Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2006

Tuesday, Jun 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

I was out of the office today and missed this one.

Democratic Party officials on Tuesday overwhelmingly chose a longtime aide to U.S. Rep. Lane Evans from five potential candidates to replace Evans on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Phil Hare will square off in November against Republican nominee Andrea Zinga, a former television anchor who lost to Evans by 21 percentage points in 2004. […]

The congressman had thrown his support to Hare, who has worked in Evans’ district office since he was first elected in 1982. Still, more than half a dozen Democrats campaigned for the party’s nod during a series of forums after Evans announced his plan to step down. […]

The other candidates were state Sen. John Sullivan of Rushville, state Rep. Mike Boland of Moline, Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert and Quincy high school teacher Rob Mellon.

Here are the totals, from a friend who is involved in the process:

PHIL HARE 17,011
John Sullivan 7,530
Mark Schwiebert 1,370
Mike Boland 612
Rob Mellon 98

Total weighted votes cast: 26,621

When people have asked me privately what I thought about this race, I said I figured the Rock Island Dems would eventually pull it together for Hare. These things usually work themselves out in Illinois. Not always, but usually. Also, Evans’ endorsement of Hare was platinum. Dick Durbin originally showed some interest in Sullivan, but backed down when advised that he should keep his nose out of it. And Boland discovered once again that his district’s voters may like him, but people who have to deal with him on a regular basis don’t.

Keep an eye on Sullivan. This guy is a rising star.

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Question of the day

Tuesday, Jun 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

If you had to choose one word to describe Illinois, what would that word be? Don’t explain why. Limit your response to one word.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Tenhouse; Bond Buyer; Munson; Hoffman; Jones; Grants (use all caps in password)

Tuesday, Jun 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

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“Voters deserve to know if state hiring is shady”

Tuesday, Jun 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The Pantagraph wants some answers and it wants them now.

Tell us before November’s election if Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been doing something illegal.

He didn’t use those exact words, but that’s the message state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, sent to Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

This is not personal, but Brady’s request for the information within 90 days will be viewed as political. Remember, Brady railed on Blagojevich during his campaign for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the contest won by state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, who faces Blagojevich in the fall.

Brady said his letter to Madigan was prompted by an Associated Press story saying the governor’s aides reviewed and approved hundreds of employment decisions by name, rather than merit.

Voters in Illinois deserve to know the truth before Nov. 7.

Madigan may be the state’s chief legal counsel, but she is also a Democrat. And the history of party loyalty - on both sides - in Illinois suggests she would withhold damaging information about our Democratic governor until after the election if it is possible.

It’s not mentioned in the editorial, but the US Attorney claimed that George Ryan wasn’t a target just weeks before the ‘98 election. That statement helped persuade voters that Ryan was on the up and up. Some direction from the G might be nice this time around.

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Illinois in running

Tuesday, Jun 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The governor could obviously use a major win like this.

Add Illinois to the list of Midwestern states trying to land a new $400 million Honda automobile plant.

A spokesman for Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s economic development agency confirmed Monday that the governor met with company officials recently about bringing the plant here.

“Governor Blagojevich certainly believes that Illinois has all of the assets to make this project a tremendous success, that the business climate here encourages both innovation and investment,” said Andrew Ross, spokesman for the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. “He is willing to continue working closely with Honda to bring this new project and these new jobs to Illinois.”

Officials in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan also have pushed for the plant, which is expected to be built by 2008 and provide 1,500 jobs making 200,000 vehicles a year. Honda is expected to announce its decision later this summer but has not identified potential sites.

Landing the Honda plant would go a long way to dispelling accusations that he has ruined the state’s business climate. If it goes elsewhere, however….

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Steele likely Stroger replacement

Tuesday, Jun 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The embarassing nightmare may finally be ending.

The Cook County Board will begin taking steps today to temporarily replace the ailing John Stroger as board president.

The move to name Bobbie Steele as interim president comes as a new report questions just how mentally aware Stroger is as he undergoes physical and mental rehabilitation from a March stroke.

The Daily Southtown reports that as recently as three weeks ago, Stroger was unable to move any of his limbs and couldn’t remember his name or the day of the week.

But Stroger’s chief of staff, James Whigham, vehemently denies reports that his boss is profoundly disabled, saying “this is not a man sitting there blubbering,” and Stroger is “not sitting there with drool coming down his mouth.” […]

Because John Stroger has not been seen publicly or heard from since the stroke, a majority of the 17-member board is set to select Steele to finish the six months left in Stroger’s term.

Though nothing is on today’s board agenda, commissioners said they expect extra meetings this month to make it happen.

“This will be done by July 1,” Commissioner Larry Suffredin said of the first-of-its-kind move. “But even if the vote was [today] I’m very optimistic she’d have nine votes and maybe more.” […]

Also Monday, a longtime John Stroger ally, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, joined calls from Mayor Daley and Sen. Richard Durbin that the Stroger family be more forthcoming about John Stroger’s health.

Sources close to John Stroger said his wife, Yonnie, recently rebuffed Jackson’s request to visit Stroger.

Surreal.

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Tomczak takes the stand

Tuesday, Jun 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Donald Tomczak admitted to taking bribes, but is one of the star witnesses in the government’s case against Robert Sorich.

Political performance trumped qualifications when it came to hiring in the city Water Department, former No. 2 man Donald Tomczak testified Monday at the City Hall hiring trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins asked if two soldiers in Tomczak’s political army deserved the city positions they were given.

“Were they the best men for the jobs?” Collins asked.

“No,” Tomczak said plainly. “They were active in my political group and did a good job.”

Mark Brown has more in his column today.

The drama should come today when defense attorneys get their crack at Tomczak, no doubt poking hard at the specter of an individual who took $400,000 in bribes rolling over to provide testimony against four other individuals who aren’t accused of taking any money outside their city salaries.

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Morning shorts

Tuesday, Jun 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Â· Sheridan Correctional Center drug counseling strike set today

Â· Cheney Makes Quick IL Stop For RNC Fund

Â· “As the Chicago Housing Authority remakes public housing across the city, a new report contends that the agency still is not providing Latinos the openings it promised in a court settlement 10 years ago.”

Â· Weisner wants more teeth in dog laws

Â· Officials urge regional approach to water planning

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