Would There Be Outrage If A Republican Ran An Ad Targeting A Democrat Like This?

Over on Twitter, Congressional candidate Larry Kaifesh is getting hit with an ad that puts his photo right next to a 'terrorist' and calls into question his record on guns.

Could a Republican or Republican IE group get away with this type of connection drawing?  Would there be outrage saying that this is a bit too far to go in politics???

Listen...we don't think guns are a very good issue for us as a party.  We *get* that hunters and folks downstate and elsewhere want to have guns and that they lean on the '2nd Amendment'.  That's all fine and good.  But...when it comes to the suburbs, guns aren't going to win many votes - especially automatic weapons and such.

We can be 'for' recreational hunters and their weapons - and be true to the 2nd Amendment - but still come out and talk about limits on how many weapons, the type of weapons, and how long it takes to get one.  Putting in safeguards and not giving someone who lives in the suburbs a weapon that can take down hundreds of people in seconds just makes sense.

But, that's not the point here.  We really wonder:  would there be outrage if someone put a photo of Tammy Duckworth or Shelia Simon in a photo with a terrorist?  

We'll Not Be Voting For This Guy

This may make us here at the Truth Team fairly unpopular with some folks in OUR Party - the Republican Party, but we're going to say it anyway...

Over on Facebook, someone pointed this post out to us:  The Mercer County Republicans are promoting a guy running for county board.  One of the photos they're using to promote the guy is him with this majestic, dead bear.

Why on earth anyone would think it was a good idea to take the life of something as amazing as that creature is besides us.  Just look at that beast.  There's no good reason this guy needed to 'capture' him as they say on their site.

To be frank:  We don't think there could be a photo of a politician posted on Facebook that might make us less likely to vote for a guy than this one.

We *get* that this works in Mercer County.  But...it shouldn't work anywhere.

This candidate is probably a great guy.  A guy who can do great things for the County.  But...let's not glorify killing something like this beautiful bear as something we should aspire to, please.

GOP Attorney General Candidate Paul Schimpf Forms 2nd Amendment Advisory Council

More news coming out of the Paul Schimpf campaign as they become more active as the summer goes on. This time, around guns:

Republican Attorney General candidate Paul Schimpf formed a Second Amendment Advisory Council to examine areas in which the Attorney General can act to protect the Second Amendment rights of Illinois citizens. The initial five members of the Council include: J.D. Barter, Eric Dowd, Blair Garber, Lee Groharing, and Tuck Marshall.

J.D. Barter is an Army veteran, a retired Federal Law Enforcement Officer with the Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the owner of Tombstone Gun Range & Training in Marion. Eric Dowd is the Vice President of the McHenry County Sportsmen’s Association and an NRA Certified Instructor who resides in McHenry. Blair Garber lives in Evanston and is a Certified Pistol Instructor for the NRA and an Illinois State Police Concealed Carry Instructor. Lee Groharing is an Air Force veteran, a member of the Board of Directors of the Illinois State Rifle Association, and the Chairman of Three Rivers Friends of NRA. Lee lives in New Lenox. Tuck Marshall is an Army veteran, an Illinois Concealed Carry Instructor, and a Licensed Private Investigator who resides in Frankfort. 

We are very excited to have this experienced group advising the next Attorney General of Illinois.

Jack Franks Is Crazy Like A Fox. A Senior Citizen Vote-Hunting Fox

Democrat State Representative Jack Franks moved a piece of legislation that on it's face seems nice:  lower the cost of hunting/fishing licenses for senior citizens.  

There are details to who can participate and who this impacts, but the most important thing to know is this: people over the age of 75 always get out and vote.

A guy who is a Democrat running in a known Republican district with lots of outdoors areas?  We'd guess that plenty of those cranky old Republicans are gun guys.  What's a good way to get on their side - while still being true to the Democrat principles of gun control measures?

Give them a break on their licenses!  Brilliant!  Seems like a tailor-made vote-getting-opportunity.

Well played, Jack Franks.  Well played.

From the Associated Press:

A proposal that would lower the cost of fishing and hunting licenses for seniors is moving through the Illinois Legislature. 

The House passed a measure on Friday that would lower the cost of licenses by $1 for those 75 and older. Those hoping to save a little money must also be enrolled in the Benefits Access Program with the Illinois Department on Aging. 

The proposal also eliminates the fee to receive pheasant, furbearer, and habitat or migratory fowl stamps for hunters. For fishermen, the fees for inland trout and salmon stamps are eliminated. 

Marengo Democratic Rep. Jack Franks is sponsoring the legislation that he says will ensure seniors can enjoy the state's outdoors.

There's Nothing "Normal" About Assault Weapons

Over on Illinois Review, they've posted a piece about a billboard from Slidefire that posits assault weapons along side apple pie and baseball, saying that those weapons are "just as American".  There have been some complaints about the billboard, but the Illinois State Rifle Association (the local NRA folks) are on the case.  Their press release, which we think IR basically posted verbatim includes a plea from the ISRA that asks supporters to email the billboard company saying they support the billboard.

In the plea, they use specific language:

Write rrickert@lamar.com, and in the "Subject Line" please say: "Love your Slidefire sign on I-55," the state rifle association suggests. Contact Slidefire at customerservice@slidefire.com and use the subject line: "Love your sign on I-55." "Tell Slidefire that you support their efforts to "normalize" lawful firearm ownership by way of the I-55 sign," ISRA says.

They use the phrase "normalize" lawful firearm ownership.  Really?  Making something like that 'normal'?  With that giant assault weapon?  Someone, somewhere in this world who has a brain located in their head thinks that's normal?  Come on, now.  There's NOTHING NORMAL about a normal citizen possessing that kind of weapon.   That's not a hunting weapon nor a self-defense weapon.  Anyone who tells you otherwise is nuts.

If the gun people want to keep pushing their agenda, then that's fine.  But, let's be honest here, folks.  Weapons like the one on that billboard?  Let's stop calling it anything but what it is:  perverse.  The opposite of normal.