Here is Politics 100 -
Rule 1 - every candidate needs someone they can trust
Rule 2 - you can't trust anyone
Rule 3 - let those that endorse you make their on announcement, don't do it for them
Rule 4 - if you screw up rule 3, blame the person making the endorsement so you don't look like a F'ricking fool. Yea, I meant F'ricking
Rule 5 - don't quote telephone conversations if you can't prove the quote
Rule 6 - don't give up your day job, if you have one
Rule 7 - even though you touted an endorsement when that endorsement is found to be untrue, imply that the person is endorsing your opponent because they are dishonest, not trust worthy and doesn't have the ability to do the job.
Rule 8 - never accept responsibility that you screwed up big time

Guess Mr. Burns skipped some rules of Politics 100 and went right to Ploitics 101. Shame on him.

Written and the sole opinion of Bob McQuillan. Check out www.genevataxfacts.org to read how the city of Geneva is searching for "revenue enhancements" aka another way to get into your wallet.

To be clear, I have already come out in favor of Senator Lauzen, but even I'm surprised Mayor Burns would attempt to "pre-announce" an endorsement and then excuse his actions with the equivalent of an 8th grade diatribe.

A leader would've taken responsibility for this misstep and then taken his lumps.

This sounds like an endorsement to me: "When I served in the State Senate, I worked closely with Chris for many years; I was always impressed by his drive and commitment to his constituents. He is a good family man as well as a man of convictions. I know that he has the skills needed to lead Kane County in these challenging times."

It even sounds like Hultgren said honesty, integrity and the ability to do the job!

Lauzen may be a ball of good intentions, but he has been in office for 20 years and I defy anyone to tell me what he has actually DONE. Being a maverick and being the lone protest voter might be nice in the Senate, but the County Board needs someone who has an actual record of successful legislation. Hultgren endorsing Lauzen makes Hultgren look like a fool.

Patrick,

Actually endorsing both Burns and Lauzen makes Randy look like a fool!

Jeff

Counting Hens before Eggs hatched is always wrong. While you may think Chris has done nothing I think maybe you are out of touch with our State. He has tried only to be blocked by others; he has one vote and voice in our fair governmental land, which he has spoken with each casting. I think the issue is who should and will do a better job for Kane residents? I for one will go with Chris because he's been in the trench and knows the way, and his ideals are to stop the waste and question everything. I look at him as that smarter then Me Uncle who runs a business and is a State Senator with miles of knowledge waiting to fix KANE. Just think of the knowledge waiting to help us wade through the Illinois landmines so Kane can get a fair share of the crumbs left by our Democratic Governor.

Remember to say you have is way different than HAVING been in the trenches!

Jeff:
Sorry, but the Hultgren quotes are accurate...all of them. As in both sides of a pair of flip-flops, When a man shakes your hand and tells you and others you're the guy for the job, well...you have a tendency to believe him.
Moving on from this nonsense, I appreciate the fact you're straight-up about your support of Lauzen, but I would hope you'd re-visit your staunch support of his "pay your property taxes late or you can't run for office" proposal. Especially in light of how may people that tripped up, friend and foe alike.
Also, please, in fairness, take a look at his eponymous "mortgage relief program" which is really the federal program. The one Chris described in his Daily Herald interview as " an Obama program" that was "really good." So why is he taking credit?
Fair is fair, Jeff.

Bill,

I didn't say the quotes were inaccurate, and believe me, I have a call in to Hultgren's people asking them if he's going to endorse a Democrat next. Who knows? Maybe this new endorsing multiple candidates thing will catch on! He isn't going to get away without answering to this one.

We've discussed the property tax thing and you know my contention is that if park and fire board folks can't serve if they're delinquent (with a reasonable grace period) then it should apply to everyone.

I wish I could say this without appearing to be backing Lauzen in the process, but it's too late for that. But the bottom line is a good leader would never assume an endorsement. They would wait for the endorser to actually put the words on paper.

Even if they were tripped up, they'd take responsibility for that error and wouldn't try to essentially say "he's really endorsing me."

Jeff

We're not going to agree on the Hultgen issue, so let's move on to the "mortgage relief program." To use your same yardstick, what kind of leader puts their name on a federal program when they had absolutely nothing to do with its creation? This is especially curious when the "leader" is a Republican, and the program in question was created by the Democrats.
Your serve...

$150 to $1500 special guest list by e-mail. A special invite for special guests. $150 lowest donation. What are WE in together. My answer would be a recession.

I am reaching out to invite you to an event on behalf of Kevin Burns, current Mayor of Geneva and candidate for Kane County Board Chairman. Kevin is running against current State Senator Chris Lauzen in the Republican primary.

On Thursday, February 9, 2012, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Illinois Republican Party Chairman Patrick Brady and his wife, Julie Brady, welcome you to their home to support Kevin's campaign for Kane County Board Chairman. The event is at 4N752 Ware Wood Drive in St. Charles, IL 60175, and individual tickets are $150. Sponsorships are available at the $500, $750, and $1,500 levels.

Now more than ever, it is important that we raise money to help Kevin win in the primary-- and your help is critical. Please feel free to reach out to your family and friends regarding this event and Kevin's candidacy. Remind them that Chris Lauzen will not be good for Kane County. We want to ensure that Kane County continues to be a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Your support of this event, and of Kevin's campaign, will go a long way towards accomplishing this goal.

Thank you all for your help. For more information or to RSVP, feel free to contact Ellen at 630-973-8814.

We ARE in this together - let's really make this successful.

Thanks for the boost, Karen!

Sen. Lauzen has done nothing for this district in more than 20 years in office. All he has are excuses. Boo-hoo. I don't care. Get the job done or go home. His politics are divisive and we need someone with real, true executive experience like Burns to run this county.

Jeff,
That would be a 10 step program. The other two steps must be the exclusive property of dueling current and ex opinion columnists.

The comment was for an closed event being held in the midst of high unemployment and a recession when Kane taxpayers are at the breaking point..at least some of us.

So let me get this straight, first Burns hires a campaign consultant who was found guilty by a jury of his peers of making false and defamatory statements about the Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court (a matter which his employer settled for several MILLION dollars during their appeal).

Then Burns sends the same CONVICTED LIAR consultant out in public to defend unsubstantiated statements made to the press by the Burns campaign. Statements that were supposedly made by an elected United States Congressman while out on the campaign trail, yet only reported via a "second hand" press release?

That's too rich, sometimes the jokes just write themselves...

Yep...that's me. And as I've said before, the fact the suit was brought because I wouldn't give up my sources, despite being threatened with jail, is something I admit to proudly.Believe what you want to about the Hultgren quotes, but you might first want to ask the man himself, his campaign staff, and those who accompanied the group on their walking tour before you make any assumptions.
As Mr. Hultgren said, "I hate doing this. This sucks."
Indeed

Boy there must be a lot more to the county commissioner then meets the eye. A presidential bus, law suits, false/whatever endorsements, wow. I am just a regular voter and I am so over whelmed with the garbage. I don't understand why politician think they are ever in touch with the public? The ruling class just doesn't get that they are not the boss here.

Told you this race was going to be verrrrry interesting. I'm thinking about asking Frank Rizzo, ex Philadelphia Mayor & Police Commissioner, to bring in the police dogs before this race is over just like he did when the Phillies were in the World Series many years ago. Too bad Old Frank is long gone!
And we still have more than a month till primary day, ain't we lucky. Can we hear about all that Executive experience again, I didn't hear it the first 100 times it was said. Not sure, is it the part-time Mayor's job or all those fundraising jobs that count as Executive experience?

To the commenters above who want to know about the Lauzen Senate record, here is a link to a compilation that Chris put together in 2008.

Twelve Examples of Effectiveness

Link

http://www.lauzen08.com/article.asp?a=30

I for one will be voting for Chris Lauzen. He's one of the few honest and pro-life candidates out there. Although Burns professes to be a Catholic, he is also a pro-choice politician. With that being said you cannot be pro-choice and Catholic. I have seen first hand how Burns handles himself in public and it's not pretty. He's very good at throwing the "F" bomb around when he disagrees with someone. I also watch him in action on the government access channel at the Geneva City Council meetings. He is smart mouthed and makes condescending remarks to fellow council people and to the public. In my opinion he shouldn't even be in public office.

Here is what the Pat Brady letter that we can't respond to does not say. I was put into the process several years ago to stop a fellow Kane county politician from winning an internal party election calling for 'opening the books' of the IL GOP. I was never involved with the Kane Co. GOP yet I am inserting myself into the process now.
I am perhaps biased in my bitterness that Chris Lauzen sponsored a bill allowing for the direct election of myself and my allies at the established Republican party.
It is alright for Democrats to participate in open elections but we don't want this for Republicans.

You are correct, Karen. Pat Brady is: "The Man No One Elected."
For the chairman of the Illinois Republican Party to endorse one local candidate over another is ethically wrong. His job should be the expansion of the entire party, not
to create further divisiveness within it.

so there must be a really good reason for his endorsesment of Kevin then. Does he know something we don't?

You can bet "he knows something we don't." Remember the primary race for GOP governor candidate two years ago? Remember Karen McConnaughay's endorsement of Kirk Dillard? Now Karen is running for the Illinois Senate's 33rd District, and Dillard owes her a favor. What could that be?

I expect Dillard to make another run for governor in 2014, and he will need a running
mate for Lt. Governor. What would be a better stunt than to choose a woman, and
who do you think that woman would be?

If Karen goes to Springfield she will need to leave someone in the County Chairman's post loyal to her to protect her back. Would that be Burns?.
An auditor candidate beholding to her might be helpful as well.

Just "supposition" on my part. But consider it.

Jeff,

The last time I checked the name of the blog was the Geneva Patch not the Ward Last Word.

I have been involved with the Republican party for over 25 years and in fact was the original member of the group S.T.O.P. Mr. Ward that called for an end of condemnation of private property for public use. So the history involving a call for disclosure of campaign and donation expenditures does matter to me.

There is an important historical perspective on a party that I care very much about, have been part of and have a history with?

Stab somewhere else Mr. Ward.

This soccer mom doesn't think you have the grip on Patch or the rest of the world of opinion.

We are all entitled to our opinions even if we don't always agree.

And frankly, it is tiring when you post a response to just about every sentence written to call out anyone else here no matter what side of the fence they are on on any issue.

Karen,

First of all, everyone is entitled to my opinion. I thought I'd made that perfectly clear.

And second, now you know how I feel when I see you respond to every single poster who disagrees with you or your candidate. And if I'm to the point where I want to vote against every last person you support, imagine where the rest of the Patch folks are at.

I get paid to continue the conversation, but sometimes less is more!

Jeff

Jeff - funny, I find myself in complete agreement with you. Her comment: "And frankly, it is tiring when you post a response to just about every sentence written to call out anyone else here no matter what side of the fence they are on on any issue.", just drips with irony.

Going to pop some popcorn and wait for Karen's response to you. Have fun.

Great Matt and Jeff. Everyone is entitled to your opinion.

Active opinion columnists and government engineers all agree. You need to be heard.

All you have to do is look at Burn's personal history = Adultrey, looking out for self, taxes rising in Geneva every single year, just your typical political blowhard.

Well. well, well...I wondered when the trolls would crawl out. But it always amazes me that none of you can spell...

Oh yeah multiple tickets for traffic accidents (road rage), When you can't fix family, you can't fix community. Burn's self inflicted life style equals no style.

Pathetic is as pathetic DOES.

Last call before the polls...
Of course, Hultgren got called onto the carpet by the DuPage party powers-that-be for going off on his own. ":Here's your Republicant rubber stamp, Randy."