Champion News - Setting the Standard

Posted: May 15, 2005

We strongly urge all Republican State Legislators to support SB600 - legislation that would restore greater democracy, transparency and accountability to the Illinois Republican Party. SB600 would just reverse a statutory change pushed through with only the GOP in mind two decades ago by a Republican Administration. Overwhelming empirical evidence is now available which demonstrates to most all Republicans that the abandonment of direct democracy in the 1980's was a poor decision. SB600 would return our State Party to a more open system where the 19 State Central Committeemen (one representing each U.S. Congressional District) would be elected directly by Republican primary voters every four years. The Illinois Republican Party would return to essentially the same system for electing its State Central Committee that the Illinois Democrats have always used. The Democrats never switched from direct democracy.

Illinois Republicans deserve the same right of democracy that Illinois Democrats currently enjoy.

In a real sense, Illinois Republicans currently suffer discrimination, as Illinois Democrats enjoy greater voting rights and participation in their Party. While self-imposed by our own leadership, the discriminatory new system was never vetted with the rank-and-file prior to the change in the 1980's. The Republican Party should pride itself on being the Party of reform and openness. The embarrassing situation we now find with the Republican Party allowing less democracy than the Illinois Democrats must be rectified.

Under the current system, Cook County Republicans are disenfranchised.

Defenders of the current system typically fail to acknowledge an important fact: Cook County, which has approximately 30 percent of the State's Republicans, does NOT have precinct committeeman with any voting powers. The non-voting status is specified in current Illinois law. Therefore, praise of a system that defers to precinct committeemen is less than honest. This is a crucial point given the significant percentage of U.S. Congressional Districts that are totally, or partially, encompassed by Cook County.

Under the current system, the Bipartisan Combine thrives.

It is the lack of accountability under the current system that has allowed Republican State Central Committee members and leaders to develop close ties to the Democratic Party for the benefit their own self-interest. Such double-dealing harms the reputation of our Party, encourages cynicism and non-participation, and loses elections.

Former State Party Chairman, Judy Baar Topinka had a well-documented history of supporting and endorsing Democrats over Republican candidates. Despite her close ties with the Democrats, the Illinois Republican State Central Committee unanimously selected her in 2002. Many State Parties in other states actually include bylaw provisions requiring ouster from leadership for helping the other side.
It is common knowledge in Chicago that one State Central Committeeman has close ties with the Mayor's brother, John Daley, and his 11^th Ward Democrat Organization.
One current State Central Committeeman was an operative of a former Democratic Chicago Alderman.
While serving as Republican National Committeeman, Bob Kjellander personally made $809 thousand for helping to push through the largest borrowing in Illinois history sought by Democrat Blagojevich - a borrowing opposed by the vast majority of Republicans in Springfield. The same people who raise the "fear" of the Democrats taking over our Party consistently defend Kjellander.
After choosing Alan Keyes to replace Jack Ryan as the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, several members of the State Central Committee, including former State Party Chairman Judy Baar Topinka, publicly announced that they would not be supporting the Republican candidate. Abandonment of the Central Committee's own selection - a selection done in a closed room - gave an even stronger advantage to Obama.

Under SB600, members of the State Central Committee will become accountable to all Republican Primary voters. More than just a select few Party insiders will matter. This accountability will create a more responsive and engaged State Central Committee.

SB600 will give us a Republican Party in Illinois that is incentivized to grow, and where people actually want to volunteer.

Just the idea that Republican Primary voters may get to have a say in their Party's leadership has the rank-and-file re-energized and hopeful.

Even those that oppose SB600 have admitted publicly that it is generating a great deal of energy amongst the rank-and-file. In fact, Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna said at the Illinois Republican Party's Quarterly Meeting that SB600 is the only thing people want to talk about!

If SB600 is allowed to fail, why would any Republican ever volunteer for an organization where they aren't given the same respect the Democrat Party conveys to their voters? There has been enough publicity and talk amongst Republicans that most of them will know what legislators voted on their behalf to give them more of a say in their Party's leadership and those who did not.

If you don't trust Republicans to choose their Party's leadership, why should you expect them to continue to sacrifice their valuable free time going door-to-door, making calls or registering voters on your behalf?

If the message from our Party's leadership to Republicans is that they are not trusted enough to choose our Party's leaders, then why should they continue to donate money to your campaign?

SB600 would make becoming State Central Committeeman the reward for hard work and voter turnout and not simply a popularity contest as it is currently.

Wouldn't it be great to have a structure in which someone could make a name for herself or himself because of their commitment to registering more new Republican voters, building their volunteer army or increasing the voter turnout in their Congressional District? SB600 would create such an incentive.

Under SB600 we would create an incentive for the 19 individuals that make up the State Central Committee to work and meet as many Republican Primary voters in their Congressional District as possible, and along the way built a strong base of supporters and volunteers. So instead of having just 19 individuals as we have under the current system, under SB600 the State Central Committee would have 19 grassroots organizations to build upon.

There is simply no credible argument that the more democratic and open process under SB600 would not be the right choice for the Illinois Republican Party.

The evidence is in - THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING.

Overwhelming empirical evidence is already in - the current State Party structure is not working for the Illinois Republican Party and we continue to lose ground to the Democrats each election cycle.

During the crucial Presidential Campaign last year, the State Party had to bring-on over 20 State employees to the Party payroll for 1 to 3 months. Over 200 hundred people were also paid $200 each to work on Election Day. But there was no volunteer army to speak of fielded by the State Party.
The exact number of new Republicans registered to vote by the State Party last year was a historic low.
According to a representative of the Republican National Committee, they were advised that the Illinois Republican Party's total number of new registered voters for the RNC Voter Registration Drive competition was an embarrassing zero.
According to many of the County Chairman, the only big State Party sponsored GOTV effort in 2004 called "Super Saturday" was a total bust. The County Chairman complained that they did not receive voter lists and materials as promised by the State Party and many were forced to cancel their "Super Saturday" event.
Illinois has not won for the Republican Presidential nominee since 1988.
The Democrats control the Governor's Office, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Comptroller and Illinois General Assembly.
Both of Illinois' U.S. Senators are Democrats.
In 2004, we lost a long held U.S. Congressional seat to the Democrats.
The Illinois Republican Party is struggling financially.
While conservative grassroots organizations see their memberships booming, the Illinois Republican Party's membership is declining.
The level of corruption in the Illinois Republican Party has grown under the current system. Since we abandoned direct elections of the Republican State Central Committee and consolidated power under a few Party insiders, we have seen indictment after indictment of individuals associated with the Republican Party.

Absent the passage of SB600, the Illinois Republican Party isn't putting its best foot forward, and it's going to remain harder to advance ANY Republican issue in Illinois. Our State Party will remain listless, and will continue to lag the great progress Republicans are making nationally.

Under the current system, it is EASIER now than it would be under SB600 for Chicago Democrats to make their way onto the Central Committee.

The "fear" of infiltration under SB600 is not only unrealistic; it's obviously being dishonestly raised. With approximately 85 percent of Illinois counties being Republican "red", pursuant to the infiltration theory, Republicans should have moles on the Democrat's State Central Committee. But of course we don't, and we never hear the Democrats whining about this concern. It simply isn't realistic for either side with direct democracy.

SB600 will help ensure that we get real, dedicated Republicans on the State Central Committee.

Under the current system, Democrats only have to control one or two wards or townships in order to secure a Central Committee spot. Contrast this with the large numbers of individual voters who would have to be controlled throughout a U.S. Congressional District under SB600's direct democracy.

Because of the current system, we have now Republican Ward Committeemen in Chicago who are actually Democrats who were put in that position solely for their vote for the GOP's State Central Committee.

In one case in Chicago, we currently have a Republican Ward Committeeman that had a 20-year voting record as a Democrat, and is currently an operative for the Democrat Alderman of the same Ward. Can this Ward Committeeman possibly represent the real Republicans in his Ward when he cast his vote on their behalf for Republican State Central Committeeman?

In another Chicago Ward, we have a Republican Ward Committeeman who not only worked for Governor Blagojevich's father-in-law, Alderman Richard Mell - but also was arrested for threatening one of Mell's opponents. Again, can this Republican Ward Committeeman possibly represent the real Republican voters in his Ward when he casts his vote on their behalf for Republican State Central Committeeman?

Prepared May 15, 2005

This document was prepared by:

Doug Ibendahl

165 N. Canal Street, Suite 1215

Chicago, IL 60606

dibendahl@ilryp.org

(312) 648-0061

Doug Ibendahl is a Chicago Attorney and a former General Counsel of the Illinois Republican Party. He is Co-Founder of Republican Young Professionals (RYP).