40 thoughts on “Charting campaign spending”

  1. Votes are one indication of support and money another. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out.

    Interesting that Schock has more left to spend in the last couple of weeks that Callahan has raised during the entire campaign.

  3. Gosh, Shlock could have paid for the remaining costs of the Riverfront museum… instead of enriching the travel and hospitality industry.

    It takes a lot  more money to change someone’s way of thinking, to tell a convincing lie, than it does to tell the simple truth.

    Who said you can’t buy an election? It has been a grand old American tradition for decades.

  4. How many linear feet of curbs and sidewalks would that dollar amount purchase in Peoria?

  5. So I guess now the way American politics has unfortunately  evolved is all Schock’s fault too? Do you guys ever stop? Have you considered the possibility  that insidiously negative campaigning and criticism is a big part of the problem? Can either of you state one positive message coming from the Callahan campaign, and if not, isn’t that disturbing? Is she the type of person you really want to send to the Capital to represent our district? What’s she going to do when she gets there… Start throwing mud at them? It appears that is the only behavior she is capable of.
    Check out this link: http://www.aaronschock.com/media.html
    It’s a great example of tasteful, positive campaigning. It’s the reason Aaron Schock will be sent to Washington and Callahan will be left behind to clean up the messes she has created. It’s too bad that she has not run a campaign that someday she will look back and be proud of.

  6. Diane,
    Schock is not symbolic of the problem with politics today, but the potential is there!

    Seriously though, don’t you think Schock got his message across a ‘few hundred thousand dollars’ ago?  Power politics is not always the same as ‘good’ politics.

  7. “Seriously though, don’t you think Schock got his message across a ‘few hundred thousand dollars’ ago?

    Why wouldn’t you say that for any candidate, then, NV? Like for instance, oh, say, OBAMA?

  8. Diane:  Go sell a house will you?  You spend far too much time on the computer blogging!! You are very intelligent, but unable to accept the other sides contentions.  Good luck.

  9. Diane,
    With all respect….  are we really going to compare Obama, McCain, or any PRESIDENTIAL candidate with Aaron Schock? 

    Next you [or Merle] will be telling me all about Aaron’s plans for election/campaign reform!

  10. I think it’s important for people to know just who is raising money for Aaron Schock.  Just a few week’s ago, Susan Hirschmann hosted a fundraising reception for the Schock campaign at the G.O.P.’s swank Capitol Hill Club.  Normally, I wouldn’t care less about a Wiliams and Jensen  lobbyist except that Ms. Hirschmann just happens to be Tom Delay’s former Chief of Staff who was at the center of one of the largest Capitol Hill scandal’s of the last one hundred years.  Besides her illegal golf trip to Scotland, she acted as the go between Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Indian casinos, Ralph Reed, and Grover Norquist.  Check out the following url to see the invite and I invite people to google Susan B. Hirschmann to learn of her involvement.

    Besides Hirschmann, one will notice that Eric Cantor, who is featured quite prominently on the Schock website, was also a guest.  He and his ERICPAC were early and frequent donors to the Schock campaign.  He was also involved in the Indian Casino aspects of the numerous Jack Abramoff scandals.  He also had a sandwich named after him at Jack Abramoff’s restaurant.

    The next D.C. affair was hosted by the House Conservatives fund.  You’ll notice that they invited the founder of the PAC  Tom Feeney.  Who is Tom Feeney?  He has consistently been named by the non-partisan Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has one of the most corrupt Congressmen in the U.S.  He is also known as Representative #3 in an ongoing corruption scandal in Alaska being conducted by the F.B.I.

    One should check the FEC site and look at the out of state donors.  Of course you might just decide that Aaron Schock has decided to walk in the footsteps of Jack Abramoff.  Why else would an Indian tribe in Northern California donate to such a squeaky clean reformer?

  13. Everyones commenting on the politics as usual thing. Mudslinging, who gave what to who, and for what political favor it’s for. We have a third person to vote for. I personally don’t care if he is Republicant, Demorat, Green, Independant or the Whatever, as long as he does what is expected of him, with WE the regular stiff in mind. If you want it to stay the same than vote the same. The same two partying all the time without inviting others is SOS.  

  14. I’m with you, Wacko. 
    I am getting so tired of Ms. Vespa’s right-wing rants everywhere i turn.  Doesn’t she ever work? 

  15. And wacko is a self-made millionaire? Cause he obviously doesn’t have a job – I see his comments on this and other blogs quite frequently!

  16. While I don’t agree with Ms. Vespa’s stance on politics, I think the personal attacks against her are uncalled for.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  Remember the Constitution?

  17. All you people who find raising a lot of money so unethical, what about Obama who has set an all time record for campaign cash raised–at events for $28,500 per person?   Buying an election huh?  What about his lie that he would participate in public financing of the general election?  He made that promise on television.  But he broke it big time.

    Callahan started the campaign bragging about the money she raised as an INDICATION of support.  Now that she has decisively lost that race, money means nothting and is dirty (except for Obama’s cash).

    Like Schock or not, people give to candidates they believe in.  Callahan has not aired one positive radio or TV ad or sent one positive mailer.  Not one.

  18. I, too, am with you one this one wacko. It seems like whatever blog I go to there is Diane Vespa trumpeting her coservative views. How dull! I know the real estate biz is slow right now, but give us a break!!!

  19. Linda is correct.  We can keep this civil.  There is the occasional
    ‘blog-o-subject’ that we ALL agree on, etc.  Politics is politics.

    I do suspect that ‘Linda’ is really Merle Widmer, but can prove little at present.

    MIRROR,
    AGAIN?  Comparing OBAMA to SCHOCK…..?
    Can anyone confirm Callahan “bragging about the money she raised as an INDICATION of support”?  Newspaper, radio, talkshow, rally…?

  20. LOL  NV!  I can guaranTEE you that I am NOT Merle Widmer.  Just a liberal Dem who believes, like Obama, that politics SHOULD be kept to a civil roar without personal bashing.  If it weren’t for commentors like Ms. Vespa, no one here would have much to comment on…oh, except the original post perhaps?  Honey, not vinegar, will get you far.

  21. I agree about the personal attacks.  I enjoy this blog because many of the responders (and C. J., of course) are thoughtful people–willing to listen to others and to share their views.  This is a venue that certainly can help reasonable people to be informed and to inform.  We all bring different points of view, etc., to this forum–what a healthy way to communicate in a democracy!  I really wish we didn’t have to wade through the personal attacks, anger, etc., to get to constructive arguments.

  22. The negative responses here are a great indication of how sadly immature and intolerant some continue to be given their advanced years of adolescence.  You would have thought that they were beyond the schoolyard by now.

  24. The real estate market is not slow. It’s busier than ever! It is possible to walk and chew gum at the same time you know. So what do you guys do, anyway 😉

  25. Diane,
    I have to agree with you that Callahan’s campaign has not been inspiring.  But I do have to ask you this … since you’re such a foe of negative campaigning, then you must be voting for Obama, since the McCain / Palin campaign is all mud, all the time.  Right?

    There is no possible way that you can castigate Colleen Callahan for her negative campaigning and still vote for John McCain. That would be hypocrisy in extremis.

    Sucks when you can’t have it both ways, dunnit?

  29. Wacko, PeoriaGuy, and Lancer — Stop the personal attacks on Diane.  If you don’t like her politics, attack her politics, not her.  You guys know you’re crossing the line. 

    I would have said something sooner, but I’ve been in Chicago the past couple of days. 

  32. CJ: Did you delete a post here?  I looked at Wacko, PeoriaGuy, and Lancer’s posts here and all they are saying is they don’t like DV’s right winged posts.  Where is the attack?  As an example: ” You are very intelligent, but unable to accept the other sides contentions.” from Wacko calls her intelligent which I am sure she is. 

    I have seen DV slam Gary Sandberg for one and Sandberg came right back.  Heck I have been slammed here and yet not a peep out of you.  What is with you and Dennis and Diane Vespa?  I don’t understand it, some people can get nailed here for just having an opinion that some don’t like yet you and Billy Dennis jump through hoops of fire to defend one poster, like a big daddy or something.  I don’t get it, maybe I am just not in the “click” huh? 

  33. Emtronics: 

    “Go sell a house will you?  You spend far too much time on the computer blogging!!”

    “Doesn’t she ever work?”

    “I know the real estate biz is slow right now, but give us a break!!!”

    These statements are personally critical of Diane and her job performance, which I think crosses the line.  It would be like someone saying you were stealing mail or blogging when you should be casing.  Clearly inappropriate.  That’s what I want to stop.  You can criticize her “right-wing politics” all you want.

  34. O.K, O.K…. I’m crying “uncle”!!! I’m new here and I didn’t know Diane Vespa was off limits. I know she has good qualities as well. So Diane, as one dog lover to another, I apologize.

  35. Yea CJ and I understand that but I have seen much crueler comments made to others and to myself here.  If you take those comments by themselves, yes, they are rude but rude is all they are but when you combine them with the whole comment (“You are very intelligent, but unable to accept the other sides contentions.”) as in one case they don’t seem that bad.  Diane buys ads on Billy’s site and her on blog pretty much tells what she does for a living.  That opens up all kinds of things which I am not saying is right but, would you jump on a commenter if someone said I was stealing mail?  Doubtful in my opinion and I can not possibly case while posting. 🙂  (you should know that)  Stealing mail is an accusation of and illegal act whereas “go sell a house” is like saying “get back to work” which is not illegal as with the other comments you used as an examples.  Two different things completely.  Still you never answered my question: What is with you, Billy Dennis and Diane Vespa?

    Out of respect for you CJ I have seen where you have stepped in and told commenter’s to basically “knock it off” (my words) but you have never mentioned who to knock it off on. 

    Thanks for your time and sorry to distract from the original posting here.

  36. Emtronics, do you really think it is anyones job other than your mothers to teach you the difference between debate and personal attacks? If you don’t know by now it’s a good bet your a lost cause.

  37. Emtronics asks, “would you jump on a commenter if someone said I was stealing mail?”  Absolutely.  In fact, as you’ve pointed out, that would be an accusation of performing an illegal act, so I would actually just delete the comment altogether. 

    I’m not going to get into an argument over what constitutes or doesn’t constitute a personal attack.  I felt that the comments I mentioned went over the line, and I explained why, and that’s the end of it.  It’s my prerogative to set the ground rules for my blog, just as it’s your prerogative to set the ground rules on yours.  I try to be as fair and impartial as I can, and if you feel I haven’t, I’m sorry.

    Let me put this another way that’s perhaps less subjective:  Everyone, please stick to the topic.  The topic at hand is campaign fundraising and spending.

  38. What about Lovie Smith and the Bears? You said you went to Chicago. For whatever purpose would you have gone? [grinning]

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