* That’s it for me. We’ve had a decent week at the blog, so take a break or head to Quincy or some other place that needs help during these trying times. If you want to keep talking, stop by Illinoize. They got it going on.
* Our weekend video is from our blog buddy JakeCP, a young man who has literally grown up before our very eyes. The kid can sing. Check him out below and click this for another song….
[Story bumped up and password protection removed because the AP now has a story online.]
* 11:40 am - I wrote about this in today’s Capitol Fax. Here’s a recent letter sent by the governor to a bunch of interest groups threatening doomsday cuts if the Legislature doesn’t pass his revenue generators and the capital plan. See the original by clicking here…
Dear State Leader,
On May 31st, the General Assembly passed a budget for Fiscal Year 2009 that, by their own admission, is more than $2 billion out of balance. As the Illinois Constitution explicitly requires a balanced budget, it is my expectation that in days ahead the leadership of the General Assembly will work with my administration to address this unprecedented and unconstitutional deficit.
I have convened the legislative leaders to address these issues and have provided alternatives, including the passage of the capital proposal provided by Speaker Dennis Hastert and President Glenn Poshard that would provide substantial revenues to support the General Assembly’s proposed appropriations.
Unless the General Assembly acts swiftly to pass revenues necessary to support their proposed budget, I will be compelled to use my constitutional authority to address the deficit. Given the magnitude of the challenge that we face, I write to ask you to take appropriate action now to limit the impact of any necessary reductions or eliminations.
Action necessary to face our budget challenges may include, but should not be limited to:
• Instituting a hiring freeze on all non-critical positions,
• Freezing all non-essential operating spending,
• Unilaterally reducing or imposing reserves to all operating programs that do not address issues of life, safety or health of Illinoisans, and
• Eliminating programs or functions that do not address key priorities of the State.
Instituting these policies will undoubtedly impose significant difficulties on you and the people of Illinois. These consequences can be avoided if the House passes the capital plan supported by three of the four legislative caucuses and that moved out of the Senate in bi-partisan fashion and if the House approves other pending revenue proposals.
Sincerely,
Rod Blagojevich
*** 2:59 pm *** Vendors are apparently being sent copies of the letter as well. Click here to see a memo to vendors from DoC Director Roger Walker.
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is sending a vague warning to state leaders of spending cuts if lawmakers don’t help him fix a $2 billion hole in the state budget.
Blagojevich says he will freeze non-critical hiring and spending, tell agencies to hold budget reserves for an emergency, and eliminate programs that are not essential.
The governor’s letter went to agency heads, colleges and universities, social service agencies and constitutional officers. Spokeswoman Kelley Quinn says it’s intended to help them plan for the coming year.
This was about more than mere “planning.” It’s about freaking out the tax-eaters and the vendors to get them to back Blagojevich in his battle with Speaker Madigan over the revenue streams and the capital bill.
* It’s really slow around here today. Weather got you down or what? Anyway, in an admittedly desperate attempt to spark some comments, let’s have a go at this one…
* I’ve never thought that this was much of an issue, but this development may hinder the Republicans’ efforts to make hay out of it in other districts…
Concrete company president Martin Ozinga III has no plans to relocate from Homer Glen, which lies just inside the 13th Congressional District represented by Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Hinsdale.
Ozinga’s residence has not been raised as an issue by either of his November opponents, state Sen. Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, and Green Party candidate Jason Wallace of Normal.
Ozinga’s campaign manager, Andy Sere, noted Rep. Melissa Bean, D-Barrington, lives outside her 8th Congressional District. Democratic candidate Dan Seals lives just outside the 10th Congressional District, where he hopes to unseat Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park.
“The fact that he lives a mile or so outside the district while still living in the district’s biggest county has not come up with any of the voters he has spoken with,” Sere said. Whether Ozinga would move into the district if he won the election has not been discussed. “Frankly, it hasn’t come up,” he said.
* Meanwhile, Congresscritter Melissa Bean is criticized for missing an important House vote…
8th Congressional District challenger Steve Greenberg [sic] is firing away at U.S. Rep Melissa Bean for missing a vote last week on what he calls “the largest tax increase in American history … of at least $683 billion over the next years.”
Bean was absent for House Roll Call 382, a non-binding budget resolution which representatives narrowly adopted 214-210.
The Barrington Democrat later filed a statement with the Congressional record indicating she would have voted against the measure. […]
Bean’s staff did not explain why she was one of only 10 House members to miss the vote.
A pair of lawsuits filed against Greenberg’s family businesses in Cook County Circuit Court allege the companies defaulted on a $1.5 million bank loan and failed to pay a law firm more than $60,000 in legal fees.
Greenberg would not comment on the lawsuits this week except to call them “frivolous.”
“Over 80 percent of companies get sued,” he said. […]
“As if his disastrous candidacy were not telling enough, Steve Greenberg’s business dealings show a deep contempt for following the rules or living up to his commitments,” DCCC spokesman Ryan Rudominer said.
* Scandal Hampers NRCC’s Ability to Get Loans: The committee will need to hire an outside firm to conduct a standard audit of its books for 2007, and until that audit is complete, the NRCC will not be able to take out any bank loans to fund independent expenditure campaigns in late-breaking races.
A major state agency has been accused for the second time in three years of failing to protect sensitive information.
In a report released Thursday, Auditor General William Holland found the Illinois Department of Human Services didn’t properly secure employee and contractor records, potentially allowing easy access to Social Security numbers and other personal information.
The agency, which has more than 14,000 workers, was hit with a similar finding during a previous audit.
“It is abundantly clear that serious deficiencies in security administration have existed for the last two audit periods,” Holland wrote in his report. “While we agree that there are various methods of implementing security administration, it is clear the current approach is not working.”
Auditors found some documents simply by walking through agency offices and looking in or near trash and recycling bins.
* Patterson lists some of the problems on his blog…
The department opened its own bank accounts and, whoops, forgot to tell state officials.
The department didn’t have adequate procedures for disposing of confidential information.
The department didn’t keep adequate records on its vehicles.
But the one that stood out — especially since the department has problems getting rid of confidential information — was that taxpayers spent thousands on 39 “high capacity shredders” and, a year later, 22 of them had not been installed let alone put to use.
The department’s excuse is that some buildings lacked the electrical current needed for the shredders. In other cases, there simply wasn’t space for the shredders.
Those shredders were purchased after newspaper reports of the lax document security. All show, no go?
* I’ve already given you the address to send contributions for victims of the southeastern Illinois flood. But some of you have asked what you can do to help hold back the flooding in the Quincy area. Here’s some info, provided by a friend of the blog and Doug Wilson at the Quincy Herald Whig. Check the Herald Whig’s site throughout the day for more information, but here’s what we have so far…
A - NIOTA, IL
If you’d like to help sandbag in Niota you can call Hancock County emergency services at 217-357-6004 for more information.
B – URSA, IL
Sandbagging efforts are speeding up near Ursa.
Volunteers are still needed; you can just show up to the Shaffer farm, just west of the North Bottoms Road.
Volunteers sandbagging at the Ursa levee aren’t just requesting more help; they’re also requesting cold bottled water for those who are working.
The operation is underway at Shaffer Farm, along the Ursa blacktop road, 1/8 mile west of the North Bottoms Road.
C – QUINCY, IL
Sandbagging operation at the Oakley-Lindsay Center
3rd and Kentucky
ALSO:
Sny Drainage District Asking for Help
The Sny Drainage District needs volunteers to help fill and place sandbags. The Union United Methodist Church, will be running shuttles back and forth to the site starting at 10am Friday until dusk.
There will be food and beverages at the site. Please wear appropriate clothing, and plan to stay for at least 3 hours.
The shuttles will leave from the church at 1101 State Friday morning and run through the day. For more information, call Pastor Bob Morewell at 223-6062.
EVERYONE SHOULD GET A TETANUS SHOT IF THEY ARE WORKING WITH SANDBAGS OR ON THE LEVEE IF THEIR LAST SHOT WAS MORE THAN ONE YEAR AGO, ACCORDING TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
* And a poll…
*** UPDATE 1 *** Word just came down that Gov. Blagojevich will visit Quincy at about 2:30 this afternoon. No word yet on if he will also visit southeastern Illinois.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The guv is also heading to Lawrenceville. From a pal…
The agenda we got faxed to us a little while ago shows Blago going to Lawrenceville IL at 12:20 before coming to Quincy at about 2:30 .
*** UPDATE 3 *** The times have been moved back. From a press release…
WHO: Governor Rod R. Blagojevich
State emergency officials
Local elected officials
WHAT: Tour of flood impacted areas in Lawrenceville followed by press briefing on State action.
WHEN: Friday, June 13, 2008
1:00 pm
WHERE: Parkside Elementary School
1900 Cedar St.
Lawrenceville, IL
WHO: Governor Rod R. Blagojevich
State emergency officials
Local elected officials
WHAT: Aerial and ground tour of area along the rising Mississippi River in Quincy followed by press briefing on State action.
WHEN: Friday, June 13, 2008
3:00 pm
WHERE: Oakley Lindsay Civic Center
300 Civic Center Place (3rd and York)
Quincy, IL
*** UPDATE 4 *** I just got off the phone with a Herald-Whig reporter who said that he’s just been informed that the governor has canceled the Quincy event. He did make it to Lawrenceville, however. More later.
*** UPDATE 5 *** The governor’s office says he’s on his way to Quincy right now.
MORRISON, Illinois — The Whiteside County Sheriff, Roger Schipper, is advising residents along the Rock River in Whiteside County of possible major flooding in the next 48 to 72 hours.
The Rock is projected to rise another 3 feet during that time.
With a near-record 32-foot Mississippi River flood crest now being forecast for Quincy, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama on Friday urged Gov. Rod Blagojevich to consider pre-emptively declaring disaster areas for some Illinois counties facing potential major damage, including those in the Quincy region.
“If the state can make an early declaration, it’s going to help a lot of smaller communities that don’t have the resources of a city like Quincy,” Durbin said Friday morning during a press conference at Quincy’s city-sponsored sandbagging site in the Oakley-Lindsay Center.
Durbin came to Quincy Friday with several other political leaders — including U.S. Rep. Phil Hare and Illinois Sen. John Sullivan — to assess the situation and see what can be done to aid local communities girding for the worst flooding since the historic disaster of 1993.
Way back in the autumn of 1994, as the national Republican tsunami was just becoming evident, House Speaker Michael Madigan ordered some of his more vulnerable incumbents to run away as fast as they could from their party’s doomed gubernatorial candidate.
Every poll showed that the hapless Dawn Clark Netsch was being pulverized by Republican Gov. Jim Edgar. So, after Madigan issued his edict, several House Democrats sent out campaign mailers with big photos of their new best pal, Jim Edgar.
The ploy didn’t work. Madigan lost 13 seats and his majority that November.
But that bit of history clearly shows how far Madigan will go to win. That’s really what he’s all about.
Winning.
Maintaining control.
Holding onto power.
Maybe now you’ll understand why Madigan’s staff drafted a brutal and ham-handed 14-page memo for some House Democratic candidates outlining how best to call for impeachment proceedings against Gov. Blagojevich. It’s the winning, stupid.
Blagojevich is probably the most unpopular governor this state has ever had. A Glengariff Group poll taken weeks before administration insider and campaign fund-raiser Tony Rezko was convicted on 16 felony corruption counts showed that 59 percent of registered Illinois voters want impeachment proceedings to begin against Blagojevich. A clear plurality want Blagojevich removed from office — 45 percent to 35 percent.
If that’s what voters want, well, then that’s what Madigan’s candidates will give them.
Most of Madigan’s candidates are running against Republican incumbents who represent Republican-leaning, independent-minded districts. According to that Glengariff Group poll, 73.5 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of independents want to start the impeachment process and large majorities of both groups want Blagojevich removed from office.
House Republican Leader Tom Cross has tried to make the memo itself the main issue rather than address impeachment.
Cross has a point. Madigan’s impeachment memo is certainly way over the top. It includes a harsh litany of Blagojevich’s alleged “misdeeds” that have nothing to do with impeachment, like the gross receipts tax and free mass transit rides for senior citizens. The memo encourages Madigan’s candidates to avoid answering the question if asked whether Madigan or his staff helped them prepare their positions.
Cross’ candidates will claim that the Democrats trying to defeat Republican incumbents are just Madigan robots doing what they’re told. But that, itself, is a dodge, because an overwhelming majority of Cross’ own party members clearly want impeachment proceedings to begin. Cross is in serious danger of positioning his own candidates on the wrong side of history in what will likely be a big Democratic year in Illinois. That combination could be politically lethal.
Cross and others also claim that Madigan is using the impeachment issue to divert attention from the fact that he is the lone man opposed to a multibillion-dollar capital construction plan.
“Never mind those 500,000 new jobs! Look over there at that bright, shiny impeachment ball!” Madigan appears to be saying.
His critics are right. Madigan’s venom and hatred for Blagojevich are getting the better of him. But the massive construction plan is loaded with opportunities for corruption, and voters clearly believe this governor is corrupt. In my mind, it’s a toss-up.
There are also those who think that the possible impeachment of a governor is too important an issue to be “politicized” by cynical attempts to win campaigns. But that ignores an important fact: We live in a democracy.
If candidates are elected on vows to begin impeachment proceedings, then that’s a good indication of what the public wants. Election results validate issues as much as individual candidate personalities or partisan strength.
In other words, goofy memo aside, this issue is too important not to be “politicized” by candidates. Let’s get on with it.
* Related…
* Four unions send critical letter over impeachment memo: It was signed by leaders of the Service Employees International Union, Teamsters Joint Council 25, UNITE HERE and the Midwest Region of the Laborers International union.
* WSJ John Fund: All this sounds like an issue voters both inside and outside Illinois would want to hear from Mr. Obama on. Does he side with those Democrats who want to move aggressively against a governor who appears to be corrupt – or with his old Chicago buddies who prefer to wait?
* Southern Illinoisan: Thumbs down to the higher level of dysfunction among our state’s top elected leaders that emerged this week through the public release of a secret, talking points memo compiled on House Speaker Michael Madigan’s behalf.
* Impeachment By Mail? The Committee for Legislative Action is sending out letters to area residents asking for your input in the ongoing impeachment talks.
Police and a joint terrorism task force are investigating letters containing unknown powdery substances that were sent to Chicago elected officials Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
The letters were sent to Ald. Ed Burke (14th), Cook County Commissioner John Daley, state Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) and state Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago), according to NBC 5.
But Police News Affairs Officer David Banks said, “There is no reason to believe there is a credible threat.”
The Chicago Fire Department was called to test the substance, Banks said.
Police also are working with a joint terrorism task force to investigate the origins of the letter, Banks said.
The disparity between workers at the top and bottom of the wage scale was the 10th worst of all 100 metro areas. The top 10% of employees earned 6.3 times more than the bottom 10% of Chicago’s workforce.
In short, manipulating the news-ad ratio is a much trickier business than Michaels probably thinks it is. Has he asked the Tribune’s advertisers if they want to be in a paper with less news?
Corn for July delivery rose 5.75 cents to settle at $7.09 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade, after earlier rising to a new all-time high of $7.25 a bushel. It was corn’s sixth straight trading record in as many days. Prices broke past the $7 barrier for the first time Wednesday.
“We’re as guilty as anybody,” admitted Bloomberg. “We ask for money for things that are totally local, and why the federal government does it, I don’t know. They shouldn’t be doing it, although we will continue to ask as long as they are giving it out. Our senators have the obligation to bring home the bacon like everybody else does. … Seems to me the Senate should get together and say together, ’We’re not going to do it anymore.”’
The city of Quincy has declared a “state of emergency” while Adams County has declared a “state of disaster” as local governments begin mobilizing for the region’s biggest flood-fighting effort since 1993.
With the latest National Weather Service forecasts now predicting a Mississippi River crest of 29.9 feet in Quincy next Wednesday — just 2.3 feet below the record level set in 1993 — the city of Quincy announced plans to launch a sand-bagging effort, probably starting Friday but definitely taking place Saturday and Sunday. […]
City Engineer Jeff Steinkamp said late this morning that the Illinois Department of Transportation may close Memorial Bridge as early as Friday. Floodwater could top a dip in the road immediately west of the bridge, which ordinarily carries eastbound traffic into Illinois, when the river reaches the 28-foot mark.
* 4:20 pm - Your late afternoon video. Last night’s WTTW Chicago Tonight episode on the “Madigan impeachment memo” featuring Rep. Jay Hoffman, Sen. Matt Murphy and the Sun-Times’ Chris Fusco…
* 5:17 pm - From a press release…
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today issued a statement following a briefing on the effort to control imminent flooding along the Mississippi River in Western Illinois. Earlier today, Durbin was joined by representatives from Obama’s office on a telephone briefing with leaders from the three Illinois Army Corps Districts that will likely be affected.
“It is clear that dozens of communities and thousands of residents will be affected by the flood waters as they move south. The Army Corps of Engineers is working round the clock to minimize the impact on residents and businesses in the area, but the task before them is enormous.”
“We will continue to work closely with state and local officials to do everything we can to prepare for and minimize the impact of these floods and to ensure that every resource is made available to those communities that are affected.”
A second briefing is scheduled later today with the representatives from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Illinois National Guard, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Governor’s office and a number of other Illinois state agencies to discuss flood control efforts.
Four labor unions are criticizing House Speaker Michael Madigan over a political memo urging an impeachment investigation of Governor Rod Blagojevich.
The unions representing teamsters, service employees and thousands of other workers sent a letter today to members of the State Central Committee — the governing body of the Illinois Democratic Party. [..]
The unions say it is a misguided use of energy and resources. They want party leaders to push Madigan to focus on the priorities of working people..
As of mid-morning today, Lawrence County Sheriff Russell Adams said the water in areas where there have been levee breaks and other flooded areas is still rising.
Adams said water north of Russellville along Illinois Route 33 is rising at a rate of about an inch per hour.
In the southern part of the county, the St. Francisville road, which connects that community with Illinois Route 1, was flooded, then the water receded enough for the road to open, and now it is closed again due to flooding. Other roads previously closed are still flooded.
With the Wabash River above its flood stage, water from the Embarras has no place to go, and in some cases is backing up into the Embarras causing flood waters to rise, officials said.
As of 11:30 a.m., Wal-Mart Supercenter, CVS and McKim’s were out of stock. All businesses said they were ordering more, with McKim’s and Wal-Mart expected to have more by the end of the day.
A CVS employee said people were rushing in and out of the store in search of water.
“There have been tons and tons of people coming in,” she said.
* But water was restored when fire trucks from around the area brought in water for the town’s water tower…
While residents have water for showers, flushing toilets and other such functions, Mefford stressed the people are still being urged to conserve water and boil any water they ingest.
Gov. Mitch Daniels will spend this morning meeting with farmers and agriculture officials in Columbus to assess agricultural damage and will also visit farms in Morgan and Daviess counties.
* A Terre Haute, IN TV station ran a story entitled “Forgotten Illinois“…
“It’s a plea for help we need to have someone standing for us,” said flood victim, Gayle Bridges.
They feel ignored.
“We’re country folk, they don’t worry about us much,” said victim Ken Caughran.
Wabash Valley Flood Relief Fund
c/o Farmers & Merchants Bank of Hutsonville
PO Box 277
Hutsonville, IL 62433
* More pics…
*** UPDATE *** Rep. Fritchey has more at Illinoize…
“After touring many of the hardest-hit communities it’s obvious that local families can’t wait for state or federal relief dollars to become available. They need help now,” said [Sen. Dale Righter]. “The good news is that our offices have been inundated with calls from people from our area and across the state who want to help. All donations to the fund we established today will go directly to helping families in our six local counties declared state disaster areas.”
Righter and Eddy said the fund is accepting monetary donations. Those wishing to contribute can send checks to:
Wabash Valley Flood Relief Fund
P.O. Box 277
Hutsonville, IL 62443
* The setup, which is about a letter that Tony Rezko wrote to his judge a couple of months ago…
Convicted political fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko claims in a letter to his trial judge written two months before his conviction on corruption charges that federal prosecutors pressured him to implicate Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama or Gov. Rod Blagojevich in wrongdoing.
But in the letter to U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve, which she placed in his file Wednesday, Rezko said he was never involved in any wrongdoing with either Obama or Blagojevich and wouldn’t make up stories about them in an attempt to benefit himself.
“They are pressuring me to tell them the ‘wrong’ things that I supposedly know about Governor Blagojevich and Senator Obama,” Rezko wrote St. Eve in an April bid to be released on bail during his trial. “I have never been party to any wrongdoing that involved the Governor or the Senator,” Rezko continued. “I will never fabricate lies about anyone else for selfish purposes. I will take what comes my way, but I will never hurt innocent people.” […]
“I understand I may well lose this case,” Rezko wrote. “If I do, I am prepared to serve my sentence.”
Sources say that the feds have not approached Obama to question him regarding Rezko.
* The question: After reading the excerpts from Rezko’s letter, do you think he’ll flip or do you think he’ll stay mum and serve out his sentence? Explain, and please try to stick to the question. Thanks.
* As you know by now, Congresscritter Jesse Jackson, Jr. has been undermining fellow Democrat Debbie Halvorson’s congressional campaign by linking her to Tony Rezko on the Peotone Airport deal…
Jackson said on WLS-890 AM’s “Don Wade and Roma” morning show that two years ago Rezko pitched him a plan to compose a new airport board of appointed, instead of elected, officials. Jackson said he said no to the plan, but that a similar proposal later found its way into Halvorson’s bill.
The proposal was seen as a boon to Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), to whom Rezko was a close adviser.
Asked whether he knew if Rezko met with Halvorson, Jackson said: “I don’t have the answer to that. But the way the governor functions, not always does the left hand know completely what the right hand is doing.
* But Larry has been all over this story and believes Jackson has been getting a free pass from the media. The ArchPundit points to a Jackson statement which clearly shows that the Democrat offered Blagojevich and by extension his buddy Rezko four appointments to Jackson’s Abraham Lincoln National Airport board…
“ALNAC has agreed to give the governor four appointments on its nine-member board. That seems fair and equitable.”
“I am an independent fighter for the people I represent and I won’t let Chicago politicians tell us what to do in the 11th Congressional District.
“I sponsored the Will County Airport Authority bill on behalf of Will County Labor, Business and Government. This bill has bipartisan support from the legislators in Will County because this third airport bill is about local control and not handing over an airport in Will County over to bigwigs from Chicago. Our plan gives one appointment to the Governor, and ALNAC’s plan ultimately gives five.
“This issue is too important for petty politics, and shame on anyone for suggesting ties to convicted felon Rezko–someone whom I have never even met.”
“We’re doing a lot of things,” [Oberweis] said. “We’re trying to make sure we have a softer side.”
Oberweis said he plans to avoid negative campaigning in November’s General Election against Foster, even if he is attacked first.
“I’ve spent the last month or two traveling around the district, asking people how to run a better campaign,” he said. “A lot of people’s suggestions are that it be a positive campaign and I’ve heard that message.”
Oberweis said the Republican primary and campaigning against Foster in the special election was too negative.
In hindsight, Oberweis said, he wouldn’t have gone negative, and plans to stick to issues the rest of this year.
Those issues include a halt to government spending more than it can afford, securing the country’s borders, and decreasing America’s dependence on foreign oil.
* Congresscritter Mark Kirk’s campaign has released a poll that shows him with a huge lead over his Democratic rival Dan Seals. Up front warning, however, there are just 300 respondents in this poll, so its accuracy is in question. The pollster is solid, though. The margin of error is +/- 5.6%. You can download the executive summary by clicking here. Excerpts…
With approximately five months until the November elections, Congressman Mark Kirk maintains a commanding lead over Dan Seals in the 10th Congressional District of Illinois. Kirk leads Seals 53% to 32%, a 21-point lead in the head-to-head. With this lead, Kirk has surpassed the benchmark 50% on the ballot that a strong incumbent should reach.
Kirk’s lead was 50-29 in March. 15 percent are now undecided, compared to 22 percent in March. The memo points out that the DCCC has spent a bunch of money so far to little avail.
* More…
Mark Kirk maintains a very strong favorable rating of 67% favorable to 16% unfavorable. Again, a strong incumbent should have a avorable rating over 50%. Mark Kirk well exceeds this benchmark, as more than two-thirds of the voters have a favorable opinion of him. Conversely, Dan Seals maintains a lower favorable rating of 39% and a 16% unfavorable rating. Seals’ name identification rating is especially low considering he has been campaigning ever since his first loss to Mark Kirk in 2006. Seals is in danger of becoming the re-run losing candidate.
* This is perhaps the most important result…
Independents and ticket-splitters who vote the person, not the party, are deciding the race. Again, how would Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential nominee affect Congressman Mark Kirk? In a district that is 33% Republican and 35% Democrat, the answer to this question will be decided by “independents” and “ticket-splitters”.
Currently, these likely Obama voters are breaking for Kirk by a 2-1 margin and have a significantly high favorable opinion of Mark Kirk. [emphasis added]
Says Jay Stewart, executive director of the watchdog group the Better Government Association: “Any time there’s a connection between Ali Ata, Rod Blagojevich and the governor’s wife, it deserves a second look.”
* So what is this about?
…the governor has helped give his daughter, and now her younger sister, more reason to like Rogers Park Montessori School.
His administration assisted the school’s leaders in building a new, state-of-the-art facility, with 17 classrooms, a high-school-sized gymnasium and foliage-covered roof. The building, which opened in January 2006, is a major upgrade over space the school had been leasing from two churches.
The school bought its 2.4-acre site and constructed its new home using a 30-year, $11.75 million borrowing plan it secured through Blagojevich’s Illinois Finance Authority. Private investors — not Illinois taxpayers — would be on the hook should the school default on that deal, which won approval when the Finance Authority was headed by a man who has since pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges.
State records show the governor personally signed off on the borrowing plan at the same time his wife, Patti Blagojevich, sat on the school’s board.
* Now, federal law required the governor to sign off on the loan and this wasn’t taxpayer money. But Ali Ata was the executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority at the time. Here’s a little refresher on Ali Ata, as if you needed it…
A former top official in Gov. Blagojevich’s administration said Tuesday the governor gave him a $127,000-a-year state job in exchange for pouring cash into Blagojevich’s campaign fund, including tens of thousands of dollars out of his own pocket.
That bombshell from Ali Ata came as the onetime director of the Illinois Finance Authority pleaded guilty in a deal in which prosecutors plan to have him testify in the ongoing corruption trial of former Blagojevich fund-raiser Tony Rezko.
“He’s a friend,” Blagojevich said [in 2003], adding that they had been acquainted for 15 years. […]
“He’s totally committed to our mission of change and reform,” the governor said.
* As we’ve seen time and time again, “change and reform” has different meanings to different people. The end of the story?…
[A spokesperson said] the Blagojeviches didn’t pull any strings with the Finance Authority, nor did they play any role in the hiring of school law firms or contractors who contributed to the governor’s campaign fund.
* I’m pretty certain I know who wrote the impeachment memo and I’m also pretty sure I know who leaked it to the press. I’ll save that for my subscribers, but it may not be what you think. Zorn is getting ahead of himself here…
Well, maybe you’d want it published precisely because no one would think you’d want it published: Maybe Team Madigan salted embarrassing elements into a muscular brief for the impeachment to make more plausible the claim that Madigan was merely trying to provide background advice to his candidates, not get the whole state buzzing about what a bad guy the governor is while dicey budget negotiations proceed.
Kent Redfield, a political scientist at the University of Illinois at Springfield, said the memo was “heavy-handed and not very artful” and could actually benefit Blagojevich.
“It becomes about the speaker picking on the governor,” Redfield said. “What does this do for negotiations? It helps the governor to say the speaker is out to get me and he’s the one causing the problems. It’s not very helpful to the speaker at all.”
That might give you an idea how this got out.
* Anyway, the papers have more reaction today from Democrats to the impeachment memo. It’s not all positive, as you might imagine…
“If he’s got issues with the governor as speaker, that’s his issue. But as leader of the party, no, I don’t think that’s appropriate,” said Kane County Democratic Party Chairman Mark Guethle, a member of the state party’s influential central committee.
Guethle said Democrats should be getting a state construction-spending plan approved.
“I’ll talk to you forever about that. That’s my world,” Guethle said. “No one’s ever talked to me about (impeachment).”
Lauren Beth Gash, also a member of the state party’s central committee, had not read the memo, but said Springfield needs to start sharing the national party’s message of progress and reconciliation.
“Honestly, my personal preference at this point would be for legislative leaders and legislators to work on the issues that are most important to the people they represent,” said Gash, a former Illinois House member from Highland Park.
“I think it’s unfortunate that this is the type of thing we’re discussing right now,” she said, but quickly added regarding Madigan, “That doesn’t make him wrong for doing it.”
“Everywhere I go people ask me about impeaching the governor,” [Democratic state Rep. George Scully] said. “If my neighbors see me outside my house, they ask me when we’re going to impeach the governor. When I go to the store, people ask me if the governor is going to be impeached.
“I recently went to a Bloom High School Board meeting, a Crete Village Board meeting and a Chicago Heights Park District Board meeting, and at every single stop people asked me about impeachment.
“So I could understand the need for talking points because anyone who holds elective office or is running for office in Illinois is being asked that question whenever they meet the public.”
Asked how her constituents feel about Blagojevich, she gave a nervous laugh and said, “I just hear a lot of comments like, ‘How long will he be around?’ I’m not sure if people want him impeached or if they are talking about something else.”
A day after a memo surfaced in which Madigan recommends how candidates in the November election discuss the issue of impeaching the governor, Jason Warfel, an Ingraham Democrat vying for the 108th House District seat, said the in-fighting is hurting the state.
“It’s tying the hands of the legislature,” Warfel said. “It’s preventing us from moving forward on many of the reforms we need to accomplish.” […]
Warfel has worked for both Madigan and Blagojevich but says he’s not taking sides or accepting help from either of them as he attempts to unseat Reis.
Warfel acknowledged that impeachment is a popular subject among voters.
“It’s on a lot of people’s minds,” he said.
But, he said he’s not getting involved in the tussle between his party’s leaders.
“I’m not in lockstep with everything Madigan is doing,” Warfel said. “And, I’m not advocating for the impeachment of the governor.”
Warfel isn’t “accepting” help because none has been offered. He is in an overwhelmingly GOP district and probably doesn’t stand a chance. Still, that makes his opinion a bit more interesting.
“It’s outrageous,” state Rep. Kurt Granberg, D-Carlyle, said Wednesday of the Madigan memo. “It’s very transparent now that this is just a personal vendetta” by Madigan against Blagojevich.
Not mentioned in the story is that Granberg has become much more of a Blagojevich ally since he decided he might want a position within the administration. But, he has a point that about the memo being a bit outrageous.
“It’s all academic because Senator Jones would never call for impeachment in the Senate,” added Edgar, now on staff at University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs. “It’s just speculation or wishful thinking, and until the Senate Democrats want to deal with that, we’re not going to place any stock in it.”
What the memo does do is add to the already agitated scene among top Democrats as they wrangle over a state budget many perceive as far out of balance.
“There’s already all kinds of problems throughout the system,” he said. “It just adds to the atmosphere.”
Edgar says little can be done to resolve the situation beyond the governor crawling back to the speaker on hands and knees.
“I don’t have the silver bullet and can’t pretend to tell you how to solve that situation,” Edgar said. “You can be humble and say, ‘I screwed up,’ and make amends. It may not turn it around immediately, but it will stop it from getting any worse.”
1) Jones may have no choice if the presiding Chief Justice decides to convene a trial.
2) Gov. Blagojevich ain’t gonna crawl on his hands and knees to anybody except maybe the feds.
Led by Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville and Blagojevich’s ally, Reps. Dave Winters, R-Shirland, Ron Wait, R-Belvidere. Bob Pritchard, R-Hinckley, and Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica, took turns dissing Madigan. Winters urged Democrats to overthrow Madigan as speaker, and Pritchard suggested getting on buses and making a fuss in Madigan’s Chicago district.
Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen said Madigan was stifling democracy and demanded, “Mr. Speaker, pass the (word I can’t use) bill.” Mayor Larry Morrissey, not to be outdone by the county, said maybe it’s time for voters to change the state’s rules by having a constitutional convention, something they’ll be asked on the Nov. 4 ballot.
“Who here voted for Mike Madigan?” the mayor shouted. “I’m angry, I’m (word I can’t use) off.”
It’’s early, but Cubs fans have taken a slim lead. The Cubs’ gallery has been checked out about 34,000 more times than the Sox. They’re both on the verge of crossing the 2 million mark.
“I really don’t know how bad it would be if that dam failed,” said Kent McKenzie, head of the Lake County Emergency Management Agency. “That’s a lot of water coming at us. We would definitely have to evacuate certain areas.”
* If you care about something, you can be a lobbyist. We show you how.
