Please Go Away Mr. Edgar
If people want to know why some conservatives felt kind of queasy about Kirk Dillard’s candidacy for Governor they should listen to Jim Edgar’s interview on public radio a few weeks ago and his speech Thursday at Elmhurst college and it will become clear. In his PBS interview Edgar said we need to cut spending before any talk of tax increases because “without cuts any increase would be spent without solving our current crisis” no problems there, “everything should be on the table” for spending cuts, no problem there either.
The reporter then asked “You’re supporting the 10% across the board cuts?” “No” Edgar said “that’s naïve.” Mr. Edgar, in his moderate Republican mode was giving the Democrats a talking point to use against Senator Brady’s campaign. First Edgar says everything should be on the table, but across the board cuts are naïve? So everything is not on the table? Why would Edgar go out of his way to take a shot at Senators Brady’s plan? This is what bothers conservatives about Edgar and his ilk, we not only have to worry about Democrat attacks but moderate Republicans too.
As if to prove my point, Governor Quinn in his budget speech referring to the Brady plan, called it both “heartless and naïve.” Thanks Mr. Edgar! Not 24 hours after your interview, your words were used to attack the Republican candidate’s economic plan.
Some might say Edgar was just being honest and he didn’t mean to attack Brady. That could very well be, but in the same interview, he continued saying that he will not help Senator Brady, he will go back to being a professor and sit on the side lines. I started writing this article then about Edgar being a sore loser, but since Edgar said he was going to sit on the sidelines and teach I figured why continue the Republican civil war?
So now we come to Thursday and Governor Edgars speech, “I give Governor Quinn credit for having the courage to call for a tax increase in an election year.” Edgar said. I have one question for the former Governor. Why are you doing this? Is it because Brady is leading and has been for a month now? Is it because a conservative could win and prove you and the moderate Republicans who have been running the party wrong?
If you think it doesn’t matter look at the media’s response. The media is full of stories about Edgar and his opposition to Brady’s plan. Liberal columnists are complaining that Quinn has not started to campaign, that he’s not defining Senator Brady as a far right conservative. Why should he? Jim Edgar will do it for him! Thursdays attack was covered by all of the Chicago land media, it was a earned media extravaganza for Quinn.
Do you think the former Governor has done enough? NO! He went from that speech and gave another to a pro amnesty business group endorsing amnesty for illegal aliens. What happened to the guy crying on TV saying his days of running for office were over? What about sitting on the side lines and teaching?
With what the Illinois Republican Party has done for him, Jim Edgar should do anything he can to help them win this election, including shutting up. Edgar makes over $300 grand from the state, he is a millionaire even though he has been on the public payroll since he was 31. Edgar owes everything he has to the Republican Party, and he seems to want to do everything he can to help its opposition. Mr. Edgar go back to your chalet in Colorado and leave us alone.
**
Jim Leahy is a political correspondent for the Chicago Daily Observer
Kirk Dillard worked for fomer Governor Jim Edgar and was, of course, endorsed by him in the primary. That being said, Dillard was more conservative that Edgar on several important issues that count.
I can understand how some voters made the mistake of associating Dillard with Edgar on all of the issues and how this proved costly to Dillard in the primary.
Edgar’s immediate gubernatorial predecessor and successor have been far worse for the Republican cause than Edgar on one of his worst days. The former openly embraces the Democratic state leaders at every opportunity while the latter languishes in prison.
It is worth remembering that even Barry Goldwater began talking like a liberal during his retirement. I cannot think of an Illinois Republican governor who was able to satisfy all factions of the party simultaneously. The Republican party was originally formed as a coalition or fusion of several smaller political parties. Not much has changed in over a century and a half.
Dan
I realize that our party has always been prone to fighting, however the fighting has, for the last 20 or so years started on the moderate side. It was “No Conservative can be elected in Illinois” and that was final. Even in 1998 George Ryan and peter Fitzgerald were elected and Ryan denounced his conservatism for power. As we all know Fitz was run out of the state on a rail and look where we are now?
Illinois problems have all come from the fact that the Reagan revolution missed us. The Rockefeller wing was in charge when Reagan came to power and held on until after he left leaving all of the GOP converts Reagan brought without a party and made to settle for the crumbs.
The Republican party is pro life, Pro family, pro second amendment, anti tax and for smaller government when it leaves those positions it loses. Governor Edgar is the past. I will give him his due if he allows the party to come into the 21st century if not he will be treated as the same as other critics, and for good reason.
BTW
I have nothing against Senator Dillard he is and has been a staunch conservative however his relationship with Edgar was always what he spoke of and his stands on issues were lost to the primary voters. You can see by the outcome of the primary that is the case.
I said this on the air with Tom Roeser 12x on Sunday….if Jim Edgar wanted to oppose Bill Brady, he should have run in the primary. If Edgar won, I would support him in the general.
But Edgar didn’t run, and my candidate (also Edgar’s candidate), Dillard, lost, so now my candidate is Bill Brady. Bill is a terrific guy and a huge boost to the Republican Party and Illinois taxpayers.
It is time to win the general election, rather than useless arguments within the Republican party.
JBP
I am in basic agreement with both of you. I have no quarrel with the nominee that will cause me not to support Brady in November.
During my lifetime, Illinois has had five Republican governors, but I was too young to recall Stratton and Olgivie clearly. On the balance, Edgar was the least objectionable governor of either party to have served in Springfield during my adulthood.
Sadly, for Illinois, the conservate movement never amounted to much in this state.
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