Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Some Republican news from Peoria

Will it play in Peoria?

Ray LaHood is announcing plans to run for Governor of Illinois according to the Peoria Journal-Star. I know a thing or two about Peoria. When it rains, it floods--at least on the Bradley University campus where I worked in the athletic department my freshman year alongside a nephew or cousin of Jim Tressel (I wonder if Ryan reads this). Anyway, the library there has no microfilm of the Journal Star. Pretty sad, right? You bet!
LaHood eyes governorship
Veteran Peoria politician ponders running for state office, saying Blagojevich hasn't fulfilled campaign promises

Wednesday, January 12, 2005
By Bernard Schoenburg
OF Copley News Service
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Peoria, is exploring a run for governor in 2006.

Although he and the Democratic governor Gov. Rod Blagojevich were friends when Blagojevich was in the U.S. House, LaHood said, he thinks Blagojevich "has been a divider, not a uniter" as governor. In contrast, LaHood said, he thinks he has proved he can bring people together.

"I think our state is in a big, huge mess," he said last week. "I think we're in a mess fiscally."

During a quarter-century in politics, LaHood said, "I've never seen the state so divided, so splintered, and I've never seen the lack of policy in terms of dealing with the problems that we have in the state of Illinois."

Blagojevich "made an inordinate number of promises when he was campaigning and fulfilled very few of them," LaHood said.

Many people, mostly from his 18th Congressional District, have encouraged him to run for governor, LaHood said. His expansive district takes in all or parts of 20 counties, including Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Bureau, Cass, Knox, Logan, Marshall, Mason, Putnam, Schuyler and Stark.

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