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Downstate Dem (John Simmons-D) quits Senate race (Illinois)
Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 7/10/03 | Scott Fornek

Posted on 07/10/2003 10:47:11 PM PDT by LdSentinal

Just seven weeks after he came from nowhere and declared, "I am in--no doubt," Downstate millionaire John Simmons again upended the U.S. Senate race Wednesday, folding his Democratic campaign and throwing his support to state Comptroller Dan Hynes.

"Dan's the man," Simmons said. "He'll do great for us."

The trial lawyer said he is pulling the plug to devote his energy to reopening a steel mill and to try to prevent a Democratic donnybrook from hurting the party's chances in 2004.

"The Democrats do not need a bloodbath in March," Simmons said. "It's not going to help us win in November."

The surprise move is an important boost for Hynes, who already has lined up the backing of southern Illinois political power Glenn Poshard and 71 of the 96 Downstate Democratic county chairmen in his quest to replace Republican Sen. Peter Fitzgerald.

"The endorsement of the only Downstate candidate in this race is a significant addition to the overwhelming support Dan already has," said Chris Mather, Hynes' communications director.

Simmons' candidacy threatened to turn the Democratic side of the race upside down, leaving Hynes and the five other Chicago Democrats to fight it out in the city while Simmons picked up Downstate votes. His departure leaves investor M. Blair Hull as the only Democratic millionaire in the race.

Simmons, 35, a first-time candidate from Edwardsville, planned to spent $12 million to $15 million on the primary alone. He kicked off his candidacy in a May 22 interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, saying he was ready to go "100 percent, 100 miles an hour" and would "have a blast doing it."

Simmons insisted he was not pulling the plug for lack of support. But he conceded that Hynes had already wrapped up some of the support from organized labor that Simmons had been hoping for.

Other announced or potential Democratic candidates include state Sen. Barack Obama, former Chicago School Board President Gery Chico, health care executive Joyce Washington and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.


TOPICS: Illinois; Campaign News; Parties; U.S. Senate
KEYWORDS: 2004; blairhull; chico; danielhynes; illinois; johnsimmons; obama; pappas; peterfitzgerald; poshard; primary; senate
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To: fieldmarshaldj
By some people's standards there are only maybe 20 or so Republican senators the rest being Rinos. One poster even called poor Trent Lott a rino.
21 posted on 07/14/2003 5:46:16 AM PDT by Impy (Dear Justice O'Connor, If you want to see your cat alive again.....)
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To: Impy
I think some people would call most posters on this board RINOs because they do not vote a straight issue line. Many of these people have never read a piece of legislation, worked in government, or really even lived in reality. Government is full of compromises. Without them, government would never move. In some circumstances..that would be good...on the other hand...we may be stuck in the 19th Century if not for some of the Progressive thinkers of the last several centuries.
22 posted on 07/14/2003 10:43:29 AM PDT by Abram
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To: Abram
The term RINO has been so overused and trivialized that it lost all meaning. Last year on FR threads about the GA-07 primary, there were posters calling people who did not support Bob Barr over John Linder RINOS. Even though, the two Congresscritters had similiar voting records! Also, Orrin Hatch and Trent Lott are routinely blasted here as RINOS. Despite the fact that the two Senators have rock solid conservative voting records. FReepers calling each other RINOS without just cause can be downright silly.
23 posted on 07/14/2003 2:21:24 PM PDT by Kuksool
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To: Kuksool
What you said makes absolute sense...Chafee...RINO...Hatch...just about as conservative as you come. You may not agree with his brand of conservativism...but still a conservative.
24 posted on 07/14/2003 2:58:57 PM PDT by Abram
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To: Impy

Oh shut up, wippersnapper.


25 posted on 10/03/2008 8:13:30 AM PDT by Impy (Spellcheck hates Obama, you should too.)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

Some Freeper told me he knew some guy who’s last name is Impy so I googled ‘John Impy’ and the result was this.

Look at us talk about this race like Berry wasn’t win it easy peasy!

Gery Chico and his wife Sunny, inter-partisan

” CHICAGO _ Few political opposites could say they were attracted to each other as a result of the 2000 presidential election.

Fewer still could say the 2004 election strengthened their bond.

But somehow, after butting heads in a debate on Chicago’s WTTW in 2000 _ she on behalf of George W. Bush, he on behalf of Al Gore _ Sunny Abello and Gery Chico liked each other enough to get married.

“It was our shared passion for the right thing,” Abello-Chico said.

With each passing campaign, the Chicos manage to stay united while standing on opposite sides of the partisan divide.

Bearing credentials that hit home and a range of coping ... “

I hope they’ll divorced since then....


26 posted on 10/03/2008 8:31:07 AM PDT by Impy (Spellcheck hates Obama, you should too.)
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To: Impy

July 11, 2003... Wish I could go back to the date of the start of this thread... :-(


27 posted on 10/03/2008 3:51:50 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps !"~~)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

Shite dude I didn’t mean to depress ya, I thought this was terribly amusing.


28 posted on 10/04/2008 1:59:39 AM PDT by Impy (Spellcheck hates Obama, you should too.)
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To: Impy

Sorry, today it was 5 years ago when... she... :-(


29 posted on 10/04/2008 2:15:00 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps !"~~)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

Yeah, you mentioned in your freepmail the date was coming up. I wish there was anything I could say but I don’t know jack.

Just remember all units of times are meaningless constructs. What’s a year? A trip around the sun, so what. :/


30 posted on 10/04/2008 2:56:40 AM PDT by Impy (Spellcheck hates Obama, you should too.)
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To: Impy

The irony is that she is where you are.

What is a year ? 365 (or 366) more days without my heart.


31 posted on 10/04/2008 3:27:43 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps !"~~)
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