Dan Proft Challenged Me and Chickened Out

Proft: Big Mouth, Small Spine

On December 7, 2009, I intentionally baited Dan Proft on Twitter (transcript below). He bit, and swallowed. He's been caught lying, and now he's frantically denying.

The issue: Proft's past statements about our federal immigration laws, which he characterized as immoral. The statements came in an article he wrote for La Raza and which he read on-air at WLS 890 AM. With his own words out there, Proft boldly denies them. (For more information and background, see "Dan Proft is Pro-Amnesty for Illegals." Also see "No se puede, Dan Proft" at Cao’s Blog.)

Proft's own words: "'It's the law' is not a moral defense to laws that are immoral. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was 'the law' and it was wrong. National origins quotas aimed at stemming the tide of southern and eastern European immigrants was 'the law' on immigration until 1965 and it was wrong."

This is not the first time that Proft has been caught telling untruths. Illinois Reason ran a post called "Dan Proft caught fibbing ’bout fact-checking…" in May, 2008. It's a good read, with video. No doubt Proft denies that he said what he can be seen saying in that video.

His responses to my questions and remarks were undiplomatic, rude and dishonest, and unbefitting a candidate for statewide office. My own remarks, admittedly, are not characteristic of someone you’d vote for for governor. Fortunately for you, I’m not running for governor. Unfortunately, Dan Proft is (also see "Dan Proft's Reality Dysfunction").

The Twitter Transcript

Note: “Adam A.” refers to Adam Andrzejewski, another Republican running for governor. The so-called “flunkie” [sic] that Proft refers to is Robert Moon, who wrote “Dan Proft's pro-amnesty La Raza article” on Nov. 7, 2009.

ChiNewsBench: Hey Dan Proft, why do you disrespect our national sovereignty and immigration laws? http://bit.ly/4RUxqN @DanProft  

DanProft: @ChiNewsBench Hey Tom Mannis, I don't. Check your facts. Read the response I sent u instead of blindly posting lies from an Adam A. flunkie  

DanProft: @TeaTephi I don't. Try not to take the bait put out by a flunkie for Adam A. who is lying about my views  

ChiNewsBench: @DanProft - You deny your own spoken words?!? How can we trust a candidate who disowns his own recorded words???  

ChiNewsBench: @DanProft Adam A. did not speak those words, Mr. Proft. YOU did. Get outa the race now. Shame on you.  

ChiNewsBench: @DanProft - Your own pro-amnesty rant is on YOUR company's website, and you have the gall to deny it?  

ChiNewsBench: @DanProft "Read the response I sent u..." Uhm, Dan, did you hit "send" on that response yet? You've sent me NOTHING.  

Note: At this point, I was unaware of the response he sent. The conversation began (and continued) on Twitter. The response that Proft refers to above was sent to me via Facebook, although he did not alert me to that. So, he told me ro read a response that I was unaware of, and had sent to me in a different forum.

ChiNewsBench: Don't let @DanProft deny his own pro-illegal immigrant words, try though he might. 7:34 PM Dec 7th from web

ChiNewsBench: @DanProft: Here's an idea 4U - Debate your own recorded pro-amnesty speech from WLS-AM.  

DanProft: @ChiNewsBench hilarious. - December 07, 2009, 10:32:57 PM

DanProft: @ChiNewsBench thanks for the tip. what a discovery a commentary on my website. I'm familiar with it and with hacks like you who distort - December 07, 2009, 10:33:42 PM

DanProft: @ChiNewsBench look on Facebook. - December 07, 2009, 10:33:58 PM

DanProft: @ChiNewsBench I have a better one; I'll challenge you. Another coward like Robert Moon who can only take shots but cannot engage - December 07, 2009, 10:34:50 PM

DanProft: @ChiNewsBench one more idea: take a remedial reading comprehension course and then we can debate what I wrote vs. your distortion of it 

ChiNewsBench: @DanProft - You're either a lousy liar or simply deranged. One need not be able to read to hear what you said.

ChiNewsBench: @DanProft - Dude, the "tip" was not meant for you. It was meant for all those who are not yet aware of your inner RINO.  

ChiNewsBench: @DanProft Can't engage? LOL! You're actually debating yourself by denying what is in writing and audio. You bore me now. Over, out.  

DanProft: @ChiNewsBench Sigh, it is futile to talk to black helicopter folks like you.You hear/read only what you can assimilate-and that ain't much.   

ChiNewsBench: @DanProft - I accept your challenge. Meet me at the end of Navy Pier, 3:00 am, alone. No weapons. Just hand to hand. You on?  

ChiNewsBench: @DanProft - Or would you seriously challenge me to a debate? All I have to do is bring an MP3 player and loop your own pro-illegal rant.  

ChiNewsBench: @danproft Define the challenge, sir. The ball is in your court.  

DanProft: @caoilfhionn1 hysterical...what we are "seeing" are those destructive people within the conservative movement that keep us chasing our tails  

DanProft: @TeaTephi No I did not write that immigration law in general is amoral or immoral  

DanProft: @TeaTephi Again, I did not write that immigration laws in general are either immoral OR amoral.  

There you go. Proft challenged me and I accepted, asking him to "define the challenge." He never did. All bark and no bite.

After reading the above, imagine Proft as governor. Now imagine him responding to really tough questions from big media reporters. Would he accuse them of being “flunkies?” Would he lie about past statements, denying words he wrote and spoke, as he did above?

Proft has not followed up on his “challenge” to me, although I wrote that I accepted. Is he a coward, or simply afraid of his words and lies being further exposed?

Dan Proft’s “response” to me, via Facebook, December 7 at 1:54pm

Note: He continues the bizarre denial of his own words.

Tom,

Absolutely, 100& [sic] false. I am not nor have I ever been a proponent of amnesty. Completely ridiculous and being promoted by Mr. Moon, a flak for Adam A's campaign because they cannot deal with me on the merits.

My positions as oft repeated:

- I do not and have never supported amnesty in theory or in legislation.

- I oppose sanctuary city designations

- I oppose the extension of rights and benefits reserved for American citizens and those otherwise here legally to those not here illegally. In fact, to my knowledge I am the only candidate who has talked about doing a complete redetermination of Medicaid to rescind coverage extended by Blagojevich through All Kids to persons here illegally.

- I support e-verify so that employers may check the status of prospective employees to ensure they can legally work here.

The good news from the silliness of the preposterous mischaracterization of my views is that it is so obviously false as to be completely without credibility and readily identifiable as such (at least to those interested in ascertaining the truth as opposed to simply pushing someone else's agenda).

Regards,

Dan Proft

The question must be asked: Was Dan Proft preposterously mischaracterizing his own position two years ago, or is he preposterously mischaracterizing today?