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Guv strays off script, but runs powerful TV ad *** Updated x3 ***

Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

[Updated twice and bumped up.]

The governor finally came out of seclusion today and I’m told the results weren’t pretty.

At one point, he reportedly said the check to his daughter (he was apparently confused as to which daughter) was a christening gift, which runs counter to the party line that it was a birthday gift. He also said he told Lon Monk, his former chief of staff, to get Beverly Ascaridis a job.

Hopefully, we’ll have video soon.

In the meantime, check out the new TV ad from the Blagojevich campaign. It is not good for JBT at all. Ouch.

A whole lot more people will see that TV ad than the coverage of the guv’s public stumble, unless JBT puts that in an ad.

*** UPDATE *** AP:

…Blagojevich also said he suggested to his chief of staff to see if he could find something that fit her qualifications.

But Blagojevich vehemently denied there was any quid pro quo from accepting the check from his lifelong friend Michael Ascaridis. […]

Blagojevich also seemed to muddy the waters about the purpose of the check which his office has said was a birthday gift to one of his daughters. Blagojevich said the check came about the time his other daughter was born and christened.

I can’t help but wonder if the story about the check has now changed because the fifteenhunnert was never deposited into a college fund.

The daughter, by the way, was born in April. The check was supposedly handed over in August.

*** UPDATE 2 *** ABC7:

In a 15-minute exchange, an agitated governor said he couldn’t be expected to recreate a 40-year relationship, that the gift check issue is ridiculous and there’s nothing to it. […]

The Governor repeated several times — during persistent questioning — that the check went into his daughter’s college fund and that a gift of that size is normal among life-long friends.

So, the Governor was asked, have you written any $1,500 checks as gifts to young relatives?

“It’s quite possible I could have done more than that for my nephew. And I know over the years my wife and I have contributed to the gifts of our nephews. We have two of them now,” said Blagojevich.

The ABC7 video of the story is now up.

*** UPDATE 3 *** CBS2:

â€œThe year of this birthday gift, or christening gift, or whatever it was, was the year our baby Annie was born,â€ Blagojevich said. â€œAnd it was probably the time when Annie was christened down in Springfield and my best friend and his family were at the christening. My guess is that the gift was in a card.â€

The governor also responded for the first time to a story published yesterday in the Chicago Sun-Times claiming that some of his top political operatives may have tried unsuccessfully to extort campaign contributions from a Hollywood movie producer and a money management fund he partly owned.

Blagojevich said there is absolutely nothing to it and that he never authorized anyone to make such threats. He said that in the end the fund, Capri Capital, did get the state business without having to make the campaign contributions that were allegedly sought.

57 Comments

Lots of “worsties” and one “best of”

Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Gov. Blagojevich and his administration have “won” four of the Illinois Press Assocation’s ten “Freedom of Information Worsty” awards. From a press release:

The Illinois Press Association today identified the worst offenders in the state when it comes to the Illinois Open Meetings Act and the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. […]

IPA Board Member Larry Green, president/publisher of Pioneer Press newspapers and chairman of the IPAâ€™s government relations committee said the â€œWorsty Awardsâ€ were created to underscore the importance of compliance with the two laws.

â€œDespite increased vigilance by our organization, the Attorney Generalâ€™s office and other watchdog groups, the abuses of these two access laws continues to escalate,â€ Green said. â€œThese â€˜awardsâ€™ identify the worst offenders each year. We hope that this will help to curtail future abuses.â€

For whatever reason, the worst of the worst didn’t make the cut: The governor’s refusal to release any info regarding subpoenas of his office and his agencies.

All of the awards can be accessed here (.doc file)

And speaking of awards, thanks much to the Illinois Times and a special thanks to anyone who voted for this blog. That was very nice of you. Also, congrats to the other winners.

2 Comments

This just in… feds in the hizzouse *** Updated x1 ***

Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The Tribune fills us in.

FBI investigators executed a search warrant around 9 a.m. today at the offices of the Cook County Bureau of Human Resources, an FBI spokeswoman said.

The search at the building at 118 N. Clark St. is part of an ongoing federal investigation, agency spokeswoman Cynthia Yates said.

*** UPDATE *** The Sun-Times has more.

FBI agents descended on Cook County government offices this morning, serving subpoenas in an investigation that apparently centers on county hiring practice […]

While the seizure of documents proceeded downtown, federal agents also served subponeas at other county offices â€” including Provident Hospital, Cermak Hospital and Cook County Jail. […]

The document seizure comes one month after the Chicago Sun-Times reported that county officials said they routinely were told to hire politically connected candidates for county jobs over candidates who scored higher on civil service exams. A Cook County Highway Department supervisor, Eric Petraitis, said he felt coerced to change test scores to hire candidates connected to former Cook County Board President John Stroger. Following that report, County Board President Bobbie Steele ordered the suspension, with pay, of Strogerâ€™s patronage chief, Gerald Nichols, and four lower-level employees responsible for administering employment tests.

20 Comments

Question of the day

Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Come up with a TV ad for both Topinka and Blagojevich.

38 Comments

SurveyUSA: 45-39-7 *** Updated x1 ***

Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

SurveyUSA has a new poll out which has Governor Rod Blagojevich leading by just six points over Judy Baar Topinka. That’s 5 points closer than she was in the last SurveyUSA poll two months ago, which is movement just outside the margin of error (Â± 4.3%). Apparently, the doggie ad did the trick.

In an election for Governor of Illinois today, 9/20/06, Democrat incumbent Rod Blagojevich edges Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted for KSDK-TV St. Louis. 7 weeks to the 9/20/06 election, it’s Blagojevich 45%, Topinka 39%, Green Party candidate Rich Whitney 7%. Topinka leads by 12 points among men.

Blagojevich leads by 25 points among women, a 37-point “gender gap.” Topinka leads by 3 among whites. Blagojevich leads by 75 among blacks. Blagojevich gets 83% of Democrat votes. Topinka gets 73% of Republican votes. Independents break 4:3 for Topinka. Blagojevich leads by 36 in the city of Chicago, by 11 in suburban Cook County, by 3 in the Collar Counties. Topinka leads by 14 Downstate.

A SurveyUSA KSDK-TV poll released 2 months ago, which did not name the Libertarian Whitney, had Blagojevich at 45%, unchanged from today, Topinka at 34%, 5 points lower than her support today.

Of significance: in SurveyUSA’s July poll, Blagojevich led by 8 among men (he now trails by 12, a 20-point swing among men away from the Democrat); Blagojevich led by 13 among women (he now leads by 25, a 12-point swing among women toward the Democrat). The contest has become more gender polarized over the past 60 days. […]

900 Illinois adults were interviewed 9/17/09 - 9/19/09. Of them, 801 were registered to vote. Of them, 529 were judged to be “likely” voters. Crosstabs reflect Likely Voters.

*** UPDATE *** Check out the crosstabs and you’ll see something interesting.

SurveyUSA has Blagojevich ahead of Topinka in Chicago and Cook County combined 54.6 to 30.5. The poll taken for the Sun-Times had Blagojevich ahead of Topinka statewide 56-26.

In Chicago only, SurveyUSA has Blagojevich up 59-23.

I’m not claiming fraud, but a closer look by the Sun-Times may be warranted.

Hypothetically, a city-only poll would explain Tony Peraica’s miserable showing against Todd Stroger in the CS-T results.

Peraica’s campaign has complained that the CS-T’s city/county results showed a 4-1 Dem to Repub ID, when it’s more like 3-1. According to Peraica’s campaign, it’s 4-1 Dem to Repub in the city.

56 Comments

Good cop, bad cop

Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Peter Roskam airs the first positive TV ad of the season in the 6th District race. But it’s only running on cable.

The 45-year-old state senatorâ€™s first TV ad, which debuts Thursday on Comcast cable, features testimonials and teasing from his four children.

Sixteen-year-old Gracey and 11-year-old Steve tout their fatherâ€™s â€œboringâ€ love of tax cuts and protecting Social Security while standing in the driveway of their Wheaton home. Sister Frankie, 12, puts her father over as a â€œgreat dad,â€ only to be upstaged by youngest brother A.J.

â€œAnd heâ€™s losing his hair,â€ said the 11-year-old, drawing a â€œheyâ€ from his father, who closes with a non-specific pledge to voters that heâ€™s running â€œso all our kids have a bright future.â€

Meanwhile the DC Repubs are running negative ads against Duckworth.

“What is she thinking?” the narrator asks in cable TV spots Washington Republicans are running against Democrat Tammy Duckworth in the west suburban 6th Congressional District race. […]

In the 6th Congressional District race, where Duckworth is vying against Republican Peter Roskam, the National Republican Congressional Committee began last week airing spots questioning what the Democratic Iraqi war veteran is thinking when it comes to illegal immigration.

“They have been lying about different stances, from tax issues to immigration,” said Duckworth spokeswoman Christine Glunz. “If you’re talking about who is thinking what here, I think we know that Peter Roskam will do whatever the national Republicans tell him is right in this race. . . . They will tell him what to think.”

Roskam spokesman Ryan McLaughlin said he could not comment on the ads because they are an independent expenditure by the NRCC.

11 Comments

Come out, come out, wherever you are… *** Updated x1 ***

Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

TV news loves these visual stunts, and at least two Chicago TV stations gave this story some play yesterday.

* ABC7:

Stop hiding and answer questions. That’s the message Republican candidate for governor Judy Baar Topinka had for Governor Rod Blagojevich Wednesday after recent questions and controversies surfaced surrounding both the governor’s campaign and his administration. […]

The point is that Rod Blagojevich hasn’t held a news conference in Chicago for more than a week to answer questions about a $1,500 birthday check to his daughter Amy from a friend whose wife got a state job, an alleged attempt by his political operatives to shakedown Chicago movie producer Tom Rosenberg for campaign cash in exchange for state business, and a state audit accusing the governor of violating federal law by importing prescription drugs and trying to buy foreign supplies of flu vaccine.

“I don’t know where the governor is. I honestly don’t know where he is. We don’t see him. No one sees him. Why is the governor hiding?” said Baar Topinka. […]

“I think the governor is accessible and always will be accessible, and there’s seven weeks left in this campaign, and I think that’s plenty of time for all questions to be asked,” said Lt. Governor Pat Quinn.

Yeah, as soon as the heat dies down he’ll pop up again. But with the Tribune and the Sun-Times rolling out negative stories like cookies out of the Keebler elves’ magic tree, it may be a while before it’s safe to appear anywhere.

* CBS2:

In the face of yet another story alleging that top aides to Blagojevich may have tried to extort campaign contributions from state contractors, including Capri Capital, the governor’s staff insisted once again that Blagojevich himself was unavailable. Instead they referred all questions to campaign worker Sheila Nix.

â€œWe didn’t solicit,â€ Nix said. â€œWe didn’t authorize anyone to solicit Capri Capital. And we didn’t receive any donations from Capri Capital.â€ […]

Recent voter opinion surveys show the Whitney gaining support, enough that some potential debate sponsors now want to include him on stage with Blagojevich and Topinka. Democrats don’t want to give Whitney, a downstate civil rights lawyer, that kind of exposure.

It is one more reason the Democrats, who think they are now leading, might prefer no debates at all.

*** UPDATE *** For whatever reason, my e-mail program tagged the guv’s press release as spam when it came in at 10:30. But it looks like the guv is coming out of hiding. He will reportedly take questions at the first event at 12:30.

CHICAGO â€“ Addressing dozens of community, not-for-profit, and business leaders at the Chicago Foundation for Womenâ€™s 21st Annual Luncheon and Symposium, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich will announce more than $20 million in grants to support prevention efforts and services for victims of domestic and sexual crimes throughout Illinois. The Governor will highlight a $1 million grant to the Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) that will help launch a comprehensive Anti-Violence Initiative to fight against human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, the sex trade, street harassment and other forms of gender based violence.

ELWOOD â€“ After the Luncheon, the Governor will visit Stepan Companyâ€™s existing biodiesel production facility in Elwood. The Governor recently announced that Stepan Company is a receiving a $3 million Opportunity Returns grant to help pay for a $24 million future expansion of the facility that will significantly increase production and lessen Illinoisâ€™ dependence on foreign oil.

30 Comments

Stufflebeam has new running mate

Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Randy White, a member of the Hancock County Board and a retired local minister, is running as a write-in for lieutenant governor with Randy Stufflebeam. Stufflebeam failed to gather enough signatures to make it onto the ballot with the Constitution Party, despite a late assist from Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s campaign (the guv later ordered a halt to the petition drive).

The Hancock County Journal-Pilot fills us in.

“As a Christian, I had no other choice. Blagojevich and Topinka represent less than honest politics. They do not represent a pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-family platform.â€ […]

â€œMy wife and I prayed about it for three days, and then I called him back. We are alligned on the issues. We are two Christian men pledging to govern the state according to Biblical principles.â€ […]

â€œI’m guessing we have 10,000 emails sent out and people working right now. I send you an email with our position. If you like what you read, you send it on to people you know. Something has to change. We will do it if we get elected,â€ White said. […]

White was pastor of the Golden’s Point Christian Church from January of 1998 until last December. He is chaplain for the Hamilton police, Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and Illinois State Police Districts 14 and 20. He serves on the Hancock County board and is Montebello Township tax assessor.

7 Comments

The kitchen sink

Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

I was hoping to do a story on this topic tomorrow. Bernie beat me to it.

State Rep. MIKE BOST, R-Murphysboro, thought it very odd when he recently got a postcard from the state with a nice note from Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH.

That’s because he thought it looked like just the sort of thing that he, as a state representative in an election season, wouldn’t be able to send to constituents so as not to appear to be campaigning at state expense.

Bost, it turns out, was one of 173,000 people who got postcards from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, complete with a prominent offer from the governor to renew his license online. The postcards went out to all professional license holders whose renewals will come up before June 30. […]

From Sept. 1 through Election Day, for example, the Legislative Printing Unit cannot print a newsletter or brochure for a member, and mailing of a newsletter or brochure by that unit is prohibited unless in response to a constituent inquiry.

“I thought all the ethics stuff included him,” Bost said of the governor. “I may be wrong.”

The governor is not violating the law, but he is blatantly using taxpayer money for his re-election campaign. This and other examples like it are far worse than any previous governor has ever done.

The General Assembly stopped itself from doing campaign-season mailers, they ought to step in next spring and prohibit the governor and other executives from doing the same thing.

34 Comments

Morning shorts

Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

* “Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, would not say whether he favors a plan to block ComEd and Ameren from implementing a rate hike that will boost residential electric bills from 22 percent to 56 percent. Rather, a spokeswoman said the powerful Senate chief wants to let the Illinois Commerce Commission work on the issue. The ICC is charged with regulating utility companies.”

* Quinn’s tea bag protest could harm mail delivery

* Vacant seat on Cook County board turns into controversy

* State prisons could face smoke ban

* “With the Illinois gubernatorial race entering the final stretch, advertisements on behalf of both candidates have become increasingly combative”

* Dan Seals and Phil Hare are given higher priority by Dems.

* Zinga brings up Gov. Blagojevich in speech

* Durbin talks up Illinois before Amtrak president

* The mayoral race kicks into a higher gear: “Olympic-size surprise for South Side”

* Michael Cooke returning as editor of Sun-Times

* Illinois giving laptops to more than 1,750 students

* “A Democratic candidate for a DuPage County Board seat in the east-central part of the county has an unusual backer in her race: the Republican who currently holds that office.”

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