* The much-vaunted website Politifact took a look at the US Senate mudslinging this week. One of the claims made by Republican Mark Kirk’s advertising is: “At his father’s bank, Alexi made tens of millions in risky loans to convicted mobsters. Then, the bank collapsed.” Politifact’s take…
In July 2009, Broadway Bank filed foreclosure lawsuits seeking to recoup $12.9 million in defaulted loans made to the pair. So there’s no question that these were “risky” loans, as the ad put it.
But what was Giannoulias’ role in these loans? He was a senior loan officer at the bank at the time, but there’s no evidence he approved them. […]
The ad, however, suggests that risky loans to mobsters caused the bank collapse, and that’s a big stretch. More accurately, the bank invested heavily in construction and development and could not weather the collapse of the real estate market. The losses sustained in loans made to Giorango while Giannoulias was a senior loan officer, while substantial, were a relative drop in the bucket in the overall scheme of the bank’s woes. […]
In summary, D’Arco’s involvement involved a loan that predated Giannoulias’ time at Broadway Bank. Stratievsky had not been charged with anything when Broadway made loans to him. As for Giorango, his relationship with Broadway Bank began long before Giannoulias came on board.
But as the Chicago Tribune detailed, the bank made Giorango an additional $20 million in new loans while Giannoulias was a senior loan officer. There’s no evidence Giannouias approved the loans, but he did some work on them. Still, we think it’s awfully misleading to suggest losses on risky loans to convicted felons led to the bank’s demise (though they certainly didn’t help). In all, we think that all shakes out to a Half True.
* Giannoulias: “He (Kirk) did violate Pentagon rules, twice actually, for improperly mingling politics with his military service”…
The Pentagon released a statement to AP saying that Kirk was twice “counseled” for mixing politics with military service. And we have a memo from the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense referring to “concerns arising from his partisan political activities during his last two tours of active duty.”
The fact that Kirk was merely “counseled” suggests these were not deemed terribly egregious violations of military policy. But the Pentagon did tell AP that Kirk signed a statement acknowledging that he knew the rules and wouldn’t break them again. You don’t sign such a statement if you aren’t deemed to have skirted the rules. We rule this claim True.
* Kirk: “Alexi Giannoulias’ top aide was a longtime BP lobbyist”…
[The ad] begins, “America’s biggest environmental disaster … Where do the candidates stand?”
By the City of Chicago’s definition, Zemenides was a lobbyist for a BP subsidiary. We think it’s highly misleading to suggest that he lobbied in any way for a federal policy that allowed the oil spill to occur. We’re not saying a lobbyist isn’t a lobbyist. But some cities define lobbyist differently.
It’s one thing to be an attorney handling landscaping and zoning issues for a company developing retail gas stations; quite another to lobby for lax federal legislation on deepwater oil drilling. The Kirk ad makes too much of very little. We rate the claim Barely True.
Politifact’s headline on that last one is: “Illinois GOP Senate candidate Mark Kirk smears opponent with BP link.” Pretty obvious how they stand.
* My Sun-Times column this week is about a topic discussed here with much intensity over the past few months…
It’s every man for himself out there these days.
A few months ago, Gov. Quinn locked himself into position when he criticized state Sen. Bill Brady, his opponent in the race for governor, for paying no income taxes for two years. Brady’s businesses had tanked with the economy, and he used various tax laws, including President Obama’s stimulus program, to get a complete refund of his state and federal income taxes one year and of his federal taxes the next. Those refunds included all taxes withheld from Brady’s legislative paycheck. Quinn hit him hard.
I was down in Texas with my brother Doug last Friday when U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias revealed that, just like Brady, he had received a complete refund on his state and federal income taxes, including on his state treasurer’s salary. Financial troubles at his now-defunct family bank allowed him to take huge deductions that wiped out his entire tax liability.
My brother hasn’t lived in Illinois for quite a while, but is politically active in Texas. He predicted that Quinn would now have to drop his “he didn’t pay taxes” attack against Brady or risk hurting his fellow Democrat Giannoulias.
Nah, I replied. You don’t understand Illinois. Giannoulias is running for the U.S. Senate. Nobody who’s anybody really cares about U.S. senators in Illinois. Plus, this tax issue is, to quote Rod Blagojevich, bleeping golden. It will work incredibly well in TV ads. Quinn is behind in all the polls and desperately needs that issue to undercut Brady on economic issues by painting him as a completely out-of-touch, uncaring, rich white guy. The governor will toss Alexi under the bus any day now, fellow Democrat or no fellow Democrat, I told Doug.
Sure enough, Quinn told reporters a few days later that Giannoulias should have paid his taxes. The governor wasn’t about to give up a prime campaign issue just to guard another Democrat’s back.
Quinn was actually beaten to the bipartisan punch by Republican Rep. Mark Kirk, who is running against Giannoulias. Kirk took a shot at fellow GOPer Brady while blasting Giannoulias for not paying income taxes. Kirk then launched a statewide radio advertising campaign blasting Giannoulias.
Like I said, the issue is golden. Bleeping golden.
Whenever I post a story about this tax issue on my blog, a nasty fight develops in the comment section between people who say that Brady and Giannoulias were just following the law and those who believe it’s an outrage that some rich guys didn’t pay taxes on their taxpayer-funded salaries.
I fall on the side that says both men should’ve paid taxes on their government salaries, no matter what. I can understand the other side, and I can even see the long-term danger in effectively creating two tax codes, one for politicians and one for everybody else.
But there’s just something not right when an elected official like Brady can afford to loan his own campaign hundreds of thousands of dollars and then accept a complete refund of his income tax withholding. Giannoulias says he’ll donate all of his refunded cash to charity, so he obviously doesn’t need it. Why couldn’t they help fund their own salaries like the rest of us are doing?
Plus, in an era when everybody seems to be stark, raving angry about, well, everything, I reserve the right to be mad about this. If nothing else, it irks me to no end that these guys could think they could get away with this during a campaign.
And now, in yet another weird twist to what was already a supremely weird election year, you can’t tell the attackers without a scorecard. Only in Illinois.
* Related…
* Quinn to Giannoulias: A ‘good charity is the people of Ill.’
* Kirk’s blunders allow Giannoulias to pull even in poll
* What Kirk did not want you to know: McConnell headlined fund-raiser for Kirk.
* McConnell stumps for Kirk: Thursday night, a committee including State Representative Jil Tracy (R-Mt. Sterling), former State Sen. Laura Kent Donahue and other Republicans hosted a fundraiser for Congressman Mark Kirk. The headliner of the event was the Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
* ‘You want somebody new’
* Lt. Gov. candidate speaks with local women leaders
* Brady to stir up Tuesday’s Tea Party
- 47th Ward - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 11:12 am:
So Kirk is lying in his ads? Go figure.
- VanillaMan - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 11:18 am:
Pretty obvious how they stand.
Yeah. It is pretty obvious.
- just sayin' - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 11:21 am:
The thing is, Alexi can study and learn and improve his financial skills.
But Kirk can never become an honest guy. By the time someone is in their late 40’s or 50 or whatever Kirk is, it’s too late to change that hardwiring in the brain that causes one to habitually make stories up out of thin air.
A leopard really can’t change his spots. Kirk has a disorder and voters hold the only cure.
- Deep South - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 11:21 am:
So Kirk IS a serial liar.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 11:28 am:
I am sooooooooo disgusted with how the Kirk Campaign have been handling this. Politifact is absolutely right.
The sad thing about all of this, is that Kirk IS qualified, there are effective ways to even control the damage that’s been done thus far, AND he’s great on his own when he’s out with the Public and other Republican leaders.
However, the Campaign don’t seem to have a clue–unless this is, as I’ve said before, some absolutely BIZARRE strategy *that’s been proven to win in Illinois (the State)* emphasis added.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 11:41 am:
And with regard to being a “serial” liar and not being able to change his spots, I COULD argue that there’s quite a bit of history here–with just about anyone who’s been in office and taped for as long as he has.
Does that make it right? No. But is there is “context” that he’s missed and needs to set–especially if he’s going to “continue to tell stories to win debates”? Absolutely.
It’s so frickin’ obvious that they can’t see it. Some great thinkers from the “most educated” District in Illinois.
The attacks on Giannoulias are a completely different story, and how NO confidence in their candidate and his abilities.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 11:43 am:
Sorry that last sentence should have read “and SHOW NO confidence in their candidate and his abilities.”
- (618) Democrat - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 11:47 am:
The Kirk ads are deemed to be lies. What would you expect from a liar like Kirk who doesn’t know the difference between a lie and the truth?
This goes further to prove that Kirk seems to be a chronic liar who will do most anything rather than tell the truth.
I can’t imagine having a person like this serving in the Senate.
Kirk’s behavior is truly creepy!
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 11:56 am:
And some of the people on his staff from DC just need to tch tch tch tch tch until they either develop a spine, get better at their jobs, and/or or get to know Illinois.
- (618) Democrat - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 11:58 am:
@ trafka 11:28 =Kirk IS qualified=
Kirk is qualified to do what? Kirk is a liar he lies about everything.
I wouldn’t trust Kirk near anyone or anything I hold near and dear!
- just sayin' - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 11:59 am:
Oh come on stop with the “everyone does it” nonsense like this: “I COULD argue that there’s quite a bit of history here–with just about anyone who’s been in office and taped for as long as he has.”
That dog won’t hunt. Kirk’s habitual dishonesty goes WAY beyond that of the typical weasel politician, even by Illinois standards. The guy truly has a problem.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 12:05 pm:
I’m not going to spend hours “defending” him. I’ve been doing it for gosh knows how long now, am sick to death of it, and refuse to ever do it again until he sits down, thinks about where he’s at, and makes whatever changes (if any) he thinks are appropriate.
However, I will ask: “Do any of you have “gifted” children?
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 12:11 pm:
=That dog won’t hunt.=
Really? I could make a pretty good technology and it’s impact on “culture” argument there.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 12:14 pm:
And the “sleazy” way some Campaigns are using THAT to their advantage.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 12:16 pm:
And I’ll add–for the sake of Illinois Voters–is not a good precedent to set.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 12:17 pm:
Even for the Democrats.
Just noting the opportunity to take the phrase “fighting fire with fire” to a whole new level.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 12:20 pm:
Do you guys really want to risk re-defining “fact-based” based on “bloopers” and “scenarios” BASED on fact that are provided within the context of debates?
At this point, the Democrats in IL probably have more recent history than the Republicans do.
And again, is that the “right” thing to do for IL Voters?
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 12:31 pm:
Think about it, Alexi–and staff. Is what you’re doing REALLY the RIGHT thing to do for the sake of IL Voters?
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 12:32 pm:
And do you really want to continue to “open up that can of worms”?
- VanillaMan - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 12:33 pm:
Kirk can never become an honest guy. So Kirk is lying in his ads? Go figure. So Kirk IS a serial liar. I can’t imagine having a person like this serving in the Senate. I am sooooooooo disgusted with how the Kirk Campaign have been handling this. Kirk is qualified to do what? Kirk is a liar he lies about everything.
I wouldn’t trust Kirk near anyone or anything I hold near and dear!
After over a month of this stuff, you guys are just sounding like a bunch of virginal innocents shocked that a politician is not telling us the truth. Stop pretending to be offended! We’ve had weeks of this nonsense, so we’re all more than immuned, aren’t we?
This “Kirk is a liar!” stuff is mined out along with the “Giannoulias is a mob banker!” crap.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 12:35 pm:
Come on, guys. Time to end all of the whining about Hoffmann and Hughes…yada yada…and live up to the challenge of OUR generation. Time to stop all of the “spin” enhanced by “digital” technology and the high salaries paid to “creative types”.
Back to basics: mano a mano.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 12:46 pm:
What was that quote from “I, Claudius”? You know the brief little speech that Livia gave to the “gladiators”? And it’s actually NOT even a bad idea from a “political” perspective, considering that the entire Country is watching.
Does victor want to come out as victorious “damaged goods”, or simply and gloriously “Victorius”?
- GoldCoastConservative - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 12:57 pm:
Who, besides the George Soros set, considers Politifact to be an unbiased arbiter? Politifact has a well known history of favoring liberal causes and politicians.
- Verdicto - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:01 pm:
I agree that Kirk’s embellishments are bizarre. But the thing that really has me scrtaching my head is how people come on here and defend or overlook the lying. Maybe they are paid staff or blind partisans, I don’t know.
I think Alexi is a lightweight but Kirk really seems to suffer from a personality disorder that is almost Blagoesque.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:01 pm:
===Who, besides the George Soros set, considers Politifact to be an unbiased arbiter?===
They won the Pulitzer, goofball. Pay attention.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:16 pm:
=But the thing that really has me scrtaching my head is how people come on here and defend or overlook the lying. Maybe they are paid staff or blind partisans, I don’t know.=
That’s right. Difficult to tell who’s who anymore, what they’re motivations are, and who’s telling the “truth”–or has a “personality disorder”–isn’t it.
That’s why going back to basics might be a good idea.
And for the “reality” folks out there? What’s the “reality” you’re willing to hang on to?
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:17 pm:
Keyboard malfunctions. Sorry, guys.
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:19 pm:
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:01 pm:
===Who, besides the George Soros set, considers Politifact to be an unbiased arbiter?===
“They won the Pulitzer, goofball. Pay attention.”
So did Janet Cooke, Walter Duanty and Gary Webb, Rich.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:21 pm:
Oh, look, Cincinnatus! A kitty!
- dave - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:21 pm:
Who, besides the George Soros set, considers Politifact to be an unbiased arbiter? Politifact has a well known history of favoring liberal causes and politicians.
Simple question, Gold Coast. Is Politifact right or wrong in each of the three issues that Rich highlighted in the post?
I get so annoyed with people bashing a source because they know that they can’t bash the facts in the source.
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:30 pm:
Hey, I’m not bashing Politifact. I believe that a couple of years ago they were better than they are now, but they are just one more piece of the pie you need to take with a grain of salt (pardon the mixed metaphor). I do however object to Rich’s Pulitzer reference. The Pulitzers are highly politicized and have been known to have the wool pulled down over their eyes. They are not a reliable source for anything, IMO.
- Small Town Liberal - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:32 pm:
- The Pulitzers are highly politicized and have been known to have the wool pulled down over their eyes. They are not a reliable source for anything, IMO. -
So highly politicized sources aren’t reliable in your opinion? I guess that would include the WSJ, Cato Institute, and other conservative think tanks then?
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:32 pm:
Oh, look, Cincinnatus! A kitty!
- dave - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:35 pm:
I’m not bashing Politifact. I believe that a couple of years ago they were better than they are now, but they are just one more piece of the pie you need to take with a grain of salt
Alright Cincinnatus… same question I asked Gold Coast:
Is Politifact right or wrong in each of the three issues that Rich highlighted in the post?
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:37 pm:
The truth, Cincinnatus. The truth.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:41 pm:
*crickets*
How much would you like to bet that Cincinnatus is NOT Kirk?
- Team Sleep - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:42 pm:
I miss the old fake ads Al Franken ran on “Saturday Night Live” in the 80s and 90s.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 1:52 pm:
EVERYONE’s “biased”, Five.
- Name Withheld - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 3:14 pm:
Hey Rich - you’re about the closest thing we have to a Politifact in Illinois. I really like how they rate statements made by the politicians, from “True” to “Pants on Fire”. An Illinois-version of that website would be a great resource, not only for us armchair pundits, but for the general public. With the sheer amount of propoganda overload (not to mention regular information overload), the average person has no way to distinguish fact from fiction (and no time to research it anyway). A resource like Politifact-Illinois would be great for centralizing statements and truthfulness.
What say you? You could offset the cost by running political ads (j/k).
- justsickofit - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 3:42 pm:
loved your column, Rich, and agree completely. If you want to run for high office, you have to pay your taxes, at least on your tax payer paid salary. Don’t want to pay your taxes (and pu on the charity thing, a deduction for next year), then stay out of the political arena. So simple.
- fredformeranon - Friday, Jul 9, 10 @ 5:09 pm:
He (Kirk) did violate Pentagon rules, twice actually, for improperly mingling politics with his military service”
Yes young Alexi, but did he cavort with the mafia, cost taxpayers millions while enriching himself with his family bank, ruin the brightstart program, not pay any taxes. Make embellishment seem like child’s play. Oh and little Alexi, what role did you play in the selling of the senate seat?