Supporters From All Over Illinois

Join us by clicking "Take Action" on the right! Illinois needs Tom more than ever. Let's show him that his support is broad-based and spread across our entire great state!


View Larger Map

I'm Supporting Tom Because...

Many of Tom's supporters are helping spread our message. They're responded to our request! Join these folks in telling us why you're supporting Tom!

Brian B. is supporting Tom for Governor. Here's why:

Tom is a good man, and an honest public servant. It would be great to see someone with his principles, leadership, integrity and expereience at the helm!

Ken A. says:

Best man in Illinois for the job!!!!

And...Tom and Sue S. are backing Tom all the way to the Governor's Mansion:

It is about time Illinois has an honest person in the office. Tom is that kind of person. I will do everything in my power to get the support behind him.

Use the form below to tell us why you've joined the movement!

Say it Loud, Say it Proud

We've heard from thousands of supporters. They've all been volunteering, joining our group and spreading the word. Now tell everyone why you're doing all of this.

Radio, Facebook, Email List...

The response from supporters of Tom Cross continues to be amazing. Keep it up! A few things to note.

• Tomorrow morning (Thursday), ItsTimeForTom.com will be on WJJG AM 1530 out of Joilet at 8:45 AM. Be sure to tune in.
  
• Our Facebook group continues to grow. We're already over 30 45 60+ members! Join now, and if you have already, spread the word and get more folks to join that are on Facebook.
• We made the Joliet Herald News this morning with the same story that ran in the Aurora Beacon News yesterday. You can read the piece here.
• We're also building out the email list. If you want to stay up-to-date on all things ItsTimeForTom.com, sign up below.

Enter your email address for updates. No spam. We promise.

Delivered by FeedBurner

Stand Up and Be Counted!

Welcome WBBM Radio listeners! Thanks for coming to check out our movement. This is a battle for the future of the ILGOP. Let's start talking about Future vs. Past, not Center vs. Right.

Audio here.

We've updated the map with some of the folks who have clicked on the "Take Action" button on the right. If you want to be a part of this, get involved today!


View Larger Map

Beacon News Discovers ItsTimeForCross.com

Well...I guess we probably have Representative Cross' attention now. In his hometown paper, the Aurora Beacon News, reporter Andre Salles covers our project and talks about why we're working so hard to convince Tom to join this race: The Republican party's future is on the line.

Jake Parrillo thinks the Republican Party needs a reboot. And he knows just the guy to do it.

Over the weekend, Parrillo launched a Web site geared toward drafting Illinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross into running for governor in 2010. The site, called It's Time for Tom, lists several reasons why the long-serving representative from Oswego would be a good candidate -- not the least of which, Parrillo says, is his ability to draw the Republican Party together.

"He appeals to traditional and non-traditional Republicans," Parrillo said. "It's clear from the drubbing we took on Tuesday (Nov. 4) that we need to embrace and extend an invitation into the Republican Party."

Keep the momentum going. Spread the word by joining our Facebook group and inviting your friends!

6 Action Items:

• Include a link to ItsTimeForTom.com in your email signature.
• Post to Twitter - Tell your followers about ItsTimeForTom.com
• Volunteer at this page - And tell your friends about it.
• Use our badges on your blog or MySpace Page.
• Join our Group on Facebook. Check it out here.
• Step up to Chair a County group for ItsTimeForTom.com.

Enough Clownin' Around

It's Time for Tom!

If you have a blog or MySpace page, post up our badge here.

Future Vs. Past, Not Center Vs. Right

What a day! ItsTimeForTom.com was launched quietly via Twitter and my personal blog over the weekend and already today, we've received an onslaught of traffic from various sources, a few requests for interviews from the msm, and many more volunteers and supporters than I thought would show up in the first few days. This isn't a battle that will be fought and won in one day or one week or even one month. This is a battle that will be fought from here until election day in 2010.

This fight needn't be focused in the party on "center" versus "right". Rather, this is about the "Future" versus the "past". As a party, we need to evalutate the futue of the ILGOP based on those grounds. To be a viable party in the future, we NEED to pick "Future".

The folks who have joined me here at ItsTimeForTom.com have planted their flag firmly in the ground of "Future" and are looking forward to using the new media as a tool to succeed. We need to start our new media campaign today. Where are the County Organizations and their web presences? We can use free, simple tools to create county sites for each county. If you want to help build these out, drop me a line. Let's get organized online for 2010. It will be here before we know it.

By organizing early, we can demonstrate to Tom Cross that he should and needs to join this race. The best the Democrat Machine can put up is Lisa Madigan - who is just like Todd Stroger and Emil Jones III: Children of Chicago Ward Bosses who are forcing their offspring down Illinois' voters throats. Illinois deserves better than that.

If you haven't already, click on that red button on the right and take action now by joining us.

Who's Behind ItsTimeForTom.com

Hi, I'm Jake Parrillo. And I'm a regular voter. I don't work for the government nor any political organization. In fact - I'm not even a precinct committeeman any longer. I'm just someone who's fed up with the State of Illinois. And from the reaction so far on this site, I'm not the only one!

As Rich Miller at Capitol Fax pointed out, I am indeed the developer of this blog. I'm not trying to hide that. However, one thing that I believe is important - this was not some top-down effort, rather, this was just my work in trying to compel a man I know and once worked for - Tom Cross - to step out and run for Governor. No one asked me to build this site.

Take a look around. You'll notice that this isn't some high-powered big-money website. It is on blogger! The only thing that I spent on it was the $7 for the domain name: ItsTimeforTom.com. I'm sure others could have built a fancier site, but that's not what this is about. It's about connecting Republicans from across Illinois in a meaningful way via the web.

This started with just me. But in just the last 3 days, it has grown. We now have supporters filing in from all over Illinois. It won't stop here. I like to think that all the folks who are reading this are Tom Cross' "Special Interests". We need to organize quickly and with your help, Cross will jump into this race.

If you're interested in resetting the party and bringing a candidate who can win in 2010, join our movement.

Bloggers Taking Note....

A few bloggers across the state have taken notice of our efforts here on ItsTimeForTom.com:

Henry at One Man's Thoughts thinks Tom would be a welcome candidate for Statewide office:

I think Tom would be a welcome candidate for statewide office for any office.

And Mark Johnson from the Illinois GOP Network posted on the Illinoize blog about our efforts:

He has developed a good website and anyone else out there that is a Republican and thinking about running better get their internet shoes on and start jogging because I know if Jake is behind this he is already starting to run. I would also have to say this is a direct response to seeing the type of long term community building online that Obama did and how in the end it pays off.

Help us tell more people about why Illinois needs Tom Cross.

6 Action Items:

• Include a link to ItsTimeForTom.com in your email signature.
• Post to Twitter - Tell your followers about ItsTimeForTom.com
• Volunteer at this page - And tell your friends about it.
• Use our badges on your blog or MySpace Page.
• Join our Group on Facebook. Check it out here.
• Step up to Chair a County group for ItsTimeForTom.com.
  

Why Here? Why Now?

It's Time for Tom is an effort to get Tom Cross, the Illinois House Minority Leader, to grab the mantle of the Illinois Republican Party and run for Governor in 2010. This movement has come out of a desire to drive change in the great state of Illinois. We've become fed up with the way things are: Governor Rod Blagojevich is rotten, Cook County Board Chair Todd Stroger is inept, and the Illinois Democratic Party is trying to install their sons and daughters into more leadership roles across the State.

The Illinois Republican Party needs a hard 'reset'. After election night in 2008, where Illinois Senator Barack Obama was elected President, I posted a long post on my personal blog about the direction of the party. I laid out an action plan and I received an incredible amount of feedback from Republicans all across the state. They said that they, too, were incredibly frustrated with the Illinois Republican Party and they, too, want changes. They want a leader to stand up and deliver on our agenda.

The time is now for Republicans all across Illinois to unite behind Tom Cross as our Gubernatorial Candidate in 2010. We can't do this alone. We need your help in demonstrating that Tom should join this race. That it is a race he can and will win.

You can help today by getting out and telling your friends and family about "It's Time for Tom". You can also use one of our "badges" if you have a blog or website and you can get involved directly with our efforts by filling out the form here.

What Can You Do Right Now?

Getting the message out about ItsTimeForTom.com needs to be a team effort. We're looking for help from all of you. It isn't hard. Here's 6 easy things you can do right now.

1. Include a link to ItsTimeForTom.com in your email signature.
2. Post to Twitter or Facebook in your status message a note about the launch of ItsTimeForTom.com.
3. Send an email to your fellow Republicans and tell them to sign up to volunteer on this page.
4. Use our badges on your blog or MySpace Page. Even better? Write about why you're supporting the ItsTimeForTom.com movement.
5. For your own county organization for the ItsTimeForTom.com Movement. We need 99 more volunteers to step up and organize their county for us. If you're interested, drop us a line in the comments and we'll reach out to you.
6. Join our Group on Facebook. Check it out here.

Use these Badge(s) to Help us Spread the Word!

Getting the right folks on the top of the Illinois Republican Ticket in 2010 is going to take some work. Do you write a blog, Facebook Profile or have a MySpace page? Save these images and post them up with links back to ItsTimeForTom.com.

150 X 240 Sidebar Badge














300X250 Badge

A Call to Action

America has seen many draft movements in its history. Maybe the most notable draft campaign was that of former five-star general Dwight D. Eisenhower. Draft Eisenhower movements sprung up in both the Democratic and Republican parties in 1948 and again during 1951. Eisenhower did his best to ignore them.

In late December, then President Harry S. Truman wrote to ask General Eisenhower, "I wish you would let me know what you intend to do", and General Eisenhower replied, "I do not feel that I have any duty to seek a political nomination." Soon after, General Eisenhower reconciled his commitment not to seek a political office by taking the position that he would be personally compelled to respond if called to a higher duty.
During the Democratic National Convention in 1952, Adlai Stevenson was drafted as a nominee, in spite of his earlier statements about his lack of a desire to run for office, and eventually overcame Estes Kefauver as a favorite of the delegates after three rounds of voting.

Henry Cabot Lodge forced the issue by entering Eisenhower in the New Hampshire Republican primary without Eisenhower's authorization. General Eisenhower won all the Republican delegates and soundly defeated Senator Robert Taft of Ohio (who had campaigned intensively in the state) by a vote of 50% to 38%.

After the primary win, Eisenhower told a reporter, "Any American who would have that many other Americans pay him that compliment would be proud or he would not be an American." Convinced of being called to a higher duty, he announced his candidacy the next day.

The same can be said for Illinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross. We're calling him into action. The State of Illinois has never been in a worse spot. We need his leadership. We need his courage. We need his judgement.

Join us in helping compel Tom Cross to run in 2010.

About Tom Cross

Tom Cross is serving his Eighth term in the Illinois General Assembly as the District 84 State Representative.

First elected in 1992, his current district includes northeastern Oswego Township in Kendall County, portions of Troy and Wheatland Townships in Will County, Plainfield Township in Will County, and part of Naperville Township in DuPage County.

In 2003, Tom's peers in the Republican caucus elected him Republican Leader for the Illinois House giving him an opportunity to use his collegial style to engage all members in the decision-making process. In his first year as Republican Leader, Tom and the Republican caucus pushed the General Assembly toward meaningful ethics reform aimed at restoring the public's confidence in government officials.

This legislative session, Tom is pushing an aggressive legislative agenda to create jobs and protect Illinois families. Tom is calling for the General Assembly to finally pass a much needed Capital Plan after six years of neglect to improve Illinois' aging infrastructure, roads, bridges, schools, and mass transit systems. When implemented, this Capital Plan is expected to reenergize Illinois' economy and create over 200,000 high paying jobs.

Tom has also been aware of the recent home foreclosing crisis affecting many Illinois families and has proposed legislation to combat foreclosures by mandating that lenders give borrowers a final mortgage restructuring option prior to foreclosure and create the Foreclosure Prevention Task Force to create awareness and look into further solutions to the foreclosing crisis.

One of Tom's highest priorities has always been the lowering of taxes, and this legislative session is no different. Tom is pushing ground breaking legislation to provide much needed property tax relief to Illinois seniors and is also advocating for a State Sale Tax Holiday on Memorial Day Weekend to coincide with the planned delivery of the Federal Government's economic stimulus checks. Furthermore, to control government spending, Tom is pushing for a constitutional amendment to require a 3/5th majority vote by the General Assembly to increase taxes and fees.

Tom has also been mindful of the needs of the business community by spearheading a grassroots effort to enact medical malpractice reforms to keep good doctors working in Illinois. He also initiated comprehensive jobs packages and tort reforms to help existing employers thrive while attracting new jobs to our communities. Tom also supported landmark workers' compensation reforms that will improve benefits for labor while lowering cost for employers.

Over the past three years, he has led the fight against egregious raids of the state's public pension systems to fund increased state spending and has successfully blocked several job-killing tax increases proposed by the current administration.

Tom is pushing legislation to protect our children on social networking websites from sex offenders. Recently Tom has passed legislation to keep children safe from sexual predators while visiting internet sites including MySpace and Facebook.

He has also worked with fellow House Republicans to introduce legislation that will allow electronic surveillance for violators of an order of protection. House Bill 6325 sponsored by State Representative Suzie Bassi creates the Cindy Bischof Domestic Violence Electronic Surveillance Law.

The legislation allows judges to make the decisions whether electronic surveillance is appropriate based upon the circumstances of each case. The monitoring would provide both law enforcement and the victim with updated information on the offender's whereabouts.

Tom practices law with Mahoney, Silverman, and Cross in Joliet. Prior to his affiliation with this firm, he practiced private law after serving 8 years as a prosecutor in the Kendall County State's Attorney's Office.

Tom is a graduate of Yorkville High School and Illinois Wesleyan University. He received his J.D. from Cumberland Law School in Alabama.

Tom has been active in his community, serving in the past on boards for the YMCA, Rush Copley Medical Center, Kendall County Mental Health Board, and the Kendall County Foundation. He belongs to the Plainfield, Shorewood, and Oswego Chambers of Commerce and the Oswego Optimist Club. Tom currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

He and his wife, the former Genie Hovater, live in Oswego with their two children. They belong to the Oswego Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist.

Join the Movement

Tom Cross - Right on the Issues that Matter

On the issues, Tom Cross has delivered. Time after time, he's sided with us. He'll continue this fight in the governor's mansion.

He's worked to combat online predators.

Because computers are such a prevalent tool for sexual predators to victimize unsuspecting young adults, Illinois House Republican members introduced new legislation Monday that will prevent predator access to social networking sites and strengthen laws against child pornography.

"Teens post their personal information on the Web everyday and they don't realize that not only are their friends reading their personal information, but so are adult predators," said House Republican Leader Tom Cross. "House Republicans were proactive on this issue last year and we passed landmark protections for our children. Attorneys General from around the country recently got involved and formed a task force to study the issue. Today we are proposing legislation to make the Internet a safer place."

He's also lead on the charge on keeping good doctors in Illinois through Medical Malpractice Reform.

Most importantly, he's been working clean up government for years.

The Illinois House unanimously approved a government ethics reform package on Friday with the hope of eliminating corruption among state workers and elected officials.

The proposal comes after scandals that include the federal corruption case against an aide of former Gov. George Ryan and the Ryan campaign organization.

The former governor has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

"Clearly it's in response to what has been happening," said the bill's sponsor, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego. "We want to restore the public's faith and trust in government, and we think this goes a long way to do this."