If the signs in the office windows are any indication then down ticket democrats better hope for a Hillary Clinton victory rather than Barack Obama.

The Obama campaign operates in the context of Illinois' own brand of campaigning. Most of the nation is unaware of the refusal of the Illinois Democratic Party to participate in the 50 state strategy of Howard Dean. This means no DNC operatives on the ground in Illinois and no local candidate access to the Voter Activation Network. All this stems from Chicago dominated machine politics that systematically excludes any nominee of the people who is not approved by the established party.

Continued below the fold.

This is a wonderful characterization in the Peoria Journal Star on the Editorial Cartoon page.

Incumbent money is only half the problem.

No matter how bad the message is, the writer still manages to write the article in a positive light for Shimkus.  You almost can't help feeling sorry for him, too.

Article after the jump.  Also consider this:  John Shimkus - protector of Mark Foley.  Post comments!!!

Cross-posted to SoapBlox LiberIL View

All it takes is questions and an acronym or two to get the message out to the voters that the Republicans do not make the best representatives on The Hill. They are also quite vulnerable in every congressional district. The Grand Old Party's (GOP) incumbent in IL-19 is more vulnerable than he or either Party realizes so the congressional district is a good example of how well Democrats can use the GOP Playbook on GOP incumbents.

Cross-posted to Philosophe Forum.

PLEASE CIRCULATE AS FAR AND WIDE AS POSSIBLE --->>

Paul Hackett is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the November Victory Democratic Challenger Convention August 18 through 20, 2006. Participants are fundraising to cover expenses for the event.  Here is a message from the 100+ Democratic Congressional Candidates and staff who form the November Victory discussion group (Cross-posted to Philosophe Forum and SoapBlox/LiberIL View):

NovemberVictory is a group of Democratic congressional candidates meeting in St. Louis August 18, 19, and 20.   The group faces the same problem nationally that the candidates face locally -- getting the press to cover their campaigns.

More snow may mean fewer voters in today's primary

The already expected low turnout at the polls today could be further diminished by a mix of snow and freezing rain across much of central and south central Illinois.

Weather bulletins predicted heavy snow in Quincy and blizzard conditions in Springfield, Ill., with a winter weather advisory for St. Louis to Effingham. Chicago appeared to be in the clear.

When Thomas Jefferson thought of business, he knew the people could not survive economically without regulation from "national authorities" - Congress.

"The commerce of the States cannot be regulated to the best advantage but by a single body, and no body so proper as Congress.

The Second Continental Congress listened and created the Department of Commerce in the summer of 1789.

During his campaign for Congress a little more than 200 years later, John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) ran a congressional campaign.  His platform included working towards the elimination of the departments of Energy, Education, and Commerce.

Cross-posted to LiberIL View.