Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2010

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Mark Kirk is to ____ as Alexi Gianoulias is to ____?

Quinn hammers Brady, talks budget, scholarships, hints at special sessions

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Pat Quinn talked to reporters after this morning’s prayer breakfast. He was asked what he’d done since the House and Senate adjourned on Friday, but dodged the question.

Quinn said he didn’t foresee giving up any of the emergency powers granted to him in a bill passed by the Senate, but which is still sitting idle in the House. He also hinted at special sessions: “When the legislature wants to drift off and not focus on doing important things for the people, the governor has to call them back and make sure they do their duty… That’s what I plan to do every day this month until we get a good budget.”

Gov. Quinn also spoke about his veto of the legislative scholarship program: “The government is not about politicians, it’s about the people.”

Borrowing: “Every state in the union does this… [Sen. Brady] doesn’t have a plan at all… Sen. Brady runs around and tries to foment as much discord as he can. That’s going back to the past. That’s going back to George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich… We’re not going to have a lot of fakery before the election, where people run around and say they have a secret plan to cut the budget [and] they never give you any details.”

Quinn must’ve said “We’re not going back to the days of Ryan and Blagojevich” or a version of that a half dozen times, ironically echoing his opponent Bill Brady.

Watch…

* Old news…

The state’s budget meltdown did not prevent the wives of two Democratic lawmakers from landing six-figure state paychecks thanks to Gov. Quinn and the Illinois Senate.

The spouse of Rep. Michael Zalewski (D-Chicago) nearly doubled her state salary when Quinn named her to a $117,043-a-year spot on the Illinois Pollution Control Board.

The governor also appointed the wife of state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston) to another term as chairwoman of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, a position that will pay her $104,358 annually.

“Carrie Zalewski and Lynne Sered are qualified individuals whose experience and professionalism made them the best candidates available,” Quinn spokeswoman Annie Thompson said.

This actually first surfaced in February, when Sen. Dan Duffy (R-Lake Barrington) first rose to criticize their appointments. We even had a Question of the Day on the issue back then.

Duffy used the issue to raise money in a March 26th fundraising letter (complete with the State Seal) and he was called on it the other day, so the Sun-Times used it as an excuse to dredge this issue up all over again.

* Related and a roundup…

* Is Illinois’ Medicaid System Really “One Of The Worst”?

* Frankfort couple learn hard, cold ways of Springfield

* Brady pays ‘courtesy call’ to Daley about budget issues

* Non-profits push for tax increases

* Nonprofit agencies concerned about state budget cuts

* Quinn Prepared to Make Cuts, Still Pushing Tax Hike

* What’s next in state budget crisis?

* To Mike Madigan: What the heck?

* House Majority Leader Blames Republicans for Lack of Budget

* Pass the real bill

* Gov wants to ax — not reform — legislative scholarships

* Quinn vetoes legislative scholarship bill

* Quinn: End scholarship awards from legislators

* State must track Howe Center closure closely

* Downstate Lawmaker Pleads Guilty To DUI

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A raw deal for Rod

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* As much as I hate to do it, I have to agree with Carol Marin’s premise today. Rod Blagojevich is getting a raw deal on his motion to delay his trial…

Prosecutors argued and Zagel agreed that Blagojevich’s defense attorneys should not be allowed to mention the “honest services” charges against their client in their opening remarks to the jury.

Why not?

Well, just in case the U.S. Supreme Court decides it’s unconstitutional.

Huh? […]

Charge Blago but don’t tell the jury what all the charges are? Just in case?

Also on trial with our former governor is his brother, Robert Blagojevich. His attorney, Michael Ettinger, reasonably asks why there can’t be a small delay until the Supreme Court rules.

“What’s 30 days?” Ettinger says. “What’s the difference.”

If the government doesn’t want the delay, the cost of going forward should be to drop the honest services fraud charges. And go with the rest of its newly redrafted case.

Congress has eroded federal defendants’ rights to almost nothing over the years. This move is just plain unfair, even if I believe Blagojevich’s punishment should be tar and feathers and then 50 years in a super-max.

* Speaking of Blagojevich, a new audit of his AllKids program shows significant problems with administration…

As of June 30, 2009, there were 71,665 children enrolled, 75 percent of which - 54,073 - were classified as undocumented immigrants, auditors found, though they cautioned mistakes in state All Kids data suggest the number is inflated. Of the nearly $79.1 million in claims paid under the program, nearly $55 million were for undocumented immigrants. The program took in just $8.9 million in premiums.

The numbers counter past claims by the state’s main health care agency. In 2008, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services declined repeatedly to provide the Daily Herald with information regarding undocumented enrollees. Asked why, she said the issue was a “political football” and, “At the end of the day it’s a minuscule number of participants that’s undocumented.”

The new head of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services agreed problems exist and would be fixed. […]

At times the audit encapsulated some of the broader, big picture criticism of state government and its lack of spending accountability. For instance, auditors requested 100 case files and in reviewing 98 of them could find no routine process used to verify All Kids enrollees lived in Illinois. Auditors said the other two case files were unavailable because the health care departments couldn’t find one and the other was “inaccessible due to mold.”

The full report is here.

* Related…

* Appeals court rejects delay of Blagojevich trial

* Blagojevich request for trial delay doubly rebuffed

* More Oversight on All Kids Could Save State Money: Illinois could save money by increasing oversight in a statewide children’s health insurance program.

47 Comments

Palin stirs it up again

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* As I’ve pointed out before, if Mark Kirk really does have votes planned in the US House tonight, then that’s a pretty good excuse to skip out on the Sarah Palin event…

Palin is in suburban Chicago Wednesday for a conservative radio talk show event at the Rosemont Theatre and a $500-a-plate fundraiser at the Westin O’Hare for the Illinois Republican Party. The fundraiser isn’t open press, but that still didn’t entice the state’s top GOP contenders to attend.

Kirk, who’s running for Senate, “says he will have to be in Washington, D.C., tonight to make some planned House votes,” according to the Arlington Heights Daily Herald. And House candidates Randy Hultgren and Robert Dold “have other plans tonight.”

That left just gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady to attend, and he “originally” didn’t plan on it.

The House did have some votes on minor legislation last night and Kirk was a no-show, one of anywhere from 35 to 42 who didn’t make it for four votes. Now that kinda undermines his excuse. Again, though, those were pretty minor bills.

Even so, Alexi Giannoulias’ campaign is trying to make some hay out of Palin’s visit with a new Internet ad…

* The Daily Herald is peeved about Palin’s “no media” rules for tonight’s GOP fundraiser…

We admit to being a little unsure about how to characterize your appearance. The GOP fundraiser portion is self-explanatory, but when it comes to the Rosemont Theatre event, is that a personal lecture? A political rally? Promotional materials for the show have called it just “An Evening with Sarah Palin,” so we’ll take it at that and see what develops over time.

Nevertheless, inasmuch as you are often hailed as a potential presidential candidate, we think it worthwhile to reflect on some topics we hope you’ll address that can help us in the suburbs better get to know you.

For one, we’re naturally interested in your thoughts about media’s relationship to political and public figures. Your Rosemont Theatre address is promised to be free of “media or liberal filters.” Yet, you are sponsored by a radio station that bills itself as “Chicago’s conservative talk radio station.” Is that not a media filter? And, if reports of your speech are run through politically moderate or conservative filters, is that OK?

Reporters are going to be allowed into the WIND event, but cameras and recorders have been banned. Weird, that.

* Bill Brady will be there tonight after originally saying he wouldn’t and he talked out of both sides of his mouth to Chicago Public Radio…

BRADY: Sarah Palin certainly appeals to some people, and doesn’t appeal to some others… I just appreciate the fact she’s willing to come in and help raise money for Republican candidates.

* Kind of a small peg to hang this hit on, but whatever. From a press release…

Democratic nominee for Illinois Treasurer Robin Kelly is calling on opponent Dan Rutherford to explain his comments regarding conservative Sarah Palin who will host a fundraiser for the state Republican Party today in Rosemont.

“Sarah Palin does not represent the beliefs of mainstream Illinois families,” said Kay Page, Kelly’s campaign manager. “The people of Illinois have a right to know if Dan Rutherford stands with Palin, or if he stands with the people of Illinois.”

On April 17th, Rutherford attended the Palin event outside of Peoria and met with her after the program. In addition, he is soliciting campaign contributions on his website in exchange for Palin buttons.

When asked about Palin, Rutherford cautiously says that she “does invigorate a certain constituency.”

“Rutherford needs to answer whether he considers himself part of the constituency that Palin energizes, and if he will seek or accept her endorsement,” said Page, noting that Palin is a frequent critic of President Obama’s policies.

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

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*** UPDATED x1 *** A Cohen-Swilley ticket

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

[Bumped up for visibility because it was posted so late yesterday.]

* It just gets weirder, folks. SLC picked a staffer as his running mate…

Scott Lee Cohen, who is mounting an independent run for governor, has chosen a running mate: Baxter Swilley, who was Cohen’s downstate coordinator when Cohen sought the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.

Swilley, a Chicago resident, operated out of an office in downtown Springfield.

“As a community organizer, Baxter spent his life bringing positive change to Illinois by working for organizations including the Chicago Metropolitan YMCA and the Chicago Urban League,” John Davis, a Cohen campaign spokesman, said.

“Scott is a friend of mine and I strongly and genuinely believe in him,” Swilley said before the primary.

Apparently, there wasn’t a mad rush to join the ticket.

Swilley is a young African-American. Here he is on video talking about the failed bid to bring the Olympics to Chicago…

*** UPDATE *** Hilariously clueless…

Sneed hears gubernatorial hopeful Scott Lee Cohen, who announces his bid today, had no success in picking a female running mate. “He was looking for a suburban mom type, but it didn’t work out,” a source said. Word is the Rev. James Meeks turned him down.

A suburban mom type. Yeah, that’s it. “The females will forgive me” Cohen was looking for a little insta-redemption. No chance.

More…

Swilley, a native Chicagoan, was Cohen’s first choice all along, campaign spokesman John Davis said. “He was the first person Scott asked, but Baxter wanted to take a couple of weeks to think about it and when he did, he decided to come along,” Davis said.

So many questions, so little point.

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