(LAKE ZURICH, IL)– Today, Republican Congressional nominee Joe Walsh called on his opponent, three-term incumbent Melissa Bean, to learn from her Illinois Democrat colleague Dan Lipinski and vote “NO” on Obamacare.

Illinois U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, a Democrat who represents the 3rd district, has joined the ranks of other Congressional Democrats displaying the courage to vote with their conscience– not their party.

This is all the more significant considering Lipinski has a 90% liberal rating from Americans for Democratic Action highlighting the fact that Lipinski normally votes in lockstep with his party’s left-wing leadership.

Not this time.

“The health care bill is not about party but policy,” said Walsh. “It is about promoting policies that improve the quality of care for families and lessen the tax burdens on small businesses. The Obamacare does just the opposite on both counts.”

Walsh noted that, according to a study by the Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois stands to lose 169,000 jobs if the Obamacare bill is enacted.

In contrast to Lipinski, Bean has been one of the President’s most loyal followers on his proposed federal government takeover of health care, meeting with the administration as recently as yesterday to discuss how to get the necessary votes in the House.

“The only good news from the proposed Obamacare legislation is that Melissa Bean has been exposed for who she really is,” Walsh said. “She is not the independent Democrat she pretends to be. She is little more than a knee-jerk roll call vote for the current administration’s big government agenda.”

(Lake Zurich, Illinois) - 8th District Republican congressional nominee Joe Walsh today called on his liberal Democrat opponent Rep. Melissa Bean to swallow her pride and vote “No” on the Obamacare federal takeover of health care legislation nearing a vote in the House.

“For the first time in a long time Melissa Bean needs to listen to her constituents and vote her district,” said Walsh. “A government takeover of health care is absolutely the wrong approach to fix what ails with health care in America- and 8th district voters know it. Melissa Bean was not elected to represent public sector unions and march in lockstep with her party. She was elected to represent the interests of 8th district families and support policies that speak to their very real economic insecurities. This legislation will worsen the quality of care we have access to and increase unemployment,” Walsh said.

The proposed takeover of health care that would cost Illinois 169,000 jobs, $4,418 per person, and shrink Illinois’ economy by 5.1 percent, according to a study by the Illinois Policy Institute . This is against the backdrop of a state with 11% unemployment.

“A vote for this health care bill is vote against the economic interests of 8th district families, plain and simple,” Walsh added.

The legislation would also drastically reduce senior citizens’ access to the popular (and private) Medicaid Advantage program.

“I’m not in the camp that says the president is overly ambitious to take on health care,” said Bean, who voted for the federal takeover of health care late last year that passed the House by a slim 220-215 margin despite a sizable Democrat majority.

Prior to her vote last year, Bean, unlike most members of Congress (Republicans and Democrats), declined to hold any town hall meetings or public forums where residents could weigh in and ask questions about this legislation.

“Melissa Bean has made it very clear that if she is not interested in the opinions of concerns of those she was elected to represent,” said Walsh.

In his keynote address to the McHenry Medical Society at their annual meeting, Walsh said there is no way the country can afford the trillion dollar takeover of one-sixth of our nation’s economy.

“There are other ways to reform health care without sending our children and grandchildren into even greater debt and forever altering the doctor-patient relationship,” Walsh said.

Walsh said incremental reforms such as allow the sale of insurance plans across state lines increase competition among insurers and passing meaningful tort reform are key to reducing costs while protecting quality of care.

From Joe Walsh visit with the Palatine Tea Party Rally at the Palatine Public Library:

Joe Walsh Republican Nominee on

Feb 2, 2010

Joe Walsh Republican Nominee on

Feb 2, 2010  Part 2

Joe Cantafio Proud to be an American

In Response to today’s Daily Herald article:

LAKE ZURICH, IL — Our country faces critical challenges. I’m running for Congress to address those challenges. It is incredibly disappointing to me - and to the majority of voters in the Illinois 8th Congressional District - that the news media has focused not on these issues that matter to the future of our nation, but instead has consistently sought to ridicule, demean, and condescend to anyone who tries to challenge the status quo.
The politics of personal destruction is the reason we so seldom see legitimate “change agents” running for office.

I won the Republican primary by a large margin, despite being outspent because voters identified with my message. I feel like I’m losing my country and too few we’ve sent to D.C. are doing anything about it.

Here are the facts: I am not a wealthy man - I never have been. We have lived the past couple of years on a salary that averages $40K year, and which is more in line with the average family in the 8th. I believe that public service, including elective office, should be accessible to people of all income levels, not just the wealthy. Frankly, I believe that one of the reasons we have so many problems and we see so many bad policy choices made is because Congress is a millionaires’ club. Too many of our elected officials are insulated from the devastating financial impacts of the rules and regulations they impose on us.

I know all too well what 8th district families are going through to make ends meet because I’ve experienced some of the same difficult and humbling financial challenges. Like so many others in Illinois in recent years, and 1 in 9 Americans nationally, I know what it’s like to lose a home to foreclosure.

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LAKE ZURICH– Joe Walsh, Candidate for Congress in the Illinois 8th, is calling on his opponent Rep. Melissa Bean, D-Ill., to return the $28,000 she received from Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for corruption.

Rangel, who just stepped down as Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, is under investigation for accepting Caribbean vacations from special interest groups with business before his committees.

That puts Bean on Rangel’s “Top Ten” of campaign cash recipients.

“That Melissa Bean has been bought and paid for by the Washington establishment on dole of the Rangel dollar helps explain her left-wing votes for cap-and-trade, health care and bank bailouts,” Walsh said.

He called on Bean to take responsibility for her contribution saying, “Melissa Bean should tell voters what she will do with the $28K or give it to charity.”

The Washington Examiner, which has been profiling recipients of Rangel donations for several months in its “Dirty Money Watch” series, reported four other congressmen including Illinois’ own Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., have returned or donated to charity all money received from Rangel following his formal admonishment by the House Ethics Committee last week.

However, Bean continues to remain silent about her $28K in illicit campaign cash from Rangel.

“We don’t need another candidate beholden to the glitz and glamour of special interest groups, but a strong, independent, reform candidate,” Walsh said.

(Lake Zurich, Illinois) - Apparently, ‘I already spent it’ is a good enough reason for keeping dirty money, at least for Rep. Melissa Bean.

Bean is refusing to give back or to charity the $28,000 she received from Rep. Charlie Rangel who is under investigation from the House Ethics Committee for accepting lavish vacations from special interest groups with business before the powerful House Ways and Means committee while serving as chairman. He is also being investigated for failing to report assets, including his interest in a Dominican Republican guest unit, according to the Daily Herald.

Bean’s spokesman Jonathan Lipman told the Daily Herald Bean intends to keep the money because a) the money was given before Rangel was under investigation for ethical abuses, and b) the money has already been spent.

“So as long as you spend the money before you get caught it is ok?” said Joe Walsh.

“Dirty money is dirty money regardless of when it was received or spent,” Walsh added. “Just ask all the politicians in Illinois who have returned donations from Stu Levine, Tony Rezko or George Ryan over the last decade.”

Walsh also noted that other Democrat Congressmen and congressional candidates including Bill Foster (D-14) and Dan Seals (D-10) have donated campaign cash they received from Rangel to charity.

“Melissa Bean is part of the corrupt Washington political culture,” said Walsh. “Charlie Rangel bought her support for Ways and Means Chairman with tens of thousands of dollars in cash over the past two years. He got his chairmanship, she got re-elected and the American people got left holding the bag as Rangel and Bean worked to ship manufacturing jobs overseas and undermine the quality of our health care system.”

The next meeting of the Northern Illinois Patriots is centered on the proper role of government and taxation. Join us for some great comradery and informative speakers. This is a great opportunity for those who want to be informed and prepared for the Tax Day Tea Parties that will be happening all over the US on April 15th.
Where: Gurnee American Legion Hall (749 Milwaukee Ave, Gurnee)
Who: Everyone is welcome. This is a non-partisan event.
When: Thursday, April 1st, 2010

6:30 - 7:00 pm - Networking/Social
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Program
8:30 - 9:00 pm - Networking/Social

Admission: Non-perishable food item (Donated to the local food pantry)

Thanks,

Tony Raymond, Organizer
Northern Illinois Patriots

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Mark you calendars! Join Joe Walsh and 1000’s of Patriots at Davis Park in Rockford on April 6th, 2010 for the Tea Party Express, its only stop in Northern Illinois! Joe Walsh will be there to say a few words berfore bus arrives.

Rockford, IL

Date/Time:

Be there  at 1:oo PM Tuesday, April 6th for rally.

Tea party bus arrives at 2:30 pm

Rally Location:
Davis Park
329 South Wyman
Rockford, IL

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Saturday, April 10th, 2010
8:00 AM

The Country Squire
19133 W. Rt. 120
Grayslake, IL 60030

Speakers:

• Senator Bill Brady (invited) Candidate for Governor of Illinois
• Joe Walsh Candidate for U.S. Congress, 8th District
• Dan Sugrue Candidate for Illinois Legislature, 59th

District Cosponsors:

• Lake County Right to Life, Bonnie Quirke
• Republican Assembly of Lake County, Raymond True
• Lake County Young Republicans, Lauren Fleming
• State Line Rifle Association, John Nickles
• 912 Patriots, Tom Weber & Dorian Boliaux
• Northern Illinois Patriots, Janelle Nagy
• Lake County Tea Party, Lennie Jarratt

Price: $19.00 per person; RSVP by April 5th (firm)
Make checks payable to:
Values Alliance Committee
P.O. Box 153
Grayslake, IL 60030

For more information, contact:
Paul Mitchell, 847‐693‐6097 or
Bonnie Quirke, 847‐644‐8456

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