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Febrary 3, 2008

Injured soldier's mom takes on Bean

Sun-Times, Abdon M. Pallasch

Democrat Randi Scheurer doesn't consider herself an underdog in her primary election challenge to Rep. Melissa Bean in the north and northwest suburban 8th Congressional District.

Scheurer's just a mom whose soldier son was injured in Iraq. She wants to bring the troops home now and start spending all that money she says is being wasted in Iraq on domestic needs.

"This money could have funded 621,000 people with health care," Scheurer said of Illinois' share of the bill.

Bean said she favors "responsible guidelines for phased reduction" of U.S. troops in Iraq.

That's the stand the three Republicans vying to face Bean in November likewise take, including Kirk Morris, who lost his son Geoff, a Marine, in Iraq in 2004.

"Setting an artificial deadline for troop withdrawal undercuts the success of our troops and emboldens the enemies of Iraqi democracy," Morris, a Gurnee businessman, says on his Web site. He could not be reached for comment for this story.

Steve Greenberg serves on the management team of Promotions Unlimited, a family-owned company that sells items to small businesses. He also owns Herr's Pacific, an arts and crafts supplies distributor. He played hockey for the Hampton Roads Admirals, a minor league affiliate of the Washington Admirals.

Greenberg has locked up the endorsements of most of the elected Republican officials in the district and has raised more money than his two rivals. Like his rivals, he favors cracking down on illegal immigration.

But the third Republican in the race, Gurnee health benefits consultant Ken Arnold, takes possibly the hardest line on immigration, as a member of the Minutemen, an unofficial border-patrol organization.

"As the only Minuteman in the race, I refuse to reward criminal behavior with amnesty," Arnold told the Sun-Times.

Asked if he keeps a handgun in his home, he said, "Yes, for both personal protection and in case of civil unrest a la New Orleans."

Since being elected to Congress three years ago, Bean has charted a moderate course, opposing the war, but also opposing timetables or the cutting of funding for the war. She has also supported some of the Bush tax cuts that Scheurer argues disproportionately benefit the wealthy.

That was the platform Bean ran on to win this traditionally Republican district from longtime incumbent Phil Crane. Republicans thought they had a good chance of unseating Bean after her first term, but she beat Republican David McSweeney 51 percent to 44 percent in 2006 with 7 percent going to Scheurer's husband, who ran as a third-party candidate.

Bean was caucusing with the Blue Dogs, the more conservative Democrats in Congress, Friday in Virginia and trying to talk as many of them as she could into becoming super-delegates for Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, she said.

When campaigning in the district, she gets more questions about the economy than about the war, she said.

"People are much more concerned about their financial security, about whether they can afford to send their kids to college anymore," she said.

Bean and Greenberg both live just outside the district. Bean's home was in the district but was drawn out of it when she began campaigning.

( http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/773775,CST-NWS-cong03.article# )





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Randi Scheurer email me			Febrary 3, 2008 Injured soldier's mom takes on Bean Sun-Times, Abdon M. Pallasch Democrat Randi Scheurer doesn't consider herself an underdog in her primary election challenge to Rep. Melissa Bean in the north and northwest suburban 8th Congressional District. Scheurer's just a mom whose soldier son was injured in Iraq. She wants to bring the troops home now and start spending all that money she says is being wasted in Iraq on domestic needs. "This money could have funded 621,000 people with health care," Scheurer said of Illinois' share of the bill. Bean said she favors "responsible guidelines for phased reduction" of U.S. troops in Iraq. That's the stand the three Republicans vying to face Bean in November likewise take, including Kirk Morris, who lost his son Geoff, a Marine, in Iraq in 2004. "Setting an artificial deadline for troop withdrawal undercuts the success of our troops and emboldens the enemies of Iraqi democracy," Morris, a Gurnee businessman, says on his Web site. He could not be reached for comment for this story. Steve Greenberg serves on the management team of Promotions Unlimited, a family-owned company that sells items to small businesses. He also owns Herr's Pacific, an arts and crafts supplies distributor. He played hockey for the Hampton Roads Admirals, a minor league affiliate of the Washington Admirals. Greenberg has locked up the endorsements of most of the elected Republican officials in the district and has raised more money than his two rivals. Like his rivals, he favors cracking down on illegal immigration. But the third Republican in the race, Gurnee health benefits consultant Ken Arnold, takes possibly the hardest line on immigration, as a member of the Minutemen, an unofficial border-patrol organization. "As the only Minuteman in the race, I refuse to reward criminal behavior with amnesty," Arnold told the Sun-Times. Asked if he keeps a handgun in his home, he said, "Yes, for both personal protection and in case of civil unrest a la New Orleans." Since being elected to Congress three years ago, Bean has charted a moderate course, opposing the war, but also opposing timetables or the cutting of funding for the war. She has also supported some of the Bush tax cuts that Scheurer argues disproportionately benefit the wealthy. That was the platform Bean ran on to win this traditionally Republican district from longtime incumbent Phil Crane. Republicans thought they had a good chance of unseating Bean after her first term, but she beat Republican David McSweeney 51 percent to 44 percent in 2006 with 7 percent going to Scheurer's husband, who ran as a third-party candidate. Bean was caucusing with the Blue Dogs, the more conservative Democrats in Congress, Friday in Virginia and trying to talk as many of them as she could into becoming super-delegates for Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, she said. When campaigning in the district, she gets more questions about the economy than about the war, she said. "People are much more concerned about their financial security, about whether they can afford to send their kids to college anymore," she said. Bean and Greenberg both live just outside the district. Bean's home was in the district but was drawn out of it when she began campaigning. ( http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/773775,CST-NWS-cong03.article# )