* Kirk Dillard’s campaign rolled out Jim Edgar yesterday to ask for civility. From a press release…
Former Governor Jim Edgar [yesterday] said he was disappointed in the negative tone of the governor’s race, and urged candidates to talk about the issues. “There’s a lot at stake in this year’s election,” Edgar said at a joint news conference with Republican hopeful Kirk Dillard. “I think the voters deserve better.”
Edgar reaffirmed his support for Dillard, who served as Edgar’s first Chief of Staff. The former Governor said instead of discussing the issues, opponents have spent money on television to distort Dillard’s record.
“Let me be clear,” said Edgar. “Kirk Dillard opposes higher taxes. He’s never voted for a general tax increase.” Edgar said Dillard has been running a positive campaign with a real vision to create jobs, cut spending, eliminate red tape and end politics as usual.
But today Dillard started running a new TV ad. Technically, I suppose, it’s “comparative.” Others might just call it negative. Rate it…
* I told you earlier today about a new Pat Quinn TV ad. That was just one of the two he has running. Here’s the other one…
Quinn is not letting up on trying to create a backlash against Hynes’ Harold Washington ad. Patterson has details…
Quinn’s campaign released a list of county Democratic chairman who signed on to a letter taking on Hynes for his ads. The letter reads in part, “you have crossed an important line by choosing to be so destructively, relentlessly negative in your campaign.”
The letter is signed by the Democratic chairman of the DuPage and Kane organizations along with several other counties.
But noticeably absent is the chairman of the powerful Cook County Democrats, lobbyist and property tax maven Joseph Berrios. That organization endorsed Quinn, but didn’t sign on to this letter ripping Hynes on the ads, at the same time recent polls are showing an extremely close race.
The list of counties is pretty short - and those counties for the most part are also short on [Democratic voter] population. See it for yourself.
* Democratic treasurer candidate Justin Oberman has a new TV ad that slams his opponent Robin Kelly. Watch…
* This blog’s absolute favorite video producer, Simon Edelman, has been a bit quiet lately over at the Quinn campaign. His new Internet video is typically well done. Watch it…
Keep an eye on that young man. No matter what happens next Tuesday, he’s going places.
* Jim Ryan’s campaign also has a new Internet vid. This one attacks Andy McKenna. Check it out…
The good thing about Edgar was he was deregulatory. He let us pursue deregulation of and competition in telecoms. We were the leading state in the union in that area of regulation. All our colleagues at other states and the feds pointed to IL as a leader. Then, things went to pot.
***
Also, seriously, why are people running for Lt Gov? I can’t believe candidates are spending money for that position. Is this a new phenomenon based on the Mod Rod indictment and G Ryan in prison? Are folks running for this office as a stepping stone to governorship?
Dillard is such a hypocrite. Trotting out Edgar — AGAIN! — to bash negative campaigning, and then turning around and resorting to it himself because he’s desperate and behind. Has he no shame, or sense of irony?
I also think that with all the funerals and wakes PQ has attended, he could’ve taken a few minutes out of his day to go to Carlos’ wake or funeral.
But, he has such wonderful relations with the political media right now - what with the gag order at DoC and the lies and the rest - that I’m sure he thought he didn’t need to pay his respects when every political reporter in town was grieving. He also probably didn’t think it was a big deal to schedule an event on the South Side the morning of Carlos’ funeral. And I’m sure no political reporters took notice of any of that.
What a guy.
- CircularFiringSquad - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 12:51 pm:
Capt Fax: Yikes this is waaaaaaaaaaaay toooo much
especially since no one will vote…..
I love Edgar…he always blinks when he lies….he gave away high ed to BlueFieldBob Kustra..he escaped office before he got nailed for his role in the MSI scandal…..lots of good stuff….but his biggest scam was whacking DC Netsch for raising taxes and then backing the same plan after beating her…Come on Blinky, give up on Dillard and just go back to the UofI with the Big Ike and work harder to get BlueField back to IL to save our teams.
Whooooooaaaaa,
The Democratic Chairman of DuPage County! Congratulations Governor!!!! I bet that Bozo is good for about 5 or 6 votes.
Nice commercials, Pat, but I hope SEIU saves a few dollars so that they can support the Dem nominee in the general after you blow it.
- Wizard of Ozzie - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:08 pm:
Wow Rich. You’ve sunk to a new low. You have no idea why or why not the Governor didn’t attend a wake. I’ve seen video of the Governor saying very nice things about Carlos.
Wow. Your bias is clear. Please don’t ever claim objectivity again.
- wordslinger- I’m bothered by it being the subject of a campaign spot. It strikes me as disrespectful.
I dare anyone to challenge the disrespectful nature of that ad. I think the families involved or any military official would stand behind The Governor without hesitation.
He didn’t go. That was his choice. I just pointed out what happened and how some people, including me, felt. If you scroll down a bit, you’ll see I defended him against the Tribune twice today. Also praised his video guy in this very post. So, whatever. Grasp at some more straws.
Wow.. The female host on WSOY summarizes Andy McKenna perfectly….
- Wizard of Ozzie - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:18 pm:
“What a guy”
So because he didn’t attend Carlos’ funeral his attending military funerals was now all for political reasons. Give me a break.
If you really want to count up all the times “you defended him”, I can do it one hand. It is incredible that you would claim that you have any sort of objectivity when it comes to this race. =
And going after his attending military funerals because he didn’t go to the funeral of one of your friends is a pretty clear example of your personal crusade. Again, wow.
Shadow, I find it disconcerting, and yes, disrespectful, that someone uses going to dead soldiers’ funerals in a campaign spot. I don’t think it’s appropriate to make political hay out of that.
===So because he didn’t attend Carlos’ funeral his attending military funerals was now all for political reasons. ===
Did I write that?
===If you really want to count up all the times “you defended him”, I can do it one hand. ===
Today, yes.
As for the rest, you misread my comment, or I wasn’t clear. I’ve praised him time and time again for those funerals. In fact, I think I was the first one to write about it.
But, are you saying that he isn’t the one politicizing this by putting it into a campaign TV ad? Isn’t that the very definition of politicization? I mean, there are reasons you put things in campaign ads, right?
I agree with wth Wizard entirely…I can see you trying to make a horserace out of the Dem Gov primary, but your critique of Quinn attending/not attending a wake that you felt compelled to has nothing to do with his character, but says a hell of lot about yours…
We need a pool for when Rich will issue his first “bite me” of the day. Come session overtime or the general election, when the pressure is on, we might need to switch it to how many “bite me’s” in a day. 10% off the top will go to a scholarship program for his interns.
I think Quinn’s positive ads are pretty good. Not a bad strategy to remind voters why they liked the guy until they started reading about the parole controversy and his governing shortcomings.
Still, based on the polling, he needs to do a better job of stopping the gains Hynes seems to be making with African-American voters. It’s trickey, but I think he needs to go on the offensive on Burr Oak and the Harold stuff on black radio and on television programs with high African-American viewership. Maybe sprinkle in some reminders about Hynes’ campaign against Obama too.
I don’t see how Quinn wins this thing without taking a healthy majority of the black vote.
“those counties [Democratic chairman who signed on to a letter taking on Hynes for his ads] for the most part are also short on population”
The DuPage County population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau for 2008 is 930,528, making it the second most populous county in Illinois after Cook. In 2007, the population of Kane County was estimated at 501,021.
They ain’t Cook County, but they ain’t nothin’ neither.
===The DuPage County population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau for 2008 is 930,528, making it the second most populous county in Illinois after Cook. In 2007, the population of Kane County was estimated at 501,021.===
I should’ve written “Democratic voter population.”
…Adding… And now it’s done. I also added italics to “for the most part.” Not all. Just most. Sorry to offend the three “not small” counties on the list.
- Stuck with Sen. CPA - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:59 pm:
Kane County remains a pretty darn solid R county. Not a single Democrat elected at the countywide level currently. (Rep. Foster lucked out, in part, because Sen. CPA and Oberweis were the best the GOP had to offer.)
- wordslinger - I’m not sure if you or the voters are aware that these are gold star families and they are ALL very supportive of Governor Quinn. From what I gather they all wanted and asked to help him out in anyway, shape or form. It’s not like this is found footage of a dead mayor.
It is your blog, and if you want to say “bite me” to people who don’t share your opinion, then that is your prerogative. But, it rubs me the wrong way. Your criticism of Quinn has crossed the line more than once, IMO, and today takes the cake. Just to be clear: I think discussions of his competency and performance are fair game. But, after the HW commercial came out, you have been cut throat. Incredibly, you didn’t even pause and give Quinn some leeway when Zorn pulled out the 1987 article that provided incontrovertible evidence that this issue was much more complicated than the commercial made it seem. As for the wake….do you want to tell us which other politicians failed to attend your friend’s wake and criticize them? Quinn, who happens to be running for governor, probably had several engagements the day of the wake. Ya think?
- Stuck with Sen. CPA - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 3:19 pm:
It’s too late for him to take voice lessons, but for someone who’s supposed to be media savvy, you have to wonder where Dan “Also Ran” Proft gets his styling tips (e.g. bad hairstyle and his suit & tie don’t look as though they fit him properly).
Good ad by Dillard. McKenna is running scared and refusing to answer questions, appear in debates, or come clean. If he won’t answer questions now, he will be crucified in the general election.
I just have to say “who is running Quinn’s campaign?”. That Simon guy is great, that is the video that should be on the television; not these sappy Quinn is a nice guy, he came to our funeral, he’s honest. Simon’s video should be on prime time. It shows a strong Quinn, and Daley talks about his leadership. Quinn is blowing this campaign by not putting quality for the whole public to see. Putting that video on the internet only? Dumb move.
I sat & talked with Quinn the night before he missed Govenors day in 2008 to attend a soldiers funeral. He did so quietly and respectfully as he always did. It was one of the things that impressed me so much. Now he is using crying grandmas in State of the State speeches & making funerals in campaign commercials. One of the many actions he done to make me vote for Hynes.
As for the letter. I heard about it a few weeks back when they were calling most of the chairs looking for signatures. Looks like there weren’t many takers. In assition to Cook Co., notice the head of the County Chairmen’s Association is not on that letter either. Makes you wonder how much support it had.
- CircularFiringSquad wrote on - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 12:51 pm:
woow, you are spot on…IMO, G.Ryan should have a room mate.
- steve schnorf - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 11:28 pm:
My recollection is the MSI thing resulted in indictments, convictions, and acquittals and none of those involved Jim Edgar or anyone very close to him. It’s kind of hard to climb the food chain when a jury of peers cuts the ladder.
- DemVoter - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 12:24 pm:
Edgar cracks me up…. talk about calling the kettle black, Edgar was so dirty running against Hartigan back in 1990,…Edgar is mad is boy is going down.
- dave - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 12:31 pm:
Quinn campaign: PLEASE turn that Ford internet video into an ad.
- Peggy SO-IL - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 12:34 pm:
The good thing about Edgar was he was deregulatory. He let us pursue deregulation of and competition in telecoms. We were the leading state in the union in that area of regulation. All our colleagues at other states and the feds pointed to IL as a leader. Then, things went to pot.
***
Also, seriously, why are people running for Lt Gov? I can’t believe candidates are spending money for that position. Is this a new phenomenon based on the Mod Rod indictment and G Ryan in prison? Are folks running for this office as a stepping stone to governorship?
- Whatever - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 12:38 pm:
Dillard is such a hypocrite. Trotting out Edgar — AGAIN! — to bash negative campaigning, and then turning around and resorting to it himself because he’s desperate and behind. Has he no shame, or sense of irony?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 12:40 pm:
I think it’s admirable that Quinn went, unannounced and alone, to Illinois soldiers’ funerals.
I’m bothered by it being the subject of a campaign spot. It strikes me as disrespectful.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 12:51 pm:
I see your point Word.
I also think that with all the funerals and wakes PQ has attended, he could’ve taken a few minutes out of his day to go to Carlos’ wake or funeral.
But, he has such wonderful relations with the political media right now - what with the gag order at DoC and the lies and the rest - that I’m sure he thought he didn’t need to pay his respects when every political reporter in town was grieving. He also probably didn’t think it was a big deal to schedule an event on the South Side the morning of Carlos’ funeral. And I’m sure no political reporters took notice of any of that.
What a guy.
- CircularFiringSquad - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 12:51 pm:
Capt Fax: Yikes this is waaaaaaaaaaaay toooo much
especially since no one will vote…..
I love Edgar…he always blinks when he lies….he gave away high ed to BlueFieldBob Kustra..he escaped office before he got nailed for his role in the MSI scandal…..lots of good stuff….but his biggest scam was whacking DC Netsch for raising taxes and then backing the same plan after beating her…Come on Blinky, give up on Dillard and just go back to the UofI with the Big Ike and work harder to get BlueField back to IL to save our teams.
- Bill - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 12:57 pm:
Whooooooaaaaa,
The Democratic Chairman of DuPage County! Congratulations Governor!!!! I bet that Bozo is good for about 5 or 6 votes.
Nice commercials, Pat, but I hope SEIU saves a few dollars so that they can support the Dem nominee in the general after you blow it.
- Loop Lady - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 12:59 pm:
Rich,
I am offended that you can be so personalin your bashing of Pat Quinn, but remove blogger comments that do the same.
Please apply standards to yourself as well…Thanks
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:00 pm:
Hey, Loop Lady, bite me.
- Bill - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:01 pm:
Oh Oh,
Loop Lady is offended. Watch out!
- Wizard of Ozzie - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:08 pm:
Wow Rich. You’ve sunk to a new low. You have no idea why or why not the Governor didn’t attend a wake. I’ve seen video of the Governor saying very nice things about Carlos.
Wow. Your bias is clear. Please don’t ever claim objectivity again.
- The Shadow - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:10 pm:
- wordslinger- I’m bothered by it being the subject of a campaign spot. It strikes me as disrespectful.
I dare anyone to challenge the disrespectful nature of that ad. I think the families involved or any military official would stand behind The Governor without hesitation.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:10 pm:
Wiz, you can bite me too.
He didn’t go. That was his choice. I just pointed out what happened and how some people, including me, felt. If you scroll down a bit, you’ll see I defended him against the Tribune twice today. Also praised his video guy in this very post. So, whatever. Grasp at some more straws.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:11 pm:
Wow.. The female host on WSOY summarizes Andy McKenna perfectly….
- Wizard of Ozzie - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:18 pm:
“What a guy”
So because he didn’t attend Carlos’ funeral his attending military funerals was now all for political reasons. Give me a break.
If you really want to count up all the times “you defended him”, I can do it one hand. It is incredible that you would claim that you have any sort of objectivity when it comes to this race. =
And going after his attending military funerals because he didn’t go to the funeral of one of your friends is a pretty clear example of your personal crusade. Again, wow.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:20 pm:
Shadow, I find it disconcerting, and yes, disrespectful, that someone uses going to dead soldiers’ funerals in a campaign spot. I don’t think it’s appropriate to make political hay out of that.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:23 pm:
===So because he didn’t attend Carlos’ funeral his attending military funerals was now all for political reasons. ===
Did I write that?
===If you really want to count up all the times “you defended him”, I can do it one hand. ===
Today, yes.
As for the rest, you misread my comment, or I wasn’t clear. I’ve praised him time and time again for those funerals. In fact, I think I was the first one to write about it.
But, are you saying that he isn’t the one politicizing this by putting it into a campaign TV ad? Isn’t that the very definition of politicization? I mean, there are reasons you put things in campaign ads, right?
- Loop Lady - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:24 pm:
I agree with wth Wizard entirely…I can see you trying to make a horserace out of the Dem Gov primary, but your critique of Quinn attending/not attending a wake that you felt compelled to has nothing to do with his character, but says a hell of lot about yours…
- Secret Square - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:25 pm:
OneMan, what did she say?
- Anon - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:26 pm:
We need a pool for when Rich will issue his first “bite me” of the day. Come session overtime or the general election, when the pressure is on, we might need to switch it to how many “bite me’s” in a day. 10% off the top will go to a scholarship program for his interns.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:26 pm:
LL, please read my comment directly above yours.
And I didn’t make this primary a horse race. Quinn did.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:29 pm:
To clarify, I had no role whatsoever in releasing violent people from prison. lol
- Bill - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:37 pm:
LOL. I bet it was you who told Harold to fire Quinn because of incompetence.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:43 pm:
She said basically he did nothing for her.
- ralph - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:46 pm:
I think Quinn’s positive ads are pretty good. Not a bad strategy to remind voters why they liked the guy until they started reading about the parole controversy and his governing shortcomings.
Still, based on the polling, he needs to do a better job of stopping the gains Hynes seems to be making with African-American voters. It’s trickey, but I think he needs to go on the offensive on Burr Oak and the Harold stuff on black radio and on television programs with high African-American viewership. Maybe sprinkle in some reminders about Hynes’ campaign against Obama too.
I don’t see how Quinn wins this thing without taking a healthy majority of the black vote.
- MrJM - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:46 pm:
“those counties [Democratic chairman who signed on to a letter taking on Hynes for his ads] for the most part are also short on population”
The DuPage County population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau for 2008 is 930,528, making it the second most populous county in Illinois after Cook. In 2007, the population of Kane County was estimated at 501,021.
They ain’t Cook County, but they ain’t nothin’ neither.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:47 pm:
===The DuPage County population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau for 2008 is 930,528, making it the second most populous county in Illinois after Cook. In 2007, the population of Kane County was estimated at 501,021.===
I should’ve written “Democratic voter population.”
…Adding… And now it’s done. I also added italics to “for the most part.” Not all. Just most. Sorry to offend the three “not small” counties on the list.
- Stuck with Sen. CPA - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 1:59 pm:
Kane County remains a pretty darn solid R county. Not a single Democrat elected at the countywide level currently. (Rep. Foster lucked out, in part, because Sen. CPA and Oberweis were the best the GOP had to offer.)
- The Shadow - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 2:05 pm:
- wordslinger - I’m not sure if you or the voters are aware that these are gold star families and they are ALL very supportive of Governor Quinn. From what I gather they all wanted and asked to help him out in anyway, shape or form. It’s not like this is found footage of a dead mayor.
- just sayin' - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 2:13 pm:
So basically Dillard is saying, “Stop bringing up the ad I did for Obama and the big taxes I raised. It’s incredibly hurtful to my campaign!”
Instead of “More Cowbell” - Dillard’s catchphrase is “More Edgar.”
- todd - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 2:16 pm:
stuck — the sheriff is a dem.
- Jake Yeah Whatever - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 2:49 pm:
It is your blog, and if you want to say “bite me” to people who don’t share your opinion, then that is your prerogative. But, it rubs me the wrong way. Your criticism of Quinn has crossed the line more than once, IMO, and today takes the cake. Just to be clear: I think discussions of his competency and performance are fair game. But, after the HW commercial came out, you have been cut throat. Incredibly, you didn’t even pause and give Quinn some leeway when Zorn pulled out the 1987 article that provided incontrovertible evidence that this issue was much more complicated than the commercial made it seem. As for the wake….do you want to tell us which other politicians failed to attend your friend’s wake and criticize them? Quinn, who happens to be running for governor, probably had several engagements the day of the wake. Ya think?
- Stuck with Sen. CPA - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 3:19 pm:
Doh, correct. My bad, Todd.
- QRBNST - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 4:23 pm:
It’s too late for him to take voice lessons, but for someone who’s supposed to be media savvy, you have to wonder where Dan “Also Ran” Proft gets his styling tips (e.g. bad hairstyle and his suit & tie don’t look as though they fit him properly).
- QRBNST - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 4:25 pm:
Addendum: He’s also blinking too much in his ad.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 5:04 pm:
Proft looks oily.
For a guy who always knows what to say, he doesn’t look like he believes any of it.
- 4 percent - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 5:30 pm:
Good ad by Dillard. McKenna is running scared and refusing to answer questions, appear in debates, or come clean. If he won’t answer questions now, he will be crucified in the general election.
- Paul S. - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 5:46 pm:
I just have to say “who is running Quinn’s campaign?”. That Simon guy is great, that is the video that should be on the television; not these sappy Quinn is a nice guy, he came to our funeral, he’s honest. Simon’s video should be on prime time. It shows a strong Quinn, and Daley talks about his leadership. Quinn is blowing this campaign by not putting quality for the whole public to see. Putting that video on the internet only? Dumb move.
- Blue Dog - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 6:29 pm:
I sat & talked with Quinn the night before he missed Govenors day in 2008 to attend a soldiers funeral. He did so quietly and respectfully as he always did. It was one of the things that impressed me so much. Now he is using crying grandmas in State of the State speeches & making funerals in campaign commercials. One of the many actions he done to make me vote for Hynes.
As for the letter. I heard about it a few weeks back when they were calling most of the chairs looking for signatures. Looks like there weren’t many takers. In assition to Cook Co., notice the head of the County Chairmen’s Association is not on that letter either. Makes you wonder how much support it had.
- DemVoter - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 7:04 pm:
- CircularFiringSquad wrote on - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 12:51 pm:
woow, you are spot on…IMO, G.Ryan should have a room mate.
- steve schnorf - Wednesday, Jan 27, 10 @ 11:28 pm:
My recollection is the MSI thing resulted in indictments, convictions, and acquittals and none of those involved Jim Edgar or anyone very close to him. It’s kind of hard to climb the food chain when a jury of peers cuts the ladder.