Roskam claims health care plan
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller I’m posting this not only to give y’all a chance to pick it apart, but because I’m wondering if other Republican congressional candidates and incumbents will be using the same template. Sixth District Congressional candidate Senator Peter Roskam outlined a 4 point health care agenda focusing on more choices, greater quality and reducing costs for suburban families and businesses. […]
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Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller What are your impressions of Sen. Barack Obama’s trip to Africa?
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Bad news for IDOT leaders - Updated x1
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller [Bumped up because it was posted so late yesterday.] Have a look at this. [pdf file - fixed link] IDOT Secretary Tim Martin and two of his deputies appear to be royally screwed. Martin, Mike Stout and Scott Doubet were sued by several former IDOT employees who claimed their firings were politically motivated. “During the first months of tenure as governor, Rod Blagojevich publicly announced plans to fire employees that he associated with high-ranking members of the prior Republican administration on allegations that they participated in personnel transactions that would protect their continued employment,” states the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Springfield. The attorney general originally appointed Jenner & Block to handle the case, but J&B backed out and IDOT’s top lawyer ordered the firm not to turn over any documents to AG Lisa Madigan’s office. The dispute went to court, and a judge ruled today in favor of Lisa Madigan, ordering J&B to turn over the files. This is a lose-lose-lose for the defendants, who claimed that Madigan wasn’t representing their best interests. That’s pretty obviously happening, as Madigan appears to be representing the state’s best interests and not necessarily the three individual defendants. They have complained bitterly of this in various pleadings. [As I just wrote in comments, it seems clear to me that Madigan believes or at least suspects that the defendants acted outside the scope of their employment or she wouldnt have done things like order three IDOT employees to turn over subpoenas and threaten them with contempt of court against the defendants’ wishes.] [Parenthetical update: I just lost half this post after attempting to update on my Treo. From here on out is a recreation.] The judge also ruled that they could not hire their own attorney unless they gave up indemnification, which isn’t much of a choice. The Defendants, in their individual capacities, may always forego indemnification by the state and hire their own attorneys to represent them. If they do so, the Attorney General will still represent them in their official capacities since those claims are against the state of Illinois. And in a final blow, the judge ruled that Mary Lee Leahy had to answer questions and was not protected by attorney client privilege. The plaintiffs and AG Madigan wanted Leahy to be deposed (which gives you another idea where Madigan is going with this.) Leahy had advised the governor’s office after Blagojevich was sworn in, and had met with top IDOT officials, apparently about the case in question. Thus, the dispute about Leahy’s deposition is, once again, a strategic one about how to conduct the defense. The Defendants consented to the Attorney General conducting the defense and agreed to cooperate. The Defendants, therefore, gave the Attorney General the authority to make these types of strategic decisions. Again, the Defendants do not assert that the substance of Leahy’s testimony will be adverse to their interests. The Attorney General’s strategic decision to let Leahy be deposed, therefore, is not adverse to them and, so, does not create a conflict of interest between the Attorney General and them. The Sun-Times wrote about this back in May in a story entitled “Gov muzzles his clout-buster.” At his first press conference as governor, Rod Blagojevich announced he was bringing in a clout-busting lawyer to help take politics out of state hiring. But now the governor doesn’t want her talking about what she did. His lawyers are keeping attorney Mary Lee Leahy from answering questions about whether 17 state employees were bounced in 2004 because of their political ties. […] UPDATE: The AP has a story up now. Not much different than what I have posted, but go see it for yourself.
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No respect should be expected
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Political scientists make the expected predictions. A third-party candidate for Illinois governor will find out Thursday whether he’ll be on the ballot in November. Meanwhile, the Illinois Radio Network has turned thumbs down on inviting Rich Whitney to participate in the governor’s debate. Jim Anderson of the Illinois Radio Network has told candidate for Illinois governor Rich Whitney that he will not be allowed to join the Oct. 2 debate with Gov. Blagojevich and Treasurer Topinka. That’s not unexpected. The IRN hired burly security guards for a debate a few years ago to prevent an uninvited third party candidate from crashing. The state Green Party opened its southern Illinois office this week. Music, food, speeches and a dancing chicken named “Gov. Cluck-o-vich,” are all needed for a successful Green Party headquarters opening. The Greens, lead by gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney, opened the doors to their Carbondale office Saturday afternoon. Cluck-o-vich?
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Weller
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller This is classic DC politics. Rep. Jerry Weller, a sixth-term Republican who grew up on a family farm, represents a district in rural Illinois that’s a far cry from the sandy beaches of the Caribbean. Meanwhile, back in his actual district… Today’s celebration of the 22nd anniversary of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor authorization is bittersweet. And the Chicago Reader had a cover story last week on the Congressman’s marriage to the daughter of a former Guatemalan dictator. The two recently had a baby, and the child was born in Guatemala. I’ve known Jerry Weller a long time. He’s a natural politician and a great campaigner. With a litany like I’ve just laid out, and with a district that just barely leans GOP, those skills are undoubtedly the main reason he’s not on any political target lists this year. At least, not yet.
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Morning shorts
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · “The Fix” moves Illinois into play. 15. Illinois: Even Democrats acknowlege that Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) is vulnerable this fall. A cloud of ethical problems hovers over his administration and could counter the prevailing Democratic winds nationally. State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka (R) is far from a world-beater but the race is likely to be focused almost entirely on the incumbent. Topinka has struggled to stay within financial range of Blagojevich — a trend that if it continues will make it tough for her to push her change message. (Previous ranking: N/A) · Study: Ill. tollways lease could mean toll increases for drivers · ‘Sweetheart‘ deal given to gov donor slammed · Editorial: The Cook County jobs machine · Shakman goes after county hiring · Alleged ghost worker gets pension · “Chicago politicians rarely get the chance to lecture others about honest government, and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama took advantage of the opportunity Monday when he urged Kenyans to fight against public corruption.” · Hanania: Reversing Vote Is Not Answer To Big Box Crisis · Apparently, the governor is in southern Illinois. · “Patti Blagojevich laughed and said the DuQuoin State Fair is a place where kids can be kids. ‘This fair is cozier and more comfortable for parents with children,” Blagojevich said. “But still it has everything you can find in Springfield.’” · State’s crime rate drops · Jeff Trigg moves to the National Taxpayers United of Illinois. · Chapman: The wrong road to fuels of the future · Gov’s administration settles union dispute for $1 mil. · “Democratic U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean and Republican challenger David McSweeney clashed on stem cell research and tax cuts but fundamentally agreed on the Iraq war and immigration reform at a Monday debate in Waukegan.”
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Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Why gaming?
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller My self-promotion instict has failed once again because I forgot for the umpteenth time to post my weekly syndicated column. So, why did Judy Baar Topinka go with a Chicago casino idea to help fund her education, property tax and infrastructure proposals? Well, a general tax increase had been all but ruled out months ago. Polling and focus grouping showed high levels of opposition to a tax hike. Plus, Topinka already has enough troubles with her Republican base without doing something like that. Read the rest to see why she proposed any details at all.
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Mailers make mainstream press
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller The Daily Herald coverage finally starts to catch up to Austin Mayor’s stellar job. The National Republican Campaign Committee is blanketing 6th Congressional District mailboxes with an unusually early barrage of glossy ads attacking Democrat Tammy Duckworth’s views. You can see copies of several of these mailers at AM’s website here, here and here. You may not agree with his analyses, but you can at least see the whole mailers.
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A family affair - Updated x1
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Apparently, the Secretary of State’s office is being run like a family business. Meaning they hire every relative in sight. Last week in this space, I wrote about how Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has been spending your money — specifically, how he put his biographer on the payroll at $73K a year, tripled his daughter’s salary in seven years and allowed the hiring of his chief of staff’s wife as a $25-an-hour part-time secretary. Go read the whole thing for the details. There’s a lot more than this, I’m told, but White’s office doesn’t appear to be too concerned yet. UPDATE: From a Dan Rutherford press release: …Reconfirmed in published reports was that White accepts cash for Christmas gifts from his top employees, those he determines annual salary increases, like his predecessor George Ryan. He has also received a number of significant campaign contributions from his top staff.
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Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Question of the day
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller With the one-year anniversary just around the corner of Gov. Blagojevich’s signing the medical malpractice bill into law, the Post-Dispatch takes a look back and ahead. Doctors and business advocates want further reforms, as they consider Illinois’ bill only a first step. Lawyers and victims advocates are calling for a repeal of the legislation that they say hinders the rights of injured people. And both sides candidly agree the issue is thorny for elected officials. This was the most interesting quote in the story. “They’re waiting to find a tragic case, one where it’s going to be very difficult for a jury and for a trial court judge to award only the capped amount of money,” said Ed Murnane, president of the Illinois Civil Justice League, which strongly supported the legislation. Read the whole thing, then answer the question: Did the medical malpractice bill go too far, not far enough or was it just about right? Explain.
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Reform and renewal, Part 97,487 - UPDATED x1
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Oy. How does someone who lost a $250,000 state consulting gig — apparently for doing no work — get a $900,000 no-bid contract a few months later from Gov. Blagojevich’s administration? Read the whole thing. UPDATE: From a press release: DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett called on Governor Rod Blagojevich to stop stonewalling on a secret no-bid contract to a top Democratic contributor.
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Poll has mixed results for education funding advocates
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller The full poll and some crosstabs are in the subscribers-only section. Here’s a Southtown article on the poll that is to be released today. Illinois voters say education funding is the leading issue in the race for governor, but only a slim majority are willing to pay more taxes to support low-income schools, according to a poll released today by Speak Out for Illinois Schools, a coalition of education and community organizations. Discuss.
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Different regions = different ads
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller The Tribune did a story back in May about about how CMAG has tracked Gov. Blagojevich’s campaign spending, but the Post-Dispatch has a slight twist. Barely a month after the March primary elections, Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich spent $500,000 to go after Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka with a rolling pin. In a major television ad buy beginning in April - far earlier than statewide campaigns usually start spending serious money - Blagojevich’s campaign aired a debate clip about banning assault weapons, in which Topinka says: “It’s very difficult to define what is an assault weapon. I mean, a rolling pin could be an assault weapon if you really want to look at it that way.” I didn’t think he had run those ads downstate, and now we know he didn’t run them at least in the Metro East.
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Morning shorts
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · “A third former janitor with the secretary of state’s physical services division has pleaded guilty to his part in a scheme that resulted in the three being paid for hours they didn’t work.” · Hiring freeze? What hiring freeze? · It appears that the Daily Herald was hacked again. This time, I made sure to save a screen shot of their front page. · McQueary: TK’s story shows state could do more for vets · Workers with disabilities keep government going · “Downers Grove attorney Carole Doris secured Metra’s top post Friday, continuing collar county oversight of the rail agency critical to suburban commuters.” · Apparently, Greg liked my column. He also has some other ideas worth reading. · Brown: Peraica volunteer learns how it is for GOP in Dem town · Governor changes mind, puts up employees at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel (scroll down) · Grilling the sexes on the GOP bus · Tribune Co.’s Chicago Tribune said it plans to outsource its circulation customer contact center to the Philippines · Hastert defends Congress on budget · Anniversary muted as canal awaits fed funding · “Having gotten a kiss from President Bush, I really insisted on one from the County Board Chairman, Bob Schillerstrom as well,” Topinka said. “I’m collecting. It’s one of the good things of being a female candidate, I guess.” · Danny Stover speech on YouTube · Washington: Tough job awaits new Urban League chief · Suburban officials sold on Wal-Mart
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