Brady Stumps in Freeport, NW Illinois

By Ryan Ekvall For The Prairie Advocate News

Bill Brady is presented with GOP blend coffee from a representative of the Republican Women of Upper Northwest Illinois, saying “Conservative coffee for conservative taste, and you’ll need this coffee to finish the race.”

The Brady Bus rolled into Freeport around 10 o’clock Monday morning as Republican candidate for Governor, and current state senator, Bill Brady, made an appearance at the Lincoln-Douglas debate site to speak to an audience of roughly 75 local citizens. Brady stepped off the bus to a round of applause from the audience, and was quickly huddled around by supporters posing for photographs, and offering handshakes and best wishes on the election.

“This campaign has been so wonderful to see the excitement and the enthusiasm of the people as we’ve travelled from county to county, from community to community. People who really believe in what Illinois could be once again,” began the gubernatorial candidate.

Brady was introduced by Jim Sacia, state representative from the 89th district, and Don Manzullo, US representative from the 16th district.

“The unhealthy business climate in this state brought on over the past several years by the legislators and by the Governor’s office . . . That’s going to change November 2nd because we have with us . . . a person who has met payroll, who understands what a budget is, who has run a business. Ladies and gentlemen the next Governor of the state of Illinois, Bill Brady,” rallied Manzullo to cheers from the audience.

Sen. Brady (left) makes a point for fiscal responsibility in the State of Illinois, a policy appreciated by US Representative Don Manzullo (center) and State Representative Jim Sacia. Behind Manzullo is former State Rep I. Ron Lawfer. (PA photos/Ryan Ekvall)

Brady cited the plentiful production resources in Illinois, including agriculture, infrastructure and “coal reserves more vast than Saudi Arabia’s oil,” and then spoke briefly of the “deficits and debt and unemployment . . . horrifying numbers” that currently plague this state. “You can’t help but wonder why in the center of this nation’s economy we’re doing so poorly. Why have we lost over 800,000 jobs in the last decade? Why in the last two months reporting period did we lose over 26,000 jobs while 35 states in this nation improved job performance in their states?

“The reason is simple,” continued the senator. “If higher taxes and higher fees, more litigation and regulation, and deficits and debts created jobs, then we’d be the number one job producing state in the nation . . . We’re going to remove Pat Quinn from office, and we’re going to bring government leadership to Illinois that will make Illinois the most business friendly state in the nation once again. And we are going to balance our budget without Pat Quinn’s tax increases.”

A freight train fittingly roared past in the distance, blaring its horns as Brady finished his speech, “We are going to reduce spending, reduce borrowing, reduce taxes, reduce regulations . . . putting our people back to work through the private sector, not the large government bureaucracies. Thank you and God bless.”

To his credit, Brady has been endorsed by former IL Gov. Jim Edgar, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Manufacturers Association and the National Federation of Independent Businesses, among others. The Upper Northwest Illinois Republican Women presented Brady, Manzullo and Sacia with a pound of “conservative coffee” each. A representative from the organization told Brady “this is conservative coffee for conservative taste, and you’ll need this coffee to finish the race.” The coffee is available for purchase to support the organization at .

The “Clean Break Express” bus tour came through northwest Illinois for much of Monday, beginning the day in Galena before continuing to Freeport. Other scheduled stops for the bus tour included Dixon, Moline, Galesburg and Macomb. Monday’s northwest Illinois stops represent just a portion of Brady’s statewide tour, which will travel through mid-October to rally voters to decide “whether we’re going to have a clean break” come election day on November 2nd.