* WLS Radio claimed today that Gov. Pat Quinn “plays the terrorist card on election eve.” Here’s the quote they’re using…
“I think we want to tell the terrorists that Democracy is alive and well in Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, government of the people. The best way for the people to speak is at the ballot box,” Quinn said.
The Quinn campaign’s response…
The Governor isn’t ‘playing’ any card. In response to Friday’s events, he’s also spoken about the necessity of people turning out to vote to preserve our robust democracy. Voting is all about making your voice heard. He’s being asked about it by reporters and by voters along the campaign trail.
It sounds to me like Quinn was asked about terrorism and responded. We’ll see. That’s a horrible headline on the day before the election, however.
* Speaking of Quinn, his vanquished primary opponent Dan Hynes did a robocall for the governor. According to the campaign, this is going out to Hynes’ primary supporters…
Download Link Hynes robo
* Roe Conn had Tony Peraica and his Democratic opponent McCook Mayor Jeff Tobolski on his show today to talk about Peraica’s Saturday night arrest. You can go to their site to listen or click the image below…
Download Link Peraica vs. Tobolski
It really heats up about half way through.
* The Alexi Giannoulias campaign just did something a bit different. It has begun sending Freedom of Information Act Requests to county clerks. Read the campaign’s Champaign County request by clicking here. I followed up with an e-mail to Champaign County Clerk Mark Shelden, asking him whether he’d ever seen something like this before. Here is Clerk Shelden’s response…
Never been done before in my 13 years.
A little more background. Section 302 of HAVA requires that provisionals be confidential. I believe that request is not legal.
The rest is very interesting. In a discovery recount, the requester can ask for these items for 25% of all precincts. I’ve often wondered what would happen should someone FOIA it. Now we’re finding out. A very strong argument can be made that the section of the election code regarding discovery recounts trumps FOIA.
None of the clerks are going to deal with this pre election. And I’m sure we’re all hoping, more than even before, that a 2-3 point win on either side makes the issue go away.
* The governor responds to this morning’s PPP poll which has him trailing by five points…
.“I don’t interpret it very kindly. I know what our own polls show, and I think we’re surging. I’ve seen that, not just in our own poll, but three or four others. I think this past week, we’ve surged every day,” the governor told reporters this morning at Midway Airport.
* And a big, big roundup…
* US mid-term elections: A campaign in the shadow of terror
* Pantagraph: We recognize, but can’t define, career politicians
* Southtown Star: Nearly there: Get out and vote Tuesday
* Tribune: Time to deliver
* McCarron: Mighty glad this election cycle is over
* Economy, political ads may take toll at the polls
* Polling places must ensure voters’ rights
* Will Election Day be independents’ day?
* Experts expect turnout in Illinois below 50 percent
* Kadner: Dress up, shout and play let’s have an election
* Stock Up on Munchies for L-o-n-g Election Night
* Washington: Get ready for a long election night
* Krug: Fearless forecaster back for another swing
* Hinz: Election tea leaves, Rahm’s big new hires, and a 9th Congressional District foul
* Illinois pols make final pitch after a busy campaign weekend
* Candidates in Final Push for Votes Before Election Day
* Candidates looking for last-minute support
* Starting Lineup: The Calm Before The Storm
* US mid-term elections: A campaign in the shadow of terror
* Dems hope to limit losses in campaign’s last hours
* Candidates in Final Push for Votes Before Election Day
* Candidates look to scare up votes on Halloween
* Erickson: Will Election Day bring trick or treat to Illinois?
* Voters to vote twice for U.S. Senate
* Obama returns home to make final pitch to voters
* Obama sees tight races, urges turnout
* Democrats Pin Hopes on Turnout Effort
* What Election Day 2010 means to Illinois
* Sawyer: Fight negative ads; vote
* ‘My Opponent Is An Evil Piece of …’
* Ten things to know about the candidates for U.S. Senate
* Close, bitter Senate races could have significant down-ballot effects
* Giannoulias’ path to Senate bid: Charisma, youth, a ‘fresh take’
* Immigration issues split Kirk, Giannoulias
* Kirk’s path to Senate race: A military man touts his experience
* Republicans Kirk, Brady rally in Northbrook
* Kirk, Brady team up to rally Republican voters
* GOP candidates stop in Quincy
* Undocumented youths try to derail Senate hopeful Mark Kirk
* GOP gets boost from upset victor Sen. Scott Brown
* Dump Kirk for Libertarian, Dems urge
* Journal Courier: Voters, it’s your turn
* Final vote push takes Quinn, Brady beyond their bases
* Gubernatorial candidates weigh in on outdoors issues
* Jobs, budget deficits define state-level races
* Nation’s Governor Candidates Vague On Deficits
* The defining moment
for Illinois’
* Ten things to know about the candidates for governor
* Bloomington once fertile ground for gubernatorial candidates
* Brady pledges to fire Blagojevich hires if elected governor
* Details lacking in Brady’s pledges to change the ISBE
* Election Eve Rally in DuPage County
* Bill Brady Visits Stateline
* Jindal travels to Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois
* Sun-Times: Brady promises cuts that just don’t add up
* Quinn, Cohen clash in radio debate
* Rich Whitney, Lealan Jones, and the ILGP File Suit Against WTTW over Debate Exclusion
* SJ-R: Don’t waste protest vote on Cohen
* Famous dad gives Sheila Simon inroad with elderly Aurorans
* In this state, you never know when No. 2 will become No. 1
* Marin: Tuesday will steer Lisa Madigan’s future
* Foe says Topinka part of the problem
* Trim fat, Republican in treasurer race says
* Rutherford and Topinka make campaign stop in Quincy
* Republican candidates take part in campaign rally at Quincy airport
* Down-ballot candidates try to get some attention ahead of Tuesday
* Illinois tops in big dollar court races
* Fact-checkers weigh in on ads
* Money rolls in, campaign ads roll on
* Pantagraph: Big money threat to independence of our judiciary
* Harper endorsed for 13th
* Dan Kairis on the national debt
* Randy Hultgren on the national debt
* Marks hopes for write-ins in 14th race
* Control of Illinois House, Senate at stake
* 14 state races pass $1 million fundraising mark
* Economy key issue in 18th Congressional District
- well - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 4:02 pm:
Looks like Alexi’s not feeling too confident about tomorrow’s election.
- Wumpus - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 4:11 pm:
I am feeling suppressed by Alexi’s effort. This is a pure intimidation attempt by his people. Let one thing be known, Wumpus cannot be intimidated into not voting!
- Amalia - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 4:14 pm:
Alexi is getting prepared. interesting precedent.
nice of Hynes to do the call for Quinn. so, Quinn wins, Lisa runs
for mayor, wins and who is AG?
- soccermom - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 4:19 pm:
Really, really classy of Hynes. He just earned my support for whatever is next for him.
And as far as the “terrorism card” — for pete’s sake, at least some of those packages were headed here. The terrorists were the ones who played the card, not us. That is just ridiculous. WLS news is losing credibility fast.
- Pat Robertson - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 4:19 pm:
Have any of the incumbents filed something with their retirement system yet?
- Phil - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 4:21 pm:
It is interesting what Peraica will do to get elected. But the worse trick is that he is hoping that the green party candidate who is hispanic can take votes away Tobolski.
- wordslinger - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 4:38 pm:
Where’s the terrorism card in what Quinn said? The mental midgets have taken charge of WLS.
How much longer is this country going to pretend that 9/11 happened yesterday and right next door? It was a singular event, many years ago, that impacted very few.
The losers involved have proven they can’t blow up anything once you’re on guard. They’re nobodies, they don’t deserve our attention. We have a lot bigger problems than “terrorists.”
TriviS: WLS means World’s Largest Store a la Sears, like WGN is World’s Greatest Newspaper, a la Trib.
- Bubs - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 4:44 pm:
Someone should write a book about dumb political hijinks in the West Suburbs of Chicago, but it might run longer that War & Peace.
I’ll bet good money that Peraica filed some sort of a lawsuit today.
- Anonymous ZZZ - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 4:47 pm:
=They’re nobodies, they don’t deserve our attention. We have a lot bigger problems than “terrorists.”=
Wordslinger, I agree, which is why it seems downright odd that Quinn would use this election to send a message to the terrorists.
- soccermom - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 4:55 pm:
Every election sends a message to the world that we are believe in democrary. That we are not afraid. That we believe in the systems that we have created, and that those systems work. Quinn isn’t using this election to send a message — we all are.
- Logical Thinker - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 4:57 pm:
Wordslinger,
This is just naive:
“How much longer is this country going to pretend that 9/11 happened yesterday and right next door? It was a singular event, many years ago, that impacted very few”
Did you forget what happened just last Friday? It’s not like they (Al Qaeda) have stopped trying; they just haven’t been successful.
- OneMan - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 4:58 pm:
Because I am sure trouser jihad is concerned about the elections in Illinois….
- just sayin' - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 5:01 pm:
No one believes anything Pat Brady says. He’s making call numbers up out of thin air.
And speaking of dishonest Republicans, what part of Tony Peraica was driving around in the middle of the night dressed all in black (including black cap) in a van with a big wrecking pole inside does he think we don’t understand?
- Anonymous ZZZ - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 5:03 pm:
soccermom, nice over-the-top platitudes and all, but not ALL of us are participating in tomorrow’s election to “send a message to the world.” Some of us just want to have a say in who Illinois’ next governor and U.S. Senator will be. Nothing more than that, really.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 5:11 pm:
I seem to recall a couple of other pre-election “terror” threats. I used to just assume Bush’s Homeland Security folks thought it would be fun to jerk us around with scare tactics right before we voted to remind us which party would keep us “safe.” Now Obama and Quinn are in on it too? Who’d have thunk it?
WLS = World’s Loudest Soapbox.
- Jake Utler - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 5:17 pm:
Peraica and Tobelsky’s stories are so diametrically opposed that someone has to be lying. Do I have to wait to see who files a libel suit first to start figuring it out or does someone have the straight dope?
- D.P. Gumby - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 5:29 pm:
just imagine how different this race would be if it was Hynes v. Dillard….
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 5:35 pm:
Note to candidates: When your opponent is the mayor of a town in your district, don’t go driving around that town in the middle of the night for any reason without some sort of neutral witness with you. You’re just begging for trouble.
- just sayin' - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 5:39 pm:
Tony Peraica is seriously disturbed. This is hardly the first time some ridiculous scheme has blown up in his face. Of course it’s always someone else’s fault.
I’m just waiting for him to say the one-armed man did it.
- Louis Howe - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 5:41 pm:
Many times politicians claim to have “God on their side.” I hope democrats have “God on their side” this election and she decides to give Illinois Democrats some relief from the misery of defending the indefensible Gov. Pat Quinn. That’s my prayer tonight as I turn out the light. Please send Pat Quinn back to the barricades and out of the halls of power.
- wordslinger - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 5:48 pm:
LT, it’s been nine years. Since 9/11, in the U.S., these overseas, AlQuada terrorits haven’t been able to blow up their johnsons. Or their shoes. Or their underwear. Or whatever. Yet we plotz every time they make a move.
I grew up under MADD. From a very young all of us, I mean everyone, assumed that we and or/the Russian Commies we’re going to blow everyone up at some point. It was inevitable. It was a part of life. My folks came up through Nazi ccupation. Yet, somehow, we all managed to live long, full lives without being afraid all of the time.
There are always problems, some of them terrible. Why are we still so rattled by these lightweight banditos? They don’t deserve it.
- Retired Non-Union Guy - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 5:58 pm:
RE: FOIA - usually you wait until after the election to start the recount process. Guess they don’t think they can find enough ballot boxes in the Chicago River this year …
- Retired Non-Union Guy - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 6:01 pm:
Wordslinger - you’re right about that; some of us grew up in the “duck & cover” age and managed to survive it. Guess there is just a political philosophy that believes the world should be 100% risk free … and if we all play nice we can imagine it into existence.
For my part, I’ll stay with the “trust but verify” and “the Lord helps them who help themselves” philosophy.
- Plutocrat03 - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 6:03 pm:
Most FOIA request ask you for a reason for your request. I wonder what AG’s reason is on the form…..?
- Louis Howe - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 6:11 pm:
Wordslinger is absolutely right about our obsession with terrorists. Back in the 50s and 60s the right-wing was obsessed with communists, and these communists had nuclear bombs. The terrorists created all our current havoc and the trillion plus Iraq war with 19 whackcos armed with box cutters.
- Amalia - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 6:17 pm:
I like soccermom’s perspective on voting!
- DuPage Dave - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 6:32 pm:
The statement by WLS is a slur and a falsehood. Quinn meant and said no such thing.
WLS is not a new organization. It is a major right-wing amplifier out to defeat Quinn.
World’s Lousiest Station??
- Little Egypt - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 6:34 pm:
Memo to Alexi, a/k/a sore loser. You can accomplish the same thing you are requesting from the Champaign County Clerk by having poll watchers at every voting place. That’s usually what precinct committeemen do on election day. I hope the county clerk takes this FOIA request to court because what Alexi is asking for is way overboard.
- Bubs - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 6:45 pm:
Just Sayin’,
Brady ain’t lyin’.
- Just Me - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 6:51 pm:
Slightly off topic, but why aren’t the campaigns getting the names of people who early voted and take them off their mail campaigns? I voted on the first day of early voting and continue to get mail. What a waste of precious campaign funds (and it isn’t just Scott Lee Cohen).
- Soccermom - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 7:33 pm:
Anonymous ZZZ:
“Some of us just want to have a say in who Illinois’ next governor and U.S. Senator will be. Nothing more than that, really.”
If you don’t understand what a big deal it is that we have the power to do that — well, you’re missing out on something amazing.
- hisgirlfriday - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 7:37 pm:
Just noticed I have a robocall GOTV voice mail from Pat Quinn. Took about 1 minute to get out what could have been said in 15 seconds… argh.
- What Da Dilly, Yo? - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 7:39 pm:
Plutocrat, the latest FOIA amendments (effective 1-1-10) prohibit a public body from asking a requester why he/she is making a FOIA request. A requester can only state whether the request is for a “commercial purpose”.
- Phil - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 8:34 pm:
I really miss David Hoffman.
- Anonymouse - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 8:36 pm:
Peraica robocall tonight touting his arrest by those bad corrupt democrats who cant stand the heat he puts on them. What a dog pile.
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 9:42 pm:
I really miss Adlai Stevenson II. I even miss Dick Ogilvie.
- Anon - Monday, Nov 1, 10 @ 10:45 pm:
Classy move by Hynes after a bitter primary.
- Ugly Mofo - Tuesday, Nov 2, 10 @ 4:41 am:
Anyone awake right now? Lolz