Question of the day
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* What one word best describes the Republican gubernatorial primary so far?
Remember, just one word. No cheating by inventing new words.
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Today’s must-listen audio
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From WUIS…
Upon advice of his attorney, Treasurer Dan Rutherford is refusing to release a taxpayer-funded report probing allegations he sexually harassed an employee and forced the state worker to do his political bidding. Days since the investigation’s completion, Rutherford, who is running for the Republican nomination for Illinois governor, says he has yet to read it.
Listen to this exchange as journalists press him on whether the findings should be made public.
* Listen to the whole thing…
Man, that sure didn’t go well for Rutherford. If he thinks this is going away, he’s dead wrong.
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Reining in some police surveillance powers
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Some hardcore police powers types probably won’t like this, but it seems to make some sense. From a press release…
State Senator Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) presented legislation today that would limit the circumstances under which law enforcement may use electronic location surveillance, including GPS tracking information from cell phones, in criminal investigations.
“From your phone to the GPS system built into your car, the devices you use every day can reveal a surprising amount of detailed information most of us believe should stay private,” Biss said. “The legislation I’ve introduced balances legitimate public safety needs with the basic, constitutional right not to be subjected to unreasonable searches.”
Senate Bill 2808 would allow law enforcement to obtain a tracking order — similar to a search warrant — if they can show a judge they have probable cause to believe obtaining current or future location information from an individual’s electronic device is needed to solve a crime or prevent a crime from taking place. In the absence of a tracking order, information collected through electronic surveillance would be inadmissible in court. The legislation contains exceptions for emergencies such as responding to a 911 call or locating a missing person believed to be in danger. It also clarifies that police and prosecutors may still make use of information already available to the public, such as locations posted on social media.
In 2012, cell phone carriers reported to Congress that they had responded to 1.3 million requests from law enforcement agencies for customer information during the previous year.
“The technology is new, but the principle is not: a free society needs to put strict limits on the government’s collection of information about citizens’ private lives,” Biss said.
The bill passed a committee today and was sent to the Senate floor.
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Fight over voter file
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I told subscribers recently that the Cook County Democratic Party Chairman had informed ward and township committeemen that “all access to the Votebuilder voter file for committeemen has been suspended.”
Chairman Joe Berrios explained the access had been cut “due to the terms of the new contract between the Democratic Party of Illinois and the national provider for the file.”
The Sun-Times takes a longer look…
John Arena, the alderman and Democratic committeeman for the 45th Ward, says Berrios recently told him he could not get the voter file because his ward organization is “not endorsing the full slate.”
It’s a slate that includes state Rep. Maria Antonia “Toni” Berrios. She’s one of Joe Berrios’ three offspring (the other two being aides in the county assessor’s office that their dad leads).
Arena’s 45th Ward Democrats and some other ward organizations have strayed from the rest of the party flock to support challenger Will Guzzardi, who nearly unseated Toni Berrios in the last election and now is getting help from the Chicago Teachers Union.
Some committeemen who asked for and were denied the voter file also broke ranks with the bosses to support Nancy Schiavone against newly appointed state Rep. Jaime Andrade. He’s a longtime loyalist in Dick Mell’s 33rd Ward Democratic organization who replaced Mell’s daughter Deb in the General Assembly when she left Springfield to take dad’s longtime seat at the City Council. […]
Jay Travis, who’s challenging Democratic state Rep. Christian Mitchell of Chicago, says getting enough signatures to appear on the primary ballot should have qualified her to get a copy of the voter file.
She ran into reality when her campaign asked the state Democratic Party for help.
In an e-mail that Travis shared with the Chicago Sun-Times, a state party official told her campaign manager, “Please be advised that your request for access to VoteBuilder for Jhatoyn ‘Jay’ Travis during the 2014 primary cycle has been denied due to: Challenging an incumbent.”
Essentially, the party pays for the VoteBuilder file, and the party makes endorsements. And if those endorsements are defied, then the party feels it has the right to deny access to the file.
This unruliness has irked Speaker Madigan for years. He was behind a county party rule change some time ago that threatened committeemen with losing their party posts if they backed a challenger to a slated candidate. That didn’t work. So, since so many committeemen were defying the slating process, access to the voter file was completely cut off.
Thoughts?
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* Sen. Kirk Dillard’s best zingers from last night’s debate…
“I’ll give Mr. Rauner a pass tonight on pay-to-play,” Dillard said sarcastically, before outlining Rauner’s hiring of convicted influence peddler and ex-state pension board member Stuart Levine as a consultant and Rauner’s $300,000 contribution to former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, before Rauner’s investment company got a boost in pension funds from that state.
Dillard, who Friday won an endorsement from the Illinois Education Association, also tore into Brady for voting on tax increment finance district legislation that Dillard said financially benefited the Bloomington Republican and for initiating a 2010 bill to allow animal shelters to kill rabid strays en masse.
“The demise of his campaign began with an idea that he had to mass euthanize animals. That began the drumbeat that made him a vulnerable candidate,” Dillard said, outlining how Brady’s 2010 gubernatorial run began unraveling almost from the get-go.
* Sen. Bill Brady’s best zingers…
“Sen. Dillard’s ad for Obama, saying he’d serve our country well as president of the United States, is a non-starter among most Republicans and, frankly, independents,” Brady said, alluding to a 2008 commercial Dillard cut for Obama during the presidential primary.
“And with all due respect to Mr. Rauner, his support of Rahm Emanuel doesn’t serve well with Republicans in a primary,” Brady said, referring to the close, personal friendship Rauner and the mayor have. “It doesn’t work to win elections.”
* Brady also got in some shots at Dillard before the debate…
Gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady lashed out at competitor Kirk Dillard, accusing him of allowing politics to guide his “no” vote last December on a landmark — but controversial — pension bill. […]
The comments follow Dillard winning the endorsement from the Illinois Education Association last week. The IEA supported Dillard in 2010, pumping $250,000 into his campaign. If the group gives Dillard a similar amount or more, he may have the capability to get some TV ads in rotation the last week before the March 18th primary. Last year, Dillard voted against a controversial pension reform plan that was strongly opposed by public sector unions. The pension bill now faces legal challenges.
“He sold out on pension reform,” Brady told the Sun-Times.” There’s no question. His campaign wasn’t going anywhere. His Lt. Gov. (Jil Tracy of Quincy) voted for it. He’s used every excuse in the book. He was trying to throw life support to make a political decision which amongst Republican primary voters is really hurting him when you talk to them.”
* Rauner tried again to explain the Payton Prep stuff…
Also on the hot seat was candidate Bruce Rauner.
His daughter won admission to the Near North Side’s Walter Payton College Prep, one of the finest high schools in Illinois. Around that time, billionaire Rauner gave $750,000 to two Chicago Public School foundations.
Rauner initially denied discussing his daughter’s application with then CPS CEO Arne Duncan, now the U.S. Secretary of Education. Rauner apologized Tuesday for what he said last summer to veteran Springfield political reporter Bernard Schoenburg.
“Arne Duncan and I would talk regularly, because I’m very involved and have been for 25 years in school reform in Chicago, very involved in charter schools, vouchers, school choice. So, I talked to Arne regularly. I don’t really recall much of the conversation that my wife and I had around the time of our daughter’s application to Walter Payton College Prep. The important issue we did not ask for any special treatment,” Rauner said.
* But nobody could really say last night how they’d balance the budget if the tax hike expires…
Rauner said the state needs to “reduce spending dramatically,” although the only specific program he mentioned was Medicaid. He said he would appoint a task force to reduce waste and the overall cost of government.
Dillard said he would grow the economy and cut waste in Medicaid, while Brady went a step further and said he wants to end the state income tax entirely. He did not specify areas of the budget to cut.
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Three Republicans defend public employee unions
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From June of last year…
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner, speaking in Springfield Wednesday, said that even pro-union Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt thought government unions “shouldn’t exist” and are “immoral.”
Actually, FDR didn’t say that. Read what he did say by clicking here.
* He also said this last year…
“I think we can drive a wedge issue in the Democratic Party on that topic — that real folks will say, ‘You know what? For our tax dollars, I’d rather help the disadvantaged, the handicapped, the elderly, the children in poverty. I’d rather have my tax dollars going to that than the SEIU or “AF-Scammy” who are out there for their own interests,’” Rauner said, referring to two of the state’s most influential labor organizations — the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
* Rauner was asked about that stuff during last night’s debate…
“I’m not against the existence of government unions but workers should be free to choose whether to be in a government union or not,” said Rauner, a venture capitalist from Winnetka.
Still, he maintained there were big differences between public employee unions and private-sector unions.
“When a government union boss has power with taxpayer funded union dues to influence politicians through campaign cash, campaign workers that are free but actually paid by government taxpayers inside the government, it’s a conflict of interest and it’s a corrupting influence. And the result of it is spending goes up, taxes go up and businesses leave our state,” Rauner said.
Watch the video here.
* The react from the other candidates…
Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale said, “I don’t think unions are inherently bad” while acknowledging that Illinois government has become “incredibly unionized” in recent years. While Rod Blagojevich was governor, thousands of workers in management positions flocked to join unions after going years without pay raises.
Dillard said the way to win concessions from public employee unions is to “meet with them, talk with them, not demonize them.”
Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford said there are supervisory positions in government that need to be exempt from union membership, and the right balance has yet to be achieved.
“To say union bosses are immoral is inappropriate,” he said.
Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington also said a better balance needs to be struck among jobs that should not be part of a union because they are supervisory. However, he blamed the drive to join unions on Gov. Pat Quinn making promises to workers that he failed to deliver.
* More from Brady, who said public worker unions are “not immoral”…
“Unions,” he said, “serve their constituency, the people that they represent. And certainly public and private sector unions have done a lot to assist in enhancing the quality of life of the members they provide for. They also provide for a skilled workforce.”
Discuss.
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Behind the Dillard abortion slam
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Champion News dug up a 2003 Project Vote Smart report that claimed Sen. Kirk Dillard had a 100 percent voting record from Planned Parenthood Illinois Action…
This image speaks for itself and the voting record of Kirk Dillard on pro-life issues.
The image…
Champion News is published by Jack Roeser, who is a major Bruce Rauner supporter. Rauner describes himself as being pro-choice.
* A Dillard campaign surrogate responded via press release…
Recently the pro-life voting record of gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard has been called into question by a smear campaign funded by his political opponents. Yesterday, an internet blog calling itself “Champion News” used a decade-old web page to imply that Dillard was favored by abortion provider Planned Parenthood.
Pro-life leaders from around the state are outraged, and have demanded an apology from the staunchly pro-choice Bruce Rauner, who opposes Dillard in the GOP Primary March 18th.
Kirk Dillard has been a long time pro-life leader. He has sponsored parental notice legislation, championed abstinence education, and has stood up for life throughout his career in the Illinois Senate. Just last week, he was the only candidate for governor to be endorsed by Illinois Citizens for Life and Illinois Federation for Right to Life. Dillard has also been endorsed by pro-life Eagle Forum State PAC and Family-PAC. Furthermore, Dillard is supported individually by pro-life advocates state-wide, including Penny Pullen, Bonnie Quirke, Mary Anne Hackett, Liz Eilers, Sheila Devall, Reverend Bob VandenBosch, Nick Costello, and Phyllis Schlafly.
Sharee Langenstein, Illinois’ pro-life representative to the Republican National Platform Committee in 2012, now serves as statewide Co-Chairman of Conservatives for Dillard. She had this to say about the anti-Dillard story: “Champion News is wholly owned by Jack Roeser, who is an open supporter of pro-abortion candidate Bruce Rauner. Rauner and his wife Diana have donated tens of thousands of dollars to pro-choice organizations including Personal PAC and Emily’s List, and Rauner has donated $440,000 to Roeser’s political organizations. We no more trust what Champion News has to say about pro-life candidates than we would trust Planned Parenthood. We demand an apology from Bruce Rauner for this attempt to deliberately mislead pro-life voters through the Champion News blog.”
* OK, what the heck is this about? I mean, Dillard has, indeed, been a pro-life legislator his entire career.
So, I called Planned Parenthood and told them what was going on. They were as initially stunned as I was. Kirk Dillard had a 100 percent voting record? Really?
They checked their records and got back to me. According to Planned Parenthood, they rated Senators on just one bill in 2003. That bill required insurance companies to cover contraception.
* There are plenty on the right who oppose any governmental insurance mandates for contraception, but Dillard wasn’t supporting an abortion bill, so any implication that this record implies he’s pro-choice is ludicrous on its face.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
A new state-by-state report card evaluating America’s support for emergency care has been released, and the results for Illinois are dire: Illinois is ranked 45th in the nation with a grade of D.
This ranking is a striking decline from the 27th place and grade C Illinois received in 2009. The message is clear: Without action, the emergency care environment in Illinois continues to worsen — threatening access to life-saving care for the citizens of Illinois.
Review the complete results of “America’s Emergency Care Environment, A State-by-State Report Card – 2014” produced by the American College of Emergency Physicians online at emreportcard.org.
Emergency care is the safety net of the health care system, and state support is key to maintaining this safety net. The 2014 Report Card shows the lack of support and limited resources in Illinois have stretched it to breaking point. Without significant changes, access to care for Illinois citizens is threatened. Don’t let the safety net break: Support medical liability reform and disaster relief funding to keep emergency departments open and resources available when you need them most.
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* A new TV ad by Illinois Freedom PAC, a group funded by labor unions, began running last night. Some Rauner campaign guys I know saw the ad last night and dismissed it as ineffective. You can rate it yourself…
* Script…
- It was called “Severe corporate greed.”
A “scheme” to cash in on the elderly.
And in the middle of it? Bruce Rauner’s company.
Rauner’s company was accused of draining money from nursing homes, leaving seniors to suffer from malnutrition and dehydration.
Court after court ruled victims died from abuse and neglect.
Trust Bruce Rauner to be Governor?
His companies’ nursing homes made over a billion dollars while seniors paid the ultimate price.
* The accompanying press release…
Illinois Freedom PAC launched its second television ad today, holding gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner accountable for actions by his company that have been called a “callous disregard for human life” and “severe corporate greed”.
A jury found that Trans Healthcare, a company co-founded by Rauner’s firm—called a “vulture investor” that bought up scores of nursing homes–cashed in on the elderly by cutting staff at the homes, letting quality of care decline, loading the homes with debt and shuffling money between corporations to escape liability from lawsuits over extreme neglect and death. The ad and the facts can be viewed at www.IllinoisFreedom.com.
“Bruce Rauner brags that his business experience qualifies him to be governor, but what he leaves out is that his companies, such as Trans Health, prioritize corporate profits over human life,” says Michael Murray, spokesman for Illinois Freedom. “As a venture capitalist, Bruce Rauner owned a company that deliberately neglected the elderly to make a quick buck, and now he wants middle class families to believe he will look out for their interests as governor? Stuart Levine showed us that Bruce Rauner has a history of putting profits ahead of his ethics, but now we know that his company’s profits are even more sacred than human life. Bruce Rauner isn’t who he says he is.”
Representing hundreds of thousands of working families in Illinois, Illinois Freedom is dedicated to educating Illinois voters about the important issues at stake in this election. This ad is supported by an initial weeklong buy worth more than $1 million in the Chicago, Champaign, Peoria, and Rockford media markets as well as online.
*** UPDATE *** The Rauner campaign response…
Pat Quinn’s allies launched a desperate and disgusting false attack ad against Bruce Rauner.
“It’s shameful that Pat Quinn and his special interest friends are blatantly ignoring the truth and invoking others’ personal tragedies in an attempt at political gain,” said Chip Englander, campaign manager for Bruce Rauner. “This is politics at its worst and Pat Quinn, the Democratic Governors Association and the government union bosses behind this ad should be ashamed.”
Below is a fact sheet outlining the multitude of ways in which this ad is misleading and false. The first set of facts detail the wrongful statements made in the TV ad, the second set of facts outlines the nature of GTCR’s investment in the nursing home company, Trans Healthcare Inc., referenced in the ad. Following those facts are a series of facts about the specific cases referenced in the ad.
The facts are drawn from publicly available court filings, media outlets and other third party entities. Taken together they prove that the ad purposefully ignores the truth.
The fact sheet can be read by clicking here.
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* The four GOP gubernatorial candidates debated last night. We’ll have more coverage today. If you missed the debate, you can watch it by clicking here.
This post will focus on Treasurer Rutherford’s response to questions about why he won’t release his internal investigation report. Fox Chicago…
Rutherford complained in Tuesday’s debate that Illinois politics is a “blood sport.”
He then danced around his previous promise to release a taxpayer-funded report on the sexual harassment and other allegations against him.
“In fact, when I made the announcement that we were going to release it, that was totally the intent. There was a federal lawsuit filed. Right now, advice of counsel is because there’s a federal lawsuit going on. I’m working it through.
“I want to get that out there. Believe me.
“And I’ve seen Illinois now, at the worst blood sport I’ve ever seen it. This is not easy to stand up here and run in the State of Illinois,” Rutherford said.
OK, first of all, his lawyers were meeting with the accuser’s lawyers. Rutherford had to know a lawsuit was imminent after he broke off talks. And if he wants to get that out there, all he has to do is overrule his attorney and release it.
* Tribune…
Rutherford’s office had said the probe was tentatively scheduled to be discussed at a news conference last Friday. But that briefing was canceled the day before after Rutherford hired a Chicago attorney who said he now represents Rutherford personally and advised his client not to release any information about the case.
The former IRS agent would not discuss the specifics of his work — including who or how many people he interviewed — beyond saying he had conducted and “completed” an investigation. He referred specific inquiries to the treasurer’s office, which on Friday refused to answer questions about how or when the investigation was conducted.
On Tuesday, Rutherford called the campaign the “worst bloodsport” he has ever seen.
“This is not easy to stand up and run,” said Rutherford, who has indicated he’s not getting out of the contest.
But Rutherford’s campaign announced it had suspended future contracted TV advertising time. Documents show Rutherford had reserved 118 spots at WLS Ch. 7 starting March 3 that would have cost $147,100. Over roughly that same time period, Rauner has reserved 98 spots costing $132,350 on Ch. 7, documents show.
* And then there was this from the Sun-Times…
Rutherford also undercut his earlier claims that Rauner somehow was behind the sexual-harassment allegations.
“I do not have direct proof of that,” Rutherford said.
Ugh.
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