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Question of the day

Thursday, Jan 14, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* As Gov. Quinn rightly pointed out yesterday, we have a lot of Haitian-Americans in this state. So, instead of a Question of the Day today, I thought we could use this opportunity to contribute to the relief effort in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. From the US State Department website

Other ways to help:

• text “HAITI” to “90999″ and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill;

• go online to organizations like the Red Cross and Mercy Corps to make a contribution to the disaster relief efforts;

• visit InterAction to contribute.

After you’ve contributed, please make a note of it in comments so we can encourage others to do the same - or even more.

  78 Comments      


Blistering reaction to Quinn’s speech

Thursday, Jan 14, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Tribune editorial board didn’t quite get it right in an editorial blasting Gov. Pat Quinn’s State of the State address…

Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno summed it up perfectly: “Warm and fuzzy, but woefully lacking in details.” A campaign speech, in other words.

If that was a campaign speech, then it was the worst campaign speech I’ve ever heard, except for some student council races back in the day.

This last graf, however, was far more accurate…

The State of the State is disastrous. What’s Quinn going to do about it? We’ve gone over and over our notes, and we can’t find it.

We have all these gigantic problems, yet we heard not one single proposal from the governor about how to solve them. The SOTS is supposed to help guide the spring session and demonstrate that the governor has a plan. Quinn could offer no guidance because he has no plan. He’s adrift, just like the state. Rep. Rosemary Mulligan was spot on

“If you want to enlighten me on how I can help you and not be in a partisan fashion, then give me some idea of where you’re going to lead before you ask me to follow,” said state Rep. Rosemary Mulligan, a Des Plaines Republican. “It was lacking in content that would solve problems.”

Senate President John Cullerton didn’t speak to reporters after the speech, but he released his own mini State of the State address via press release.

We are going to invest in the people of Illinois

Illinois must help small businesses through tax incentives to keeping and creating jobs.
We will invest in Community Colleges to help Illinois workers gain new skills and training.
Illinois must find innovative ways to help families pay their bills and stay in their homes.

We are going to build upon our economic strengths

We must modernize job creation tools for Illinois communities.
Illinois should reduce fees so businesses can keep and create jobs.
We must promote key industries to grown our economy and create jobs.

We are going to protect the pocketbooks of taxpayers

We must stop government fraud through greater oversight.
We need greater budget transparency and accountability.
Illinois must ensure that banks invest in small businesses to help keep and create jobs.

While lacking in details, at least Cullerton showed he has some ideas and direction.

* The AP’s lede was harsh

Handed a chance to lay out his election-year agenda, Gov. Pat Quinn delivered a 72-minute speech Wednesday that wandered from traffic statistics and soybean paint to jobs and taxes.

* Bernie pointed to a silly speech line in his own well-written criticism

“My nickname is Soy Boy,” [Quinn] added.

Sheesh.

* The funniest line of the day wasn’t in the State of the State address and was completely inadvertent

Apparently not knowing the mic was still hot, [Speaker Madigan] said he was told Quinn’s speech would be 40 minutes long. He then pointed to the clock, remarking that it was 1:21 p.m.

Oops.

Second funniest goes to Justin Kaufmann, the Web editor at Vocalo

Is it me or did Pat Quinn sound like the principal speaking to a mandatory assembly?

Third funniest goes to the two guys I was sitting next to during the address. Their conversation went something like this…

“OK, that’s seven times he’s said ‘Land of Lincoln.’”

“No, it’s three.”

“It’s seven. I’ve been keeping count.”

“Oh, I guess I fell asleep.”

* This is pure rhetoric

Quinn ended his speech with a tearful tribute to his now-deceased, 93-year-old father, which evolved into a treatise on the governor’s leadership style and a not-so-subtle jab at Hynes for a series of harsh campaign commercials as their primary enters the homestretch.

“We’ve got terrible challenges, the toughest we’ve probably ever had in our lifetime. And we can play politics and call each other names. We can kind of avoid the problems. But that’s really not what our service members do when they get a responsibility. It certainly wasn’t what my father did in life,” Quinn said.

“He taught me always to work hard, treat people with dignity, don’t call people names, be honest and trustworthy. That, to me, is what Illinois is all about, our state, the Land of Lincoln. The people of our state, they’re the best of the best. We’re the pride of our nation. We can accomplish great things if we work together.”

He regularly refers to Dan Hynes as an “ankle biter,” is running a TV commercial right now that pretty much flat-out lies about his own record and distorts reality about his opponent, and yet everyone else is supposed to play nice.

* More reaction. Sen. Kirk Dillard


Sen. Bill Brady


Rep. Jim Sacia, via Illinois Statehouse News….


  39 Comments      


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Thursday, Jan 14, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Steve Martin quote creates tiny stir

Thursday, Jan 14, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* If you missed last night’s Republican gubernatorial debate, click here or watch below…

The Republican candidates actually debated last night about how they could relate to Illinois’ poor

Former state Republican chairman Andy McKenna, who had a privileged childhood, said he started a non-profit group to rebuild homes and has met poor people through that.

His rivals competed to say how poor they were before their financial situations improved, prompting publicist/commentator Dan Proft to roll his eyes and channel comedian Steve Martin: “Yeah, like everybody else, I was born a poor, black child, too. This is not what this election is about.”

Offering poor families school choice and “turning Springfield upside-down” will help Illinois’ poor have opportunities such as “The more affluent and more politically connected like those of us up here have had,” Proft said.

State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) turned to Proft and quipped, “Dan, I didn’t realize you were related to Rod Blagojevich.” [Blagojevich claimed to be “blacker than Barack Obama”, though he, like Proft, is white.]

And that led to this

After the debate, opponents state Sen. Kirk Dillard said Proft’s “quip” is part of the reason he’s “unelectable,” while former Illinois GOP Chairman Andy McKenna called it “inappropriate.”

But what about Brady’s comment?

More from the debate

The sharpest divisions came between experienced and inexperienced politicians. “Governing is not an entry-level position,” Dillard said.

“I don’t have Illinois political experience,” Andrzejewski countered. “That’s what I’m running against.”

“This is my first run for office,” Proft admitted, “but it’s not my first rodeo.”

Ryan, McKenna and even Brady tried to have it both ways by depicting themselves as outsiders with an insider’s political acumen.

Adam Andrzejewski called himself a policy expert and said he has a plan to balance the budget

Businessman Adam Andrzejewski said he has a menu of choices to cut $10 billion in spending from the state’s budget, which would help reverse any tax increases Democrats might pass.

I checked his website and couldn’t find that $10 billion menu.

* Meanwhile, in perhaps more important news, Jim Ryan was endorsed by the Daily Herald.

* Other campaign news…

* Early voting starts Monday

* Few candidates expected at GOP Senate debate

* Lt. governor candidate Murphy says anti-tax pledge “forever”

* Keats has experience to lead County Board

* Can Cook GOP tap angry voters amid Dem squabbles?

* For Cook County courts

* Quayle backs Kenilworth businessman in North Shore congressional contest

* Conservative 8th Dist. candidate Walsh talks about ‘liberal’ past

* 56th District rivals debate fix for health care system

* McHenry Co. sheriff candidate asks for Nygren investigation

* 3 face off for GOP’s Boone County clerk nomination

* Councilman from East St. Louis says he will run for mayor

  46 Comments      


Morning video

Thursday, Jan 14, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Does this remind you of anything that happened yesterday?


  42 Comments      


« NEWER POSTS PREVIOUS POSTS »
* Reader comments closed for the weekend
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)
* Repeal IFPA Now
* Rep. Morgan calls congressional AI proposal 'as dumb as it is risky' (Updated)
* Governor moves some universities to 'no position' on his community college baccalaureate bill
* False alarm - Pritzker will not be traveling to Utah on May 31
* Still not a done deal, but Bears now focusing far more intently on Arlington Heights
* Free clinic warns it can’t replace state health insurance program for undocumented residents
* It’s just a bill
* Stop Credit Card Chaos In Illinois
* Sen. Peters reports good haul in first 72 hours (Updated with Biss $ numbers and comparison to 'influencer')
* Powering Illinois’ Energy And Economic Future
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Live coverage
* Jackson says he didn't formally endorse Robin Kelly
* Yesterday's stories

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