Oct 25, 2008

Dan Seals on Education

What He Says

"Now the majority of education funding does come at the local level from your state and obviously from your property taxes but there are some things that the federal government can do." -- Dan Seals, Waukegan Forum, January 26, 2008

His Record

On No Child Left Behind:

"I would be closer to, something like you said, scrapping it completely." (Dan Seals, Arlington Heights Forum, January 12, 2008) While most educators agree that NCLB needs reform, most common-sense educators agree that the underlying goals of NCLB remain essential and the base legislation is the right direction. Seals call to "scrap it completely" represents a radical view that is out of step with mainstream educators.

"As a member of Congress, I would ensure that NCLB is "Fair, Flexible, and Funded" in the words of Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller." (Dan Seals, Campaign Website) As of today, Chairman George Miller remains the single greatest opponent to reforming No Child Left Behind. He refuses to consider any NCLB reform legislation. If Dan Seals considers Chairman Miller his role model for NCLB reform, then Dan Seals does not support serious corrective legislation for NCLB.

Turning the Suburbs into Chicago:

On August 18, 2006, Dan Seals sent the following message to supporters: "Dan will meet with Arne Duncan, the head of Chicago Public Schools tomorrow, for a policy discussion on education and related issues. Through this meeting Dan hopes to gain a better understanding of the needs of our public school system. By doing this, Dan will be better able to address the educational needs of the 10th District in Congress." Do you want a congressman who wants to turn 10th District schools into the Chicago Public School system?

Regarding Online Sexual Predators:

During his 2006 failed run for Congress, Dan Seals posted an article on his campaign Web site calling the Deleting Online Predators Act "the wrong approach." The bill would help protect kids from dangerous online sexual predators while at school or the library. The legislation, endorsed by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, passed the House 400-15. Dan Seals sided with a radical minority.

Dan Seals is NOT endorsed by the National Education Association.

Dan Seals on Ethics

What He Says

"Shouldn't a congressman have the courage to do what's right?" – Dan Seals, 2006 TV ad


His Record

March 2005 -- Dan Seals was trained and recruited to run for Congress by convicted felon Robert Creamer, according to an interview given by a Democratic Committeewoman and a party newsletter published in March 2005. Creamer, husband of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), served five months in prison after pleading guilty to tax fraud and check kiting.

1/5/06 – Dan Seals filed his first official Financial Disclosure as a candidate for U.S. House several days after the legal deadline. Under House Ethics Rules, a candidate for office must file a Financial Disclosure with the U.S. House of Representatives no later than 30 days after raising or spending $5,000. According to Seals' report with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), he reached the candidacy threshold on December 1, 2005. However, Seals did not sing his Financial Disclosure statement until January 5, 2006. Seals began his campaign for Congress by breaking

House ethics rules.

2/28/06 – Dan Seals may have traded campaign contributions for a Democratic primary endorsement in 2006. During his hotly contested primary election against Zane Smith, the Democrats of Northfield Township endorsed Seals on January 29, 2006. According to Seals' report with the FEC, Seals then contributed $750 to the Democrats of Northfield Township on February 28, 2006 and another $1,148 on October 10, 2006.

Fall 2006 – Dan Seals paid himself $25,000 in special interest campaign funds during his 2006 campaign for Congress, according to his 2007 Financial Disclosure report with the U.S. House of Representatives and Seals' report with the FEC.

10/27/06 – Attorney General Lisa Madigan ordered an inspector general investigation into a state worker's illegal fundraising for Dan Seals on state time using state resources. (Chicago Tribune, 10/29/06)

5/7/07 -- Dan Seals filed his 2007 Financial Disclosure with the House of Representatives. In Schedule IV -- a section reserved for board, officer or honorary positions -- Seals lists himself as "Director, GE Commercial Finance." In fact, Mr. Seals never served on the Board of Directors of General Electric. Dan Seals knowingly falsified his Financial Disclosure in order to inflate his resume and cover up his currently unemployed status -- a direct violation of 5 U.S.C. app. 4 § 104(a) and 18 U.S.C. § 1001.

Fall 2007 – Three Chicago Democratic activists funneled more than $46,000 to the candidate to help keep him afloat in 2007 as Seals entered his second year of chronic unemployment. According to Seals' 2008 Financial Disclosure report with the U.S. House, Seals received the money as salary for three months of work at a Website that makes no profit. (Watch this Web video for more about this incident)

4/15/08 – Dan Seals knowingly filed a false April Quarterly disclosure with the FEC, failing to disclose an in-kind contribution to Bill Foster for Congress. While Foster's campaign report disclosed receipt of a March 27, 2008 in-kind contribution from Dan Seals for Congress, the Seals campaign failed to disclose it in violation of federal election law.

5/15/08 – Dan Seals filed his 2008 Financial Disclosure with the House of Representatives. In Schedule IV -- a section reserved for board, officer or honorary positions -- Mr. Seals lists himself as "Professor" at Northwestern University. But on January 31, 2008, Northwestern spokesman Chuck Loebbaka told the Chicago Tribune, "Seals official title will be lecturer." Yet again, Dan Seals knowingly falsified his Financial Disclosure in order to inflate his resume and cover up his currently unemployed status -- a direct violation of 5 U.S.C. app. 4 § 104(a) and 18 U.S.C. § 1001.

5/20/08 -- Dan Seals this week invited former congressman and convicted felon Dan Rostenkowski to speak to night school students about federal policymaking and then took money from Rostenkowski in front of the class. (Watch this Web video for more about this incident)

5/22/08 – From 12 to 1 pm on May 22, 2008, Dan Seals subsidized gasoline purchases for voters seeking to refuel their automobiles at the Marathon Gas Station in Lincolnshire, IL at 435 North Milwaukee Ave. Seals and campaign workers passed out bumper stickers to motorists. Title 18, Section 597 of U.S. Code states, "Whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate shall be fined not more than $10,000 under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined not more than $10,000 under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both." Seals was later fined $2,200 by the Lincolnshire Police. (Watch the news report on the event)

Dan Seals on Immigration

What He Says

"Number one, we need secure the border first and foremost." -- Dan Seals, New Trier Forum, January 10, 2008

His Record

On Amnesty for Illegal Aliens:

“As far as my views on immigration reform, I do favor comprehensive immigration reform.” – Dan Seals, Waukegan Forum January 8, 2008

"Seals said he supports a one-time amnesty to establish a 'path to legal status.'" -- Daily Herald, March 6, 2006

"You can't begin to solve it unless you know who's here. Giving them some type of legal status is the humane way to go. It has to be balanced with border security." -- Dan Seals, Daily Herald, March 6, 2006

"Democrat Dan Seals of Wilmette...says his views more reflect a Senate plan establishing a "path to citizenship" for illegal immigrants already living in this country." -- Daily Herald, October 5, 2006

On the Security Barrier along the Mexican Border:

"I think that's silly." -- Dan Seals, New Trier Forum, January 8, 2008

"It's just not an effective way to do it." -- Dan Seals, Waukegan Forum, January 26, 2008

On Employer Accountability, Border Control and Criminal Aliens:

Dan Seals opposed H.R. 6094, the Community Protection Act, which boosts authority to law enforcement to deport illegal aliens who are members of dangerous gangs. (Seals Web site)

Dan Seals opposed H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act, which dramatically increases the size of the border patrol, authorizes new surveillance technology to help control the border and increases penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens. (Seals Web site)

Oct 13, 2008

Dan Seals on Health Care

What He Says

"Health care costs have gotten out of control. We need some changes there." -- Dan Seals, WBBM "At Issue," April 13, 2008

"I want to change our healthcare system. I want to have a major overhaul." -- Dan Seals, New Trier Forum, January 10, 2008

His Record

For Cutting Funding from Medicare:

On Dan Seals' campaign Web site, he states his support for H.R. 3162. This legislation would cut billions of dollars from Medicare, including:

· Cutting access to oxygen by $6 billion
· Cutting access to wheelchairs by $900 million
· Cutting skilled nursing coverage by $6.5 billion
· Cutting rehabilitation care by $6.6 billion
· Cutting long-term care by $1.3 billion
· Cutting home health care by $7 billion

In the 10th District, more than 90,000 seniors depend on these specific programs for their lives. Dan Seals supported cutting billions of dollars from their health care.

Against Prescription Drug Coverage for Seniors:

Dan Seals opposes the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. According to the AARP, "With the Medicare drug program, more older Americans than ever before have access to affordable prescription drugs."

On February 17, 2006, the Daily Herald reported Dan Seals supports "doing away with the Medicare Part D prescription drug program."

"I think that's a horrible system." -- Dan Seals on Medicare Part D, Arlington Heights Forum, January 12, 2008

For a Government-Run National Health Care:

Under Dan Seals plan, the government would make the final decisions on your health care -- not you and your doctor.

"I believe we need to develop a national program of health insurance." (Seals campaign website, August 11, 2006)

"I do support Medicare or at least a system that uses Medicare for all." (Dan Seals, Arlington Heights Forum, January 12, 2008)

"The way I look at it is taking something like the Medicare system, it would have to have some modifications surely, and expanding it to make it available to those who would like to have an alternative to what they have today -- which is often nothing. That is the system I would take. It would not be as robust as the best programs that are out there now. It would be a very basic program. And one that would be sufficient to handle the basic needs." (Dan Seals, Chicago Tribune interview, December 11, 2007)

Supports Government Health Care for Illegal Aliens:

Asked if he supports H.R. 676, Dan Seals responded, "I do support Medicare or at least a system that uses Medicare for all." H.R. 676 would create government-funded health care for anyone living in America, including illegal aliens. (Arlington Heights Forum, January 12, 2008)

Oct 11, 2008

Dan Seals on Iraq

What He Says

When Dan Seals speaks to Democratic audiences, he strongly supports an immediate withdrawal from Iraq...

"I think we can start bring our troops home immediately and then phase the withdrawal down in about a year." -- Dan Seals, Stevenson High School, January 9, 2008


His Record

But when Dan Seals speaks to reporters, his position begins to look very similar to Congressman Kirk's...

"So, my view on a withdrawal is to be very responsible about it. As much as people would have loved to have left yesterday, that's just not practical. And so I am favoring a phased draw down." -- Dan Seals, WBBM "At Issue," April 13, 2008

"I would put that forward as a deadline and I would be willing to adjust it as conditions on the ground change." -- Dan Seals, Chicago Tribune Interview, December 27, 2007

"I believe our best approach is a responsible withdrawal from Iraq. Our withdrawal should not further destabilize the country and should all the Iraqi government time to prepare." -- Dan Seals, Campaign Web site, August 11, 2006

"Bringing our troops home doesn't mean the end of our support for Iraq. We should continue to provide our expertise, our money, and even our weapons for the effort." -- Dan Seals, Campaign Web site, August 11, 2006