* Greg Hinz believes that House Republican Leader Tom Cross will back Rick Perry’s presidential bid…
Everyone involved is declining to comment, but sources who would know say that Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign is wooing a top Illinois Republican to support him for president: state House GOP Leader Tom Cross.
Mr. Cross, like much of the state’s Republican establishment, so far is neutral in the presidential derby. The candidate who had built significant support here, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, dropped out a couple of weeks ago.
But Mr. Perry has caught a bit of a tail wind in the last month, and insiders say fascination with him is growing.
Mr. Cross, who backed Rudy Giuliani four years ago, is said to be interested in an alliance, which could be politically beneficial to both men. But no deal yet has been struck, though Mr. Perry quietly slipped into town a few days ago to meet with potential funders and backers.
* Kirk Dillard is also leaning the same direction…
State Sen. Kirk Dillard went as far to say he was leaning heavily toward Perry, but he stopped there.
* However, Karl Rove, who is said to despise Perry, just picked up a bigtime backer from Illinois…
The Karl Rove-affiliated Super PAC American Crossroads raised $2.7 million between July 1 and August 24, according to a new report filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Notably, Kenneth Griffin, the founder and CEO of the massive hedge fund Citadel, donated $300,000 to the group. In 2008, Griffin backed Barack Obama’s bid for the presidency, raising between $50,000 and $100,000 as a donation ‘bundler’ and contributing the maximum $4,600 to the then-Illinois senator’s presidential bid.
Griffin and his wife were hugely important Tom Cross contributors last year.
Then again, Rasmussen has Perry leading President Obama by four points…
Perry leads by nine among men but trails by five among women. Among voters under 30, the president leads while Perry has the edge among those over 30. The president leads Perry by 16 percentage points among union members while Perry leads among those who do not belong to a union.
* Mark Brown ran a column on Perry not long ago…
Of all the Republican candidates, I’m most intrigued by Perry, as I know many Americans are. We’d all love for somebody to bring this country out of its economic funk, and many of us want to know if there’s anything in the Texas example that could help the rest of us and whether he’s the guy to do it.
Economic issues may very well trump social issues in the next election, and President Barack Obama certainly hasn’t been any profile in courage on gay marriage either with his own ever-evolving views.
But I’ve never been convinced any president of the United States can do a whole lot to turn around the economy, while I’m absolutely certain the right president can move this country forward on social issues and the wrong one can set it back for decades. I don’t intend to go back quietly.
* Speaking of the economy, Illinois was just ranked sixth in the nation for gaining businesses…
To determine which states truly seem to be luring businesses, I used data provided by economic consulting firm EMSI of Moscow, Idaho, showing business establishments per capita. Since the data control for population, the method allows for comparisons between populous states like California and Texas and less populated ones like Rhode Island and Nevada. I was interested in each state’s performance over the last few years, to account for the recent recession, so I measured the change in business establishments per capita from the beginning of 2008 through the end of 2010. I also included each state’s unemployment rate in my data set, to help identify outliers.
The gain wasn’t much, from 0.97 businesses per person in 2008 to 1.01 businesses per person in 2010, but, hey, we can take everything we can get.
That same person also looked at Texas job creation since 2008. Some highlights…
Federal government jobs. Texas: Up 7 percent. U.S.: Up 4.3 percent.
State government jobs. Texas: Up 8.4 percent. U.S.: Down 0.1 percent.
Local government jobs. Texas: Up 6.1 percent. U.S.: Down 1.7 percent.
Private-sector jobs. Texas: Down 0.5 percent. U.S.: Down 6.6 percent.
Healthcare jobs. Texas: up 12.6 percent. U.S.: Up 6.2 percent.
Retail jobs. Texas: Up 1.9 percent. U.S.: Down 7.2 percent.
Manufacturing jobs. Texas: Down 11.6 percent. U.S.: Down 15.8 percent.
* As always, before you comment on a national issue like this, take a very deep breath. No bumper sticker slogans, no goofy DC talking points. Take the high road, or you’ll be shown the door. Forever.
* Related…
* US Economy Gains No Jobs in August, Rate Holds at 9.1%
* Rick Perry’s ‘Texas miracle’: a demographic quirk?
* Editorial: Idolizing Indiana - Illinois lawmakers, look at all those kids, leaping at the chance for a better education
* Challenger Ricardo Munoz hits Dorothy Brown on campaign contributions
* Aldermen: Look To Depression-Era Programs To Boost Employment
* Alderman: Target police, fire contracts to reduce budget deficit
* Metra employing ‘observers’ to make sure all passengers pay
* Federal Investigators Subpoena City for Files on Minority Company
- just sayin' - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 8:13 am:
Cross teams with Perry.
Great news for Romney in Illinois.
Just sayin’.
- wordslinger - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 8:15 am:
If Dillard backs Perry, he clearly is shoring up his right flank for another run at governor.
Perry’s a wily, successful politician, but his record isn’t much to speak of. Part of that is the office of governor is pretty weak in Texas. There’s just not that much there,there.
That hinky deal where he tried to force every sixth grade girl in Texas to get an HPV vaccination will hurt before it’s all over. The only company that had the vaccine was represented by a former staffer who would have made a fortune.
- chi - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 8:25 am:
Texas is 50th in the country for job creation once you take into account labor force growth.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/08/17/297556/report-texas-ranks-dead-last-in-total-job-creation-accounting-for-labor-force-growth/
They are also tied for last (with Mississippi) for highest percentage of jobs that pay only the minimum wage.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/06/16/246892/perry-minumum-wage-jobs/
There are plenty of other statistics that provide better context for the job growth Texas has experienced.
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 8:25 am:
An OMB (White House) study released yesterday predicted unemployment to remain at 9.0% throughout 2012, not good news for Obama.
I heard Dillard’s comments. He didn’t stop there, he also said his decision would be based on how well Perry (and the other contenders) perform in the debates and on the stump in the next few weeks. Given the performance of Perry, as shown in the statistics Rich quotes, it is hardly a surprise that GOP elected officials are inclined to support Perry.
Union members should note, Perry does not appear to be after your hides. Notice the increase in public service employees, required to accommodate a growing population and economy.
- wordslinger - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 8:33 am:
–Given the performance of Perry, as shown in the statistics Rich quotes, it is hardly a surprise that GOP elected officials are inclined to support Perry.–
What exactly do you see there? There’s been an increase in the public sector while the private sector is stagnant.
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 8:35 am:
Word,
Notice that California is taking similar action regarding Gardasil, and its ability to be dispensed to 12 year old children without parental approval.
Re: Dillard.
His is both a fiscal and social conservative, and needs little help shoring up his right flank. See this:
http://www.pjstar.com/opinions/endorsements/x1685417451/JS-Endorsement-Illinois-governor-Republican-Kirk-Dillard
- MC Gone - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 8:40 am:
“the office of governor is pretty weak in Texas. There’s just not that much there,there.”. I strongly disagree: How about ignoring all those late night calls from Huntsville in the quest to break Dub’s record?
- Ghost of John Brown - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 8:42 am:
With all of these reports, facts, figures, studies, etc., it’s important to look in depth at the details. For instance, the study that looks at gaining business is a study of establishments/capita, so what does that really mean? If one state opened 10 McDonalds and the other state opened 1 car manufacturing plant, the first state would show a higher number than the second, even though the second state probably gained more jobs.
- Ray del Camino - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 8:42 am:
I have lived in Rick Perry’s Texas. We don’t want Illinois to be like it. Trust me.
- reformer - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 8:44 am:
If Perry is the GOP nominee, he could present problems for moderate Republican House members in tough races such as Mathias, Mulligan… Independent suburban voters are likely to be repelled by a ticket led by a man who is an evolution and climate change denier. Those positions may sell in the South, but not in the Chicago area.
- wordslinger - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 8:47 am:
Cincy, your man-crush nothwithstanding, Dillard got beat by Brady. Shoring up his right flank is what he’s doing.
- reformer - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 8:50 am:
If Perry were the nominee, I could see Mathias and Mulligan doing what Coulson used to do, namely put out literature with Obama’s picture.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 9:00 am:
I would love to see Dorothy Brown lose.
- bored now - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 9:07 am:
i found the companion article, 10 states that are losing business more interesting:
Arizona: run by republicans
Nevada: republican governor, democratic legislature
South Carolina: run by republicans
Idaho: run by republicans
Florida: run by republicans
Georgia: run by republicans
Alabama: run by republicans
North Carolina: democratic governor, republican legislature
Michigan: run by republicans
Tennessee: run by republicans
strangely, new jersey, indiana nor wisconsin were on the 10 states that are gaining business list…
- Poilitical Junkie - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 9:09 am:
The reason the numbers in Texas are looking good is because of the oil industry which can always create jobs for a workforce, especially an untrained workforce. Perry ha nothing to do with that. Not to mention that Perry says that global warming is a hoax, are you kidding me. Someone who simply cant see the science in front of their eyes should not be our president
- Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 9:16 am:
I wonder what Kirk Dillard, the self-touted sponsor of the Illinois death penalty reform commmission’s recommendations, thinks of Gov. Perry’s views and use on the death penalty?
From Sen. Dillard’s March statement:
“I was the sponsor of former Gov. George Ryan’s death penalty commission recommendations; co-sponsor with Pres. Barack Obama of the landmark death penalty reform statute, which included, inter alia, videotaping interrogations; chief sponsor of mandatory DNA testing; and one of two legislators on the Capital Punishment Reform Study Committee, which was chaired by former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Thomas Sullivan.”
- How Ironic - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 9:18 am:
At least Cross is consistent. He always manages to hitch himself to the losing horse. Perhaps we can name it the ‘Cross Effect’. Sort of the kiss of death for any candidate.
- Fed up - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 9:21 am:
Bored now& Rich
It seems both sides have an abundance of articles showing how they are doing better then others. What is interesting is the Aug jobs report ZERO jobs for the country. Oh yeah Bored that would be run by Dems.
- shore - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 9:22 am:
Roskam (with a new hairdo) was on chicago tonight last night and his comments at the end sounded very Mark Kirk-esque and pro-romney coming from a guy who once worked for tom delay. When asked about the presidential race and specifically perry he talked about the need to win in the suburbs which in republican circles is generally code for needing moderate candidates. He also pointed out that perry mentioned to him he comes to o’hare to convince illinois bussinesses to leave for tehas.
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2011/09/01/rep-peter-roskam
- Small Town Liberal - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 9:27 am:
- Federal government jobs. Texas: Up 7 percent. U.S.: Up 4.3 percent.
State government jobs. Texas: Up 8.4 percent. U.S.: Down 0.1 percent.
Local government jobs. Texas: Up 6.1 percent. U.S.: Down 1.7 percent.
Private-sector jobs. Texas: Down 0.5 percent. U.S.: Down 6.6 percent. -
I find that pretty fascinating. I guess Perry isn’t exactly interested in drowning government in a bathtub.
- Cuban Pilot - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 9:48 am:
I really do like Rick Perry. However, most of you don’t. With that in mind, I found this song about Governor Perry which I think just might be the “catchiest” political paradoy song ever recorded.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LD6p2-1I0s
- JBilla - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 9:49 am:
Huntsman is the only credible Republican in the race. With him on stage debating Obama I honestly think the conversation has a chance of moving forward and finding areas of agreement. Otherwise, we really might be sunk.
- Ahoy - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 10:18 am:
Perry is hot the hot topic right now, he’ll most likely fade when people realize he’s crazy. If you don’t think he’s crazy, just listen to him talk sometime. This is a typical example of a guy who can win in January through May but lose in November.
As for this job creation in Texas that people want to talk about and hang their Rick Perry hat on, it’s mainly through oil and federal government spending. He wasn’t around 300 million years ago to make sure Texas had oil and he doesn’t vote on federal budgets that produce so much pork spending for Texas. So how is he responsible for the “good economy?”
Also something about Texas, the power is vested in the legislature; he’s really nothing more than a government spokesman down there. And their budget deficit is around $34 billion?
Seems typical that some top Illinois Republicans would back him in the primary, over the past 8 years they’ve been more interested in people that win in March.
- bored now - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 10:37 am:
Fed up: a little research would have indicated that we had zero job growth in the country because governments are shedding jobs. the private sector continues to grow — slowly.
a little research into texas would have noted that the tremendous job growth in that state was due to GOVERNMENT HIRING! opps. i’m all for making america like texas, we need governments to be taking up the slack. anyone who has regular contact with small business owners understands that there won’t be any job growth in that sector until credit restrictions are substantially eased (and banks start lending to small businesses again) and there is more economic certainty (something that the tea party assault on washington and government has sent asunder). you want job growth? then start hiring. but, more realistically, look to the federal government to bail us out because no one else can. government works. and people spend it dollars just like they spend dollars from the private sector. only stupid ideologues overlook the fact that governments are a vital sector in the american economy, and destroying the public sector only destroys the overall economy…
- bored now - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 10:39 am:
Cuban Pilot: i hope that republicans do nominate perry. his frontal assault on social security would put florida out of reach and may be democrat’s only hope to re-electing president obama…
- Fed up - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 10:51 am:
Bored now.
Explain to us all how the Feds are hiring in Texas but not elsewhere the same with state and local govs.syne it has to do with population growth. Want to bet their are a dozen articles that show different job growth stats for every state you and Rich cited. Statistics can be manipulated many ways. Want to bet a nice dinner when the job numbers are re owed in a month or two that your meager private sector job growth turns into a loss. Look atthe revisions on jobs numbers that come out a month or two later always revised down. I don’t like Perry and hope he flames out but articles like this are a dime a dozen and are useless.
- Conservative Republican - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 10:54 am:
@ Bored Now,
I checked the article from which you derived the “list”, and the writer clearly states that he used a bizarre formula (no. of “business establishments” per capita and no state w/ unemployment below 9.1%) to come up with it. So your “list” is a skewed measure not adopted by mainstream analysts. I thought you people were the “supporters of science” and rejected “myth-making” in public policy matters?
So your list tells us nothing. Keep thinking that Quinn and Dem-led Illinois is spanking the Sun Belt Red States in job and economic growth…
- Regular Reader - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 11:00 am:
Jobs lost jobs gained… change in business establishments per capita says nothing about either.
The change in a state’s population and job numbers could both be positive, and yet, the change in business establishments per capita could be negative. It’s a misleading gage.
- TwoFeetThick - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 11:11 am:
IMHO, the only sane Republican to join the race is Huntsman. The rest of the field are flopping all over each other trying to one-up the craziness. Perry wants Texas to secede and wants to get rid of third rail programs like Social Security. Bachmann is practically certifiable and demonstrates it every time she speaks. Romney was for his health care program before he was against it. Palin just wants to be the star without the work - and she doesn’t seem to have the guts to actually get in the race. The rest can be summed up with “who?”
It would be great to see a Republican nominee with some vision who doesn’t dismiss centuries of scientific knowledge. If Peter Roskam’s hairline can find a way to go back in time, perhaps his party can find a way to go back to a time before it lost it’s collective mind.
- TwoFeetThick - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 11:13 am:
*its*
- mokenavince - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 11:21 am:
Hard to see a far right canidate like Perry winning in Illinois. That said if he becomes the
next President, Illinois will be right back where
we were under Bush. It won’t look good for us.
- Publius - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 11:28 am:
I was recently in Texas at Texas A&M for a conference back in Feb, and I was talking to people at their campus and many of them would state that Perry was a disaster for Texas and Higher Education down there. Also I would panic if Tom Cross came aboard and supported your campaign. I think the best strategy for the Democrats against Perry is to just make commercials of Perry stating that Texas should secede.
- Going nuclear - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 11:38 am:
I would consider voting for Kirk Dillard, but it will be difficult if he ends up endorsing Rick Perry. I recognize that Dillard wants “to shore up his right flank.” However, Perry’s anti-science, anti-intelligence musings are just too much to ignore.
- Objective Dem - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 12:07 pm:
I don’t see Perry doing well outside of the South and very conservative circles.
While the economy will be a big factor in the election, the reasons for Texas doing well had little to do with Perry. The key reasons for the growth include being an oil producing state and a destination for retirees. Texas also did not suffer as much from the housing bust because after the S&L bust that was largely centered in Texas, they past laws that held back housing speculation.
Perry has not been vetted yet in the mainstream media. His beliefs (which are well documented in his book)are extremely far right. And I don’t see them playing nationwide.
- wishbone - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 12:50 pm:
Texas, elected Rick Perry, home to big oil, and will be the first state to become uninhabitable due to climate change. Proof there is a just God.
- bored now - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 1:01 pm:
Fed up: i’m not inclined to prove something i didn’t say.
Conservative Republican: the formula Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. used was by no means controversial, let alone “bizarre.” not only are they well within the mainstream of economists, but are widely respected in their field. wasserstein-perella used one of their principles in a project i worked on…
- the right is wrong - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 1:19 pm:
As many others have touched on, I’m sure Cross’ backing of Gov. Perry will assist HGOP legislative candidates.
According to Gov. Perry, Social Security is a “violent attack” on American values. I’m sure being tied to the hip with someone with beliefs like that will help Cross defend his members in close elections!
75 seats for Dems in 2013?
- Fed up - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 1:22 pm:
Mokenavince,
We will be fine if Obama loses Madigan is friends with the Speaker of the House.
- steve schnorf - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 1:40 pm:
I’ve rarely had a litmus test for supporting a given candidate, and God forbid now in the 21st century, but I’m considering insisting that anyone I vote for has to believe that the earth is more than 10,000 years old, and that dinosaurs DID NOT walk with men. Helluva shame I think…
- Small Town Liberal - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 1:56 pm:
What the heck does that mean Cinci?
- bored now - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 2:34 pm:
cinci is taking liberties with a line in one of barack obama’s speeches: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
i assume he knew better, but given how eager the right is to attack anything the president says, he could just be another victim of an internet hoax…
- Small Town Liberal - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 2:54 pm:
- he could just be another victim of an internet hoax… -
Yeah, maybe next he can post a link to a picture of Obama swearing in on the Quran.
- steve schnorf - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 3:29 pm:
C, for the main part I don’t evaluate candidates based on one line out of a speech. But let’s face it, how would you like to be an energy adviser to someone who doesn’t believe how crude oil was formed, and how long it took? Or this, “Mr president, see those stars, we’re seeing what happened there three hundred million years ago. Pres: Before the universe was formed?”
I try really hard not to be polarizing on matters such as religion, politics, and so forth. But there has to be some limit to what we can tolerate in our highest office, doesn’t there?
- steve schnorf - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 3:39 pm:
And, btw, I’m not talking here specifically about Perry. I don’t know what he believes. But as our potential nominees stampede to the right pre-primaries I’m going to watch what knowledge they deny and what books they figuratively burn. It will be a measure of their character and thus instructive.
- Huh? - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 3:39 pm:
Has anybody read the article about the pay to play politics in Texas? These are the same stunts that got blago convicted.
- qcexaminer - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 4:50 pm:
Well yeah Wens, since Perry has been governor since ‘00, winning two subsequent terms and having NOT been impeached by members of his own party, I’d say Blago is JUST LIKE Perry in personality and intelligence.
Oh yeah, and compare the fiscal health of Texas vs. Illinois and Perry is JUST LIKE Blago—or Quinn.
LOL! I can’t stop laughing!
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 2, 11 @ 5:34 pm:
===compare the fiscal health of Texas vs. Illinois===
Before issuing such a command, perhaps you should.