Susan Hathaway-Altman Use of Sword of the Spirit at Candidates Forum Cuts Deep into Catalina Lauf

by John Lopez

Reader discretion is advised.
Some of the images contained in this article may be disturbing for some readers.  

Republican congressional candidate Susan Hathaway-Altman (R, unincorporated Geneva) had a very big June 14 as the primary campaign in the 11th Congressional District winds down to its June 28 conclusion.

Early in the morning, the Chicago Tribune published its endorsement of Altman’s candidacy in the IL-11, stating:

“…our endorsement goes to Susan Hathaway-Altman, a business executive…who supports a rollback in federal spending and jump-starting the economy through tax cuts.”

Very different than the Daily Herald‘s take on the IL-11 race, as the other mainstream Chicagoland print media endorsing congressional candidates endorsed Cassandra Tanner Miller (R-Elgin), who didn’t participate in the editorial endorsement interview on May 6.

The 11th Congressional District is the only race where the two Chicagoland print media endorsing candidates endorsed different candidates, and by all tracking, the top-3 Republican candidates are Catalina Lauf (R-Woodstock), Jerry Evans (R-Warrenville) and Illinois Family Action’s endorsed candidate North Aurora Village Trustee Mark Carroll (R) were not endorsed by either newspaper.

The day the Tribune editorial endorsement of Altman was published, the final candidates forum took place early in the evening at Sun City Huntley, sponsored by the Sun City Civics Committee where just over 5 dozen people attended to listen to the candidates and ask questions.

One of the final audience questions asked was which verses in Scripture would guide each person as they serve in Congress, and Altman answered with two verses:  John 3:16, and paraphrasing Proverbs 31:10.

The King James Version (KJV) of Proverbs 31:10 is

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” —  Proverbs 31:10 (KJV)

As Ephesians Chapter 6 teaches, the full armor of God includes the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and the only offensive portion of the armor of God.

Altman’s use of Proverbs 31:10 cut deep into the other woman on the stage, nominal frontrunner Lauf, who was attending her first, and only candidates forum with Altman, Evans and Carroll, who’ve attended all candidate forums and editorial board interview.

Lauf Not Telling the Whole Truth, Again

Last month, Lauf’s telling the truth inconsistently was covered including asking for prayers Lauf would mend her ways.  Sadly, those prayers have yet to be answered, and Lauf continues to prevaricate on a variety of issues.

For example, this past Wednesday, when Lauf was interviewed by Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson on WIND 560AM Morning Answer, Lauf was asked if she was participating in candidates forums with her primary opponents.  She said yes, and cited the Huntley forum at Del Webb’s Sun City.

The truth, while Lauf did participate in Huntley on June 14, she missed forums in Batavia, Spring Grove (McHenry County), Plainfield and the Daily Herald editorial endorsement interview.

As covered in the previous article about Financial Disclosure reports (FD), much is revealed about a candidate’s honesty and Lauf’s recently filed FD earlier this month raises more integrity questions, including the issue about her earnings, or lack of them.

So Lauf, the woman seen by many as the favorite to win the Republican primary Tuesday, has only $5,000 in income through the first five months of 2022, and no income for all of 2021?  On her Schedule A, Lauf identifies Begin Health, INC, which is Lauf’s older sister’s start-up where Lauf claims to be an “adviser.”  Since January 2021, when she declared her position at Begin Health, there is no income reported from Begin Health both this month, and in the FD she filed last August, when Lauf was running for the 16th District in a primary challenge against Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Channahon).

Then comes the campaign disclosure reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC), and at the Huntley candidates forum, Lauf declares boldly she’s “raised over a million dollars” thinking this will make it clear she’ll win the primary next week.

Sadly, Lauf’s statement at the forum is only another half-truth, and here are the latest FEC campaign disclosure data filed June 16, compiled through McHenry County Blog:

While Lauf has raised over $1.3 million, she has also burned through over $1.3 million, and had only $33K left in the bank on June 8.  Of Lauf’s cash-on-hand, $5K cannot be used for the primary, since it was transferred-in from House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik’s (R, NY-21) Elevate PAC.

Through June 23, Lauf has not purchased any TV commercial advertising on either broadcast or local cable TV.  Her campaign has sent four mailers across the 11th District and some campaign texts.

Remembering Altman’s Scripture reference:

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” —  Proverbs 31:10 (KJV)

Telling the truth is virtuous, and telling it consistently is virtuous.

Lauf Objectifies Herself

But something noticed about Lauf in her 2022 campaign which likely cut the deepest with Altman’s use of the Sword of the Spirit was the immodesty Lauf has displayed in numerous social media posts since first declaring her candidacy in the IL-16 to primary Congressman Adam Kinzinger in late February of 2021.

At Mar a Lago at an event which could have been attended by former President Trump, Kim Klacik (R, Baltimore), in-person speaker at the 2020 Republican National Convention, tweeted the following picture which included Lauf, noting Trump was a no-show:

The other two women in the picture with Lauf, Klacik and FL-13 candidate Anna Paulina Luna (R-St. Petersburg) have documented histories of working in strip clubs, but both Klacik and Luna were dressed modestly, and Lauf frankly, was not the night of April 10, 2021.

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” —  Proverbs 31:10 (KJV)

After Lauf switched to run in IL-11 after redistricting back in December, Lauf prepared for her campaign and one of the first fruits was the revamped website with an updated picture (at left), complete with low-cut blouse.

Signage, including a limited edition 4×4 featuring Lauf on someone’s Harley-Davidson (Lauf does not own a Harley of her own) with the double meaning innuendo “Take me to Congress Vote June 28th” (coincidently, Lauf’s competitor Altman, a 55-year old single mother of 3, owns her own Harley).

In a May 18 Instagram post, Lauf added:

“I think we need one that says ‘Ride With Me…to Congress’…”

Lauf 4×4 sign outside Woodstock Harley-Davidson..”

Then a June 7 Intagram video post, with Lauf dressed like she just got out of the gym and didn’t put a shirt over her workout top, telling her viewers about vandalism to her 4×4 signs, including an ominous, “we will find you” warning, which one could not take seriously given what she was wearing.

Then, into June, Lauf models her “Freedom over Fear” t-shirt on her campaign Instagram page, doing, as she put it, a do-it-yourself crop as she gives back talk to the camera.

No one can doubt Lauf is a physically attractive woman at age 29.

Yet the constant sexualization of her congressional campaign in 2022 reminds one of Scripture, particularly Romans chapter 14, where the Apostle Paul discussed how eating certain foods with one whose faith is weak.

While Romans 14 used foods, substituting food with what one wears bringing someone to potentially sin is equally interchangeable to enforce the teaching concerning a true Christian preventing someone, by their words/actions may be weak in the faith from falling, or as Romans 14:13b states:

“…make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.” — Romans 14:13b (NIV)

But in more secular setting, it’s terrible enough when men objectify women, but for a woman to objectify herself, especially out of motive for political gain, brings back Proverbs 31:10 and makes Altman’s use of this verse the more powerful.

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” —  Proverbs 31:10 (KJV)

Lauf Became Unhinged after Altman’s Master Stroke with the Sword of the Spirit

After Altman’s citing Proverbs 31:10, Lauf cited her Scripture reference of Philipians 4:13, and Carroll and Evans gave their respective responses.

Mark Carroll

Here is what happened, as Illinois Family Action endorsed Carroll relayed the next question in a post debate press release, after the Biblical verse question:

“Near closing of the debate a question came in from the audience (paraphrased), ‘If Trump is not the man on the ticket in 2024 for the Republican Party, who would you choose?’

“Lauf responded, DeSantis followed by Evans and Hathaway-Altman’s answers before Carroll was allowed to speak.

“Carroll answered, ‘Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley.’

“In immature fashion and out of turn, Lauf then addressed the crowd:

‘Guess we know who the Neocon Establishment candidate in the room is!’

“The exchange ended with Carroll handily clarifying his position citing Haley’s foreign policy experience and how Haley has been one of the only people formerly associated with the Trump administration that continues to support the President and continues to ‘Stand for America.’

“Carroll also predicted that, ‘Haley will be the VP on the ticket in 2024.’ “

One would think that a virtuous woman wanting to represent and serve the people in Congress would listen, respectfully, to one of her possible future constituents, without casting a snap judgement, but witnessing this exchange, the evidence clear to this viewer Lauf had become unhinged when Altman used the Sword of the Spirit to cut Lauf deep, and hopefully put the fear of God into Lauf.

Conclusion

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” —  Proverbs 31:10 (KJV)

On Thursday (June 23), Lauf picked up the endorsement of the Club for Growth PAC, in the early afternoon, and Lauf continued collecting out-of-state endorsements when Republican Congressman Byron Donalds (FL-19) immediately endorsed Lauf, bringing Lauf’s endorsements by current members of Congress to six:

• Madison Cawthorn (R-NC-11), who lost his reelection bid in the primary
• Burgess Owens (R-UT-04)
• Rand Paul (R-KY)
• Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21)
• Kat Cammack (R-FL-03)
• Byron Donalds (R-FL-19)

Through June 23, Lauf has yet to be publicly endorsed by any Illinois elected or former elected official, even at the local level.  Only Jerry Evans has been endorsed by elected officials from Lauf’s home county of McHenry County, including County Board Chairman Mike Buehler (R-Crystal Lake).

Galatians 6:7 comes to mind on the unrepentant Lauf, who in my honest opinion continues to be a practiced liar (by omission, half-truth, minimizing or the bald-faced variety), and this verse applies to women, too:

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” — Galatians 6:7 (KJV)

Scripture teaches if one does not humble themselves before God, He will humble them in ways Scripture teaches will not be pleasant.

Believers should continue to pray for Lauf that she becomes convicted of her sinful ways she’s conducted herself during her 2022 campaign going back to early 2021, for any advantage Lauf may gain in the short term, including a possible primary win on Tuesday, God will use to bring Lauf down until she humbles herself and truly repents.

May Catalina Lauf not choose such a dark road for herself, but paraphrasing Galatians 6:7, a woman will reap what she sows.

John Lopez has written about policy and elections through the McHenry County Blog since 2019. He is now semi-retired, and does freelance work with analytics, as well as political candidates, emphasizing policy as the means to advance the conservative message, by engaging through policy “dog fighting”, applying discernment for winning and advancing God’s Kingdom agenda.

John’s known for getting past the talking points, the narratives, the abstracts, the platitudes and the bromides in order to discuss policy and apply Scripture to overcome unholy divisions in the local community, our state, and nation.  John has been married for over 17 years.

Follow John on Twitter: @MarcVAvelar