Walsh criticizes Motorola Mobility move
With the announcement of Motorola Mobility moving from Libertyville to downtown Chicago, Congressman Joe Walsh said Motorola’s move only gives off the appearance that Chicago is “on its way back.”
During a taping of WBBM Newsradio 780-AM’s “At Issue” from his Schaumburg congressional office, the McHenry Republican criticized the move and Democratic Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s part in the announcement that came Thursday, saying luring “symbolic” companies like Motorola Mobility and its 3,000 jobs from the suburbs won’t solve Chicago’s financial problems. The series of congressional interviews is being produced by WBBM in collaboration with the Daily Herald.
“Mayor Emanuel knows that Chicago is in deep, deep trouble … so what he’s going to try to do is use his connections,” Walsh said.
“It does bother me a little bit that he’s raiding the suburbs to do it,” Walsh said.
Walsh is currently in a nationally watched race against Democratic opponent Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates to maintain a U.S. House seat representing Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. The 8th District, roughly centered in Schaumburg and stretching from Addison to Elgin, includes portions of Cook, DuPage and Kane counties.
A Duckworth spokeswoman, contacted after the taping, criticized Walsh as not truly watching out for suburban jobs.
“Congressman Walsh was the only Illinois member — Democrat or Republican — to vote against the job-creating transportation bill, so if he had gotten his way no one would have killed more Illinois jobs than Joe Walsh himself,” said Duckworth campaign manager Kaitlin Fahey in response to Walsh’s criticism of Motorola’s move.
The 8th Congressional District race sits at the very top of a list of house seats the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted to “win back” in 2012.
In recent months, as Duckworth has branded Walsh as an extremist who is better known for sparring with television hosts than offering concrete solutions, Walsh’s campaign has described Duckworth as a bureaucrat unconcerned with government waste.
Despite the Duckworth campaign’s recent fundraising strength, Walsh said his campaign is doing well.
“When you’re out everyday, knocking on doors of independents and Democrats and just asking them point blank, ‘How are you doing? How are things going? Walsh and Duckworth, what do you think?’ We’re hearing some really good things,” Walsh said.
Walsh’s interview will air at 9:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. Sunday on WBBM 780-AM, at 6 a.m. Sunday on 93XRT FM and 11 p.m. Sunday on The Score 670-AM.
Duckworth will appear on “At Issue” several weeks from now.
Joe Walsh on “At Issue”
Hear Congressman Joe Walshs entire interview on At Issue Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. on WBBM Newsradio 780-AM, at 6 a.m. on WXRT 93.1-FM and at 11 p.m. on WSCR The Score 670-AM.