***UPDATE***There is Hope for the Illinois GOP after All

Stay on it.

itrytobenice (Diary) Wednesday, March 11th at 10:59AM EST (link)

Those suckers need sunshine. And bleach.

Proper grammar saves lives.

Let’s eat Grandma.
Let’s eat, Grandma.

Activists Taking Action: Unified Patriots

Your update is wrong. The bill was ammended.

Brian Hibbert (Diary) Wednesday, March 11th at 3:27PM EST (link)

It really sucks now. It makes the Republicans do thing the Democrat way.

As I wrote about here: http://www.redstate.com/brianh/2009/03/11/illinois-sb600-no-longer-what-we-wanted-it-to-be/

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And please retract your slam against Rutherford.

Brian Hibbert (Diary) Wednesday, March 11th at 3:32PM EST (link)

The amended bill is totally unacceptable. Lauzen’s original bill was a direct election of people based on abilities. The amended version makes the sex of the candidate a more important criteria than their abilities.

Candidate for Trustee of Illinois Central College
Socialism doesn’t work. It looks nice on paper, but it’s been tried and it’s failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
Take back our party!
Check out Unified Patriots

Hey Brian, This is obviously a work in progress.

barry915barry (Diary) Wednesday, March 11th at 4:00PM EST (link)

First, I believe that you and I are on the same team and want what is best for the Illinois GOP.
Second, I am aware of the amendment and specifically referenced the gender part in my “updated” update.
Third, I agree with you that it would appear that the gender issue is a deal breaker for some. However, I think that is a cop out. Here is a link from Champion News via GOPUSA; That goes into a great deal of detail on SB600

http://www.gopusa.com/illinois/news.shtml

Both Richter (IL-55) and Hultgren (IL-48) were previously sponsors of this amendment. State senator Rutherford was NOT. Hultgren “mysteriously” dropped his sponsorship back on 2/25.

It is clear from the proceedings of this bill and its predecessors history in 2005, the GOP ESTABLISHMENT is not on board. Other than the obvious threat to their power, they have little reason to derail an IMPROVEMENT in the way the Illinois GOP is run.
My take, Brian, is that if you are party of the party and you are hunkerin’ down to KEEP the status quo, then there is a problem. In this case, with the IL GOP, if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.
It has been well publicized the on-going problems with the IL GOP. Senator Rutherford, may be a good man, but I DO NOT see him as part of the solution right now.
What I know for sure, is that what we are doing right now IS NOT WORKING. SB600 may not be perfect, but unless we(the party) change, we are doomed to be the minority party for MANY election cycles to come. I say (in a very friendly way, Brian,) that the party establishment needs to either get on board or get off the tracks because the train is coming! Barry

I'm aware of the history of the bill. It now sucks.

Brian Hibbert (Diary) Wednesday, March 11th at 4:08PM EST (link)

And I don’t see any reference to the Democrat crap on the bill in your story above. Only a dump on Rutherford. What’s your game?

This bill as it now exists is NOT an improvement on the current system. It’s an abomination. Lauzen’s bill was a good one. It was straight forward and allowed primary voters to select their representative in the state committee. This new bill will allow too many games with even more Democrat sleepers to sneak into our inner circle.

Read the bill.

Candidate for Trustee of Illinois Central College
Socialism doesn’t work. It looks nice on paper, but it’s been tried and it’s failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
Take back our party!
Check out Unified Patriots

I am in the process of re-reading the bill, the comments,

barry915barry (Diary) Wednesday, March 11th at 4:23PM EST (link)

OUR diaries, and the posting of Warner Todd Huston. MY “game”, as you ask, is to move conservatism forward here in Illinois. I think that the way the politics are set up here, the best vehicle right now is via the GOP. I do continue to believe that giving the people back the vote to elect the SCC is the best option for the party right now, and therefore the best way to advance conservatism. I do not see why you think there is “…Democrat crap on the bill.” . What specifically are you referring to? If you think that the issue with cross-over voting in the primaries will complicate things, well, then we will simply have to agree to disagree. You had the same disagreement it seems with WTH when he first started posting about SB600.

Here in Illinois, we can NOT be in much worse shape than we are right now. The Dems hold every statewide office, are veto proof in the house and just 3 votes from being veto proof in the senate (37-22). I say, if the R’s aren’t on board with THE IDEA of SB600, THEY ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. I.E. The Combine.
Lets BOTH work to make this amendment better, but lets get it passed!! Power to the People, Brian, power to the People!

If you want to move conservatism forward, don't let the Democrats write our party rules.

Brian Hibbert (Diary) Wednesday, March 11th at 4:34PM EST (link)

Read the diary I wrote about the bill if you want to see the Democrat crap. Someone amended the bill to look JUST like the Democrat alternative for selecting state committee members. It’s gender based. We as conservatives DON’T select people for jobs based on their sex, race or religion. We select them on their abilities.

THAT is the problem with this bill. It forces us into identity politics in the manner of Democrats. And THAT makes me angry.

P.S. You still owe Rutherford a retraction.

Candidate for Trustee of Illinois Central College
Socialism doesn’t work. It looks nice on paper, but it’s been tried and it’s failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
Take back our party!
Check out Unified Patriots

Brian, my rsponse is below.

barry915barry (Diary) Wednesday, March 11th at 5:56PM EST (link)

Sorry about the Kowaski, AGAIN. Sheesh.

Ok, one last shot at this

barry915barry (Diary) Wednesday, March 11th at 5:55PM EST (link)

Then I have to make dinner. I will read your response(s) later.
You write that “I think the current system is serviceable, but I’m willing to entertain a direct election alternative.” You seem to be on board (some what) that we need to fix what is broken. I 100% disagree that the current system is “serviceable”. I.E. the fiasco that was our convention in Decatur last year. I think that we need to completely revamp. The IL GOP is in shambles, and has been for years. We need to very much think outside the box where party leadership is concerned. We have gone from being a right of center state, to solidly blue. All since, ’88. When Thompson made his power grab.

I agree with you Brian, that ” We as conservatives DON’T select people for jobs based on their sex, race or religion. We select them on their abilities.”
IF, and that is a mighty big IF, we can only pass SB600 as amended, so be it. I take the position that this is better than not passing the bill at all. But, like I commented earlier, lets work together to pass the best bill possible!

I am not certain WHO submitted the amendment, but my understanding is that it is Lauzen himself. I am definitely not certain about this though. Until then, I am not in agreement that it is the Democrats who are writing our party rules.

I am open to why you believe I should have more faith/trust (or any fitting description) in Senator Rutherford. IMHO, he is clearly NOT out front on the reform issue, as he has not been a sponsor of this reform amendment, or any others that I am aware of. However, he HAS been party of the party leadership (he was Asst. Leader when he was in the state house in the 90′s). I take the position that the leadership has done and is doing nothing to fix the on-going problem. I am simply unaware of why I should be giving your support for him more credence. As I stated, I am certainly open to additional insight. BTW, I ripped on Rutherford because I do not want someone, who I believe is part of the problem, to take on a BIGGER role in the Illinois GOP. Please, show me where I am mistaken. I will gladly post a retraction, (when warranted).

Passing bad legislation is worse than doing nothing.

Brian Hibbert (Diary) Wednesday, March 11th at 9:19PM EST (link)

And the amended bill is bad legislation. If it was Lauzen that made the amendments to the bill then he killed his own idea. The bill that passed out of the elections committee was completely different than the one that Lauzen originally submitted. If he had left it alone, at least Rutherford had committed to voting for it and I believe the other Reps on the committee had as well.

I agree our party is badly broken. Unfortunately this isn’t going to be the magic bullet that fixes it. You and Warner convinced me that the Dems aren’t any more likely to corrupt the elections using dead voters using this bill than they do now. I also agree that direct elections are preferable to the representative election from a PR point of view. I don’t think it’s going to replace the old guard. The only way to do that is by recruiting more members and getting them to support your candidates.

And again I think you should retract your statements about Rutherford because he had agreed to support the original bill. The thing that passed is a complete rewrite.

Candidate for Trustee of Illinois Central College
Socialism doesn’t work. It looks nice on paper, but it’s been tried and it’s failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
Take back our party!
Check out Unified Patriots

I think that we have a framework that we can work with here, Brian.

barry915barry (Diary) Wednesday, March 11th at 10:21PM EST (link)

We clearly do not agree on some issues, and that is fine. We can agree to disagree. As I mentioned previously, there were additional “R” sponsors that withdrew (including prior to Mondays amendment).
And, senator Rutherford never WAS a sponsor.

I question Senator Rutherford’s commitment to reforming the state party.

I talked with **** in his office this morning. She stated that she would have the senator call me back. I am currently awaiting his call. I will reserve final judgment until then, Brian.

Lastly, as I have previously stated, lets work together for the betterment of the party and for the furthering of conservatism!

What's the focus on sponsorship?

Brian Hibbert (Diary) Thursday, March 12th at 5:30AM EST (link)

Most of the co-sponsors of the bill removed themselves when it was amended. Rutherford committed to supporting the bill as it was originally written (which was actually a good bill). Sponsorship is not everything.

If you want to work together, quit bashing good conservative Republicans. From all the crap you’ve written it certainly doesn’t look like you’re reserving judgment. If you’d have had reasonable cause to write it, I’d say nothing or even join in, but you’re attacking someone over and issue when you didn’t and don’t have all the facts.

Candidate for Trustee of Illinois Central College
Socialism doesn’t work. It looks nice on paper, but it’s been tried and it’s failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
Take back our party!
Check out Unified Patriots