Free Republic

(SNIP) Borling, who described himself Friday as a "Republican-leaning independent," praised Abboud as "a fiscal conservative and a social moderate" with "extraordinary judgment and intelligence." He also took a swipe at Manzullo, serving his eighth term by saying: "The nation suffers from career politicians who believe they are owed lifetime appointment." Borling faulted Manzullo for his key role in importing Alan Keyes from Maryland to carry the Illinois Republicans' banner in the 2004 U.S. Senate race, a move that Borling said "was and is an outrage." Borling, who supports abortion rights, said Manzullo exhibits a "lack of toleration and moderation...

There's a statement posted on capitolfax from Borling's campaign manager who says he seen Ryan's divorce records. I'm not going to post the details, there's a PDF of the statement there if you want to look at it and some other posts about it at illinoisleader.com. Pretty scandalous stuff. If its true he's definately toast but for the life of me I can't imagine how someone could run for office knowing they had skeletons like this in their closet that were detailed in court records.

Why is the only military hero running for U.S. senator in Illinois seemingly so far down the pack on the Republican side? John Borling of Rockford (born in Chicago) has a resume that would send ordinary politicians drooling. He's a retired Air Force major general, a former POW in Vietnam -- shot down by ground fire, seriously injured, captured while trying to escape and held 61/2 years in Hanoi, including imprisonment in the notorious ''Hanoi Hilton.'' In 37 years with the Air Force, he was highly decorated, and was head of operations for the Strategic Air Command in the first...

O'Shea backs out of Senate raceCandidate says he lacked support, funds The field of Illinois Democrats seeking to replace retiring Republican Sen. Peter Fitzgerald became a little less crowded Monday when Matt O’Shea, mayor of Downstate Metamora, announced he is dropping out of the race. With just over four months until the primaries, Mr. O’Shea, 44, is the first Democrat to withdraw his candidacy. “I decided it would be best to drop out now, before my name is on the ballot,” he said. Continuing to campaign didn't make sense when polls show he has just 3% to 4% of the...

CHICAGO - Goldman Sachs' partner-turned-teacher Jack Ryan's most recent investment in early campaign television ads and mailings appears to be paying off. The other GOP campaigns, however, aren't buying it. In a poll released today by his campaign, Ryan is showing a 24-point lead in his bid to be the next Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, replacing Illinois' retiring U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald. Ryan was supported by 35% of those polled, followed by Jim Oberweis with 11%. State Senator Steve Rauschenberger got 3% of the votes, and retired General John Borling and businessman Andy McKenna tied at 2%. 45% of...

In second place came Thomas J. McCracken, chairman of the RTA, who oversees the nation's second-largest public transportation system, and praised as one of the state's 10 best legislators by Chicago magazine. The field includes a retired Air Force major general and highly decorated prisoner of war, John L. Borling; lawyer and successful entrepreneur, John Cox, whose charitable organization renovates homes for the low-income elderly and disabled, and a highly successful dairy owner and stock analyst, Jim Oberweis, whose Oberweis Report ranks in the top five of all stock investment letters by the Hulbert Financial Digest. Add to these the...

Sen. Peter Fitzgerald is keeping mum about who he would like to see succeed him, but some of the Republican's political people are urging RTA Board Chairman Thomas McCracken Jr. to jump into the wide-open GOP primary. "Several people from the Fitzgerald organization have contacted McCracken and asked him to run," a GOP source said. "Some of his people have called and said, 'If you run, the organization is with you.' " Fitzgerald refused to comment. McCracken said he has spoken with members of Fitzgerald's camp and planned to speak to the senator himself--but he declined to elaborate on what...

Can the Illinois GOP compete for the U.S. Senate? It has been 63 years since a Republican, the late C. Wayland "Curley" Brooks, last won an open U.S. Senate seat in the Land of Lincoln. Next year, for the fourth time since 1980, Republicans have a chance to fill a soon-to-be vacated senatorial seat. In the previous three contests, each GOP nominee lost by pluralities of more than 500,000 votes and received about 42 percent of the overall vote. If former Gov. Jim Edgar had made the race for the seat of the retiring Peter G. Fitzgerald, he would have...