* Sen. Kirk Dillard is making a big rehabilitation effort at the Republican convention…
Bad ad: State Sen. Kirk Dillard, a major supporter of John McCain but a close friend of Barack Obama, tells Sneed he inadvertently wound up in that Obama campaign ad that ran in Iowa. “It was only 10 seconds, but I asked (top Obama strategist) David Axelrod to pull it,” said Dillard.
• • The upshot: Axelrod did.
“Inadvertently”? Did he not see the cameras, lights and makeup people?
* The Tribune has more…
Q: Could you still play some kind of surrogate role for McCain?
A: I would submit because I said 10 seconds of nice things about Sen. Obama, I’m probably a better surrogate than many people. I know Sen. Obama. I respect him. But I’m overwhelmingly for John McCain for president and I think that says a lot, as opposed to just the total partisan line.
Q: Will 2010, when all statewide offices are up for election, be a good rebuilding year for the Illinois GOP?
A: In 2010, it will be a decent year for Illinois Republicans. First, the Illinois Republicans are better for our economy than the Democrats. And I think Illinoisans have overwhelmingly seen how bad the total Chicago machine Democratic control of state government is for our job climate and the state of Illinois as a whole.
Q: Do you plan to run for statewide office in 2010?
A: I don’t have any concrete plans for 2010 other than to see who emerges and how things shake out. Most importantly, my children are a little older, and for the first time in recent times, I’m able from a family situation to travel around the state of Illinois, which I’ve not been able to do. But I’m not like some other folks who are around here today with active, behind-the-scenes plans to run statewide.
That last question is what this rehab effort is really all about.
* Check this out…
In a recent Daily Herald survey, suburban Republican delegates to the convention offered a scattershot of names when asked who they wanted to be the GOP nominee for governor in 2010.
Some of the delegates offered as many as three answers. Those most often mentioned included state Sen. Kirk Dillard, House Republican leader Cross, state Sen. Bill Brady, DuPage County Chairman Bob Schillerstrom, DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett and state Rep. Jim Durkin.
* Dillard was also quoted in the Daily Herald…
“Barack does have some downsides and I think those will be brought to light as we push forward,” [Dillard] said.
* Meanwhile, Congressman Peter Roskam looks to the future…
Q: How can the Republican party in Illinois overcome its internal divide between social conservatives and social moderates?
A: While the Republicans have had bumps in the road, the Democrats are downright fratricidal. It is very dark in those relationships. We are poised to make good progress.
* As does Congresscritter Mark Kirk…
Who do you see leading the Republican party of Illinois over the next few years?
It will not be difficult to put forward a candidate. We are in the middle of a Shakespearean meltdown of the Democratic party. I think voters are ready for anybody but the people who participated in the meltdown. I don’t want to name any names. But there are some people out there who have built up a good reputation.
Are you interested at all in running for a statewide office in Illinois?
(He laughs hard.) I’m totally and completely focused on the 10th Congressional District.
Will it be hard for Republicans to regain a foothold in Illinois?
It may be affected in the future by who is in the White House. If you have a Republican president in the White House, it will be tough times ahead because that president will have to make tough choices and you will have people disagreeing with that.
* Jim Edgar also looks ahead at 2010…
I’m not a pessimist like some people are and I think many in the media like to talk about the death of the Republican party. We had a tough go. I never thought Rod Blagojevich would get away with it twice … it’s now our turn. I can assure you whether he’s on the ballot or not in 2010 we’ll run against him.
* And makes a point that is rarely discussed…
I don’t know that the Republican Party is any worse off as a party. It’s just that we don’t have that anchor that we had for so many years–the governor’s office.
* And I honestly didn’t even know who this guy was until today’s Sneed column…
Word is U.S. Housing Secretary Steve Preston, who hails from Hinsdale, is being urged to consider a run to unseat Gov. Blagojevich. It was the whisper amongst top GOP Illinois delegates at the Republican National Convention here.
You gotta wonder who is is urging him. Any thoughts?
* Related…
* Illinois convention delegates offer diversity of political experience
* Congressman Kirk Gets Dropped From RNC Schedule
* TOPINKA: Spent 42 bucks, got three great suits. Fifty percent off on everything. A Ralph Lauren suit for like seven and a half bucks. That’s incredible, you know and it’s brand new, it still has the tags on it.
* Five questions for Rep. Mark Kirk
* Surprises for Ill. delegates at RNC
* State GOP acknowledges Obama factor but sees upside in governor’s downside
* Illinois GOP hope Democratic dysfunction brings party together
* State GOP needs to fix itself by 2010