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ICRC


Bean’s Primary Opponent (Scheurer) now opposing her as Independent



Scheurer Versus Bean: Not In Primary
Cristel Mohrman
Pioneer Press

After losing to Melissa Bean, D-8th, in the Democratic primary in 2004, Bill Scheurer plans to return to the political scene for a rematch.

But this time, the Lindenhurst resident said he will run as either an independent or third-party candidate to ensure his name appears on the Nov. 2006 election ballot.

Scheurer, who ran last year on an agenda to end the war in Iraq, said his standpoint on that situation has not changed. This time, though, he will expand his platform to include his support of balanced budgets, the end of the United States' dependency on foreign oil and a universal health care program.

"I'm open to the approach we take on that. The main thing we have to agree to upfront is we are no longer going to have a society where one in six of our neighbors does not have health care insurance," he said.

He said his platform sets him apart from Bean, as well as the seven Republican primary candidates. But, he added, he doesn't plan to launch a campaign against Bean and the prevailing Republican candidate. Instead, he said, his efforts will focus on delivering what he believes 8th District residents want.

"We're acting like the other candidates aren't even out there. We intend to focus on the message, the issues that we want to bring to the voters," said Scheurer, who describes himself as a "progressive conservative."

"We talk about 2004 as political speech, and 2006 as political action," he added.

So far he has gained the endorsement of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The union made the maximum $5,000 donation allowed by law to Scheurer's campaign.

Scheurer, a Lake County resident for 27 years, is editor of the PeaceMajority Report as well as a writer and publisher. He holds degrees in religious studies and law. He and his wife, Randi, have four adult children, including a son who is stationed in Baghdad.
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Independent Candidate Emerges For Bean’s Seat
By Joseph Ryan
Daily Herald Staff Writer

Freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean may have to fight for her seat from both sides in November 2006 as she faces not only a Republican, but also a former Democrat with union support.

Bill Scheurer, who lost to Bean in the 2004 Democratic primary, says he is running either as an independent or under a third-party label for the 8th Congressional District that covers most of Lake, northwestern Cook and western McHenry counties.

He will have to decide by December when petitions are due.

The Lindenhurst attorney’s campaign pitch on balanced budgets and universal health care could make waves in the 2006 November campaign for Bean, who relied on traditionally Democratic supporters in 2004 but reached out to moderate Republicans to unseat Phil Crane, a 35-year conservative icon in the U.S. House.

Scheurer says his candidacy has legs this time because he can attract Bean’s former union supporters, who have split ways with her for supporting an international trade pact they say will cost American jobs.

An early sign of this support, he says, is a $5,000 check to his campaign from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Scheurer claims five other large unions have promised an equal amount, but he declined to name them.

“We went out and supported her campaign last year,” said Jim Brown, who heads the machinist’s unions Midwest territory. “She slapped us in the face.”

The machinists union, which represents 25,000 Illinois workers, has given Bean $15,000 over the last two years, federal records show. Overall, unions gave her 2004 campaign more than $235,000, out of a total of about $1.5 million in her campaign war chest.

Bean’s spokesman Brian Herman declined to comment on Scheurer’s candidacy or union support, other than to say she stands by her vote. Several large corporations in the district supported the trade pact.

This summer, large unions attacked Bean for voting for the Central American Free Trade Agreement, a measure trade-hawk Crane also supported. The Chicago Federation of Labor, an umbrella group for several big unions, and the United Steel Works of America organized pickets of her Schaumburg office. Some vowed to run a challenger.

But for now Scheurer’s $5,000 check is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of cash set to be spent in next year’s general election.

In 2004, Bean and Crane spent a combined $3.1 million. Outside groups spent millions more. This year, Bean already has more than $1.1 million in the bank.

The six Republicans facing off in the primary are also amassing massive campaign war chests. Barrington Hills investment banker David McSweeney and Wauconda attorney Kathy Salvi have committed to spend $1 million.

In his 2004 primary bid against Bean, Scheurer roped in 22 percent of the vote with few volunteers and no money. He had an equally small operation for his subsequent run against Republican state Rep. Jo Ann Osmond in the 61st District in November 2004. He lost that election with 42 percent of the vote.

“We didn’t really run campaigns,” Scheurer said of his earlier bids. “It was more political speech. This is political action.”

Scheurer said his campaign mantra will focus on supporting universal health care, opposing the Iraq war, balancing the federal budget and spending significant public funds to research alternative energy.

I’ve spoken with Bill Scheurer several times during email and encouraged his campaign. (of course I left out the fact I was a Republican) Bill Scheurer is a liberal’s liberal but there is little doubt he is sincere in what he believes and consistant on the issues, which definitely sets him apart from Melissa “tell people whatever they want to hear” Bean.

He is an excellent position to draw Democrat votes away from Bean because Schuerer is a mirror reverse of Bean in many ways. She has zero exerpienece but voted for the Iraq war, he has kids on active duty is an outspoken peacenik. She took donations from every labor union on planet then stabbed them in the back with CAFTA, he has a white coller background but is practically Michael Moore on labor issues. She calls herself an “social moderate” but is ultra liberal on abortion, he calls himself a “progressive” but is centrist on abortion. She’s an empty media creation who’s only issue is “I’m not Phil Crane”, he’s a Christian socialist with an agenda.

Scheurer is a clever guy, I suggested he run as a Green but he pointed out a Green party candidacy would likely be doomed in the conservative 8th district. Obviously his objective is get some blue-coller working classic Republican votes and hit at least double digits. We should encourage his “Republican” support by helping his guy get on the ballot and give him vocal praise and promote his campaign publically, even though we would never vote for him (nevertheless, to Bill and his supporters, this would seem like “proof” he’s drawing votes from “both” parties)

We may not agree on whether the GOP nominee should be Salvi, McSweeney, or Churchill, I think we can all agree the odds would be in our favor more with Bean’s previous primary opponent out to plague her in the general election. It could be the reverse effect from Crane’s RINO opponent coming out for Bean in 2004.

You can find out more about Bill Schurer at his campaign site, http://www.winwithbill.com and at his blog http://billscheurer.blogspot.com. He could well become the Ralph Nader of Illinois. I encourage all of you to shoot him an email and offer support and advice for his campaign. In this case, is the enemy of my enemy my friend?