Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » White not interested in Senate seat

Thursday, Mar 27, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning

* For all the speculators out there you can finally put this one to rest. Secretary of State Jesse White said he plans to seek one more term in office and denied Wednesday that he’s interested in a U.S. Senate spot if presidential hopeful Barack Obama were to win:

“There has been speculation that I would be considered the heir apparent to Barack Obama if he became successful in becoming our next president,” he said in an interview. “When I came on board in 1998, when I was running for this office, I indicated that I was going to run for this office and this office only.”

* While previous holders of the position, such as Jim Edgar and George Ryan, have used the post as a launch pad for other positions, White claimed that he has no intention of seeking higher office:

“I believe when you take on a job, you take on the responsibility that goes on with it,” he said. “I’m a former military man … When I have a duty, or commitment or mission, I’m going to see it from its beginning to its conclusion.”

Furthermore, the secretary gave his two cents for who would be likely to fill the vacancy:

“Probably the person who has campaigned the hardest for that position is Comptroller Dan Hynes,” White said. Obama beat Hynes in 2004 for the Democratic Party nomination for U.S. Senate.

Carol Knowles, a spokeswoman for the comptroller, said Hynes was currently focused on the state’s fiscal issues and helping Obama’s presidential run.

While Jesse White expects to run again for secretary of state, there’s no clear opposition yet and Sen. Dan Rutherford said it’s too early to discuss another run.

* White also said he would not support lowering the drinking age, an issue currently being debated in other states like Missouri and Wisconsin:

“I could not support (lowering the drinking age) because I want to keep the roads of Illinois as safe as ever,” White said. “The greatest cause of loss of life for our young drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 is automobile crashes. I think if you lower the (drinking) age, those numbers will come off the chart.”

14 Comments

- wordslinger - Thursday, Mar 27, 08 @ 10:09 am:
Aren’t federal highway funds contingent on a 21 drinking age?

- PhilCollins - Thursday, Mar 27, 08 @ 10:23 am:
Yes, Wordslinger, but those federal funds should be abolished. Each year, the federal government gives about $350 billion to state and local governments. A lot of the money that is sent to Washington, DC, is sent back to the same places from which the money came. It would be more efficient if the federal government ended that spending and allowed state and local governments to change their tax rates, to ensure that they received enough revenue, without federal help. Since the federal government would need about 14% less money, Congress would pass an across-the-board 14% tax rate cut. I wrote to about 10 conservative congressmen about this idea, but none of them responded.

- josh - Thursday, Mar 27, 08 @ 10:34 am:
I believe a formula is used to determine how much money for transportation is sent back to states. Under the new Fed plan, Illinois has done better, but with no capital plan….

- Levois - Thursday, Mar 27, 08 @ 10:56 am:
Does White want to be secretary of state for life?

- Team Sleep - Thursday, Mar 27, 08 @ 11:28 am:
Levois, I would guess so. And who can beat him? Dan Rutherford spent a boatload of cash and couldn’t get within 30% of him. He would have to have a major scandal within his office to be voted out.

- Bob - Thursday, Mar 27, 08 @ 11:29 am:
I know it’s a redundant argument, but if an 18 year old is responsible enough to fight and kill the enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan, he/she should be able to drink a beer in a bar. I wonder how old Mr. White was when he had his first legal drink in a bar.

- Enemy of the State - Thursday, Mar 27, 08 @ 12:14 pm:
We had a lower drinking age in the 70’s. It did not work well. Instead of 21 year olds buying for 19 year olds, we had 19 year olds buying for 16 year olds. Also the insurance industry hated the idea.

- PhilCollins - Thursday, Mar 27, 08 @ 1:05 pm:
On the majority of military bases, the bars allow any military member to buy alcohol.

- Bob - Thursday, Mar 27, 08 @ 2:21 pm:
So, when I turn 18, I can be tried as an adult, buy porn, vote, smoke, join the military, gamble, own a credit card, buy guns, enter into a contract, and get tattoos. But, I can’t have a beer in a bar. Only in America.

- Anon - Thursday, Mar 27, 08 @ 9:37 pm:
Yes, Bob. That’s true.

But when all of the “adults” start drinking heavily because of where the economy is going, you’ll experience first hand why you might want to save drinking for a later stage of life.

- Dumber Than You Think - Friday, Mar 28, 08 @ 6:30 am:
hey maybe blaggo should put the senate pres in the u.s. senate and then Holloywood Hendon can bezzz the president and they could have some real fun

- PhilCollins - Friday, Mar 28, 08 @ 9:07 am:
If Obama becomes President, Blago. will appoint Attorney General Madigan to the Senate. If he doesn’t she’ll run against Blago., in 2010.

- VanillaMan - Friday, Mar 28, 08 @ 9:44 am:
Science has weighed in on alcohol and age.

Drinking before the age of 25 damages young brains. The part of the brain that reasons is still developing up to this age. So alcoholic consumption should not be encouraged until age 26.

So are we going to listen to science, or pretend to play games here? Too often we have seen issues debated without facts. Here the facts speak for themselves.

Why should we allow 18 year olds to drink? Why should we allow 21 year olds to drink?

- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 28, 08 @ 10:12 am:
VM, “science” says a lot of things — about alcohol, drugs, diet, exercise, etc. But, the fact is, there are a couple of concepts called freedom and liberty as well. The constant debate in our free society is the extent that we allow the state, for the common good, to curtail the liberties of adults.

I could go on, but I have to gas up the Escalade and hit the drive-thru at McDonald’s before heading to Indiana and the boats. Got to remember to load up on the beer, cigarettes, fireworks…

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