Gun owners beware: Jim Ryan announces run for Illinois Governor

Don Gwinn · November 4, 2009, 02:14 PM

Quote:

The last time Illinois gun owners heard from former Attorney General Jim Ryan, Illinois government was in turmoil and Ryan wanted to be Governor. The more things change, the more they stay the same . . . . . Ryan was eager to position himself for a run at the Governor's Mansion, and he was convinced as many politicians were in those days that there was only one correct side on the gun issue: moderate to anti-gun. But what could he do to establish his anti-gun bona fides without alienating the deer hunters? He settled on a dramatic sting operation to catch people selling "assault weapons." Unfortunately, there was no practical way to crack down on such weapons using his jurisdiction as Illinois Attorney General, so he set his investigators the task of buying as many "assault weapons" as they could, as illegally as they could. In the end, the only way they could accomplish their task was to find people who wanted to sell their firearms legally in interstate commerce, then convince them that it would be legal to circumvent federal law in some specific way.

Gun owners beware: Jim Ryan announces run for Illinois Governor

Link to Youtube video of Ryan's announcement.

The last time Ryan was discussed on gun boards, it was because of his "online sting" operation from 2000. He was the Attorney General of Illinois back then, and he had his investigators try to buy "assault weapons" illegally from out of state buyers over the internet. They couldn't find anyone willing to do that, so they took the legal sellers and told them that what they wanted to do was legal. They went as far as to claim that they had checked with local FFLs and gotten legal advice . . . and then they tried to put people in jail for trying to follow the law. Now he wants to be Governor again.

Technosavant · November 4, 2009, 02:51 PM

You Illinois people and your politics... haven't you all learned your lesson about people surnamed "Ryan" by now?

Seriously, though, good luck fighting the guy. I'll let my in-laws know that he isn't to be trusted.

vranasaurus · November 4, 2009, 03:13 PM

So the former AG in Illinois never heard of entrapment? Seriously?

How does an Attorney that incompetent get elected AG?

csmsss · November 4, 2009, 03:29 PM

Quote:

So the former AG in Illinois never heard of entrapment? Seriously?

How does an Attorney that incompetent get elected AG?

Since when does competence have anything whatsoever to do with winning elections? Seriously, and especially seriously in the machine politics of Chicago/Illinois.

MTT TL · November 4, 2009, 05:20 PM

Holy Smokes, haven't you people endured enough? Is Moses ever going to appear to part the Mississippi and lead you to Missouri?

Don Gwinn · November 5, 2009, 09:16 AM

Well, let me give you an idea of his competence: the only two politicians who have ever beaten him in an election are Roland Burris and Rod Blagojevich.

He's got a debate tonight, and it will be interesting to see whether gun rights come up. I rather think they will. Kirk Dillard is a state Senator with probably the best chance of beating Ryan and winning the general election, and he's sponsored concealed carry in the past and would promote and sign it as Governor. Then there's Bill Brady, also a state Senator, who never met a gun control bill he didn't hate with a passion, and Dan Proft and Adam Andrzejewski, who are such long shots that they will probably be ignored tonight, but both are very strongly pro-gun. Andrzejewski actually said in a recent debate that the 2nd Amendment is "not about hunting."

Meanwhile, Jim Ryan and Andy McKenna (running as an "outsider," but he was the Chairman of the state GOP for years and was a big part of keeping criminals like George Ryan in office) are going to have to justify their stands.

I look for Jim Ryan to try to make a big change and pretend that he's always been the pro-gun choice. My impression is that he will pander to whoever he thinks has the whip hand. In 2000-2002, he thought gun control was the coming thing, so he was the poster boy. This year it should be clear that being anti-gun is a liability, and I expect him to pretend.

MTT TL · November 5, 2009, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Kirk Dillard

Is DupPage close enough to Chicago to allow him to be elected?

Don Gwinn · November 5, 2009, 05:46 PM

Heh.
That isn't quite how it works, though Chicago is very important.

But the short answer is yes.

SigP6Carry · November 5, 2009, 07:27 PM

MMT, Governor is state, Mayor is city. If he were running for office in Chicago, Dupage has no say. Since he's running for governor, everyone from cairo to rockford and from quincy to danville can vote.

MTT TL · November 5, 2009, 08:11 PM

My math says:

population of greater Chicago metro area about 9,000,000
population of Illinois about 12,000,000

IllinoisCoyoteHunter · November 5, 2009, 08:14 PM

Uh-Oh.... :barf:

Shoulda stayed in St. Louis....

DT Guy · November 5, 2009, 08:30 PM

He was married to Jeri Ryan (aka 'seven of nine') and screwed that up by being too kinky....I need no other reason to think he's an idiot.

Larry

SigP6Carry · November 5, 2009, 09:20 PM

JACK Ryan was married to Jeri Ryan. Jim Ryan went to Benedictine University in Lisle. He's popular because of his attacks on the tobacco companies, but I personally hate him. I can't think of anything he did that was really good for anybody. Smokers now pay more because of him in Illinois (AND Barack). I also think that some of his popularity comes from his personal life. He married a high-school sweethart and lost two children, people sympathize with him.

I don't agree with his politics, but he means well, so I can't condemn him. I honestly have no idea who to vote for in the next election, though.

Don Gwinn · November 6, 2009, 12:01 AM

For Governor? Well, you've got four Republican candidates who are clearly pro-gun. On the Democrat side, Pat "The Accidental Governor" Quinn signed HB182, but he also stated that he's against CCW and won't sign a bill. Dan Hynes is a cipher to me on gun control--he's got no issue statements out on anything, and he's been Comptroller for awhile, where he doesn't deal with social issues at all. I'm guessing he'll simply take the standard Illinois Democratic line, which is pretty anti-gun unless you're dealing with downstate, farmers-and-unions Democrats.

Among the Republicans, you've got Ryan and Andy "The Outsider" McKenna holding up the anti-gun Illinois GOP flag, and of course they're the favorites if you ask the party leadership. Then you've got Kirk Dillard--he's the guy I'm leaning toward right now. He's got name recognition, he's raising money, and he'd be the most pro-gun Illinois Governor in memory, maybe in history. I guarantee he would not only sign right-to-carry legislation but would work to get it passed, and I think the Dept. of Natural Resources would be very different under him, too (as in, not gasping for breath on life support.)

After him, I put Bill Brady, not because he's any less pro-gun (Bill Brady sponsored a bill to repeal the FOID card recently) but because I think he's less likely to win. He too would push for right-to-carry and be certain to sign it, and you have to remember, folks, that a certain number of legislators vote against CCW every year simply because every Governor for the past 20 years has promised to veto it if it makes it to his desk, and they don't want to stick their necks out for something that won't be law.

Then you have Dan Proft and Adam Andrzejewski, and again, both are adamantly pro-gun and pro 2nd Amendment--Andrzejewski, in particular, has a Youtube video of him explaining what the 2nd means, and he sounds like a regular on TFL--but both are newcomers without much funding or party support and almost no name recognition at all.

The really surprising thing about this election, and the key big picture to remember, is that we have four truly pro-gun candidates in an Illinois Governor's race. We stand a good chance of having a race between a fairly gun-neutral (for Illinois) Democrat and a very pro-gun Republican. That would be huge in Illinois.

Don Gwinn · November 6, 2009, 12:17 AM

Thomme is right!

George Ryan: Governor of Illinois from 1998 to 2002. Had Springfield TV host and gun rights activist Tom Shafer arrested 13 times; no convictions. Currently cooling his heels in federal prison in Indiana, where he receives a card and flowers every year on his birthday from Tom Shafer.

Jack Ryan: Ran against Barack Obama for U.S. Senate back before Obama had transcended the politics of the past. Had been married to Jeri Ryan, the woman who made cyborg zombies sexy again. Their sealed divorce documents got unsealed in time for the press to find out that Jeri Ryan had accused Jack Ryan, through her attorneys, of taking her to a sex club and asking her to join in sex with other people. The GOP leadership that had just spent years protecting George Ryan (that would be Andy "The Outsider" McKenna) decided that it didn't have the sand to stand up and say "Jack Ryan's past sexual relations with his ex-wife are irrelevant. Next question."

Jim Ryan: Career prosecutor. Played a key role in railroading an innocent man named Rolando Cruz onto death row. Has never apologized for that as far as I know. Later, as Attorney General, tried to railroad a bunch of people trying to sell guns legally, but they were all outside his jurisdiction and he was facing entrapment claims if he had gone forward anyway. As Thomme noted, Ryan's personal life has been tragic. He himself beat cancer, and his wife survived a heart attack, but his daughter died of a brain tumor in 1997 and his son committed suicide with a gun in 2007. It's hard not to feel for the tragedies the man has suffered, but as a politician he's a disaster.

SigP6Carry · November 6, 2009, 04:18 AM

I always forget about good ole' george. Sellin' truckers licenses. I think the issue with illinois politics is the corruption.

Thanks for the clarification of the candidates, though, Don. I was leaning a bit towards Pat Quinn, but couldn't really justify voting for him, as I don't much care for his policies. I can't outright vote for a republican based on gun rights, though, as I am a democrat in most other respects. I'll have to take a good hard look at each of the candidates to figure this one out. But thanks for the heads up on the gun rights issues, that was something I couldn't figure out easily.

November 4, 2009, 05:20 PM	#5
MTT TL Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2009 Location: Quadling Country Posts: 2,780	Holy Smokes, haven't you people endured enough? Is Moses ever going to appear to part the Mississippi and lead you to Missouri? __________________ Thus a man should endeavor to reach this high place of courage with all his heart, and, so trying, never be backward in war.

November 5, 2009, 09:16 AM	#6
Don Gwinn Staff Emeritus Join Date: March 9, 2000 Location: Virden, IL Posts: 5,917	Well, let me give you an idea of his competence: the only two politicians who have ever beaten him in an election are Roland Burris and Rod Blagojevich. He's got a debate tonight, and it will be interesting to see whether gun rights come up. I rather think they will. Kirk Dillard is a state Senator with probably the best chance of beating Ryan and winning the general election, and he's sponsored concealed carry in the past and would promote and sign it as Governor. Then there's Bill Brady, also a state Senator, who never met a gun control bill he didn't hate with a passion, and Dan Proft and Adam Andrzejewski, who are such long shots that they will probably be ignored tonight, but both are very strongly pro-gun. Andrzejewski actually said in a recent debate that the 2nd Amendment is "not about hunting." Meanwhile, Jim Ryan and Andy McKenna (running as an "outsider," but he was the Chairman of the state GOP for years and was a big part of keeping criminals like George Ryan in office) are going to have to justify their stands. I look for Jim Ryan to try to make a big change and pretend that he's always been the pro-gun choice. My impression is that he will pander to whoever he thinks has the whip hand. In 2000-2002, he thought gun control was the coming thing, so he was the poster boy. This year it should be clear that being anti-gun is a liability, and I expect him to pretend. __________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don Gwinn: Chicago Gun Rights Examiner

November 5, 2009, 05:46 PM	#8
Don Gwinn Staff Emeritus Join Date: March 9, 2000 Location: Virden, IL Posts: 5,917	Heh. That isn't quite how it works, though Chicago is very important. But the short answer is yes. __________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don Gwinn: Chicago Gun Rights Examiner

November 5, 2009, 07:27 PM	#9
SigP6Carry Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2009 Posts: 1,086	MMT, Governor is state, Mayor is city. If he were running for office in Chicago, Dupage has no say. Since he's running for governor, everyone from cairo to rockford and from quincy to danville can vote. __________________ -liberal gun nut = exception to the rule- -1.24274238 miles, because Russians don't need scopes- -Gun control was the Klan's favorite law, how can you advocate a set of laws designed to allow the denigration of a people?-

November 5, 2009, 08:11 PM	#10
MTT TL Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2009 Location: Quadling Country Posts: 2,780	My math says: population of greater Chicago metro area about 9,000,000 population of Illinois about 12,000,000 __________________ Thus a man should endeavor to reach this high place of courage with all his heart, and, so trying, never be backward in war.

November 4, 2009, 02:51 PM	#2
Technosavant Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 4,040	You Illinois people and your politics... haven't you all learned your lesson about people surnamed "Ryan" by now? Seriously, though, good luck fighting the guy. I'll let my in-laws know that he isn't to be trusted.

November 4, 2009, 03:13 PM	#3
vranasaurus Senior Member Join Date: November 16, 2008 Posts: 1,184	So the former AG in Illinois never heard of entrapment? Seriously? How does an Attorney that incompetent get elected AG?

November 5, 2009, 08:14 PM	#11
IllinoisCoyoteHunter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 1,527	Uh-Oh.... :barf: Shoulda stayed in St. Louis.... __________________ ~~IllinoisCoyoteHunter~~ ~NRA LIFE MEMBER~ ~NRA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR~

November 5, 2009, 08:30 PM	#12
DT Guy Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2001 Posts: 959	He was married to Jeri Ryan (aka 'seven of nine') and screwed that up by being too kinky....I need no other reason to think he's an idiot. Larry __________________ He who fights and runs away had better run pretty damn fast. Government, Anarchy and Chaos

November 5, 2009, 09:20 PM	#13
SigP6Carry Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2009 Posts: 1,086	JACK Ryan was married to Jeri Ryan. Jim Ryan went to Benedictine University in Lisle. He's popular because of his attacks on the tobacco companies, but I personally hate him. I can't think of anything he did that was really good for anybody. Smokers now pay more because of him in Illinois (AND Barack). I also think that some of his popularity comes from his personal life. He married a high-school sweethart and lost two children, people sympathize with him. I don't agree with his politics, but he means well, so I can't condemn him. I honestly have no idea who to vote for in the next election, though. __________________ -liberal gun nut = exception to the rule- -1.24274238 miles, because Russians don't need scopes- -Gun control was the Klan's favorite law, how can you advocate a set of laws designed to allow the denigration of a people?-

November 6, 2009, 12:01 AM	#14
Don Gwinn Staff Emeritus Join Date: March 9, 2000 Location: Virden, IL Posts: 5,917	For Governor? Well, you've got four Republican candidates who are clearly pro-gun. On the Democrat side, Pat "The Accidental Governor" Quinn signed HB182, but he also stated that he's against CCW and won't sign a bill. Dan Hynes is a cipher to me on gun control--he's got no issue statements out on anything, and he's been Comptroller for awhile, where he doesn't deal with social issues at all. I'm guessing he'll simply take the standard Illinois Democratic line, which is pretty anti-gun unless you're dealing with downstate, farmers-and-unions Democrats. Among the Republicans, you've got Ryan and Andy "The Outsider" McKenna holding up the anti-gun Illinois GOP flag, and of course they're the favorites if you ask the party leadership. Then you've got Kirk Dillard--he's the guy I'm leaning toward right now. He's got name recognition, he's raising money, and he'd be the most pro-gun Illinois Governor in memory, maybe in history. I guarantee he would not only sign right-to-carry legislation but would work to get it passed, and I think the Dept. of Natural Resources would be very different under him, too (as in, not gasping for breath on life support.) After him, I put Bill Brady, not because he's any less pro-gun (Bill Brady sponsored a bill to repeal the FOID card recently) but because I think he's less likely to win. He too would push for right-to-carry and be certain to sign it, and you have to remember, folks, that a certain number of legislators vote against CCW every year simply because every Governor for the past 20 years has promised to veto it if it makes it to his desk, and they don't want to stick their necks out for something that won't be law. Then you have Dan Proft and Adam Andrzejewski, and again, both are adamantly pro-gun and pro 2nd Amendment--Andrzejewski, in particular, has a Youtube video of him explaining what the 2nd means, and he sounds like a regular on TFL--but both are newcomers without much funding or party support and almost no name recognition at all. The really surprising thing about this election, and the key big picture to remember, is that we have four truly pro-gun candidates in an Illinois Governor's race. We stand a good chance of having a race between a fairly gun-neutral (for Illinois) Democrat and a very pro-gun Republican. That would be huge in Illinois. __________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don Gwinn: Chicago Gun Rights Examiner

November 6, 2009, 12:17 AM	#15
Don Gwinn Staff Emeritus Join Date: March 9, 2000 Location: Virden, IL Posts: 5,917	Thomme is right! George Ryan: Governor of Illinois from 1998 to 2002. Had Springfield TV host and gun rights activist Tom Shafer arrested 13 times; no convictions. Currently cooling his heels in federal prison in Indiana, where he receives a card and flowers every year on his birthday from Tom Shafer. Jack Ryan: Ran against Barack Obama for U.S. Senate back before Obama had transcended the politics of the past. Had been married to Jeri Ryan, the woman who made cyborg zombies sexy again. Their sealed divorce documents got unsealed in time for the press to find out that Jeri Ryan had accused Jack Ryan, through her attorneys, of taking her to a sex club and asking her to join in sex with other people. The GOP leadership that had just spent years protecting George Ryan (that would be Andy "The Outsider" McKenna) decided that it didn't have the sand to stand up and say "Jack Ryan's past sexual relations with his ex-wife are irrelevant. Next question." Jim Ryan: Career prosecutor. Played a key role in railroading an innocent man named Rolando Cruz onto death row. Has never apologized for that as far as I know. Later, as Attorney General, tried to railroad a bunch of people trying to sell guns legally, but they were all outside his jurisdiction and he was facing entrapment claims if he had gone forward anyway. As Thomme noted, Ryan's personal life has been tragic. He himself beat cancer, and his wife survived a heart attack, but his daughter died of a brain tumor in 1997 and his son committed suicide with a gun in 2007. It's hard not to feel for the tragedies the man has suffered, but as a politician he's a disaster. __________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don Gwinn: Chicago Gun Rights Examiner

November 6, 2009, 04:18 AM	#16
SigP6Carry Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2009 Posts: 1,086	I always forget about good ole' george. Sellin' truckers licenses. I think the issue with illinois politics is the corruption. Thanks for the clarification of the candidates, though, Don. I was leaning a bit towards Pat Quinn, but couldn't really justify voting for him, as I don't much care for his policies. I can't outright vote for a republican based on gun rights, though, as I am a democrat in most other respects. I'll have to take a good hard look at each of the candidates to figure this one out. But thanks for the heads up on the gun rights issues, that was something I couldn't figure out easily. __________________ -liberal gun nut = exception to the rule- -1.24274238 miles, because Russians don't need scopes- -Gun control was the Klan's favorite law, how can you advocate a set of laws designed to allow the denigration of a people?-