* After the Tribune released its polling showing that only 31 percent would like to see him reelected, Mayor Daley tried to brush off the results…
“Everybody’s worried about polls in the United States, and all politicians worry about polls — they should worry about their actions,” he said, speaking at a march against violence in Woodlawn. “I do this six days a week — I’m passionate about it — you have to be passionate about your job, and there’s ups and downs.”
Yes, “everybody’s worried about polls” including Daley. I checked hizzoner’s recent campaign disclosure reports and found that he has spent $308,000 since June of last year on his pollster, Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner Research Inc.
Daley’s campaign cut a $63,000 check to his pollster on March 5th, then another $91,692.33 check on April 2nd. Maybe he didn’t get the results he wanted the first time around.
Last August 19th, the campaign paid its pollster $91,250.24. On June 26th of last year, Daley spent $63,000.00 on the pollster.
That far from an election, politicians will use polling and focus groups to hone their messages. Obviously, it isn’t working. Then again, considering the city’s multitude of problems, mere pollster-inspired spin isn’t quite enough to do the trick.
* Walter Jacobson’s latest report reveals that Daley isn’t encouraged at all by that polling…
The only way to know if he is or isn’t, is to know one of three people: the mayor himself, his wife Maggie or his brother Bill, who is the only person in politics who is in on every move the mayor makes.
Bill’s been saying in public that he doesn’t know what his brother’s planning to do. In private, he’s been saying the mayor intends not to run again - because he wants more time to spend with Maggie, and the job isn’t fun anymore.
Not enough money in the budget, and too much hostility in the press.
Bill Daley saying that Rich Daley is thinking ‘no’ is a big shift in the gusty winds of Chicago politics, and a big story to begin to tell.
* Meanwhile, the person responsible for screwing up the CTA more than anyone else is resigning from his latest Daley job…
Frank Kruesi, one of Mayor Richard Daley’s longest-serving advisors, has resigned as Chicago’s top lobbyist in Washington, D.C.
The former president of the Chicago Transit Authority, who served as assistant secretary of policy at the Department of Transportation during the Clinton administration, has been a key adviser to the mayor over most of the last three decades, starting when Mr. Daley was Cook County state’s attorney.
Kruesi confirmed his resignation, saying he’s leaving at the end of the month.
* Campaign roundup…
* Campaign cash reports rolling in: Senate Majority Leader John Cullerton (D-Chicago) reported having $3.5 million in his Senate Democratic Victory Fund to help candidates around the state. Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) reported her campaign fund has $709,000 in cash after raising $229,000 in the first six months. House Speaker Michael Madigan’s own campaign warchest, Friends of Michael Madigan, collected $788,587, spent $609,071 and had $1,968,238 in the kitty on June 30. The Democratic Party of Illinois, which the Chicago Democrat chairs, collected $149,128, spent $179,618 and had nearly $1.5 million on hand.
* Giannoulias has ethics plan; GOP fires back
* New York Mayor Bloomberg hosted Mark Kirk Illinois Senate fund-raiser Monday
* Schock outraises opponents by sixfold
* Former nun sees God’s hand in 35th House District race
* Campaign cash: Morthland leads Ahern
* 92nd, 91st districts gear up for tough fights
* Judge to rule soon on Crenshaw candidacy
* Preckwinkle surges ahead in fund-raising
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 11:36 am:
What happens this November will reverberate into the Chicago Mayoral Campaign.
If there is a sudden change in the political lineup, Daley will run again. If there isn’t, he will step down.
Why? Because Daley is aware that he represents political stability. If voters throw out the bums in November, he will become the stability balance Chicagoans will want to balance the change. If the status quo wins in November, then Daley will have fewer newbies to fingerpoint, browbeat and bully publically, and voters want change somewhere and will look at his replacement more openly.
There has to be change within the next year politically. Voters are demanding it. If they change their minds, or fail to make it happen in November - they will have a bigger urge to take it out on Hizzoner.
- just sayin' - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 11:39 am:
You know speaking of Daley, is there anything we’ve heard in the Blago trial half as outrageous as Daley tearing up Meigs Field in the dead of night?
I’ve soured on Patrick Fitzgerald a bit. Seems very selective in his prosecutions. And that’s a big change for me. It’s just that I’ve not been impressed with the feds’ work in Blago’s case.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 11:40 am:
If Skippy’s sources about Bill Daley are right, than his analysis is spot on. To his reasons — wife, no money, no fun — I’d add the big Olympics loss.
Maybe it’s Rahm talking. He knows Bill very well, obviously, and actively floated his own trial balloon earlier.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 11:46 am:
You certainly aren’t suggesting that it is some kind of tragedy that Fitzgerald took Blagojevich out of office, are you?
I am quite happy with his prosecution of Rod Blagojevich. He selected well. Illinois benefitted from his work.
- Skeeter - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 11:52 am:
Nice to see that Daley cares what voters think. That’s a welcome change.
- Lincoln Parker - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 11:55 am:
VM, I think petitions need to be circulated & completed before the November elections. Not to say he couldn’t circulate & then withdraw, but then where would that leave other candidates.
- IrishPirate - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 12:01 pm:
Lincoln Parker,
I’m virtually certain that the petitions don’t need to be out till Mid December.
I could be wrong.
- IrishPirate - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 12:10 pm:
I was wrong.
November 22nd is the petition filing deadline.
http://www.chicagoelections.com/dm/general/document_595.pdf
- Lakefront Liberal - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 12:12 pm:
Petitions are not due until after the November election. I know that because you often see aldermanic campaigns collecting signatures outside the polling places on election day.
Or, if you are Bernie Stone, you have the election judges put your petition forms out inside the polling places and tell people they need to sign them to “check in”.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 12:22 pm:
Frank Kruesi leaving the orbit? or staying in it elsewhere?
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 12:39 pm:
OT, but happiest of birthdays to Maggie Daley–a woman with the patience of a saint and a heart big enough to be everyone’s “Mom”.
- fedup dem - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 1:37 pm:
This report on Daley’s own polling lends credence to the widely-held opinion that Daley’s true numbers are a lot worse than the results of the recent Tribune poll. There is a significant percentage of the city’s voters who will fudge their response to a poll, fearing that it is actually being done by Daley and/or his ward cronies.
- Orejon - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 2:33 pm:
Toi Hutchinson’s campaign appears to have racked up some decent numbers, especially given the fact that she’s a relatively new legislator. Any other standouts in the Senate?
- Dan - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 3:39 pm:
Quinn making a campaign stop on an official trip? Meh. What is more cynical and unethical is the fact that I am sure Daley’s polling data finds its way into the hands of City Hall policy makers, PR people and others who likely use the data to dictate what the mayor does legislatively, where he does his press conferences, rallies, what he talks about, etc. His political advisors lurking around city hall…meeting with members of the administration…now tell me that doesn’t happen on a daily or weekly basis.
- Independent - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 6:45 pm:
Frank Kruesi is indeed largely to blame for the CTA’s troubles during that period. But don’t forget that for a majority of his tenure one Valerie Jarrett was Chair of the CTA Board. She somehow skated by receiving little if any blame.
- Will County Woman - Wednesday, Jul 21, 10 @ 8:32 pm:
Given Daley’s low approval ratings, which are very low for someone of his stature, but certainly not as bad as blago 12 or 13 percent, i wonder if daley has ever privately expressed anger toward the electorate the way blago did?
i would love to hear daley rant about all the flowers he planted and how dare the bleepin’ so and so’s not appreciate all that he has done to make chicago a beautiful world class city.
if memory serves it was reported last year that daley was a little miffed/hurt that the press overlooked his tenure in office milestone.
But in all seriousness, for the love of Joseph and Mary, Daley really should retire. whatever he couldn’t get done in the 20+ years that he has had in office, then he’s just not the one do whatever it is.