Keyes planning to run (aparently says yes, not "thinking" on it)

[Ediacara]

Keyes planning to run

August 5, 2004

BY SCOTT FORNEK POLITICAL REPORTER

Let the debate begin.

Former presidential hopeful Alan Keyes told Illinois Republicans that he would accept their request to take on Democrat Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate race if they offered him the nomination.

Members of the Republican State Central Committee insisted that the former radio and television commentator make the promise before they would vote to give him the nod Wednesday night, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday.

“So he went back into the room and basically said, ‘If you offer, I will accept,’ ” said a source close to the negotiations.

More at the Chicago Sun-Times

Mods.... if this is a dupe, please lock it.... The Sun-Times has a knack of embelishing stories, but it does look like it's a confirmation that Keyes will run.

[dogman]

1. The article says he's giving it consideration.

He has to see how much it pays first.

[snippy]

5. He will pay himself a salary from donated campaign funds,

just like he has done before.

Alan Keyes is actually an important footnote to the history of American political campaigns. In 1992, Keyes ran for the Senate in Maryland and paid himself, from donated campaign funds, a salary -- $8,483 a month.

Keyes was the first to make explicit what had long been true -- running for office can be a decent job.

Last year, the FEC ratified the Keyes Principle and made clear that it was perfectly legal for candidates to pay themselves salaries.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/20/opinion/meyer/main541396.shtml

[CPops57]

12. Actually, I don't think getting money for running should be illegal....

I don't think it should be illegal, as long as you disclose what salary you draw from the campaign and as long as you're taking private donations, not public funds.

The average working man and woman will never be able to acquire the wealth to take months out of working to be able to mount a legitimate campaign. Unless you want the government to be completely dominated by wealthy folks who can afford to take a year out of their life to run for office, you should be able to see how allowing candidates to pay themselves a salary from campaign donations would help improve the fairness of our democracy.

I really don't want the governmentto be the exclusive abode of the rich. Allowing candidates to take some amount of money allows poorer candidates with good ideas to run without fear of knowing that they won't be able to feed their family if they're not working. If candidates are relying on private donations and disclose how much they take, I see no harm in the practice.

I'm not certain how wealthy Keyes was at the time he did accept those funds so I'm sort of hesitant to pass complete judgement on the matter, though it does look questionable to pay himself AS MUCH as he did. He's going to have to answer up to a lot of tough questions, and I'curious to see his side of the story before passing complete judgement on the man.

[snippy]

18. I have no problem with Keyes's career choice as an unelectable candidate.

I think all clowns and whores should be paid for their work. Keyes is both. His salary is his donors' and the voters' business.

[Hokie]

2. I thought getting Keyes n the ballot was illegal?

Oh yeah, I forgot he is a repuke and the law does not apply. In the words of Chimpy: "Bring 'em on!"

[Nay]

3. Go ahead, Keyes. I want to see Obama wipe the floor with you.

[kwolf68]

4. Zzzzz

They already have Barak's name plate on his door in Washington, DC. This nutjob Keyes sure as hell won't change that fact.

[flordehinojos]

6. Was there ever anybody who thought Alan Keyes would say NO to

the silver platter being handed him? :smoke:

[Joanne98]

7. Good. He's a Straussian

nazi/facist/racist/atheist Great opportunity to bring up Leo Strauss. the fundies will love the fact that they've been voting for atheist.

[demoman123]

17. Keyes is a Catholic, not an "atheist," as you claim.

http://html.thepittsburghchannel.com/sh/election2000/stories/election2000-20000218-163106.html

[Catherine Vincent]

8. Did you notice on MSNBC this evening when they were talking

about Keyes running in Illinois and everything and they showed him during the 2000 debates with the other repukes, the one line they played was when he was bashing Clinton.

[kskiska]

10. You mean this one?

"I deeply resent the destruction of federalism represented by Hillary Clinton's willingness go into a state she doesn't even live in and pretend to represent people there, so I certainly wouldn't imitate it

[Guaranteed]

14. LOL! nt

[poliguru]

9. What an ass

Somehow, I'm still not concerned about the outcome of the senate election.

BTW, technically, he's not breaking the law. IL law says you have to be a resident by election day. Wonder how fast that law will change next session?

[customerserviceguy]

11. Presuming the outcome is that Keyes

gets his ass handed to him, there will be no reason to change the eligibility law. The voters are smart enough to see a hypocrite.

I see this as an effort to draw away campaign dollars that could otherwise go to other Democratic candidates. You watch, the GOP is not going to spend any national campaign funds on this one, they'll target other races where they think they have a shot at making a difference, and they know this one ain't it.

[poliguru]

13. The Repubs will be pissed

whether Keyes wins or loses. If you were a Repub politician, and the seat was open, and you were not offered the nomination, you'd want to close that little back door just because you can.

And yes, I realize the GOP in IL did ask several politicians in IL to take the nomination. But certainly there were plenty left behind. It's going to be a matter of pride.

[customerserviceguy]

19. I kind of doubt that

I can't imagine any serious Illinois Republicans wanting to take this spot. First, it's obvious that you weren't first choice among party members, since they already made overtures to Ditka and Keyes. Second, it's pretty darned late in the game, and you'd have to completely disrupt your life, and your family's life for what is likely to be not just a losing cause, but a walloping. Third, Obama is a media giant right now, even the right wingers over at FreeRepublic were impressed by his speaking ability, if not his politics.

Any Republican running against him is not even going to be a footnote in history, because its universally understood, that all the Illinois GOP wants at this point is a space filler, and a way to attract money away from Kerry and other Dem candidates, to be spent on Obama, who doesn't need it. In short, they won't be nearly as pissed about Obama getting the seat, as they will when Kerry wins, and the House and Senate move more seats into Democratic hands.

[SKKY]

15. I'm sorry, but...

If this is the best they can come up with, it certainly says a lot about the state of the republican party. Isn't this the clown that grilled Hillary for supposedly "carpet bagging" in New York? Nothing I can find shows me any connection Keyes has with Illinios. However, in spite of everything, does this guy really, honestly think he stands a chance? Didn't he watch the convention?

[flordehinojos]

16. Isn't Keyes a sort of megalomaniac freak?

He can be as inflexible as anyone else in the Republican party. As "what in blazes is he saying?" bastardly as anyone else in the Republican party, and while he may make our jaws drop, he may just happen to fit in very well with the current crew at the helm of the Republican party.:freak: