"Lifelong Republican" defends switch (LEFTY SUN-TIMES "REPORTER" CONTINUES SHELL GAME)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | July 24, 2007 | JENNIFER HUNTER-CRUIKSHANK

[Chi-townChief]

Here is a letter I received from Jim Ronca, the man I described as a staunch Republican in a news story I wrote about five Democratic presidential candidates last week. The Democrats spoke at a convention of the American Association for Justice (a group of trial lawyers). He told me he was a Republican but was so fed up by the Bush White House that he was going to support and give money to Democrats. This truthful statement caused a huge reaction from demagogic Republicans who seemingly couldn't bear one of their own turning to the Dems. He and I have been receiving rude and hysterical e-mails for over one week.

Jennifer,

I am shocked by the response you got to your column. I have also gotten hate mail. I tried to call you but could not get through.

Let me assure you I am a lifelong Republican. I have been registered Republican since at least 1975 when my second cousin, Robert Butera, was the Republican leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and later Republican candidate for governor and recruited me to work for the Republican Caucus. During my tenure there I was one of the named plaintiffs in a suit against the Democratic governor filed by the Republican Caucus.

I have over the years supported numerous Republicans in Pennsylvania state races including Gov. [Dick] Thornburgh, (later attorney general of the United States), Gov. [Tom] Ridge (I distinctly remember being the host of a couple of fundraisers.) I have a picture of myself somewhere with Dan Quayle, when he was the vice presidential candidate and I attended a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser. I also supported Republican Supreme Court candidates (we elect our judges) and this very month attended meetings of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association with a Republican Superior Court candidate as my guest. I have been appointed by U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter to a statewide committee which interviewed and recommended appointees to the federal bench (federal judges and U.S. attorneys).

Even though I am a long-term Republican I am not a fool. Naturally I opposed candidates like George W. Bush and Rick Santorum who have vilified plaintiffs trial lawyers. (Santorum was a particularly vicious hypocrite. His wife collected on a medical malpractice case much more than the limits he supported on other citizens.) I am proud of what I do and there is no way I would be stupid enough to support people who subscribe to the Karl Rove practice of shooting at the trial lawyers every chance they get. This was particularly true in Texas where trial lawyers were compared to bank robbers and gangsters in paid advertisements. Further I could never support Bush and would support his opponents because of the violence he has done to the law itself, especially with that embarrassment of an attorney general, Alberto Gonzales.

I also do not believe that I personally gave $2,000 to any candidate. I will check but I think the check came from my partnership and therefore would be split into three (a perfectly legal way to do it). Also, I have been a trustee of a trial lawyers PAC for over 20 years and if these smear artists would look, they would see that while, nationally, state trial lawyers associations lean strongly Democratic, Pennsylvania has been very balanced between Republican and Democrat and that is from the influence of me and some of my Republican colleagues. There are many Republicans who would readily come to my defense including the former (until last year) president of the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Senate, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a current member of the state Supreme Court.

This campaign against you and me is ridiculous and I think evidence of how the Republican Party works. They make an effort to pressure journalists to print what they want and avoid what the Republican Party does not like. No free thinking or free press is allowed. They smear everyone who opposes them from big fish like Joe Wilson to small fries like me.

I am going to have some investigation done into the source and funding for this blog and I will give it to you. Maybe we can get you some information so you can write a Pulitzer Prize-winning article on the Republican conservative party sneak attacks on free press and free speech.

I loved your response. Keep up the good fight. If you want documents to prove what I said is true, even affidavits, I can get them.

Thanks again

James R. Ronca, Esq.

As far as I'm concerned, this is the end of the conversation.

mailto:jhunter@suntimes.com

[Chi-townChief]

I love how when you disagree with these fools, they call it "hate mail."

[Chi-townChief]

Lots o’ reference material:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1868274/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1868397/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1867157/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1866948/posts

[Chi-townChief]

CHICAGOLAND PING

[aculeus]

This “I’m a life-long Republican but” line is a tiresome scam used by seminar callers and other left-wing trained seals.

[Chi-townChief]

PING

[Larry Lucido]

I was going to start calling radio shows and say I was a “life long democrat,” but I couldn’t bring myself to utter the words. Instead I say I am a “life long crack addict.”

[lowbridge]

bump

[facedown]

They smear everyone who opposes them from big fish like Joe Wilson to small fries like me.

Beyond pathetic.

[Hoof Hearted]

The above life long Republican seems to be a life long RINO who finally came out of the closet.

[VeniVidiVici]

I also do not believe that I personally gave $2,000 to any candidate.

LOL! I did not have sex with that money, Miss Hunter-Crankshack.

[Chi-townChief]

Ya gotta wonder if he’s a family member or employee by the way he sucks up to Mrs. Cruikshank.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

This campaign against you and me is ridiculous and I think evidence of how the Republican Party works. They make an effort to pressure journalists to print what they want and avoid what the Republican Party does not like. No free thinking or free press is allowed. They smear everyone who opposes them from big fish like Joe Wilson to small fries like me.

LOL! Oh, please! Did this character ever read the newspaper his story is in? More importantly, has the writer ever read her own newspaper?

BTW -- I've heard that she is married to the publisher of the Sun-Times. If so, that explains how she got her gig.

[Badeye]

‘This “I’m a life-long Republican but” line is a tiresome scam used by seminar callers and other left-wing trained seals.’

Yep.

[Chi-townChief]

Jennifer Hunter who does a column under that name but who is the wife of the Sun-Times publisher John Cruikshank, talks a good game about being an ex-magazine editor but still gets her clout at the paper the old-fashioned way by being married to the boss.

http://www.tomroeser.com/blogs/blogview.asp?blogID=22635

[tobyhill]

$500 ALLYSON SCHWARTZ FOR CONGRESS - Democrat

$2,000 JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC - Democrat

$500 ALLYSON SCHWARTZ FOR CONGRESS - Democrat

$2,000 EDWARDS FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat

[lowbridge]

I also do not believe that I personally gave $2,000 to any candidate. I will check but I think the check came from my partnership and therefore would be split into three (a perfectly legal way to do it).

$2,000 John Kerry (Democrat, MA) 5/27/2004

So, what is he saying? His partnerships gives away 2000 of his money? Or its not his money, and they gave it Kerry in his name? And this "staunch republican" allows that?

[ikka]

“I am a Republican as long as Republicans don’t do anything to clean up the corrupt practice of law, which would hurt my legal practice.”

[lowbridge]

This campaign against you and me is ridiculous and I think evidence of how the Republican Party works. They make an effort to pressure journalists to print what they want and avoid what the Republican Party does not like. No free thinking or free press is allowed. They smear everyone who opposes them from big fish like Joe Wilson to small fries like me.

Spoken like a true 'Rat. We "make an effort to pressure journalists to print what they want and avoid what the Republican Party does not like"???

No free thinking or free press is allowed

Suuuuurre. We expose your lying ass, and this is your response?

I am going to have some investigation done into the source and funding for this blog and I will give it to you. Maybe we can get you some information so you can write a Pulitzer Prize-winning article on the Republican conservative party sneak attacks on free press and free speech.

Does anyone know what blog he is talking about?

*GULP* /sarcasm

[bmwcyle]

JENNIFER HUNTER-CRUIKSHANK lies.

[Enchante]

"They smear everyone who opposes them from big fish like Joe Wilson to small fries like me."

If it was not already obvious that this guy is himself an unbearably stupid, ignorant, and vicious hypocrite, this sentence confirms it. The fact that he may pal around with weasel RINOs of the Arlen SPECTRE variety doesn't exactly do him any credit, either.