Our 5-year state party chairman, Andy McKombine, er, I mean, McKenna, announced his immediately resignation out of the blue yesterday morning (hmmm?), and within hours the state party had named a replacement, Illinois’ RNC committeeman Pat Brady. They didn't even miss a beat in updating their website to reflect this ( http://www.weareillinois.org/learn/chairman.aspx ) Does anyone else find it strange that it takes these guys weeks to find a replacement candidate for U.S. Senate but they can find a replacement chairman for their party within hours?
Chicagolady is right, of course, that Pat Brady is the LAST person rank-and-file conservatives would want as state party chairman. Brady is a total combiner and close buddies with our previous RNC committeeman, Bob Kjellander, who is knee deep in corruption and has the feds on him. Brady wants to purge the party of Chris Lauzen, Steve Rauschenberger, Pat O’Malley, Dan Proft, and any other reformers. Brady's even more of a Kirk cheerleader than McKenna was. And no, Pat Brady is NOT related to governor hopeful/State Senator Bill Brady (Bill Brady, thankfully, has stayed away from endorsing Kirk so far), but he IS a first cousin of State Rep. Dan Brady, a combine RINO and a rival of Bill Brady's.
Pat Brady has only been RNC committeeman for 8 months, and now he's chairman as well? I had assumed that this would be impossible due to RNC rules. I guess not. The way it works is that each state gets 3 votes on the RNC — 1) The state party chairman, 2) the national committeeman, 3) the national committeewoman. As of Jan. 2009, for Illinois that was Andy McKenna, Pat Brady, and Demetra DeMonte. Does our state get only two votes now? Is Pat Brady's vote double weighted? Is Pat Brady stepping down as RNC committeeman so a replacement can named for him on the RNC? Someone explain to me how all this works.
I'd like to say I voted for Steve Raunschenberger for RNC committeeman during last year's state party convention, but the IL GOP made sure the “election” of RNC committeeman was done behind closed doors by the state central committee, so on the final floor vote our only “choice” was Pat Brady or nobody. I did loudly call out “NAY!” on the floor but McKenna, as chair, ruled the AYES had it by voice vote...though it seemed to just about everyone there that the “NAY” vote was louder.
It's rather depressing in Illinois. I've always believed the GOP can be fixed from within but in our state that seems like an impossible task to achieve. The combine makes sure the fix is in before anyone even realizes there's a vote.
In related news, it does look like we finally have a credible Republican opponent for senile incumbent Jesse White next year — Robert Enriquez, a Honduras-born Hispanic Republican who's a decorated marine vet. But there's rumors on Illinois Review that this guy is part of the combine as well and in bed with Blago and State Rep. Linda Chapa-Lavia (D-Aurora). I hope not.
I find it very odd that in this case that they'd anoint RNC Committeeman Pat Brady immediately.
Robert Enriquez is bad news. This is the guy who made a complete mockery of the aurora mayoral election by lying about weisner’s so-called attendance at a hastily assembled “forum” and passing out mis-information (LIES) at churches.
Enriquez supports democrats, donates to democrats and just ask him how he feels about successful women