Walsh Wins on Style and Substance

There was quite a debate last night in the Illinois 8th. Dems have redrawn the district to favor them but their candidate has failed before--another race, another district-- and she failed again last night. Sun Times Dem bias shines through (and Crain's Chicago Business links to it in their Morning 10 recap, what a sad commentary on this town)

They mention Walsh's PAC donations but not Duckworth's Soros/SEIU funding, then take at face value her post-debate posturing:

 Duckworth said SuperPACs should be banned from politics

They did quote Joe right on this:

Walsh used his opening statements to predict that Duckworth would only give “canned … polled-tested” answers to questions.  

And it was a good prediction. Much of the debate Duckworth tried to position herself as independent and bipartisan (kind of tells you she's losing the argument, doesn't it), but when it came time to a question about IL pensions, her instinctive leftism was revealed. She didn't display a grasp of the seriousness of the issue, despite her statement early on that her key priorities were Medicare and Social Security. Tribune: 

Illustrating the divide was the candidates’ responses when asked what two specific positions made them the best choice for voters on Nov. 6. Walsh listed the fight against raising the debt ceiling and backing a balanced budget amendment. Duckworth pointed to protecting the guarantee of Medicare and Social Security.

Duckworth just talked about fairness, didn't engage on the massive underfunding and taxed to the max state of Illinois taxpayers at all. To his credit, Walsh made the case for a bipartisan solution before Illinois' pension choices are taken away by the courts or the markets.

Ignored by both papers was the exchange on energy and jobs. While Americans are suffering from $4-$5 gas and refinery chokepoints, Duckworth stated she opposes the Keystone pipeline, citing Canadian profits, pipeline perils and the oil going to China. Really Tammy? That's your argument? For one thing we have pipelines already crisscrossing this country, including the sandhill area involved. There are refineries down on the Gulf Coast, it wouldn't have to go for export. Oil is fungible anyway, more supply lowers the price. Can we afford someone so clueless in DC? A hand-picked Dem machine candidate who just spouts partisan talking points with no deeper understanding of what's at stake?

Walsh pointed out the pipeline would bring 20,000 American jobs. And more oil.

Neither the Tribune nor the Sun Times say anything about the whistleblower lawsuits lodged against Duckworth during her tenure in the Illinois VA office.

Here's the tape:

Partisan in her state job--where's the public interest when it truly counted?

Say what you want about Joe Walsh, he is truly independent. He speaks from the heart, has a depth of knowledge on kitchen table fiscal issues, understands what it takes to run a small business, and is genuinely concerned about changing the status quo tax and spend in Washington that is destroying this country.

More. McHenry County Blog...also here:  Sun-Times Says Poll Put Walsh Ahead of Duckworth