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Report: Ten Dems interested in replacing Harriman

Tuesday, Jun 5, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* At least ten people are interested in replacing Democrat Brad Harriman on the 12th Congressional District ballot. Whomever is chosen will face Republican Jason Plummer in the fall.

I’m hearing this name a lot these days…

With the Democratic Party in the process of selecting a candidate to replace Brad Harriman in the 12th Congressional District race, State Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, said he is considering a run at the seat.

Bradley said he has been approached by several people about the possibility of running, but declined to comment on who approached him.

“I am considering it, and I ultimately want to do what’s in the best interest of my children and the people of Southern Illinois and the Metro East,” Bradley said.

St. Clair and Madison counties have the weighted vote here, but Bradley could be a strong candidate. He has his downsides, including that income tax hike vote.

* This is not completely true…

Locally the names heard the most are Bradley and Illinois State Senator Gary Forby (D-Benton). Others include former U.S. Congressman David Phelps, of Eldorado and Lt. Governor Sheila Simon. None of these potential candidates have yet indicated an interest

Forby? The House and Senate Democrats have spent millions keeping him in office over the years. I doubt the DCCC will want that burden. Phelps definitely expressed a strong interest when I talked to him. Simon did not when I talked to her last week. Bernie has more on Simon…

Could there be a rematch between Lt. Gov. SHEILA SIMON and businessman JASON PLUMMER?

Plummer, of Fairview Heights, the 2010 GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, is now the Republican candidate for the U.S. House in the new 12th Congressional District.

The winner of the Democratic primary in that district, BRAD HARRIMAN of O’Fallon is dropping out of the race because of a worsening neurological condition that he says requires surgery.

Names being bandied about as a possible replacement for Harriman on the ballot include Simon, whose late father, PAUL SIMON, was lieutenant governor, a member of the U.S. House and, later, the U.S. Senate.

Simon told me she knows people have been talking about the idea. But she also said the talk seems to her “way more inflated than it deserves.”

“Just looking at it from the really personal point of view, it’s challenging to be working on a statewide basis,” she added. “It means a lot of time away from my husband. … Thinking about being even farther away doesn’t appeal too much.”

She went even further when she talked to me, saying she was approached about running for the seat last year and turned it down and hadn’t really changed her mind yet.

* And then there’s this option…

Belleville attorney William Enyart, adjutant general of the Illinois National Guard, confirmed Friday he was approached by 12th District Democrats to run for Congress in November in place of Brad Harriman.

Enyart said he is considering whether to run for the office, but, as of now, is undecided.

“I have had some people approach me and I think that is a great compliment,” Enyart said. “I plan to sit down with my wife and family to discuss it.”

Enyart is married to retired St. Clair County Circuit Judge Annette Eckert. He said he was called about 5 p.m. Wednesday about the position, a day after Harriman announced he would drop out of the race for health reasons. He wouldn’t reveal who spoke with him.

* These three are out…

So far, a number of other names have surfaced as potential Democratic candidates. However, three prominent Democrats, St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern, state Rep. Jerry Costello II and former state Rep. Jay Hoffman, all have said they are not interested in the job.

* Charlie Cook has this district as a toss-up. Cook has also moved the 17th District from “Lean Democrat” to “Toss up.” From a press release…

Following a recent Public Opinion Strategies poll that showed U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling (R-Colona) with a 16 point lead over his opponent, Alderwoman Cheri Bustos (D-East Moline), the Cook Political Report, a prominent political analysis website, has changed its rating for the Illinois 17th District from “Lean Democratic” to “Toss Up.”

Jon Schweppe, communications director for Bobby Schilling for Congress, said that financial support from extreme special interest groups like EMILY’s List won’t be enough to deliver the race to Bustos.

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Another blind Illinois hater heard from

Tuesday, Jun 5, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Apparently, they’ll pay anybody to write any goofy thing over at the Wall Street Journal. Here’s an opinion piece by William McGurn published today…

Unlike Illinois, Ohio has a Republican governor, John Kasich, and a reformist Republican legislature. Unlike Illinois, Ohio’s governor ruled out tax hikes as a way to address his state’s budget hole ($8 billion). And unlike Illinois, whose Medicaid cuts mostly do nothing to slow the growth of spending, Ohio’s Medicaid program expects to see its annual rate of increase cut in half.

How did Buckeye Republicans do it? It turns out that when you can’t rely on dubious revenue projections, you get more serious about spending. When Mr. Kasich’s people looked at Medicaid, they found that 4% of Ohio’s Medicaid cases accounted for 51% of the spending. That allowed them to address costs while improving care—e.g., coordinating care for the most expensive, chronic cases instead of just having them show up in emergency rooms.

In sharp contrast, the cigarette tax in Illinois raises many more questions than it answers. Take the projected $350 million in revenue, which is designed to help close a $2.7 billion Medicaid gap.

OK, so Illinois slashed programs, whacked reimbursement rates to providers, cut the state’s Medicaid “credit card” to prevent it from using next year’s revenues to pay for this year’s spending and moved people into less expensive care and yet the WSJ says the cuts “mostly do nothing to slow the growth of spending”? Ridiculous. Here are a couple of “losers” identified by the AP…

LOSERS

• Patients: The vast majority of the spending reductions will mean leaner services for the state’s 2.7 million Medicaid patients.

The cuts end prescription drug coverage for nearly 200,000 senior citizens and halt health coverage entirely for 35,000 adults. Illinois would join other states that already cut back on Medicaid extras like regular dental care for adults. The state would no longer cover most visits to chiropractors and only people with diabetes could see podiatrists.

Eyeglasses would be limited to one pair every two years. Prior state approval would be required for wheelchair repairs, heart bypass surgery and obesity surgery. Patients would be limited to four prescription drugs per month without prior approval. […]

• Nursing homes: Illinois is trying to discourage expensive nursing home care for people who could stay in their own homes with help. That’s reflected in the Medicaid rate cuts. Nursing homes with healthier residents will take a 10 percent cut in payments. Those with sicker residents will face cuts of 1 percent. Institutions for Mental Disease, a type of nursing home with mostly mentally ill residents, will see cuts of 2.7 percent.

But Illinois did “mostly nothing.” Right.

…Adding… From Wall Street Journal editor Allysia Finley on the failure of pension reform…

The lesson in all this is that reforming government takes courage and deliberation. By leaving pension reform to the last week of the legislative session, lawmakers betrayed that it wasn’t a priority. They tried to cobble together a bill at the last minute, but things done in haste are rarely successful.

The pension study group, staff and leaders worked on this issue for months. And everything big in Illinois is put off until the last week.

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Lisa Madigan supports gay marriage lawsuit

Tuesday, Jun 5, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We’re coming to this a bit late in the game, but, whatever, let’s get to it now…

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a motion to intervene in support of 25 same-sex couples who have sued for the right to marry in Illinois.

The attorney general will intervene in two separate lawsuits filed by Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, aimed at winning marriage equality in the state.

The suits were filed May 30 against Cook County Clerk David Orr in his official capacity ( Orr personally supports marriage equality and the lawsuits ) . Plaintiff couples have alleged that civil unions, which began a year ago, have failed to provide same-sex couples with the same rights gained through marriage.

In the motion, filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County Chancery Division, the attorney general asks “to present the Court with arguments that explain why the challenged statutory provisions do not satisfy the guarantee of equality under the Illinois Constitution.”

* More…

The lawsuits, filed Wednesday by the gay rights group Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, are against the clerk of Cook County and claim that his refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples violates those couples’ rights to due process and equal protection under the state’s constitution.

Cook County Clerk David Orr has stated he applauds the lawsuits and is in favor of same-sex marriage. Officials from the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, which will represent Orr, did not respond to calls seeking comment.

Peter Breen, executive director and legal counsel of the Chicago-based Thomas More Society, which opposes gay marriage, said after the lawsuits were filed that he expects the state’s attorney’s office to defend the state law that bars same-sex couples from marriage.

* From Illinois Review…

So because the Illinois Attorney General is not defending the state’s marriage law definition, private non-profit groups are stepping forward to fill the void of legal representation. Illinois law defines marriage to be between one woman and one man, and civil unions were allowed in 2011.

“Regarding the Illinois Marriage Law that the ACLU/Lambda Legal is attempting to get declared unconstitutional, you may be pleased to know that I signed a Contract of Legal Representation with ADF this afternoon so that IFI can intervene to defend the law,” Smith announced Monday afternoon.

Discuss.

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Question of the day

Tuesday, Jun 5, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* There wasn’t a whole lot of news today and I have a handyman at the house doing a few much-needed tasks, so I need to be away from my office for a while this morning. Sorry about that, but it is what it is. I can’t get this stuff done during session.

Anyway, this is from Illinois Statehouse News…

Legislative leaders are planning to meet with Gov. Pat Quinn in Chicago this week after a failed attempt to rein in the cost of the state’s public pension systems.

Quinn said earlier this year pension reform must happen this spring, and said he would call lawmakers back to Springfield if they failed to pass substantive changes.

Late Thursday, Quinn issued a news release saying he would call a meeting with the four legislative leaders to salvage a plan scuttled in the last days of the spring session.

Rikeesha Phelon, spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton, said the following leaders will probably meet Wednesday in Chicago: Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago; House Republican Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego; Cullerton, D-Chicago; and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont.

Quinn’s office, which is coordinating the meeting, didn’t respond to questions to confirm its date.

Patty Schuh, spokeswoman for Radogno, said it’s extremely unlikely the Legislature would return to Springfield before the leaders and Quinn had a chance to sit down and hash something out.

“I think he’d want a leaders’ meeting first, unless he wants to continue to be like Rod,” Schuh said, referring to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who had a protracted battle with the Legislature that involved many summer session days.

I’m told that members of the pension reform task force and staff will also be at tomorrow’s meeting in Chicago.

* The Question: Your prediction for tomorrow’s pension reform pow-wow? Snark is definitely encouraged. Enjoy.

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Tuesday, Jun 5, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

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