direct attack on women. She also doesn’t believe men of faith who take a vow of celibacy are qualified to discuss religious freedom and contraception.

In her May debate performance, Ms. Duckworth called her constituents who believe in smaller government and fiscal restraint – the howling call of tea party members – as ‘crackpots ideas’.  Please watch this debate exchange.  Or, click to see the entire debate in four parts: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV. Notably, NBC News declared Mr. Walsh the clear winner in the debate, stating that for Ms. Duckworth, the best thing for her was ‘it took place at 6 p.m. Friday night’.

The Citizens Voice

Gross over-spending, deficit-after-deficit, huge debt to China — sums up the past 3 1/2 plus years of a Democrat-controlled Senate and Executive branch. Yet, Mr. Walsh has slammed both parties for excessive spending – President Bush included – Republicans and Democrats. An advantage a Tea Party ID gives him. Independence. Mr. Walsh’s political philosophy has shown he is an independent voice in Congress not afraid of speaking the truth.

To note, Congressman Walsh has often shown his independent card; the belief that both the Republican and Democratic parties are tied deeply – in complicated, often conflicted ways — where gaming the system to protect their own interests is more important than serving the people. He communicates with the idea of looking for ‘fixes’, not blame.

Mr. Walsh’s energetic and passionate defense of free-market policies in Congress led the NFIB, the nations leading small business advocate, to endorse the Congressman. As a reliable ally for Illinois small businesses, the NFIB will encourage its members to help turn-out the small-business vote for Mr. Walsh stating: ‘he’s been thoughtful and serious about cutting taxes and size of government.’

Click here to see Mr. Walsh’s voting record. Click here to see Congressional legislation Mr. Walsh has sponsored or co-sponsored. A member of the Small Business Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax & Capital Access, as well as Homeland Security, Mr. Walsh is driven by creating jobs and economic growth in his district. His steadfast priorities include:

• Job creation
• Less spending
• Obamacare repeal
• Small business tax cuts
• Balanced Budget Amendment
• Second Amendment rights
• Veterans and our brave soldiers

Never one of the political class, his values are driven by a belief that the average American is often ignored and has no voice. Above all, while much is made of Mr. Walsh’s ‘energy’, he continues to serve as a vocal, independent voice for the people in his district. And,  along the way, he has held true to all of his original campaign pledges:

• Turned down and denied his Congressional Health Care Benefits.
• Turned down and denied his Congressional Pension Plan.
• Voted to cut Congressional budgets by 5% in one of his very first votes.
• Promised to ‘Term Limit’ himself to 3-terms; no more than 6 years.
• Conducted the most Town Hall events in 2012 by any member of Congress.
• Returned $200,000 of taxpayer money; his Congressional Allowance, to pay down U.S. debt.

The District

The IL-08 district is is made up of approximately 40% independents and is comprised of roughly three counties: 51% Cook, 40% DuPage, 9% Kane. Once occupied by Dan Rostenkowski, Phil Crane and Melissa Bean, Ms. Duckworth, given her progressive slant, makes her prior 8th occupants look like right-wing zealots. The newly drawn district is a mix of blue and white collar voters; 12% Asian, 27% Hispanic; and voters delivered 61.5% of the vote for Obama in 2008.

Ms. Duckworth is the hand-picked choice of Emanuel, Pelosi, Obama and the corrupt Chicago Machine. But, the Duckworth-Obama-Rahm ‘Chicago Style Politics’ of decay, graft, patronage, and taxes is fatiguing the suburban and collar county voters. Suburbanites, already fooled once into voting for an “independent Democrat” when Bean foisted Obamacare on her constituents against their wishes, are now faced with a choice of a Pelosi rubber stamper to “represent” them in Congress.

On every measure, independents are fleeing Democratic policies. And, with her tight-affiliation to Pelosi’s values and Mr. Obama’s policies, coupled with the electorates call for fiscal restraint, Ms. Duckworth’s ‘sell job’ to the 8th District is that much more difficult. Proof being, this August Illinois poll, where Obama is in trouble with suburban Cook County voters.

The job killing policies of Obama and Pelosi, which Ms. Duckworth supports, are crushing our economy. Just look at this comparison chart of part-time vs. full-time jobs under Obama Democrats. And, these policies have our economy in a tailspin; unemployment has been above 8% for a record 43 straight months, gas prices have increased 96% and our debt has blossomed 50%. In July alone, unemployment rose in 44 states, 90% of states.

Closing

These are two very different visions of America. We face serious dual enemies: the radical left secularist and radical Islam, both with the capability of destroying our historic America. Mr. Walsh sees the dual dangers. And, as Ronald Reagan said: ‘don’t be afraid to see what you see.” The secular left wants greater federal authority over the individual, Mr. Walsh does not. In an election where the imperative is to repeal Obamacare, Mr. Walsh would repeal it, Ms. Duckworth would expand it.

To note, in the latest CBO assessment, we learned Obamacare will now cost $2.6 Trillion instead of the originally stated $960 Billion. Beyond the regulations imposed on businesses and medicine, driving doctors out of business, it’s biggest losers is the costly job-killing of the least educated and least skilled-workers in society as small business owners are forced to grapple with the financial implications and costs of its enormous tax increases and federal mandates.

To Congressman Walsh, it‘s strictly policy differences with Ms. Duckworth. He has consistently vocalized Ms. Duckworth’s honorable service, a double amputee mobilized from Operation Iraqi Freedom. She clearly meets the criteria of heroism. While her brave service demands our thanks and respect, it does not necessarily earn a vote. And, military service alone is no shield for public policy scrutiny. In addition to praising her service, Mr. Walsh always praises and recognizes the veterans in the audience.

But, Ms. Duckworth is a far-left secularist. One who would vote lockstep with the Democrat Party’s Congressional Progressive Caucus [CPC] for higher taxes, federal bailouts, free contraceptives and more welfare-state spending. In 2006, when her first Congressional opponent Peter Roskam confronted Ms. Duckworth on her radical gun issues, she played her ‘Wounded Veteran Card’.

She lost that election.

Let’s hope the good-minded folks in the IL-8^th come to the same conclusion. By any measure, a vote for @Tammy4Congress is a vote for the Chicago machine owning the 6th District with Nancy Pelosi controlling Ms. Duckworths vote.

 Click here if you would like to donate to Mr. Walsh.

Walsh Mobile photo credited to John Ruberry of Marathon Pundit.