67 Comments - girl friday - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 6:11 am: Along with the corruption issue, I think how the Gov is handling the finances of this state is disgusting. Bradley Tusk made the comment regarding why they should sell the Illinois lottery: “That’s the point of being there, and to not do things that can help schools and kids now because you may have to work a little harder in four years, to me, if that’s your approach, then don’t get into this business in the first place.” This shows the lack of fiscal responsibility that does not sit well with the voters. So in other words, lets get the money now so that the Blago administration looks good, in 4 years when the funding runs out it will be someone else’s problem. That ‘someone’ is the people who live in Illinois, Bradley will just return to New York City. - Bill Baar - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 6:46 am: I think the lottery sale was a huge mistake. It confirms people’s view he shoots out programs from the hip. Topinka can recover the republican defectors a lot easier then B can overcome the perceptions of corruption and opportunism. - wndycty - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 6:52 am: Mr. Baar- you mean that Judy who was nominated in March and has yet to offer any solid ideas? You mean that Judy who is hoping for the stench of corruption to continue and potential indictments for without them she has no chance? You mean that Judy who when Andy Shaw asked her Sunday about the fact she had no plan, said something about Rod having $20 million and that was the reason she had no plan yet? It seems to me that anyone who needs $20 million to come up with a plan is not really a serious candidate. Intelligence does not cost money. - Mr. Ethics - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:01 am: Corruption is not enough. The voters will march to the voting booth and do what they are told as usual. The only way to unseat Rod is if JBT can come across real strong in any debates. But Judy’s biggest problem will still be if enough people in this State are actually paying any attention at all. - wndycty - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:05 am: You mean like paying attention to the fact that Judy has no ideas? That Judy accuses Rod of wrong doing, while she is dealing with allegations of her her state staff working on her campaigns on the state’s dime? Let’s be consistent. There is a lot that Judy hopes the voters are not paying attention to. - DOWNSTATE - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:06 am: JBT really has not had to roll that much out because this clown keeps shooting him self in the foot.When more people than the ones in the blog-o-sphere start keeping track then JBT will start.By then there will be much more corruption on the Blago side. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:12 am: wndycty must be deeply entrenched in Blah-Blah’s campaign organization. His daily ticking of campaign dot points is getting as tiresome as those idiot commercials he must so dearly love. But seriously, people ‘vote their wallets’ and there will be plenty of financial shenanigans that has been committed by this corrupt and incompetent crew that will be exposed by our man Rich and others. Positive television ads in the fall that realistically, believably detail how she will straighten out all the financial mismanagement will win the race for Topinka. - wndycty - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:14 am: You mean alleged corruption don’t you? How would Judy govern? Will she be proactive or will she just react to the news of the day? Because from what I can tell she is an empty suit. I would like to think that she would have offered up some ideas in the primary, but I guess she was nominated because she is the only Republican who holds state wide office. Has she done anything to reinforce that she was better than Gidwitz, Oberweis and Brady? This lady won the primary without introducing one idea? You have to be kidding me. - vole - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:15 am: Many people think that business as usual in Springfield is corrupt, no matter who fills the office of governor. There is not much evidence that Rod has cleaned up the process as promised. And his continuously running campaign ads don’t say much about his character either. - wndycty - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:16 am: So for someone to be pro Blago he or she must be involved in the campaign? But when someone is pro-Judy he or she is just your average voter expressing an opinion? - SilverBackDemocrat - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:23 am: Judy Baar Topinka has been using state employees from her office to do campaign style work on “state time.” This is a fact! During the benefits choice period for state employees, ie., when state employees choose their Health Care provider plans for the year (like Health Alliance, OSF, etc), her office had a state employee at state prisons giving out pamphlets with her name in big bright blue Capital letters, with her picture on them. Let’s make sure you are following me, this is a function for state employees to choose their Health Care plan. What does the State Treasurers Office have to do with health care. I have been a state employee for about a decade, and I have never-ever seen a representative from Topinka’s office at a benefits choice period function. Now that she is running for Governor, Whalllah! She is front and center. This is as blatant as blatant can be. I talked to a couple of co-workers and they thought that it was campaigning too. Real slick. Let me reiterate that this occured at a “state prison” during day shift working hours. Is she trying to pull a fast one on people; State prisons have log books that indicate who and when they enter a facility, so if she is legitimate, she or a staff member from here office will be listed on the log books. She has no credibility. Before you take the speck out of my or someonelses eye, remove the log from your own eye. - wndycty - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:28 am: Silverback- Can the log books be FOIA’ed? Any journalists on this page willing to FOIA these log books? - B Hicks - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:29 am: Of course, anyone supporting the Governor is entrenched in his camp. There can’t possibly be anyone out there that actually supports the Governor for his ideas, policies, or his programs. Nope, just hacks. And it takes an anonymous poster to point that out. The corruption card isn’t going to get much attention when Topinka throws it out. People view her as part of the problem, not the solution. She’s part of the old system, a 23-year elected official who just now is concerned with corruption. She played ball side-by-side with George Ryan, Lee Daniels, Jim Thompson, and Jimmy “I’ll take that bet” Edgar. Hotel deals, bank contributions, state employees politicking on the clock. People aren’t buying what she is trying to sell. - SilverBackDemocrat - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:31 am: I do not see any reason why they cannot be. I seen and talked to the person myself to verify who and where the person was from because I thought it was fishy to see someone from Topinka’s office at the health care function. This occured on approximately May 11, 2006. - wndycty - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:33 am: Which facility? - SilverBackDemocrat - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:34 am: IYC Kewanee - Tessa - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:47 am: I dont’ think corruption will be enough to unseat the Governor, because not enough people care. It matters most to the people who work for the state, and to some people who pay close attention to what happens in the political scene in Illinois, but to the general pop. in Illinois, this doesn’t even hit the radar screen. What matters, financial stability for a state that hasn’t had it in years. But again, a lot of people in Illinois don’t care as long as their taxes aren’t touched and changes don’t directly affect them now. What happens ten, twenty years down the road are inconsequential now. So the neat programs the Gov keeps throwing out sound wonderful, and the changes he keeps making sound great, but at some point, we’re going to hve to find new money to have to pay for everything. Something is going to have to give. We aren’t going to be able to pay for everything that needs to be paid for. What’s going to get dropped - paying for the disabled and needy, kids with no insurance (his new program), education, safety? Our kids are going to end up footing the bill for this mess we’re getting in now. It’s not right. He needs to start fixing the money situation, instead of continuing to add and hype new programs we can’t afford. Of course, if Judy B-T doesn’t come up with her own plans and start hammering him with them, then she’s not going to get anywhere. Just saying she’s not him isn’t going to cut it. Unless something big happens, we’re going to be stuck choosing the lesser of two evils. For me, it’s not going to be him. - Inmate #83848903 - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:49 am: Could it be that Topinka was looking for a reason to hit state prison staff (i.e. AFSCME members) and show how much she cares about state employees in order to make a push for the AFSCME endorsement? Wonder how many times they pushed their political agenda onto the members and ripped the governor… Hmmmm…. This smells rotten. - DOWNSTATE - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 8:06 am: if you have that much evidence of wrongdoing instead of accusing on a blog site you need to turn it over to the feds.I think Rich would be more than happy to give you the names and numbers.Until then it is just more ramblins from scared Democrats. - SilverBackDemocrat - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 8:13 am: I assume that you did not watch the debate between the Governor and Topinka. He said point blank during the debate, you have used state employees on state time to campaign for you that is “being investigated by federal investigators.” He said something to that effect. I sent the information to the Blagojevich campaign in Chicago. What they do with that information is up to them. Maybe they turned it over to the fed’s? I don’t know. I did what any loyal Democrat or loyal Republican would do (I believe). - DOWNSTATE - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 8:29 am: Let’s see the Gov. 14 federal investigations and JBT 1 old one that is so old that it proves nothing is there.You are right the Gov. wins by a landslide on the corruption issue and as election time gets closer that is going to do him in. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 8:30 am: Ethics could have swung this election if the Republicans had been smart enough to nominate someone who didn’t have exactly the same issues and ethical problems as Blago. But of course they screwed up. Now stuck with Topinka, Republicans completely sacrificed the issue. Actually, given the way Topinka’s coming across in debates, most voters likely see Blago as much more ethical and credible by Nov. Her numbers are already tanking. Topinka’s the one candidate who can’t beat Blago. - Wumpus - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 8:32 am: Ironic that Judy has as much of plan and as much criticism as the National Democrats. Where is Rove? He is free of indictment, maybe he can come here and craft a gameplan for Judy and Joe. - Shelbyville - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 9:06 am: I see a pattern with some of these posts. I think one person is posting over and over using a different name. - just a former school teacher that smells a rat - can't imagine - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 9:25 am: we will see if windycity is really a top Blago aid. If the comments stop soon the answer is Yes afterall it is hard to type with your hands behind you and handcuffed!!! - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 9:34 am: I believe the Governor wins by 3-5% if there are no indictments. That’s far closer than it should be in a state that’s been trending around a 12-14% margin for Dems. The Governor is certainly vulnerable on the ethics issue, but a lack of competence and stewardship could be the issue that swings some independent voters. The polls have shown that he’s an unpopular governor downstate, but the demographics of surburban Cook and collar counties make it hard for him to lose. The inability of JBT to raise funds will almost certainly make this a one-sided PR battle, so I expect the Governor to hold on. - So-Called "Austin Mayor" - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 9:48 am: When asked to guess about the outcome of the 2004 Presidential election, Bruce Sterling said “Osama will get to decide it.” In the 2006 Governor’s race: “Patrick Fitzgerald will get to decide it.” An unindicted Blago wins in November. - Stop the bleeding - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 10:12 am: Nobody is bringing up the fact that JBT has lost and is loosing the GOP base voters in droves. Edgar in the papers a month ago saying she needs crossover Democrats and not mentioning the conservatives was the last straw. Her first fundraiser was sponsored by the Log Cabins (rubbing pro family voters faces in the fact she does not care about their issues) she is toast. She has no chance to get those voters back, it is now a race to the bottom! Is there a conservative out there who has been reached out too from JBT’s people? It was up to her to heal the rift after the primary and they made it wider. JBT can blame right wing nuts but it is her fault for not attempting to bring the party together. Andy McKenna watch and learn who the voters in the GOP are. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 10:17 am: This is Blagojevich’s re-election campaign, and Giannoulais’ campaign and the number one issue is their corruption. The continual charges of corruption is a huge factor coloring both of them. If there is a one-two knockout punch, their refusal to run a clean ship after promising to us they would do so is a really big factor. The next blow to Blagojevich is also self-inflicted; his complete lack of sincerity when proposing policies that are clearly half-baked and unsupported. He have seen and heard this guy make PR statements repeatedly, yet also see that he does not back up his proposals to make them happen. Some call it opportunistic, some call it fraud, but it is clearly wrong. After four years, we have seen such an amateur approach to governance, it is shocking. Everyone has given him time to grow in office, but even after one term, there has been no growth. With each embarrassment like his proposal to sell the Lottery, he reaffirms to voters his complete lack of planning. As to Windy City, whoever this schmo is, they are ruining this blog. Like so many other partisans, he/she is demanding that a political challenger make proposals. “She has no plans”, blah, blah, blah. Listen dummy, she is the challenger - she isn’t supposed to set herself up by making proposals for Blagojevich’s staff to shoot down. Voters know she has plans! What she is effectively doing is not exposing them to attack. Blagojevich is the issue. He is on the hot seat. He made it. He can dance on it until November. - DOWNSTATE - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 10:32 am: WEEEEEEEE THANK YOU VN. - Josh - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 10:36 am: I think it is an issue. The attempt by some to turn the tables on Judy won’t wash. There’s a huge difference between the half-dozen or so current investigations into the Governor and a single three plus year-old accusation by a disgruntled employee that went no where. Wishful thinking by Democrats and a handful of wackos in Carpentersville. The real question is, will Judy raise the funds to be competitive? - Merlin - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 10:49 am: Another large factor besides corruption will be loyalty. Many dem pols really dislike the governor and are looking for any excuse to dump him. The early attack ads have not worked well. The gov needs to be trounching JBT by September to keep the party faithful from cutting and running. Blago’s campaign has plenty of money for ads and press realeases but has lost all the troops. He could find out the hard way how much his father in law helped. - outsider - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 10:56 am: Judy is an embarrassment. The republicans don’t want her. The real question is how many years will the republicans wait to run a real challenger. At this point I can’t take them seriously. - Paul Simon Museum Guy - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 11:20 am: Sadly, I think corruption alone IS NOT enough to unseat this governor. Illinois voters are jaded by scandals that would tear apart some states. We all know that “pay-to-play” is here to stay (until we get term limits!). Even when there are no indictments or investigations we just assume they’ve found another “loophole” to siphon the money to the right whore. Scott Fawell will not be the last person to use “That’s the way it’s always been done in Illinois” as a defense in a criminal trial. Unless JBT gets some $$$ this election is over. - Bill Baar - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 11:49 am: I like windy ’cause he/she calls me Mr… no one else does. - Levois - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 12:11 pm: For corruption to be an issue there has to be indictments and solid evidence coming from the top of the Blagojevich administration. I think voters can get him good on how he’s handled the finances of the state and other issues. - Dan Vock - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 12:49 pm: How ’bout a related question? If the general election DOES become a referendum on corruption, how low will voter turn-out go? - the Patriot - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 12:58 pm: The voters don’t care about state finances. Just give me my program, which rod has done. The corruption is mostly affects state employees who most of which are republican and not votes the governor would count on anyway. Judy is much cleaner, but still tied to old school politics and the perception of George Ryan. We know Rod can campaign, but it seems he is actually trying to appear so corrupt, the investigations cannot possibly be completed by November. Each week we hear of another investigation. Indictments come when the investigation is ending, as long as new allegations keep surfacing, the indictments get pushed back, increasing his chances of a win in Nov. Man I love this state! - Dem Voting R - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 1:04 pm: Ah, politics ain’t beanbag. Isn’t it healthy for our electorate, our mental health and our luncheon appetite to come here and read not reasoned debate but attack attack attack. Personally, I’m tired of reading it, which is why I haven’t posted here in awhile. It is a mirror image of our Governor’s plan for the election - paint his opponent in tar and feathers and that suffices for debate. Have fun kids and don’t throw sand in each other’s eyes. - Bubs - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 1:09 pm: Corruption is not enough in itself. But it is an awful lot, as if JBT can present herself as any sort of credible alternative, Blago is in deep trouble. Obviously, that’s why Blago’s staff went negative right out of the blocks, and folks like WindyCty do nothing but whine about her, per orders. In sum, they HAVE to turn the election into a referendum on Topinka, because Blago will lose a referendum on himself. - One Man Can Make A Difference - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 1:31 pm: Corruption bashing is the winning ticket to alot these days in the State of Illinois. Unless those who are ultimately accountable are held accountable, it will be the leader who will face a set back in terms of another four years, or an indictment. Unless, Rod Blagojevich cleans his administration, soon, he can loose based upon the fact that people are demanding change and haven’t seen it. All we have seen are lies from the Governor and attempts to circumvent the truth. All the state employees filing suit against this administration aren’t lying and making these things up and then talk to the news media about it. There are many truths to the stories being told and more is yet to come. - rod is slick - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 1:37 pm: Why are you state workers posting on this blog on state time? Please go guard! - outsider - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 1:53 pm: Seems we have some Republican lobbyists with nothing better to do than to post on Capitol Fax. Oh Happy Day. - Truthful James - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 1:57 pm: If the best that either side can do is keep saying “”nah, nah, so’s your old man”, what does that bode for November? This State has become a sorry affair abd frankly, I don’t see any way out of it. Politics is falling to the lowest common denominator. One candidate has no issues and plans for improvement, the other has no honor or love for our state and the people who live here. How can the choice be my candidate has less crap on him/her than yours? What can the future be for our children? Whee are the new ideas to move us foeward? I have taken the trouble to point out problems and offer solutions and must have scared everybody to death given the cone of silence that surrounded them. We can not continue on the same old swaybacked system we have dead ended into. There has got to be 21st century ideas to move Illinois forward. You may believe that I am a little to the right of Genghis Khan, but it is time to serve the people, advance their interests, inspire them. We aere caught in a circle jerk, pandering to sliques and blocs of voters, our ideals paid off by lobbyists. Getting elected and reelected and protecting our special interests is more important than governing all the people, insuring that in lean years Illinois is organized to grow again. The last courageous governor was Richard Ogilvie who had the guts to see that we needed state revenues back then and knew what the price was to get them. Of course he had his faults. Too much of this thread has been a squabble over dollies in a play pen with Raggedy Ann (Judy B) and Raggedy Andy (the governor.) It has been sadly amusing scanning the responses. Perhaps they motivate the faithful on each side, who speak, snarling like a mongrel protecting its master/mistress. - outsider - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 2:18 pm: So, the truth comes out. You don’t like your own candidate. Of course not. She’s an embarrassment. She and her chronies nearly bankrupted this state while padding their pockets. Now we’re all digging out of that situation. Give the governor some credit. Things have gotten better - maybe not as quickly as we all would have liked, but definitely better. - Lovie's Leather - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 2:42 pm: How did she bankrupt the state? She pays the bills. The governor and Assembly make the bills…. George Ryan bankrupted the state. Blago continues the trend. Madigan and Jones watch it happen. Congrats to the Dems and RINOs. They can bankrupt the state and blame it on the GOP. - Reddbyrd - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 2:44 pm: Looks like Rosey Roeser will take of Judy Bore. What corruption are we all talking about today? The Bush-Cheney/Hallibuton War Profits, Oil Company Billion, Rx Drug Profits….it is mind boggling that all you handwringers worry about lists with/without names while the AccordiOnGals backers are stealing everyone blind. GRod is not even in that league. - Bubs - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 2:50 pm: Redbyrd, since you’ve got nothing on Topinka, you shift the trash talk to others, then try to pin it on her. Weak. Tell me, what exactly did she do? We are getting bored with this “she and her cronies” and “she and her backers” stuff. Is that all you’ve got? - DOWNSTATE - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 3:32 pm: Trash talk is all a lot of these people have going so you see why everyone says all the Dems have this time is talk and no workable plans. - doubtful - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 5:00 pm: I don’t think it is partisan or unrealistic for voters to expect some sort of plan from their candidates, not just criticism. Until I hear that from JBT, she’s a non-factor. It’s nothing but partisan hackery to defend her for not having one. It’s a campaign, not a war; she’s not hiding her plan from an enemy; she’s trying to prove to voters she will do a better job. - Big Al - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 5:36 pm: although Blago’s camp claims to own the African American vote, i beg to differ. Cook County blacks will turn out in small numbers with the Stroger chaos. those who will vote are the motivated ones and guess what? those are also the ones who are deeply alienated by the blago admin. let’s not forget that Eisendrath got 30% of the Dem primary. the corruption issue is not alone enough to take Blago out, but the more we hear about it the more people realize that his inner circle is a very few. that few reminds everyone what little he has done for their perspective communities. - Lovie's Leather - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 6:33 pm: Reddbyrd, it is always nice to see some good old-fashioned, plain and simple communism. Making profits are bad, right? maybe if you feel like you make excessive profits, you should be taxed at a 95% rate like Reagan was in his early movie days. Suddenly profits are corruption. oy… sickening… - Josh - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 6:59 pm: I like the comments about Judy not being a serious candidate until she comes out with her plan. The logic is really compelling. Let me apply that thinking. Gov. Blagojevich only recently came out with his education funding plan-sell the lottery for short term gain. So I’m sure Doubtful and others didn’t think Rod was a serious candidate before a couple of weeks ago. He hasn’t been serious for the last three years; he wasn’t serious in the primary (I’m sure Doubtful and others voted for EE); he wasn’t serious in April and May; it was just now, three and a half years into his term that Rod became serious. Ahh, consistency. Get serious; Judy has plans, but for her to reveal them now would distract from the issue she wants to beat Rod over the head with (corruption), and would give Rod something to shoot at with his $15MM. - Ashur Odishoo - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 7:28 pm: The perception of corruption is not enough. The public doesn’t care. There needs to be a viable alternative. It may hinge on Topinka’s health and education packages. I must say on a personal note, that aside from Dem verse Repub issues, I share Rich Miller’s schadenfreude of Blago’s implosion. I think it is a distaste for his smug and arrogant attitude. Even his squeaky voice annoys me. He looks like a high school kid in a new suit. - Disgusted - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 9:07 pm: Children, children, play nice! Here’s a few notations: 1. Many of you need to take classes in spelling, grammar and syntax. There are several posts that I couldn’t figure out. 2. The governor bragged about his “C” average in law school. I wonder if Brad Tusk and Lon Monk earned the same type of grades. It would explain a lot about this administration and their lack of preparation and follow-through. Nice work if you can get it for shady lawyers. 3. I think wyndycty is related to either Brad or Lon. He responds to criticism exactly as they do. So far, in my conversations with a wide mix of people I have been told the following: Jewish people will not vote for Rod because they can’t trust him; state workers will not vote for him because they don’t trust him; agency directors are leaving on an increased basis because they can’t trust him; AFSCME will not endorse him because they can’t trust him; downstate voters won’t vote for him because they can’t trust him. It’s the same old song everywhere. Got that, wyndycty? - scoot - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 9:24 pm: The Blago adm. is the #1 investigated administration in the history of Illinois- thats one number they can’t lie about. Congrats! - Long Time Reader; First Time Poster - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 9:32 pm: Comparing Topinka’s record of corruption to Blago’s record of corruption is like comparing a grain of salt to the Sahara Desert. - wndycty - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 9:58 pm: Wow, a man steps away from his computer to work, lead a life, contribute to society and return to accusations of being related to Bradley and Lon (thanks Disgusted). Being called a schmo and a dummy by Vanilla Man andwarned I might be handcuffed by Can’t Imagine. I must have touched a nerve. Especially when Vanilla Man says “whoever this schmo is, they are ruining this blog. Like so many other partisans, he/she is demanding that a political challenger make proposals.” I did not know this was a PARTISAN BLOG and only one point of view is allowed..Rich is that the case? See you guys in the morning. . .LOL - roy slade - Tuesday, Jun 13, 06 @ 10:15 pm: Wndycity- I doubt if you are really related to Lon or Bradley. If you were, you would have a much higher paying state position/ contract that would allow you to steal even more of my hard-earned tax dollars. Schmo might be a bit severe- I just think you are simply a “bought and paid for” democrat who has no common sense or judgement. (But, I will agree with an earlier poster who noticed you “stay on message” really really well). - Papa Legba - Wednesday, Jun 14, 06 @ 12:09 am: VanillaMan, DOWNSTATE and other like minded people. We need to stop acknowledging that trolls like wndycty, Reddbyrd etc. even exist when they comment. This will be the only way we can hope to keep our sanity and turn this site back to a pleasant place to discuss politics. If they had something constructive to say, OK, but since all they can do is be negative, ignore them. - Criminal Enterprise Called Illinois - Wednesday, Jun 14, 06 @ 2:11 am: I think he it will affect the voters. Its one thing to pretend you’re a reformer and not deliver the goods and another thing to be an honest dishonest politician. I believe he will be indicted. I think it will make a major difference in the election. How disapointing to see the formerly admirable Abner Mikva defend him in the Sun Times. That can only help Rod’s chance. - dumb ol' country boy - Wednesday, Jun 14, 06 @ 6:45 am: windy, you have only posted 7 different messages on here attacking everyone elses ideas or thoughts 6 times, and obviously you can dish it out but not take it. Judy will play the corruption card for several more weeks, then she will start outlining her programs, that will be well thought out, reachable, and done for the good of the state, not for her. JBT will obtain AFSCME’s backing, your own union windy and silver. Also stop spreading lies about one investiagtion that occured about the same time as Speaker Madigan’s investigation, your Dem leader, for using state workers to campaign on state time. Have you ask him for something from the feds that say his investigation is over? - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 14, 06 @ 7:36 am: Corruption could have been the swing issue, if the GOP hadn’t nominated George Ryan in a skirt. Topinka’s not up to the job, her campaign is a joke, her numbers are tanking, and Blago can coast in now even in handcuffs. - grubnednarb - Wednesday, Jun 14, 06 @ 1:17 pm: Sadly, corruption at all levels of government in Illinois is clearly a bipartisan affair. Nonetheless, I find the proposition that the Governor’s adminstration is “as corrupt or more corrupt” than the Ryan administartion as ridiculous and absurd. The results of the Ryan trial and all the related investigations and convictions establish George Ryan and his associates and appointees as the unequivocal champion of modern day corruption in Illinois politics. Anyone who concludes otherwise is clearly blinded by partisanship. Reoublicans lableling Blago as corrupt are clearly “pots calling the kettle black.” I’m not saying the governor is blameless - there are grounds for legitimate criticism and concern. The FBI and US attorneys are finding problems everywhere they look because of the way politics and government routinely have been conducted in Illinois by leaders and administrators in both political parties. Because of the endemic systemic corruption at all levels of Illinois government, the feds are scrutinizing everything in Illinois a lot more closely than they have in the past.Consequently there are a lot more active investigations. I read all the stories about the various and sundry investigations in the newspaper,as well as the comments on this blog and have seen nothing that suggests that the Governor is legally culpable for any of the commissions, omissions, and other acts committed by his associates and appointees. Consequently, it appaars highly doubtful that indictments will affect the course of the November election. - Papa Legba - Wednesday, Jun 14, 06 @ 4:40 pm: Hey grubnednarb. I hate to bring you out of LaLa land since you are convinced that Honest Rod isn’t “legally culpable” for his alleged actions, but indictments do hurt a politicians chances of being re-election. To that end I have one word - Rostenkowski. - C.L.I.C.K. for Justice and Equality - Wednesday, Jun 14, 06 @ 8:17 pm: Governor Blagojevich is allowing a union and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)to put his Sheridan Correctional Center Therapeutic Community Project in jeopardy. IDOC is allowing the union to use unfair labor practices in their strike. See my website above, C.L.I.C.K. for Justice and Equality. - Nostradamus - Wednesday, Jun 14, 06 @ 10:15 pm: To all Rod supporters…..do you know the last Democratic governor who did NOT go to jail? Hint, Adlai Stevenson….1949. I think Rod may very well keep that record in tact. This administration must think we were all born at night. Maybe we were, but it wasn’t last night. They have used the phrase “It’s just a coincidence that this company donated $25k to Rod the day before the governor gave them a $10m contract”. “It’s also a coincidence that all the people we hired had political ties to this administration”. Just because they were recommended by fellow Demos, that had nothing to do with it! Hey, let’s sellthe tollways and the lotto, 2 all cash entities to someone we know, but we’ll act like we don’t know them. If the press, public, or feds question this and can tie these people to Rod, you’re to tell them “it’s just a coincidence”. I’m still wondering if Rod is still saving money for the elderly by having them get their meds from Canada. A nice slap in the face to all the pharmacies here in Illinois. God only knows how many millions of dollars that are owed to the Illnois pharmacies by the state. As for the KIDS INSURANCE program, Illinois was not the first state to offer that, Tennessee had it first. The truth be known, i’ll bet Rod’s program is copied after Tennesse’s. They are having trouble with massive fraud, can you imagine the fraud that will exist here in Illinois? You don’t even have to be a citizen of the U.S. or state to get free health care. Let’s hope the “feds” look into some of the consulting fees that the state gave to companies that had ties to this adminstration. It will blow your mind. Oh, there’s so much more, I hope they make DOC orange jump suits in Rods small size. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.