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George Ryan sentencing - UPDATE: RYAN SPEAKS AT HEARING - GIVEN 78 MONTHS

Wednesday, Sep 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Here’s a special news feed for the latest George Ryan news. I’ll also post other updates as I see them. The hearing starts at 1pm, so check this space.

UPDATE: I’m told that Jim Thompson just walked into the federal building with George Ryan. Thompson’s firm represented Ryan pro bono.

UPDATE 2: Your best bet for listening to events live on your computer might be WBBM Radio. But I’ll check around. CLTV might be a good bet, too. ABC7 is promising live coverage.

UPDATE 3: CBS2 has a story up about what to expect at the sentencing.

UPDATE 4:E-mail message from a reporter on the scene: “Thompson actually snuck George into the Dirksen building, so we couldn’t photograph them coming in.”

UPDATE 5: Convictions on counts 9 and 10 have been tossed by the judge. The rest of the counts stand, according to WBBM radio. The station also reported that the crowd started gathering at 8:30 this morning.

UPDATE 6: From the jury instructions, here is what those two counts were:

…Count 9 of the Indictment, in which the defendant LAWRENCE E. WARNER is charged with, as part of the mail fraud scheme described in Count 2, an April 13, 1999 mailing related to the lease of the building at 17 N. State, Chicago, Illinois […]

Count 10 of the Indictment, in which the defendant GEORGE H. RYAN, SR. is charged with, as part of the mail fraud scheme described in Count 2, a March 12, 2001 mailing related to the payment of lobbying fees related to the selection of the town of Grayville as the site for a new prison,

UPDATE 7: From a reporter at the scene:

Becky (the judge) just threw out two of the mail fraud counts against Ryan and one against Warner. But that won’t have any effect on the ultimate sentence. They’re now arguing what the financial loss was to the state. So it could be awhile.

UPDATE 8: Acccording to WBBM Radio, the judge called the Willis deaths “an unspeakable tragedy,” but she said it was not germain to the charges in the case and so she would not take that into consideration when sentencing Ryan.

UPDATE 9: I hadn’t seen this one before because NBC5 seems to hide things on its website. This is a great resource that goes all the way back to the World Trade Center scandal when Ryan was lt. governor.

One of the final chapters of the George Ryan saga will come to an end Sept. 6, when he is sentenced for his felony convictions.

How did it come to this?

NBC5 has compiled the following archival stories that trace the history of investigations involving the former governor.

Go take a look.

UPDATE 10: WBBM: Prosecutor Pat Collins is arguing for a sentence right now of between 78 and 97 months. (Scott Fawell got 78 months. Betty Loren Maltese got 97 months.)

UPDATE 11: From a reporter at the scene:

“He was not betrayed by his friends, he betrayed the public trust.” -Pat Collins

UPDATE 12: WBBM just reported that Ryan himself may speak during the hearing. I’ll believe it when I see it, but there you have it.

UPDATE 13: Defense attorney Dan Webb is now speaking. From our reporter friend at the hearing:

Webb just said Ryan had it worse than Kerner because the investigation went on longer.

UPDATE 14 (3:26 pm): According to someone in the room with a Blackberry, George Ryan is speaking now.

UPDATE 15: Ryan has been sentenced to 78 months.

UPDATE 16: Ryan said that the public expected better from them, “and I let them down.”

UPDATE 17: CBS2: In addition to the prison sentence, Ryan was ordered to pay $603,048 in restitution.

UPDATE 18: Jan. 4 surrender date. Oxford Prison.

UPDATE 19: See it live on ABC7

UPDATE 20: Court is in a brief recess. Warner will be sentenced when that’s over.

UPDATE 21: Placeholder for the Sun-Times Ryan story is here, the Daily Herald story is here. The Trib placeholder is here.

UPDATE 22: 41 months for Warner

UPDATE 23: Statement from Topinka:

“The sentence handed down today is a reminder that Rod Blagojevich had a golden opportunity to restore trust in government after George Ryan, he promised voters he would do that — and he failed miserably.

It is now Rod Blagojevich facing a record number of corruption investigations, the same designation as Public Official A, the same mountain of subpoenas and legal bills. It’s like voters are forced to watch the sequel to a bad movie.

I’m running for governor to move past the Ryan-Blagojevich corruption scandals and build a brighter future for Illinois.”

UPDATE 24: Here’s your answer about the pension:

His more than $197,000 annual pension, however, will likely soon vanish. Upon his sentencing Wednesday, state pension officials asked the state attorney general to begin the process of canceling his taxpayer-supported pension.

Cara Smith, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Lisa Madigan, said Ryan’s conviction is under review and an opinion on his pension will be coming soon.

Like any state official, Ryan’s pension can be revoked if convicted of crimes related to his public duties. Ryan was convicted and sentenced Wednesday to 6 1/2 years in prison for widespread fraud associated with him taking cash from political insiders in exchange for state contracts and other business while Ryan was secretary of state and then governor.

UPDATE 25: Oxford:

The federal judge handling his case recommended he serve his 6 1/2 year sentence in Oxford, Wis., roughly 60 miles north of Madison. That’s the same prison where former Congressman Dan Rostenkowski served his time and where several officials convicted in the Operation Greylord investigation ended up. Former insurance mogul Mickey Segal is currently imprisoned there, serving a 10-year sentence for siphoning millions from his brokerage firm to support a lavish lifestyle.

However, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons said the final decision on where Ryan goes rests with the bureau and that decision has not yet been made.

Ryan’s wedding band is one of the few personal effects he can bring to prison. Cell phones and other electronics are banned.

He’ll be allowed face-to-face visits with friends and family and private meetings with his lawyers. His mail will be opened and inspected and a warden must first approve all newspapers, magazines and other subscriptions.

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Appeal denied

Wednesday, Sep 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The 7th Federal Circuit issued a harshly written denial today of Protect Marriage Illinois’ appeal of an order that kept their advisory referendum off the statewide ballot.

…this suit… charges that the requirements for getting an advisory question on the Illinois ballot are so onerous that they violate freedom of speech (or of association, or to petition for redress of grievances), equal protection, and due process of law.

A state no more has a federal constitutional obligation to permit advisory questions on its ballot than it has to permit them to be painted on the walls of the state capitol. […]

The ballot is not a traditional public forum for the expression of ideas and opinions, like streets or parks, to which reasonable access must be given to people who want to engage in political and other protected expression. The fact that a public facility could be used for political speech doesnâ€™t require that it be made available for such use. A publicly owned theater doesnâ€™t have to be thrown open for political rallies. […]

Illinois places no limitations on petitions asking legislators to oppose homosexual marriage. Ballot access is another matter. It must be tightly regulated for the protection of the democratic process. This is true even when the regulation concerns the listing of candidates. A state is not required to list everyone who wants to stand for office, for then ballots would be the size of telephone books. It can impose reasonable restrictions on access […]

I’ll upload the entire opinion in a moment.

Here it is. [pdf file]

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More hits in the 6th - UPDATED x2

Wednesday, Sep 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Tammy Duckworth (D-Hoffman Estates) is going on the attack against Peter Roskam (R-Wheaton) with a piece that was apparently timed to hit right around George Ryan’s federal sentencing hearing.

“Who helped George Ryan create a $5 billion budget deficit?” is the question asked in the piece, which is a glorious shade of deep red.

“Tammy Duckworth will stand with Senator John McCain against sneaking pork into the budget,” the piece concludes. Click on the photos below for much bigger pics.

This is at least the second time that Duckworth has allied herself with McCain, a fellow war hero. The last time was on the immigration issue.

I should make it clear that if anyone wants to send me direct mail, whether it be for Congressional races, state legislative races, the county board presidency, or the statewides, I’ll try to post it here.

UPDATE: A new poll by Democratic pollster Constituent Dynamics, shows Duckworth ahead of Roskam, 47-46.

From MyDD:

These polls are all conducted by Constituent Dynamics, August 27-29. They are done IVR style (automated telephone), are all likely voters, have large sample sizes (close to 1,000), and margin of error of 3.1%.

[Hat tip to a commenter, who pointed to this post at SoapBloxChicago]

UPDATE 2: From Roskam’s campaign:

I am writing today to accept the challenge you issued on August 31, 2006 to debate Iraq. I’ve looked forward to discussing the issues facing the 6th District and the United States Congress and am pleased that you are now prepared to move forward.

I believe it is the interest of 6th District voters that we have a full airing of these issues and don’t think it would be useful to limit ourselves solely to Iraq, an issue that I think you and I are generally in agreement on. In recent days, there has been much attention focused on the issue of illegal immigration - an issue currently at the center of a great national debate. It would also be useful to discuss tax policy, spending, district projects, health care, and energy policy. All of these issues have a significant impact on the people that live and work in the 6th District.

In recent days, I have been made aware of mailings and phone calls paid for by your campaign, which use very harsh rhetoric that I think voters of the 6th District are unaccustomed to. I presume that this is in response to mailings done, not by my campaign, but by the National Republican Congressional Committee. While I can understand your sensitivity to criticism as a first-time candidate who does not actually live in the district, I think resorting to calling people “liars” in mail and phone calls does your campaign and the process a disservice. I would think that we could both conduct our campaigns focused on issues and not resort to the gutter politics of name calling.

Perhaps we can avoid the type of negative campaigning you are currently waging by having a series of face-to-face discussions before the voters. Hoping that to be the case, I have taken the liberty of reserving the Elk Grove Township offices on Wednesday, September 13, at 2400 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights for 1:00pm. While this is not in your home town, it was as close as I could find while remaining in the 6th Congressional District.

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Wednesday, Sep 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day

Wednesday, Sep 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Former Gov. George Ryan will be sentenced today in federal court.

Before we get to the question, however, read this quote from Cindi Canary, the director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.

“Governor Ryan, just like anyone else, isn’t a one-dimensional character,” Canary said. “I do think he accomplished a lot, and I still get a sense he doesn’t know what hit him. … I think Gov. Ryan, like most elected officials, didn’t go into office saying, ‘I’m going to rob everybody blind.’ He came from the old school. He made some very poor judgments as to how to use state resources.”

That being said, what do you think Ryan’s sentence should be?

51 Comments

8th District roundup - Updated x3

Wednesday, Sep 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

They went at it in the 8th last night.

A more aggressive Republican David McSweeney used the final 8th Congressional District debate Tuesday night to go after Democratic U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean on immigration, flip-flopping, the war on terror and ethics.

But Bean, a freshman lawmaker from Barrington, fired back that the Nov. 7 election is a choice between â€œmainstream or extreme,â€ citing McSweeneyâ€™s positions on stem cell research and education.

The fourth and last forum in the nationally watched race unfolded before 250 people who filled an auditorium at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake. The rapid-fire exchange of ideas, which also featured third-party candidate Bill Scheurer of Lindenhurst, was sponsored by CBS-2 and the Northwest Herald.

Immigration reform is a top issue this fall, and McSweeney and Bean both back the House measure that contains no provision for amnesty. But McSweeney took Bean to task for voting for a Democratic procedural attempt to derail the House immigration package before she ultimately voted in favor of it on the final vote.

â€œShe says one thing and does another thing,â€ said McSweeney, a Barrington Hills investment banker who repeated his common campaign refrain several times.

Some video is here. Hopefully, the entire debate will be put online.

Meanwhile, after writing that the national Republican outlooks appears “pitiful,” Robert Novak does have some kind words for McSweeney.

Only one seat appears to be truly vulnerable for takeover, the Republican-heavy seat taken in 2004 by Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.). We continue to believe that former Rep. Phil Crane (R) lost this 56 percent Bush seat, and not that Bean really won it. Voters will probably make a correction this year, but not without a heroic Republican effort. Despite a financial advantage, Bean suffers from a massive defection of organized labor and the presence of a pro-labor third-party candidate in her race against businessman David McSweeney (R).

And Richard Baehr writes:

I have reviewed the latest analyses by Larry Sabato, Stuart Rothenberg, Charles Cook, Robert Novak, and blogger Chris Bowers of MyDD.com. All were completed in the last week, and there is remarkable consistency both in identifying the races where a seat could turn over and in noting how few opportunities exist for the Republicans to pick up a Democrat-held seat. In fact, in only one race, do any of the analysts rate any Republican challenger as either ahead or even. That is the 8th district in Illinois, where Dave McSweeney is challenging Democrat Melissa Bean. And even here, the consensus view is still a narrow Bean lead.

UPDATE 2: From the Rothenberg Political Report:

Publicly, Democrats are confident they will keep all of their seats and add to their number in November, but there is a good chance they will lose at least one. The most vulnerable seats, to this point, appear to be John Barrow (GA-12), Melissa Bean (IL-8), Alan Mollohan (WV-1), and Leonard Boswell (IA-3). Even longer-shot GOP opportunities include Chet Edwards (TX-17), Jim Marshall (GA-8), Charlie Melancon (LA-3), John Spratt (SC-5), and open seats in Vermont (At-Large), Illinois (17th District), Hawaii (2nd District), and Ohio (6th District).

[Emphasis added]

UPDATE: A new poll by Democratic pollster Constituent Dynamics, shows Bean ahead of McSweeney, 48-45.

From MyDD:

These polls are all conducted by Constituent Dynamics, August 27-29. They are done IVR style (automated telephone), are all likely voters, have large sample sizes (close to 1,000), and margin of error of 3.1%.

[Hat tip to a commenter, who pointed to this post at SoapBloxChicago]

UPDATE 3: From AnimalFarm:

Republican challenger David McSweeney is buying $1 million worth of TV ad time slated to start Oct. 24, two weeks before Election Day. That’s on top of the $1.8 million in ad time the National Republican Campaign Committee has reserved for the 8th Congressional District race. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved about $2.3 million to defend Rep. Melissa Bean’s hard-won seat. Bean already has bought $1 million in TV time and could probably afford another $1 million, given her strength at fund-raising.

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The bullet-proof glass ceiling

Wednesday, Sep 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

A walk down short-term memory lane from the New York Times:

42 Comments

Morning shorts

Wednesday, Sep 6, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Jackson Jr. moves closer to mayoral run

Is Kirk distancing himself from Bush?

Rutherford challenges hiring policies in Secretary of State’s Office

Richards: Higher wages can save state money

Marin: Lots of twists in this fall’s vote

Tort reform retort

Reverse auction’ of electricity likely to raise our rates

How safe are we?Faithful Democrats?

Duchossois demands club pay up

‘Major’ errors tied to docs’ long hours

Study Looks at Hidden Cost of Low-Wage Jobs

7 Comments

Preview Topinka’s new TV ad

Tuesday, Sep 5, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

I thought I was supposed to get this first, but it appears either one hand wasn’t talking to the other over at JBT’s campaign or I misunderstood something. So, I’ve taken off the password protection and hot-linked their ad to save my bandwidth.

Anyway, here is Judy Baar Topinka’s new TV ad which goes on the air tomorrow. It’s not your usual ad.

Click on the photo. [.wmv file]

The AP has a story up.

…Judy Baar Topinka is set to debut her first TV ad Wednesday in what campaign spokesman John McGovern says is a 10-day statewide media buy that’s costing about $600,000.

Her ad plays off the signature zinger in Blagojevich’s ads, “Judy Baar Topinka - what’s she thinking?” with her own one-liner: “I’m Judy Baar Topinka - and I’ve been thinking.”

McGovern declined to identify the TV markets where the ad will appear, but more than half of that money is being spent in the Chicago market, according to political advertising contracts with stations reviewed by The Associated Press. […]

The Chicago TV stations scheduled to run Topinka’s ad include WMAQ, WBBM and WLS at a total cost of about $376,000. That includes almost $212,000 to run 96, 30-second spots on WLS-TV starting Wednesday morning. Eighty spots are set to run on WBBM and 73 at WMAQ.

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Stroger “defines” himself, Peraica attacks

Tuesday, Sep 5, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The candidate roll-out begins.

In his first major attempt at defining himself and his opponent in the race for Cook County Board president, Ald. Todd Stroger (8th) said the contest was a choice between “a Bill Clinton Democrat who will fight to protect people or a George Bush Republican who wants to take a sledgehammer to the values we share.”

Stroger, the Democratic nominee for board president, called for the county’s inspector general to be granted more independence and given the power to investigate all aspects of the government, including other elected officials. It was the first of what he promised would be a series of policy proposals over the next several weeks.

“The primary mission of this office will be to provide for fairness in Cook County’s hiring and firing process, to rid the county of unethical business practices, and to address all other concerns of the citizens of Cook County,” Stroger said in a luncheon speech today before the Chicago Rotary Club. […]

In anticipation of Stroger’s speech, County Commissioner Tony Peraica earlier today said Todd Stroger lacks standing to speak out against corruption given the number of people tied to his and his father’s 8th Ward organization who have been caught up in scandals over the years.

Read the whole thing.

Not mentioned in the Trib story, however, was this press release from Peraica:

…Last week, Fox News Chicago asked Todd Stroger what happened to approximately $640,000 in campaign funds that were in his 8th Ward organization’s campaign committee as of the end of last year.

His end of 2005 report showed $737,000 and change on hand. But then his committee filed an amendment to that report on July 3 showing only $98,000 on hand, leading to the 8th Ward fund showing a $144,000 deficit as of their June 30 report. Then the campaign filed an amendment on August 18 showing the same thing. Then the campaign filed another amendment on August 18-and lo and behold-the money had returned, giving the 8th Ward fund a balance of $737,000 to the positive again. Then the campaign filed another amendment on August 18 showing the fund really only had $495,000 on hand as of the close of the June 30 reporting period. Finally, on September 1, the campaign committee filed yet another amendment, this one reporting $503,000 on hand as of the close of the June 30 reporting period.

The full press release, which is quite long and slightly odd, is here. [txt file]

16 Comments

Stopping those automated calls

Tuesday, Sep 5, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Like any technology, political pros will squeeze it for all that it’s worth until it’s not worth all that much. In Indiana, somebody is finally saying “No” to automated calling.

Hoosiers have received the calls for years â€“ automated, prerecorded telephone messages extolling the virtues of one candidate, attacking the credibility of another or simply urging voters to go to the polls.

But Attorney General Steve Carter has sent letters warning the major political parties â€“ as well as state and congressional candidates â€“ that these calls are illegal under a 1988 state law.

â€œPeople are becoming increasingly frustrated by calls that donâ€™t identify the caller, donâ€™t identify who is behind the message and donâ€™t give the consumer on the other end the chance to decline,â€ he said. â€œThese practices violate Indiana law, are intrusive and will be pursued.â€

The automatic dialing law is separate from the stateâ€™s popular do-not-call list, and specifically outlaws the use of machines to select and dial numbers with prerecorded messages.

The only way they can be used is if a live person initiates the call and receives consent from the person to play the message. Also, banks of volunteers can continue delivering the whole message live.

[Hat tip: Governing.com]

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Tuesday, Sep 5, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day - Updated x1

Tuesday, Sep 5, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Today’s setup is brought to us by Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg.

God bless Dorothy Brown. She’s the perkiest person I have ever met in politics, bar none. The Cook County Circuit Court clerk has more spunk than an Olympic gymnast. She makes Katie Couric seem like Eeyore.

Have you met the woman? Imbued with energy, excruciatingly well-mannered and the grace of God flowing from her like glow off a light-bulb. Her cringing subordinates might paint a different picture, but that’s how she comes across during her visits to the newspaper.

Of course, she can’t run her own department, never mind run the city, not that she’ll get the chance: Mayor Daley will crush her like an egg.

Still, while she lasts, she should provide an interesting contrast to the morose Saul sulking on the fifth floor of City Hall: Daley, the sourest, most visibly unhappy man to hold elective office in America since Calvin Coolidge retired to Vermont, vs. Dorothy Brown, who seems about to bust out into song at any given moment. I’d like to pretend she’ll give the mayor a run for his money and he’ll only get 70 percent of the vote this time. But I doubt it.

Do you agree with this? Why or why not?

Also, you can watch Ms. Brown’s announcement speech here.

UPDATE: From a press release:

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. will hold a press conference Wednesday to announce a citywide “listening tour” and the formation of an “exploratory committee.”

Jackson is being encouraged by supporters to run for mayor of Chicago in 2007, though he has made no final decision.

The press conference will begin at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, September 6, at his home.

23 Comments

Downstate school bumped up to top of list

Tuesday, Sep 5, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Last week, the governor decided not to visit the dilapidated Carterville High School while he was in town. There was a minor uproar and he came back. What he saw appalled him and he immediately pledged to find money to help fix the school.

Making good on his promise Friday to provide emergency funding to Carterville High School, Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced he will provide $1.9 million in school bonding funds to make some repairs to the dilapidated building.

But that meant the school repair “waiting list” had to be thrown out.

There were 24 schools at the top of a “waiting list” for construction money based on their application four years ago for state funding. Friday, Blagojevich said he was throwing out that list and moving Carterville - which was not on the 2002 list - to the top.

The governor has said that he can’t help schools because the General Assembly won’t pass a capital bill. So where did the money come from?

Ottenhoff said the money is coming out of the Build Illinois bonded fund, which can be used for repairs, but not for new construction.

And there will apparently be more opportunities to hold more press conferences… er, I mean help more schools.

“There’s still enough funding authority left for the state to help several schools. Carterville is not the only school we’re going to be able to help.” She didn’t have answers to exactly how much money was in that fund or why it hasn’t been accessed earlier for school construction needs. As for the governor’s decision to “throw out” the old list created in 2002, Ottenhoff said that doesn’t mean the 24 schools on the original list are going to be ignored.

This was also interesting.

Blagojevich said he has researched the powers of the governor, seeking a way to just unilaterally build schools, but he could find â€œno legal vehicleâ€ to take such action. Building the new schools will require the cooperation of the Republicans in the legislature, he said.

30 Comments

New poll - Updated x7

Tuesday, Sep 5, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

[Bumped up from Saturday and updated]

~~We’ll open comments~~ Comments are now open on this ~~on Tuesday~~.

A multi-million-dollar television advertising blitz hasnâ€™t bought Gov. Rod Blagojevich a single percentage point of increased popularity in recent months, according to a new poll that shows his support among Illinoisans stuck below 50 percent going into his fall re-election race.

But the Democrat continues to lead Republican opponent Judy Baar Topinka, 47-39 percent, according to the latest Research 2000 poll for The Southern Illinoisan and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His immense TV campaign â€” estimated at between $6 million and $10 million since March â€” apparently has helped drive Topinkaâ€™s â€œunfavorableâ€ rating up by almost 10 points since the spring primary. […]

When independent voters are factored in, just 22 percent of all poll respondents said the scandal makes them less likely to vote for Blagojevich, while 71 percent said it would not affect their vote. […]

The poll found that all three incumbent statewide Democrats running for re-election â€” Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Secretary of State Jesse White and Comptroller Daniel Hynes â€” are far ahead of their Republican challengers. In the one statewide seat currently held by the Republicans â€” state treasurer, the office Topinka is vacat-ing to run for governor â€” Democratic candidate Alexi Giannoulias holds a modest lead over the Republican hopeful Christine Radogno.

The Illinois Green Party’s Rich Whitney, by the way, came in at 2 percent.

UPDATE: The complete poll is here.

UPDATE 2: Well, maybe those aren’t the “complete” results. From the Saturday Daily Chronicle:

Who is more popular, George bush or George Ryan? Day 2 of the poll resutls will be posted Sunday evening.

UPDATE 3: Click here for a graphic version of the poll results which is much easier to read, but doesn’t have the crosstabs. [gif file]

UPDATE 4: George Ryan unpopular, but still above Bush

UPDATE 5: Issue results for questions on national things like the war in Iraq are here.

UPDATE 6: My weekly newspaper column wasn’t based on this poll, but on downstate legislative polling in individual districts.

As President George W. Bush’s job approval ratings continue to slump, Republican incumbents almost everywhere are running away from him as fast as they can. It’s gotten so bad that even U.S. Rep. Tom Reynolds, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, doesn’t have the word “Republican” on his campaign website’s front page.

Next door in Missouri, Democrat Claire McCaskill has hammered incumbent GOP Sen. Jim Talent for being a “George Bush Republican.” In response, Talent has tried to play up his bipartisanship and even, in an undoubtedly desperate move, boasted about how he was working with liberal California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The “George Bush Republican” attack is being thrown at frightened congressional Republicans all over the country as the usually hapless national Democrats attempt to exploit the biggest opening they’ve had in years.

Almost exactly the same attack will be used here in Illinois, except it will be the state legislative Republicans employing the tactic to smear their opponents as “Rod Blagojevich Democrats.

UPDATE 7: From a press release:

State Senator Christine Radogno, the Republican nominee for Illinois treasurer, commenting on the release of a newspaper poll on the treasurerâ€™s race, said her opponentâ€™s support is deteriorating as voters find out more about the candidates.

At the end of July Giannoulias claimed an 11 point lead. The Post-Dispatch poll released over Labor Day weekend showed Giannoulias clinging to a seven point lead. The poll has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

â€œThe new numbers show significant erosion of his support,â€ said Radogno. â€œHe is slipping in the polls. His support among statewide voters is disintegrating as they find out more about the ethical problems surrounding Mr. Giannoulias.â€

Radogno also said as voters pay more attention to the Treasurers race, they find out more about both candidates. â€œOnce voters become aware that Mr. Giannoulias has loaned tens of millions of dollars to convicted felons with reputed ties to organized crime and he himself is the defendant in a fraud lawsuit where a senior citizen was allegedly swindled, they are turning away from his candidacyâ€ Radogno said.

Radogno also said voters are comparing the qualifications of both candidates. â€œWhen voters look at the records they see that I have an unblemished 10-year record of public service in the Senate working on state budgets. They see a history of experience in state and local government,â€ said Radogno. â€œAnd then they see that the sum total of Mr. Giannouliasâ€™ work experience is less than four years working for his familyâ€™s bank. He has no experience whatsoever in government at any level.â€

Radogno concluded, â€œWe are very happy that voters are making distinctions between the two of us in this race.â€

35 Comments

Duckworth fights back - Updated x1

Tuesday, Sep 5, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The Republican National Campaign Committee has sent out at least two mailers recently claiming that 6th District Democratic candidate Tammy Duckworth supports “amnesty” for illegal aliens. Click on the images for larger pics.

But Duckworth is responding with a very good-looking piece of mail. Again, click the pics for larger versions.

If you were wondering how the Democrats would use Duckworth’s military experience to their advantage, this will certainly give you an idea.

[Hat tips (and images stolen from) all over the place: Bridget in the 6th, Moline Democratic Maverick, Austin Mayor.]

Meanwhile, the New York Times claims that Karl Rove and Ken Mehlman have settled on a national strategy for November.

They have determined that control of Congress is likely to be settled in as few as six states and have decided to focus most of the partyâ€™s resources there, said Republican officials who did not want to be identified discussing internal deliberations. Those states will likely include Connecticut, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington, though officials said the battle lines could shift in coming weeks.

The White House is largely turning away from the 36 governorsâ€™ races, although Mr. Rove and Mr. Bush will continue to help Republican candidates for governor raise money, party officials said. The decision has broad significance because building a foundation of Republican governors had been a main part of Mr. Roveâ€™s goal of creating a long-lasting Republican majority.

The Republican National Committee expects to spend over $60 million, which would be a record, for the midterm elections. Officials say half of that would pay for get-out-the-vote operations in the targeted states.

And then there’s this.

Republicans in House races copied their party’s talking points and included parts of the answers as their own for an AARP survey. The answers related to Medicare, Social Security, insurance plans and retirement. […]

Among the candidates who used the borrowed language were Andrea Zinga and Peter Roskam, both running in Illinois, Jeff Lamberti in Iowa, Chuck Blasdel in Ohio and Max Burns in Georgia.

And this.

Republican 6th Congressional District contender Peter Roskam is stepping up his campaign efforts by reserving $2 million in TV ad time for the stretch run.

The ads, which are slated to start airing Sept. 26, are designed to better position Wheatonâ€™s Roskam for the final six weeks of his nationally-significant race against Democrat Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates. […]

A Duckworth spokeswoman said the campaign, which had $900,000 left as of June 30, has not reserved any ad time.

Still, voters can expect their TVs to blare negative ads in October. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee already has reserved $2.3 million in TV time for the race, with the National Republican Campaign Committee matching that reservation.

And this.

With the Iraq war, economy and gas prices dominating the political landscape, the traditional hot-button issues of abortion, gay rights and gun control havenâ€™t surfaced much in the 6th Congressional District race.

But that trio of thorny topics is a way for voters to quickly differentiate between Republican Peter Roskam and Democrat Tammy Duckworth.

UPDATE: Here is Duckworth’s explanation for her immigration stand, which is posted on her website.

…I oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants. The immigration reform proposal that I support does not provide amnesty. Its lead sponsor, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), has been adamant on that point. Instead, it requires fines, criminal background checks, and that all back taxes must be paid. Immigrants would be compelled to learn English and take courses in American culture and civics. If — and only if — an immigrant meets all of those requirements while continuing to be gainfully employed, he or she would be allowed to pursue legal status. Even then, these applicants would have to go to the back of the immigration line.

28 Comments

Green stuff

Tuesday, Sep 5, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Bernie had a profile over the weekend of Rich Whitney.

I assure you,” RICH WHITNEY told reporters in Springfield last week, “I have never hugged a tree.”

Whitney, 51, a Carbondale lawyer, is the Green Party candidate for governor. And he was trying to say that voters will want to look past stereotypes of environmentalists to see if they agree with his views or not.

For example, he would like to see Illinois become a state where it is legal for regular citizens, with training, to get permits to carry concealed guns. It’s not in the platform of his party, but he thinks it’s a civil rights issue. […]

He said traditional conservatives will like some of his stands, including his opposition to state-sponsored gambling. And advocates of working people might well like how he is proposing not only a significantly higher minimum wage, but a “living wage” law. That idea would require every company that gets any state benefit, such as a contract or tax exemption, to pay at least an amount equivalent to the federal poverty level for a family of four - about $8.30 per hour plus health benefits.

And his likely exclusion from the debates was covered in the Southern.

Rich Whitney may have surpassed several obstacles to get himself on the November ballot as the Green Party gubernatorial candidate.

But now, he may have a bit more campaigning to do in order to be included in the Southern Illinois gubernatorial debate tentatively scheduled for Sept. 26.

A recent poll conducted by Research 2000 for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Southern Illinoisan found that only 2 percent of those surveyed in Illinois said they would vote for Whitney.

Whitney acknowledged that in order to participate in the debate to be held in Marion, he was to have 5 percent voter support in an independent poll.

“However, it is important to bear in mind this is the first poll I’ve been included in,” he said.

6 Comments

Morning shorts

Tuesday, Sep 5, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Â· Vrdolyak tied to Cicero track deal

Â· Rallies haven’t produced surge of new voters

Â· Reform and Renewal, Part 97,488

Â· “The financial relationship between Ald. Shirley Coleman and a real estate consultant dogged by allegations of fraud in civil court is greater than the alderman has previously acknowledged, according to people with firsthand knowledge of the matter.”

Â· Bush plays key role in gov’s races

Â· State to return Kenyan artifact to its rightful owners in Africa

Â· Trucker who hurt aide to testify in jobs probe

Â· “The board that recommends disciplinary actions against doctors in Illinois consists of six doctors, one chiropractor, plus four members chosen from the public as the consumer advocates for lay people,’ in the words of board chairman Dr. Douglas Webster. For now, though, all four public positions are vacant.”

Â· Jobs rise, but wages fall

Â· Editorial: Be realistic about ethanol

Â· “The size of many Illinoisans’ future electricity bills will hinge largely on the results of an auction-style process that gets under way Tuesday. At this point, though, much remains unknown.” More here.

Â· Boosting minimum wage

Â· “Education to weigh heavily on November race”

Â· “More than four months after his conviction on sweeping corruption charges, former Gov. George Ryan is set to stand before a judge Wednesday and face a sentence all but certain to mean years in federal prison.”

Â· Big-box aldermen stars at labor fete

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Rockford hit hard - Updated x1

Tuesday, Sep 5, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Â· Heavy rain, flooding turn civilians into heroes

Many civilians turned into heroes after flood waters trapped neighborhoods residents in their homes. Off 14th Street, dramatic scenes unfolded as rescue boats hauled in young children who were trapped in two-family homes nearby. Many of the parents sobbed as they embraced their children after they stepped on dry land. Neighbors crowded near the action, unprepared for the desperation they had just witnessed.

Â· More here.

It all started this afternoon when thousands were sent scrambling for high ground.

People were being rescued from their cars and homes across the east side of the city this afternoon as water several feet high rushed down city streets stranding motorists, filling basements, businesses and parks and creating havoc.

UPDATE: The governor’s press release:

Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today offered state assistance to the Rockford area following severe flooding that struck Rockford and Winnebago County yesterday. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) also is sending personnel to the area to provide technical assistance to county officials as they assess the damage and determine if additional assistance is needed.

â€œYesterdayâ€™s severe weather caused serious flooding in the Rockford area that forced many people from their homes,â€ said Gov. Blagojevich. â€œThe Illinois Emergency Management Agency is working closely with emergency management personnel in Rockford and Winnebago County to ensure that they receive any assistance needed to recover from this storm and the flooding it caused.â€

In a letter to Rockford Mayor Lawrence J. Morrissey and Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen today, Gov. Blagojevich assured the community leaders that the State of Illinois stands ready to provide assistance, including additional law enforcement support, damage assessment teams, assistance with victims whose homes are damaged ad need ongoing personal care, technical assistance from engineers with the Illinois Department of Transportation, and other assistance that may be determined necessary.

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