Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2006

Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Rock Island County Dem Chairman John Gianulis told his fellow county chairmen today that he is backing Lane Evan’s choice to replace the retiring congressman - Phil Hare. This is really no surprise whatsoever, but John G teased the media last week about his announcement and it was a big local story.

12 out of the district’s 23 chairmen attended today’s meeting with Gianulis, but there was reportedly a lot of support for state Sen. John Sullivan from chairmen in the district’s southern section.

More in tomorrow’s Capitol Fax.

Also, the Quincy Herald-Whig has a story about the vacancy today.

Unrelated, but Kos has a piece up today about Melissa Bean that’s definitely worth a read and Larry has more.

Consider this a congressional elections open thread.

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Senate leaves town without a budget deal

Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

AP:

With a state budget deal proving hard to reach, the Illinois Senate has decided to take two weeks off.

The legislative session was supposed to end last Friday, but the governor and Democratic leaders have not been able to agree on a new state budget.

So the Senate went home today and won’t come back until April 25th.

There’s no word yet on whether the Illinois House will do the same.

Governor Rod Blagojevich portrayed the decision as a positive move.

UPDATE: From Topinka’s campaign:

GOP nominee for Governor Judy Baar Topinka today said Gov. Rod Blagojevichâ€™s unwillingness to come to work in Springfield has pushed lawmakers into overtime session, and his campaign fund should pay for the new overtime expenses taxpayers are now forced to pay.

â€œThe public expects the Governor of this state to show up to work in Springfield,â€ Topinka said. â€œIf youâ€™re not willing to put in the time and work hard for taxpayers, then you shouldnâ€™t run for the office.â€

â€œEven today, Rod Blagojevich found the time to campaign for Governor, but he couldnâ€™t find the time to do the job of Governor. His lack of attention caused this overtime session, so he owes it to the taxpayers to do what is right and pay this money back from his campaign fund.â€

In his campaign commercials, while playing an interested participant on TV, Governor Blagojevich claims to be â€œbattling in Springfield,â€ but the truth is, he is rarely at the Capitol. Attempts by reporters to learn how many days the Governor has spent in Springfield have been stonewalled by the Blagojevich Administration.

Every day the overtime session continues will cost taxpayers an extra $21,000. So far taxpayers are on the hook for $42,000 and the Governor still has no budget agreement.

â€œThat money could be used to hire a schoolteacher for an entire year, help protect abused and neglected children, provide reading assistance for young children or be used for breast cancer prevention efforts. It could be used for any worthy cause, but it will not be, because this Governor fails to simply show up for work in Springfield.â€

UPDATE 2: The House will be in session Tuesday through Friday next week.

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Should be an interesting event, but I can’t make it

Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Kristen McQueary asked me to post this. Doesn’t look like I’ll be able to make it because of session, but head on over tomorrow if you can.

Join the Chicago Headline Club for a free and inspiring event featuring Gary Post-Tribune political reporter STEVE WALSH, Chicago Tribune reporter JAMES JANEGA and Capitol Fax creator RICH MILLER for a lively discussion, “Reporters Notebook: The War in Iraq.”

Janega prepared for his journey to Iraq by camouflaging his light hair and blue eyes — then hunkered down with ground troops for the invasion into Fallujah. Hear how Walsh and his colleagues negotiated with Pentagon officials to escape the strict orders of a colonel who insisted on editing Walsh’s stories before he sent them via e-mail.

Are we reading and learning “the truth” about the war in Iraq? Come and find out. This event is free and open to the public. No RSVP required.

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 12. Cash bar and appetizers begin at 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Wrigley Building, 410 Club, located at 410 N. Michigan Ave.

PARKING: Complimentary parking available at 430 N. Rush St.

SPONSORED BY: The Chicago Headline Club chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists

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Question of the day

Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

For as long as anyone can remember, legislative leaders and the governor have met behind closed doors to hammer out a budget agreement.

Do you think this is healthy? And if not, what alternative would you propose?

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Busted

Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Apparently, the governor was against a capital bill when he was in the House.

As a loyal member of the Democratic political minority in the Illinois House during the mid-1990s, Rod Blagojevich helped block millions of dollars worth of spending on roads, universities and dilapidated state prisons the ruling Republicans wanted.

Fast-forward a decade and now that Democrats are in control, Gov. Blagojevich is blasting Republicans for the same thing â€” blocking state borrowing that would fund construction projects.

â€œWe cannot let partisan politics get in the way of progress,â€ Blagojevich said after Senate Republicans last week refused to go along with borrowing $4 billion to build roads and schools.

Many Republicans were intrigued by his turnaround from opposing a $361 million borrowing plan in 1995 to supporting a $4 billion one now.

â€œItâ€™s clear when the governorâ€™s party leaders at the time deemed a similar Republican proposal too costly, the governor was willing to vote â€˜noâ€™ but doesnâ€™t see the hypocrisy when he tries to make outcasts of Republican legislators who are fighting for fiscal responsibility,â€ said Senate Republican spokeswoman Patty Schuh.

A Blagojevich spokeswoman said she was unaware of the 1995 details and that the two plans couldnâ€™t be compared because the new one is so much larger. â€œThatâ€™s like comparing apples to oranges,â€ said spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff.

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Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

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AG probes House GOP calls

Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The House Republlicans claim they’re well within the law, but Madigan is investigating anyway.

State Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office is investigating whether a telephone campaign paid for by House Republicans that targeted Democratic lawmakers violated state election rules.

“We have received a complaint,” said Madigan spokeswoman Melissa Merz on Monday.

The campaign involved anonymous, automated calls to the constituents of House Democrats. The calls attacked the Democrats’ records and accused them of cutting veterans benefits, among other programs.

Madigan’s office is looking into whether the calls violated the state’s election code, which dictates that political committees have to identify who paid for any communications that mention the name of a candidate in the next election.

The calls in the phone campaign did not say that they’d been paid for by the House Republicans, though the party later said it was responsible for them.

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Romney touts Topinka

Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

JBT is said to be one of the top five to eight targeted races.

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said Monday that getting Judy Baar Topinka elected this fall is a top priority for the Republican Governor’s Association.

Romney, chairman of the national group, said during a news conference with Topinka that the Illinois race is among the “five to eight” gubernatorial races deemed most important because they offer a chance for a Republican to unseat an incumbent Democrat.

“We recognize that this is a key race. This is a winnable race,” said Romney, who also was in town to attend a biotechnology convention. He mentioned Michigan and Wisconsin as other key governors’ races among 36 this year.

Romney would not say how much money the group would spend on Topinka’s campaign. He said the association raised about $16 million last year for races around the country.

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Morning shorts

Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Â· Hundreds rally in Illinois for immigration reform

Â· Sneed: How come the Abraham Lincoln Museum has not found a new executive director to replace Richard Norton Smith?

Â· What kind of sentence is George Ryan facing, if convicted?

Â· Brown: Patronage alive and well

Â· Illinois, Minnesota leaders ask oil companies to make E85 available

Â· Feds: Patronage chief had files destroyed. More here.

Â· Ryan Jurors Enjoy Break In Warm Weather

Â· WBEZ change strikes sour note

Â· Officials tout biotech future

Â· Shortest. Courtship. Ever.

Â· Editorial: Question those state job-creation figures

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