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Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The Southern Illinoisan has posted its Q&A from a recent interview with Judy Baar Topinka. It ends this way:

SI: If Illinois residents asked collectively, ‘why should I vote for Judy Barr Topinka?’ How would you respond?

TOPINKA: First of all I don’t need a road map to get here. I know where Southern Illinois is, I’ve spent a lot of time here. We have done a lot of low interest loans here through the treasurer’s office to help business and industry here. I’m thoughtful in terms of trying to make things happen and I’m honest. I respect Springfield as the state capitol and I plan to live there, where I’ve lived half of my life. I’m a former Girl Scout and I still believe in public service and doing good for its own sake.

She really needs some better lines.

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Um, Stu?

Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Alleged Republican attorney general candidate Stu Umholtz has filed his campaign finance report for the first six months of 2006.

Funds available at the beginning of the reporting period $3,517.71
Total Receipts $67,090.00
Subtotal $70,607.71
Total Expenditures $26,305.89
Funds available at the close of the reporting period $44,301.82
Investment Total $0.00

I’m kinda speechless. State Rep. Raymond Poe (R-Springfield) raised a third more than that during the same time period.

I really think it’s time to put Stu’s photo on a milk carton. Can any PhotoShop pros out there lend a hand?

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - “Push poll” claim in House race (use all CAPS in password)

Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Smith; Targets News Feed (use all CAPS in password)

Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day

Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

As I write this in the early morning hours, my weekly newspaper column is not yet posted, but you can find it here soon.

Rod Blagojevich and Judy Baar Topinka don’t agree on much, but their campaigns concurred last week that Gov. Blagojevich is leading in the polls.

The Blagojevich campaign says their latest poll shows the Democratic governor leading the Republican treasurer 47-31 - a seriously large 16-point advantage. Topinka’s campaign has Blagojevich ahead 44-37 - a far narrower seven points. […]

According to the Blagojevich poll, the governor leads in Chicago 67-14, has a 51-40 advantage in the Cook County suburbs, leads in the usually heavily suburban collar counties 44-36 and is tied downstate 37-37. The governor’s poll was taken July 5-7 of 604 likely voters and had a margin of error of 4.1 percent. Pollsters went into the field right after a week of heavily negative news stories appeared about alleged corruption within the governor’s administration. […]

Topinka’s poll has her leading in the Republican collars 44-39, ahead 57-33 in northern downstate, up 43-37 in central Illinois, out front in southern Illinois 43-40, but trailing badly in Chicago/Cook 60-30. Topinka’s poll was conducted July 10-13. 600 likely voters were surveyed and the poll had a margin of error of 4.1 percent.

Rasmussen, you’ll recall, has the race at 45-34, about right in the middle of where both candidates’ polls show.

Meanwhile, SurveyUSA’s latest monthly tracker has the governor’s job approval about the same as last month. 44 percent approve, 51 percent disapprove.

QUESTION: Can Topinka still pull this out? Can the governor keep her numbers down enough even when she starts running her own TV ads? Or will only some seriously high-level indictments stop him now?

UPDATE: Hardcore national Democratic blogger Kos throws in his two cents:

Blago’s administration is corrupt, he’s got a terrible relationship with the Democratic legislature, and people don’t like him. There is one semi-popular Republican in the state, Judy Baar Topinka, yet she’ll have a hard time overcoming her state’s heavy Blue leanings. Voters seem willing to keep her as state treasurer. As governor? Skepticism abounds

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Can’t anyone over there tell the truth?

Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Let’s see... First, they said they had a totally blind hiring system. Then, when we found out they didn’t, they blamed George Ryan. Then they said they fixed it. Then when that turned out not to be true, they said they fixed everything by the end of 2003. Turns out, that wasn’t true, either.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s office was approving candidates by name for state jobs as late as autumn 2004, nearly 18 months after aides said a “blind” hiring system was created, documents show.

Well into Blagojevich’s second year in office, his chief of staff and personnel director continued to sign off on names of candidates for such jobs as secretary, auto mechanic and film office intern, nearly 300 employment forms obtained by The Associated Press reveal.

At least one-quarter of the forms relate to positions covered by laws and court rulings that prohibit hiring decisions based on political clout and give priority to veterans and minorities. Others might also be covered but are not immediately apparent. […]

But tracking candidates by name raises the possibility that Blagojevich aides could have influenced hiring decisions, and it contradicts the governor’s statements that he instituted safeguards early in his tenure to eliminate that possibility.

And then there’s this.

Nearly all the forms were sent to Lon Monk, Blagojevich’s chief of staff who now runs his re-election campaign, whose initials appear on most forms. Most were created by Joe Cini, the man in Blagojevich’s office in charge of hiring for the few thousand jobs the governor does control.

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React

Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The governor’s move to skim $5 million from the budget and use it for stem cell research didn’t exactly go over well with the editorial writers at the Belleville News-Democrat.

Is Rod Blagojevich running for re- election as governor of Illinois, or as dictator? His heavy- handedness last week makes us think dictator.

That’s gotta be the harshest editorial lede I’ve ever seen about this governor.

Doug Finke at the SJ-R was much more mild.

It’s not whether you think Blagojevich did the right thing in providing money for stem cell research. The issue is credibility: saying there is no money in the budget for stem cell research and then padding a state agency budget so there will be money for it.

Then again, credibility problems are nothing new for the Blagojevich administration.

Bernie Schoenburg let Rep. Gary Hannig, the House Dems’ budgeteer, do the talking.

“You hate to have that kind of distrust exist between the executive branch and the legislative branch,” Hannig said. “Do we have to call a lawyer every time we talk to each other and put everything on a piece of paper? You would hope that when you talk to people that they would … either agree or disagree with you, but that they would at least be honest.”

As for the governor’s side of the negotiations, Hannig said, “I think they knew very well what our feelings were on this issue.

“He worked that angle last year, and we said, ‘OK, you fooled us on that one, but no more.’ And they said, ‘OK.’ So now, they’re going to play another game.”

“It’s not a good situation,” Hannig added. “But the governor brings these things on himself, sometimes.”

And John Patterson spares little.

In his first term in office, Blagojevich has been branded a liar â€” which the governor chalked up to a simple misunderstanding â€” compared to a used car salesman and been forced to put financial promises in writing, all by his fellow Democrats.

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Heartbreaker

Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Usually when we see stories about the state’s huge Medicaid payment backlog, they’re written like this one.

The state’s problem reimbursing hospitals, pharmacies and nursing homes is causing concern in the medical community.

While late Medicaid payments are nothing new, groups like the Illinois Hospital Association say medical professionals are feeling the sting.

But Jim Muir gives us a different kind of Medicaid story.

The decision by Illinois lawmakers to forgo paying billions of dollars in Medicaid payments has turned into a harsh reality for a Marion couple, who this week were denied medical care for their daughter because of those unpaid bills.

Matthew and Lisa McGlinn are the parents of 4-year-old Riana, a special needs child who in her short life has had three heart surgeries, eye surgery and also has battled kidney disease. The McGlinns both work full-time and Riana has received medical care through the state’s Kids Care Program, and is now enrolled in the All Kids Program. The programs are state-funded based on the income of the parents.

Riana was born six weeks premature and has been treated since birth, including the surgeries and all follow-up visits, at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

That is, until this past week.

Go read the whole thing. Shame on this state.

21 Comments

Morning shorts

Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Â· McQueary on Topinka: It’s substance that is missing. Fire in the belly. Organization. Message.

Â· Analysis: Illinois has worst fiscal health in nation

Â· Leasing highways is gaining traction around nation

Â· “In this city that once winked at Prohibition, members of the city council are cracking down on behaviors they deem unhealthy, dangerous or just plain annoying. They’ve taken aim at everything from noisy street musicians to captive elephants to fatty foods like fried chicken and french fries.”

Â· Aldermen give us a chance to pity Wal-Mart

Â· Women’s Health Initiative Grants Get Nearly $400K

Â· Residents continue mopping up

Â· Yet another horse put down at Arlington Park

Â· Call to limit cases amuses public defenders

Â· Candidates zooming in on veterans

Â· Fairâ€™s demolition derby not just for men

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