Illinois AG Candidate Paul Schimpf Releases 1st of 14 Reasons To Back Him in November

Yesterday, Republican candidate for Illinois Attorney General Paul Schimpf released the first of what he says will be 14 reasons to vote for him in the race against incumbent Democrat Lisa Madigan. 

Calling it "“Fourteen Reasons to Support a Retired Marine in 2014”, the Schimpf campaign intends to release reasons on a regular basis which they say will both inform voters on where Paul stands but also ' distinguish him from 12 year incumbent, Lisa Madigan.'

The campaign says:

By the time of the election, the people of Illinois will have a bright-line choice to make between two very different candidates for Illinois Attorney General.

The 1st (or 14th as the Campaign is calling it because they're doing it like Letterman's Top 10 list where you count down) is about protecting Illinois residents medical and financial privacy when it comes to the Affordable Care Act (aka 'Obamacare').

From the campaign:

Paul Schimpf unveiled the Fourteenth Reason to Support a Retired Marine in 2014 – his strong commitment to protecting the medical and financial privacy of Illinois citizens under the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare. Obamacare increased federal regulatory control over the health care industry and established mandatory health care enrollments. By allowing poorly trained and loosely regulated federal bureaucrats, known as Navigators, access to sensitive medical and financial information, Obamacare puts citizens’ privacy at risk every day.

Lisa Madigan does not have the independent perspective to assess and take action against medical and financial privacy violations under Obamacare. She has spent nearly her entire adult life promoting the Democratic Party whose crown jewel is Obamacare. More troubling, however, is that Lisa Madigan’s former campaign manager, Mike Noonan, is leading the program (Get Covered Illinois) that enrolls Illinoisans in Obamacare.

If you haven't already, go give Paul a look.  And...get involved with his campaign.

Congressional Candidate Darlene Senger Wants Answers on Illinois Obamacare Program

Darlene Senger - who has been all over the Affordable Care Act - is at it again.  This time, she wants answers on the $33M of marketing dollars spent in Illinois.

Darlene is running against Bill Foster for Congress in Illinois.  And she's talking about government waste, an issue that matters to all voters.  

Darlene Senger is calling for a state and federal investigation to examine the spending and costs associated with promoting the federal healthcare marketplace in Illinois.

Last week, The Associated Press reported that Illinois spent $33 million in federal money to promote the Affordable Care Act or ObamaCare. The contract allowed public relations firm FleishmanHillard to bill at $270 an hour, far above rates paid at other states. Illinois ended up paying $37 per enrollee in the exchange, one of the highest rates in the nation.

“The Quinn Administration’s management of the $33 million Get Covered Program is reckless and troubling,” said Senger. “The lack of accountability and transparency mirrors other failed programs administered by Quinn, including the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, which is under multiple investigations.”

Darlene Senger Calls for Audit of Obamacare Government Workers

One of the little known facets of the rollout of the Affordable Care Act - also known as Obamacare - is that the government has hired a sizeable workforce that was supposed to help consumers figure out the process and enroll in health care. 

The problem?  There's no one watching the cookie jar.  And Darlene Senger - candidate for Congress - wants to have a look at what's doin'.

In fact, she compares it to the boondogle that is Governor Pat Quinn's 2010 anti-violence program.  She's introduced a resolution in the Illinois House to audit the program, but it has a brick on it.

From the Illinois Review:

ObamaCare has created a new and massive bureaucratic infrastructure that is being used to convince people to sign up. One of the larger expenses is the navigator program that hires individuals throughout a state to – supposedly – help consumers make choices about their healthcare options.

Illinois has hired over 1,200 navigators costing taxpayers $36 million. This has all been done with limited oversight or accountability, and no performance metrics have been put into place to judge if the navigators are actually helping anyone.
So lax is the oversight that a convicted international terrorist was hired as an ObamaCare navigator here in Illinois. Rasmieh Yousef Odeh was convicted of terrorism in Israel for being involved in multiple bombings and was recently indicted for lying on her immigration paperwork. But none of that prevented her for becoming an ObamaCare navigator in Illinois entrusted with helping our citizens make important healthcare decisions.

Much like Governor Quinn’s $54.5 million anti-violence program from 2010 that a recent audit found to have “pervasive deficiencies in planning, implementation and management,” the navigator program has no oversight or transparency in its spending. It is yet another government program ripe for fraud, patronage and abuse.

It is imperative that we, as taxpayers, know where our money is being spent, and also identify and stop abuses before our tax dollars are wasted. In February, I introduced a resolution in the Illinois House to audit the navigator program in Illinois. My resolution is currently being held up in committee. This week, I submitted a letter demanding that the resolution be scheduled for a hearing. I will keep fighting until we get transparency for the ObamaCare navigator program in Illinois.

Darlene Senger Launches ObamaCareFailed.com

Illinois Review is reporting that GOP Congressional Candidate Darlene Senger has launched a new microsite called ObamacareFailed.com.  On the site, she's chronicling stories from voters in her Districta and across Illinois who have had trouble with the new health care law.

From the Illinois Review:

“It has become abundantly clear that we have to repeal Obamacare now to keep it from hurting American families even further, and I will work to do just that on my first day in Congress” said Senger. “We are asking residents to provide their input and share their stories to empower a real change in leadership, so that we can work towards taking down this failed program starting day one. ”

Have an Obamacare story and how it has effected you and your family?  Tell your story here on ObamaCareFailed.com.  

President Obama Laughs Off Mike Frerichs Campaign Launch

We all know that Mike Frerichs takes President Obama seriously.  He fawns over him on Facebook.  So, being the punchline like this must hurt, right?  After getting word in DC about Frerichs' bungled campaign launch, the Obamaa team again sent back word.

Hey...no matter what you think of the President's politics, you have to admit he's got a heckuva sense of humor.

Darlene Senger: How can Sebelius be in charge of the investigation of a program that she bungled?

Darlene Senger - Republican for Congress - has come out swinging (repeatedly) on Obamacare. This time, she's rightfully questioning how effective Kathleen Sebelius can be in "investigating" the problems with the launch of Obamacare.

From Darlene Senger's site:

Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius said, "I’ve determined it’s the right time to better understand the structural and managerial policies that lead to the flawed launch." 

Everyday Americans are losing healthcare coverage due to Obamacare, and more transparent answers are needed to understand the implications this act will have.

Senger is pushing DelayandDisclose.com - a petition that would demand more transparency around Obamacare.  

Darlene Senger Calls Obamacare Enrollment: "A Vivid Demonstration of Failure", Launches DelayandDisclose.com

Republican Candidate for Congress in Illinois, Darlene Senger, came out swinging yesterday on Obamacare and the enrollment numbers in Illinois.  She criticized the very low enrollment numbers and is demanding some transparency around the program.

“Illinois has spent over $25 million on top of the federal government’s multi-million dollar website, to enroll the hundreds of thousands of eligible citizens into the Affordable Care Act--but the situation is going from bad to worse. Illinois taxpayers are getting fleeced while people who need health care coverage cannot access it and people who have health care coverage are losing it. Washington needs to consider immediately delaying the individual mandate and disclosing the true impact and costs of ACA, specifically why so many Illinois families are losing their coverage. We are witnessing a vivid demonstration of failure that is truly impacting people’s access to quality healthcare.”

Emphasis, mine.  That's quite a line.

She's also putting her money where he mouth is and has launched DelayandDisclose.com - a platform for concerned voters in Illinois to have their voice heard.  She's asking voters to sign her petition - which she'll deliver to the President, the Governor, Members of Congress, and Members of the Illinois General Assembly.  

We, the undersigned, demand transparency in the Affordable Care Act in Illinois and in Washington and demand action against its harmful effects.

One thing has become clear to everyone, Obamacare isn’t working, people who need health care can’t get it and people who have health care are losing it
We were promised that we could keep our insurance and our doctors if we wanted to, but that is clearly not true.
The federal government has not been able to meet deadlines or protect against fraud, and is wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on a website that has failed to work.

I demand full disclosure of the impact this failed program has had on Illinois citizens including the number of policy cancellations, and demand a delay of the individual mandate until Obamacare lives up to the President’s promises.

We deserve better and want action NOW!

GOP Candidate Darlene Senger calls for Obamacare Delay

Image courtesy of Illinois Review

What's more on the minds than the failure of Obamacare?  Nothing, we say.  That's why it is interesting to see GOP Congressional Candidate Darlene Senger tout the delay and disclosure of Obamacare and the impact on Illinois.  Senger is running for the 11th District in the GOP Primary this spring against Bret Miller from Grundy County and others.  From her site:

Darlene Senger introduced House Resolution 680 last week in Springfield, which seeks to delay the full implementation of Obamacare in Illinois, while demanding more comprehensive data on the impact the legislation will have on Illinois residents.