Posted on 03/25/2002 2:51:04 PM PST by Barnacle
O'Malley Calls for Unity in the Republican Party at Chicago News Conference Monday, March 25 3/25/2002 2:05:00 PM
Good morning. I am proud to stand here today with representatives from many of the major grassroots conservative, pro-life and pro-family organizations in Illinois. Not all who would have liked to attend could make it but we do have an excellent contingent here this morning.
In the wake of George Ryan’s comments last week, we have gathered here this morning to send a very simple message. The conservative movement is alive and well in Illinois and we continue to be a constructive force in Illinois politics and the Illinois Republican Party.
I lost the nomination last week, and I and others are disappointed but there is no bitterness in my heart. As I said last Tuesday night, this election represents a beginning not an end. You never lose when you stand on principle.
With the help of the good people at my side today, more than 260,000 Illinois citizens echoed these sentiments when they cast their vote for me for Governor last Tuesday.
George Ryan said last week that conservatives like myself should leave the party. Let me say again that my candidacy was about standing up for the Republican Party’s principles as stated in our platform and, more generally, standing up for American values.
My contention was and is that if the Illinois Republican Party wants to continue to be the party of Lincoln and Reagan that we need to exhibit the same kind of principled leadership those great Americans did.
We also need to grow our party which means reaching out to minority groups and opening the lines of communication so they can come to trust that Republicans can and do represent their interests.
Jim Ryan is our Party’s nominee for Governor and he is to be congratulated for his win on Tuesday. As conservative leaders, we are here today to make it clear to Republicans across Illinois that we are interested in unity and are willing to open constructive dialogue to make sure the principles we feel are important are defended by our nominee in his ongoing campaign for Governor.
Again, we are interested in being a constructive force, a unifying force. However, communication is a two-way street and Jim Ryan needs to tell us and conservatives across the state if he agrees with George Ryan or if he wants to work with us to build a stronger, more inclusive, more unified Illinois Republican Party.
Winning political campaigns are short-term goals and important ones. The principles for which my campaign was waged and for which these leaders behind me do battle every day transcend a single election. The long-term goals of conservatives in Illinois are all about winning hearts and minds. And we must continue to build on the good-will and support we generated during this election.
Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Losing an election does not absolve us of our responsibility to continue to fight for those deeply-held beliefs we share and to do so in a way that brings people together. Nor does winning an election, and I hope Jim Ryan will take this under advisement as he charts his course for the general election. Conservatives in Illinois have come to the table.
Among those scheduled to be in attendance*:
Adrian Brigham, Citzens for Educational Freedom
Arlene Sawicki, Catholic Women’s Group
Barbara Mularkey, Illinois Vaccine Awareness Coalition (IVAC)
Bill Huley, Northwest Tax Watch
David McAloon, VirtuePAC
David Pittinger, TAPROOT
Fran Eaton, Eagle Forum State PAC
Guy Garrison, Chairman, Zion Township Republican Organization
Jack & Debbie Thompson, Christian Home Educators Coalition (CHEC)
Jill Stanek, Former Republican Candidate for State Representative, 81st District
Jim King, Illinois Federation for Right to Life (IFRL)
Jim Leahy, Republican Assembly of Illinois (RAI)
Joe Hedrick, Committeeman, Niles Township Republican Organization
Joe Wiegand, Family Taxpayers Network (FTN)
Joe Morris, Lincoln Legal Foundation
Karen Hayes, former State Director, Concerned Women for America (CWA)
Karl Maurer, Catholic Citizens of Illinois
Kathy Valente, Citizens for Community Values
Kevin McCullough, Radio Talk Show Host, WYLL--1160 AM
Mary Ann Hackett, Illinois Right to Life Committee
Rev. Tim O’Malley, St. Agnes of Bohemia (Chicago)
Todd Vandermyde, Illinois State Rifle Association
(* list not exhaustive; groups to which individuals are associated are for identification purposes only)
Copyright O'Malley for Governor 2001-2002. All rights reserved.
Does O'Malley know you still will be voting for RAT this year???..
P>s RINO G/ Ryan is a loser............ But Jim Ryan may have hope.
And when I cross the Illinois border for the last time, I'll burn my horrible Firearm Owners ID card, toss the embers into the ditch, and shout: "Free at last! Free at last! Great God Almisghty, free at last!"
A pox on Illinois, Hizzoner Daley, "Red" Blagoyevitch, and all the other socialist gun-grabbers too numerous to mention.
In some ways it is worse in New York State. To buy a handgun AT ALL in New York you must have a pistol permit. However, in most cases the pistol permit also allows you to carry concealed, which is impossible in Illinois.
I still have to pledge my support to Jim Ryan. Illinois will go to hell fast if Rod Blagojavech is elected. I know that the other Illinois FReepers will vote for Jim Ryan too. They know how frightening it would be to have Rod as Governor.
Okay, that's interesting, pro-life, pro-abortion, whatever.
I'm glad he is pro-life. But is Jim Ryan a conservative?
I suppose even a disgusting scumbag like George Ryan is better than anything the rats can field, but there does have to be a line in the sand. For example, anybody with an ounce of common decency should never vote for somebody like Riordan or Jeffords, no matter what Party label they wear or who their opponent is. Saving the Party (and the country) from the likes of scumbags like George Ryan, Jim Greenwood, Mike Castle, and their ilk is critical. The Republican Party can never be allowed to fall into those hands. Whenever possible, these people must be buried in their primaries and the primary campaigns against them must be relentless.
Yes, so when are the so called conservative politicians going to start being responsible?
They know how frightening it would be to have Rod as Governor.
That's all the Illinois GOP can offer. Fear
A pox on Illinois, Hizzoner Daley, "Red" Blagoyevitch, and all the other socialist
I felt the same when when I left Illinois. Unfortunately I had to return.
Illinois will NEVER be a conservative state. It never has been one, and it never will be one
Better than blag-O-crap
This is from the ISRA:
"He's the most anti-gun member of the U.S. House - and proud of it. He's boastful about his NRA "F" rating. He's a two term Congressman who has personally sponsored no less than 23 extremist gun control bills. He's Rod Blagojevich...and he want's to be your governor. If he succeeds, Illinois gun owners can expect to see their guns banned and confiscated. The next election day may be the last stand for gun owners in this state. "
Illinois gun owners are going to have to vote for Ryan
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