Caption contest!
Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Madigan, corruption, taxes and toilets. Lather, rinse, repeat. From the Illinois State Fair Republican tent…
…Adding… Just making sure I point out that they misspelled the word Madigan. It’s not “Madgian.” Y’all say his name like 78 kabillion times a day, for crying out loud. Get it together, please. #ILStateFairFacePalm.
Sheesh.
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Media flattery of Uihlein turns to criticism
Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* After fawning profiles in Politico, the New York Times, the Washington Post and National Review (among others), the media narrative may have shifted this week.
Yesterday…
It’s not even close.
No one had a worse Tuesday evening politically than Richard Uihlein.
The multimillionaire from Illinois â who has built a name nationally with his heavy campaign spending â dropped about $10.7 million through third-party groups trying to get Delafield businessman Kevin Nicholson the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. It wasn’t enough.
State Sen. Leah Vukmir outpaced Nicholson by more than 25,000 votes with a combination of shoe-leather campaigning and traditional party politics.
Just how much money did Uihlein throw at the race? Consider this: Some of the Uihlein-funded TV spots were still running in Milwaukee three hours after the polls closed and minutes after Vukmir was declared winner in that race.
* Today…
Richard Uihlein, a packing supply magnate and a descendant of one of the founders of the Schlitz beer company, has amassed one of the worst track records among mega-donors in recent years when it comes to backing winning candidates. […]
Among the other losing candidates that received Uihleinâs money: U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore in Alabama. […]
He bankrolled the majority of the campaign for Jeanne Ives, a conservative state representative who unsuccessfully challenged Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner for the Republican nomination in March, by sending her campaign $2.5 million. […]
Uihlein backed Wisconsin Governor Scott Walkerâs brief 2016 presidential campaign, before supporting Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Both men lost the primary to President Donald Trump.
Not to mention all those state legislative races during the spring.
* Also today…
The two billionaire mega donors poured $1.25 million into a super PAC that was supposed to supercharge Chris McDanielâs insurgent bid to be Mississippiâs next Republican senator.
A year later, much of the money from Illinois shipping supply CEO Richard Uihlein and New York financier Robert Mercer is gone. Only a fraction was spent reaching voters who could boost the former state lawmakerâs uphill battle against Cindy Hyde-Smith, Majority Leader Mitch McConnellâs preferred candidate in a November special election that will determine who finishes out retired GOP Sen. Thad Cochranâs term.
What the Remember Mississippi super PAC has provided, however, is a generous payday for at least 18 campaign consultants who received the lionâs share of the money, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission records.
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State Fair open thread
Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’ll be bringing my laptop to the fairgrounds with me, but, I don’t expect to post much of anything this afternoon. The Democrats are having a beer bash at the Bud Tent, so I’m thinking there will be nothing newsworthy. But, one never knows.
Anyway, please be nice to each other and keep it as Illinois-centric as possible. Aretha Franklin’s role in the Blues Brothers movie makes her life and passing on-topic.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Christian Mitchell, the new executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois, was also asked by reporters today about Speaker Madigan’s impact on the Democratic ticket.
“This, ultimately isn’t going to be a race about individuals, it’s going to be a race about values,” he said. Mitchell then talked about how people who are pro-choice or want health care guarantees should vote for Democrats.
“Is the speaker a liability, though?” a reporter asked. Rep. Mitchell’s response…
I don’t think this is about individual personalities. This is about making sure that we compete up and down the ticket, everywhere in this state, which is what we’re doing, what we’re going to have the resources to do. […]
Republicans have tried to do this I think longer than I’ve literally been alive. Again, it’s not going to be about personalities, it’s about who runs better campaigns. I think the Democrats are going to do that.
* The Question: If you were an Illinois Democratic candidate/honcho, how would you respond when asked if Speaker Madigan is a liability to your party?
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Raoul tackles “the Madigan question”
Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sen. Kwame Raoul took questions from reporters today…
Reporter: Lisa Madigan wasn’t here. Mike Madigan bounced after his speech. Is it wise for them to stay away? Are they a liability to the party?
Raoul: My name is Kwame Raoul. Next question.
Um, OK.
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Thursday’s State Fair #facepalm
Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Well, at least it’s not just government workers/vendors who can’t spell. Even State Fair vendors make cringe-inducing goofs…
Wrapped. Pickle (although maybe the owner is from Pickel, Missouri).
Sheesh.
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Because… Madigan!
Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ABC7 on yesterday’s Governor’s Day rally…
One name heard frequently was Mike Madigan, the Democratic House Speaker.
“One thing that brings us all together and will unite us in November is knowing that now is the time for Mike Madigan to retire,” Jim Durkin, House Republican Leader said.
“Can we continue to fight back and break the stranglehold that Mike Madigan’s machine’s has on our state, can we break that lock hold and grow jobs, cut the taxes get term limits, end the corruption,” Rauner said.
* Sun-Times…
Rauner spoke of the âdarkness of Madigan and Pritzker,â saying âeverything is on the line.â
âWeâre not going to fall backwards. We cannot let Madigan and Pritzker get total control of this state,â Rauner said. âThatâs going to be more taxes, more corruption, more job losses and a devastating future for our children and our grandchildren in the state of Illinois. We canât let that happen.â […]
[Illinois Republican Party Co-Chairman Tim Schneider] said voters will realize that âthis race is about Michael Madigan once again controlling this state, the status quo, business as usual.â
* Tribune…
âRepublicans now need to come together. We can have issues where we might disagree ⌠but you know what? Weâve got to unite. This is the time for everybody to come together,â Rauner said.
âWe can have our differences on different policy issues, but what really matters is we donât give total control to Madigan, his machine, funded by Pritzker. More corruption. Higher taxes. More job losses. Thatâs what theyâll bring,â he said.
* SJ-R…
Tim Schneider, chairman of the state GOP, told reporters Wednesday that the past Ives challenge and McCann being on the ballot are âjust distractions.â He said as Republicans meet voters, itâs clear âthe people of Illinois donât want a Madigan puppet as their governor.â […]
He said Illinois can sometimes be seen as being in two parts.
âWe have downstate Illinois that really embraces Donald Trump, and the northern half of the state, they are less confident in his abilities and donât like his rhetoric,â Schneider said. âWe have to deal with that.â But he said that when âpeople realize that this race is about Michael Madigan once again controlling this state, the status quo, business as usual, I think theyâll come home. I think weâll get independents and all the Republicans and some soft Democrats to vote for the governor and win House seats in November.â
* Dave Dahl…
In addition to saying House Speaker and Democratic Party of Illinois chairman Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) is pulling the strings for everything â particularly gubernatorial candidate JB Pritzker and other statewide candidates and Democratic lawmakers â Rauner said the choice is clear.
âThe reason weâre going to win,â Rauner said, âis our message is a unifying message. Democrats want lower property taxes. Democrats want term limits. Honest Democrats not loyal to the machine want the same changes that we do.â
Rauner also spent time talking about the attorney generalâs race. He said Republican Erika Harold is so fearsome that incumbent Lisa Madigan decided not to seek another term just weeks after Harold arrived. And he characterized Haroldâs rival, State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago), as âbad news,â another Madigan puppet.
* AP…
The attack on Madigan “confirms they don’t have anything in the way of an accomplishment to talk about,” Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said. “It’s more falsehoods on just about every level.” A Pritzker spokeswoman did not respond.
…Adding… Heh…
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Senger agrees Rauner is “lesser of two evils”
Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Finke…
Republican candidates and officials kept up their relentless attacks on the unpopular Madigan and their efforts to link Pritzker to him in the minds of voters. Darlene Senger, the Republican candidate for comptroller, said Republicans were robbed of the comptrollerâs office. She said Comptroller Susana Mendoza is a âMadigan mouthpiece.â
She also said Madigan, the head of the state Democratic Party has been weakened by accusations of misconduct leveled against some of his associates.
âThat fortress Madigan built is cracking and Iâm going to kick the hell out of it,â she said.
Rauner still faces criticism from social conservatives for signing House Bill 40, which expands public funding of abortions in the state.
Senger, who said she opposes the law, said voters will have to examine the alternatives to Rauner. Asked by a reporter if that made Rauner essentially the lesser of two evils, Senger said, âThatâs pretty much what it is. What choice do you have?â
Oh my. And she was so close to getting some Raunerbucks with that Madigan rhetoric.
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Lay off the ageism, Jason
Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bernie has a story about Republican secretary of state candidate Jason Helland questioning whether incumbent Jesse White will serve four years if he’s reelected…
âIs an 84-year-old man really going to serve until 2023?â Helland asked Wednesday at a GOP meeting in Springfield â part of Governorâs Day activities that included a State Fairgrounds speech where he made similar remarks. âThis election is an appointment election,â meaning Whiteâs leaving would create a vacancy to be filled by appointment.
Helland, 42, also told reporters: âThe secretary of state just doesnât have the stamina to last until 2023,â given that he previously announced he wouldnât seek another term past the 2010 election or the 2014 election. Last year, White announced he changed his mind, and would seek a sixth term this year.
ROCCO CLAPS, political director of Citizens for Jesse White, responded that White will âabsolutelyâ serve the full four years of his sixth term, should he win. […]
Helland also said: âA vote for my opponent is a vote for Madiganâs appointment,â referring to House Speaker MICHAEL MADIGAN, D-Chicago, who also chairs the Democratic Party of Illinois.
I ran into Secretary White last night and he looked fine to me. Helland really ought to avoid the ageism. It’s just not right.
But Helland’s warning is something that should be debated. Secretary White has, after all, said he wouldn’t run for reelection twice before and did anyway. I don’t know many people who firmly believe that White will serve all four years of his next term. It’s openly discussed in Democratic circles.
I had the chance to chat with Helland’s campaign manager yesterday and he said there would be a lot more stuff like this through November. That’s fine by me, but his candidate needs to drop the cracks about his opponent’s age. I’ve been hearing that “old man” stuff since before White ran for his first reelection in 2002, and all Jesse did was stomp his opponent into the dust, winning every single county.
You’re likely not gonna win this year, dude. Don’t be remembered like this.
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AHEA previews its report
Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This letter was sent Tuesday by the Anti-Harassment, Equality & Access Panel (Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Sen. Melinda Bush and Rep. Carol Ammons - all Democrats) to the chairmen and executive directors of both major political parties and the two county chair associations…
As you and your partyâs leadership gather this week at the Illinois State Fair, we wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the work we are doing as part of the Anti-Sexual Harassment, Equality and Access Panel (AHEA). AHEA is a nonpartisan organization whose focus is to help develop guidelines that political organizations and campaigns can adopt to create safe and supportive environments for women, free from sexual harassment, while pursuing intentional efforts to promote more women into leadership positions and recruit more women to run for office.
The three of us spent the month of July traveling to cities across the state meeting with women who work in the space of campaigns and politics to learn from their experiences and gather their ideas around how we can change culture and behavior in the workplace moving forward. This work took us to Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, Rockford, Springfield, Edwardsville and Carbondale.
And no matter what town they called home, they all share a set of hopes for a better future for women here in Illinois.
Here are some takeaways from this process that we will address in the AHEA report:
⢠We need to end the culture of fear and retaliation for reporting sexual harassment and stop smearing and discrediting those who bring complaints forward.
⢠Political campaigns need to firmly establish what sexual harassment is from the start of employment for all employees; consequences for such behavior need to be established.
⢠Local political parties remain under control of a good old boys network that leaves little room for women or people of color, continuously giving white men a leg up when it comes to running for state and federal office. The system is fundamentally set up to dissuade women from running for office.
⢠An intentional effort needs to be made on the part of men to join the fight against institutionalized sexism. Women also need to reach out and incorporate men into the discussion.
⢠A process needs to be created that allows those who experience sexual harassment to be reported in a way where they have full faith and confidence that their complaint will be taken seriously, investigated and resolved in a way that can be trusted to be fair and legitimate.
⢠Women need to feel supported in their pursuit of running for office and do so free from judgment based on their family, marital, sexual orientation, socio-economic or racial status. Women simply want the opportunity to run.
Within the next few weeks, we will provide all of you, as leaders within your respective parties, along with all registered political campaigns and other affiliated political organizations, with a full report detailing our recommendations and best practices around changing the pervasive culture of sexual harassment throughout Illinois politics. We look forward to following up with you after youâre in receipt of our report and, even more so, working with you to make Illinois politics a place where everyone, regardless of their gender, race or economic status can feel welcomed and can thrive.
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* There were a ton of cops outside JP Kelly’s when I drove by last night, but I was running late for a meeting and couldn’t stop…
“@BetsyforIL” is, of course, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, Congressman Davis’ Democratic opponent. I’m told her husband was pushed.
I’ll post the video when it’s available.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Oh, man, this is so bad…
Rodney needs to issue a statement now.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Congressman Davis’ campaign…
Hey Rich - here is a statement from Matt Butcher, Campaign Manager. Would appreciate you posting.
âAs soon as I was made aware of the incident, his employment was immediately terminated. This campaign has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment or violence of any kind.â
*** UPDATE 3 *** I’ve asked for a statement from the congressman himself.
Pantagraph…
Dirksen Londrigan issued the following statement: âIâm relieved that my family, staff, and supporters are all OK and that this incident didnât escalate even further.
âI am disturbed that someone would show up to an event and try to harass and intimidate me and my family, but he is sorely mistaken if he thinks that it is going to slow me down one bit.
âNasty, divisive politics do nothing for our community. I will continue to hold public town halls, campaign with civility, and show this office and voters the respect they deserve.â
Her campaign manager, Emma Brown, said it was clear that Davis is worried about re-election, but that is no excuse for the behavior of his staff.
âRodney needs to answer very clearly whether he or his campaign were aware of what this young man planned to do or even directed him to attend the event and try to intimidate Betsy, her family, and her supporters,â Brown said.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Rep. Rodney Davis himself…
My sincerest apologies to Betsy, her husband Tom, and everyone at JP Kelly’s. The incident involving a young field representative on my campaign should have never happened and his employment was immediately terminated. His actions go against everything I stand for and go directly against what I have been promoting, which is more civility in politics. This kind of behavior will never be tolerated on my campaign or with anyone on my staff.
*** UPDATE 5 *** SJ-R…
Springfield police Lt. Brian Oakes said Lovell showed up to the event âpurposely trying to record members of Betsy Dirsken Londriganâs campaign, trying to get them to say something inappropriate.â
Oakes said Lovell âsmelled like an alcoholic beverageâ and was âbelieved to be intoxicated.â […]
His profile says he had volunteered for U.S. Rep. John Shimkusâ 2016 campaign and had interned for state Rep. Tim Butler in 2015.
The profile says Lovell graduated from Lincoln Land Community College and from Eastern Illinois University, where he was involved with College Republicans.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** A telling difference
Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The photos that every Republican tracker wants to take today are of Speaker Madigan standing next to or near any Democratic candidates. If Madigan had actually given shout-outs to his House candidates, then that would become an “issue” in their respective campaigns…
*** UPDATE *** And he split…
If the GOP trackers didn’t get a quick pic, they’re now outta luck.
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Harold goes on the attack
Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
The Work Of His Life: Kwame Raoul Argued In Court That Two Neglected Children Should Return To Their Motherâs âInjurious Environmentâ
Debilitating gunshot injury, shaken baby syndrome, and other terrible tragedies plagued household
âKwame Raoul says a safe home for children is the âwork of his life,â but his own legal record proves otherwise. Raoul argued in court that two children should be returned to a household where their two-and-a-half-month-old sibling was shaken to death, one child accidentally shot themself with an unsecured firearm, leaving them with a debilitating injury, and their mother oversaw an environment that gravely endangered their lives. Kwame Raoulâs views and record are dangerous, and thatâs why heâs attempting to cover it up with false ads.â - Erika Harold campaign spokesman Aaron DeGroot
Yesterday, Kwame Raoulâs campaign released a new television ad titled âSafe Home,â where he makes claims about prosecuting child abuse and neglect, but the ad failed to mention the other disturbing side of Raoulâs legal career.
Nearly two decades ago, Raoul argued in court on behalf of a mother whose two children were removed from her custody after harrowing tragedies struck their home. A third child died of shaken baby syndrome, while one of the children accidentally shot himself with an unsecured firearm, leaving him blind in one eye, brain damaged, and paralyzed. Those were just two of the terrible tragedies that led DCFS to remove the two children from their motherâs care.
Kwame Raoul argued in court that the mother had not done anything that warranted losing the custody of her children. Raoul says a safe home for children is the âwork of his life,â but his own legal record proves otherwise.
Harold campaign background is here.
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