Sheila Simon Carries On "Tree Planting" Tradition On Election Day

What a nice, thoughtful Election Day tradition from Comptroller candidate Sheila Simon where she planted a tree this am.  She says that her father started the tradition because that way they guaranteed 'something good would come from the day'.

Simon might be facing the slaughter rule tonight against Judy Baar Topinka, but we hope that she doesn't fade away from the political spotlight.  If...only for things like this and her rad "Throwback Thursday" postings...

Today's Best Fashion Statement In Illinois

The most important thing you can wear today isn't your sweet new jacket (or...earmuffs if you are Mike Frerichs!), but rather that simple 'I voted' sticker.

As we said earlier this year, this is all about 'participating'.  From March:

There's one thing I tell my son every weekend when we go to his basketball practice: I'm not asking you to be the best. I'm not asking you to be the star. All I'm asking you to do is to PARTICIPATE. 

From the full team here at the Illinois Truth Team that's all we're asking you to do: make sure you get one of these handsome stickers to wear around your office today.

Just do it. Participate.

We're rockin' our sticker today.  We hope you are, too.

Why We Did All Of This...

Here's the top 10 search terms that have come into the Truth Team recently.  The majority of the traffic came to us in the last 60 days was via search.  As you can see, we successfully intercepted lots of interested parties and shared the 'truth' with them.

Content marketing is a 'long game'.  It takes time to create the content, develop the authority, and connect with intended searches.

With Mike Frerichs running his 'measure up' tv spot, we successfully introduced thousands of voters to the 'real Mike Frerichs' on the web.

#SecondScreenFTW

What Were Mike Frerichs And Lisa Madigan Discussing This AM?

Over on Twitter, Mike Frerichs posted this photo of himself with some other members of the Democrat ticket.  We have to ask:  What were Mike and Lisa Madigan discussing?!?

We'll make this multiple choice:

Was it...

A. Their shared participation in patronage scandals
B. The times Mike diss'd the Speaker and what he can do to get back in good graces
C. The Frerichs Vortex and what happened to Ann Callis

Top 5 Illinois Truth Team Posts From October 2014

October 2014 was the highest traffic month here on the Truth Team, so we first wanted to say 'thank you' to all of the readers who have come to check out our coverage and engaged with us online.

We thought it would be worthwhile to document the top 5 stories of the month.  These are the stories that had the most social shares, readers, and attention paid to them over the past 31 days.

TOP 5 MOST-READ STORIES IN OCTOBER 2014 ON ILLINOIS TRUTH TEAM

5.  Trust A Retired Marine...Not the "Madigan Machine":   Where we revealed the latest Paul Schimpf for Illinois Attorney General radio ad.

4.  Governor Pat Quinn Asks If Buying Votes With Taxpayer Money Is A Crime?: Where we chronicle how Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's spokesperson wonders if 'buying votes' #IsACrime?!?

3.  Look Who's In the Background At The Quinn/Obama Rally in Chicago: Where we reveal the sad fact that Mike Frerichs - candidate for Illinois Treasurer - was caught holding up a 'Meet Mike Frerichs' sign at the Obama/Quinn rally.

2.  How Tall Is Politician Mike Frerichs?: Where we tell voters there are more important questions about Mike Frerichs than just wondering what his height really is during this election time.

1.  Like a Boomer Mom With A New iPhone, Mike Frerichs Insists On Posting Blurry Pictures on Facebook: Where we goof on Mike Frerichs for acting like our mother by posting a ridiculously blurry photo on Facebook.  (as is his standard practice!)

Candidate Facebook Weekend: Schock, Bost, Cross, Topinka, Demmer, Dold, Kirk, Roskam, Mendoza, Rauner, Senger

This is the last weekend recap before tomorrow's General Election here in Illinois.  Let's take a spin around Facebook to see what the candidates were up to in the home stretch!

Congressman Aaron Schock joined Bruce and Diana Rauner and Lt. Governor candidate Evelyn Sanguinetti at a rally downstate.

Congressional candidate Mike Bost spent the weekend contacting voter door-to-door.

Treasurer candidate Tom Cross and Comptroller candidate Judy Baar Topinka joined forces for a tour of the state including a stop in Rockford...

Where they were joined by State Representative Tom Demmer:

Congressional candidate Bob Dold was joined by United States Senator Mark Kirk and Congressman Peter Roskam in the 10th District where they helped 'get out the vote' for Dold's campaign:

Chicago City Clerk Susana Mendoza attended the rugby game at Soldier Field this weekend.  

Governor's candidate Bruce Rauner was joined by a big crowd at a rally in Hickory Hills:

And Congressional candidate Darlene Senger was joined by ILGOP Chairman Tim Schneider at her campaign HQ where volunteers were busy hitting the phones.

Schimpf: Shouldn't Our AG Investigate This 'Vote Buying' Stuff?

Republican Attorney General Candidate Paul Schimpf asked if Lisa Madigan is doing anything in response to reports of vote buying in Pike County:

“This is a clear violation of Section 29-1 of the Illinois Election Code (10 ILCS 5/29-1) that prohibits a person from giving something of value to another person to influence their vote. Furthermore, the involvement of the Pike County State’s Attorney in this event proves that State’s Attorneys are not capable of addressing all cases of government corruption. Attorney General Lisa Madigan needs to immediately and publicly initiate an investigation to ensure the integrity of our voting system and bring any wrongdoers to justice.”

Aaron Schock Graces Pages Of People Magazine

The wife of one of the members of the Truth Team (yeah...that's it...his wife!) shared this image with us over the weekend.

In this edition of People Magazine that covers the George Clooney wedding...

There's this photo of Congressman Aaron Schock buddy-ing up with Katie Holmes and Coach Taylor's wife.  

Pretty awesome.

#MostInterestingCongressmanInAmerica

Judy Topinka and Tom Cross Barnstorm Illinois In Final Days

With just one full day between now and the opening of the polling places, Tom Cross - candidate for Illinois Treasurer and Judy Baar Topinka - candidate for Illinois Comptroller hit the state at a series of meetings, events and campaign stops.

Great to see Cross and Topinka partnering up to share their message and encouraging voters to get out and vote on Tuesday!

Mike Frerichs' 'Friend' Caught Up In Hiring Scandal, Deletes Twitter Handle?

There's lots of layers to this onion that you have to peel back, but it looks like something fishy has been going on with Mike Frerichs and his "friend" Anne Szkatulski.

Read the whole piece here.

Vince Kolber Challenges Incumbent Mike Quigley For Congress (5th IL District)

A tipster sent us this mailer that she received at her home TODAY from Vince Kolber who is running against Congressman Mike Quigley for Congress.  The tipster lives in the city and is a swing voter (voted in the GOP primary this year), so perhaps that why she got the piece?

While we know Kolber is a long shot here against Quigley, we really like to see this action out of Kolber.  Gotta put up a fight, ya know?!?

Kolber has a stong agenda that includes job creation, term limits, curtailing some of the NSA stuff (we like that!) and cutting spending.

The 5th District stretches from the shores of Lake Michigan in Lincoln Park all the way out to O'Hare Airport, then creeps into DuPage County and (unbelievably!) includes Oak Brook Mall.  So...whomever wins, is NEVER...we repeat NEVER...going to be able to truly represent that district properly.  The interests are just so diverse.

Some folks care about noise pollution out of O'Hare while others worry about mass transit in Lincoln Park.

Quigley does an admirable job, but he knows where the power in his district lies and it ain't Dupage County.

If you live in the 5th, cast a vote for Kolber.  Even if it is a protest vote against how the district map was drawn.

Elect a Fiscal "Jedi Knight" In Mel Thillens For State Representative

Illinois can get turned around, but it needs to start with getting rid of some of the wrong folks like State Representative Marty Moylan and putting in guys like Mel Thillens to the Illinois State House.

He'll "use the force" for balanced state government that keeps its promises and pays its bills.

Fear not, voter!  On Tuesday November 4th, vote for Mel Thillens for State Representative.

Henry County Democrats Forget Their Address In Mailer

We can't let a typo/mistake from someone go by without covering it, right?  After all...we *are* the Truth Team, right?!?

Well...check out the Henry County Democrats mailer above.  They got their Union bug in there, but didn't pay attention to the address lines?!?

Whoops.  Guess they have the same campaign staff as the Mike Frerichs for Illinois Treasurer campaign.  They both must have not filled that role for a copywriter/proofer that was posted on Craigslist earlier this summer.  Bummer.

H/T to the Goliath Slayer!

Exclusive Footage: Mike Frerichs Gets Ready For TV News Interview

Some politicians have their staff apply a little powder to take down the shine.  Others rehearse their talking points.

But...we have this exclusive footage of Mike Frerichs - candidate for Illinois Treasurer - getting ready for his latest TV news interview.    Check out the footage captured (unfortunately...it appears that the camera started rolling AFTER he had already removed his sash...).

Thanks to the tipster for sending this in:

Mike Frerichs Forced To Take An Awkward, Wide Stance

You have all probably heard stories or have checked out photos of tv reporters doing weird things to get the 'on camera shot' to look right.  A lot of them stand on things like crates to get the framing right.  See this shot below as an example:

But...what made us think about this phenomenon is that the Mike Frerichs campaign team decided to post a REALLY awkward photo of their candidate on their own Facebook page.  They didn't think about cropping it, we assume, or else they would have.  Because...it makes their guy look super weird.

Listen...we get it that being tall is Mike's *thing*.  After all, he's spent almost a million bucks telling voters that...wait for it....he's.....tall.  Yep.  That he's tall.

But...the photo that his campaign team brought this to life (for us at least) in a new hilarious way.

Check out what Mike Frerichs had to do to get on camera.  We've hear about politicians getting into trouble for having a 'wide stance' but this is different:

Too funny.  His legs are just about at the same angle as the tripod legs.

We can imagine the conversation:

Guy behind the camera:  Umm...well.....ummm (nervous hemming and hawing)

MF:  What's up?  Something wrong?

GBTC:  Well...(more nervous hemming and hawing...)

MF:  Oh...I get it.  The sun is really reflecting off my sash too much.  It is creating a glare.  Let me take it off.

GBTC:  Umm...sure...that's fine.  But that's not it.

MF:  Oh...is it the earmuffs?  I'll take those off, too.

GBTC:  Well...yeah...it is a good idea to lose those.  I mean...it is like 60 degrees down here in Quincy today.  They seemed odd to me, but I *get* that those 'muffs are your calling card.

MF:  Ok...so if it isn't my sash creating a glare or my earmuffs causing a distraction...what is it?

GBTC:  Well....Mike...we can't get you in the shot.  We're cutting your head off.  You're...just...too tall.

MF:  Oh...I hear that all the time.  Have you seen my commercial?!?

GBTC:  Yes...Mike...I have.

MF:  (leans in) You like it right?

GBTC:  Umm...sure.  But...about this shot right now Mike.  Can you....ummm...maybe....bend down a bit?

MF:  Bend down?

GBTC:  Yeah.

MF:  How about this....I'll spread my legs out really far and look awkward...but it'll lower me down a few inches like a giraffe does when they try to lay down to sleep.

GBTC:  Works for me!

More #TBT Awesomeness From Sheila Simon

On Tuesday, it appears that incumbent Judy Baar Topinka is going to 'lap' her challenger Sheila Simon in the Illinois Comptroller's race, but we hope that defeat won't send Sheila Simon away from the political scene for at least one reason:  her pretty rad "Throwback Thursday" posts.

We've said it before (post here) but we'll say it again:  she does #TBT *right*!

Here's her latest...check out the young Paul Simon rockin' the bowtie at home...

Well...Now It Is Just Getting Weird, Mike Frerichs...

Having a costume on Halloween *could* demonstrate to voters that a politician is 'real' or 'grounded'.
But two costumes in as many days?

That's starting to drift towards Halloween addict.  

We posted the two different Halloween face paint setups that Mike Frerichs has shown on Facebook in the last 24 hours.

But...now things are getting a bit weird.  He's up with his third 'look' and it is the most odd, in our opinion.  Here's the latest photo he posted on his Facebook Wall:

Happy Halloween?

Happy Halloween From Rahm Emanuel And Mike Frerichs

We weren't expecting this!  We wouldn't have thought that a guy who is in a race for Illinois Treasurer (Mike Frerichs) and Da Mare (Rahm Emanuel) would have time for a costume party.

But...we guess we were wrong.  Good to see Rahm have a sense of humor....

And...it appears that Frerichs is really taking this whole Halloween thing to a new level as he posted what looks like him in a tv interview with a whole new set of spooky makeup?!?

Sign Up NOW For A GOTV Shift

The Illinois Republican Party and Bruce Rauner are 'building the largest Get-Out-The-Vote operation Illinois has ever seen. Can they count on you?

Make a difference in the outcome of the election on Tuesday.

Click here to sign up for a shift.

Mike Bost Nabs Jim Edgar Endorsement In His Congressional Campaign

Former Governor Jim Edgar has come out - in the final weekend - and endorsed Mike Bost in his bid to unseat Bill Enyart for the 12th Illinois Congressional District.

“It is truly an honor to have the endorsement of Governor Jim Edgar, one of Illinois’s most honest and dedicated public servants,” said Mike Bost. “Having served with him in Springfield, I saw Governor Edgar set an example for integrity and leadership that we all aspired to match, and that has remained an inspiration to me throughout my time representing the people of Southern Illinois. With his leadership, we were able to work across the aisle to achieve great things for Illinois.”

“Mike Bost exemplifies the best of Southern Illinois, and he will be an outstanding member of Congress,” said Governor Jim Edgar. “Mike’s track record is proven. He puts the interests of his constituents first and works hard to deliver for them. As Governor, Mike worked with me to help tackle the tough issues ― balancing the state budget and creating a good climate for jobs. With his integrity and work ethic, Mike will be an effective leader in Washington and he will work to promote policies that will bring more jobs to Southern Illinois. That’s why I am endorsing him today.”

Wow! Most Posts Ever On Truth Team This Month

We knew things would pick up as we came close to Election Day here in Illinois, but with a day+ to go, the month of October 2014 is going to be our biggest month in terms of post volume.

177 posts.  Wow.  We wouldn't be doing this if it didn't matter so much.

Voters have a big chance to make a big difference on Tuesday.  Do your part.  Vote for good candidates.

Halloween At Rahm Emanuel's House

Nobody is going to be happy if they trick-or-treat at Da Mare's house this year...

H/T Dan Proft.

Mike Frerichs Stays At Paul Simon's House On Campaign Trail

Yesterday, Mike Frerichs was crowing about his whereabouts all day on social media and he capped off his day with a post that a tween would have posted where he boasted about where he was staying for the night.

As you can see above, there are 8 photos included in his posting.  But...it turns out there was a bit more footage that Mike Frerichs left off his Facebook post.

We were lucky enough to get this footage straight from the late Senator Simon's security cameras of Mike Frerichs as he tried to figure out how to use the miniature fixtures in the bathroom:

What Is Stopping The Minimum Wage In Illinois?

From out in the Twitters, comes a question for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn:

The official response?

Illinois AFL-CIO Asks Voters To Do Something *VERY* Personal

We don't know how we feel about this request of voters.  Really gives a new meaning to the whole 'organized labor' thing, eh?

What It Feels Like To Be Governor Pat Quinn *Right Now*

Busted!  Ohhh...Pat, Pat, Pat.  You were almost in the clear with your scheme to spread around taxpayer money to buy votes this fall.  But...those pesky spokespeople just can't get out of your way.

A TV ad is going to be worse than the jumbotron...

#IsItaCrime?!?

Exclusive Footage Of David Roeder, Governor Pat Quinn's Spokesman From DCEO

See him there?  

Right behind the reporter? 

That's right after the press picked up the fact that he said this:

But lately Mr. Quinn has authorized some big-money discretionary grants to companies that agree to expand in Illinois. Like Amazon, many had strong business reasons to add staff here without state funding. This month alone, the governor gave a total of $22 million to four Illinois-based companies. We’re talking direct transfers of state money here, not loans or tax credits. 

I know what you’re thinking, because I’m thinking the same thing: The governor is giving away our money to generate favorable headlines about new jobs in Illinois a month before voters decide whether or not to give him another term. 

The commerce spokesman acknowledges a halo effect. “In most cases, I think the timing largely had to do with the companies and when they were able to go forward,” he says, but adds, “We have a good story to tell — and do I want to tell it before Nov. 4? Yes. Is that a crime?”

Emphasis, ours.

We'd 'head for ze hills' too, David.

Question for Governor Pat Quinn: How Do You Create Jobs?

Answer: "It is easy."

The problem?  Those 'dollar, dollar bills' are yours - the taxpayer's.

#IsItACrime?

Breaking: Footage Of Amazon.com Negotiations With State Of Illinois

We were just shared this breaking footage of the folks over at Amazon.com from late last week after Governor Pat Quinn brazenly shelled out taxpayer cash to make it look like he's generating jobs.

Can you blame Amazon?  Someone 'makes it rain' like Illinois Governor Pat Quinn does ahead of his re-election effort, don't you dance, too?

Exclusive Footage Of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's "Job Creation Program"

Who would have thunk?  If it worked for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to spread around some cash - YOUR CASH - to buy some votes in 2010, why wouldn't he try it again this time?

Shame on him.  But...if we vote to put this guy back in office next Tuesday, the shame will be on us.

“Pat Quinn is already under federal investigation for misusing millions in October of 2010, and now it looks like he’s pumped out half a billion dollars this month to boost his campaign once again. He’s throwing around taxpayer money in October in the hopes of raising your taxes in November. Throwing around more money in the last six days won’t change the harm Pat Quinn has caused Illinois over the last six years.”

Governor Pat Quinn Asks If Buying Votes With Taxpayer Money Is A Crime?

Here's a breaking statement from the guys in charge to voters:  "Please don't waste your time reading this stuff."

We think that's terrible advice.

Trust A Retired Marine...Not the "Madigan Machine"

Illinois Attorney General Candidate Paul Schimpf wants your vote next week so he can work to take on government corruption.

Take a listen to his latest spot:  Trust a retired Marine.  Not the Madigan Machine.

Congressman Randy Hultgren Boosts Mike Bost in Southern Illinois

From Congressman Randy Hultgren's Facebook wall:

I’ve known Mike Bost for more than 15 years, and we served together in the General Assembly where we pushed back against Mike Madigan’s irresponsible policies. I was happy to join him down in the 12th District. We need to rebuild the ranks of Illinois Republicans in Congress—and Mike can help get us there.

Illinois Politician Mike Frerichs' Voting Record

Mike Frerichs is now running for Illinois Treasurer.  And next week, on Nov. 4th, voters will get to decide if he should be elected.

But, before you head to the polling place and cast your vote, we think it is important to examine Mike Frerichs' voting record and use that as a way to judge how you should vote.

Let's get started...

As a current Illinois State Senator, Mike Frerichs has voted to raise *A LOT* of taxes.

He voted to tax your cable tv service, internet service, bicycles, diaper services, school buses and even wheelchairs.

Wheelchairs?!?

Yes...Mike Frerichs even voted to tax wheelchairs.

But Mike Frerichs also raised taxes on just about every business in Illinois.

The facts are too strong:  Illinois can't afford Mike Frerichs as our next State Treasurer.

Vote 'No' on Mike Frerichs next week.