100 K raised and 80 K cash on hand? Haha, looks like John Tree wasn't the savior that IL-10 Democrats were hoping for. None of the three Democrats in the race have the campaign skills or the financing to take down a well respected, well funded moderate like Bob Dold. The race will be very competitive, but things are looking good for a return to Washington for Dold.

http://factcheck.org/2011/12/the-whoppers-of-2011/

The Whoppers of 2011. The year's worst political deceptions, from both sides.

Despite what you may have heard in 2011:

Republicans aren’t proposing to “end” Medicare (and Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden has signed onto a modified version of the GOP plan).

Democratic Whopper: Republicans Would ‘End Medicare’

First the truth: The budget plan that Republicans pushed through the House in 2011 would have radically changed Medicare in the future — for workers now under age 55. Starting in the year 2022, the GOP plan called for new Medicare beneficiaries to purchase private insurance with the help of federal subsidies.

But the plan would have continued the present Medicare system indefinitely for those now getting benefits, and also for all those who reach age 65 during the next decade.

But the truth didn’t stop Democrats from misrepresenting the proposal shamelessly to scare senior citizens and win election votes. They tested this tactic in a May 26 special House election in New York state, running ads accusing the Republican candidate of endorsing a plan that would “essentially end Medicare” and amount to “cutting benefits for seniors,” claims that were far from the truth.

Republicans want to privatize Medicare which means that for all meaningful purposes, Medicare will end. Seniors and the disabled will have to scrounge around in the private insurance world, premiums will rise as will premiums for the rest of us, because seniors and the disabled will increase the risk in the pools.

DMAC says, "Oh ya, you lied too!" Good argument. Also, "I am 55 and I paid into Medicare since I was 16." And Ryan's plan will give you everything you expect. Or, you could ask for your money back and give up a guaranteed return on your money of approximately 6.5% or more. I'm assumimg you have no children. I have children and grandchildren and feel very sorry for the mess we're leaving for them to deal with. Evidently Democrats don't care about that as long as they get their's.

Republicans want to give seniors and the disabled vouchers to purchase health insurance for private companies. This will increase health insurance costs for everyone and is nothing less than a bailout for the very healthy health insurance industry. If we ended a few wars and cut unnecessary defense spending, we'd have the money for Medicare.

DMAC said, "Dold has brought no viable solutions to the table. Ryan's plan is a non starter." Please publish the link to anyone elses solution that you believe will make up the $38.5 Trillion in unfunded liabilities. Remember that the plan should probably also account for the $17 to $20 Trillion in unfunded SSA liabilities.

Mouth hanging open on this one, Gary-

"Actually, it was the every man for himself ideology that made the country great"

I guess had you been on the Titanic you would have been pushing women and children out of the way to get to the lifeboat. You'd make Ayn Rand so proud! I wonder how General Washington would have liked having you in his troops. "Help that wounded soldier? Hell no, it might be dangerous. Scout out the enemy's where abouts? Nope, I've got more important things to do."