* As we already know, Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign distributed copies of its last two positive TV spots earlier today. From the AP…
Gov. Pat Quinn is closing out his Democratic primary campaign by reminding voters that he’s a good guy.
But Quinn is also running a new negative TV ad - another one on Burr Oak Cemetery. This was recorded off a TV, so the quality isn’t perfect, but have a look anyway…
Gov. Pat Quinn today accused his primary opponent, Comptroller Dan Hynes, of misusing President Barack Obama’s words in a campaign mailing attacking the governor’s tax plan.
The mailing quotes Obama’s speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, saying that raising taxes on the middle class during a recession is a bad idea. Hynes has campaigned accusing Quinn of pushing a plan to raise income taxes across the board, including the middle class, while the comptroller wants targeted increases for the affluent only.
The mailing then states that Obama opposes Quinn’s kind of plan.
“Pat Quinn’s 50% tax hike on the middle-class is NOT what Barack Obama thinks we need,” the mailing says.
Today, the Hynes campaign hit yet another historic low by implying the endorsement of a man Dan Hynes called a “do-nothing,” “pork pie” politician — President Barack Obama.
This misuse of the words and image of an iconic Illinois leader by the Hynes campaign follows last week’s misappropriation of the late, great Mayor Harold Washington’s words and image — even though Comptroller Hynes worked alongside his father to defeat and destroy Mayor Washington and everything he stood for.
Just six years ago, Comptroller Hynes accused Barack Obama of voting “in lockstep with George Ryan because he wanted his share of the pork pie.” Hynes attacked Barack Obama for fiscal irresponsibility by voting for tax relief for working families, and health care for children who needed it. Hynes claimed that he fought alone against state laws to provide healthcare for children and reduce taxes on working families.
In response — in a Chicago Sun-Times article headlined, `Hynes pounces on Obama at last debate’ — President Obama shrugged off Hynes’ carping. “I think it’s a little disingenuous of him to say he was this warrior,” Obama said. “But we’re six days away from an election. I think it’s to be expected that people are going to start throwing stuff out.”
* I got so busy I forgot to announce our contest winner today. We had 303 comments on yesterday’s Question of the Day, which asked you to come up with bumper sticker slogans for and against candidates. Most of them were very good, proving, once again, that this blog has the best commenters anywhere (yes, even today).
One that we might actually see on a real bumpersticker was from “How YOU doin?”…
Sensible Shoes, Sensible Leadership
PRECKWINKLE FOR PRESIDINKLE
Golden.
That commenter is already coming to the party, so there’s no sense in awarding her first prize.
From Irish…
Quinn - I am Murphy’s Law and the Peter Principle
That hits pretty close to home. Unfortunately, Irish can’t make the party, so why give it to him?
Overall, OneMan, who has his own blog, was prodigious, funny and spot-on. A selection…
Vowels cost money and I got it. Vote Giannoulias
I understand poor people, they work for me. (McKenna)
But I am a legacy out of Chicago (Hynes)
I’ve played hoops with Obama, come on people (Alexi)
* The governor needed more of these big announcements this month. He’s been getting incessantly whacked upside the head for incompetence while he’s got billions of dollars in real, honest to goodness, job-creating, desperately needed infrastructure improvement projects to unveil. I don’t get it…
Less than a week before the primary election, Gov. Pat Quinn today announced a $366 million construction project this morning to completely revamp the north-south section of Wacker Drive.
The three-year project will start in April. It calls for both levels of Wacker Drive from Randolph Street to Congress Parkway to be rebuilt, including creating a separated service drive on the lower level along with increased clearance space and better lighting.
Northern Illinois University will get $8 million in state funding to renovate the site of a shooting rampage.
Cole Hall has been closed since a gunman entered a class lecture and started shooting. Five students were killed and 19 were wounded on Feb. 14, 2008.
The renovation will reconfigure the building that had two of the university’s large lecture halls. The room in which the shootings occurred will be closed to classroom instruction and reused as computer labs, offices and commons areas.
Combine stuff like this with the Ford jobs announcement and it spells “L-E-A-D-E-R.” Instead, he’s all bogged down in Harold Washington and violent prisoners.
Funding for the project comes through Illinois “mini-capital” bill passed last May. Construction could start as early as April.
Quinn said the project will create more than 4,000 jobs. Less than a week before he faces voters in what’s projected to be a tight Democratic primary, Quinn has been traveling the state in Santa Claus campaign mode, announcing a deal Tuesday to bring 1,200 new Ford assembly plant jobs to Chicago’s South Side and suburbs, announcing an agreement with the state’s largest union to avoid layoffs and then, today, the Wacker Drive project.
That “mini” capital bill was supposed to be for shovel-ready projects. Eleven months after passage, and voilà!
* 1:19 pm - If this Crain’s scoop stirs up a feeding frenzy, it could impact the Senate race. If not, then it may not make much difference to the campaign. Time will tell, but it ain’t great news for Giannoulias, that’s for sure…
Broadway Bank, the troubled Chicago lender owned by the family of Illinois Treasurer and U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias, has entered into a consent order with banking regulators requiring it to raise tens of millions in capital, stop paying dividends to the family without regulatory approval, and hire an outside party to evaluate the bank’s senior management.
The Jan. 26 consent order with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Illinois Division of Banking comes less than a week before Mr. Giannoulias, Broadway’s chief lender until 2004, must face voters in the Democratic primary for the Senate seat previously held by President Barack Obama.
He’s faced criticism, principally from former city Inspector General David Hoffman, who’s running against him, for his past role at the bank and the $70 million in dividends the family took out of the bank in 2007 and 2008 as the real estate crisis was becoming apparent. […]
Among the ways to restore the bank’s fiscal health, the order lists “the direct contribution of cash by the directors and/or shareholders of the bank.” The Giannoulias family owns 100% of the bank’s shares.
David Hoffman response in five, four, three, two…
* 1:33 pm - Flashback, from the 10/25/04 edition of Crain’s…
Broadway “knows what deals are solid or not solid.” Alexi Giannoulias said of Broadway Bank’s loan portfolio that the bank knew what it was doing. His father had been in the real estate business since the 1950s, when he started as a developer of shopping centers and banquet halls around the city. Giannoulias said, “He knows what deals are solid or not solid, what areas are hot or not hot.”
Oof.
More…
Broadway held almost twice the percentage in high-risk development loans as similar-sized banks. In 2004, Broadway Bank had bet heavily on Chicago’s then-uninterrupted commercial real estate boom. Of the bank’s $409 million in outstanding loans, 23 percent were to customers in the construction and land development industries, according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) reports. By comparison, ShoreBank and Lakeside Bank, both Chicago institutions of similar size, each had roughly 14 percent of their loans in construction and land development.
ShoreBank, of course, is now in big trouble. So, it’s more conservative style back then didn’t help it much.
*** 4:27 pm *** From a press release…
Cheryle Jackson calls on Alexi Giannoulias to withdraw from Senate race in wake of Broadway Bank scandal
The Giannoulias family’s money has directly bankrolled the State Treasurer’s political career and that money has been made off of the backs of working families, small businesses and tax payers. Giannoulias and his family pulled $70 million in profits out of the bank and put it in their own pockets. Giannoulias and his family put other families at risk, the same way he, as State Treasurer, put the families who invested in Bright Start for their kids’ college at risk. The families and struggling businesses that he and his bank took advantage of are the same families and businesses that I have been fighting for most of my adult life. They desperately need a strong advocate in Washington. Giannoulias’ actions have made him unelectable, probably in the primary and certainly in the general. For the sake of Illinois families and for the good of the Democratic Party, I am calling on the Treasurer to do the honorable thing and withdraw from this race today.
*** 4:46 pm *** From a press release…
Statement from Hoffman for Illinois Campaign Manager Michael Powell on Broadway Bank
Today’s news about Broadway Bank provides further evidence of what a disaster Mr. Giannoulias would be as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.
Even before today, his limited experience and his refusal to take responsibility for his failures - both as a banker and as manager of the Bright Start program - were clear. Now we learn that his risky loans at the bank, and his family’s decision to take $86 million in dividends for themselves, has caused the bank’s collapse, and a likely bailout and takeover by the FDIC.
Mr. Giannoulias has shown a consistent pattern of refusing to take responsibility for his actions and blaming others. People are sick of politicians, like Mr. Giannoulias, who are not honest about their own conduct and don’t want to be held accountable.
Democrats in Illinois are about to choose their nominee to fill our President’s former U.S. Senate seat. Choosing an inexperienced 33 year-old failed banker who allows Republicans to use Tony Rezko and other failures as attacks would be a sure loser for us.
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* Kirk Dillard’s campaign rolled out Jim Edgar yesterday to ask for civility. From a press release…
Former Governor Jim Edgar [yesterday] said he was disappointed in the negative tone of the governor’s race, and urged candidates to talk about the issues. “There’s a lot at stake in this year’s election,” Edgar said at a joint news conference with Republican hopeful Kirk Dillard. “I think the voters deserve better.”
Edgar reaffirmed his support for Dillard, who served as Edgar’s first Chief of Staff. The former Governor said instead of discussing the issues, opponents have spent money on television to distort Dillard’s record.
“Let me be clear,” said Edgar. “Kirk Dillard opposes higher taxes. He’s never voted for a general tax increase.” Edgar said Dillard has been running a positive campaign with a real vision to create jobs, cut spending, eliminate red tape and end politics as usual.
But today Dillard started running a new TV ad. Technically, I suppose, it’s “comparative.” Others might just call it negative. Rate it…
* I told you earlier today about a new Pat Quinn TV ad. That was just one of the two he has running. Here’s the other one…
Quinn is not letting up on trying to create a backlash against Hynes’ Harold Washington ad. Patterson has details…
Quinn’s campaign released a list of county Democratic chairman who signed on to a letter taking on Hynes for his ads. The letter reads in part, “you have crossed an important line by choosing to be so destructively, relentlessly negative in your campaign.”
The letter is signed by the Democratic chairman of the DuPage and Kane organizations along with several other counties.
But noticeably absent is the chairman of the powerful Cook County Democrats, lobbyist and property tax maven Joseph Berrios. That organization endorsed Quinn, but didn’t sign on to this letter ripping Hynes on the ads, at the same time recent polls are showing an extremely close race.
The list of counties is pretty short - and those counties for the most part are also short on [Democratic voter] population. See it for yourself.
* Democratic treasurer candidate Justin Oberman has a new TV ad that slams his opponent Robin Kelly. Watch…
* This blog’s absolute favorite video producer, Simon Edelman, has been a bit quiet lately over at the Quinn campaign. His new Internet video is typically well done. Watch it…
Keep an eye on that young man. No matter what happens next Tuesday, he’s going places.
* Jim Ryan’s campaign also has a new Internet vid. This one attacks Andy McKenna. Check it out…
* The Tribune editorial page has once again whacked both Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes for not bowing to the company line…
Three weeks ago, we declined to make an endorsement in the Democratic primary for governor. It wasn’t a decision — or non-decision — we took lightly. Voters are fed up and fired up, eager to elect a leader who can put an end to this era of scandal and fiscal recklessness. “None of the above” was an enormously unsatisfying recommendation.
But the closer we get to Election Day, the better we feel about that decision. We’ve continued to look for a good reason to get behind either of the candidates, but we’re still coming up empty.
They don’t like Quinn’s tax hikes, and they don’t like Hynes’ refusal to force the unions to give back on pensions…
So why not back Hynes? Because we’re still waiting for him to offer an honest prescription to treat the state’s ills. He promises fiscal responsibility, but won’t acknowledge what it will take to rescue this state from its most desperate problem: a pension system with an $80 billion-and-counting unfunded obligation.
This is the same newspaper which has endorsed Andy McKenna, a guy who solemnly pledges never to raise any taxes while rhetorically firebombing anyone who might have a semi-reasonable opinion on that matter. This is also the same editorial board that regularly praises the Civic Federation, but has ignored its latest report that Illinois is facing at least a $12.8 billion deficit next fiscal year.
What did the Tribune write in its McKenna endorsement? Pablum…
If he’s nominated Feb. 2, McKenna wouldn’t strike Illinois voters over the next nine months as a man running for people-pleaser-in-chief.
You gotta be kidding me.
McKenna is spending millions of dollars on blatantly pandering ads. It’s super easy to run a “no new taxes, no way” campaign, until you’re effectively called out on it - or elected. Heck, Jim Thompson got away with that at least twice. He got the Trib nod, too.
First, we must level with people about the size of the state’s unfunded pension liabilities. For years, politicians have been misleading voters by expanding benefits without a funding plan to support those commitments. Now, we are stuck with the bill and no credible plan to pay it.
Second, we need to implement a two-tiered system for existing beneficiaries and new entrants into the system. The second tier could be a defined contribution plan or a hybrid defined contribution/defined benefit plan, or a defined benefit plan with benefit levels more in line with the private sector.
Third, government pension should look more like private sector plans. We have an opportunity for public employee unions to meet taxpayers half-way, so we can balance the interests of both parties in finding a reasonable solution to the pension crisis.
A two-tiered pension system will save money, but the state’s pension debt is so huge that this idea will barely make a dent in the coming years. How will he solve that far more immediate need of paying for the pensions already promised - a multi billion-dollar debacle that will last decades? We don’t know and the Tribune’s sages apparently don’t care.
Of course, we’ve not yet seen Mother Tribune weigh in on the new allegations in the McKenna polling situation. But, hey, the board just doesn’t seem to be interested in logic and facts. It’s all about the rhetoric and their guy.
Republican Bill Brady is promising to balance the state budget in his first year in office if he’s elected Illinois governor.
The state senator from Bloomington made the pledge during a debate Tuesday night at Chicago’s WTTW-TV against four other Republican challengers.
A sixth candidate, former Illinois Republican Party chairman Andy McKenna, didn’t participate because his campaign said he had a scheduling conflict.
Brady says he can fix the state’s finances by starting with a 10 percent across-the-board spending cut.
A ten percent spending cut would give you far less than $3 billion in savings. Just $10 billion to go. No biggie.
Look, the Democratic proposals also fall short and also need far more meat on the bones. No doubt about it. Period. But at least they’re being realistic about finding revenues to help get this state out of its massive fiscal hole. Stuff like Brady’s promise is just plain goofy. He’s a candidate, however. That’s expected. The state’s largest newspaper, on the other hand, has a sacred duty to be honest with its own readers and not just spew hyper-partisan talking points.
* Gov. Pat Quinn has a new TV ad that speaks directly to voters. I think it’s pretty good, but is it enough? You tell me…
* Rasmussen Reports has a new poll on the Democratic primary. But its sample size is tiny - just 300 likely Democratic voters - so let’s be very careful with it, OK? Thanks.
Given the survey margin of error and the large number of undecided voters, the race is clearly a toss-up heading into Tuesday’s primary vote.
One reason the race is close is Democratic Primary voters give Quinn mixed reviews on his job performance. Overall, 53% say they at least somewhat approve of the job he’s doing. That’s pretty tepid support from the party’s base voters. Only 13% Strongly Approve, while 21% Strongly Disapprove.
On a personal basis, as distinct from job approval, Hynes is viewed favorably by 54% while Quinn earns positive reviews from 51%.
Just 12% have a Very Favorable opinion of Quinn while 18% hold a Very Unfavorable view.
For Hynes, those numbers are 16% Very Favorable and 11% Very Unfavorable.
Toplines are here, crosstabs (subscribers only) are here.
We looked at four potential November match ups and found Dan Hynes leading Jim Ryan 40-35 and Andy McKenna 38-36 with Pat Quinn trailing Ryan 42-35 and McKenna 42-36.
Here are our takeaways from those numbers:
-Hynes is a more electable candidate for Democrats than Quinn. Quinn’s approval rating has fallen to 25/55…those sorts of numbers make him virtually unelectable in the general election. His 9% approval with Republicans is par for the course in a time of polarized politics but the 16/55 spread with independents is bad and the fact that his standing with Democrats is under 40% is even worse. Matched against the Republicans Hynes gets around 70% of the Democratic vote and Quinn gets just 60%, which is why Hynes is ahead and Quinn is behind.
-This is probably going to be a close contest no matter who gets nominated. Three out of the four scenarios we looked at came out within the margin of error and there are a decent number of undecideds. Illinois will be one of the most watched states in the country this fall with close races for both the Senate and Governor.
-The same trends that fueled Republican victories in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia are showing up in Illinois. Independents are leaning strongly toward the GOP, leading by anywhere from 5 to 21 points in these head to heads. And Republicans are also more unified, getting 71-80% of their party’s vote compared to 60-69% for the Democrats. That’s the formula that makes Republican victory possible in Democratic leaning states.
*We tested Ryan and McKenna because earlier polling in the race suggested they were the GOP front runners. Given the lack of variability in their performance relative to Hynes and Quinn it seems likely Kirk Dillard or Bill Brady would have polled similarly.
* Axelrod Glad He’s Not Involved in Illinois Politics: “I miss Chicago every day. I’m homesick every day,” Axelrod said at a Chicago home for those with developmental needs where he was the keynote speaker. “But the one virtue of being away is that I don’t have to be in the middle of a contest between very good friends.”
* This Tribune revelation is coming at a horrible time for Gov. Pat Quinn, but I have a hard time believing that Quinn did anything intentionally untoward…
Quinn has kept [his US Senate campaign fund] alive by pumping in a series of personal loans and then soliciting political donations so he can pay himself back, at interest rates approaching 10 percent. The end result is that Quinn has made at least $24,000 in interest from the campaign fund he controls, according to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Quinn spokeswoman Elizabeth Austin said Quinn first began extending loans to his campaign in 1996 and at that time believed federal law required him to be paid back in full with interest.
But a spokesman for the FEC told the Tribune there are no such requirements. Austin said Quinn aides checked with the FEC after the newspaper raised questions about the interpretation of the law and found that Quinn’s fund did not have to pay him interest.
OK, so he made $24K in interest since 1996. That works out to what? Less than $2,000 a year? It isn’t nothing, and he probably deserves a little ding, but I’m just not all that excited. Still, this is the Tribune, so they can push a story into the public realm with ease. The paper’s online “political docket” makes it clear what they’ll be pursuing today…
Quinn’s also is likely to face questions about today’s Tribune story that looks at why he’s still raising money for his failed 1996 U.S. Senate bid. The end result of the unusual practice is that Quinn has made at least $24,000 in interest from the campaign fund he controls, according to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission.
* Related…
* Marin: A test for Quinn, Hynes: Back real reform
