The ads must be starting to work
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
New SurveyUSA poll shows Gov. Blagojevich’s disapprovals are falling while his approvals are rising. Best numbers since the monthly tracker began in May of last year. He’s still -2, however.
UPDATE: A commenter just pointed something out that could mean the poll is an outlier.
I just looked through the various tracking graphs… and noticed something a little odd. The Governor is enjoying a fairly significant surge of support among Republicans (12 point jump from last month, as opposed to 0 points among Democrats and -1 point among independents) and conservatives (8 point jump, as opposed to 3 points among moderates and liberals).
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From Bernie’s column:
Sometimes, people who work on a campaign don’t like everything they see. ROB WINCHESTER of Springfield, who was downstate director for the JIM OBERWEIS gubernatorial campaign, is in that category.
Winchester, 38, whose father, BOB WINCHESTER, was a deputy governor under GEORGE RYAN and remains on the Republican State Central Committee representing the 19th Congressional District, says he still considers Oberweis a “wonderful man.” However, the younger Winchester said, he was also “completely discouraged with the approach of negative campaigning and the personal attacks at the end that the campaign chose to take.”
Those attacks were mainly pointed toward the eventual winner of the primary, state Treasurer JUDY BAAR TOPINKA, who happens to be the candidate who was backed by Winchester’s dad.
“I think the negative helped bring her favorables down, but it brought our unfavorables up, therefore having a negative effect on us, in my opinion,” Winchester said.
Oberweis didn’t always seek his staff’s advice when deciding on campaign tactics. For example, Winchester said, he didn’t know that at last year’s Illinois State Fair, Oberweis was going to use his time on stage to ask Springfield consultant BOB KJELLANDER, who was also on stage, to leave his party post. Kjellander, who is now treasurer of the Republican National Committee, has represented companies doing business with the administration of Democrat Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH.
“They’re good people, and I think they were unjustly attacked,” Winchester said of Kjellander and Topinka.
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Daily Herald gets to the bottom of it
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
As I told Capitol Fax readers today, Animal Farm has the answer to a burning question.
And The Answer Is …
16
That’s the number of trips the governor has logged to Springfield so far this year. A little more than a week ago the Daily Herald asked the governor’s staff for the number of days he’d been at the Capitol. A spokeswoman called Wednesday with the information.
She said the governor has made 15 “governmental†trips to Springfield and one “non-governmental†trip. That was in February to announce he was seeking re-election.
The Daily Herald had a little more fun with the guv today.
Rod Blagojevich says when he was a member of the Illinois House during the 1990s, he broke with Democratic leadership and helped Republicans with tax caps.
“Well, I remember when I was a legislator in 1995 and 1996. And I remember voting with the Republican leadership on property tax caps,†Blagojevich said this week.
State records tell a different story.
Blagojevich was absent when, in 1995, the Republican-led Illinois House imposed tax caps on Cook County, a move vociferously opposed by his fellow Democrats who’d been relegated to the political minority at the time.
Interestingly, Blagojevich is recorded as being at the Capitol that day. He’s marked as present on the Feb. 10, 1995, House attendance sheet — which guaranteed he’d get his taxpayer-provided daily stipend for food and housing. And he cast votes on proposals debated just before and after the Cook County tax cap plan.
Although the Chicago Democrat missed the Cook County vote, a year later, he was among the 90 lawmakers supporting Republicans’ plans to allow tax caps downstate.
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Quote of the day
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Jim Muir:
I found it amazing that Reardon said she sits across her desk from people that she knows are going to die and they know they are going to die before they can get any help. And that is happening right here in the Land of Lincoln. And all the while the beat goes on in Springfield.
Go here to see what Jim was writing about. Very troubling indeed.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
It’s not Friday, but I’m not working tomorrow so let’s make this a somewhat light-hearted QOTD.
Which team ends up with the better record this year, White Sox, Cubs or Cardinals? Why?
Place your bets, please.
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Under the bus
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Obama expresses reservations about Alexi.
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama said Wednesday he is concerned by revelations that the bank owned by Illinois Democratic treasurer nominee Alexi Giannoulias’ family gave loans to a Chicago crime figure and said the candidate owes him and the public a full accounting.
“I’m going to take a look at what’s been going on and I’m going to ask Alexi directly what is happening,” said Obama, an early and enthusiastic backer of the first-time candidate, after a town hall meeting at York High School in Elmhurst.
“I think it is absolutely appropriate for [Giannoulias] to have to explain what exactly the nature of the relationship was, how aware the bank was of some of the illegal activities that this gentleman had engaged in in the past,” he said. “I think that is something that, as his campaign goes forward, he’s got to explain to voters.” […]
“It sounds like they hadn’t fully thought that through,” Obama said. “My recommendation to him will be that he needs to have a thorough press conference in which all of this gets completely aired and all of these questions have to be answered. I think that’s what any elected official owes to the voters.”
I’m wondering whether Obama does any TV ads for Alexi this fall.
My experience dealing with Alexi’s campaign is that they just don’t take these questions seriously because they think, for whatever reason, that they aren’t legit. Well, they can’t ignore or dismiss the questions now.
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The “questions”
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Yesterday I told you about how the Blagojevich campaign irked reporters by handing out a list of “questions” for Judy Baar Topinka before her press conference. Here’s the sheet (click for larger image):
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Another Lane Evans open thread - UPDATED
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Hearing anything new?
UPDATE: E-mail from a trusted RI County friend:
John Gianulis went public with an endorsement of Phil Hare for Congress, followed an hour later by just about every Rock Island Countywide elected including County Clerk Dick Leibovitz, State’s Atty Jeff Terronez, Treasurer LuAnn Kerr, Auditor Diana Robinson and Regional Schools Sup’t Joe Vermeire.
UPDATE 2: Here’s a press release (jpg file)
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The Meeks beat
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Sen. Meeks would like to take back that “Sears Tower” comment, according to Christianity Today:
Meeks preached to his church on March 26 telling white churches to call him and tell him to run for governor.
“If I do run and there are two people in the race who both are not standing for morality, if I don’t have every white Christian vote in the state of Illinois, I will stand on top of the Sears Tower and call every one of ya’ll racist,” he said to his congregation.
Wheaton College political scientist Helene Slessarev-Jamir said Meeks cannot expect to gain many white voters if he repeats similar comments.
“This isn’t the kind of rhetoric that is going to work in building the bridges you need to run for statewide office,” she said. “And I’m not sure they will see common interest with other parts of his political program, even though they may be in agreement with him on abortion or gay issues.”
When asked about his statement, Meeks said, “That is a quote I would take back if I could say it again. My statement was simply saying that I would be extremely disappointed if it boils down to a race issue.”
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Big trouble for Dems in “blue” states
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Congressional Quarterly finds an interesting pattern out there.
The ranks of Democratic governors who have the highest job approval ratings in polls — and who are strongly favored to win re-election this November — includes several who lead states that are among the “reddest,†meaning they favored President Bush for re-election in 2004 and often by wide margins.
Paradoxically, the incumbent Democratic governors with the most lackluster approval ratings, including some who face serious challenges in their re-election contests, govern “blue†states that favored Democratic challenger John Kerry over Bush.
Every incumbent Democratic governor seeking re-election in a Bush-voting state has an approval rating above 50 percent. […]
With the exception of highly popular freshman New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, every blue-state incumbent Democrat seeking another term is just breaking even or has fallen into negative territory in job approval polls.
These chief executives include Oregon’s Theodore R. Kulongoski, Illinois’ Rod R. Blagojevich, Wisconsin’s James E. Doyle, Maine’s John Baldacci, Michigan’s Jennifer M. Granholm and Pennsylvania’s Edward G. Rendell.
The National Journal has this:
Their ‘02 victories crushed the GOP’s grip on midwest GOVs. Four years later, those Dem GOVs (MI’s Granholm , IL’s Blagojevich and WI’s Doyle) are fighting for their lives. Why??
– First, the economy. The midwest is struggling to evolve from its manufacturing past. IN’s Daniels and MO’s Blunt, both GOPers, aren’t up in ‘06, but they also aren’t popular.
– None of the three Dem GOVs has had friendly legislatures. It reminds us of how poorly cong Dems received a Dem president in ‘93 and ‘94.
– These GOVs are also suffering from labor pains. Unlike in red states where Dem GOVs are safer, these three have a heavy union presence. All are struggling to balance labor and centrist policies.
– Expectations? All three replaced GOPers who’d held power for more than a decade. Did they spend too much time re-populating state bureaucracies? Or, perhaps, not enough time?
– In truth, it’s all four factors, and they’re turning the midwest into an unexpected ground zero for GOV races this fall.
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Boland tosses hat in ring
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Worst kept secret this month.
State Rep. Mike Boland announced Wednesday that he wants to replace Lane Evans in Congress. Now he just needs the support of hundreds of precinct committeemen from the sprawling congressional district.
Evans said last month that he will not seek a 13th term because his Parkinson’s disease is worsening. The Rock Island Democrat announced the decision after the primary election, so the district’s committeemen will choose a candidate to run in his place this fall.
Evans has endorsed aide Phil Hare to replace him, but Boland said he still has a good shot at becoming the candidate.
“I think it’s wide open,” the East Moline Democrat said at a Springfield news conference.
Boland called himself a progressive on social issues but a fiscal conservative who has never supported a tax increase.
So, in other words, he’ll vote for the programs but won’t vote to pay for them.
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Backfire?
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
I don’t think the Statehouse reporters took kindly to this move by the governor’s campaign.
The campaigns clearly were moving into a more intense stage, with Blagojevich’s campaign taking the unusual move of having someone videotape Topinka’s news conference and distribute suggested questions for reporters to ask.
Ironically, the only question the handout seemed to generate was how Topinka felt about her opponent taking this tactic.
Sheila Nix, spokeswoman for the Blagojevich campaign, said there shouldn’t be a problem with videotaping a public event such as an opponent’s news conference.
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Quinn wants records released
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
========================================
UPDATE: Topinka’s office claims they send the complete list to the governor’s office every month.
========================================
From the Blagojevich campaign:
One day after Judy Baar Topinka said state government should be more open and transparent, Lt Governor Pat Quinn today called on Treasure Judy Baar Topinka to immediately release the list of banks that have state deposits.
“Just yesterday Treasurer Topinka called for ‘more openness in the budget process’ and yet she still refuses to release the list of financial institutions that hold the state’s deposits. It’s not Judy Baar Topinka’s money – it’s our money. Taxpayers deserve to know where their money is deposited,†Quinn said.
While Topinka lectured Governor Blagojevich and other Democratic leaders about meeting behind closed doors regarding the state budget, as State Treasurer she has not followed the lead of other states – and her predecessor – in making information about state banking deposits accessible.
“In this day and age of internet and technology, I find it hard to believe that Treasurer Topinka does not make this information public. The question is simple: Where is our money? The answer should be just as simple and immediate,†Quinn said. When Quinn served as State Treasurer, the information regarding state deposits was available to the public.
Quinn pointed out that many other states, including neighbors Indiana and Iowa, make this information public on their websites.
“If you live in Davenport, you find out where your money is with one click of your mouse. If you live in Moline, you need to make a team of detectives to find out what banks are holding your money. Across the Mississippi River, you don’t need to wonder what banks get state business, you shouldn’t need to wonder here in Illinois,†Quinn said.
Previous published reports in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times have detailed Topinka’s more than $600,000 in extensive campaign contributions from banks and financial institutions. Her most recent campaign disclosure reports show that she accepted tens of thousands of dollars from banks in the final days of her closely contested primary election. The Treasurer’s primary responsibility is to deposit state money in banks.
“Unfortunately, there may be a simple reason Judy Baar Topinka doesn’t want Illinois taxpayers to know where their money is – because she takes significant campaign contributions from every bank she can. It’s time for Treasurer Topinka to come clean, tell us where our money is and tell us how much in campaign contributions she’s taking from the banks she does business with,†Quinn said.
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Gone
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
The House just adjourned until next week. No budget meeting today.
The House will return Tuesday and Wednesday next week, and Tuesday and Wednesday the following week. The Senate, of course, is gone for the next two weeks.
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JBT joins chorus of questioners
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
From Topinka’s campaign:
GOP nominee for Governor Judy Baar Topinka today called on Gov. Rod Blagojevich to answer a simple question he has been ducking for more than a week — “Governor, how many days have you been in Springfield since you announced your budget on Feb. 15th?â€
Newspaper reporters have questioned the Governor’s staff for more than one week, but the Blagojevich Administration is stonewalling the media and the public on that question.
“Now that the legislative session has gone into overtime because there is no budget resolution, the Governor should simply tell the media and the taxpayers what they want to know,’ said GOP nominee for Governor Judy Baar Topinka.
“Answer the question, Governor. How many days have you been in Springfield since you announced your budget proposal on February 15th?â€
Members of the Illinois House and Senate have been working in Springfield, but the “Absentee Governor’ has been missing in action.
Now the overtime session costs taxpayers $21,000 per day in per diem expenses.
As I said in this morning’s Capitol Fax, since so many regular session days were canceled there is no additional overtime cost to taxpayers right now.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Do you think Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s quick decision to investigate those anonymouse House Republican robocalls was the right thing to do? Should she have allowed the State Board of Elections to handle the issue first? Do you think the Repulicans will try to put AG Madigan in the middle of every little political spat from now on in order to even the score against the Democrats? Does this expose her to charges that she favors her father’s House Democratic organization? Explain.
UPDATE: The Post-Dispatch has a story today.
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Best story of the bunch.
Facing criticism that he’s not at the Capitol enough to be effective and instead spends his time campaigning, Gov. Rod Blagojevich dismissed it all as “baloney.â€
“It’s a bunch of baloney,†Blagojevich said during a campaign appearance Tuesday a few blocks from the Capitol.
The Chicago Democrat said he’s met with legislative leaders and is visiting places like Rockford and Decatur to pressure Republicans to support his plans.
Exactly when he’s been at the Capitol this year remains unclear. The Daily Herald asked the governor’s office last week for the information and repeated the request this week to no avail.
[Emphasis added.]
The Tribune has more.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich blamed Republican legislative leaders, who have been shut out of budget negotiations, for slowing down the legislative session Tuesday, even though he and fellow Democrats are in charge.
Blagojevich contended that rank-and-file Republicans would vote for his $55 billion budget and public works program but GOP leaders have refused to let them vote the way they want.
Despite harsh criticism of Republicans, Blagojevich has been unable to cut a deal with the Chicago Democrats who control the two chambers, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President Emil Jones.
And the Sun-Times has Emil Jones’ reaction.
“We’re moving slowly,” Jones said after four hours of closed-door budget talks ended.
“If we can get it done next week or the following week, we’ll do it, but there is no urgent need to rush and get it done,” Jones said.
Also, let’s avoid a debate in comments over what constitutes an “overtime” session. The session was scheduled to conclude April 7th. Period. Any session days after that is an overtime session. Those who are claiming in comments that overtime doesn’t begin until the end of May are just goofy and, more importantly, wrong.
UPDATE: You’re not gonna believe this (OK, you might) but somebody in the governor’s budget office just tried to make this same lame argument that we’re not in overtime until June 1.
These people are obviously not reality based.
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Tribune blasts Alexi
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
I agree with every single word in this Tribune editorial about Democratic treasurer nominee Alexi Giannoulias.
Giannoulias has been nothing but puzzling when he has been questioned about his ties to Michael Giorango, a convicted bookmaker and prostitution ring promoter. […]
Let’s get this straight. Voters are supposed to be impressed by Giannoulias’ experience at the bank. Yet his defense here is that he was clueless as to what his bank was doing?
And he wants to take control of the entire state treasury?
Giannoulias was asked if it was acceptable for a state treasurer to lend money to crime figures. His response to Tribune reporter David Jackson: The treasurer should work to get “the best rate of return for taxpayers to create jobs.”
What, no questions asked?
And the Tribune comes up with some good questions.
Has the 30-year-old candidate for treasurer ever really been more than a junior officer at the family bank? If he had the authority his title implies, how can he claim he didn’t know about this bank business?
How well does he know Giorango?
And why has Giannoulias failed his first tough test as a candidate?
Giannoulias has touted his banking experience as qualifying him for the treasurer’s job. He even said after the election that his experience is what got him the nomination, not the support from Barack Obama.
Well, it’s time for some answers.
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Mistrial ahead?
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
UPDATE: You can find the WLS transcript here.
Oy.
A Chicago radio station has been hit with a federal subpoena in the latest twist involving jurors in the corruption trial of former Gov. George Ryan.
Defense lawyers and prosecutors spent a half-day in closed-door talks in the judge’s chambers Tuesday, but it was unclear what they discussed. Lawyers would not comment due to a gag order.
But the subpoena and a tape of a conversation that aired on WLS-AM’s “Roe Conn Show” March 28 — a day after two Ryan jurors were dismissed — indicate a juror may have discussed the case outside the jury room. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer has repeatedly reminded jurors not to talk about the case when they are not deliberating.
The subpoena asked for a tape of the conversation, which the radio station has provided, and any records relating to the caller’s identity. WLS-AM producer Todd Ronczkowski said the call-in line does not have Caller ID technology.
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Rev. Meeks meets with Cardinal George
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
I’m glad to see that the media is finally starting to realize that Meeks is not just bluffing here. There’s more going on than the political cynics have believed.
State Sen. James Meeks recently met with Cardinal Francis George about Meeks’ possible third-party run for governor — the strongest indication yet the Baptist minister is serious about the idea and intends to use his conservative beliefs to attract voters.
Meeks, pastor of Chicago’s largest African-American church, stopped short of seeking a political endorsement from George during the one-hour-plus breakfast meeting at the cardinal’s home on April 1, knowledgeable sources said.
Rather, he explained the rationale behind his interest in running for governor and sought advice from George about whether key issues he would spotlight, including his stances against abortion and gay marriage, would resonate with Roman Catholics and Evangelical Christians.
Both of Meeks’ potential opponents — Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich and GOP state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka — support abortion rights.
Meeks, who requested the meeting, also told George that providing more money for public schools would be a key part of his potential candidacy. The subject of public funding for Catholic schools did not come up, the sources said.
Take it from someone who has spent a lot of time with Meeks in the past few weeks, the guy is serious. Will he run? I don’t know. But he is a lot further along in his plans than most people realize.
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Morning shorts
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
· Audit: Budget office fails to seek competitive contracts
· “After months of balking, tollway officials backed off controversial I-PASS rule changes Tuesday that lawmakers and watchdog groups said were too broad and too harsh.”
· Capitol Fax readers heard about this possibility days ago: State panel rejects ban on school junk food
· Cunningham narrow winner in appellate race
· Bibo: Few spaces for mentally ill inmates
· Brown: Why does City Hall audit only go after little guys?
· Luciano: Legislators’ wallets are fat enough
· Advocates say power plants are making fish poisonous
· Parrillo defies Ibendahl, blogs about smelt fishing.
· Tuition going up
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