Topinka continues string of union endorsements
Thursday, Jul 31, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Illinois Federation of Teachers endorsed Republican Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka yesterday. From a press release…
Responsible investment and spending of taxpayer dollars is of utmost importance to our members who dedicate their lives to public service,” said Montgomery. […]
“Comptroller Topinka consistently demonstrates that doing what’s right doesn’t have a political party, and we appreciate her dedication to Illinois families.”
JBT is really on a roll with the unions, man.
* The IFT also endorsed Sen. Mike Frerichs for treasurer…
“As State Senator, Mike Frerichs has been a tireless advocate for what matters most to teachers and students, and we’re confident that he will continue to defend their interests in the Treasurer’s office.”
Discuss.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:08 am:
It’s academic now, but did she give any serious thought to getting in the primary for governor this time? Would have been interesting to see an alternative to Rauner who actually hustled and went for it, instead of just waiting around for it.
- walker - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:09 am:
JBT is right there to teach Republicans how to win broad support in Illinois. Some find it hard to learn.
Rauner should make it a point to be seen with JBT.
- PoolGuy - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:10 am:
Walker, but does JBT want to be seen with Rauner all that much? just wondering.
- OneMan - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:12 am:
And somewhere a Sheila Simon intern works on a press release…
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:15 am:
===“Comptroller Topinka consistently demonstrates that doing what’s right doesn’t have a political party, and we appreciate her dedication to Illinois families.”===
Right…here…here, endeth the lesson.
@FakeSheilaSimon - But, I’m a Simon. Really, that’s all I got in rebuttals. #WhatIsInANameA”parent”lyNothing
@FakeMikeFrerichs - look at me, look at me, look at…ME! It worked for @FakeRutherfordDan, until it didn’t. #ShrinkingVioletBlossomsIntoJoke
- Wally - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:17 am:
JBT seemed disinterested in 2006 when she ran against Blago. The first debate was broadcast on radio and I recall her being fairly passive.
- Apocolypse Now - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:26 am:
It will be good for Illinois citizens to have Rauner, Topinka, and Cross in Springfield and the voters probably see this, also.
- Anon - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:27 am:
The 2006 gubernatorial election was held during a Democratic wave election. Anti-Bush fever was sweeping the nation. To bad those on the left who wasted their vote on Whitney could not see the forest for the trees.
- A guy... - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:28 am:
JBT absolutely deserves their support in this race, MORE than anyone else they’ve endorsed. It occurs to me that by doing this, they’re trying to legitimize some of the others. JMO.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:29 am:
At what point does Sheila Simon throw her hands in the air and stop wasting the money in her campaign account?
- Amalia - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:31 am:
she’s the only incumbent Republican running for reelection, right? we’ve seen this movie before.
- SIU - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:33 am:
SIU, SIU, SIU.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:37 am:
===JBT absolutely deserves their support in this race, MORE than anyone else they’ve endorsed. It occurs to me that by doing this, they’re trying to legitimize some of the others. JMO.===
lol.
Just because others see Rauner as a phony in Education issues (Starts a charter school, spends millions on “schools” and then clouts his “perfect score”, but not really perfect score Winnetka-living daughter, lol) the teachers’ unions don’t need to endorse anyone to give credibility to anything.
That type of spin is comical and dishonest.
===It will be good for Illinois citizens to have Rauner, Topinka, and Cross in Springfield and the voters probably see this, also.===
Only Topinka got the teachers here.
Just sayin’
- Jimbo - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:49 am:
If only she had tried for gov again. What a world this could be with a sane and smart republican to check Madigan and Cullerton. Something tells me Rauner could be worse than Blago as far as legislative relations are concerned.
- Jimbo - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:51 am:
AN, Cross in Springfield, lol. Oh he may win, but he’ll be at Medina.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 11:57 am:
=== At what point does Sheila Simon throw her hands in the air and stop wasting the money in her campaign account? ===
Hey, we’re only talking about a few bucks here, right? And it’s not like she’s gonna run for anything else in the future, right? Unless Carbondale is looking for a banjo laureate, that is.
- A guy... - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 12:03 pm:
==That type of spin is comical and dishonest.===
Yeah, Willie, and these IFT endorsements are rock hard foundation in honesty. ack. If they were the least bit honest, they’d sit out the Gov’s race. They aren’t. They’re not.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 12:07 pm:
===. If they were the least bit honest, they’d sit out the Gov’s race. They aren’t. They’re not.===
Someone wants to destroy your Union, and you sit out the race? Who is fooling who?
Bruce Rauner’s idol is Scott Walker. You think any teachers union wants to sit in their hands against that? Yikes.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 12:11 pm:
===If they were the least bit honest, they’d sit out the Gov’s race.===
What Willie said.
You cannot believe what you wrote. If you do, you need to go take a nap or something.
- Norseman - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 12:14 pm:
The problem is that the rest of the IL leadership is incapable learning from JRT.
- Norseman - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 12:26 pm:
Oops. “GOP leadership”
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 12:28 pm:
===The problem is that the rest of the IL leadership is incapable learning from JRT.===
You are On It.
The lip service is embarrassing compared to watching Comptroller Topinka doing what needs to be done, by actually doing it. Every day.
- OneMan - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 12:28 pm:
When it comes down to it, I don’t think the IFT would ever endorse a pro-voucher governor candidate.
Also in terms of sitting it out, what advantage does that give the union.
At the end of the day the simple question for a union endorsement comes down to. Which one of these candidates is going to be better FOR OUR MEMBERS.
Using that test, it’s Quinn.
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 12:39 pm:
If Rauner is elected and is the one pouring money into the rest of the state GOP pols’ coffers, I wonder how much help JBT is going to be to the unions when push comes to shove - I’m having a hard time thinking of what substantively they get out of this other than a boost to their claims of being bipartisan. (If I were less cynical I would say “competent management of their retirement funds.”)
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 12:52 pm:
@A guy:
C’mon. Stop pouting because they didn’t endorse your guy. As I said yesterday, the unions have bad and worse to choose from. They chose the lesser of two evils. Rauner has publicly stated his disdain for unions. While Quinn isn’t well liked because of his stance on pensions, he at least believes in unions. Additionally, Rauner hasn’t explained how his massive reductions to revenues won’t translate into huge cuts in education. The unions are going with the devil they know versus the devil they believe will make their lives that much more difficult.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 12:56 pm:
=== I’m having a hard time thinking of what substantively they get out of this ===
If Rauner wins and JBT wins, they’ll get an advocate who is in the same party as the governor, and somebody who could mediate. That’s pretty basic politics, man.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 1:12 pm:
I love reading all the Topinka-love comments from the same folks who couldn’t support her when she ran against their hero, Rod Blagojevich.
She would have been a great governor!
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 1:27 pm:
–I love reading all the Topinka-love comments from the same folks who couldn’t support her when she ran against their hero, Rod Blagojevich.–
Who would they be? You wouldn’t say something like that without any knowledge, would you?
- Jimbo - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 1:42 pm:
VMan you’re right. I wish I hadn’t undervoted gov that election. If she’d won, we could have avoided the Blago impeachment, and a better dem than Quinn would be running right now.
- DuPage Bard - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 2:53 pm:
Game over for Sheila, Cross still looking tough to beat. Mike better get that name ID up some more.
- walker - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 3:11 pm:
VMan: mea culpa my friend
“What was I thinking?”
- A guy... - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 3:48 pm:
=== Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 12:11 pm:
===If they were the least bit honest, they’d sit out the Gov’s race.===
What Willie said.
You cannot believe what you wrote. If you do, you need to go take a nap or something.===
Woke up from the nap. Didn’t feel guilty being able to say I not only got your permission, but even a directive. lol.
My point is that they aren’t being honest. No one is shocked they endorsed Quinn. No one thought it would go any other way. In their deep dishonesty, they, like many others, had no choice. It’s still not honest. It’s just business.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 4:03 pm:
(Sigh)
First…
======JBT absolutely deserves their support in this race, MORE than anyone else they’ve endorsed. It occurs to me that by doing this, they’re trying to legitimize some of the others. JMO.===
You made a point - A Guy… -, that the endorsement, in your opinion, was to legitimize others, ok, which others, because…
===My point is that they aren’t being honest. No one is shocked they endorsed Quinn. No one thought it would go any other way. In their deep dishonesty, they, like many others, had no choice.===
So it’s being dishonest, to honestly go with whom it makes the most sense?
…and by going with whom it makes the most sense, that needs to be legitimized?
“Someone wants to destroy your Union, and you sit out the race? Who is fooling who?”
This doesn’t need legitimacy. Nor is it dishonest, and lastly, supporting Comptroller Topinka is not needed in any of those decisions.
Spinning is hard.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 4:29 pm:
Interesting to daydream on what shape we’d be in today if JBT had beaten Blago.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 5:25 pm:
I’ve been meeting with AFSCME leaders, and they’re saying what some of you are saying, that they’re against Rauner because of his threats to the union.
Whether this translates to massive Quinn support is another issue, but many of the members with whom I spoke fear Rauner and will certainly or likely vote against him–and this includes a few Republican members.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Jul 31, 14 @ 8:02 pm:
Grandson, it sure looks like it translated in the R primary. If you can get Ds to pick up an R primary ballot, you can probably get them to vote the right way in an election they’re surely going to vote in