July 22nd, 2008
Jim Thacker, a Rockford-based political consultant, is doing quite well for himself thanks to the campaigns of Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey, Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen, U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo and others.
Such local political campaigns paid Thacker at least $108,120 during the year ended June 30, according to state and federal campaign finance disclosure statements.
Thacker earned $42,000 from Chuck Prorok’s campaign for Winnebago County state’s attorney, $22,000 from Morrissey’s campaign, $10,200 from Christiansen’s campaign, and $4,000 for Mike Hakanson campaign for Winnebago County auditor during that one-year period, according to statements updated Monday with the State Board of Elections.Prorok, Christiansen and Hakanson are Republican. Morrissey came from a strongly Democratic family and won election in 2005 as an independent. Thacker describes himself as a conservative Republican.
Thacker also earned $29,920 from Manzullo’s campaign during the year ended June 30, according to the Federal Election Commission. Thacker is formerly Manzullo’s chief of staff.
Thacker started volunteering for political campaigns in 1984 and he’s been a full-time political consultant since 1992, he told me.
“I’ve been involved in politics for 24 years on a pretty serious level,” he said. “And I think what most of these folks are looking for is basically a resource — somebody they can talk to who’s been through the battles before. It’s reassuring when, in the course of a campaign, that different issues pop up and they’re working with somebody who’s probably experienced those issues on a previous campaign.”
As a full-time, Rockford-based political consultant, Thacker has little competition — at least on GOP side of the equation.
“There’s not a lot of people like me,” he said. “I only take on a number of races base on my ability to spend the right amount of time with them and basically not have to work 24 hours a day.”
Thacker, 45, grew up in Woodstock. He attended Rockford College and spent considerable time in Rockford as Manzullo’s chief of staff.
“I’ve been coming back and forth to Rockford for 20 years,” he said. “Later, when I was working on Larry Morrissey’s campaign, that’s when I actually started living here. And I’ve been living here for about five years.”
As is typical for political staff, Thacker said he’d rather not be in the spotlight. He’d rather stay behind the scenes.
“I will not be upset if no article appears,” he said.
July 22nd, 2008
Paul Gorski, the Democrat trying to unseat Republican Scott Christiansen as chairman of the Winnebago County Board, said in an e-mail this morning that he plans additional fundraising by the Nov. 4 general election.
Gorski responded to my inquiry, placed by phone last night, about why he did not file a campaign finance disclosure statement with the State Board of Elections by Monday’s filing deadline. When a candidate raises and/or spends more than $3,000, the candidate must file a committee and file disclosure statements with the state board.
Gorski told me he had not met that threshold …
I have not met the threshold for filing yet, but I expect to do so this weekend.
I have a fundraiser scheduled for this Saturday, July 26th, 4-7 PM at the Rockford Lithuanian Club. We will also be holding “Tuesday Night Dinners With Paul” this fall. In addition, some other fundraising efforts have just recently been made, and I expect to see the fruits of those efforts over the next few weeks.
Most of my efforts to date have been spent walking, calling, and otherwise directly visiting voters in Winnebago County. The response from voters has been very positive, actually great, and I’m looking forward to a very active campaign as we go into this final stretch.
Christiansen had $51,572.21 on hand June 30 after raising $81,075.00 and spending $91,336.43 during the first six months of the year, according to his statement with the state board.
July 22nd, 2008
If Rod Blagojevich does anything especially well, it’s raise campaign money. He has long been a prolific fundraiser, and despite a looming federal probe of his administration’s activities, he continues to be. He raised roughly $1.9 million during the first six months of this year.
Still, his fundraising is down from previous years.
Midway through his second term, Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich has amassed more than $3.6 million in his campaign fund, more than any other statewide officeholder but only about a third of what he had in the bank halfway through his first term.
July 22nd, 2008
Sunil Puri, the Rockford real estate developer, gave generously to political campaigns during the first six months of this year, according to newly filed statements with the State Board of Elections.
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| Puri (right) with Dan Arnold of Road Ranger |
His donations included:
$2,501 to the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association
$1,000 to Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford
$250 to Gwyn Gulley, candidate for judge
$10,001 to Gov. Rod Blagojevich
Over the years, Puri has donated more than $346,000 to public officials and candidates for office in Illinois, according to the State Board of Elections.
He also is a “bundler” for the Obama presidential campaign, having raised at least $50,000 for that race.
July 22nd, 2008
The Obama campaign is getting some grief for telling traveling reporters to not wear green during Obama’s Middle East tour
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| Green, The Color of Islam |
An Obama aide explained to reporters that green is the color associated with the militant Palestinian group Hamas. But while the color does appear on Hamas banners, there is no particular symbolism to wearing green clothes, experts said.
Moreover, green is more generally seen as a symbol of Islam.
“A ban on wearing green seems bizarre,” said Richard Bulliet, a professor of Middle Eastern history at Columbia University, who said the color is associated with the family of the Prophet Mohammed.
“I would hazard the guess that the campaign’s concern is more with distorted—and religiously inaccurate—reporting by Obama’s detractors than with any actual signal that might be conveyed,” he said, referring to false rumors that Obama is a Muslim. “You don’t want to have some blogger come along and say ‘Obama is showing his true color.’”
“I think they’re just being overcautious to a ridiculous degree,” Bulliet said.
More here on green, the color of Islam.
