Stop it, already
Tuesday, Mar 1, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Former Illinois Senator Don Wooten…
(A) Springfield PAC launched a scurrilous assault on — of all people — Katelyn Hotle in the 72nd house district race.
She was accused of funneling “thousands of taxpayers dollars to her private employer.” You will look in vain for a vote to back up that charge, unless they are referring to approving payments for the city’s continuing relationship with Mediacom, where Katie works; a relationship established before she was elected to the council.
I’m assuming that state Democrats are backing Mike Halpin, if one may judge from the cluster of flyers from what appears to be a related source. Another candidate, Jeff Jacobs, has solid local support. So, why pick on Katie? Go figure. That’s politics these days: subterfuge, smear, and heavy-handed attempts to steer the vote. Why bother with facts when innuendo will serve?
The mailers, paid for by Speaker Madigan’s Democratic Majority PAC, have kept coming since that column was written in mid February. Another one was disclosed yesterday. And I agree with Wooten that the mailers have zero basis in reality.
* KWQC TV asked Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown why his boss was targeting her…
“The point of the mailing was to identify Rauner plants in these legislative races so that voters can be informed that’s all,” said Brown.
We asked Brown how is it known that Hotle might be planted by the Rauner administration.
“How do we not know, because there’s no real record and I’m told she has a strong support from the Republican county chairman,” said Brown. “She has contributors from the suburbs who I’m not sure have any reason, so it appears that she had been supportive of some of the things the Rauner administration is supporting.”
The Rauner stuff is bogus, as far as I can tell. And as I recall, she told me she’s related to that “mysterious” suburban contributor. I can’t find any other direct or even indirect links between Hotle and the Republicans. They certainly aren’t flooding her campaign with money if they are secretly backing her.
* One of her Democratic primary opponents, Jeff Jacobs, was so upset about Madigan’s attacks that he issued a press release…
“I received a disturbing piece of mail yesterday attacking one of my opponents Katelyn Hotle. This mailing came from outside of the 72nd District. These old fashioned attacks are deplorable and they are the reason why so many people shy away from the political process. My campaign has always been about the people of Rock Island County and how we can work together to make the place I was born and raised grow. That message is working and it is why over 80% of the money I have raised is from the Quad Cities. When Rep. Verschoore endorsed me I was committed to running my campaign with the same principles that he has used to serve the 72nd so honorably. If I am elected I am committed to fight against these types of attacks. And I know our message of future growth of Rock Island County will prevail on March 15th.”
From her bio, it appears she is a Governor Edgar Fellows Program member. Not many Raunerites are in the Edgar Fellows Program. Just sayin…
* Maybe her anger at the state of the state’s economy is the tipoff that she’s not a Madigan Democrat?…
State Representative candidate Kate Hotle (D-Rock Island) called for a unified, focused and urgent plan to grow the Illinois Quad Cities in light of recent U.S. Census data showing stagnant population and income growth in Rock Island County.
“The recent Census report should serve as a wake-up call to all leaders that we need new leadership and a sense of urgency in addressing the continuing stagnation of our local population and economy.”
“Rock Island County has never fully recovered from the Reagan recession of the 1980s. While both Rock Island and Scott County fell in population from 1980 to 1990, Rock Island County has dipped slightly since 1990 while Scott increased by 14%. Incomes have also increased in Scott by 6% since 2010 and Rock Island County incomes dropped by 2%.”
* She also appears to be pretty well-spoken, so maybe they figure she won’t be a mushroom?…
$21,391.49 on attack ads… What good could that money have gone to instead?
Posted by Katelyn Hotle on Tuesday, February 23, 2016
* Or maybe it’s because she’s the only woman in the race and the Madigan folks are worried she might win without much money.
Whatever is going on, the women members of the House Democratic Caucus need to have a chat with Speaker Madigan about what he’s doing to this person. He’s deliberately sabotaging what could have been a bright future. That ain’t party building. It’s eating your seed corn.
- Just Observing - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 12:32 pm:
Good for Jeff Jacobs!
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 12:35 pm:
“He’s deliberately sabotaging what could have been a bright future. That ain’t party building. It’s eating your seed corn.”
I was thinking Saturn Devouring his Children, but the point is the same.
– MrJM
- Ahoy! - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 12:38 pm:
“How do we not know?” - Steve Brown
I think that quote says a lot about the tinfoil hats the Madigan camp are wearing these days. There is a Rauner plant hiding under every rock!
- Not it - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 12:38 pm:
Oh puh-lease. Like this is the first career the Speaker has ruined. The Speaker’s victims are all over this State. Good, decent people, that got in the way of him, his friends, and his supporters.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 12:42 pm:
What did Steve Brown say about Rauner? Irrational and wobbly?! Well…
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 12:43 pm:
Um, - Not It -
===Court documents quote a second source, who says Rauner threatened the woman and her family saying “I will bury her… I will bankrupt her with legal fees. I don’t if she has a family or not but if she does she better think twice about this.”===
The focus here on Holte…
- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 12:44 pm:
First they came for Jason Gonzales and I smirked…
- illinois manufacturer - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 12:48 pm:
Thanks for this.We need to know who the real Raunerites are.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 12:51 pm:
To the Post,
This specific race seems to be caught in the vacuum of Raunerites and Mushrooms. If you can’t be a mushroom and it can be placed upon you a label of Rauner, it will be done. If anything Rauner’s incursion into Democratic politics has done, it’s made clear that ambiguity of purpose in your runs will lead to a Raunerite label, fair or not.
It’s like the Remo Gaggi excuse to take out a loyal lieutenant, “why take a chance?”. The rub is Andy Stone got to prove worth, Ms. Holte isn’t even given the opportunity to price anything, including her own independence.
Can’t build without any growth. As an Illinois Republican, I can speak to that, first-hand.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 12:53 pm:
…prove…
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 12:56 pm:
“Rock Island has never recovered from the Reagan recession of 1980″
Wow Reagan was “responsible” for a recession in his first year in office after 4 years of Jimmy Carter.
Reagan went on to win 49 states in 1984. We will never see that again.
- illinois manufacturer - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 12:58 pm:
Rauner incursion has made Madigan stronger. He seems to have confused Madigan with his foot.His aim has been off.
- hot chocolate - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 1:06 pm:
==Not many Raunerites are in the Edgar Fellows Program. Just sayin…== Trover was an Edgar Fellow. Heck he’s even quoted in this year’s brochure! It does not say “Governor Edgar and the executive training program he controls…”,however.
- Chicagonk - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 1:09 pm:
Madigan knows Halpin won’t upset the apple cart. I know the law firm he works at well and they are a firm that has a long track record of loyalty to the local Democratic party. I don’t blame Madigan for supporting Halpin, but labeling Hotle as a Rauner plant is a joke.
- JH - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 1:14 pm:
Thank you keeping up w this and honestly reporting about it. I don’t know much about this district, but met Hotle once and remember thinking she’ll be a rising star. Super smart and thoughtful. Wish we had more like her in office.
- Bored Chairman - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 1:19 pm:
Madigan’s War on Women.
What’s the matter, Rauner derangement syndrome victims? Cat got your tongue?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 1:24 pm:
===Like this is the first career the Speaker has ruined.===
He’s alleging that a crime has been committed when no such thing is in evidence.
Look, it’s one thing to whack Will Guzzardi for supporting banks because of one contribution via Act Blue (which I also wrote about, repeatedly). It’s another thing entirely to trash someone’s future by falsely claiming she’s a lawbreaker and a tool of Bruce Rauner.
There’s a huge difference here and if you can’t see it then I can’t help you. Ya dope.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 1:26 pm:
- Bored Chairman -
Read. Get back to me. Ugh.
Even helping a victim you claim Rauner’s a victim. Pathetic.
- cgo75 - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 1:38 pm:
Everything the Speaker does is well thought out and executed. It’s rather disturbing that nearly everyday there’s criticism of his actions. I don’t the Speaker purposely ruins careers. You either have his support or you don’t. That’s the game of politics and in Illinois, sometimes it can be tough.
- Phenomynous - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 1:44 pm:
I’m with Bored Chairman. Pointing out the commenter silence/hypocrisy of those who blame everything on Rauner isn’t playing a victim.
Madigan is wrong on this. Own up to it. Call it out. Rich just did, and he used to be Madigan’s Chief of Staff, or something.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 1:45 pm:
- Bored Chairman -
lol.
So you read what I wrote?
How can Rauner be a victim to Ms. Holte who is caught in the unfair jetwash of Raunerites and this jetwash is being used to box out candidates, even candidates that aren’t the obvious Raunerites.
Unintended consequences that are being leveraged for specific results.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 1:55 pm:
===I’m with Bored Chairman. Pointing out the commenter silence/hypocrisy of those who blame everything on Rauner isn’t playing a victim.===
“Who” is silent? “Who”?
“Who” isn’t saying anything?
Please, pick up your Strawman
- cgo75 - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 2:04 pm:
There’s tremendous respect on both sides of the aisle for the Speaker and what he’s accomplished in the state during his storied career. Not many states have a man of his stature and longevity.
- Not it - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 2:40 pm:
(I was being snarky in my earlier post in case that wasn’t obvious.)
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 2:57 pm:
75 - agreed, but what does that have to do here and with this situation?
- WizzardOfOzzir - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:07 pm:
Rich-
Aaron and Andria Winters were Edgar Fellows last year, and Lance Trover was a Fellow in 2014. Rauner’s Dir of Veteran’s Affairs was a Fellow and Felecia Norwood is on the selection committee. Each class has a good mix.
- DuPage Bard - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:12 pm:
No Raunerite’s in Edgar Fellows? The biggest OWL out there is an Edgar Fellow. Actually until Edgar went against Rauner that OWL used to talk how great Edgar was for the State. That was before he became an OWL.
- Phenomyous - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:14 pm:
OW, I had a really great and snarky comment for you, with just the right amount of smug and self-righteousness to make people laugh and hate me at the same time. This was a prime time comment that would have shaken people to their core and make them question all of their life decisions.
Amazingly, I felt better after typing it and decided not to post it.
Respectfully,
Ray “If I Only Had a Brain” Bolger
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:52 pm:
===I had a really great and snarky comment for you, with just the right amount of smug and self-righteousness to make people laugh and hate me at the same time.===
Goldberg?
===Amazingly, I felt better after typing it and decided not to post it.===
(Sigh), not Goldberg.
I’m sorry it didn’t work out. Maybe next time,
Buddy Ebson
- olddog - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 4:34 pm:
=== “Rock Island has never recovered from the Reagan recession of 1980″
Wow Reagan was “responsible” for a recession in his first year in office after 4 years of Jimmy Carter.
Reagan went on to win 49 states in 1984. We will never see that again. ===
Read it again: Hotle referenced the “Reagan recession of the 1980s.” In that decade, International Harvester, Case International, and Caterpillar all closed plants in the Quad-Cities, including Rock Island’s iconic Farmall tractor plant in 1985, and John Deere laid off half its work force there. It sure looked like Reagan’s recession at the time, and we’ll never see the ag equipment industry as it existed in that region again.
- low level - Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 8:36 pm:
Jac Charlier is definitely no Rauner plant.