Posted on 12/13/2001 1:26:12 AM PST by kattracks
Chicago (CNSNews.com) - It's not quite the "Shoot-Out at the O.K. Corral," but a gunfight is underway in Illinois between two contenders for the 2002 Republican U.S. Senate nomination. The eventual winner gets to take on Democratic senator and gun control advocate Richard Durbin next November.
Conservative businessman John Cox is taking aim at the voting record of Republican State Rep. Jim Durkin, who also claims to be a conservative. Moderate James Oberweis, another Republican businessman running in the primary, has thus far been mum about his Second Amendment stance.
Durkin, who represents a blue-collar area west of Chicago, has a voting record on Second Amendment related issues that the National Rifle Association and the Illinois State Rifle Association say deserves a grade of "D."
Durkin's record on firearms is quite clear. According to a news release issued by Gov. George Ryan (R-Ill.), Durkin co-sponsored Senate Bill 177, which became law in 1999.
It requires that firearms stored at home be fitted with a locking system, and that they be placed in a locking container or stored in a secure location. It also gives prosecutors the power to charge gun owners with a crime that carries a fine of $1,000 if they do not adhere to the law.
Cox has never held public office and doesn't have a voting record that could be perceived as negative by conservative voters.
He made his name as president of Lay's Potato Chips, so he has millions of his own dollars to spend on his political campaign, including television ads, which are stressing conservative themes. A supporter of concealed carry laws and an opponent of mandatory purchase waiting periods, Cox has also been touting himself at local gun shows.
"We believe that Jim Durkin is too liberal for the Republican primary and too liberal to appeal to Republican voters," said Cox. "Jim Durkin has a liberal record. He's voted to raise taxes. He is a direct opponent of individual Second Amendment rights. He is running in the wrong primary. Maybe he should challenge Dick Durbin in the Democrat
primary."
Durbin has not yet declared his candidacy for re-election, but nominating papers are expected soon from his campaign to meet the Dec. 17 deadline, a spokeswoman said.
Durkin is trying to ignore Cox's attacks, and is focusing on his experience as an assistant state's attorney in Cook County. He also emphasizes that he is less liberal than Durbin.
"Illinois families deserve better than the priorities set by the current senator," said Durkin, who also supports stronger national defense, President Bush's economic stimulus program, and stricter immigration laws.
Durkin said his votes on gun-related issues were intended as pro-family measures, and were based upon his experiences as a criminal prosecutor in Cook County. He stresses that he holds an Illinois Firearms Owner Identification (FOID) card.
Durkin can also claim support from the right, with the pro-life Family PAC Federal running a direct mail campaign on his behalf.
The third Republican candidate is the more liberal Jim Oberweis, another millionaire, who recently compared pro-lifers to the "Taliban" of Afghanistan, then retreated from his remarks.
Oberweiss may be our best chance to defeat Dickless Durbin. I just hope to G-d they don't nominate Loleta Wood or Corinne Didrickson to anything.
Well the United States government - The Bureau of Justice says so!!
ONLY .7 tenths of 1 percent say INMATES GOT GUN AT GUNSHOW!!
Table 9 of the BOJ, states: Only .8 percent for first timer prisoners and only .7% for Recidivists prisoners obtained their firearm used in the felony that put them in prison from a gun show.
Whereas; 20% purchased their weapon, 40% got it from a friend, and 31% obtained it illegally on the street. Line 7 of the table tells the story about the Gun Show Loophole (Lie) Myth.
For the study firearm sources were grouped into three groups: Purchased/Traded, Family/Friend, or Street/Illegal.
You can read the full report at the Bureau of Justice Statistics report released this month (November, 2001).
Interviewed were 18,326 State and Federal prisoners serving time for a felony crime. In 1997 approximately 203,800 prisoners were armed when they committed the crime for which they were serving time.
* Bureau of Justice Statistics Report*
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/fuo.htm
Cox is the former owner of Jay's potato chips, not Lay's
It is my understanding that the secure storage law only applies if children are in the home or children gain access to the weapons & something happens as a result.
There was a case locally where 2 brothers were playing, in their home, supposedly put togther a shotgun that was stored dissassembled and loaded it with ammunition stored in another location. One brother was killed. The prosecutor then declined to prosecute the case.
I think it is a stupid law, but now the anti-gun groups are calling for tougher laws when they dont even prosecute the laws on the books.
Pro-gun candidates have to be careful how they campaign in Illinois. They win big in the bottom 1/3rd of the state but that's only 10% of the population. The Cook County suburbs tend to be pro-life but anti-gun (having lived here for 20 years, I can document this). Only a handful of pro-gun Republicans are elected in this area-- my state Senator and GOP Gubernatoral candidate Pat O'Malley one of the big examples.
Durkin, of course, deserves credit for at least TRYING to appear pro-gun to primary voters. His lousy record is pretty far from his rhetoric, so he better actually DO something if he wants to survive to the general election. Cox has suddenly become Mr. 2nd amendment but Durbin is probably jumping at the thought of turning him into Al Salvi II. Oberweis cannot be trusted on "social issues" at all. I'd really hate to have to hold my nose for him in the general... he would be the lesser of two evils.
The GOP candidates better start turning the tables on Durbin and pinning the "extremist" label on his now if they hope to win. He's in a state with a ton of liberals that went Democrat in the last three presidential elections, but that doesn't neccessary translate into support for him. Durbin's biggest weakness is his arrogant, partisan attitute. He ran as the "humble, downstate congressman looking to govern from the center" in 1996 and he instead morphed into an loud-mouth Daley-Clinton apologist and rubber stamp.
If that fact can be pounded into voters heads over and over again, it will neutralize any fears that swing voters have about guns. Make no mistake, achiveing this will be a major uphill battle.
I'll trade you Brosnahan (D-Evergreen Park) for Durkin. ;-)
Oberweis lost my primary vote when he compared my views to those of the Tailban. Durkin and Cox still have a chance to get my primary vote.
If Corrine Wood was the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate, I'd vote 3rd party (knowing full well it would be a protest vote and not elect anyone). Image a debate between Wood and Durbin. She's try to out-liberal him. "Oh yeah, well I've ALWAYS supported gay marriage, Senator!"
BTW: What was Everett Dirkson like as a Senator?
I'd vote for anyone but Durbin. While at least two may be gun grabbers, they aren't as bad as Durbin, since to be blunt, no one is worse than that arrogant ass.
I'm voting for his twin Levin's opponent, whoever it is. He happens to be a good guy, Andrew Raczkowski. No primary.
But the Illinois issue is honesty vs corruption. Durkin is backed by RINO's who run state agencies like a family business. (Think Marlon Brando's family business.) The current governor's corruption is on the neck of the Republican establishment. We might average an indictment per week from now to primary day.
Only a good government, non-establishment candidate has a chance in the final. For swing voters (usually labeled moderate) the big issue is good government due to the stench infecting both party establishments here.
Durbin's conniving on O'Hare Airport this week is his undoing, not because we care about O'Hare, but because the way the RepublicRAT deal was put together stunk.
In killing it, Fitzgerald proved how potent the independent, good government position can be and how impotent and ineffective Durbin is as a Senator. And ignorant...Durbin had not read his own bill and did not know what was in it. A lobbyist lawyer for Mayor Daley had written it.
TheRightGuy, any comments?
Praise be to Peter --
-- his stance on O'Hare expansion will resonate with pubbies and demos alike in the NW burbs and show that a truly independent, conservative republican is what is needed to get the job done. Hopefully, it will help show those who tend to follow the establshment pubbies that O'Malley is, in fact, a viable choice for guv. O'Malley and Peter are cut from the same cloth, and it's a shame Peter won't endorse Pat in the primary.
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