* Patrick Collins, the chairman of the now defunct reform commission, disses the new reform bill…
While several important components of the bill could serve as building blocks for true reform, there is ample reason to question whether this bill will truly change the pay-to-play political fund-raising that has scarred this state.
Once again, Collins offers up zero examples of illegal pay-to-play that he wants stopped, except to focus on the fact that legislative leaders and parties aren’t capped in the general election.. He does this all the time. Is he accusing Speaker Madigan, President Cullerton and the two GOP leaders of “pay-to-play” politics that are “scarring” the state? He never says so. It’s always just an implication.
* Meanwhile, Republican state treasurer candidate Dan Rutherford is bringing Karl Rove to Illinois for a big fundraiser. I’m assuming that US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is not on the invite list. History…
A government witness claims in 2004, Antoin “Tony Rezko” — then the target of an investigation that would lead to his indictment and trial — tried to grease the political skids to get his chief tormentor, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald fired.
Rezko discussed efforts among high-ranking Republicans, including Karl Rove, to have Chicago’s U.S. attorney fired, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.
Rove, then-White House political director, and Republican national committeeman Robert Kjellander were among those mentioned in the alleged 2004 conversations as being involved in the effort, prosecutor Carrie E. Hamilton said.
The State of Illinois begins releasing prisoners today in an effort to cut costs. State legislators agreed to release about a thousand inmates as a money-saving scheme to balance this year’s budget. Governor Pat Quinn says the inmates being freed early will be under house arrest.
QUINN: Hopefully they learned their lesson in jail. They will never repeat their crime. We want them to lead productive lives when they return to society on a full-time basis.
I’m gonna get a haircut. This is an open thread to discuss Illinois politics.
Congressman Kirk is pro-choice and opposes federal funding of abortion. That is the same position he held when he first ran for Congress in 2000 and it hasn’t changed. In 2000, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Daily Herald all reported on NARAL’s misleading partisan smears of Mr. Kirk’s record. With unemployment topping 10% and a corrupt governor facing criminal trial, the people of Illinois want a reform-minded social moderate and fiscal conservative like Congressman Mark Kirk who will lower taxes, reign in spending and create jobs for Illinois families.”
[ *** End of Update *** ]
* Remember when Doonesbury poked fun at Vice President George HW Bush for depositing his manhood in a blind trust? This story kinda reminds me of that.
Republican Congressman Mark Kirk has mainained a 100 percent pro-choice record for years. Planned Parenthood, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association and the National Abortion Rights League have all given him a perfect score, while the National Right to Life Committee rated him a zero in 2007-08.
The amendment states that a government-run health insurance plan can not cover abortion and that subsidies may not be used to purchase insurance plans that cover abortion.
Pro-choice groups have blasted Stupak-Pitts, and pro-life groups have praised it. GOP Rep. Judy Biggert, another pro-choice member, voted for the amendment as well. Both Biggert and Kirk have been moving to the right all year. But Kirk’s movement has been far more pronounced.
NARAL blasted Kirk today…
Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, today denounced the anti-choice health-care vote of Rep. and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).
Kirk was once regarded as a moderate, fair-minded supporter of women’s privacy and rights, but no longer. After Kirk voted in favor of the anti-choice Stupak-Pitts amendment, which effectively bans abortion coverage in the new health system, NARAL Pro-Choice America no longer considers Kirk pro-choice.
“It is obvious from his recent votes, including the indefensible vote for the Stupak-Pitts abortion ban amendment, that Mark Kirk would rather have the endorsement of Sarah Palin than the support of millions of pro-choice voters in Illinois,” Keenan said.
Keenan said Kirk’s vote is confirmation that he is engaged in a political calculation that betrays his professed standards of centrism and moderation, and therefore, he doesn’t deserve a promotion to the U.S. Senate.
“Rep. Kirk is clearly abandoning the moderate positions that afforded him re-election to the House in favor of radically conservative views that he hopes will bolster support for his Senate campaign,” Keenan said. “His move to the radical right is not what we expect from a moderate member of Congress. Women’s freedom and privacy are at stake, and I am committed to working with NARAL Pro-Choice America’s 98,000 Illinois activists, members, and supporters to defeat Mark Kirk’s Senate campaign.”
…Adding… It turns out that despite Kirk’s pro-choice record, NARAL has a history of attacking the guy - even claiming at one point that he wanted to end the right to choose. I wasn’t aware of that when I posted this, and I probably wouldn’t have posted all of the press release if I was.
I gotta wonder what other surprises await us with Mr. Kirk. His journey to self-enlightenment has certainly been fun to watch.
Giannoulias responded the other day…
“Mark Kirk proved tonight he will abandon all of his principles to curry favor with right wingers like Sarah Palin. He flip-flopped on the Clean Energy bill because the right wing demanded it, and now he has abandoned his once pro-choice voting record to take private insurance coverage away from women. Mark Kirk has sold his soul in the pursuit of Sarah Palin’s endorsement,” said Kati Phillips, spokeswoman for the U.S. Senate campaign of Alexi Giannoulias.
* Petition challenges can be a murky business because we have to dive into some pretty arcane laws and court cases that only a handful of lawyers really understand.
Yesterday, we linked to a story about a challenge to Rep. Deb Mell’s petitions. Mell is Rod Blagojevich’s sister-in-law and the daughter of Ald. Dick Mell, so the news spread far and wide.
The linked story included this explanation..
Ms. Mell is not registered to vote at her apparently new address. By law, all candidates are supposed to be registered at the address they use for their nominating petitions.
But this is from someone close to Rep. Mell’s campaign…
First, there is no law that says that a candidate must be registered to vote at the address on the petition/Statement of Candidacy. In fact, the Appellate Court has already considered this argument in Henderson v. Miller, where the Court said:
“The act does not require that a candidate be a voter at his place of residence. The defendant’s Statement of Candidacy is on a form provided by the Board of Election Commissioners of the City of Chicago. If the plaintiffs’ argument is correct, the form provided by the Board requires a candidate to swear to something which the statute itself does not require. The illogic of the plaintiffs’ argument is apparent.”
Second, even if there were such a law (which there is not), that law would be unconstitutional for the State legislature. Article IV, Section 2(c) of the Constitution sets forth the three eligibility requirements for the office of Representative: citizenship, 21 years of age, and a resident of the district for two years preceding the election. On that question, the Illinois Supreme Court has said:
“The General Assembly has no power to add to the qualifications of the members of that body as fixed by the constitution” People ex rel. Breckton v. Board of Election Com’rs of Chicago.
The U.S. Supreme Court has similarly held that “the three qualifications for membership [in Congress] specified in Art. I, § 2, are of ‘a precise, limited nature’ and ‘unalterable by the legislature…’” U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton, where the Supreme Court struck down term limits as imposing an unconstitutional additional qualification (i.e. non-incumbency) to run for Congress. Here, the plaintiffs would be arguing that State law imposes an additional qualification (i.e. voter registration) to run for the General Assembly.
Clear as mud? Good. Glad I could help.
* Meanwhile, Dan Hynes is behind a petition challenge…
Comptroller Dan Hynes’ campaign for the Feb. 2 Democratic nomination for governor is backing a challenge to the petitions filed by Oak Park trial attorney Edmund Scanlan, a political newcomer who got into the race in early October.
The objection to Scanlan’s petitions was filed Monday, the first day for opponents to try to remove candidates from the primary ballot over alleged problems with nominating petitions to the State Board of Elections. The Hynes camp contends that Scanlan fell far short of the minimum 5,000 valid nominating signatures despite submitting slightly more than 10,000 signatures.
“All candidates for office from school board to governor are required to do a few simple things to get on the ballot, including getting a small percentage of the voters to sign their nominating petitions,” Hynes’ campaign spokesman Matt McGrath said in a statement. “In Mr. Scanlan’s case, it is apparent that his petitions fall woefully short of this standard.” […]
An objection also was filed to the petitions submitted by another Democratic candidate for governor, community activist William “Dock” Walls of Chicago. Walls called the effort a “frivolous challenge.” Efforts to reach the person who filed the objection were not successful.
Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown challenged Stroger’s nominating petitions on the first day to try to knock an opponent off the ballot. Brown’s petitions also were challenged. […]
In a lottery held today to determine ballot position, Preckwinkle received the top spot, followed by O’Brien and Brown. Stroger, who waited until the deadline to file his petitions, secured the bottom spot.
Believing that some of Stroger’s nomination petitions have problems, Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown on Monday mounted a formal challenge.
“It was just ridiculous. It was chicken scratch, it was scribble-scrabble. It didn’t look well at all. It looked obviously fake and false,” said Brown spokeswoman Lily Kim.
Kim said their review of Stroger’s petitions turned up “flagrant” violations, including invalid or false addresses, false names and names that didn’t match addresses.
“Maybe two were actually real or authentic, and there about 20 signatures on each petition,” she said.
You see a lot of trash talk at this stage of the game. Remember that. It’s the lawyers who control this process, not the spokespeople.
* Speaking of trash talk, this is from a press release…
Former Deputy Illinois Treasurer Raja (RA-ja) Krishnamoorthi (krish-nuh-MOOR-thee) today blasted State Rep. David Miller and one of Miller’s Facebook supporters for challenging Krishnamoorthi’s petitions of candidacy for Illinois State Comptroller, charging that Miller’s campaign was trying to deny Democratic primary voters a progressive alternative to business as usual.
“I’ve been running for this office for months with detailed plans to protect the taxpayers and open up state government to its citizens,” Krishnamoorthi said. “My campaign collected thousands of signatures from voters throughout our state who are tired of business as usual and want to bring real reform and openness to Springfield.” […]
“The challenge to my petitions is nothing less than harassment and intimidation,” Krishnamoorthi said. “As the endorsed candidate of the Cook County Democratic Organization, Miller’s campaign is using heavy-handed insider tactics to limit access to the ballot and deny voters an alternative to the business as usual he represents.”
* Related…
* Eapen accused of voting hijinx: Four members of a West Rogers Park family testified Monday that Ald. Bernard Stone’s (50th) ward superintendent Anish Eapen coaxed them to vote absentee, collected their ballots and then mailed them during the heated 2007 aldermanic race.
* Objections filed in 8th, 10th Congressional districts
* Cheryle Jackson’s US Senate campaign is distributing a new polling memo. Keep in mind that the stuff about how numbers move after the reads the candidate’s message in memos like these means little unless the candidate actually has the money to burn his/her message into voters’ brains. There’s not much time left for that, considering the upcoming holidays.
Anyway, all highlighting is in the original…
A recent statewide survey of likely Democratic Primary voters reveals a wide-open race for U.S. Senate in Illinois, with Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson strongly positioned to win. In an initial trial heat, nearly half of voters are undecided, with Cheryle Jackson running second to Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. Once this race becomes engaged, however, and the candidates introduce themselves to the voters, Cheryle Jackson makes dramatic gains in her support—more than doubling her initial support—and rapidly assumes the lead over the field. Her status as a frontrunner is all the more noteworthy since her primary opponent, Alexi Giannoulias, is the sitting State Treasurer, enjoys broader name identification, and has had a six-month head start on campaigning.
Key Findings
If the election were held today, “undecided” would win the race, claiming 45% of the vote, with the candidates’ current positions relating largely to name ID. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias starts out with 31% of the vote (just 16% of which is strong support), followed by Cheryle Jackson at 13% (7% strong). David Hoffman and Jacob Meister each draw support in the single digits (8% and 2%, respectively). The softness of Giannoulias’ support, however, along with Jackson’s potential to surge ahead, are quickly made clear in this data.
After voters hear each of the candidates’ positive messages, Cheryle Jackson is the only candidate to make rapid gains and quickly vaults into the lead in the race for U.S. Senate. (The text of each of the profiles is provided in the back of this document). Jackson more than doubles her initial support, attracting 30% of the vote, while Giannoulias’ support actually drops by 2 points to 29%. Former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman inches up to 11%, and lawyer Jacob Meister to just 5%. Nearly one-quarter of the electorate (24%) remains undecided.
In addition to her demonstrable personal appeal, Cheryle Jackson has other unique advantages—as the only woman and the only African American in this crowded field. The composition of this Democratic primary electorate skews female (58%), and the undecided vote even more so (60%). Among voters who express a preference for the gender of their next Senator, a woman is preferred to a man by a substantial margin of more than 3:1. In addition, if one were to simulate undecided African American voters coalescing behind Jackson, the initial trial heat moves immediately from 31%-13% to 31%-22%, placing Jackson within single digits of Giannoulias. This, of course, assumes traditional turnout of African American voters in this primary at 24%; every point increase in turnout translates into added vote for Jackson.
Underscoring the wide-open nature of this contest, solid majorities of voters are unfamiliar with all the candidates in this race, including 8 in 10 undecided voters. This is particularly striking for Giannoulias, the only statewide officeholder, and the sitting Treasurer since 2006. Moreover, while Giannoulias converts much of his existing name identification into votes, he appears already to have maximized his potential in that regard. Thirty-seven percent of voters have a favorable impression of Giannoulias, and 10% have an unfavorable impression. Even for this sitting officeholder, a majority of primary voters has either no opinion of him (29%), or has never heard of him (24%). Voters views on Giannoulias’ job performance as State Treasurer is much more mixed. Nearly as many rate his performance negatively (30% “just fair”/”poor”) as positively (36% “excellent”/”good”), and undecided voters are solidly negative on his performance as Treasurer (16% “excellent”/”good” to 33% “just fair”/”poor”). Again, once voters learn more about Giannoulias, his support actually drops.
Cheryle Jackson, on the other hand, demonstrates a remarkable ability to more than double her vote share as voters become more familiar with her. She starts out with 23% of voters having a favorable impression of her, and 9% unfavorable. Many voters still have either no opinion (32%), or has never heard of her (35%). Once voters are introduced to her, her support jumps from 13% to 30%, and she assumes the lead.
David Hoffman and Jacob Meister both appear to be non-factors in this race. Neither candidate is well known, neither starts out with significant support, and neither makes noticeable gains in support after being introduced to the voters. Hoffman is little known (13% favorable, 5% unfavorable, 35% no opinion, 47% never heard). Jacob Meister is even more unfamiliar to voters (4% favorable, 2% unfavorable, 32% no opinion, 62% never heard).
In short, polling shows that Cheryle Jackson is a frontrunner in the race for Illinois’ open U.S. Senate seat. With just three short months until the primary, Jackson is the only candidate poised to make significant gains once the campaigns start communicating with voters. Giannoulias, already having converted much of his existing personal affect into vote, is unable to capitalize further on his name ID advantage. While Cheryle Jackson more than doubles her support after voters are introduced to her in a competitive environment, additional exposure for Giannoulias actually leaves him with fewer votes than he begins with. The data reveal that Cheryle Jackson alone has the momentum to win the race to fill President Obama’s Senate seat.
* Meanwhile, Dem US Senate underdog Jacob Meister has a new TV ad…
The campaign of Chicago attorney and Democratic Senate candidate Jacob Meister said it began airing one-minute TV ads in central Illinois today in which he contends that helping the economy and creating jobs is more important than battling corruption.
“There’s other people who would like to say that it’s all about corruption,” Meister says in the ad, which revisits his Springfield appearance to file candidacy petitions for the Feb. 2 Democratic primary nomination. “Obviously, corruption is an important message, but that’s not the measuring stick we should be using. This is about the economy.” […]
Running a one-minute campaign commercial is unusual, but Meister’s ad is airing in the Champaign, Springfield and Peoria TV markets, where advertising rates are less expensive than in the Chicago market.
* I’ve been saying for months that Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign has not properly publicized the work of their underpaid, over-performing in-house video guy. The young man has cranked out one good video after another in almost complete obscurity.
Well, the Sun-Times picked up on his latest effort today…
In the never-ending battle over gubernatorial hair, Gov. Quinn is sending a video to supporters that aims to kill two birds with one stone.
It shows Quinn getting a haircut from the same Hinsdale barber, “Herb,” Quinn has gone to for 32 years.
This comes after a Quinn commercial that made fun of rival Dan Hynes for going to a “spa” during budget negotiations. The “spa,” Hynes said, was his barber. Quinn uses this video, likely to become a commercial, to show that his barber works at a barber shop with a blue-and-red-striped pole — not a fancy place called “Tou Jours.”
Herb charges $16 for a men’s hair cut. Tou Jours charges $40.
A debate over hair isn’t exactly the way I’d like to see things go in the campaign, but this is a bit of fun, so whatever. Plus, I’ve been demanding it, so I can’t say much now. Have a look…
*** UPDATE 1 *** The Hynes campaign responds…
Haircuts aside, the video is nice and Herb seems like a great guy. It’s a real shame Pat Quinn wants to stick him with a 50% tax increase.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the Andy McKenna campaign…
It’s good to see “Hair Today” has generated so much talk from the Democrats…however, it would be nice instead of talking about who pays the most for a haircut, if they would talk about how to fix our state’s budget problems without a tax increase on Illinois families.
[ *** End of Updates ***
* Also, the Illinois Republican Party has posted video of last week’s gubernatorial candidates forum…
* 2:11 pm - We’re beginning to see several challenges filed to nominating petitions today. You can watch them come in by clicking here. Post new challenges in comments if you’d like.
…Adding… You can watch the Cook County withdrawals and challenges come in by clicking here.
The petitions of Democratic lt. governor candidates Sen. Terry Link, Rep. Mike Boland and Tom Castillo have all been hit by the same person, who I believe is connected to LG candidate Scott Lee Cohen. A few legislative candidates have also been challenged so far. Keep in mind that a challenge doesn’t necessarily mean that somebody will be kicked off the ballot.
Democratic state Rep. Julie Hamos has personally filed a petition challenge against a Green Party candidate for the 10th Congressional District. This is no normal Greenie, as Hamos’ press release makes clear…
Richard Mayers, an admitted Nazi, filed for candidacy for Congress in the 10th District under the Green Party. Hamos will challenge signatures and other discrepancies on his petition.
It is clear that Mayers wants to bring his message of hate and intolerance to a significantly Jewish district. Julie Hamos is not going to let that happen.
Mayers has a history of anti-Semitic activity throughout the Chicago area. He is a member of the Creative Movement, a known hate group formerly known as the World Church of the Creator. Mayers is an associate of white supremacist Matthew Hale, founder of the World Church. Hale is currently serving a federal prison sentence for threatening a federal judge.
In 2005, Mayers attempted to organize a rally for white supremacists in Berwyn. Also that year, he was charged with destroying Holocaust-related materials at a public library in Riverside.
Hamos is the daughter of Auschwitz survivors.
* Also, a few candidates have withdrawn today, including state Rep. Annazette Collins, who bowed out of the 7th Congressional District race after incumbent Danny Davis decided to run for reelection. As expected, Ald. Ed Smith dropped out of the Collins House district contest. Collins also filed for reelection, and she’ll apparently stay in that race. Click here to watch the withdrawals and post new ones in comments if you’d like.
Attorney Patrick Hughes already has withdrawn his bid for the Republican nomination in the crowded race.
That line has now been corrected online…
Attorney Patrick Hughes withdrew his bid for the Republican nomination in the crowded race on a technicality issue; however, he refiled his petitions for U.S. Senate.
This happens a lot. Candidates withdraw petitions then refile other petitions. But if you don’t know what you’re doing you can easily make the mistake of thinking that a candidate has withdrawn because it says so at the State Board of Elections website. Here’s the easy way to figure it out: Just search for “active” candidates by name if you have any doubts. Hughes is still listed as an active candidate.
Northwest Side State Rep. Deb Mell may have screwed up her nominating petitions, with a real risk that she’ll be knocked off the February Democratic primary ballot.
A challenge filed Monday afternoon by an attorney for Joseph Laiacona, the only other remaining candidate in the 40th District race, contends that Ms. Mell is not registered to vote at her apparently new address. By law, all candidates are supposed to be registered at the address they use for their nominating petitions.
Ms. Mell — the sister-in-law of ousted Ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the daughter of Ald. Richard Mell (33rd) — was not immediately available for comment. But the challenge was filed by Richard K. Means, one of the best election-law lawyers in the business.
“While Deborah L. Mell may reside at said address (on West Melrose Avenue), she was not on the day she swore to and signed” the official statement of candidacy that is filed with nominating petitions, the challenge states. “Because Deborah L. Mell is not a duly registered voter at the address from which she seeks to be a candidate, the nominating petitions are invalid in their entirety.”
* Mike Lawrence vents about the lack of competitive legislative politics and state gridlock in general…
Three dozen of the 118 House members have no foe, and scores have only token opposition. On the Senate side, eight of the 21 seats on the ballot apparently are uncontested, and few races loom as truly competitive.
All of which would be less difficult to abide if the fortification of incumbents led to fortitude in policymaking. But the vast majority have ducked the hard decisions on taxes and spending essential to fiscal stability.
The absence of courage, the contempt for responsible governance, the lack of fiscal integrity, the surrender to political expediency and self-preservation severely test the resolve of those who have resisted term limits as a pseudo-solution that empowers unelected bureaucrats and legislative staff. Yet, we need to get past the frustration and redouble our efforts to force later primaries, a constituent-oriented method of drawing legislative districts and more accountability from rank-and-file lawmakers as well as their leaders.
* The Question: Do you support term limits for legislators and statewide officials? Explain thoroughly, please.
Dan Proft secured the endorsement of Schaumburg Township GOP precinct captains in his Republican primary bid for governor. The Chicago resident with suburban ties called Thursday night’s endorsement a “big win” for his campaign.
The Schaumburg Township Republicans have obviously moved far to the right of where they were back in the “good ol’ days” of that organization. Interesting development, to say the least.
* ABC7’s Charles Thomas took a look at petition checkers over the weekend…
Petition checkers at Chicago Election Board might be working overtime this weekend as campaign workers look for reasons to knock candidates off the ballot for races in the 2010 election.
The [checkers are] reviewing petitions, hoping to find reasons to challenge signatures gathered by opposing candidates.
Petition checkers are the secret soldiers of so many political armies. Dozens of people–most of whom would not reveal their names– were using every available computer terminal on three different floors Friday at the Chicago Board of Elections.
When asked what he was looking for, one checker told ABC7 Chicago, “I’d rather not go into the discussion. I’m just following my instructions.”
Republican gubernatorial hopeful Kirk Dillard politely chided primary opponent Andy McKenna on his “new hair expertise” prior to the GOP gubernatorial candidates debate at the Hilton Chicago Thursday. “I’m amazed he didn’t show up in the ‘Blago wig’ he uses in his commercials,” quipped Dillard.
• $$$$: Dillard and McKenna have heavyweights helping fill their campaign coffers: Dillard has business titans Fred Krehbiel and Ron Gidwitz; McKenna has Craig Duchossois and his wealthy father, Andy McKenna Sr.
SCENARIO: Donations are coming in quickly to candidates in the final weeks before the election. Candidate A receives more than 20 donations worth $1,000 or more apiece, and another 10 worth between $500 and $1,000. How would those be disclosed?
Reform advocates did make some disclosure concessions.
Right now, in the 30 days leading up to elections, candidates have to disclose any donations they receive of $500 or more within two days of getting those donations. The new law would bump that threshold up to $1,000 or more.
Why? Morrison said it was a calculated move. They traded the higher threshold for year-round reporting in hopes of getting faster information about large donations, which raise more questions about influence peddling.
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column covers much of the same ground that we talked about here all last week…
“Tea party fever” is to the Republican Party what the H1N1 virus is to the general populace. It’s spreading fast and it’s potentially dangerous.
Establishment Republican politicians all over the country are becoming more freaked out by the angry, anti-tax, anti-illegal immigration, anti-Obama, anti-whatever tea party protestors and are mimicking their rhetoric. Even in Illinois, where top GOP politicians mostly took a pass on the harsher aspects of the “Reagan Revolution” rhetoric of the past 30 years - not wanting to alienate the general electorate - the trend is becoming obvious.
At a recent Republican gubernatorial forum sponsored by a tea party group, the normally staid and ever-mainstream conservative state Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) actually called President Barack Obama a “socialist.” Dillard, you may recall, appeared in a TV ad for Obama during the presidential campaign. Dillard revealed last week that he knew Obama was a socialist all along because Obama’s health care proposals in the Illinois Senate were so far to the left. That one left me scratching my head. Why would Dillard knowingly push an obvious commie for president of the United States?
During that same tea party debate, and at another forum two days later, state Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) vowed to stop the federal government from dragging Illinoisans into any federal health care reform plans no matter what. Brady also said the tragic shooting at Fort Hood last week might have been prevented with concealed carry laws, even though the military base is in Texas, a state which allows concealed carry. The very next day, another lone gunman shot up an office building in Florida, killing one and injuring several others. Florida also allows trained citizens to carry concealed weapons.
Also at the tea party debate, DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom, who is the only pro-choice candidate in an otherwise staunchly pro-life group of candidates, denied that humans have anything to do with global warming. The other candidates agreed.
Former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna, who hobnobs with more insiders than just about anybody, continued to insist last week beyond all available evidence that he is a true political “outsider.”
Former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan declared that if elected he would roll back the minimum wage by 75 cents per hour.
And then there was Republican Congressman and current U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk practically begging for kind words from the far right’s darling, Sarah Palin. Kirk had said some nice things about Palin when she was first named as John McCain’s running mate last year, then flip-flopped and said harsh things, but there he was last week once again cozying up to her.
The politics of this aren’t too hard to figure out, particularly for the gubernatorial candidates. The GOP’s right wing is angry and energized and will vote in comparatively large numbers in the February primary. Alienate them and off the island you go.
Even so, the candidates all need to take a deep breath and try to realize how silly they’ll look to general election voters if they keep this up and do manage to win that primary race. They’re so fearful of being attacked from the right that they’re in danger of making themselves unelectable when the rest of the voting public enters the picture.
On paper, at least, the Republicans have a good chance of winning next year. Disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich goes on trial in the summer. Both Democratic candidates for governor - Comptroller Dan Hynes and Gov. Pat Quinn - are fighting over who has the “better” tax increase. Every Democratic U.S. Senate candidate has flaws that the GOP can easily exploit.
Also, last week’s national off-year results showed horrific turnout among Democrats and African-Americans in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections. The African-American vote was almost 30 percent lower in Virginia compared with four years ago.
But if the Republicans aren’t careful, they’re going to spout one too many far-right talking points and demonstrate to Illinois general election voters that they can’t be trusted. I know they gotta do what they gotta do to get past the primary, but they need to keep their eyes on the big prize.
* As I told subscribers this morning, Congressman Danny Davis has decided to run for reelection. Davis had filed for both county board president and congress. The AP talked to Davis…
Davis tells The Associated Press that he decided to seek re-election because he and three other black candidates running in the Cook County race would have competed for the same base of voters. He says he’ll give further details at a news conference later in the morning.
“I always said that if there were four candidates coming from the same political base, that it mitigated against one of those individuals being successful,” Davis told The Associated Press.
He said he may endorse another candidate, but he had not made up his mind.
That endorsement could be important. The field might be further winnowed if Todd Stroger’s petitions are as bad as rumored. We’ll just have to wait and see.
* This isn’t the first time that David Hoffman’s campaign has made this claim. It’s apparently false. Oops…
Former Chicago city inspector general David Hoffman today proposed reforms of the financial industry, including creation of a consumer watchdog agency and curbs on interest rates. But he misfired when he used that message to take a shot at a Feb. 2 rival for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination. […]
“Mr. Giannoulias made a campaign promise that he would not accept corporate PAC money. But he’s a banker and apparently made an exception to take PAC money from the banking industry. That is something I won’t do,” Hoffman said in a statement.
Hoffman’s campaign cited the Federal Election Commission Web site which shows that Giannoulias’ Senate campaign in June got a $500 donation from the Community Bankers of Illinois federal PAC.
Trouble is, the Giannoulias campaign returned the check…
“David is flat-out wrong. As a candidate for U.S. Senate, Alexi Giannoulias has never accepted any campaign contributions from the Community Bankers Association,” Giannoulias spokeswoman Kati Phillips said in a statement. “He owes the public an explanation as to why he would make this irresponsible accusation, and he owes Alexi an apology.”
*** UPDATE *** The Hoffman campaign has apologized, which is something you almost never see…
“It was an honest mistake, but a mistake nonetheless,” Powell wrote. “For that, we apologize to the Giannoulias campaign. We believe there should be a vigorous debate in this campaign, but it should always be based on an honest discussion of the facts and an accurate airing of our differences.”
At the same time, Powell said Giannoulias should agree to five debates.
“Just as you deserve our apology, the citizens of Illinois deserve a full and robust debate on the major issues in this campaign,” Powell wrote.
[ *** End of Update *** ]
* Meanwhile, Giannoulias contines to rack up the endorsements…
llinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is set to receive the endorsement today of Illinois’ highest-ranking Hispanic elected official, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, in the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate. […]
Gutierrez, who is Puerto Rican, endorsed Giannoulias even though another candidate in the race, former city of Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman, has a Puerto Rican grandmother.
Giannoulias has the endorsement of 10 Hispanic state legislators and Chicago aldermen. This makes four congressional endorsements for Giannoulias. Rival Cheryle Jackson has two.
* If this is what Cheryle Jackson’s campaign is gonna be like, then she’s in for a very rough little trip…
She used to be known as Cheryle Jackson. That’s the name she used as a spokeswoman for Gov. Rod Blagojevich and as president of the Chicago Urban League. But after she launched her Senate campaign, she decided to use the name Cheryle Robinson Jackson.
She uses her maiden name on her Web site and press releases — but not on the ballot. There, she’ll be listed simply as Cheryle Jackson.
That’s a really stupid mistake. I’m guessing that Jackson changed the name she uses after her petitions went out.
* The DCCC goes off-message on GOP US Senate candidate Mark Kirk…
DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen said during a C-SPAN interview Sunday that Kirk is a “moderate,” contradicting his own organizations efforts to paint him as the opposite and undermining attempts by Senate Democratic opponents to do the same.
The US Senate Democrats have actually been all over the place, sending reporters links from conservative media attacking Kirk as a liberal and blasting Kirk as Bush lapdog. But they rarely if ever use the “moderate” moniker.
Of course, to be fair, Kirk has been all over the map as well.
* Related…
* Hughes: “I’m the Real Republican in the U-S Senate Race”
* Press release: Kirk defies Pelosi’s claim her bill “puts you and your doctor in charge”
* Chicago Minutemen Project endorses Zadek for U.S. Senate
Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis said Friday he is “extremely nervous” that a wave of police retirements next year — after an arbitrator rules on the new police contract — will stretch a burgeoning manpower shortage beyond levels he considers safe.
Roughly 1,000 officers are eligible to retire now that Mayor Daley has promised to extend premium health benefits to officers who call it quits at 55. But many are waiting until the contract is settled in hopes that a raise will lock in a higher rate of retirement pay.
The Police Department has 600 sworn vacancies and is 2,000 officers short of authorized strength.
After hiring only 46 police officers this year, Daley’s 2010 budget uses federal stimulus funds to add just 86 officers, 30 of them for the CTA.
A Skokie lawyer’s challenge of a speeding ticket that also led to his client being charged with DUI may finally provide the test case that will restore some sanity to how accused speeders are treated in Chicago’s Traffic Court.[…]
Livas has asked a Traffic Court judge to hold what in legal circles is known as a “Frye hearing” — during which the burden will be on prosecutors to prove that LIDAR technology is scientifically proven to be reliable.
Cheering him on — but only to a point — are both the Cook County state’s attorney and Chicago corporation counsel’s offices, which have been seeking exactly such a test case for the local court to establish the presumed validity of LIDAR speed calculations.
The city’s 160 tax increment financing districts, or TIFs, have generated more than half a billion dollars in property taxes in each of the last two years — money that’s off-limits when it comes to balancing the budget. The average taxpayer isn’t particularly sympathetic to the legal explanation for that, especially in hard times. Our property taxes are going into a mayoral slush fund while the city can’t afford to pick up the trash?
It ranks among the strangest-sounding lawsuits ever. The City of Chicago is suing the City of Chicago to reveal what advice the City of Chicago gave to city employees over a questionable city contract.[…]
The inspector general hasn’t publicly identified the contract it’s investigating, but the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday that it involved former city employee and Cook County Commissioner Charles Bowen, who was awarded a $100,000 no-bid contract to recruit and retain minority police officers.
Cook County prosecutors have outraged the university and the journalism community by issuing subpoenas to professor David Protess seeking his students’ grades, his syllabus and their private e-mails. Prosecutors claim since the team was made up of students, they may have been under pressure to prove the case to get a good grade.
It’s a first for Protess and his investigative reporting students, who have helped free 11 innocent men from prison, including death row, since 1996. Their work also is credited with prompting then-Gov. George Ryan to empty the state’s death row in 2003, re-igniting a national debate on the death penalty.
With the arrest of a 14-year-old, Chicago Police say they now have charged the four “main offenders who struck the critical blows” that killed Fenger High School honors student Derrion Albert, but they’re still looking for three others.
