Please, try to be just as brutally honest every day as you are on a government surveillance recording played at your trial today.
On election day, 2008, you were caught on tape talking about how you wanted to appoint yourself to the US Senate seat while lashing out at your fellow Illinoisans…
“Now is the time to put my f——children and my wife first for a change,” Blagojevich is heard saying. “I f—— busted my a– … I gave your f—— baby health care… What do I get for that? Only 13 percent of you think I’m doing a good job, so f— all of you.”
That’s the real Rod Blagojevich, not the one we’ve seen on those goofy cable TV shows. Thanks.
* Dear Gov. Pat Quinn,
You haven’t yet been able to force a compromise in the big road construction strike, but a Naperville school superintendent has managed to get Local 150 to come back to work…
Naperville Community Unit School District 203 has reached an agreement with the striking operators’ engineers union to resume work on the $87.7 million renovation at Naperville Central High School.
Workers returned in full force this morning and could work in several shifts, seven days a week, to complete the project by the Aug. 25, the first day of school.
Superintendent Mark Mitrovich would no provide details on the agreement, which was reached at 8:30 p.m. last night, he said at a press conference this morning. The details will be disclosed at a district board meeting July 19, he said.
As of now, it is an “accord in principle” between the district and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, Mitrovich said.
A recent report found that 2.7 million children on Medicaid in nine states, most of them states that outsource Medicaid, are not receiving required screenings and immunizations.
The pure and beautiful future you imagine isn’t all roses.
* Dear Dunning-Kruger effect authors,
Thanks for explaining Illinois politics and certain editorial boards better than I ever could…
* Rasmussen has a new poll. Previous results from Rasmussen’s polls conducted June 7, April 28, April 5, March 8 and February 3 are in brackets…
Kirk: 39 [42% 46%, 41%, 41%, 46%]
Giannoulias: 40 [39% 38%, 37%, 44%, 40%]
Other: 9 [7% 5%, 8%, 5%, 4%]
Unsure: 12 [12% 12%. 13%, 10%, 10%]
Not a huge amount of movement since last month but Kirk’s overall trend is downward since late April. He peaked during the time that Giannoulias’ bank went under. Giannoulias tanked a bit back then, but hasn’t really come back yet, even though Kirk had a very bad June. This thing will be close for a while. From the pollster…
The Illinois Senate race remains a virtual tie, but Republican Mark Kirk’s support appears to be trending down. […]
This is the first time Kirk’s support has ever fallen below the 40% mark. From February through June, he consistently attracted from 41% to 46% of the vote.
This marks the first time since March, however, that the Democrat has risen out of the 30s. His support against Kirk since February has ranged from 37% to 44%. […]
Kirk attracts 79% of the Republican vote while 73% of Democrats back Giannoulias. The Republican holds a two-to-one lead among voters not affiliated with either major party. But one-third of those voters are not committed to either major party candidate.
Favorability…
Giannoulias is viewed Very Favorably by seven percent (7%) of Ilinois voters and Very Unfavorably by 21%.
Seven percent (7%) also have a Very favorable opinion of Kirk, while 20% regard him Very Unfavorably.
The Democrat’s numbers have changed little from a month ago, while the Republican’s favorability ratings have fallen slightly. At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with strong opinions more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.
* How would you rate the job Barack Obama has been doing as President… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?
* A proposal has been made to repeal the health care bill and stop it from going into effect. Do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose a proposal to repeal the health care bill?
* Suppose the new Arizona immigration law was being considered for your state. Would you favor or oppose passage of that law in your state?
52% Favor
33% Oppose
15% Not sure
* The U.S. Justice Department has decided to challenge the legality of Arizona’s new immigration law in federal court. Do you agree or disagree with the decision to challenge the legality of Arizona’s new immigration law?
38% Agree
51% Disagree
11% Not sure
* Methodology…
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Illinois was conducted on July 7, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/-4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.
* TPM’s tracker of all surveys done on this race to date…
With fewer than seven hours remaining, Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher held the slimmest of leads over Kevin Youkilis of the rival Red Sox in a race that is shaping up to be a photo finish at today’s 4 p.m. ET deadline in the 2010 All-Star Game Final Vote Sponsored by Sprint. […]
The two Final Vote winners, one from each league, will be announced live on MLB.com and MLB Network at 6 p.m. ET. Those two players will take the 34th and final roster spots for the 81st All-Star Game on Tuesday in Anaheim.
After multiple lead changes, including three in the past 24 hours alone, Swisher and Youkilis continued to be locked in a virtual tie for the American League’s top spot. Paul Konerko of the White Sox remained in third place and is followed by Michael Young of the Rangers and Delmon Young of the Twins — both of whom homered on Wednesday.
Some things are just more important than politics, so take the time to vote today. Click here now. If you didn’t vote early - and even if you did - you can still vote often!
A supporter of U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. told the Democratic congressman in 2008 that he would raise $1 million in return for then- Gov. Rod Blagojevich naming Jackson to the U.S. Senate, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.
The allegation, made on a busy day at Blagojevich’s federal corruption trial, was the first time authorities publicly suggested Jackson was aware of efforts by his allies to swap campaign cash for his appointment to the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
The Sun-Times has more on the meeting of Jackson and Raghuveer Nayak, who reportedly offered Rod Blagojevich a million dollars if he appointed Jackson to the US Senate. Also present at the meeting was Blagojevich employee Rajinder Bedi, who was allegedly acting as a go-between…
The conversation turned to Jackson’s interest in the U.S. Senate seat, which in a matter of days would be up for grabs once Barack Obama became president.
“The thing that’s significant, Nayak says: ‘I will raise $1 million for Blagojevich if he appoints you [Jackson] to the Senate seat,’” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Niewoehner told U.S. District Judge James Zagel with the jury out of the room. Niewoehner said Bedi heard Nayak tell Jackson this. He did not offer any more details.
Hours later, Bedi met with Rod Blagojevich’s fund-raising chairman, Robert Blagojevich.
“That statement … leads Bedi to mention [to Robert Blagojevich] that Nayak is interested in doing fund-raising for Blagojevich, and he wants Jackson appointed,” Niewoehner said.
Fortunately for Blagojevich, the jury wasn’t allowed to hear that testimony. But this next part is very unfortunate for Blagojevich…
Three days later, Gov. Blagojevich was recorded talking about overtures for Jackson in a conversation with one of his deputy governors, Robert Greenlee. […]
“Unbelievable isn’t it,” responded Blagojevich. “Then I, we were approached, pay to play. That, you know he’d raise me 500 grand, an emissary came, then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him a senator.”
In a Dec. 4 telephone call with one of his advisers, Fred Yang, Blagojevich said he was now keeping an open mind on “clearly somethin’ I would never have considered and that’s Jesse Jr.”
Here’s why this is so bad for Blagojevich. Just yesterday, you will recall, Blagojevich’s attorneys told the judge that their defense would be that Blagojevich “did not honestly, and in good faith, believe his acts and conduct, nor his intent, were illegal.” They then suggested that he acted on the advice of others, including his legal counsel. Those recorded statements and others (we’ll get to one of those in a few seconds) totally undermine the defense.
* If you’d like to hear some real drama, click here and listen to Blagojevich being informed by his press secretary that the Tribune is about to run a story that the FBI had him under electronic surveillance. The full transcript is here. It’ll give you the chills.
The very next morning at 7:45, Blagojevich tells his brother not to go ahead with his talks about that Jackson money.
Blagojevich clearly knew that what he did was wrong because he ordered it undone. His defense is gonna be worthless. Also, he’s a former prosecutor, for crying out loud. It’ll be hugely tough to claim ignorance of the law.
* Trial roundup…
* Blago Often Away From Office, Aide Says: A former aide says Rod Blagojevich on average spent about two to eight hours a week in his office when he was governor of Illinois. Former Deputy Governor Robert Greenlee testified Thursday at Blagojevich’s corruption trial that generally during working hours the former governor was either at home or attending high-profile events.
* I told subscribers about this yesterday morning, but the comptroller’s office has released a new and very depressing quarterly fiscal report. Some highlights… um, make that “lowlights“…
*The adjusted year-end General Revenue Fund balance was a negative $4.69 billion — a record.
*The backlog of unpaid bills on June 30 was $4.7 billion — a record.
*Because of the state’s financial condition, the amount of time it takes the comptroller’s office to pay bills once they arrive in the office is 153 working days — a record.
“Illinois ended the year in the worst fiscal position in its history,” the report concludes.
* Human service advocate Don Moss sent this along earlier today…
FYI - Comptroller payment dates:
As of today for non-expedited payments:
For anything over $375.00 – for vouchers submitted up to November 6, 2009
For anything under $375.00 – for vouchers submitted up to June 3, 2010
This means that community nonprofit human service providers have to wait up to 8 months to be paid for their services unless they are on “expedited” payment. They can only qualify for expedited payments when they have no reserve funds and are close to running out of lines of credit with their banks.
The plan to further delay payments to providers in order to stretch the state’s insufficient funds will be devastating to many of them.
Quinn’s budget office issued a statement that shifts the blame for many of the financial problems outlined in the comptroller’s report to lawmakers.
“For the second year in a row, the General Assembly refused to deal with the realities of the state’s economic crisis. Instead, legislators approved an under-funded state budget, which passed the tough decisions along to Governor Quinn,” the statement read. “Governor Quinn is working with legislators to urge them to take action to address the fiscal crisis by creating jobs, reducing spending, using responsible borrowing strategies and increasing revenues for our state.
“This budget crisis was created over several years of fiscal mismanagement, and Governor Quinn is committed to fixing it.”
Quinn’s budget office said it plans to borrow the $1.3 billion for failure of revenue later this month.
* Put into the context of Quinn’s bigtime pay raises for his top aides, this comptroller’s report doesn’t exactly make him appear to be a great manager with his priorites in order. For instance, here’s the Decatur Herald & Tribune…
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn apparently believes that his own staff is immune from the “shared sacrifice” he says is necessary to address the state’s horrific financial situation.
At the same time he was planning on spending cuts of $1.4 billion and talking of “shared sacrifice,” he was handing out raises to his staff. Some of those pay increases were more than 20 percent. […]
To get out of this financial crisis, the state needs leaders who understand they can’t be the Grinch in public and Santa Claus to their own staff.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has a convenient definition of “shared sacrifice.” He’s all for it — except when it comes to his staff. […]
Apparently he is not seriously interested in downsizing government, but rather in holding on until the day after the November election. He must be confident he will win, and that lawmakers will come out of hiding and approve a tax increase
…the governor of Illinois is oblivious to the plight of his recession-battered constituents — and too undisciplined to do the job he inherited from Rod Blagojevich. Coming on successive days, though, the Associated Press report and the comptroller’s year-end numbers suggest that Pat Quinn’s administration just isn’t up to running a multibillion-dollar operation. […]
Yet the governor who last year promised to “cut, cut, cut” state government has been insulting citizens by quietly giving his employees nice raises.
* Gov. Quinn is in Carlinville this morning for a bill-signing ceremony with state Sen. Deanna Demuzio. That should be an interesting event, since Sen. Demuzio whacked the guv but good in Bernie Schoenburg’s column today…
“If the governor wants to advocate fiscal responsibility, then he needs (to) lead by example,” Demuzio said in her release. “The state cannot afford this while the budgets for education, human services, and public safety receive drastic cuts and mounting bills remain unpaid. … How do I explain to my constituents that while they are tightening their belts and making sacrifices, the employees of the governor are getting regular boosts in pay?”
Yikes.
* Quinn even got clobbered for his back to school sales tax holiday. Here’s the Sun-Times…
Parents who need relief should take it this August without hesitation.
But Illinois has not become a benevolent state with cash to burn.
It remains a reckless, irresponsible state that has dug itself into a hole from which it may never recover.
In other words, David Vite with the Illinois Retail Merchants, said people can save enough on the basics they may splurge on something else this year.
“They may save enough money to buy a new computer. They may save enough money to buy a printer. They save enough money that they weren’t able to purchase before because they have a few extra dollars in their pocket.” […]
“The fact that there is a sales tax promotion, retailers are also going to promote a little deeper. So there’s going to be additional benefit there.” […]
“Our shoppers have been going to Iowa for their sales tax holiday. Our shoppers have been going over to Missouri for their sales tax holiday. It’s now time for some of those folks to come back over to the really great state of Illinois to purchase their goods and services.”
* In other budget news, the governor still hasn’t yet said how he plans to actually make $41.9 million to the Department of Corrections’ budget. His budget documents said the department would reduce overtime and save cash through “operational efficiencies.” But union worker overtime is by far the largest chunk of cash in the department’s overtime costs, and Quinn won’t touch that…
But, in the case of overtime, Quinn says reductions should not apply to employees who are in labor unions. Most of the overtime costs in the prison system are tied to unionized guards having to work double shifts because of understaffing.
* As I told subscribers this morning, Republican Congressman Mark Kirk has released a new statewide radio ad entitled “No Taxes for Alexi Giannoulias - Higher Taxes For You.” Listen…
Script…
“Alexi Giannoulias just released his taxes. The Chicago Tribune headline said quote: ‘Wealthy Giannoulias paid no taxes last year,’ endquote. Fox Chicago reported that Alexi is worth at least $7 million, but paid no taxes. How? Alexi’s Broadway Bank collapsed from risky loans and loans to convicted mobsters. Alexi just deducted the money he lost on his tax return. Bingo. Pay no taxes, and the government’s FDIC pays Broadway’s $394 million loss. But while Alexi pays no taxes, he thinks you don’t pay enough taxes. Alexi wants higher federal income taxes, higher state income taxes, and higher energy taxes. Listen (to Alexi): ‘I have said from day one, as your state treasurer, that while politically it’s not the smartest thing to say, we need an income tax increase.’ Higher taxes for you. No taxes for Alexi Giannoulias.”
Kirk, however, declined to talk about allegations he exaggerated his accomplishments and the risks he took overseas during his 21 years as a Navy Reserve officer.
Kirk earlier this year told a Chicago newspaper that he came under fire with a Dutch armor unit in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, Kirk refused to answer a reporter’s questions about whether his recollection of coming under fire in Kandahar was accurate. Instead, Kirk told the reporter to refer to his officer fitness reports — which by press deadline Wednesday night had not arrived in the reporter’s e-mail box.
“What I’ve done is stick with my official military record,” Kirk said. “There are over 20 pages of details on everything I’ve done from an ensign to a commander.”
He can’t continue this line without suffering the consequences.
* Related…
* Kirk, Brady have different ideas about state GOP: Bill Brady and Mark Kirk, two Republicans running for top Illinois offices, sometimes seem to be running in different directions. Kirk, the party’s Senate candidate, questions the judgment of any public official who winds up not paying income taxes. That category includes Kirk’s Democratic opponent but also Brady, the GOP nominee for governor.
* Baltimore Sun: O’Malley, Ehrlich, slow to release tax returns: Bill Brady and Mark Kirk, two Republicans running for top Illinois offices, sometimes seem to be running in different directions. Kirk, the party’s Senate candidate, questions the judgment of any public official who winds up not paying income taxes.
That category includes Kirk’s Democratic opponent but also Brady, the GOP nominee for governor.
* SJ-R Opinion: Revisit ruling requiring special election
Both sides met for about seven hours in Des Plaines but didn’t reach consensus. A Friday morning session is scheduled to go over finances, and another joint bargaining session will continue Monday.
At stake is the future of hundreds of road and building projects throughout Chicago, including a $95 million resurfacing of the Eisenhower Expressway and an $87.7 million high school renovation project in Naperville that has officials there worried the strike will leave their students without enough classroom space when school starts in August.
A Chicago Police officer — an academy instructor who volunteered his time by serving as a guide to a blind triathlete — was shot and killed with his own weapon Wednesday afternoon during a struggle outside a South Side police station, authorities said.
Officer Thor Soderberg, 43, was killed about 3:45 p.m. at 61st and Racine in the parking lot outside the former Englewood District police station, which is now used by the department’s targeted response and gang enforcement units.[…]
The suspect ran away and then robbed a civilian, police said.
Officers from the police station exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who was shot in the abdomen, Jackson said.
Calvin Jefferson, 28, said the suspect is his brother and was in critical but stable condition after being shot in the chest. “I’m still shocked,” said Jefferson, adding that his brother has always been a bit of a loner who is secretive and didn’t talk much to others.
* ComEd Customers to See Big Electric Rate Hike: Illinois Commerce Commission
Many ComEd customers will see an increase of about 11 percent on their electricity bills this month, the Illinois Commerce Commission warns.
The increased price for ComEd this year is the result of changes in the wholesale price of electricity, a release from the ICC said. The ICC does not regulate or set the price of electricity, but reviews and sets the price of delivery services.
Chicago will receive federal grants totaling about $35 million Thursday to launch two long-planned CTA bus projects aimed at speeding travel through downtown and between the South Side and the Loop, officials said Wednesday.
One of the projects is a new form of express bus service that will operate as a downtown circulator to move large numbers of commuters quickly on designated bus-priority lanes, officials said.
