59 Comments - Doug Dobmeyer - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 2:06 am: Ah, the men are just afraid of Judy’s acid reflex tongue. Or maybe they are afraid she’ll offer to play at their son or daughter’s wedding. - Phocion - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 5:52 am: The good old boys are just a bunch of mean old ladies. - ap - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 6:17 am: What happened after the debate yesterday was pure poetry. - Anon - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 6:50 am: Maybe if Judy would show up for debates then they could discuss the issue’s. She’s the one who seem’s to be afraid to take them on, she after all was late to the press conference. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 6:51 am: The boys are afraid she will be able to talk about facts and facts and facts and facts that they do not know. She has been in the middle of statewide politics for years and has an excellent grasp of what works and why, and what doesn’t work and why. Back to the bench, boys. We’ll see you in four years, Obie. - Loved it - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 7:10 am: I was mortified by the way the men behaved, mortified. Absolutely do not want them leading the state. This polticial “trash talk” was undignified. Their behavior was what it took to make up my mind. - Mr. Manners - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 7:21 am: Ms. Topinka in the Sun Times article referred to her fellow GOP opponents as gentlemen. Now that should show all of us how a respectful participant in the process should act. We should all be mindful of how the governor’s office treats their perceived enemies, and how “(we) should do onto others as you would wish them do onto you.” Ms. Topinka has class, and that is noteworthy. - Cassandra - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 7:25 am: It’s because the guys are toast, and they’re mad. - the Patriot - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 7:34 am: If you paid attention, most of their comments revolve around the fact she does not show for the debates/events. She showed for this one. And one thing these three agree on is that the more people hear from Judy, the less will vote for her. Her numbers have been steadily declining since day 1. They have to put pressure on her when she doesn’t show. But when she does, better to get it from the horses mouth and let her sink her own ship. No point in attacking someone who loses points each time she shows her face or opens her mouth. If the election was May 1st she would breack 20 points and she knows it. Otherwise she wouldn’t be playing hide and seek. - Marta Elena - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 7:40 am: Dude, this is a campaign season and the gloves have come off - whether you are male or female. She attended the forum but immediately left while the men stuck around to answer questions from reporters. Shame on you Topinka! If she was a man - no one would be saying “poor Topinka - the men are picking on her!” - Reddbyrd - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 8:03 am: Good, no great idea!…Keep baiting them. At least one will do something stupid and attack AccordianGal face to face. Then she’ll blow her cool, look stupid too and Grod coasts to victory. Let’s see who will be the first to attack face to face? ChopperJim, RonnieG or Marcia’sBrother? Or will then send out their bagboys, BrickheadJoe or SenWhinenburger, to do the deed? Maybe we can get Mr. “All my ads are sold” CaptFax to sponsor another prize. - Truthful James - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 8:17 am: If Judy B ever has an original idea, it will be her first. Her lament “All I ever wanted to be was a public servant” show just how inside she is. O’B and Brady have become millionaires the old fashioned way — they earned it. O’B, for all you who deride him as “The Milkman” or “Ice Cream Boy” got his by managing other people’s money, not running a family dairy — which he took over later. He is a finance guy not a farmer. Ron Gidwitz hooked on with his fatehr’s company, expanded it and knew when to sell. His stockholders benefited. - Shelbyville - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 8:51 am: I agree with Cassandra. Silly boys. - ISU REP - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 8:54 am: Because she wanted to be a public servant shes inside?! What kind of crazy nonsense is that. That’s all well and good they “earned” their money, but theres only one candidate whose “earned” statewide office and people seem to forget that notion. I’m assuming many of those who say JBT isn’t witty and has no original ideas have never met her. She’s politically savvy and quick on her feet which is intimidating to the rest of the pack who really have no ideas of their own so they must attack her. It’s much easier to try and smear another candidate than come up with your own solutions. I think it was a brilliant move to ask for the candidates to publish their tax returns. It separates those who have been committed to public service for most of their lives from those who are bored multimillionaires who have nothing better to do with their time. Wish I had that problem… - DOWNSTATE - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 9:03 am: Anything is better than this idiot that is running around this state with the blue suede shoes. - Beowulf - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 9:12 am: As the clock ticks down to March 21st, Oberweis, Gidwitz, and Brady will ratchet up the attacks on Judy. As long as the truth is spoken, that is a positive thing for our state. Judy will continue to play “rope-a-dope” in the ring until a significant slide in her polling numbers show her campaign manager that they must change her campaign strategy. My guess is that 29 days is not enough time for her challengers to corner her in the ring and land some punishing blows. The “Gentlemen’s Club” waited about a month too long to start pounding away at her. Judy is seems to be worried about her poll numbers slipping or else she wouldn’t have come out with that lame challenge for all candidates to show their tax returns for the last ten years. What does she think? That we don’t know that Gidwitz, Oberweis, and Brady are multi-millionaires and that she isn’t? So what? Should we discriminate against them because they have been successful? To me and many others, it simply tells us that they are smart, hard working, and they have a good grasp of financial matters which is what our state of Illinois desperately needs right now. Speak the truth, don’t hold back, and may the better candidate win. Blagojevich is not going to be so gentle with her. Let Judy show that she can handle any adversity that comes her way. Her “handlers” are treating her in a manner that makes the voters believe that she can’t think for herself. That is what will slice & dice her polling numbers. - West Side Block - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 9:27 am: Judy rolls over this group of light weights . - ISU REP - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 9:30 am: Inheriting your families wealth and not blowing it all should be commended as being smart and hard working? Give me a break. I gurantee you a majority of voters have no clue that Gidwitz let alone Brady are wealthy. To make assumptions about the average voter and their knowledge about the candidates is making a big leap. I’m all for candidates speaking the truth, I want to hear what THEIR plan is and how THEY are going to improve the state, not bashing the front runner. It’s easy to criticize when your poll numbers are lagging and the nomination is almost but all out of reach. As far as Judy being able to handle adversity, I would once again point to the fact shes the only Republican holding statewide office, if that isn’t a test of her moxy I don’t know what is. - Reynolds - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 9:46 am: It’s not nice to insult a “lady” to her face. I wonder what NastyT says behind their backs? - the Patriot - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 9:53 am: It is tough to call a group light weights when the leader is ducking them. No one wants to be the one to take bad press for really going after her b/c the know she is dismantling herself. If you actually believe a candiate is in hiding in a mild mannered primary can last 7 months of G-Rod blasting away, you need a reality check. Today, any republican will beat Rod. The problem is she has to last the 7 months. She will fold like a house of cards. Judy’s people say don’t waste your vote on one of the others who are down in the polls. The only way to waste a vote in this primary is to vote for Judy. She is the worst built candiate to last till Nov. - Truthful James - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 10:06 am: Here is Fran Spielman’s take in the Daily Southtown. Presented without comment. Tuesday, February 21, 2006 By Fran Spielman Special to the Daily Southtown ——————————————————————————– A genteel debate over public radio between the five Republican candidates vying to replace Gov. Blagojevich dissolved into a theater of the absurd Monday. “This is ‘Saturday Night Live,’ pre-recorded,” quipped one of the candidates, millionaire businessman Ron Gidwitz. It happened after State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka used her closing statement — the final word of the live debate — to challenge her opponents to release 10 years’ worth of income tax returns. It was an apparent attempt to showcase three of the four GOP challengers as millionaire businessmen and portray herself as a working stiff. “You can’t spin a tax return,” she said. Topinka then left the room on the advice of political handlers eager to preserve her frontrunner status. “Get her out of there,” a Topinka adviser could be heard saying as the post-game session with reporters was about to begin at the Navy Pier studios of WBEZ-FM. The run-for-cover strategy backfired. When Topinka ducked out, her four opponents — Gidwitz, Jim Oberweis, Bill Brady and Andy Martin — had a field day attacking her and the sweeping ethics package she unveiled over the weekend. “The idea of a Topinka ethics (plan) seems to be an oxymoron,” Oberweis said, pointing to “unsavory contributions” Topinka has received from Republican powerbroker William Cellini. In 1995, Topinka was poised to allow a Cellini-led consortium to repay a $15.5 million state loan for an unprofitable Springfield hotel at a rate of only 25 cents on the dollar. The deal was subsequently blocked, leaving a $27.5 million IOU to Illinois taxpayers with interest mounting. Gidwitz called Topinka’ ethics plan “hypocritical” and her tax return challenge a cheap trick to “change the subject” from an ethics cloud that, he contends, hangs over the treasurer’s office. “She talks about not taking money from contractors, (but) she’s taken $600,000 from … the banks she does business with. And she changed the policy … Prior to her becoming treasurer, the policy was no money from banks,” Gidwitz said. Brady added, “We’ve got a governor with four to seven federal investigations going on. We have got to bring forward a candidate who’s pure of investigation.” The gang-up-on-Judy session continued for 19 minutes with Topinka behind closed doors. “We’re going to come out when you’re done with everybody else,” Topinka’s spokesman Eric Robinson told reporters. “I’m not budging until Judy comes out,” Martin said. Then he broke out into song: “Judy, Judy, come out and play with all the boys.” Finally, Topinka emerged. “The boys had enough time to beat up on me behind my back,” she said. “When Ron (Gidwitz) pays $6,000 to a bunch of fancy handlers and he can’t move his numbers, he’s got to come at me. The same with Jim (Oberweis). They’re not moving. They’ve got to go after me. I’m the frontrunner. I expect to get all sorts of abuse.” As for the contributions she’s received from banks, Topinka insisted there’s nothing wrong with it. “As long as we publicly bid everything, I think we cover all the bases,” she said. Topinka said she would love to ban contributions from all state contractors — not just those whose contracts total $25,000 or more. But she can’t afford to go that far. “Unfortunately, I’m not a millionaire,” she said. - ISU REP - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 10:16 am: If you actually believe any but judy can beat rod, I’ve got a nice piece of swamp land in florida to sell you. Like it or not a conservative millionaire yahoo doesn’t stand a chance. It amazes me that people thing that the only contender on the Republican side who has WON previous elections won’t last through the race against Rod. I guess all those “elections” and previous campaigns don’t count now?! - Bubs - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 10:27 am: Think about how these supposed “gentlemen” made the GOP look yesterday. Pretty bad, but this is all about “ME,” remember? The new name tag I hear going around is The Three Stooges, with Gidwitz as Moe, since he has the brains, Brady as Larry, since he just watches, and Oberweis as Curly since . . . I’m sure you can guess. I suppose that puts Andy Martin in the role of wearing the gorilla suit. They certainly looked the part. - Anon - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 10:37 am: Truthful James, that’s a hot one - a conservative Republican relying on an article by Fran Spielman, the Machine’s favorite reporter. You don’t note that Fran is City Hall reporter for the Sun Times. Strange that other reporters like Patterson, Novak etc. all have to break the corruption stories, don’t you think? Wake up, Jimmy Boy. You think you are spinning, when in fact you are being spun. - anonymus - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 10:55 am: I’m just sick and tired of Judy’s games. She makes all women look bad when she “hides and ducks for cover” every time she may have to answer questions posed by the media. She needs to stop playing games and stand up for what she believes instead of having people say that the guys are ganging up on her. She is playing the same game Blagojevich has been playing for years - say what you want, divert attention away from yourself and then run for cover! I’m sick of Blagojevich and I’m sure not voting for the female version of him! - Truthful James - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 10:59 am: Hey, Anonymouse. I made no comment one way or another on the Spielman article. No spin here, although you use it well. Don’t shoot the messenger, Just factually deconstruct the message, if that is not too much for you. Who is Jimmy Boy? Not me. I will make a comment here. The status quo Republicans do not want to win. They stand for nothing except cash flow. $818K for BK, Whatever for JT working for Blago. The good guys like Frank Watson are outnumbered. - Norseman - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 11:10 am: They don’t confront her during the debate because they’re afraid that they’ll come off poorly in a recorded exchange between them and JBT. It’s easier to use prepared attack materiel when she’s not there. - Anon - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 11:12 am: Hey “Truthful”, better take a moment and step back into character, you’ve started to sound like a campaign worker. Don’t let THAT truth get out! - donchicago48 - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 11:21 am: As usual, the Topinkettes are trying to defend Judy’s vague platitudes and issue-dodging as politically astute. She and they are only banking on the Republican voters’ lack of relevent information to enable her to skate by on her name recognition. The more voters know about her, her liberal positions on issues, and her past record, the less likely they will be to support her candidacy. Assuming she limps past the primary, a big ‘if’ as her numbers slide, Judy will do nothing to energize the IL GOP party base. And without that support Bla-Gov will bury her campaign with his war chest. The fact remains that JBT is far closer to being part of the problem than being part of the solution. Her past tenure as IL GOP leader demonstrates her antipathy toward the Republican platform and party reform in spades. It is she who lacks mainstream positions on issues, not her opponents. Like many liberals and so-called moderates, she is quick to call people who actually follow the Platform “crazies”, “wackos”, etc, even though they support majority opinions. In the general election, she would just be Blago-lite, unable to offer the voters a clear choice between liberal and conservative, or Democrat and Republican. - ISU REP - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 11:33 am: I hear a lot of JBT, bashing but I don’t hear anyone else saying their candidate can win…I personally have no problem with her more liberal issues on social matters that have very little relevance in actual running of the government. As far as majority opinions go in IL they are moderate to leaning liberal, unless we’ve somehow become Wyoming. I love how the far right likes to smear moderates as no real alternative, just shows their bias and why the Illinois GOP has been in decline. Stubborn minds unwilling to accept change or adapt to the new political climate. Illinoisans for the most part aren’t pro-life bible thumpers, if you have expect to win elections you need to appeal to the moderate base which is vastly larger than conservative base which as I recall hasn’t been able to elect ANYONE. - ISU REP - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 11:35 am: I hear a lot of JBT, bashing but I don’t hear anyone else saying their candidate can win…I personally have no problem with her more liberal issues on social matters that have very little relevance in actual running of the government. As far as majority opinions go in IL they are moderate to leaning liberal, unless we’ve somehow become Wyoming. I love how the far right likes to smear moderates as no real alternative, just shows their bias and why the Illinois GOP has been in decline. Stubborn minds unwilling to accept change or adapt to the new political climate. Illinoisans for the most part aren’t pro-life bible thumpers, if you have expect to win elections you need to appeal to the moderate base which is vastly larger than conservative base which as I recall hasn’t been able to elect ANYONE. - anon - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 12:46 pm: ISU Rep, good school. Bad thinking the base of the GOP in illinois is far from moderate and while I have no problem with the moderate wing. Brady can win how’s that. The words Senator Fitzgerald mean anything to you. - Truthful James - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 12:51 pm: Anony mouse – Ad hominem squeaks again. I can’t get involved with that. Anyway, nothing I might say would insult you. Stick to facts, not recitations. - ISU REP - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 12:57 pm: Anon: I was just repeating the assumptions of many that have stated the base is conservative, I fully agree the true base is and has to be moderate. I cannot agree on Brady however, the support for him even in Bloomington-Normal is lackluster, hes a great guy and has been great to my school but his social conservative ideology simply will not play to a majority of voters. - Lovie's Leather - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 1:58 pm: From the way it looks, Judy will be getting atleast 40% in the primary, if not 45%. The men are just doing what they can to try to get elected. It doesn’t look good unless two drop out. Even then, Judy will pick up some of the left over. It is a sad, sorry situation that probably couldn’t be avoided… maybe if she jumped in the race sooner, or if Lahood had stuck around… she wouldn’t be in this mess. They will unite after the primary around a winner. That is all that matters. Blago will be toast. - the Patriot - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 2:54 pm: Judy will be luck to break 30%, which in a 4 way race with all contenders in double digits likely wins for her. If she beats blago it will be on the anybody but blago ticket. She has not position on any issue, doesn’t really believe in anything, and has no grass roots organiztion. She cannot motivate anybody to even put a stupid sign in their yard for her. I don’t care if she wins by 60% it will be on name recognition and not because anyone likes her or believes in her. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 3:07 pm: I have a sign in my yard for her, and I know several that do. - ISU REP - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 3:09 pm: and the bitterness continues….Does that mean I can put your name down for a JBT sign Patriot? - Bubs - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 3:41 pm: Lovie’s Leather, I have grave doubt that the GOP will reunite around any of these candidates, especially after what we are in for over the next four weeks. Arch-Conservatives will hate Topinka until the day she leaves public life, if for no other reason than she has become the demonized personification of why Conservatives don’t win. It’s an unfair personification, but unchangeable to a group that can never look in the mirror. If Gidwitz, Oberweis or Brady think they can win the primary by destroying Topinka, then get accolades and support as the nominee in the general as if nothing happened, they are badly deluded. By destroying her, they destroy their own chances. - Beowulf - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 3:47 pm: I am looking forward to the Primary just to see what percentage of Republican and Democrat voter turnout occurs. Blago got elected because of George Ryan, not because of Blago and what he presented himself to be. It is a shame that the Democrats couldn’t find anyone stronger than Eisendrath to run against Blago (no offense intended against Edwin who is probably a decent and well-meaning guy). That would have sent a clearer message out to the GOP as to what they could expect in November with their “chosen” candidate. I believe it was Republican Vice President Dan Quayle who said, “A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls.” However, it sure sounds like something that Mayor Daley would have said. - DOWNSTATE - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 4:43 pm: All of you people are trying to base this election on issues.Have you ever heard of dislike?There is a lot of people who have a dislike for Blago and want him and all of his appointees out of office.He has made enemies and the people he put in charge of these state agencies have made enemies which goes straight back to Blago.I have heard numerous people say they don’t care who the Repubs run they will vote for them.BEOWULF I am in total agreement with you and as I have stated before the song playing now is “Welcome Back” and a lot of people feel like Kotter.So a lot of people are going switching back to the Repubs. - Bubs - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 5:21 pm: Downstate, assuming you are correct about Blago and George Ryan (and I’m not wholly convinced, as I think it also reflected fundamental demographic changes favoring the Democrats in Illinois), your point would appear to favor Topinka, who clearly can compete strongly for the “purple” vote. I doubt if those newfound Blago supporters in 2002 were conservatives, given the candidacy of Jim Ryan. - State worker - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 6:09 pm: Oh my GOD! It was priceless to see their faces when Judy called on them to show their past 10 years of taxes. Just priceless…GO JUDY! THAT’S WHY AFSCME ENDORSED YOU…A TRUE WINNER! - Truthful James - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 6:14 pm: State worker — It is good to see AFSCME remains a single issue party of self interest. They will be back in Blago’s pocket the day after the primary. - Swami - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 7:15 pm: Shame on O’B, Gidwitz and Brady. They don’t understand that the real problem here is Blagojevich. Just shows you that they don’t have any character or class. - Zatoichi - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 8:10 pm: I saw the same situation on Bozo’s Circus a long time ago. When Ringmaster Ned stepped out of the room, Boz and Cookie started talking about him. Must have done dozens of variations on that skit. Saw the exact set up at the debate. Bozo was at least able to pull something funny from bad material. - Tony Soprano - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 8:15 pm: Beowulf - Of course all the political hacks on the Capitol fax blog know they are all millionaires.. But the typical guy on the street has no clue.. How would anyone outside of Bloomington know Brady is a multi-millionaire? Nobody outside of the Chicago area has heard of Oberweis milk.. They only know him as the annoying guy that keeps running and losing. - Tony Soprano - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 8:20 pm: Anon: 12:46 Brady will never win with pro-life even in the cases of incest and rape. Are you really going to force your daughter or wife to have abortion if she is raped?? Come on! He should have ran for State Treasurer and thought of a new game plan for Governor in a few years. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 8:27 pm: Topinka’s an embarrassment to women everywhere. No one has to “attack” Judy. She makes herself look silly. - Anon - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 10:02 pm: ISU REP, You missed the response of Senator Fitzgerald. I am also curious about were you got your Bloomington Normal “lackluster” information. Did you pull them out of thin air or do you have internal polling numbers? - B Hicks - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 10:20 pm: Hey Downstate, I get a big kick out of reading your comments. You’re a deep dude! We need to party together. Lake of Egypt, April 10th. I’ll be in the yellow Triton TR21. I want to drink a cold Bud, fire one up, and talk tics. - Limerick - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 10:47 pm: Andy sent Ronnie some flak, For TV ads that attack. Topinka’s fair game, But not when defamed In cheesy ads with bad facts. - Another Limerick - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 11:13 pm: The men called the Stooges Three Thought they’d beat up bad ol’ JBT While she was out They began to pout And gave HotRod a big boost for free. - Limerick - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 11:20 pm: Boys, bad mouthing isn’t polite With the target no longer in sight. Before dealing some hurt To one in a skirt, Have the guts to warn her to fight. - Limerick - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 11:21 pm: Hey, not bad at all, A.L!! - Another Limerick - Tuesday, Feb 21, 06 @ 11:42 pm: Right back at ya, L! I’m a sucker for a good limerick myself. Speaking of which… Three candidates nobody sent Hung out at the Pier to vent They scorned the lady And called her shady But will either break ten percent? - ISU REP - Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 8:13 am: Anon: I live here and I talk to people…I’ve also see Brady signs or the lack there of…People love him here, they simply do not think he has what it takes to beat Blago. I’m not saying he doesn’t have a strong support base in B-N just not what it should be for a hometown candidate. Yes, Fitzgerald won but that was almost a decade ago when IL was a different place than it is today. - Anon - Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 6:04 pm: My family is from bloomington. If yard signs are an indicator of who’s winning then Judy should give up and Obie should get a job with a state raod crew. Brady doesn’t have to spend all that money on tv and radio he’s already won. I guess gidwitz can give his money back to his family. - the wonderboy - Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 7:25 pm: ISU REP- I don’t mind the fact that you have chosen a different candidate…I just wish that you would get your facts straight. Look back at election totals for Brady in Bloomington-Normal and tell me that he doesn’t have local support. Furthermore, your comment above that only Judy has won elections seems to show a lack of memory regarding the multiple elections Brady has won. I don’t disagree that Judy is the frontrunner, but many of your attacks show little substance. You asked why no one has stated that their candidate can win? Go back over the last month of posts and comments and I am certain that you will see posts from supporters of all candidates to this regard. I am certain this is the case because I posted some of them and read the others. You live here and you talk to people? Not really sure who you are talking to, but certainly not the Rempublicans in Bloomington Normal…who, by the way, are the ones who will be voting in March. Again, have your opinions…just base them on reality. By the way…Illinois isn’t that different from 10 years ago when Fitzgerald won…not that different at all. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.