* John Laesch blogs about someone who was recently polled in Democratic Congressman Bill Foster’s district…
The interesting part of the poll was the question about Dennis Hastert.
“If the election were held today, would you vote for Dennis Hastert or Bill Foster.”
The next question was similar.
“If the election were held today, would you vote for Ethan Hastert or Bill Foster.”
Ethan Hastert is Denny’s son. A GOP friend tells me that Ethan is calling around to the district’s county chairmen. The younger Hastert is a onetime aide to former VP Dick Cheney. He also had one bit of trouble in his past, but that was quite a while ago.
* Some were wondering why Jimmy Breslin showed up at Rod Blagojevich’s arraignment this week. Now we know. From a press release…
Hyperion editor-in-chief Will Balliett has acquired a new book by Jimmy Breslin, to be an account of the Rod Blagojevich scandal; David Black sold North American rights. In the satirical spirit of Breslin’s 1969 The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight (but nonfiction), the book will work backwards to conjure a world of Chicago politics in which being Illinois governor gives one a higher chance of going to jail than does robbing a liquor store, and will feature a cast of characters that “only Jimmy Breslin could have invented,” said Balliett.
* I have no idea who these people are, but they’ll be with Rod Blagojevich in the jungle on some goofy reality TV show if his judge is silly enough to give him back his passport and allow him to travel. More likely, the Blagojevich invite is just a clever PR ploy by NBC to keep this show in the headlines. It’s certainly working…
Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, known affectionately to “Hills” fans as “Speidi,” have signed on to join the cast of “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!” a rep for the reality stars confirmed to Access Hollywood on Friday.
The two will travel to the jungles of Costa Rica alongside a host of celebrities of various backgrounds to battle it out for jungle supremacy.
A special meeting called to accept the resignation of a Lyons village trustee who with the village president had been recorded using racist and sexist language—and apparently replace him with the president, who last week lost his re-election bid—was abruptly canceled Thursday.
After notice of the meeting was posted Wednesday, Trustee Richard Schuppe said he had no intention of resigning.
* Smoking ban blamed again for falling casino attendance…
“Statewide for the year, we had almost a 21 percent drop from 2008 to 2009, and in the northern area it was even high than that,” said Tom Swoik, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association. “We believe that a majority of it is because of the smoking ban.”
Gaming statewide in Indiana shows only single-digit declines according to Swoik, this despite increased competition from two new horse-racing tracks with slots. The new Horseshoe Casino in Hammond and Blue Chip Casino, Hotel & Spa in Michigan City, which recently unveiled a new hotel tower and entertainment facilities, actually show March increases year over year. Horseshoe soared from adjusted gross revenue of $40.5 million in March 2008 to $49.2 million in March of this year.
How would you rate the job Pat Quinn has been doing as Governor… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?
* The Question: How would you rate the job Pat Quinn has been doing as Governor… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?
Please, explain your answer as fully as possible. Thanks.
* This white hat/black hat stuff might sound good to lapdog editorial boards, but it’s dangerous and oft abused rhetoric in politics…
“What the bad guys have going for them is inertia,” [said Patrick Collins, the chairman of Gov. Pat Quinn’s reform commission]
Actually, the real bad guys probably figure they’ll just get around whatever reforms are passed. Check out the post immediately below about how Bill Cellini withdrew his lobbyist registration so his wife could stay on as chair of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency board of trustees. Coincidentally, one of the reform commission’s proposals is to bar registered lobbyists from contributing to campaigns.
* Speaking of editorial boards, I’m wondering whether the economic downturn and resulting newspaper budget cuts have left the boards without much talent. The other day, the Bloomington Pantagraph made this claim…
[Campaign contribution] limits will make it harder to buy influence and easier to mount challenges against well-financed incumbents.
I’ll say it again: No challenger has won in decades against a sitting congresscritter unless said critter has been involved in a big scandal. Caps haven’t helped challengers here.
And today, the Daily Herald makes this crazy claim…
The [governor’s reform commission] suggests Illinois follow the federal model and limit individuals to giving $2,400 to a campaign per election cycle. That means a donor could give a campaign $2,400 for a primary and another $2,400 for the general election for a total of $4,800. No politician can keep a straight face and complain that’s not enough. After all, couldn’t you stand a few less campaign commercials? [emphasis added]
Let’s see, Alexi Giannoulias just finished raising over a million dollars in a month in capped federal contributions, and didn’t even take money from lobbyists or PACs. Congressman Mark Kirk raised almost $700K in a quarter. Here’s more…
In the 11th Congressional District, which stretches from Will County to Bloomington-Normal, freshman Democrat Debbie Halvorson of Crete reported having $302,831 in her account as she preps for a re-election bid in 2010.
Illinois’ other freshman lawmaker, Republican Aaron Schock of Peoria, reported having $168,837 in his campaign account. […]
In the 17th Congressional District, meanwhile, second term Democratic U.S. Rep. Phil Hare of Rock Island reported having $465,768 in the bank. One potential challenger, Republican pizzeria owner Bobby Schilling of Colona, reported having $9,842 in his campaign account. […]
U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, a Collinsville Republican representing the 19th district, had $1.2 million. In the 15th district, Republican Tim Johnson of Urbana had $116,780. Democratic U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello of Belleville reported a campaign account in excess of $2 million.
It’s so because they say it’s so, and nothing more.
And, just to be clear, I’ve agreed with the Tribune on more than one occasion here and elsewhere that a higher individual cap would be acceptable. My reasoning is based on helping challengers who don’t often have the same extensive financial networks as incumbents and my desire to keep those fishy big contributions out of the process. Then again, those big contributors could still do uncapped independent expenditures.
* Reform and congressional roundup…
* Difficult times lead to stress test of Illinois’ old-style politics: There is an alternative. [Quinn] could just ask Lisa Madigan to give her almost $3.5 million to charity, and have all contenders start fresh with a new limit on contributions in the range of the $2,400 cap on giving to federal candidates. If we were talking about anyone but Quinn making such a suggestion, this would be a joke
* Kirk On Uninsured Americans: Finally, Kirk asserts that the uninsured are “overwhelmingly 20 and 30 year-olds.” Granted, a large chunk of the uninsured are in the 19-34 range — 39 percent, according to Kaiser. But it can’t be ignored that 32 percent of this population are in the 35-54 age bracket.
Ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s former chief of staff has agreed to be a witness against his old boss and plans to work out a plea deal as early as next month, his lawyer said Thursday.
John Harris, arrested in December along with Blagojevich, is likely to plead guilty to one wire fraud count. He would be the first person, out of four others charged with the ex-governor, to become a government witness.
Harris was only charged with one count of wire fraud, so the feds haven’t dropped anything - although some details might possibly have been handled before the indictment. The wire fraud count carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years , so he could still be looking at some time.
Here’s the count…
[Harris and Blagojevich] did knowingly cause to be transmitted by means of wire and radio communication in interstate commerce signals and sounds, namely a phone call between ROD BLAGOJEVICH and HARRIS, in Chicago, Illinois, and Advisor A, in Washington, D.C., in which ROD BLAGOJEVICH, HARRIS, and Advisor A discussed financial benefits which ROD BLAGOJEVICH could request in exchange for the appointment of Senate Candidate B to the United States Senate;
In violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 1346.
* As you already know, Bill Cellini is trying hard to separate himself from the Blagojevich trial…
Prosecutors took the existing Cellini case and, on April 2, added a far-reaching 19-count indictment against Blagojevich and others. The move helped prosecutors in effect pick their judge — U.S. District Judge James Zagel — to oversee the Blagojevich matter.
[Cellini defense attorney Dan Webb] said he believed the original charges against Cellini would result in a two-week trial. “We’re now swept into a six-month case,” Webb complained to Zagel.
Zagel said he didn’t think the trial would take six months and that he’d decide later whether to allow separate trials for certain defendants.
But CBS2 reported yesterday that the trial would, indeed last six months. Not sure if that’s a mistake or what.
Cellini remains executive director of the Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association, the Illinois Association of Wastewater Agencies, the Illinois Concrete Pipe Association and PCI (Precast Concrete Institute) of Illinois and Wisconsin.
“The board of directors of each of the associations have known Bill for a long time,” said Marvin Traylor, who works with Cellini in Springfield and is director of engineering and research of all four associations. “They recognize that the allegations have nothing to do with association business and have taken the position that they will believe he’s innocent until he has his day in court.”
The story also detailed Cellini’s former lobbying client list, which included Chicago HMO - Stu Levine’s outfit.
Cellini withdrew his name from the lobbyist list in late 2003…
…new ethics legislation barred lobbyists or their spouses from serving on state boards or commissions. He said he stepped out of the way to allow his wife, Julie Cellini, to remain chair of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency board of trustees.
But was he still lobbying?
Leone questions whether it was appropriate for Cellini not to be registered in recent years, given federal allegations that suggest Cellini attempted to influence the Teachers’ Retirement System.
Cellini wasn’t the only one who decided to simply stop being a “registered” lobbyist after that “reform” law passed. There should’ve been an investigation of this mass exodus, but nobody ever did it. Paging Attorney General Lisa Madigan: Where were you on this?
Cook County chief financial officer Donna Dunnings has resigned under pressure from her cousin, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger.
The resignation comes in the wake of Dunnings’ disclosure of a personnel matter that could affect her ability to do her job as chief financial officer, according to a statement issued by Stroger’s office. Stroger asked for and accepted Dunnings’ resignation, the statement said. […]
Dunnings had served in a variety of budgetary and finance positions in Cook County government for more than 20 years, including the past three years as chief financial officer.
* Stronger kinda sorta answered the question this morning…
…in an interview Friday morning on the WLS-AM show “Don Wade & Roma,” Stroger said the controversy stemmed from Tony Cole, a former college basketball star who received a patronage job in late 2008, and was fired after Stroger learned that he had a felony criminal conviction. […]
Stroger said on WLS that since being fired, Cole is “making allegations against Ms. Dunnings, all of which she tells me are not true.”
Nevertheless, Stroger said he concluded that Dunnings should leave her post, because the revelations would cause a sensational uproar in the media and among county commissioners.
“Being in the position she is, it will become a bit of a media circus. I don’t really think she will be able to perform her duties trying to fight off not only the papers, who would be interested in talking to her, probably, as much as possible, but even the politicians on the board who love to make political hay of anything that happens,” Stroger said.
Stroger won’t detail the allegations or provide information about the relationship between the man and Dunnings. But he says Dunnings has bailed the man out of jail a number of times.
“I don’t care what her name is, what her bloodline is, she has great credentials,” Stroger said.
* Related…
* Forrest Claypool nearing run for Cook County Board president : Word is Claypool met recently with Jon Carson, Barack Obama’s national campaign field director, to discuss filling Claypool campaign jobs.
Some Illinois residents are now eligible for extra unemployment benefits. This comes as the state’s jobless rate climbs to its highest level in almost 25 years.
Parents of children with autism and other developmental disorders might be relieved of some of their heavy health care bills. A new law that Gov. Pat Quinn signed last week requires health insurers to pay for treatments such as physical, occupational and speech therapy. But Jane Park tells us that some parents continue to run into coverage problems.
Months after Phil and Jeanette Bradley handed $24,500 to Boss Construction to install new windows in their Frankfort home, no work had been done and owner Steven Smith wouldn’t refund their money.
Passenger trains traveling at 110 m.p.h.—arriving in Chicago from St. Louis in under four hours—could be operating in three or four years after President Barack Obama allocated $8 billion in federal stimulus money to begin building a national high-speed rail system, Illinois officials said Thursday.
Ten high-speed rail corridors were selected as high-priority projects, including a nine-state Midwestern network that will have routes radiating 3,000 miles across the region from a rail hub in Chicago.
The stimulus funding is backed up by a pledge of an additional $1 billion annually for five years for states to improve passenger rail and offer the public a more attractive alternative to the hassles of driving and flying.
A plan introduced Tuesday by 3rd District City Councilman Bob Manning asks if the city can assess a $20 or so fee on all arrests that are made within city limits.
At a time when choice cattle supplies have increased because of decreases in costs to raise them, the economic downturn has impacted demand for what the USDA labels “choice” beef compared to the lower quality “select” beef.
“Individual consumers are simply reaching for the select rather than choice,” said Chris Crawford, a senior livestock analyst for EHedger LLC, a Chicago-based commodities brokerage firm.
Sixty-two percent (62%) of Illinois voters say Roland Burris, the man the disgraced governor named to Barack Obama’s Senate seat, should resign. Just 24% believe Burris should remain in the Senate, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey of voters in the state.
Fifty-four percent (54%) say they will definitely vote against Burris if he chooses to run for a full six-year term in the Senate in 2010. Only four percent (4%) say they will definitely vote for him. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say it depends upon who he is running against.
Only 19% have a favorable opinion of Burris. Seventy-three percent (73%) view him unfavorably, including 44% whose view is Very Unfavorable.
Sixty-one percent (61%) approve of former Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn’s job performance as Blagojevich’s replacement. Thirty-seven percent (37%) disapprove.
That approval rating is five points higher than Dick Durbin and six points lower than Barack Obama.
How would you rate the job Pat Quinn has been doing as Governor… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?
Someone claiming to represent Jackson may have said the congressman would raise up to $5 million for Blagojevich if Jackson was named to replace Barack Obama in the United States Senate. How likely is it that Representative Jackson was personally aware of such an offer?
42% Very likely
33% Somewhat likely
12% Not very likely
2% Not at all likely
12% Not sure
And…
Whom do you blame for the corruption in Illinois—politicians, the media, voters or the system?
64% Politicians
2% Media
9% Voters
19% System
6% Not sure
Interesting.
One more…
When there is an open Senate seat, should the Governor appoint a replacement or should there be a special election to determine the new Senator?
18% Governor should appoint the replacement
74% There should be a special election
8% Not sure
