Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2006 » October
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Blagojevich ‘06, Quinn ‘0? *** Updated x1 ***

Sunday, Oct 15, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Neil Steinberg asks a question that pretty much every insider has been mulling recently.

So when do we start viewing the gubernatorial race as being not so much between Judy Baar Topinka and Gov. Blagojevich as between Topinka and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who would take over the job should his boss find it necessary to, ah, spend time elsewhere?

Quinn strikes me as an affable goof, a view formed during his grass-roots consumer and environmental activist days. The sort of do-gooder who usually never gets within spitting distance of public office. He might surprise us. I have a good feeling about Quinn. Wouldn’t it be ironic if both Judy and Rod end up in history’s Dumpster, digging for chicken bones with meat still on them, while Quinn is putting his feet up in the governor’s mansion? Stranger things have happened.

Marie from Disarranging Mine sent me this photo last week, which she snapped somewhere in Springfield. Other people are getting the idea as well.

Meanwhile, the Northwest Herald has endorsed Pat Quinn for reelection. Trouble is, the paper based the endorsement at least partially on the completely false assumption that the lt. governor is elected separately.

Lieutenant governor is an independent office, and we are confident Quinn could work with a Republican or Democratic governor.

Oops.

*** UPDATE *** The meme spreads. Monday’s editorial in the Belleville News-Democrat is entitled “Look beyond Blagojevich.”

Quick, who’s the Illinois lieutenant governor?

A lot of people probably don’t know. But anyone thinking about re-electing Democrat Rod Blagojevich ought to find out.

If for any reason Blagojevich couldn’t finish his term, his lieutenant governor would take over. And as the federal corruption investigation into the Blagojevich administration expands, the idea of Blagojevich being forced out of office increasingly seems a possibility. […]

Blagojevich’s running- mate is Pat Quinn, a politician with a reputation for integrity. He likely would do a fine job as governor.

But do people really want to vote for a candidate who could be on his way out before he’s even in? That’s another question would-be Blagojevich voters need to answer.

And, perhaps reflecting his greater importance in Illinois politics, the Sun-Times put LG Quinn on Monday’s front page.

  68 Comments      


“New” pre-Rezko polling in guv’s race

Saturday, Oct 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Warning: Both of these polls were taken before or right around the time of the Tony Rezko indictment, so they’re outdated and almost useless. Keep that in mind, please, when reading what follows. Rasmussen has indicated to subscribers that it will do another poll soon. Events like the Rezko indictment take a few days to “gel” in the public’s mind.

As of early Saturday afternoon, Rasmussen’s numbers are still behind a firewall, but subscribers say they have Blagojevich leading Topinka and Whitney 49-43-3, with 5 percent undecided. The September Rasmussen poll had Blagojevich ahead 48-36.

Interestingly, 53 percent told Rasmussen they could still change their mind before election day.

The Tribune poll was also released last night. The Trib’s poll was taken over four days, with the last one being the day Rezko was indicted, so a small portion of respondents had probably heard of the events, but not enough to make a huge difference.

The Trib has Blagojevich ahead 43-29-9, with 19 percent saying “other” or undecided. September’s Tribune poll had Blagojevich ahead 45-33.

According to the Trib, 51 percent are dissatisfied with their choice for governor, while 48 percent are satisfied.

Topinka has managed to move Blagojevich’s favorables, however. The Trib’s September poll had 43 percent of respondents with a favorable opinion of him and 38 percent with an unfavorable opinion. Those numbers are now 35 favorable and 43 unfavorable. Topinka’s are even worse, however - 25 percent favorable and 49 percent unfavorable, compared to 29 and 40 back in September.

Click the image for a better view.

25899168.jpg

* From the Trib story, published late last night:

Among Republicans, fewer than half—47 percent—say they have a favorable view of Topinka, who has held statewide office for a dozen years and was a state legislator from suburban Cook County before that.

Only 63 percent of Republicans said they would vote for Topinka, compared with 80 percent of Democrats backing Blagojevich, and 65 percent of GOP voters expressed dissatisfaction with the choices for governor on the ballot. […]

Blagojevich is viewed unfavorably by 56 percent of independent voters, an increase of 15 percentage points from a similar survey a month ago. While Blagojevich saw a drop in support among independents, Topinka did as well, and third-party candidate Whitney was the beneficiary.

The poll found only about one-third of the voters had heard of Whitney, a Carbondale attorney who is running under the Green Party banner, and 25 percent said they had no opinion upon which to judge him.

* Real Clear Politics charts all of the polls in this race dating back to June of last year. Click for a larger image. [Real Clear claims the Rasmussen poll was taken on the 12th, but according to people who have seen it, the survey was actually taken Tuesday night, which is before the Rezko indictment.]

rcp_oct14_poll.jpg

* You can find this blog’s statewide poll stories by clicking here.

* Meanwhile, Green Party candidate Rich Whitney continues to make a splash. ABC7 had a big story yesterday. The story is worth a look.

  57 Comments      


Friday afternoon video/radio blogging

Friday, Oct 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Today’s State Week in Review program from Illinois Public Radio should be good. The archive is here, or just click below.

[audio:10132006.mp3]

* OneMan responded to my call yesterday for snarky ads to help Gov. Blagojevich out of this mess by actually producing a TV ad himself. Great music. His best effort to date and it can also be found at the Capitol Fax YouTube “vlog.”


* Also at the vlog is this kinda goofy but somewhat entertaining “song” for Dan Rutherford’s SoS race:


* IIS: Early voting for the November election kicks of Monday

[audio:early.mp3]

* Also from IIS is this bad news for farmers: Asian soybean rust found in IL

[audio:rust.mp3]

* This afternoon’s IIS story package inclludes this one about the U of I offering live video visits with soldiers in Iraq

[audio:soldier.mp3]

* This is a pretty good positive ad for Rod Blagojevich.


  20 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Street-Tracy; Myers-Frerich; Smith-Dagit; Bond-Simpson; Roth-Noland; Flider-Cain; Flider-Ameren; Syverson; Koehler-Russell; Tuite TV ad; Target Feed (use all CAPS in password)

Friday, Oct 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

  Enter your password to view comments      


This just in… Rezko given another week to appear *** Updated x2 ***

Friday, Oct 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

I was working on my syndicated column and the subscriber-only post and missed this a few minutes ago.

Antoin “Tony'’ Rezko, a key adviser to Gov. Rod Blagojevich who was scheduled to appear in court this morning on federal charges, missed his arraignment because he is traveling outside the country, his attorney said.

When asked when Rezko would return to the United States, lawyer Joseph J. Duffy said “soon.”

At the 10 a.m. hearing, U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel gave Rezko until next Thursday, Oct. 19, to show up in court.

Duffy assured Zagel that Rezko is not on the run and will appear in court next week. “There’s nothing unusual about this trip, judge. He travels frequently for business,” Duffy said.

*** UPDATE *** From CBS2:

Rezko has also stopped paying taxes on his North Shore mansion.

The house is one of the largest homes in one of the most desirable sections of Wilmette — not the sort of place to have more than $25,000 in unpaid property taxes. But the Cook County Treasurer’s Web site shows it’s nearly six weeks overdue.

On Thursday, some insiders saw the tax issue as a sign that Rezko may not be planning a quick return to the United States. A native of Syria, Rezko has reportedly been on a lengthy visit to the Middle East.

This is not the first time Rezko’s been late paying his huge property tax bill. He was 16 days late last March

*** UPDATE 2 *** Rezko’s attorney talks about the charges against his client.

“Obviously Mr. Rezko feels strongly about these charges in that they’re baseless, and that he will be vindicated at trial. I will tell you, you really need to study these indictments.

The second indictment (alleging Rezko obtained $10.5 million in fraudulent loans for a pizza business) is really nothing more than the result of some civil litigation that’s been going on for years against GE.

And the other indictment (alleging Rezko tried to shake down firms seeking state business), I think, is predicated upon the alleged production of an individual who’s trying to curry favor with the government.”

  49 Comments      


Question of the day

Friday, Oct 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

There were plenty of stories today about how Illinois Democrats were scrambling to dump cash donated to their campaigns by Tony Rezko.

Blagojevich, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Secretary of State Jesse White, Comptroller Dan Hynes and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama were among those announcing Thursday they’d make donations to charities equal to what their campaigns had received from Rezko and his affiliated businesses in recent years. […]

Blagojevich’s campaign said more than $65,000 in past contributions directly tied to Rezko would be split between charities benefiting juvenile diabetes research and breast cancer research. Madigan’s campaign planned to make donations totaling $48,000. Obama’s donations would total $11,500. White planned to donate $6,500. Quinn was traveling Thursday and had not tallied his Rezko donations, but state campaign finance reports show he’d collected more than $17,000 from Rezko or his affiliates since 1998. […]

Senate President Emil Jones Jr., a Chicago Democrat, has no plans to make similar donations, a spokeswoman said Thursday. As recently as April, Jones accepted a $2,000 contribution from a business enterprise co-owned by Rezko.

It was uncertain what House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat and head of the state party, planned to do with past donations. Steve Brown, Madigan’s spokesman, said he’d not spoken to Madigan, who’s also co-chairing Blagojevich’s re-election bid.

What about the rest of the money? Rezko raised lots of cash for many of those people and committees.

Question: Should all of the candidates and committees shed themselves of all Rezko-tainted contributions, including money he helped them raise? Why or why not?

Bonus question: Suggest a charity where the money should go.

  62 Comments      


New polling has some surprises *** Updated x1 ***

Friday, Oct 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

[Bumped up closer to the top because it was posted so late yesterday. It’s also been slightly edited this morning.]

Constituent Dynamics has posted some interesting poll results in IL congressional races.

Go here and click on the districts, or just click on the links below:

* Roskam-Duckworth, 47-47 (crosstabs pdf)

roskam_duckworth_poll

* Hastert-Laesch, 52-42 (crosstabs pdf)

hastert_laesch_poll

* Shimkus-Stover, 53-36 (crosstabs pdf)

shimkus_stover_poll

*** UPDATE *** ArchPundit has DCCC numbers from the Duckworth-Roskam race.

IL-06 (Open): Tammy Duckworth (D) vs. Peter Roskam (R)

Head to Head: Duckworth 51%, Roskam 46%.

Only 34% of voters in Illinois’ 6th district think that the country is going on the right track, while 57% say we’re headed down the wrong track and only 21% give President Bush a positive rating for the job he is doing. [Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, 409 voters; October 8-9; margin of error 5%]

  24 Comments      


They can’t watch it if nobody covers it

Friday, Oct 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

There’s a saying in politics that if it isn’t on TV it didn’t happen. But what about if it’s not on TV?

This study is not heartening, but also not surprising.

A University of Wisconsin survey of election coverage on local television news in nine Midwest markets found that stations in Springfield-Decatur-Champaign devoted an average of 21 seconds for each 30-minute newscast to election coverage. […]

All of the stations included in the study averaged about 36 seconds of election coverage daily.

An examination of the data shows that WICS-TV, based in Springfield, provided double the number of election stories when compared to the other two main stations serving the market - WCIA in Champaign and WAND in Decatur.

WICS also had more election-related stories than all but two stations in state capitols covered by the study.

Chicago stations averaged 29 seconds of election coverage.

Chicago stations averaged 2 minutes and 3 seconds for “Teasers, bumpers and intros,” compared to 1 minute 51 seconds for Springfield stations. Sports and weather got 6 minutes and 5 seconds in Chicago, and 7 minutes and 17 seconds in Springfield.

According to the study, “In Chicago, 31% of the [election] stories aired focused on the gubernatorial race. In Springfield, 48% of stories focused on the gubernatorial race.”

I’ll try to get the individual station-by-station breakdowns, so check back later. For now, the Illinois summary is below. Click for a larger image. You can also check out the other state results by clicking here.

ilelectcoverage

  9 Comments      


Cellini stuff *** Updated x1 ***

Friday, Oct 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Yesterday, Judy Baar Topinka was asked about her contacts with Bill Cellini. She said she hadn’t spoken to him in ten years.

Topinka has never forgiven Cellini for that hotel deal and all the bad press that has resulted. Nevertheless expect the Democrats to try to level the playing field with revelations like this.

Longtime Republican leader William Cellini of Springfield has been implicated in a pension-fund kickback probe by federal prosecutors.

Jon Bauman, executive director of the Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System, confirmed that Cellini is the person referred to as “Individual A” in the indictment of Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a political adviser to Gov. Rod Blagojevich, made public Wednesday.

In the indictment, prosecutors say Individual A and several others - including at least four people who have been formally charged with crimes - worked together to pressure investment firms into making political contributions and paying “finder’s fees” to insiders who did no work. Unless the firms paid up, they were told they wouldn’t get any business from the Teachers’ Retirement System, which pays the pension of downstate and suburban teachers, prosecutors allege.

You can also expect this story to re-emerge.

Questions over Bruner’s votes for Commonwealth come after state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka faced criticism last month for her vote in the spring to invest up to $120 million with Commonwealth from another pension system. That’s because, in 1995, Topinka was set to allow the Cellini-led hotel consortium to repay a $15.5 million state loan at a rate equal to only 25 cents on the dollar. That controversial deal was blocked, and now mounting interest has Cellini and his co-investors holding a $27.5 million IOU to taxpayers.

Topinka did not know that Commonwealth had Cellini ties when she allowed her vote with the Board of Investment to be cast, an aide told the Sun-Times last month, and she now favors revoking the Commonwealth deal. The issue could surface when the Board of Investment meets Wednesday.

Cellini yielded his 75 percent ownership stake in Commonwealth to two of his children more than a decade ago, but the firm is based in the same suite of Chicago offices where several other Cellini companies are located.

*** UPDATE *** The Tribune had this nugget today:

Topinka’s efforts to turn the tables on Blagojevich come after months of being hammered in Blagojevich campaign ads linking her to Ryan, convicted earlier this year on corruption charges. Blagojevich campaign aides said a recent commercial featuring Topinka with Ryan at the Illinois State Fair soon will be replaced with the new ad, which doesn’t name Topinka, Ryan or Bush.

Still, the Blagojevich campaign insider said that another commercial showing Topinka dancing the polka with Ryan is “in the can” and ready to be rolled out if they feel it’s necessary. One of Topinka’s GOP primary opponents ran a similar ad showing news footage from years earlier of Topinka dancing with Ryan.

  37 Comments      


Still in denial

Friday, Oct 13, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The governor says he was completely surprised when Tony Rezko was indicted. His other close fundraising pal/adviser Chris Kelly was referred to in Rezko’s indictment, but Blagojevich continues to believe all is well. At least, that’s what he’s saying in public.

The Southtown editorial board interviewed the governor and posted the transcript online.

Q: But you did not disassociate yourself from Chris Kelly and Tony Rezko.

A: Hold on. Why are you bringing Chris Kelly into this? He has nothing to do with any of this. He’s got nothing to do with the Health Facilities Planning Board.

Q: He was raised when your father-in-law made the accusations that you were trading appointments for campaign contributions.

A: Right. It’s a lie. My father-in-law lied because I did my duty and acted on a recommendation to protect the environment on a landfill that my father-in-law had an interest in.

Q: Are you confident that Chris Kelly is not going to be indicted?

A: Yeah. Yes. They’re two different people, by the way, and it’s a different relationship. Chris and I are much closer. Chris is the head of my political campaign. That’s someone I talk to a lot more frequently. I’m confident, yes.

From my Sun-Times column:

Once again, Illinoisans are forced to wonder whether their governor is an idiot or a crook or an idiotic crook. […]

Kelly is not mentioned by name in Rezko’s indictment, but everyone’s reporting that he is “Individual B.” Individual B is alleged to have participated in a crooked scheme with Rezko and others to make sure that the Teachers Retirement System used investors and lawyers that he and Rezko recommended. According to a guilty plea by another player involved in this corrupt cabal, those investors and lawyers were then to be shaken down on behalf of Blagojevich’s campaign fund.

  42 Comments      


« NEWER POSTS PREVIOUS POSTS »
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* Pritzker says amount of threats received in past few days has been an 'enormous multiple' of those that were received in the days before
* Rep. Smith won't run for reelection
* Pritzker on political violence, impeachment, Nazis, National Guard, ICE shooting, Gov. Jim Edgar
* No end in sight
* RETAIL: The Largest Employer In Illinois
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* Good morning!
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and a campaign update
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Live coverage
* Jim Edgar (Updated and comments opened)
* Porter McNeil (Updated and comments opened)
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
September 2025
August 2025
July 2025
June 2025
May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller