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Monday, Mar 20, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

As I told you before, I’ll be on Fox Chicago from 9-11 tomorrow night. The radio plans have changed, however. I’ll be doing a little (not sure yet how much) analysis for WLS Radio starting sometime after 7pm. (Many thanks to Steve Scott for the invite.) I may also be doing a tiny bit of public radio stuff in Chicago, but I’ll know more tomorrow.

Also, please remember that I’ll be live-blogging here during the Fox News thing and throughout the evening, so try to come up with some pithy comments.

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Pre-election night open thread

Monday, Mar 20, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

From a press release:

Attorney General Lisa Madigan today announced that 161 teams of assistant attorneys general and investigators will be working throughout the state tomorrow, Tuesday, March 21, to monitor the primary election in Illinois.

Madigan has assigned 119 teams to Chicago, Cook and the collar counties as well as other counties across northern Illinois and 42 teams to monitor downstate. Madigan said the teams will observe activity in and around polling places and investigate claims of voter fraud or voting irregularities.

Madigan urges voters to call her office if they encounter suspected improper or illegal activity. Chicago area voters can call 1-866-536-3496 (TTY 1-800-964-3013). Downstate voters can contact Madiganâ€™s office by calling 1-866-559-6812 (TTY 1-877-844-5461).

This is a pre-election open thread. Have at it, but try to be nice to each other. It’s almost over.

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Last columns

Monday, Mar 20, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Here’s my last primary column.

Alexi Giannoulias has big trouble ahead.

The wealthy, young, telegenic Democratic candidate for treasurer is favored to win Tuesday’s primary. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama appears in his TV ad, and the latest Chicago Tribune poll shows Giannoulias leading downstater Paul Mangieri by 14 points.

Giannoulias has repeatedly claimed that his experience working at his family’s bank makes him qualified to be state treasurer, but late questions have arisen about some loans the bank made to an ex-mobster, and the candidate’s response has cast doubt on whether Giannoulias is ready â€” or even fit â€” to hold statewide office.

Mark Brown’s last column is pretty good.

Not that long ago, state legislators Tony Munoz, Eddie Acevedo and Martin Sandoval were Exhibit A for the growing influence of the Hispanic Democratic Organization, proud beneficiaries of its Machine-style, jobs-for-votes politics.

Then came the Hired Truck scandal, and its offshoot, the City Hall patronage hiring investigation, both of which have prominently featured HDO.

Now those three legislators are running for re-election Tuesday and, wouldn’t you know it, you don’t hear much from any of them about HDO.

Instead, all three are campaigning on the theme of being an “independent voice” in their Southwest Side communities, the word “independent” featured so prominently in all their campaign literature that you’d swear it was produced in a secret echo chamber located somewhere beneath Pilsen and Little Village.

And so is Lynn Sweet’s.

GOP House hopefuls Kathy Salvi and David McSweeney are the front-runners in Tuesday’s primary battle to take on Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean. They are fighting for conservative votes in expensive Chicago TV spots where the non-federal issue of property taxes suddenly came into play in the closing days of the campaign.

“It’s nuclear negative,” said McSweeney on Sunday, forced to change his end-game strategy by Salvi’s last minute television and direct mail blitz attacking his tenure as a Palatine Township trustee.

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Question of the day

Monday, Mar 20, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Here are some primary day forecasts from Weather Underground:

Â· Chicago: 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid 30s. North winds 10 to 20 mph.

Â· Springfield: 90 percent chance of snow. Snow in the morning…then a chance of light snow in the afternoon. Snow accumulation of 2 to 3 inches. Total snow accumulation 5 to 8 inches. Highs in the lower 30s. Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph becoming north 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 30 mph.

Â· Carbondale: Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of light snow. Highs in the upper 30s. North winds 10 to 20 mph.

Â· Bloomington: Snow in the morning…then a chance of light snow in the afternoon. Snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches. Total snow accumulation 4 to 6 inches. Highs in the lower 30s. Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Chance of snow 90 percent.

Do you think any of this will have an impact on tomorrow’s primary? Why or why not?

UPDATE: ABC7 has a story about this topic.

Voter turnout Tuesday in Illinois could break an all-time record, a record low. That is because an Election Day snowstorm is headed straight for central Illinois.

A non-presidential primary election usually attracts about a third of all of the registered voters in Illinois. Election experts say a central Illinois snowstorm could reduce Tuesday’s statewide turnout to less than 25 percent which would be the lowest in many decades.

The turnout forecast for Chicago and the collar counties is good, no rain or snow but windy and chilly. City turnout expected in the 38 percent range.

but watch out downstate, from Peoria to south of Kankakee. A winter storm warning through most of election day with up to an 8 inch snowfall.

it is even worse for mid-section of the state. There is a blizzard warning from the time the polls open at 6 a.m. almost until they close at 7, up to nine inches of snow.

not much better for the Champaign-Danville-Charleston area. Winter storm warning there for Election Day, 5 to 9 inches of snow before the precincts close.

State Senator Bill Brady’s hopes to become the GOP candidate for governor could take the biggest hit from a downstate snowstorm. Brady’s most devoted base of support ripples out from his native Bloomington, which is right in the middle of Tuesday’s forecasted snowstorm. Brady said Monday he is not worried about the weather, that his supporters are committed.

Even though downstate accounts for only 20 percent of the Republican primary vote, GOP frontrunner Judy Barr Topinka deployed former governor Jim Edgar to the hinterlands of Illinois Monday, trying to convince people to turnout for her, regardless of the weather.

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Protected: Susbscribers only - late news and roundups (use all upper-case in the password)

Monday, Mar 20, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

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“Pay to Play Polka”

Monday, Mar 20, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Oberweis launches new ad.

A new political ad tries to link gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka to former Governor George Ryan. Jim Oberweis is running the ad targeting his opponent in Tuesday’s republican primary.

In the ad, Topinka is accused of doing the “pay for play polka.” Judy Baar Topinka’s danced the polka with dozens of politicians over the years, including Vice President Dick Cheney. So when an ABC 7 photographer captured her and then Governor George Ryan on stage at the state fair in Springfield a few years ago, no one expected the footage to pop up in a negative campaign ad aimed at pushing her off the dance floor in the final days of the republican primary for governor. The choreographer is opponent Jim Oberweis who is finishing the campaign with a burst of creativity.

In the final days before the primary election, Judy Baar Topinka — the GOP frontrunner in all the polls — is trying to survive what may be the last and probably most memorable attack ad of the campaign. Challenger Jim Oberweis using news footage of an innocent dance at a state fair to suggest that Topinka’s a lot like the former governor who is on trial for alleged corruption.

I had the ad behind a firewall this past weekend to conserve bandwidth, but somebody else posted it, so go take a look and tell us what you think.

Also, the Sun-Times has more on that straw thing.

Republican Jim Oberweis on Sunday defended his last-minute offer to gubernatorial primary rivals Bill Brady and Ron Gidwitz — drawing straws to see who stays in to face GOP front-runner Judy Baar To-pinka head-on — as “a creative opportunity to discuss solutions.”

The Aurora dairy owner said he was prepared to dump another chunk of his fortune into the race if he won the draw he proposed last week and Brady and Gidwitz endorsed him.

“I would have added another $500,000 to get that message out in the remaining four days of the campaign,” Oberweis said before stepping into a National Rifle Association dinner in Joliet.

By proposing Brady and Gidwitz each get one straw and he get 10, Oberweis said he had an 85 percent chance of winning the draw, and then a 90 percent chance of winning the primary — as opposed to a 50 percent chance with them in.

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Stroger roundup

Monday, Mar 20, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Cook County Board President John Stroger is out of intensive care.

Cook County Board President John Stroger moved into a new room one step below the intensive care unit Sunday as he continued to recover from last weekâ€™s serious stroke.

The 76-year-old veteran Democratâ€™s condition remains serious but stable, and he â€œwas more alert, more communicative and was asking questions of the doctors,â€ according to a statement released Sunday afternoon by Rush University Medical Center.

The weakness in Strogerâ€™s left side that came after he suffered a stroke early last Tuesday that left a blockage in his brain remains unchanged. But the statement said doctors â€œfeel his condition has improved to a point that he can be moved to the step-down unit, which allows increased access by family members.â€

The medical update came less than 48 hours before Democratic voters head to the polls to either re-nominate Stroger or go with County Board Commissioner Forrest Claypool.

And Kass has some kind words.

I like John Stroger. I always have, without making excuses for his deals. He came from nowhere, or Arkansas (whichever is farther) and arrived in Chicago a young man alone. He didn’t have a magical political name. He made his own way. He is what he is.

And now he’s incapacitated. So I don’t think it’s cruel or disrespectful to say that John Stroger is not up to the task of running the county government. But I’m not going to ask the man to step down.

Why?

Because I want to see how this one plays out.

And the Defender has a wrapup of late events and rallies and gives us this piece as well.

Approximately 18 ministers of various denominations said Sunday that they may press for the African American community in the city and county to boycott both the Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune after the primary elections on Tuesday.

The clergy said they are upset and insulted that both daily newspapers requested the medical records of Stroger after he was admitted into Rush University Medical Center last week while suffering a severe stroke.

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Monday morning shorts

Monday, Mar 20, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Â· If you’re just joining us, here are some links to some important stories that were blogged here over the weekend:

Â· “Train Wreck” (A must-see.)

Â· “Childish Attacks”

Â· Machine hobbled on Tuesday?

Â· The fight for second place

Â· Why isnâ€™t Stroger at Stroger Hospital?

Â· Mell makes nice with EE

Â· Saturday roundup

Â· Sunday roundup
Â· Governor says ban “Braves” name in baseball, but not college basketball.

The NCAA is cracking down on “hostile or abusive'’ team nicknames that involve American Indians. The Bradley Braves are one of the teams under fire. […]

“They ought to lighten up,'’ Blagojevich said when asked about the NCAA’s position. “Tell them to ban it in major league baseball. Leave Bradley alone.'’

Â· It’s finally come to this: “GOP opponents criticize Blagojevich’s non-campaign campaigning.” More last-minute stuff here.

Â· Gubernatorial candidates’ budget plans discussed.

Â· The Sun-Times has a good graphic breaking down the candidates’ stances on issues.

Â· Cook County puts away the punch

Â· Fakes in 3rd District?

Â· Kadner has some interesting things to say about Lipinkski’s reelection race. Definitely worth a read.

Â· The Journals & Topics Newspapers refused to make an endorsement in the 6th Congressional District:

We make no endorsement among the three Democrats. Cegelis who ran an impressive campaign two years ago, has seemingly failed to ignite Democrats this time around. Duckworth and Scott have ignore most if not all of the Journal & Topics Newspapers circulation area of the 6th Congressional Dist. which includes portions of Des Plaines, Mt. Prospect and Elk Grove Village. Their efforts seem to be concentrated on DuPage County.

Â· 8th Congressional District primary race turns “nuclear negative.”

Â· Mac’s a winner.

Â· Tribune political roundup one and two.

Â· Trib continues Claypool crusade.

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Machine hobbled on Tuesday?

Sunday, Mar 19, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

I’m not sure if this is just a bluff or for real, but check out this passage that was buried at the bottom of a story on John Stroger today.

But ward bosses may find their powers blunted this year in any case. Several committeemen told the Daily Southtown that loyal city workers â€” who typically make up the bulk of a ward’s political army â€” were having trouble getting off work on Election Day.

Workers who owe their jobs to party bosses often ask for a vacation day that day so they can help get voters to the polls. Mayor Richard Daley’s office said there has been no change in policy, but some committeemen said a memo has circulated warning workers that only a few vacation requests would be granted.

“They’re worried about the federal monitor,” one city committeeman said. “That’s going to screw up a lot of organizations.”

Daley’s administration is working under a federal court-appointed monitor who’s supposed to prevent politics from entering into the city’s hiring, firing and other personnel decisions.

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Protected: Subscribers only - Campaign mailers and updates (use password from Friday’s Capitol Fax)

Sunday, Mar 19, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Sunday afternoon shorts

Sunday, Mar 19, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Â· “Exelon officials took several steps that for years kept the public in the dark about radioactive tritium spills at a Will County nuclear power plant and the groundwater contamination the spills caused, public records obtained by the Tribune show.”

Â· “Cook County election officials say they are in desperate need of election judges to work Tuesday’s primary.”

Â· 6th CD roundup from the Sun-Times.

Â· 8th CD roundup from the Daily Herald.

Â· Money matters.

Â· Stroger roundup. More here.

Â· Shadow Island. Hilarious.

Â· Are churches key to the black vote? [Hat tip: It’s My Mind blog, who is probably going to get an invite to write at Illinoize very soon.]

Â· Phyllis Schlafly’s radio spot for Oberweis.

Â· Bernie predicts Blagojevich, Topinka, Birkett, Giannoulias, Mowen, Redpath.

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“Childish attacks”

Sunday, Mar 19, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

One of Jack Roeser’s Family Taxpayer Network online publications attempts to take Bill Brady to task and ends up making itself look foolish in the process (nothing new there).

Bill Bradyâ€™s been running a dishonest campaign and making childish attacks on Jim Oberweis from day one.

And then they make a childish attack of their own.

If we wanted a pretty-boy weasel for Governor â€“ we could just keep the one weâ€™ve got.

ArchPundit has more.

UPDATE: Oberweis defends the straw game.

He says he took the bold step of asking them to play a game of chance to try to break the logjam of candidates he fears will split the vote. Brady and Gidwitz refused to play.

UPDATE: Part 3 of FTN’s attack on Brady is now online.

Look, we donâ€™t dispute that Bill Brady has probably voted right 80% of the time. If a conservative bill makes it to the floor â€“ sure, Brady will likely vote in favor. Bradyâ€™s representing a very conservative Senate district. Heâ€™s hardly sticking his neck out. […]

Bill Brady is no Senator Chris Lauzen for example. And so it really shouldnâ€™t come as a surprise to learn that Brady has been endorsed by so few of his own Senate colleagues.

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“Train Wreck”

Sunday, Mar 19, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

[This post was moved from Saturday to Sunday because a lot of folks haven’t seen it yet or may have missed some of the updates.]

I decided to take the password protection off of this one. This mailer, from Jack Roeser’s Family Taxpayers Network was sent on behalf of Jim Oberweis. It’s hitting everywhere today and slams Topinka. Click on the little pics to get big pics.

By the way, I think that train wreck photo was taken from Evasive Action, which starred Roy Scheider.

BIZARRO-WORLD UPDATE: Is this a joke?

Jim Oberweis last week asked two of his opponents to draw straws to determine who would stay in the Republican race for governor and who would drop out.

Oberweis proposed that he, Ron Gidwitz and Bill Brady play the game of chance to determine who would drop out.

Oberweis campaign manager Joe Wiegand said the winner would have remained in the race against front-runner Judy Baar Topinka.

Under Oberweis’ proposal, he would have had 10 chances to pull the winning straw and Brady and Gidwitz each would have gotten one chance.

Not surprisingly, the others turned thumbs down. What the heck is with this guy? [emphasis added]

MORE ABSOLUTELY CRAZINESS: It just gets weirder and weirder. The full AP story about the straw game is now up.

“It just shows the kind of innovative free-market thinking Jim brings in,” Wiegand said. […]

“How could you take that seriously?” said Brady, a state senator from Bloomington. […]

Wiegand said he supported Oberweis’ idea “because his instincts are phenomenal.”

“Letting Jim Oberweis be Jim Oberweis, from a campaign-management point of view, is one of the advantages we enjoy,” Wiegand said.

Which “advantages” would that be?

FLASHBACK UPDATE: From a friend:

At the closed-door meeting late last year with the then-5 Gov. candidates (Rauschy was still in) and Chairman McKenna, Oberweis proposed a similarly screwy idea:

All five candidates would put their names in a hat, and the first name drawn would run for Gov. Then you’d keep drawing names for various slots, with the final one being for National Committeeman.

ANOTHER KOOKY UPDATE: This time from the Tribune:

Gidwitz, a Chicago businessman, called the request “absurd” but said Oberweis was “totally serious” about it. Brady, a state senator from Bloomington and, like Oberweis, a conservative, said he received a similar request to draw straws.

“He said, `If God wanted you to be the candidate, it wouldn’t matter how many straws you have,’.” Brady recalled Oberweis saying.”I said, `Jim, I’m not interested.’ It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. The people of Illinois need to decide who the nominee should be, not straws.”

Oberweis said that he called Brady and Gidwitz and asked them to “pull out and support me” but refused to confirm the details. He said he was “stunned” Brady would discuss a private conversation.

“I’ve told you five times I had a private conversation,” he told a reporter. “I don’t intend to discuss it.”

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Mell makes nice with EE

Sunday, Mar 19, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

There’s probably less to this than meets the eye, but it’s still a good story.

Ald. Richard Mell (33rd) had some kind words of support Saturday for the man trying to take his son-in-lawâ€™s job, although he did not call it an endorsement.

â€œIâ€™ve known Edwin Eisendrath, a bright and capable alderman,â€ Mell said in a special introduction at his bingo party for seniors at Gordon Tech High School, at 3633 N. California Av.

Mell says he is not endorsing the challenger, but he Eisendrath says Mell has given him some key support.

â€œWhat (Mell) said was that he thinks Iâ€™m terrific; (he) left it at that,â€ Eisendrath said.

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