* The Hill, which is based in Washington, DC, takes a look at an Illinois gubernatorial candidate’s ties to the Illinois House Speaker. If that sounds like an odd angle for that particular publication, it kinda is.
Anyway, here’s an excerpt from the story about Sen. Daniel Biss’ 2016 LIFT PAC…
The super PAC’s contributors list doubles as a who’s who of donors in Madigan’s circle, including the speaker himself. Madigan has been the state House speaker since 1983 and also serves as the state party chair, so he has his fingers on the pulse of all things Democratic in the Land of Lincoln.
Madigan’s campaign committee gave the group $500,000, the largest donation from his campaign to a political organization aside from the state Democratic Party, according to data compiled by The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.
The campaign committee for Illinois attorney general Lisa Madigan, speaker’s daughter, gave another $150,000.
A host of other well-connected Democrats are also on the group’s donor list too.
There’s the $10,000 donation from Roger Kiley, Madigan’s former law partner, according to the Chicago Tribune, and the former chief of staff to iconic Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.
Then there’s a $1.5 million check from Democratic mega-donor Fred Eychaner, as well as two $10,000 checks from Cook County assessor Joe Berrios and his campaign account. Both Eychaner and Barrios are considered reliable Madigan allies.
Now, to be sure, Madigan did play a role in the PAC’s fundraising - a major role, according to people I talked to last week in anticipation of doing a story of my own this week. He couldn’t play an issues-oriented role because of the legal “firewall,” and he couldn’t directly fundraise, but he could certainly “encourage” people to listen to Biss’ pitch. Biss worked with some folks last year who are now with other gubernatorial candidates, so that might be where The Hill’s story originated.
Anyway, keep all this in mind as Biss rails at Madigan and bemoans the fact that Chris Kennedy busted the caps in the race. The dude’s own PAC raised $10 million last year from a host of politically connected and wealthy people, including Kennedy and JB Pritzker. There’s nothing at all inherently wrong with that. But he did what he did.
*** UPDATE *** From Sen. Biss…
Daniel Biss, Democratic candidate for governor, released the following statement today in response to Chris Kennedy lifting contribution caps late Friday with a contribution of over $250,000 to his campaign:
“If Democrats want to out-Rauner Rauner, we’re going to lose. Sending the message that only the rich or only the machine have access to this government just exacerbates the broken culture in Springfield that voters are yearning for us to fix.
“People in Illinois are hurting because of the failed policies of the last two years and the failed politics of the last 30, which have allowed billionaires and insiders to control our government for their own benefit.
“We can’t keep doing things the same way and expect different results. If we want to start solving problems for the rest of us, we need to build a movement to take our state back from money and the machine.”
* Meanwhile…
- Grand Avenue - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 10:16 am:
That’s Superintendent Bob Daiber to you!
- Wow - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 10:17 am:
BVR will be below 30% approval next year.. because Madigan will not help him..
- JohnnyPyleDriver - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 10:19 am:
He seems to be handling the question a lot better than his primary opponents even if you don’t print that part here. I mean, duh, they’re both statewide dems, of course they’re going to have crossover support. But he speaks out against him more than most in the party. And he continues to.
- I'mDone - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 10:20 am:
If Biss has figured out a way to use MJM instead of being used BY MJM, then he’s the smartest Dem in the state.
- wordslinger - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 10:20 am:
Thats a bizarre story for The Hill. The reporter must be doing a favor for some buddy back in Illinois who spoon fed him.
- Grand Avenue - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 10:21 am:
Ameya Pawar has a new “Winged P” logo.
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/836569841708388354/QF71TXU0.jpg
- ILPundit - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 10:25 am:
The Hill is a conservative leaning, DC publication. Given the number of Kirk alumni in the Trump orbit, hard not to assume that it was an easy path to drop some oppo
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 10:26 am:
The Hill could have a done a little more googling or searching on the FEC site. Eychaner is a nationwide Democratic donor. That doesn’t mean he isn’t close to Madigan, but the idea he’s only in some Madigan nexus is laughable and demonstrably untrue.
- walker - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 10:30 am:
Word: Ben Kamisar, reporter, is Medill School (Northwestern) grad.
- LTSW - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 10:34 am:
15 minutes each?
- lake county democrat - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 10:36 am:
Biss definitely did his part on the “criss-cross” that killed redistricting reform in the Illinois legislature. Never took a position on the referendum, never pushed or called for an alternative and voted for the criss-cross bill in the senate. You can mock someone like Scot Drury all you want - you’re not really independent until you do something tangibly against your political self-interests to prove it.
- The Captain - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 10:37 am:
The biggest donor to LIFT was Michael Sacks, so maybe it’s just a matter of time before we see this same article locally but instead replace every Madigan reference with Rahm.
It’s been kind of the worst kept secret that LIFT was far more than just a Biss effort, he wasn’t just a figurehead but he also wasn’t the sole driving force of that effort. Not all of those donors will be available to him in this primary but it did help his rolodex so he’ll get some of them.
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 11:01 am:
Jeez. Who would want lunch after being fed all that baloney?
- Harry - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 11:18 am:
Stands to reason that MJM and Rahm would not be thrilled to exchange a GOP Gov who can self-fund for a Dem Gov who can self-fund (Pritzker, Kennedy). They need someone they can control and that means someone who needs access to their donors. And, a progressive loose cannon like Summers or Pawar is also less-than-optimal. All roads lead to Biss, who has no statewide constituency and will depend on their money.
- walker - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 11:23 am:
Seems out of character for Madigan to take a long shot with Biss this far in advance. He’s more likely keeping his options open.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 11:35 am:
- Harry -
Read what Mike Noonan said about self-funder running as the Dem nominee, than get back to all of us.
While your tin-foil hat is snug, the reality is a self-funder is probably more desired, not a “puppet” (Biss isn’t a puppet, ugh) because…
“because … $120 million”
… for legislating races, 4 statewide races, and running against Rauner too.
- JoeMaddon - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 11:41 am:
**Stands to reason that MJM and Rahm would not be thrilled to exchange a GOP Gov who can self-fund for a Dem Gov who can self-fund (Pritzker, Kennedy).**
LOL - you definitely haven’t been paying attention.
- Keyrock - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 12:37 pm:
Sen. Biss is kind of in a trickbag about SB1 — and his ties to Madigan. I think the truth is that he got played by Madigan and Cullerton and agreed to sponsor a bill that they knew was unconstitutional.
Biss, not a lawyer, was a relative newbie, and has grown since then. From my goo-goo perspective, he is the best candidate of the group.
From my political read, Biss has 1 easy message and 2 difficult messages to sell. The message that “I’m serious (and not a billionaire) and I’ll work for a progressive income tax like you want” is a good message to sell.
At the same time, to win the primary, he has to say to the unions “I got rolled by Madigan to sponsor that bill, but I’ve learned and now I’ve grown.”
He also has to say to the voters “I’ll work with Madigan to get things done, but I’ve shown that I also will fight the machine and stand up to him.”
I hope he can thread the needle, sell his messages, and raise the money to be in the game. He has a path to the nomination, but it’s a narrow one.
- MissingG - Monday, Mar 27, 17 @ 2:45 pm:
Why wasn’t Alex Paterakis included in the forum?