Andy Martin's Campaign Diary

Andy McKenna conducts a crooked convention in Decatur

2008-06-06T21:37:00.001-07:00

Andy Martin wins partial court victory in Republican Party conflict

2008-06-02T23:29:00.001-07:00

ANDY MARTIN,J.D.
Professor of Law (Adj.)
“He Works for the People of Illinois”
Suite 4406, 30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-ANDY
Toll-free fax (866) 707-ANDY
Web site: http://www.AndyMartin.com
E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com

June 3, 2008

Re: State Convention (Decatur, June 6-7)

Dear Republican:

Yesterday was a sad day for the Republican Party in Illinois. It is now clear that there us nothing Andy McKenna and his gang of thieves will not do to violate state election laws and to suppress participation in the Republican Party.

We had a court hearing on my efforts to enforce the state Election Code against McKenna, Roupas, Gerson and the rest of their clique. McKenna has been trying to hold down participation in the State convention by inventing imaginary rules in Cook County. I didn’t win an injunction but I won permission to continue the war against corruption inside the Republican Party.

The arguments presented by the Republican Party’s new law firm, Schirott and Luetkehans, P.C., were pathetic. Here are some of their claims:

I had not proven I was “legally qualified” to run for National Committeeman;

I had not sued the Republican Party, and had instead only sued Republicans who were responsible for violating the Election Code;

The party had no obligation to release delegate lists and could in effect conduct a secret convention.

Sad? You bet. McKenna and his stooges on the state committee, such as Tolbert Chisum, who is linked to McKenna as a banker for Schwarz Paper Company, are systematically destroying the Republican Party to perpetuate themselves in power. I ordered a transcript of the court hearing and it will be available to you when I receive it, so you can make up your own mind about my efforts.

Is this the end? Not at all. The judge granted me leave to file a new complaint and I will be doing so next week. We may lose in the trial court, but then we will appeal, where I think we have a better chance of winning a major victory. I need to be patient and persistent and I will be. “I will not falter” and so forth.

Ideally parties should not be run through lawsuits. A party should operate collegially, so that all sides and all points of view are welcome. But McKenna uses his ”law student” poodle, Lee Roupas, who has no more business being Cook county chairman than I have being a brain surgeon, to play dumb and do what Roupas is told: kill the party. Well, maybe Roupas is not really playing dumb. He really is dumb, if he thinks he can succeed by discouraging people from participating to entrench McKenna’s band of thieves in control.

Here are the facts as I saw them on ChampionNews.net. Chicago is entitled to a total of approximately 236 delegates and alternates at the State convention in Decatur. How many are going? 36. In other words, 85% of the Republican Party delegate slots in Chicago are being disenfranchised. Racist? You bet. McKenna and his country club types in the north suburbs treat Chicago worse than a Bantustan.

There are large numbers of Republicans in the city who want to participate. But McKenna only wants stooges, not independent activists. Crooks like Roupas are locking the doors to lock in "public officials" who end up as defendants in federal criminal prosecutions. Another McKenna poodle is Eloise Gerson. Eighty-five percent of the delegate/alternate slots in the city are vacant, but--Surprise!--Gerson claims all her slots in my 42nd ward are full. No help wanted. Go away. Can we check that? No, because the list of delegates is secret. In other words, Gerson is just another slimy McKenna stooge, trying to discourage and destroy the party in the city. Gerson the crook, Roupas the crooked law student, a law firm that protests we did not sue enough defendants and that makes goofy arguments in court, it’s all linked to corrupt “Combine”-style politics in this city, county and state.

Are you embarrassed that 85% of the slots from Chicago have deliberately been kept vacant? You should be. That’s why the party has been steadily losing public offices in the Cook County suburbs. Andy McKenna will not stop until there is nothing left to destroy, no one left to discourage, no deal he can’t fix for his corrupt billionaire daddy. Americans are dying in Iraq to bring democracy to the Middle East, while Lee Roupas and Eloise Gerson and their cronies are destroying democracy in Chicago.

Why is the city important? Let me be clear: the Republican suburbs will not survive if Republicans keep losing strength in the city. I have over forty years of political experience in this state. I remember when the suburban townships were overwhelmingly Republican. Each election cycle Republican strength drops. In small bites, the Democrats pick off a state rep here, a senator there. Districts that overlap the city and suburbs become de facto city districts.

No, Republicans are not about to win a citywide election in Chicago. But when we chase away young people and new recruits who want to contribute to holding down the Democratic majority in the city, and helping statewide candidates win, we jeopardize those statewide candidates. McKenna is driving away party growth and party votes. Remember: 85% vacant slots to the State convention, while people who want to join and serve are being turned away. Sad.

Chicago is a vibrant city with a reformist culture. There is fertile ground to recruit a new generation of “R’s” who are disgusted at the Daley family’s kleptocracy. But McKenna, Gerson and Roupas lock out new recruits to hold on to their shrinking intra-party power base.

How did Barack Obama become a national power? Because the jerks on the state committee who chose McKenna also chose an out-of-state clown to run against Obama. We made Obama look good by making fools of our party. Republicans across the country should be cursing the incompetent boobs in the Illinois Republican Party.

Winning a court injunction is never an easy task. I made a solid presentation. Some people in the audience said I was “better than Boston Legal.” And, the judge gave me a significant victory. I told her I would be back in court after the convention to nullify the Brady selection as national Committeeman, and to nullify the national convention delegate selections and presidential elector selections because these choices were made by an illegally constituted convention. The judge gave me permission to file an amended complaint after the convention. She may not have been willing to shut down the circus, but she insured that challenges to McKenna’s three-ring travesty will continue in trial and appellate courts.

I have been on the job for over four decades fighting political corruption and arrogance. I will keep working for the People of Illinois, and I will keep fighting to make the Republican Party a paragon of democratic values and not the ossified gang of pirates it is today. Remember, Americans are dying for democracy in Iraq while democracy is dying right here within the Illinois Republican Party. As I said, it was a sad day for those of us who believe in public integrity, lower taxes, less government, and effective public policy.

As always, your comments and responses are welcome.

Respectfully,

ANDY

AM:sp

Corruption fighter Andy Martin sets hearing in Illinois GOP “Rigged Convention” lawsuit

2008-05-28T15:38:00.001-07:00

Andy Martin fights efforts by corrupt Illinois “Combine” to steal Republican Party. Martin says efforts by billionaire McKenna family to corrupt Illinois Republican Party must be stopped.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
DUPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

ANDY MARTIN, )
)
Plaintiff, )
) CASE NO. 2008 CH 1859
vs. )
)
RAY LAHOOD, et al., )
)
Defendants. )

NOTICE OF MOTION

TO: Ray LaHood, by fax (309)671-7309
Brian Sheahan, by fax (312) 782-0943
Lee Roupas, by fax (708) 349-1627
Eloise Gerson, by mail 910 Lake Shore Dr., Chicago 60611
Deb Detmers, by fax (618) 344-4215
Dan Venturi, by fax (847) 680-6682
Jason Heffley, by fax (312) 201-0181

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on Monday, June 2, 2008 at 9:30 A.M. or as soon thereafter as counsel can be heard, I shall appear before the Hon. Judge Bonnie Wheaton, or any other Judge sitting in her stead, in the DuPage County Courthouse, Room 2007, 505 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL and then and there present the accompanying Motion for Preliminary Injunction and/or TRO.

I certify that I served this notice by fax or mail as above indicated to each person to whom it is directed on May 28, 2008.

Respectfully submitted,

ANDY MARTIN
SERVICE OF NOTICES IS RESPECTFULLY
REQUESTED BY FAX OR E-MAIL
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-2639
Toll-free fax (866) 707-2639
E-mail: andymart20@aol.com (text only)

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
DUPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

ANDY MARTIN,)
)
Plaintiff, )
) CASE NO. 2008 CH 1859
vs. )
)
RAY LAHOOD, et al., )
)
Defendants.)

MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION AND/OR TRO

Plaintiff moves the Court for a Preliminary Injunction as herein below set forth or, in the alternative, a temporary restraining order (“TRO”). A proposed Preliminary Injunction/TRO order is being submitted with this Motion.
MEMORANDUM OF LAW IN SUPPORT OF
MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION AND/OR TRO

I.
THE STANDARDS FOR GRANTING A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION/TRO
The standards for a preliminary injunction/TRO are clear in the Second District: (1) clear right or interest needing protection; (2) no adequate remedy at law; (3) irreparable harm; (4) reasonable likelihood of success on the merits, The Agency v. Grove, 362 Ill.App.3rd 206, 839 N.E.2d 606, 613 (Ill.App. 2d. Dist. 2005). “The party need establish only a prima facie case that there is a fair question as to the existence of the right claimed and the need for protection.” Id. See also County of DuPage v. Gavrilos, 359 Ill.App.3rd 629, 834 N.E.2d 643, 649 (Ill.App. 2d Dist. 2005).
II.
THE MERITS OF THE CLAIM AND NEED FOR RELIEF
1. The State Convention requirement
In McCaster v. Greenwood, 328 Ill.App.3rd 643, 766 N.E.2d 666, (Ill.App. 5th Dist. 2002) the Fifth District Court carefully analyzed Article 7 of the Election Code and stated at pp. 669-671:
Article 7 is a comprehensive legislative attempt to regulate the course and conduct of primary elections..A plain reading of this section reveals that Article 7 is intended to govern all primary election procedures involving party candidates for public office and party candidates for party offices…A review of Article 7 reveals a legislative intent to provide a comprehensive set of rules to regulate primary election from initial petitions for nomination through postelection contests…..Section 7-63 does not exclude election contests involving precinct committeemen from its purview. Nor is there any indication that the legislature intended to do so.

Contained within Article 7 is the mandated requirement for a State convention. Once again, the legislature set forth detailed rules and procedures for the convening and conduct of the state conventions. The “State convention” requirement is the area of law giving rise to this lawsuit.
The defendants are attempting to conduct a “secret” state convention, in which the names of delegates are concealed from candidates for National Committeeman, and in which the entire convention is controlled by secret committees whose membership is also concealed from party members. In addition, defendants have tried to (1) illegally select delegates to the state convention in violation of the procedures specified by state law and have (ii) sought to impose restriction and limitations on the appointment of convention delegates that are not found in the statute.
The defendants have a long and documented history of seeking to corrupt party election procedures to render state laws meaningless and nugatory as they seek to perpetuate their control, as part of their participation in a “Combine” that corrupts party politics in Illinois.
Most, respectfully, the Court is asked to enforce state law against the defendants.
a. Concealment of delegates names/contact information
How can someone campaign for the office of National Committeeman if the names, address and contact information for the delegates who will be voting has been concealed? The secrecy placed on delegate information by the defendants has become a matter of statewide concern and frustration, see attached articles/e-mail in Group Exhibit A (5 pages). Thus, Plaintiff’s right to run for National Committeeman has been rendered a nullity by the defendants concealing the names of delegates, committee members and chairs of the committees, so they may manipulate and control the selection of a candidate who will “win” the rigged “election” at the “convention.”
b. Refusal to confirm candidate status
Although the Plaintiff is an announced candidate, there is no list of candidates, no information about what access candidates will be given to the convention, and not even any confirmation that Plaintiff is a candidate. The state Republican Party is being run as an extension of the bipartisan corrupt “Combine,” and even the most rudimentary standards of fairness are ignored by the defendants and their handlers.
c. Bogus residency requirements in large counties
Article 7 is clear that when the legislature intended to impose residency requirements, the legislature knew how to impose residency requirements, see e.g. 10 ILCS 5/7-8 (a):
The Chairman shall be a registered voter in this State…
[T]he person appointed to fill the vacancy shall be a resident of the congressional district…
[T]he State central committee…shall be composed of members elected or appointed from the several congressional districts…
The person appointed to fill the vacancy shall be a resident of the congressional district…
Despite the fact that the legislature chose not to enact any residency requirements for convention delegates, the defendants have sought to impose their own bogus residency requirements to limit ward committeeman and township committeemen from appointing delegates of their choice and to leave vast areas of the City of Chicago unrepresented, thereby creating an embarrassing racially discriminatory and divisive “plantation” which is held in limbo by the defendants.
None of these nefarious practices are authorized by Article 7. The only language even remotely relating to convention delegates is that delegates shall “be members of the delegation to the State convention from such county.”
Defendants, such as defendant Gerson, selected delegates in secret without any notice, and chose political cronies of the defendants themselves, thereby seeking to rig the convention process and to prevent the ward and township committeemen from appointing independent delegates to the State convention. The Court should invalidate delegates chosen in this surreptitious and unlawfully restrictive manner and reopen the delegate selection process to all residents of any county.
d. Illegal selection of other county delegates
Article 7-9 is clear that “The county convention of each political party shall choose delegates to the State convention of its party;…” But the defendants and others acting in concert with them have largely ignored this requirement, and failed to appoint State convention delegates at the county conventions. The court is asked to invalidate the selection of any delegates not chosen in conformity with state law.
e. The secret convention committees and goon squads
As Group Exhibit A makes clear, participants and candidates have no way of knowing who is a member of a committee and who is a chair of a committee. In other words, the defendants are seeking to conduct a secret convention, in which they will spring their crony candidate for National Committeeman on the convention as “endorsed” by the secret committees and members of said committees. This process violates Article 7.
f. The secret votes and failure to conduct roll call
voting at the convention.

At the last State convention, the defendants sought to impose their will by using secret voting and armed guards to control and intimidate delegates and participants. The use of armed goons to control and intimidate delegates, and the use of “committee” endorsements to avoid roll call votes by actual delegates are part of an ongoing pattern of seeking to conduct a secret election, leaving behind no records that can be reviewed and challenged in a subsequent judicial proceeding.
g. The legislature imposed reasonable procedures
Political party “doctrines” are largely immune from judicial supervision. But when, as here, the legislature has enacted comprehensive procedures, and specified that “each convention may perform all other functions inherent to such political organization, and not inconsistent with this Article,” the party is bound by state law. Period.

III.
THE DEFENDANTS’ LONG HISTORY OF CORRUPT AND
CONSPIRATORIAL CONDUCT TO DEFEAT DEMOCRACY IN ILLINOIS

The defendants have a long history of corrupting the processes of the Republican Party. For example, in 2004, when Plaintiff was not a participant, the defendants used goon squads to control convention participants. “Voice” voting was used to negate any record of actual voting.
In the most recent general primary, Plaintiff was prevented by defendant Heffley from participating in an open party function in DuPage County because Plaintiff had criticized the chairman of the party and his hangers-on.
Plaintiff has a long history of fighting political corruption in this state; the defendants find that history a threat to their own ongoing criminal schemes.
In December, 2007, Chairman Andrew McKenna sprang a surprise “endorsement” vote on the state committee without notice to anyone and without any hearing. The “endorsement” vote was not authorized by the party’s rules and was thus illegal. Moreover, defendant Heffley and his coconspirators illegally used tens of thousands of dollars of party funds—in criminal and civil violation of state and federal election laws—to support Plaintiff’s primary opponent and to illegally defeat Plaintiff.
Unless and until a judge steps in and imposes Article 7 of the Election Code on the defendants the corrupt shenanigans of the defendants will continue unimpeded.
Plaintiff has proffered a proposed order for injunctive relief.

Respectfully submitted,
ANDY MARTIN
SERVICE OF NOTICES IS RESPECTFULLY
REQUESTED BY FAX OR E-MAIL
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-2639
Toll-free fax (866) 707-2639
E-mail: andymart20@aol.com (text only)

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I certify that I served this notice by fax or mail as indicated below to each person to whom it is directed on May 28, 2008:

Ray LaHood, by fax (309)671-7309; Brian Sheahan, by fax (312) 782-0943; Lee Roupas, by fax (708) 349-1627; Eloise Gerson, by mail 910 Lake Shore Dr., Chicago 60611; Deb Detmers, by fax (618) 344-4215; Dan Venturi, by fax (847) 680-6682; Jason Heffley, by fax (312) 201-0181.

ANDY MARTIN

Andy Martin lawsuit knocks Congressman Ray LaHood out of RNC race

2008-05-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

Andy Martin continues to battle to reform the Illinois Republican Party. Peoria congressman was “front” for corrupt Illinois “Combine” that corrupts and controls Illinois politics.

NEWS FROM:
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”

Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 26, 2008

ANDY MARTIN LAWSUIT KNOCKS PEORIA CONGRESSMAN RAY LAHOOD OUT OF NATIONAL COMMITTEEMAN RACE

(CHICAGO)(May 26, 2008) A DuPage County lawsuit filed to block a rigged Illinois Republican Party state convention in favor of Peoria Congressman Ray LaHood has knocked LaHood out of the race. LaHood announced last week he was ending his efforts to be elected National Committeeman.

Martin is continuing with his lawsuit.

“Once again a well-timed and well-targeted lawsuit has sent the Illinois Republican party and its gang of conspirators into disarray,” Martin said in commenting on LaHood’s withdrawal. “Now they have to scramble to find some new stooge to replace LaHood. LaHood’s claim that he decided to go on a trip to Lebanon is a face-saving cover story. The trip was in progress before he announced his plans to run for Committeeman.

“LaHood was the ‘Combine’s’ designated front-man to maintain control of the ‘honest graft’ generated by the party. But LaHood obviously had no taste for a knock down, drag out battle for the committeeman’s slot, so he quit. The battle continues.

“Sadly, the leadership of the Republican Party is still trying to rig the convention. They are keeping lists of delegates secret, lists of leaders and committee chairs secret, and trying to rig ‘nominating committees’ that are merely shams for Andy McKenna’s Combine stooges. They selected delegates in violation of state law. It goes on endlessly. And they wonder why the party keeps getting wiped out. There is no leadership. I am fighting for an honest and open roll-call vote for national Committeeman on Saturday, June 7th.

“We have a court date June 2nd, and we will be asking the judge to invalidate hundreds of illegally chosen convention delegates, so that I can be elected national committeeman in an honest and open roll call vote on Saturday, June 7th.

“I am doing everything I can to build an honest and open and competitive Republican Party. Ideology is not my principal goal. I am committed to a party that is open to all points of view—except corruption and working as a part of the ‘Combine.’” Martin said. “We can start winning again, as soon as we offer the People of Illinois a real alternative, honest and effective government and not just another hand in the trough.”

Martin is the Reform Republican candidate for National Committeeman.
------------------------------------------
© Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Comments? E-mail: AndyforIllinois@aol.com. Media contact: (312) 440-4124. Web site: http://www.AndyforUSSenator.com. Also: AndyforUSSenator.blogspot.com; AndyforUSSenator.wordpress.com.

Andy Martin files lawsuit to block Illinois Republican Party corruption

2008-05-15T22:34:00.000-07:00

Andy Martin is running for National Committeeman to clean up the crooked Illinois Republican Party leadership and to end “Combine” control of the organization. Martin says Republicans will have Congressman Ray LaHood to thank if Barack Obama is nominated for president. A copy of the lawsuit is a part of this posting (below).
NEWS FROM:
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”

Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2008

CORRUPTION FIGHTER ANDY MARTIN SUES RAY LAHOOD, ELOISE GERSON, LEE ROUPAS, BRIAN SHEAHAN, DEB DETMERS, DAN VENTURI AND JASON HEFFLEY FOR RIGGING ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION DELEGATE PROCESS

MARTIN CALLS FOR CONGRESSMAN RAY LAHOOD TO STEP DOWN AS A CANDIDATE FOR NATIONAL COMMITTEEMAN BECAUSE LAHOOD IS A MEMBER OF THE “COMBINE” THAT HAS DESTROYED THE PARTY

(CHICAGO)(May 16, 2008) Illinois Republican reformer Andy Martin will hold a Chicago news conference Friday, May 16th to announce he has filed a lawsuit to stop corruption at the Illinois Republican Party’s 2008 state convention. “The behavior of most Republican Party leaders is disgraceful,” Martin will state. “They are conducting an election for National Committeeman and National Committeewoman, and refusing to release the names of the voters for this office, who are the delegates. Why are delegate lists and members-of-committee lists being held in secret? In a word, LaHood and his coconspirators are trying to fix the convention to elect him.

“How can anyone justify an ‘election’ in which the names of the ‘voters’ are being concealed or a convention in which the names of members of convention committees are secret? If this is not a blatant attempt to rig the vote and elect Combine Candidate Ray LaHood I don’t know what it is.

We have to face the reality that the Republican Party is being mismanaged into the ground.”

Martin is the reform Republican candidate for National Committeeman.

Martin will be seeking an emergency court hearing.

“At some point, Republicans are going to get sick of Combine control of their party. Ray LaHood was one of the cabal of leaders that forced U. S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald out of office—and paved the way for the election of Barack Obama. No wonder LaHood was salivating when Obama visited the U. S. House earlier this week; LaHood’s dirty tricks and backstabbing helped elect Obama by removing the incumbent Republican. If Obama is elected president, we will have LaHood and his hoods to thank.

“Peter Fitzgerald was pilloried because he fought corruption. What does that tell you? The evidence to support these claims is in testimony in the Tony Rezko trial, where ‘Republican leaders’ were mired neck deep in corruption. The Combine is real and the Rezko trial testimony blew the lid off the Republican Party's past and present ‘leadership.’

“Most Illinois Republicans are honest, hardworking, law-abiding citizens. How did we end up with a party state committee and party leadership and party employees who are sickos and crooks? How? Who wins? We know who loses: Main Street, mainstream Republicans.

“I am doing my best to fight corruption and to return control of the Republican Party to the people,” Martin says.

NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO: National Committeeman candidate Andy Martin

WHERE: Sidewalk news conference, SE corner of Huron and
Wabash (near St. James Cathedral), Chicago

WHEN: Friday, May 16, 2008 11:00 A.M.

WHAT: Andy Martin sues to block crooked Republican
state convention

MEDIA
CONTACT: (312) 440-4124; Cell (917) 664-9329

WEBSITE: http://www.andymartincampaigndiary.blogspot.com
http://andymartincampaigndiary.wordpress.com

E-MAIL: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com

ood is catching leas form his association withrigged votig, doctored delegates abnd the usual corrutionof McKnna. Vrian Sheahan is also an orchestratorof this shamlweful travesty. he is unfot toserve DuPage County as apublic offici8al. He shopudleither step down form his partypositionor step downfrom hisopublic office.

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© Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Comments? E-mail: AndyforIllinois@aol.com. Media contact: (312) 440-4124. Web site: http://www.AndyforUSSenator.com. Also: AndyforUSSenator.blogspot.com; AndyforUSSenator.wordpress.com.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
IN AND FOR DUPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

CASE NO. 2008CH1859 IN CHANCERY

ANDY MARTIN,

Plaintiff,

v.

RAY LAHOOD,
BRIAN SHEAHAN,
LEE ROUPAS,
ELOISE GERSON.
DEB DETMERS,
DAN VENTURI,
JASON HEFFLEY,

Defendants.

COMPLAINT

Preliminary Statement

This lawsuit is triggered by the efforts of the Republican Party of Illinois’ leadership and management to conduct a corrupt and rigged state party convention, so as to prolong “Combine” control of the National Committeeman’s seat by forcing the election of Ray LaHood on victimized Republicans.
Plaintiff is opposing LaHood and seeks access to state party convention delegate information in DuPage County and other counties, as well as a judicial confirmation of his own candidacy for the national Committeeman’s post. This lawsuit arises under the Illinois Constitution and the Illinois Election Code, § 10 ILCS 5/7-9.
1. Jurisdiction and venue
a. This court has general common law jurisdiction to hear and determine the matters presented.
b. Venue is proper in DuPage County. Defendant Brian Sheahan is a resident of DuPage County, public official of DuPage County and official of the Illinois Republican Party.
2. Factual allegations
a. The parties
A. Plaintiff is a consumer advocate and public interest lawyer, although not a member of the Illinois Bar, who has exposed and fought corruption in Illinois politics for over forty years. Most recently, Plaintiff was a candidate for U. S. Senator, in an election where associates of the defendants rigged the proceedings and corrupted the party apparatus to elect a “lie down” opponent for an incumbent Democratic senator.
B. Defendant Ray LaHood is the “Combine” candidate to succeed to the position of National Committeeman, and he is the beneficiary of the corrupt machinations of the other defendants, all of whom seek to elect LaHood and defeat Plaintiff. In the past, LaHood has sought to derail anti-corruption agents.
C. Brian Sheahan is a member of the DuPage County Board and General Counsel to the Illinois Republican Party. Defendant Sheahan is a fully competent and aware attorney, and is therefore fully cognizant of the illegality and fraudulent nature of his behavior in conspiring with the co-defendants and their associates.
D. Defendant Lee Roupas is a county chairman who has claimed in writing to be operating under secret rules and a complete lack of awareness of the state convention delegates in his own county as of May 14th.
E. Defendant Eloise Gerson is a ward committeeman who has appointed her own cronies to as delegate and conducted no notice or other procedures as part of any appointment process. Plaintiff is a resident of Gerson’s ward.
F. Defendant Deb Detmers is chairman of the Credentials Committee at the state convention, and is scheduled to supervise the approval of bogus delegates selected in violation of state law by the defendants and other county chairmen throughout the state.
G. Defendant Dan Venturi is Lake County chairman and has violated state law in failing to appoint state convention delegates pursuant to the Election Code.
H. Defendant Jason Heffley is the Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party and orchestrates the malignant activity of the defendants and persons acting in concert with them.

b. The Facts Giving Rise to This Lawsuit
A. Plaintiff is an announced candidate for National Committeeman of the Illinois Republican Party. The incumbent National Committeeman has been the subject of intense controversy, and his name was mentioned, along with those of other Republican Party “leaders,” in the notorious federal criminal corruption trial of Democrat Tony Rezko. The incumbent is not running for reelection.
B. Illinois politics operates under the control of a “Combine,” run by corrupt--primarily business--elements in both political parties. As documented in numerous federal criminal trials the Combine collects and dispenses favors on a continuing, bipartisan basis. Retired officials such as defendant Ray LaHood seek party status so as to burnish their marketability as lobbyists and influence peddlers in Washington, Chicago and Springfield.
C. Defendant Heffley and his associates have done everything within their power, and far beyond the outer perimeters of their power and Illinois law, to obstruct the civil and political rights of the Plaintiff: they have conducted a “rump” endorsement session to undermine his candidacy for the senate; misappropriated party funds to support their own private candidate against Plaintiff; and refused to allow Plaintiff to participate in party events, all because Plaintiff is committed to public integrity and good government and the defendants are committed to perpetuating the corrupt system which exists in the statewide Republican Party today.
D. The specific facts giving rise to this lawsuit are instructive: defendant Brian Sheahan has claimed that “state law” and “party rules,” prohibit appointment of a state convention delegate from outside their own ward or township, thereby severely limiting the appointing power of party officials and the eligibility of potential convention delegates. The result is to perpetuate a racist Republican Party, which disenfranchises minorities throughout much of the City of Chicago. And, moreover, in some wards there is either no Republican ward committeeman or an inactive and supine committeeman controlled by the Daley Machine, none of which protect the rights of Republicans such as Plaintiff who are engaged in outreach to minorities.
E. Defendant Eloise Gerson appointed a slate of her own “crony delegates” to the state convention without convening any meeting, making any announcement or following any procedures whatsoever to provide for fair and open selection of state convention delegates.
F. Defendant Dan Venturi was supposed to select his state convention delegates at the party’s county convention, but failed to do so.
G. Defendant Sheahan, as the General Counsel of the statewide Republican Party, has orchestrated this secrecy operation in order to advance the Combine's goal of electing defendant Ray LaHood as National Committeemen and defeating Plaintiff. Sheahan is a competent attorney who practices in a law firm with a substantial practice devoted to governmental and municipal law. Sheahan is aware that he is propagating lies to unsuspecting victims such as defendant Lee Roupas, a young law student who is one of the latest victims and stooges of the defendants, by causing Roupas and others acting in concert with him and Gerson to claim that nonexistent “rules” impose residency requirements for state convention delegates.
H. Sheahan has allowed the state party to collect a secret database of convention delegates that is not available to Republican candidates or officials and is—as in the case of the recently rigged February primary--being used to advance and perpetuate the sole interests of the Combine’s candidate, defendant LaHood.
I. All of the foregoing lies, misrepresentations and dirty tricks are orchestrated by and coordinated through defendant Heffley, the Executive Director of the state party. Roupas, for example, claims that “rules” govern his conduct but he has apparently never seen these “rules” and no such rules are posted on the party’s website. No rules were available prior to the expiration of the application period to be a state convention delegate.
J. Because of his lack of experience and sophistication, defendant Roupas is an obvious dupe of more senior and knowledgeable “dirty tricks” operators such as Heffley. The actions of the defendants collectively show contempt for Illinois law, for the Illinois Constitution and for the Election Code in particular.
K. This Court has plenary jurisdiction to apply the Illinois Constitution to the actions and corrupt conduct of the defendants, and to declare the rights and remedies of the parties as hereinbelow set forth.
3. Legal claim
a. The Illinois Constitution, Article III, Section 3 mandates that “All elections shall be free and equal.”
b. The state party convention and state convention delegates are an event and positions created by virtue of state law, § 10 ILCS 5/7-9. Therefore, the Illinois Constitution fully applies to all of the actions and inactions of the defendants in this lawsuit. Defendants have acted, combined and conspired to make a mockery of the Illinois Constitutional guarantee of “free and equal selection” of delegates to the state convention.
c. The right to run for a state-created office is a constitutional right encompassed under the Illinois Constitution.
d. The defendants have a documented history of making a mockery of state law; conducting rigged and crooked primary elections; and seeking to entrench themselves and the “Combine” in control of the levers of power in Illinois politics and government.
e. Unless the Court intervenes to protect Plaintiff’s rights, the state convention and election for National Committeeman will be a joke and defendants will brazenly and blatantly rig the election to entrench LaHood as National Committeeman. Imagine if you will a convention in which the names of most delegates appointed pursuant to state law are a secret, and in which those who wish to participate are told either that delegate slates are closed, or that no one can be appointed from outside their own ward or township, when the very state law creating the state convention and National Committeeman’s position has no residency requirements whatsoever.
4. Demand for judgment
Plaintiff demands a judgment as follows:
a. Plaintiff seeks a declaratory judgment that he is a legally qualified and fully-filed candidate for National Committeeman of the Illinois Republican party, and that he is entitled to campaign against defendant LaHood in Decatur on June 6-7, 2008.
b. Plaintiff seeks a declaratory judgment that as a legally qualified and fully-filed candidate for national Committeeman of the Illinois Republican Party, he is entitled to immediately receive a list of all state convention delegates as well as all party records and contact information for each delegate.
c. Plaintiff seeks a declaratory judgment that under the Illinois Election Code, § 10 ILCS 5/7-9, there are no residency requirements stated under the current version of the Election Code or, in the alternative, if any such requirements exist they are citywide and countywide and do not limit any township or ward committeeman from appointing any city of non-city resident as a delegate to the state convention.
d. Plaintiff seeks such other injunctive and declaratory relief as may be necessary and proper to do complete justice, including his costs of suit.
Dated: May 15, 2008
Respectfully submitted,
ANDY MARTIN
SERVICE OF NOTICES IS RESPECTFULLY
REQUESTED BY FAX OR E-MAIL
30 E. Huron St., Suite 4406
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-2639
Toll-free fax (866) 707-2639
E-mail: andymart20@aol.com (text only)

Congressman Ray LaHood faces lawsuit in Illinois fraud battle

2008-05-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

Andy Martin sues to open Illinois Republican Party. Congressman Ray LaHood has become a “front” for the corrupt bipartisan Illinois “combine” that controls politics in Illinois, says Republican reformer Martin. “LaHood wants to be National Committeeman so he can lobby and sell influence like his predecessors. That’s not going to happen.” Martin says. Martin is filing suit Thursday against LaHood and others associated with him who are trying to rig LaHood’s election at the Republican State Convention in June 7th.

NEWS FROM:
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”

Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2008

CORRUPTION FIGHTER ANDY MARTIN WILL SUE REPUBLICAN PARTY THURSDAY FOR VIOLATING FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS AND SEEKING TO CONVENE A “RIGGED STATE CONVENTION”

MARTIN CALLS ON CONGRESSMAN RAY LAHOOD TO CONDEMN ACTS BY HIS SUPPORTERS TO CORRUPT THE PARTY, AND SAYS LAHOOD SHOULD STEP DOWN AS A CANDIDATE FOR NATIONAL COMMITTEEMAN

(CHICAGO)(May 14, 2008) Illinois Republican reformer Andy Martin announced today, Wednesday, May 14th that he will file suit Thursday to block efforts by State Chairman Andy McKenna and Jason Heffley to rig the Republican State Convention in Decatur. Martin also called on Congressman Ray LaHood to condemn the efforts of his supporters to corrupt the party by fixing the election for national committeeman. Martin says LaHood should withdraw as a candidate for National Committeeman because he has become a front for the corrupt bipartisan “combine” in Illinois.

LaHood will also be named as a defendant in Martin’s suit.

“Five o’clock today has come and gone, and the gang of crooks that is rigging and ruining the Republican Party has failed to respond and is refusing to provide me with information in my campaign. They are concealing the names of delegates to the state convention. They are trying to disenfranchise Cook County voters, and Cook County ‘Chairman-law student’ Roupas is acting as a front for this corruption.

“So I will make all of them respond in court, starting tomorrow. Andy McKenna is a rich boy and he has lots of money to hire lawyers. But what can he do to repay Illinois Republicans for the destruction and devastation he is he doing to the state party?

“McKenna and his compatriots are trying to rig a vote in favor of Ray LaHood. LaHood may have been unsullied before he fell in with the crooks; but it is a truism that if you ‘lie down with dogs, you will catch fleas.’ LaHood is catching fleas by associating with McKenna & Co.

“Brian Sheahan is also demonstrating he is unfit to serve in public office. He should either resign from DuPage County office, or resign in protest from his Republican Party role as ‘legal counsel,’ because he is adding and abetting in false legal practices. Sheahan cannot serve a corrupt master and also serve the People of DuPage,” Martin stated.

“The Republican Party in Illinois is a minority party, and it is a shrinking party. We should be trying to increase, not inhibit, participation at the state convention in Decatur.

“Finally, Ray LaHood should withdraw as a candidate for National Committeeman. He is becoming associated with the 'combine,' with all of the unsavory elements in our state party, and he is not fit to serve the nation when he acts as an associate of local crooks and criminals.”

Martin is the reform Republican candidate for National Committeeman.

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© Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Comments? E-mail: AndyforIllinois@aol.com. Media contact: (312) 440-4124. Web site: http://www.AndyforUSSenator.com. Also: AndyforUSSenator.blogspot.com; AndyforUSSenator.wordpress.com.

Andy Martin Fights to Open Illinois Republican Party

2008-05-14T05:17:00.000-07:00

Corruption fighter Andy Martin announces race for national Republican post

2008-05-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Andy Martin seeks to lead fight against Illinois corruption. Martin promises to place the controversial post of Republican National Committeeman in honest and independent hands.

NEWS FROM:
ANDY MARTIN
“He works for
the People of Illinois”

Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 13, 2008

CORRUPTION FIGHTER ANDY MARTIN ANNOUNCES RACE FOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN POST

(CHICAGO)(May 13, 2008) Illinois Republican reformer Andy Martin announced today, Tuesday, May 13th that he is a candidate for Republican National Committeeman from the State of Illinois.

Martin has faxed his application for the post to Illinois Republican Party headquarters. The position will be filled at the Republican Party’s State Convention in Decatur on June 7th.

“In the past, the National Committeeman’s position has been a source of intense controversy, as well as testimony in the recently concluded Rezko criminal trial,” Martin stated. “I have stayed out of the prior intra-party disputes. But it is now time for the Republican Party to stand for integrity and not for sleazy politics and bipartisan corruption.

“The party’s establishment is backing a retiring official who no doubt wants to use the Committeeman’s post as an accoutrement in a lobbying career. The result would be predictable. Eventually there could be more scandal, more conflicts of interest, more cronyism and eventually more corruption. When will they ever learn? If I am known for anything, it is for being scrupulously honest and an indefatigable corruption fighter. This is what Republicans need in 2008,” Martin stated. “The campaign begins tomorrow.”
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© Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Comments? E-mail: AndyforIllinois@aol.com. Media contact: (312) 440-4124. Web site: http://www.AndyforUSSenator.com. Also: AndyforUSSenator.blogspot.com; AndyforUSSenator.wordpress.com.

Andy Martin on War and Peace

2008-02-02T03:06:00.001-08:00

Andy Martin on writing about Senator Barack Obama

2008-01-31T15:54:00.000-08:00

ANDY MARTIN
“He Works for the People of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406, 30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-ANDY
Toll-free fax (866) 707-ANDY
Web site: www.AndyforUSSenator.com
E-mail: mailto:AndyforIllinois@aol.com

January 31, 2008

Campaign diary #3

BARACK OBAMA and ANDY MARTIN

Dear Reader:

Chicago is slowly becoming snow-bound today, and I have a little more time to reflect and provide some deeper insight into both my background as a columnist and how my views inform my conduct as a candidate.

Almost four years ago, I began to write about then-State Senator Barack Obama. In a statement and two news conferences on August 10, 2004, I raised two concerns about Obama: first, that he demonstrated a lack of candor about the religious history of his family; and, second, that he might be dissembling to prevent Jewish defections from his campaign for the U. S. Senate.

Little did I know that my investigative and editorial efforts would change both of our lives. I became the target of attacks by left-wing Democrats and Obama supporters who refused to believe the truth about his family history. I was accused of leading “right-wing” conspiracies, which came as something of a surprise to my Republican Party colleagues.

And, on Obama’s side, what should have been a minor and relatively straightforward matter has mushroomed and continues to grow into a major problem for his presidential candidacy.

I continued to research Obama’s family history and his own history after 2004, and to develop models and concepts based on our investigative efforts. Many of these reports and columns can be read at ContrarianCommentary.com.

First, here is a thought based on more than 40 years of experience in public life. None of us is perfect, and none of us can live a perfect life. I know I haven’t. And, in addition to the imperfections which exist in all of our lives, we have a natural human tendency towards modesty and privacy. Living under public scrutiny is not an easy thing.

I have found that being open and honest makes for a much easier time than trying to conceal matters of interest. I was recently asked a question by a Chicago Tribune reporter. My relations with that newspaper have been rocky in the past, but I always give people a second, and third chance, and a new reporter gets a new first chance. After the news conference I e-mailed him a response to his inquiry, and provided a source for further information. I was as open as could be. I had and have nothing to hide.

If Obama had followed the contours of my writing over the past four years, he would be in far better shape than he is now. Today he faces a sirocco of controversy in the Jewish community, and questions about his religion having expanding beyond all reason. Despite all of the campaign contributions Obama receives, in the broader community there is unease about his strength as a leader.

Second, let me be clear on two points. I have no personal ax to grind with Obama. He was an interesting subject for writing and research. That was the only reason I pursued inquiries. I had no idea where the evidence would take me in 2004. I am amazed to still be writing about him in 2008. I have never questioned that Obama is a Christian today. I have explained how Christianity accepts new members. As an Episcopalian, I know we are an open, inviting and welcoming religion. Rather, I was interested in how Obama dealt with questions about his past.

Four years ago, I expressed concern about the reaction of the Jewish community when it learned of Obama’s Muslim family past. Today, Obama is the target of virulent racism within the Jewish community, and attacks from Israel. Look at the following reports as exemplars:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArtVty.jhtml?sw=Obama&itemNo=949364

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArtVty.jhtml?sw=Obama&itemNo=948960

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArtVty.jhtml?sw=Obama&itemNo=948037

What I predicted happened. Instead of dealing openly with his past, Obama sought to avoid and prevaricate about his family history. And as a result he has allowed an explosion of concern in the Jewish community. Efforts by the Mainstream Media (MSM) to bury the story have not extinguished the controversy.

Third, what is becoming increasingly interesting is that much of the current controversy in the Jewish community is being suppressed by the MSM. MSM are not interested in disclosing what is happening behind closed doors. I am led to wonder why. Why is it that a newspaper in Israel has more comprehensive coverage about Obama’s religious difficulties than the Chicago Tribune, New York Times, and Washington Post? Will this “silence” feed more paranoia? I believe it will.

Obama recently met with “Jewish” newspapers and reporters to protest the vicious attacks on him in the Jewish community. Why were the MSM not invited? Did he think we do not read Haaretz in the United States? He followed the same exclusionary approach he pursued after I criticized him for remaining silent about the chaos in Kenya. Then, he called the Voice of America, not the MSM, to issue a statement. He is never willing to make a clean public breast of his positions. Fear? Insecurity? You be the judge.

Fourth, perhaps to overcompensate with Jews, Obama has added a prominent member of AIPAC to his organization. AIPAC is a group that is an anathema to Muslims and pro-peace advocates around the world. Early on last year, I received criticism from some of my Muslim readers, who mistakenly thought Obama was one of them. They apparently thought a “Shhhh” could avoid the hydraulic pressure of a presidential campaign. Now that AIPAC is on Obama’s team, I wonder what these readers will say. Am I still writing too much and disclosing too much about Obama? I don’t think so.

So where does that leave us as Obama enters a major debate tonight? [1] Obama’s problems with his family’s religious history have grown in proportion to his efforts to conceal that history, and to deceive the media about who his relatives were and are. [2] The potential for reaction from the Jewish community, which I predicted, has arisen with gale force. The situation has become so strained that some Jewish leaders issued a statement condemning the bigotry against Obama. [3] Earlier this year I wrote that Obama lacked the character to be forthright, and to take command, what we in the military called “command presence.” I still believe that to be the case.

Earlier this month I made a issue of his “spontaneous” remarks after primary victories, all of which were scripted well in advance by speechwriters. A man who cannot speak with spontaneity about the thrill of winning is a man who senses his own inner weakness.

Obama has regularly promised his supporters that he will “get tough” with the Clintons, but they have only gotten tougher with him. Apparently, they agree with me, and have taken their own measure of the man.

Obama is a delightful entertainer. He reads a prepared speech beautifully. And we now know he has speechwriters who write beautifully for him.

But, honestly, to read anything where Obama is speaking informally, without notes, is an exasperating experience, with hesitations, pauses and clauses. In a conversation, he seems incapable of delivering a simple declaratory sentence. And so, Obama can perform a speech marvelously; but he obviously cannot speak directly from his heart, simply, spontaneously and continuously. What does this say about the man? I’m not quite sure. But I am still researching, and still writing, and I will go where the facts take me.

My honest opinion: I do not think Obama is someone I would trust in the Oval Office. I have lived with African-Americans and played with African-Americans and marched with African-Americans. Many of them do have the magic of “command presence” that marks a true leader. Obama does not.

Best wishes,

ANDY MARTIN

P. S. Your thoughts, reactions and comments are always welcome. In the middle of my own U. S. Senate campaign, I can’t always answer as promptly as I normally do, but we read everything and will respond where appropriate.

TOMORROW: ANDY MARTIN ON WAR AND PEACE

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© Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. See also AndyforUSSenator.blogspot.com; AndyforUSSenator.wordpress.com.

Andy Martin on 9/11

2007-09-11T02:14:00.000-07:00

ANDY MARTIN
“He works for the people of Illinois”
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406, 30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-2639
Toll-free fax (866) 707-2639
Web site: www.AndyforUSSenator.com
AndyMartinCampaignDiary.blogspot.com
E-mail: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

CAMPAIGN DIARY #2

Dear Reader,

People often ask me, “Why do you feel qualified to serve as a U. S. Senator?” It’s a fair question.

My answer is experience, competence and credibility.

I am not a professional politician, or even a conventional politician. Rather, I base my credentials on having been an eyewitness to history, and having served in small roles along the way.

Viet-Nam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos; I was there in 1967, 1968, 1971. Hong Kong, 1971. Iran, 1979, 2000. Iraq, 2003. Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel. French, Greek, Chinese. And a very few words of Arabic. My opinions are based on experience, observation, participation.

No other candidate in either party has that reservoir of worldwide experience to draw on. They read what is written for them; they parrot what they are told, and their handlers tell them to speak the words the people want to hear, not to speak the words the public should hear. Politicians have not lived that of which they speak. Ignorance often breeds confidence and contempt as substitutes for experience.

And both sides distort the issues, the risks, the stakes. There is blame aplenty to cover Washington, to spread on both political parties.

September 11, 2001 found me, once again, an eyewitness to history. I was working in New York and planned to stop by the World Trade Center in the afternoon. The Port Authority had created a tiny office for me to work out of in 1974, Suite 2248 Two World Trade Center, and I operated from there for a while, though I had moved long before 2001. Still, the WTC felt like home, and every so often I would visit the area and my small office. That was my plan for the afternoon.

On the morning of 9/11 the phone rang and it was London calling. “Put on the TV.” I did, and found the attacks had begun. I watched the tragedy unfold from the safe distance of midtown. And I watched as the buildings fell.

9/11 has dramatically changed all of our lives. The smugness of the Yale scholar Francis Fukuyama that “history has ended” was replaced in an instant by the fear that a “long war” has begun. As for me, if you had told me on September 10th that in 18 months I would be in Iraq I would have laughed. But April, 2003 found me in Baghdad. Back in the Middle East.

As 9/11 unfolded New York slowly came to a halt. The tunnels were closed. Manhattan was cordoned off. Initially, people were blasé, perhaps because they did not yet realize the magnitude of the attacks. Then reality set in. Reports came in from Washington and rural Pennsylvania, where brave Americans may have saved the Capitol or White House from attack. New York City began to shut down.

Broadway went dark. The streets were abandoned, surreal. The subways and buses stopped running. There was very little food. The restaurant where I eat had not yet received any deliveries that morning. Swiss cheese, cold cuts and day old bread were available. Midtown New York is never more than a day or two from starvation. If the trucks stop, the food stops. And the trucks stopped.

Some people have recently criticized Rudy Giuliani for “running for president on what he did in New York.” But he did do it. First, he calmed the city, on 9/11. Then he kicked the city in the backside, on 9/12, and said “Get back to work.” And on 9/13 the city responded. New York was open for business again. If Giuliani’s predecessor had been in office the chaos could have spread, nationally, and persisted. But under Giuliani the public’s fears were contained.

As dusk fell on 9/11 I bicycled past the cordon at 14th street and managed to talk my way further south until I reached near the end of the darkness and fire.
Every 9/11 since then I have experienced the day on different levels. On one level, I can’t believe the Towers are not there. On my radio show I propagandized for rebuilding the Twin Towers. I still think it was a mistake to delay reconstruction and to substitute a meaningless “Freedom Tower” for the Twin Towers that were the great world landmark of New York. The old plans were still there. Build already!

I strongly disagree with former Mayor Giuliani on how the WTC side should have been handled. “Rebuild the Twin Towers!” is still my rallying cry.

And because of my own continuing disbelief at the disappearance of the WTC, I sympathize with those relatives of the dead who fight on, yesterday and today. But I also know life has to move on. Morbid reverence for the past and deceased relatives is just as unhealthy as indifference. The time has come. God gives us a new day every day for a reason and for a purpose.

In the period after 9/11 some good decisions were made. And some tragic mistakes were made. We came together as a people to deal with the enormity of 9/11, and since then we have gradually drifted apart.

At some point, arrogance may have taken hold. We were a “superpower.” We were free to act and react as we saw fit. I disagreed. In the long run, America should be a servant of the world, not its master. We must use our wealth and military power with wisdom, not reckless abandon. Experience cautioned that restraint, focus, practicality and reality were essential.

Today Osama Bin Laden or an actor playing Osama’s role (my opinion) mocks us for delinquent mortgages and unhealthy lifestyles. OBL pushes Islam as a tax shelter. Oprah has competition. It’s Osama vs. Oprah in the afternoon.

As we deal with the aftermath of 9/11, and the decisions made in that aftermath there is a cacophony of viewpoints, of sermonizations, of dramatizations. But decisions must be made. And no politician or political party has a monopoly on wisdom, insight or good policy. We must work together.

Republicans by and large remain loyal to President Bush. Democrats despise him. Middle-of-the-roaders are, well, in the middle-of-the road. That’s life.

I was an opponent of invading Iraq because I was a strong supporter of pursuing the war on terror. I knew Iraq would drain resources from fighting terrorism, and it has. Osama dead or alive? He’s alive. In body or at least in spirit.

John Edwards, a Democratic presidential candidate, has said the war on terror is a “bumper sticker.” It is not. Responding to terrorism is the first duty of the federal government. The threat is real. A proper response is essential. But we must do so intelligently, and with procedures and tactics that remain faithful to the values of our civilization and Constitution.

Where to go, and how to go, and what to do at home and abroad are complex questions with often elusive answers. These issues are both apolitical and intensely political.

Ultimately, we have to recognize and admit that the United States has asserted its influence in too many areas of the world, in too many conflicts, and that these expeditions have drained our limited resources. I don’t believe the conspiracy theories that continue to grow about 9/11, but then I don’t believe the people who have sought to exploit the tragedy either.

And so, in writing about the challenges we faced after 9/11, and we face today, I have dawn on a deep reservoir of experience in the real world, forty years of being an eyewitness to history. History is not always a petty place to be. Bullets fly, and bad things happen. Disproportionately, young men die.

Yet in life, and especially in the political arena, there is no substitute for experience. Experience can produce skepticism, restraint, often delay, and sometimes forbearance. That’s good.

And because of my experience, and my cautious approach to dealing with the world’s problems, I feel uniquely qualified to serve as a U. S. Senator. You may not always agree with me, but you will always know that I have studied the problems, analyzed them with real life experience as a background, and tried to do what is right and best for the United States and the American people.

Sincerely yours,

ANDY MARTIN

AM:sp

2007-07-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

ANDY MARTIN
The Right Republican for
U. S. Senator from Illinois/2008
Suite 4406, 30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-2639
Toll-free fax (866) 707-2639
Web site: www.AndyforUSSenator.com
AndyMartinCampaignDiary.blogspot.com
E-mail: mailto:AndyforIllinois@aol.com

Friday, July 13, 2007

CAMPAIGN DIARY #1

Dear Reader,

I got a call from the national media this week, asking for a copy of our campaign finance report. I told him we were not filing yet, because we had not yet spent the minimum amount. And, I explained that in this campaign we would be trying to impress voters with how little we were spending, not how much.

It occurred to me that you might appreciate some insight into our strategy. Rush Limbaugh calls these explanatory statements “caller clinics,” wherein he explains how to do and what to do and why.

And so, on Friday the 13th we begin an occasional series of letters collectively called the “Campaign Diary.” Here you will see our campaign secrets revealed--because we don’t have any real secrets. My campaign is virtually transparent.

What is the reasoning behind the novel strategy my supporters are developing? I truly believe we are going to be fielding the first “Internet campaign team” at the U. S. Senate level.

First, we will not be “dialing for dollars.” Dick Durbin has made a career of browbeating special interests for money, and it shows. If anyone sends in money, we will accept it. And we may issue a few gentle e-mails reminding people to contribute to me if they support my views. Beyond that, don’t expect me to be dialing for dollars or badgering contributors. I’ll let Durbin do that.

It just seems to me that today the media have corrupted the political process. The obsessive focus on campaign cash debases our democracy. Unless someone is willing to break away and try a different strategy, no one will ever attempt the feat. We’re trying.

Because Jesus did not campaign in Illinois a WWJD standard would be superfluous. But we will hark back to Abraham Lincoln. “What Would Lincoln Do?” (WWLD) will be our campaign standard. Lincoln was here and he did campaign in Illinois. His sprit still ennobles us and still inspires me. WWLD is a fitting memorial to his enduring legacy.

Second, because I am not financed--directly or indirectly--by any special interest, you can be assured my views are my own. I am not selling my views for campaign contributions. That is also the type of senator I would be: voting on conscience and not on the basis of campaign contributions. You may agree or disagree with my views but they are my own; they have not been bought and paid for by anyone else.

Third, although every campaign uses the Internet today, we are going to try and leverage the medium to throw back at Durbin the very obscene campaign wealth he has accumulated. David and Goliath, after all, is a morality tale in the Bible. One of my opponents is apparently trying to use my views to derive campaign cash from “hate” lobbies. We will use his hate money against him. Counter-leverage.

Fourth, we are successfully trying to drive costs out of the campaign. Every expense is rigorously analyzed. We have set aside enough money for media in the later stages before February 5th. Our focus on every dollar gives the campaign a tremendous cost advantage over rival campaigns that have to spend substantial upfront cash to get up to speed.

Fifth, we have always been leaders in media access. We talk to reporters whether they like me or dislike me. With rare and limited exceptions we are available to provide comments, information, whatever. Because I am not dialing for dollars I have more time to speak with media and reporters. People are always surprised to find that they can actually talk with the candidate or get a response from me. That is a tradition I would carry over to the U. S. Senate.

Sixth, what I will be stressing is experience. Forty years in radio and television. Yup, I began in 1968. Almost forty years experience in the Middle East. Some people may not like what have to say but I have a better batting average than Thomas Friedman of the N. Y. Times in analyzing the flow of events. I am the only Republican candidate, announced or unannounced, who can stand next to and credibly debate Durbin on the issues. I am no Alan Keyes. I am not going to start saying crazy things.

Because of my background in the media and my lifetime of immersion in the issues I am the only Republican who is prepared to begin attacking Durbin relentlessly on February 6th.

Finally, while I will not hesitate to punch back, and fast, I have no plans to run a negative campaign in the primary. I will be very negative against Durbin. Those who attack me can expect return fire. Generally, however, I will focus on the issues and the issue: Iraq and the Middle East.

As always, please feel free to write, e-mail, call or otherwise respond. In the meantime, the campaign has begun. We are talking to our printer about petitions, and recruiting circulators to hit the ground running on August 7th.

Politically yours,

ANDY MARTIN

AM:sp